LA Traffic?

[chabelita545]

In order to squeeze in one more day at DLR (Sunday, the only day we can ride Matterhorn, Haunted Mansion and see Fantasmic), we are going to change our plans and I need some advice on best times to hit the LA freeways.

Old Plan 8/21-8/29:
WED: fly to LAX, stay near Universal
TH: Universal Studios
FRI: mid-morning drive to Carslbad, 1/2 day @ Legoland
SAT: SeaWorld
SUN: 1/2 day at LL, afternoon drive to DLR
MON-TH: 3 1/2 days @ DLR, fly home TH late pm

Changes to Old Plan:
FRI: leave hotel near USH, early drive to Carlsbad, get as much time as possible @ Legoland
SUN: morning drive to DLR (4 1/2 days @ DLR)

QUESTIONS: When should we leave Universal on Friday to avoid the morning commute? Will HOV lanes make a difference? Should we leave super early, say before 6 am or wait until after 9:30? We would like to maximize time at Legoland while not exhausting ourselves by getting up at say, 4 am.

Thank you!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

What time does Legoland close that day? You're looking at about a 2 hour drive in normal traffic. If you leave at 9/9:30 you should be fine if you were planning on getting to Legoland a little before noon.

If I were to advise you on a place to sleep for the night after Universal Studios, I would recommend staying closer to Carlsbad - maybe in Newport Beach, so you wouldn't have to drive so far in the morning. But, if you want to maximize your Hollywood stay, then leaving later the next morning is a good plan. It's fun to see everything, but not when you are too tired to enjoy it.

(Also - moving this to our other theme park board)

 

[chabelita545]

Thanks Mary Jo. (Where do I look for this thread now? (Disneyland - California & the West - Southern California?)

Legoland closes at 8pm.

We have prepaid for our USH hotel (Beverly Garland Holiday Inn) so can't change it, and in Carlsbad we are staying very close to LL.

 

[lorie13]

There are no guarantees with LA Traffic, you can have bad traffic anytime (including the wee hours of the morning) but there are some patterns.

If you leave your hotel Friday morning before 6 a.m. or after 10 a.m. you should miss most of the rush. The challenge will be to get through downtown LA area and there is no car pool lanes on the freeway there. Most likely you will take the 101 to the 5. The 5 has a carpool lane once you are almost to Anaheim and the answer is yes, they do make a difference most days. Once you enter Orange County (Anaheim) on the 5 there are I believe 6 lanes, plus car pool, which opens the freeway up. If you have internet access check out sigalert.com and they will list accidents, road repairs and slow traffic. One suggestion would be to just hop in the car and leave early, then have breakfast once you get to Orange County. Here what is going on right now, it is Friday morning 10:30 am. and the ride from Universal to Anaheim is 54 minutes for 35 miles and the ride from Anaheim to Carlsbad is 1 hour 6 minutes for 66 miles.

Sunday morning should be an easier return to DLR, again just check traffic before you go.

 

[chabelita545]

Thank you, Lorie13! That's exactly the info. I was looking for. We have driven along I-5 to Anaheim and San Diego before but always on I-5 all the way and never during morning rush hour.

I lived in LA (across from Universal on Barham Blvd.) back in the days before Internet and smart phones and I actually bought and used a book called "LA Shortcuts"! I think your suggestions will be a lot more helpful. Thanks again.

 

[chabelita545]

Am I nuts to drive from San Diego to Anaheim on a Saturday night?

We are now changing plans to have more time at Disneyland and my family wants to leave SeaWorld Saturday evening and drive straight to Anaheim. I'm guessing the traffic will be awful on a Saturday night compared to a Sunday morning but they are desperate to be at Disneyland for Sunday morning rope drop.

Should I try to convince them to stay in Carlsbad Sat. night and drive early Sunday or it this new plan ok? We can't decide at the last minute because we need 48 hrs. notice to cancel our Sat. hotel.

Thanks!

 

[disneycat321]

You should be fine driving from San Diego to Anaheim on a Saturday night. I wouldn't worry about it.

Saturday traffic often comes from construction. To my knowledge, the bulk of construction work is going on in LA county right now. Central and South OC are fine. To be honest, I know practically nothing about SD, but I really think you'll be ok.

 

[chabelita545]

Thanks, that's a relief. All these last minute changes had me stressed out. Now I can just relax and enjoy our vacation.