Need opinions

[disneymom23]

I need your opinions on my upcoming trip. We are booked at the GCH from Nov. 20- Nov. 24. We usually fly but flights are very high right now- about $250 from Oakland. So, we were planning on driving. Our plan was to drive home on Wednesday (day before T-giving). How bad do you think traffic will be that day? Someone recommended leaving on Tuesday instead. But I know DH would want to leave in the early afternoon and I hate giving up a day at DL. But I don't want to sit in traffic all day on Wednesday. I looked into flights for Tuesday and they are a little lower- $190pp, which is still more than I've ever paid before but it doesn't leave until almost 9 pm. So my options are:

1. Drive from DLR to East Bay on Wednesday

2. Drive on Tuesday

3. Fly on Tuesday night

I don't like option #2. What do you all think?

 

[Flitterific]

Just wondering...how many people are you traveling with? I think you'll want to do a cost-benefit analysis in how much it's going to cost overall for flights versus time spent traveling and money on gas...

 

[SplashMo]

Spend the night and stay at DLR for thanksgiving

 

[disneymom23]

Just wondering...how many people are you traveling with? I think you'll want to do a cost-benefit analysis in how much it's going to cost overall for flights versus time spent traveling and money on gas...

There are 5 of us. No question that flying will definitely be more expensive. I just don't want to give up an entire day.

 

[disneymom23]

Spend the night and stay at DLR for thanksgiving

I suggested that but my family wants me to cook a T-giving dinner.

 

[SplashMo]

Maybe if you wanted them to cook dinner they might change their minds...

LoL!!!

 

[goldies 5]

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

If you can't sell the Thanksgiving at DLR option, I'd vote for flying Tuesday night. I wouldn't want to drive on Weds if you have any way to avoid it, as the roads will be nuts, but I wouldn't want to give up a DL day either.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

Have you ever driven on The Five on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving? I have more times than I can count and I can tell you that it's perfectly hideous. You just get moving to a respectable 65-70 mph when everyone slams on their brakes and you crawl in stop and go for several minutes, then you pick back up to 30 mph for ten minutes before getting back up to speed limit and the whole cycle repeats. The bathrooms along the way (even in the most respectable of stops) are completely overrun and lacking in toilet paper by evening. The lines for gas and food are insane.

BUT!!!

I would be willing to deal with the Nightmare Before Thanksgiving traffic for an extra day in Disneyland. The key will be to leave early Wednesday so you can get a jump on the people leaving at noon or after work on Wednesday. You'll still hit traffic but probably not too much more than if you leave Tuesday evening (when you'll hit a bunch of people trying to avoid the Wednesday afternoon/evening traffic). Just be warned that leaving late morning or early afternoon on that particular Wednesday does result in severe headaches...don't forget the Advil.

P.S. Do you know how to tell if someone was raised in Southern California vs. Northern California? If you were raised in So Cal you refer to I5 as "The Five" (You take the 5 to the 118...) whereas people raised in Northern California refer to it as I5 or just plain ol' 5 (You take 5 to 50...).

 

[LavenderPeach]

We've driven up to the bay area on the wednesday before thanksgiving several times. We always leave early in the morning though like around 4-5am. The traffic has never been too bad but the lines for the bathrooms and food (especially the women's bathrooms) are pretty bad. I'm sure they just get worse as the day goes on. Try to leave early if you can and it won't be as bad.

P.S. Do you know how to tell if someone was raised in Southern California vs. Northern California? If you were raised in So Cal you refer to I5 as "The Five" (You take the 5 to the 118...) whereas people raised in Northern California refer to it as I5 or just plain ol' 5 (You take 5 to 50...).

This is true, lol, but I've been converted! I was raised in northern california and lived there the first 21 years of my life. Then I moved to southern california and the freeways get talked about a lot so I was always hearing "the 5", "the 405, "the 710", etc. It didn't take long to convert to talking that way. I'm not sure they allow you to live down here unless you say "the" in front of the freeway number.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We've driven up to the bay area on the wednesday before thanksgiving several times. We always leave early in the morning though like around 4-5am. The traffic has never been too bad but the lines for the bathrooms and food (especially the women's bathrooms) are pretty bad. I'm sure they just get worse as the day goes on. Try to leave early if you can and it won't be as bad.



This is true, lol, but I've been converted! I was raised in northern california and lived there the first 21 years of my life. Then I moved to southern california and the freeways get talked about a lot so I was always hearing "the 5", "the 405, "the 710", etc. It didn't take long to convert to talking that way. I'm not sure they allow you to live down here unless you say "the" in front of the freeway number.

Ok, I'll let that one pass but just don't start referring to "Frisco"!

We haven't driven on 5 the day before Thanksgiving but every year we drive from the North Bay to up near Sacramento on 80. If we don't leave first thing in the morning a 2 hour trip can take 5 hours! I think the key to traveling anywhere on that day is leave early.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Ok, I'll let that one pass but just don't start referring to "Frisco"!

Uggg!! NEVER! That is just wrong. I hear people down here saying that every once in awhile and I just cringe. I can't even order the Frisco burger at Claim Jumper, even though it sounds really good, because I would not be able to bring myself to say the name.

 

[kylie71]

Don't even get me started on the "5"...
We live in Reno, and will take 80 to the 5.. only if we leave in the evening.
If it's a daytime drive, leaving at 4am, we will take the 395, through the backside of the Sierra's. Cuts off about an hour... and it's prettier!

 

[Goofy_Mom]

I would leave Wendsday morning, but since the traffic will be bad in the LA area anyway, I'ld take the Pacific Coast Hwy and make a nice road trip out of it. Stop a few places along the way and take pictures, grab a bite at a diner (if there a lot of cars in the lot, it's a good indication of a good diner). Its still early enough that you could do some reaserch of the drive and make a mini plan.

 

[SplashMo]

I vote for leaving in the early morning. Or getting a hotel halfway the night before so that DH might stay longer???


OR

T dinner at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen

and Football watching at ESPN Zone...

I think you have more basses covered at that point maybe?

 

[disneymom23]

UPDATE-

Flights were OK from Friday-Tuesday so I'm just pushing the trip up a day. Two of my kids are off from school and my middle schooler will have to miss. She won't be happy but she's a straight A student so she'll be OK. My DH will fly in later that night.

So, now we have more time in DL. On Friday, we land at 10:30 so we'll have most of the day and on Tuesday, we don't leave until 9:00 at night.

 

[pixiewings71]

OP don't drive on Wednesday. Or Tuesday, stay for Tgiving!!!! We were at DLR last year for Tgiving and it was GREAT!!! Low crowds and nice weather. We ate at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen for our turkey dinner and it was one of the best we've ever had! The BEST part was everyone could customize what they wanted so if the kids didn't want stuffing they just told the server "no stuffing please" and they got extra veggies or extra mashed potatoes.....it was great!! Another great Tgiving meal is Mimi's Cafe (on Harbor very very close to DL), it's a set menu but very generous portions and the price was very reasonable. I would say to tell the family that you're staying and heading home Friday or Saturday!

 

[SplashMo]

UPDATE-

Flights were OK from Friday-Tuesday so I'm just pushing the trip up a day. Two of my kids are off from school and my middle schooler will have to miss. She won't be happy but she's a straight A student so she'll be OK. My DH will fly in later that night.

So, now we have more time in DL. On Friday, we land at 10:30 so we'll have most of the day and on Tuesday, we don't leave until 9:00 at night.

Awesome!!!!!

Great resolution!