Sacramento to San Diego

[Epump]

We literally just got back from a similar trip so I’ll share my report !

Flew to Sacramento (from the Midwest) rented a car, drove to Yosemite. That drive was about 3 hrs. Long day of travel and we have younger kids.

First 2 nights we stayed at Rush Creek Lodge just outside the parks West entrance. We loved this resort! It was about a 45 min drive into Yosemite Valley for the hikes.

3rd night was at The Ahwahnee. It was cool to stay in the historic hotel, we had a view of Half Dome, and it was nice to be right there after a day of hiking. They bring said, rooms are super small and dated. Dining room was nice, we had the buffet dinner. But since our kids are younger we much preferred the vibe at Rush Creek. I would have been fine just checking out the hotel and maybe eating there. Plus it was a beast to get reservations!

Next morning we left Yosemite Valley at 8am to drive to Disney. With no real stops (except gas etc) it took about 7 hours. I was pleasantly surprised with traffic - it was definitely better than I expected. We were checked into our Disney hotel by 3:30 and at the pool/restaurant by 4pm. Not bad!

Then we did 3 days at Disney. Flew home out of LAX (again not a terrible airport experience either I was pleasantly surprised).

FYI the roads into Yosemite Valley from the West and South entrances are treacherous. Long winding roads up/down mountains, sheer drop offs with no guardrails. The view are stunning of course but I was not prepared for the those drives. No one in my family gets car sick fortunately but even I began to feel a bit quesy. Plus it was just very intense driving.

All in all, great CA trip. Seeing San Diego would have been fun too! We loved both Yosemite and Disney!

 

[LKing]

Glad you had a great trip! I agree about the Ahwahnee. Historic and iconic. Great location, but lower tier lodging. We stayed and the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone and thought the same thing about their rooms.

 

[behappyJules]

We literally just got back from a similar trip so I’ll share my report !

Flew to Sacramento (from the Midwest) rented a car, drove to Yosemite. That drive was about 3 hrs. Long day of travel and we have younger kids.

First 2 nights we stayed at Rush Creek Lodge just outside the parks West entrance. We loved this resort! It was about a 45 min drive into Yosemite Valley for the hikes.

3rd night was at The Ahwahnee. It was cool to stay in the historic hotel, we had a view of Half Dome, and it was nice to be right there after a day of hiking. They bring said, rooms are super small and dated. Dining room was nice, we had the buffet dinner. But since our kids are younger we much preferred the vibe at Rush Creek. I would have been fine just checking out the hotel and maybe eating there. Plus it was a beast to get reservations!

Next morning we left Yosemite Valley at 8am to drive to Disney. With no real stops (except gas etc) it took about 7 hours. I was pleasantly surprised with traffic - it was definitely better than I expected. We were checked into our Disney hotel by 3:30 and at the pool/restaurant by 4pm. Not bad!

Then we did 3 days at Disney. Flew home out of LAX (again not a terrible airport experience either I was pleasantly surprised).

FYI the roads into Yosemite Valley from the West and South entrances are treacherous. Long winding roads up/down mountains, sheer drop offs with no guardrails. The view are stunning of course but I was not prepared for the those drives. No one in my family gets car sick fortunately but even I began to feel a bit quesy. Plus it was just very intense driving.

All in all, great CA trip. Seeing San Diego would have been fun too! We loved both Yosemite and Disney!

Thank you for this trip report! Great info...except I shouldn't have let my husband see the part about the roads , now he's definitely going to make me to drive.

 

[disny_luvr]

We literally just got back from a similar trip so I’ll share my report !

Flew to Sacramento (from the Midwest) rented a car, drove to Yosemite. That drive was about 3 hrs. Long day of travel and we have younger kids.

First 2 nights we stayed at Rush Creek Lodge just outside the parks West entrance. We loved this resort! It was about a 45 min drive into Yosemite Valley for the hikes.

3rd night was at The Ahwahnee. It was cool to stay in the historic hotel, we had a view of Half Dome, and it was nice to be right there after a day of hiking. They bring said, rooms are super small and dated. Dining room was nice, we had the buffet dinner. But since our kids are younger we much preferred the vibe at Rush Creek. I would have been fine just checking out the hotel and maybe eating there. Plus it was a beast to get reservations!

Next morning we left Yosemite Valley at 8am to drive to Disney. With no real stops (except gas etc) it took about 7 hours. I was pleasantly surprised with traffic - it was definitely better than I expected. We were checked into our Disney hotel by 3:30 and at the pool/restaurant by 4pm. Not bad!

Then we did 3 days at Disney. Flew home out of LAX (again not a terrible airport experience either I was pleasantly surprised).

FYI the roads into Yosemite Valley from the West and South entrances are treacherous. Long winding roads up/down mountains, sheer drop offs with no guardrails. The view are stunning of course but I was not prepared for the those drives. No one in my family gets car sick fortunately but even I began to feel a bit quesy. Plus it was just very intense driving.

All in all, great CA trip. Seeing San Diego would have been fun too! We loved both Yosemite and Disney!

Thank you for sharing your trip! Sounds great! We are leaving on Tuesday for a very similar trip. We are flying to San Francisco and staying there a few days before heading to Yosemite and then from there we are going to Disneyland. When we leave DL we are headed to Los Angeles for a few days followed by San Diego and then we’ll fly home from there. We are trying to get to all 30 baseball stadiums which is the main reason we are visiting the cities. We’re excited but it’s going to be exhausting! We’re from PA and I’m not sure if/when we’ll get back to CA so we’re trying to do as much as possible.

 

[bcla]

Glad you had a great trip! I agree about the Ahwahnee. Historic and iconic. Great location, but lower tier lodging. We stayed and the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone and thought the same thing about their rooms.

I found the AI generated summary of reviews of The Ahwahnee from Tripadvisor. Pretty spot on.

The Ahwahnee Hotel's historic charm and scenic location are popular among visitors, despite complaints about its steep pricing and costly mandatory valet parking. Guests commend the cleanliness and the occasional festive decorations, yet opinions on service and amenities are mixed, with some highlighting staff friendliness and others noting inefficiency.​

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The rooms' historical allure is noted, although the size and outdatedness have disappointed some travelers. Additionally, while the setting is praised for its convenience, ongoing construction has marred the experience for many.​

The lobby is great. I've been the The Great Room a few times just to sit and take it in, and nobody shooed us away. I also remember visiting one winter where they had fireplace going, although I think they only used one side. And the Dining Room is really good, although I can't vouch for the quality of the food and service now that Aramark is in charge. The first time I'd been in there was during winter when they still had the Bracebridge Dinner decorations up.