Sheriton Anaheim & Drive to San Francisco

[Caedmon]

Hi all,

After 3 years travelling from the UK to WDW, we start our grand tour a week on Saturday. Starting in New York and then on to LA with a 4 day DL pass. Travelling Dad, Mum (celebrating her 40th in NY) along with Grace (9) and Alice (7). From LA we drive to San Francisco and then fly to Las Vegas. Something for all the family I hope!!

Anyway the questions I have are;

+ We are staying at the Sheriton Anaheim, which looks nice, but has anyone any experience of this hotel that they could share and what is the surrounding area like?

+ Secondly, we in the UK are not used to driving such long distances. When I checked on the Yahoo website to get an idea of route and time to drive from LA to San Francisco. It suggected about 7 hours, and took us away from the coast road and on to the highway. How much longer would it take take the scenic.

These should be the £1m questions for Who wants to be a millionaire!!

 

[honeymom]

I can't answer on the Sheraton Anaheim question, but the drive from suburban LA (Brentwood) to SF via the coast (Highway 1) used to take us 9 hours. You would have to add an hour to an hour and a half from Anaheim for a total of about 10 1/2 hours.

We used to enjoy breaking up the trip and staying overnight on the road. I do not know if your schedule allows, but we used to like to stay in Santa Barbara for a night, Cambria (near the Hearst Castle) for a night, and then in Pacific Grove (next to Monterey) for a night. We also liked to eat at a restaurant called Nepenthe in Big Sur and visit Carmel.

 

[daannzzz]

After all years and years of getting off the freeway at the Disneyland/Harbor Blvd exit and seeing the Sheraton I finally Stayed there a couple months ago. It is a pretty hotel. Tudor style with garden courtyards and nice walkways and touches all over. I only spent one night and, using my Starwoods Card, I am assuming the room they gave me was an upgrade as it was huge. The standard rooms are supposedly quite large but this one was absurdly large. It was decorated decently though nothing stuck out as great. It was comfortable and quiet. It has an odd tepmerautre control system.... in fact it is really a non control system. You can tunr the fan up or down is all. They set the temperature for the rooms and if you are to cold you can ask for morw blankets or an electric heater. If you are to hot you can turn up the fan and open the window!!!
The resort is located next to the freeway and behind Disneyland so it isn't really walkable on a regular basis. They have a shuttle but I didn't use it. I have heard it is good. This is a GREAT spot to watch them shoot of the fireworks though. You are right in the back of the park where they do the show.
Across the street is a old saloon looking place called the Spaghetti Station. We have eaten here lots of times and really enjoy the food there. There is a restaurant at the Sheraton but I didn't try that.
The public areas (check in, bar, fireplace sitting area and gardens) are very pretty. The hotel is in an area that is surrounded by roads and some other hotels so is sort of busy and congested but once you are in the hotel it seems worlds away.

 

[tinagirl]

Just wanted to add that the Sheraton is really quiet, and yes, the shuttles are quite reliable.

Also, there is an AM PM minimart right across the street, so you can pick up drinks, that are a bit cheaper than in the hotel or the parks.


~Tina

 

[Peter Pan Fan]

I can help you with the driving.

The shorter version is to take Highway 5. It takes us 6 to 6.5 hours with stops for gas and usually 1 fast food stop. The speed limit is 70 mph (probably doesn't help you since your are metric!) but that is pretty fast, faster than the normal highways. Its a straight-shot, NOTHING to look out and very boring, but faster.

If you take Highway 101, it is a good mix of interesting cities and pretty views, but its a trade off because this way will take approximately 8-9 hours.

Since you may not make it back here for a while, I suggest taking Highway 101. As honeymom suggested, if you want to stop overnight there are so many wonderful places to see.

Have a safe & fun trip!

