What time to leave Anahiem?

[corinne76]

We're planning a trip for the beginning of April. Getting in early Tues, hitting DLR for 5 days, then heading to Legoland and the zoo.
So Monday morning, we'd have to check out and drive to Carlsbad. What time should we aim to leave Anaheim? LL doesn't open til 10. We are likely staying at the LL hotel, but I don't have get there in time for the early entry (which is 9:30 I think).

Any advice for avoiding massive traffic would be highly appreciated

 

[Bud Ice]

Leave about 5-530am ish. Chill at a Starbucks or grab Breakfast somewhere.

After 6am-9am, the 5/405 areas get jammed with commuter traffic.

 

[corinne76]

Holy crap lol. No, that totally makes sense and it's what I need to know. I'd much rather wake up early and beat the traffic than sit in traffic so bad it's a parking lot. I'm from Hawaii, we get enough crappy traffic here

Thanks!

 

[Bud Ice]

Anytime I head for San Diego its right around 5, then I chill at Starbucks.

Ive been in the traffic in Irvine/55, Encinitas, etc. Not fun, an hour makes all the difference.
Plus no stress.

 

[corinne76]

Oh here too! Sometimes leaving just 15 min early to take my kids to school can mean getting there in 30 min vs an hour. Without traffic, I can get there in 10 minutes so an hour is pretty ridiculous. I imagine I'll be packing the night before and waking up to clean up and check out. the kids will likely go straight into the car

 

[SMD]

You'd probably be better off leaving Sunday night. If you're not close down the park people, it's not that big of a deal to leave a little early on day 5. Whereas if you are close down the park people you'll either have to leave early anyway or be heading to SD with as little as 5 hours of sleep.

 

[ImDMous]

I would just wait until after traffic. If you leave after 9, it should only take an hour to get down to Carlsbad. We can usually make it on a weekday in 1 1/2 and we're about 20 minutes east of Carlsbad so have to go that distance first, then up the 5. I don't know how important it is to get to LL at rope drop on a Monday.

 

[corinne76]

I hadn't even thought to leave Sunday to be honest! that's definintely an option. Since we're doing 5 days, I don't mind leaving a little early on day 5. We plan to actually get in early Tues, but are using that day to get groceries and hit the stores and RC in DTD, and turn in early. So Wednesday can be a full day.

A downside though, we are considering staying at LL hotel, and an extra night there vs an extra night at DI&S will cost a lot more!

 

[corinne76]

What if we fly Easter Sunday and get in Monday morning? We'd move everything up a day, so we'd leave Anaheim either Sunday morning or late Saturday night.
Is that a better plan than travelling to San Diego Monday?

 

[tlovesdis]

I would just leave around 9am as the other posted suggested. That way you can sleep in a little and have breakfast before you leave. We left Anaheim for SD on a Friday at around 9 or 930 and there was no traffic for us at all, so you should be fine.

 

[corinne76]

Rope drop for LL isn't a huge deal for me. I'd like to get there and possibly check in, especially if we still have some items that need to be refrigerated. We likely won't get a room that early, but I'd like to at least drop off anything that needs to be refrigerated.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

[corinne76]

So maybe moving the trip up a day is an option. Would there be a huge difference traffic-wise if we drove to LL on Sunday morning vs Monday morning?

 

[MillauFr]

I wouldn't worry about the traffic. It is not that big of a deal. So it takes 15 to 30 minutes extra. Most of the traffic is going northbound in the morning. I have never found the traffic in Southern California too bad.

 

[tarheelalum]

I live in San Diego and travel the 5 often and 9/930am is the best time to hit the freeway. If you travel on Sunday be sure to do real early or real late. The 5 freeway always has a lot of traffic on Sunday afternoon and evening, especially around Camp Pendleton, and often turns into a parking lot.