Driving from LAX to Anaheim,then San Diego

[sunnyshari]

My family and I are DW vets taking our first trip to Disneyland. We are flying to LAX on Thursday, July 27 arriving at 4:05 pm. We will be picking up a rental car from Hertz at the airport and then driving to Park Vue Inn in Anaheim. We've driven in Washington, DC traffic but I've heard that's nothing compared to LA. My first question is should we start driving to Anaheim after we get our rental car or should we chill out and eat at the airport to kill some time before getting on the road. Also Friday we plan on driving to the Griffith Observatory in the morning and then have tickets for a Dodgers game that night. Any suggestions on when to leave Anaheim? The last question is for Saturday. We are planning a day at the San Diego zoo. What time do you suggest leaving Anaheim or is traffic not a big deal on Saturdays? After that we park the car and walk to Disney the rest of the week. Thanks so much!

 

[ParkHopper1]

You will be in the thick of it but I am not a fan of just wasting time to avoid traffic.

Two tips...download Google Maps and use that as your GPS...it will give you the fastest way there in real time. Use the WAZE app for the absolute quickest, but WAZE will take you on surface streets if it is quicker and you are adventurous.

GoogleMaps online has a great traffic predictor tool. Enter your start and destination and there is an option to "leave by" or "arrive at" and you enter the day and time and it will give you typical drive times.

https://www.google.com/maps

 

[sunnyshari]

You will be in the thick of it but I am not a fan of just wasting time to avoid traffic.

Two tips...download Google Maps and use that as your GPS...it will give you the fastest way there in real time. Use the WAZE app for the absolute quickest, but WAZE will take you on surface streets if it is quicker and you are adventurous.

GoogleMaps online has a great traffic predictor tool. Enter your start and destination and there is an option to "leave by" or "arrive at" and you enter the day and time and it will give you typical drive times.

https://www.google.com/maps

Thanks!

 

[tarheelalum]

However long you think it will take, it will likely take much longer so give yourself lots of extra time. If your driving back to Anaheim from San Diego on Sunday, leave San Diego in the morning. The 5 freeway gets really backed up (north and southbound lanes) on Sunday afternoons especially north of Oceanside.

 

[deetman]

May be a little late, but if you are flying into LAX Thurs night, and then Turning around and going to LA on Friday, why aren't you staying in LA at least on Thursday?

You are going to spend a LOT of time driving.
Anaheim is the opposite direction from LA, from the airport.

Is there any chance you could change your plan to spend your first night closer to (or in) LA?

 

[Kyjin]

Seconding deetman's suggestion. That's a lot of driving, and a lot of being stuck in traffic. Honestly you're going to be in the thick of rush hour for several hours by the time you get into LAX on Thursday, so the drive to Anaheim will take two or three times longer than usual. Then traffic coming into LA on Friday morning is a mess. By the time you leave the Dodgers game on Friday evening though, it should be an easy drive. If you can somehow stay in LA on Thursday night at least, you'll be in for a much easier time. I'd suggest looking up in Los Feliz/Echo Park/Silverlake area so you're close to the Observatory/Dodger's stadium. (Also added benefit: you could go up to the Observatory on Thursday night and use their telescopes!)

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

My family and I are DW vets taking our first trip to Disneyland. We are flying to LAX on Thursday, July 27 arriving at 4:05 pm. We will be picking up a rental car from Hertz at the airport and then driving to Park Vue Inn in Anaheim. We've driven in Washington, DC traffic but I've heard that's nothing compared to LA. My first question is should we start driving to Anaheim after we get our rental car or should we chill out and eat at the airport to kill some time before getting on the road.

I work about 15 minutes from LAX, and at that time you can expect about a 1.5 hour drive to the Disneyland Resort. In my experience, traffic tends to die down around 7pm or so. Are you interested in having dinner near the airport, or near the beach? There are quite a few places to eat there, and you can get some fresh groceries at Ralphs on Sepulveda, about a 2-minute drive from LAX, and near the 105 Fwy. If you would just rather get to the resort, by the time you get your car (depending on how many other people are getting a car, and if you have a preferred membership - I recommend you get that), expect to be on the road around 5/5:30, and you should get to the resort around 7/7:30.

Also Friday we plan on driving to the Griffith Observatory in the morning and then have tickets for a Dodgers game that night. Any suggestions on when to leave Anaheim?

I have given "tours" of LA, and I typically have picked people up around 9am from Anaheim to go to the Observatory and LA area. Note that the Observatory opens at 10am. The parking lot is small up there, and then you have to park on the road leading up to the observatory, so it's an uphill walk. If you get there earlier then you will have a better chance to park up on top (maybe leave at 8:30?). Other things to take advantage of in the area: Olvera Street (first street in LA), lunch at Tam O' Shanter (Walt Disney's favorite lunch spot that has a table dedicated to him), Hollywood and Highland, La Brea Tar Pits...