 

[llachance]

Interstate 5 is the fastest way to go, normally but pay attention to traffic alerts because sometimes 101 is quicker.....it is also much prettier and if traffic is heavy on 5 and it can be then 101 is just as fast.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Just to clarify...there have been 3 highways mentioned here.
** The "5": fast but very boring (except at night when you can drive for hours with 3 feet of visibility due to fog)....
**The "101"(as mentioned by Ilachance & P.P.F): Less boring but takes almost 2 hours longer. and,
**The "1" (as mentioned by Honeymom) Very scenic, travels the coast along ridiculous hairpin turns, on the edge of a high cliff. Beautiful but treacherous!! It takes much longer and best to be done over 2 days.
IMPO, the 101 is both literally and figuratively "the middle road", enough to keep you interested but not so much that it takes forever to get there!
***Side note: on the 101 in San Luis Obispo, the Madonna Inn is a great, quirky, CA landmark hotel to stop at for lunch

 

[tinagirl]

I agree with the Madonna, I remember staying there as a kid. When we went, every room had a theme, and the lobby bathroom was covered in red velvet. I don't remember much, but then again I was 6. We stayed in a room with a stone hearth fireplace, and shaggy rug...it was interesting.

~Tina

 

[daannzzz]

I have driven by The Modonna Inn so many times. I have stopped one to buy some pastries for breakfast and saw the decore. It is interesting. Have always wanted to stay here untill I saw the rooms on their website!!!! http://www.madonnainn.com/
Click on "tour the rooms". They have a picture of everyone of them. Looks like there should still be shag in some of them and maybe there is.

 

[daannzzz]

I have driven by The Modonna Inn so many times. I have stopped one to buy some pastries for breakfast and saw the decore. It is interesting. Have always wanted to stay here untill I saw the rooms on their website!!!! http://www.madonnainn.com/
Click on "tour the rooms". They have a picture of everyone of them. Looks like there should still be shag in some of them and maybe there is.

 

[tinagirl]

After looking at the photos, I think the room that we stayed in was the Yosemite room, but the carpet was different, then again, it makes sense that they changed the carpet since 1986.

It certainly is...ecclectic!

~Tina

 

[FloridaFan1]

We stayed there for a week in 2000. Excellent hotel, very friendly, clean and comfortable room.

Located very close to Disneyland, which is best journeyed by the free shuttle bus (very reliable).

You get a great view of the Disney fireworks from the courtyard of the hotel.

Enjoy your visit.

 

[FloridaFan1]

PS We are also from kent UK

 

[Lynn-Marie]

I don't know about the Sheraton - we usually stay at Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel. (Although in August we're staying at the Desert Inn - just outside the main gates of DLR - for the first time.)

As for the drive... I know it well as we travel it just about every month! (Yes, we're DLR-aholics.)

I go 5 North to 152 West to 85 East/North (toward SF) and then 280 north. I can typically get to SF in 6 hours this way (provided that we do not get caught up in traffic). Of course, that includes breaking some speed limits.

Some people would take 5 north to 580 west to the Bay Bridge into SF - but I think that's a gamble in terms of traffic accidents (too many places to get hung up on 580 or on the bridge).

We typically leave DLR no later than 2:30 on a weekday (typically Tuesdays) so that we miss the commute traffic all the way. Of course, there have been times we've been tripped up by an accident - but we usually miss the LA and Bay Area commute traffic this way. You'll escape So Cal before the big traffic jams and hit the Bay Area just after them.

NOTE OF CAUTION: the California Highway Patrol has recently purchased a fleet of white Chevrolet Camaros to patrol the highways you will be traveling. They are fairly stealth. If you see a white vehicle with something that looks like a very small ski rack on top, you'd do well to observe the speed limit until verifying said car's intent!

If you trade pins, drop me a line! My friends and I would love to connect with you to trade when you're in SF!

Enjoy!

 

[Caedmon]

Thank you one and all for all of the great advice and tips.

Highway 101 seems to be the best compromise. Last year we drove from WDW to Disney Hilton Head (about 6 hours) We bought the children some t-shirts in the UK printed up saying 'are we there yet?' which they just pointed to when they were bored, but if the views are good they should be OK!!

For Peterpanfan - we still use mph in the UK - continental kph is far beyond us!

Anyway thanks again - If you see some lost looking Brits half way up 101 on the 8th August point us in the right direction.

Best wishes one and all - Many Happy Disney Returns!!