Sacramento do DL: 30 day countdown

[charmama4]

Taking I-5 & I-99 is the best way to get to Anaheim when you are coming from Sac. Other routes will just take you way longer, so it is your best bet to take one of those two routes when both highways merge after Bakersfield.

. Coming from Travis AF base and we use I-5 via HW12 (I hate that highway, ugh). We leave base at 8am and get to our hotel right at check in time (3pm). That includes a potty break and lunch at In and Out. Have fun at Disneyland, it looks like you'll be going ahead of us by 10 days!!

 

[krash2501]

We are another Sacramento family of 5, three DD 8, 5, 3 (I know all girls )and have made this drive a few times. The BEST way we have done this drive is to leave Citrus Heights at 4am. We pack the van (has a DVD player) the night before and then at 4am we move the kids into the van where they fall back asleep. This gives us about 4-5 more hours of quite driving with out having to worry about the kids "wiggles". We always stop in Lost Hills and get gas and snacks, then finish the drive to our hotel. We get there around 10am, 6hrs total and have never hit BAD traffic.

I even left at Midnight (12am) once to make rope drop at 7am . I just sleep durring the day before and drank a few 5 hrs on the road. The drive was awsome and the wife and kids didn't wake up once. Took an after noon nap and was good to go.

 

[mama2dutchies]

We are another Sacramento family of 5, three DD 8, 5, 3 (I know all girls )and have made this drive a few times. The BEST way we have done this drive is to leave Citrus Heights at 4am. We pack the van (has a DVD player) the night before and then at 4am we move the kids into the van where they fall back asleep. This gives us about 4-5 more hours of quite driving with out having to worry about the kids "wiggles". We always stop in Lost Hills and get gas and snacks, then finish the drive to our hotel. We get there around 10am, 6hrs total and have never hit BAD traffic.

I even left at Midnight (12am) once to make rope drop at 7am . I just sleep durring the day before and drank a few 5 hrs on the road. The drive was awsome and the wife and kids didn't wake up once. Took an after noon nap and was good to go.

Fair oaks here with kids about the same age.. DVD players.. blankets and lovies in the car.. HOW did we do long trip without it? Oh yeah.. my parents didn't.. My dad was 100% against them, until I flew out for a funeral in mass (stayed a couple days with my mom in providence) then drove with him and my step mom, then 3 year old and 25 weeks pregnant from RI to VA.. My 3 year old played quietly with her toys.. kept half and eye on the DVD player and slept. she's 7 now and still does the same thing..

 

[07pilot4me]

We are another Sacramento family of 5, three DD 8, 5, 3 (I know all girls )and have made this drive a few times. The BEST way we have done this drive is to leave Citrus Heights at 4am. We pack the van (has a DVD player) the night before and then at 4am we move the kids into the van where they fall back asleep. This gives us about 4-5 more hours of quite driving with out having to worry about the kids "wiggles". We always stop in Lost Hills and get gas and snacks, then finish the drive to our hotel. We get there around 10am, 6hrs total and have never hit BAD traffic.

I even left at Midnight (12am) once to make rope drop at 7am . I just sleep durring the day before and drank a few 5 hrs on the road. The drive was awsome and the wife and kids didn't wake up once. Took an after noon nap and was good to go.

WOW, that is some fast drivin great feedback!! if we get to leave friday looks like the sooner the better.
again thanks to my fellow 916 and 707 DISers

 

[mvf-m11c]

one more week! one more week!

ok, haven't posted on the thread for a while, but may be possible that we leave on Friday . any optimal time on Friday to leave by (also memorial day weekend)?? or just stick with our early Saturday morning plan, We also might take Ca 99 since there are more towns on the way and we will be driving at night.

any feedback appreciated

Just like you 07pilot4me, I will be there in one week.

If you want to be there during the rope drop, I would leave around midnight. I have done this before and got there when the parked opened at 8am. Taking 99 at night is really quiet and not much going up and down on the hills on 5.

Have a good trip and I might see u down there. Look for my LGMH on my backpack.

 

[Heymy]

We just did this drive 2 weeks ago on Saturday and had to leave after T-Ball which got us on the road at 10:30 am....ugh...never again! Traffic after Glendale was horrendous, the worst we've experienced (and we've traveled just about every day of the week). Then again, I'm like many others and we get as early as a start as DH will allow. I NEVER sleep the night before and we're on the road no later than 3 am. Such a better drive on I-5 with fewer trucks. Of course, my kids never sleep until they've watched 1 movie even at that crazy hour. Makes for a crazy first day, but at least everyone passes out that night.

 

[momto2nenas]

We are making the same drive the middle of June but we are starting a little further North (Grass Valley area) but do plan to leave super early on a Sunday. We plan to stop in Hollywood on the way down and tour for a few hours before we get to Dland.

 

[charmama4]

You said you leave base? Are you stationed at Travis? We are about 10 minutes outside of Travis. We also go the same way, 12-5, easiest way to go.

OP you will hit traffic but don't stress over it, just expect it and when it happens you'll be fine. We are doing the drive the day after you, we leave on the 29th and I think we are going to try to extend our stay for a few more days and leave on the 4th or 5th but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, you will be fine, take the 5 all the way, expect the traffic and just get there when you get there. Last time we went we just left home at 10 am or so and headed down..took it slow and got there around 5, it was pretty great.

My dh is stationed here, I'm just along for the ride . Been here for a year and already have been to DL 3 times!!!!! About to make our fourth trip down the 11th of June. Gooooo NorCal!!

 

[pixiewings71]

one more week! one more week!

ok, haven't posted on the thread for a while, but may be possible that we leave on Friday . any optimal time on Friday to leave by (also memorial day weekend)?? or just stick with our early Saturday morning plan, We also might take Ca 99 since there are more towns on the way and we will be driving at night.

any feedback appreciated

I think I'd just stick with the early Saturday morning, traffic on a Friday over Mem. Day weekend is going to be horrendous.....

WOW, that is some fast drivin great feedback!! if we get to leave friday looks like the sooner the better.
again thanks to my fellow 916 and 707 DISers

Not really, it's 6-7 hours, that's about normal for the drive to DL.

My dh is stationed here, I'm just along for the ride . Been here for a year and already have been to DL 3 times!!!!! About to make our fourth trip down the 11th of June. Gooooo NorCal!!

Got it! I'm in Suisun, just off Pintail (if you know where that is), right outside what used to be the "back" gate....lol Very cool!! I Nor Cal!

 

[RedRosie]

Definitely get a DVD player for the car if you can. We drove from Elk Grove to DL and it was eerily quiet in the car the whole way there... It wasn't until we got to LA that we started to here "how much farther?". We had all Disney movies of course, so they could learn more about characters (Alice in Wonderful, Bugs Life, Nightmare Before Christmas, etc was good since they hadnt seen those before). On the drive back, they watched movies that they had already seen, so that wasn't as quiet for us. Don't forget new movies for the return trip. BTW - when we turned off the car (to stop for gas or whatever) our DVD player stops so that helped them wait longer to stop!

 

[packhike]

If you want to encounter the least amount of traffic including Semis then consider leaving 1/2 am from Sacramento. If you take 99 you will be at the speed limit all the way down for the most part.....Very Very little traffic at that time of the nite and will be even less truck traffic as it is a Friday morning going into Saturday.........