single digit dance - last minute questions

[DisneyJade]

doing the single digit dance !!!!

just a couple last minute questions before we leave this saturday:

1 - has anyone driven through riverside lately? we're still deciding which route to take from phoenix.. will we save time taking the 60/215/91 short cut or will it be shorter to avoid construction in riverside and just take 10 all the way to 57??

2 - we plan to spend the first night at DTD. does ART go there? or should we just walk? we're staying at the Anabella at Katella & Disneyland Dr.

3 - i see the weather will be mid-to-high 80s while we're there. that should feel cool to us 100-degree-weather phoenix folks, but does the humidity make it feel worse? should we plan for shorts or jeans, i guess is my ?

4 - finally, i hear crowds have been really low. we'll be at the parks next sunday and monday. should we stick to our comando-plan of attack or will we just waste time running around getting fast passes?

thanks in advance for your input... and for always coming through with answers to EVERY question. i LOVE Dis !!

 

[disneydreamer74]

doing the single digit dance !!!!

just a couple last minute questions before we leave this saturday:

1 - has anyone driven through riverside lately? we're still deciding which route to take from phoenix.. will we save time taking the 60/215/91 short cut or will it be shorter to avoid construction in riverside and just take 10 all the way to 57??

2 - we plan to spend the first night at DTD. does ART go there? or should we just walk? we're staying at the Anabella at Katella & Disneyland Dr.

3 - i see the weather will be mid-to-high 80s while we're there. that should feel cool to us 100-degree-weather phoenix folks, but does the humidity make it feel worse? should we plan for shorts or jeans, i guess is my ?

4 - finally, i hear crowds have been really low. we'll be at the parks next sunday and monday. should we stick to our comando-plan of attack or will we just waste time running around getting fast passes?

thanks in advance for your input... and for always coming through with answers to EVERY question. i LOVE Dis !!

Don't know if this will help, I hope so. I live in Sierra Vista, 3 hours south of Phx. I used triptik (aaa) and the shortest route by far is through Riverside as you had planned. I did see an alert that there is still quite a bit of construction there. My best friend just took her family and decided to go the Yuma route ( as going to San Diego, then go North from there. It seems like it may be longer that way but if you consider the construction, maybe the same amount of time.
She sent me a postcard stating that it was indeed hot there during the day and that the crowds were actually moderate to crowded, but not as crowded as usual weekend summers.
Hope this can help. I am still undecided about the route to take also. we are taking a 2 yr. old so I want the quickest trip!
Also, you are so lucky to be in the single digits, wish I were there,lol. Have fun on your trip.

 

[LovetheGoof]

Hi DisneyJade, we'll be on our way to DL in 3 days.
I drove from Phoenix driving the 60/215/91 two years ago and it was a mess. There was a lot of construction going on and I got caught up in rush hour. I won't go that route again. My cousin who is a truck driver said the best way to go is 10/57. I didn't save any time and I got really frazzled, not a good way to start a vacation. This time I won't go through Phoenix just drive straight to San Diego.

Not sure if the ART goes to DTD, but it's just a short walk from where they drop you off at the main gate. I think the Anabella is a short walk to DTD, but after driving you'll probably want to take the ART.

The heat will be different from what you are used to. It won't be too bad. I would take shorts and a light sweater/sweatshirt for night time as it can get chilly at night. We usually wear shorts and need a light jacket at night.

I would get any fastpasses I could get just in case. From what I've read crowds are down this year, but others have said it has felt crowded.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We leave on Friday and then will be at DLR on Monday. I'm doing the panic dance at the moment. Did I get everything I need? What am I forgetting?

I am wearing shorts and bringing a light sweater for evening. I've never felt any humidity down there or up here for that matter. It must be more back east.

Summer is still summer and I'm sure we all going to need our fast passes!

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know what your tolerances for walking are, but I'll tell you that we had no problems walking from Anabella.

ART just drops you off at the main entrance area, and then you walk to the bag check and can head over to DTD, so it's both yes and no, LOL. It doesn't go TO DTD, but it's just as easy to get to DTD from the art dropoff as it is to get to the parks.

map

The walk from Anabella is simple. Go out from the hotel. Turn left so you see Tiffy's and Coco's. Walk towards them. Cross Katella (huge crosswalk, walk briskly!) towards Paradise Pier Hotel. Walk along a lovely path with palm trees (if you look at a google aerial map you'll notice that you're in a huge hidden mickey) and flowers.

You'll pass PPH (it's on your left), and as you see Grand Californian's entrance on your right, you have two choices if you are visiting DTD.

To see all of DTD, continue straight until you see the right turn into DTD. You'll go along the side of the movie theater on your right, with DLH's grounds on your left. Then you'll turn into DTD and will see it all.

If you don't want to do that, or if you want to see GCH, or for when you're going to the parks and want to bypass much of DTD, do the following.

Go into the GCH area, enter the big gorgeous stained glass door. Turn left down an insignificant looking doorway that goes down a hallway. Follow that along, until you reach sliding doors (automatic) on the right, go out those doors. Follow the outside path along, and soon you'll find yourself in DTD, with Haagen Dasz in front of you, Libby Lu to the left of you, Sephora to your right. Go to the right, and you're in the heart of DTD, and can reach the bag check to get to the parks.


It *sounds* complicated, but once you're there, doing it, it's not bad at all.


I will mention that there is another way, to turn RIGHT out of Anabella and go to a smaller less-used parking lot and take their tram in, but it was never worth the chance for us, b/c if the parking lots isn't open that day, you have to then walk all the way back. But our trip was in early December, so the chances of that lot being open were very small, unlike now.

 

[DisneyJade]

awesome answers as always!
we will be taking 10 to 57. i trust truckers to know the best routes !!
and i'm making notes on our walking path to DTD, that's great! it also helps for how to get to GCH for our character breakfast sunday morning!
thanks everyone! can't wait

 

[Mililani Mouser]

congrats!! i'm doing the 60 day dance!!