Las Vegas to Disney: To Drive, or not to drive?

[Rainforest_Elf]

Okay, so. My sister and I are planning a little vacation. Our dates are tentatively set for September 8th-14th, with the 8th, 9th, and 10th being spent mostly in Vegas. The 10th will be our travel day from Vegas to Cali.

I had originally thought the 1 hour flight from either SNA or LBG would be the best option for cost (about $100 a ticket right now). But, the prospect of renting a car and driving might be a fun alternative, especially since that first day in Anaheim we will not be going into the parks (only have 3 day passes.) What do you guys think? Anyone done this? It would be my first time renting a car, and the California freeway does make me nervous, but I'm willing to brave it.

Also... should I reverse the trip? What I mean is, spend the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th in Disney (with the 12th being for travel) and then go to Vegas? Which is crazier, Disneyland on a weekend, or Vegas on a weekend?

I've looked at crowd level reports (how do they calculate that, anyway?) on the weekends around our trip, and they're about 5's and 6's, which I know isn't bad, but compared to the 1's I'm anticipating, that's pretty busy, you know?

Thoughts?

 

[kkgunn]

So is the cost $100 round trip for a flight? Do you have to get back to Las Vegas to return home?

We have made the drive from Las Vegas to Anaheim a few times. It's an easy drive. There is a bit of traffic once you get close to Anaheim, but nothing terrible. Renting a car at SNA is also a short easy drive to Disneyland.

It will probably cost you less to drive to Anaheim from Vegas. With airport wait times and having to rent a car, your probably not saving much time be flying either.

Definitely go to Disney during the week and Vegas on the weekend. Vegas is big enough for everyone, and attendance has been down with the economy. Disney is much more crowded on the weekend with locals etc.. and there is less room to move around IMO

 

[whoopsiedoodle]

I am ALWAYS up for a roadtrip!! I think driving is almost always better than flying and if you are willing to brave the California freeway system then go for it!!

I would also do Vegas on a weekend. Disney you want less people around so you can do all the rides and everything you want to do. Vegas, IMO, is about tons of people and being crazy. It doesn't really matter if there are tons of people around in Vegas, it actually makes it better!

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

So is the cost $100 round trip for a flight? Do you have to get back to Las Vegas to return home?

We have made the drive from Las Vegas to Anaheim a few times. It's an easy drive. There is a bit of traffic once you get close to Anaheim, but nothing terrible. Renting a car at SNA is also a short easy drive to Disneyland.

It will probably cost you less to drive to Anaheim from Vegas. With airport wait times and having to rent a car, your probably not saving much time be flying either.

Definitely go to Disney during the week and Vegas on the weekend. Vegas is big enough for everyone, and attendance has been down with the economy. Disney is much more crowded on the weekend with locals etc.. and there is less room to move around IMO

Sorry, no the $100 is just one-way. We'll be flying home to PDX (either out of Vegas or CA... from your recomendations, probably CA )

Any particular rental company I should go with? This will not be a round trip journey, so I'll need a company that will let me leave the car in Anaheim.

 

[loricdietzel]

Keep in mind if you go from LA to Vegas at the beginning of the weekend (and driving), half of LA will be on the road with you. I'm not sure if you were thinking of driving still when you asked if you should switch around your trip, but the roadway going into Vegas from LA on a Friday will be packed!

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

Keep in mind if you go from LA to Vegas at the beginning of the weekend (and driving), half of LA will be on the road with you. I'm not sure if you were thinking of driving still when you asked if you should switch around your trip, but the roadway going into Vegas from LA on a Friday will be packed!

That's an EXCELLENT point. I guess we have our answer then Vegas on the weekend, Disney during the week! I am super bummed though, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Ranch will be closed during our visit. boohoo!

Is there anything on the road that's a must see? I kinda want to stop at the town Zzzxyy (I think that's the name of it.) but anything else worth pulling over for a leg stretch?

 

[Iceman93]

I would recommend the opposite--Vegas during the week. As loricdietzel pointed out, I-15 from LA to Vegas is horribly crowded on Friday afternoons, and horribly crowded in the other direction all day Sunday. Plus, Vegas prices for everything go up significantly starting on Thursday night. With the new additions to the Disney parks, I haven't noticed a tremendous difference in business between weekdays and weekends.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I'm with Iceman. Won't there be more shows and things at DLR on the weekend? Vegas goes steeply up in price for weekends. For a three-day visit, I'd say try for at least one weekend night at DLR.

 

[PigletSeeker]

We live in Vegas. It is a very easy 4 hour drive to Anaheim from here. However, there is nothing to see along the way. (I take that back, there is a mysterious run down water park in the middle of nowhere!) Only real places for potty breaks are in Baker and Barstow, so plan accordingly. Just be sure you do not travel from LA to Vegas after noon on Friday, and do not go from Vegas to LA after noon on Sunday- Sunday mornings are really good, though (partyers are still sleeping). Also don't leave or arrive in LA during afternoon/evening rush hour.

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

We live in Vegas. It is a very easy 4 hour drive to Anaheim from here. However, there is nothing to see along the way. (I take that back, there is a mysterious run down water park in the middle of nowhere!) Only real places for potty breaks are in Baker and Barstow, so plan accordingly. Just be sure you do not travel from LA to Vegas after noon on Friday, and do not go from Vegas to LA after noon on Sunday- Sunday mornings are really good, though (partyers are still sleeping). Also don't leave or arrive in LA during afternoon/evening rush hour.

Do you know the name of the water park? I'm really into photography, stopping at an abandoned place might be kinda fun!

 

[Started With a Mouse]

Do you know the name of the water park? I'm really into photography, stopping at an abandoned place might be kinda fun!

http://www.retronaut.co/2011/08/abandoned-rock-a-hoola/

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

What if we make the trip from Vegas to Disney on Monday? Traffic still a nightmare?

I've found some amazing deals for Vegas hotels, and thats winning right now in regards to the debate of Vegas or Disney first... it's gonna be the weekend in Vegas, there are some deals that I cannot pass up. Disney is proving to be less fruitful, but eh.

Anyway. Monday! Traffic? Good? Bad?

 

[starshine514]

I'd drive if the one-way drop-off fee isn't too steep (I'd research all the companies and try any possible discounts you have - Entertainment Card, Costco, AAA, USAA, etc.)

Here is my drive reasoning. A drive from Tucson (where I live) to Vegas is 7-hours. Last year, we had a 3:30 pm flight out of our airport (to Denver, not Vegas); around 2:30 pm the flight at the gate next to ours boarded. It was going to Vegas and had been delayed since 10:20 that morning. So, those folks had arrived 1 hour early to the airport, waited 4+ extra hours for their flight to leave, and then had a 1 hour flight to Vegas. By the time they get their luggage, rent their car, etc. they will have spent the same 7 hours getting there as they would have driving...Plus, for me and my youngest, we will have had to deal with the ear pain of landing (and having a screamin 5-yr-old on a plane, even while wearing her kid-sized earplanes, is just not fun for me - or anyone else on the plane). Anyway, the conclusion for me is to always drive if I can do it without having to stay in a hotel along the way. So, a 4-hour drive is a no-brainer (unless the rental car cost kills you, of course).

ETA: Oh, and keep checking back on the rental car prices, they can fluctuate from day to day and often go down. They're usually super easy to cancel (as long as you haven't pre-paid, that it).