The last question is for Saturday. We are planning a day at the San Diego zoo. What time do you suggest leaving Anaheim or is traffic not a big deal on Saturdays? After that we park the car and walk to Disney the rest of the week. Thanks so much!

The morning isn't so bad, however, I would recommend giving yourselves 2 hours to drive down there, and find a place to have breakfast near the San Diego Zoo. You might also look into a backstage experience at the zoo. I did one and found it to be so interesting, plus we got to pet a kangaroo! Take sunscreen and lots of water. I was at LA Zoo today, and it was HOT. The San Diego Zoo should also have a night-time experience, so you might want to also stay for that.

 

[sunnyshari]

May be a little late, but if you are flying into LAX Thurs night, and then Turning around and going to LA on Friday, why aren't you staying in LA at least on Thursday?

You are going to spend a LOT of time driving.
Anaheim is the opposite direction from LA, from the airport.

Is there any chance you could change your plan to spend your first night closer to (or in) LA?

It's been awhile since I made our reservations but from what I remember it was super expensive to stay near LAX. Of course I know nothing about the area so as someone mentioned there are places nearby where we could have stayed. We really wanted to fly into a different airport as well but I think Southwest just went to LAX. I'm a newbie at this west coast stuff and traffic so looking back your plan definitely sounds better. I'll have to look and see if I have time to cancel my extra Park Vue Inn night and switch to somewhere closer to LAX. Thanks!

May be a little late, but if you are flying into LAX Thurs night, and then Turning around and going to LA on Friday, why aren't you staying in LA at least on Thursday?

You are going to spend a LOT of time driving.
Anaheim is the opposite direction from LA, from the airport.

Is there any chance you could change your plan to spend your first night closer to (or in) LA?

 

[sunnyshari]

I work about 15 minutes from LAX, and at that time you can expect about a 1.5 hour drive to the Disneyland Resort. In my experience, traffic tends to die down around 7pm or so. Are you interested in having dinner near the airport, or near the beach? There are quite a few places to eat there, and you can get some fresh groceries at Ralphs on Sepulveda, about a 2-minute drive from LAX, and near the 105 Fwy. If you would just rather get to the resort, by the time you get your car (depending on how many other people are getting a car, and if you have a preferred membership - I recommend you get that), expect to be on the road around 5/5:30, and you should get to the resort around 7/7:30.


I have given "tours" of LA, and I typically have picked people up around 9am from Anaheim to go to the Observatory and LA area. Note that the Observatory opens at 10am. The parking lot is small up there, and then you have to park on the road leading up to the observatory, so it's an uphill walk. If you get there earlier then you will have a better chance to park up on top (maybe leave at 8:30?). Other things to take advantage of in the area: Olvera Street (first street in LA), lunch at Tam O' Shanter (Walt Disney's favorite lunch spot that has a table dedicated to him), Hollywood and Highland, La Brea Tar Pits...


The morning isn't so bad, however, I would recommend giving yourselves 2 hours to drive down there, and find a place to have breakfast near the San Diego Zoo. You might also look into a backstage experience at the zoo. I did one and found it to be so interesting, plus we got to pet a kangaroo! Take sunscreen and lots of water. I was at LA Zoo today, and it was HOT. The San Diego Zoo should also have a night-time experience, so you might want to also stay for that.

All of this is VERY helpful!! Thx!!

 

[sunnyshari]

May be a little late, but if you are flying into LAX Thurs night, and then Turning around and going to LA on Friday, why aren't you staying in LA at least on Thursday?

You are going to spend a LOT of time driving.
Anaheim is the opposite direction from LA, from the airport.

Is there any chance you could change your plan to spend your first night closer to (or in) LA?

Thanks for the question/suggestions. I think the reason I didn't stay in LA is because I'm a newbie at planning this west coast stuff and was just looking at places to stay near LAX but they seemed really expensive. When I started researching this trip I knew LA traffic was bad but I didn't realize it was so bad it made Washington DC traffic look like a Sunday drive. I will look and see if I can drop a night from my Park Vue Inn reservation and replace it with somewhere closer to LA. Thanks for the helpful ideas!

May be a little late, but if you are flying into LAX Thurs night, and then Turning around and going to LA on Friday, why aren't you staying in LA at least on Thursday?

You are going to spend a LOT of time driving.
Anaheim is the opposite direction from LA, from the airport.

Is there any chance you could change your plan to spend your first night closer to (or in) LA?

Seconding deetman's suggestion. That's a lot of driving, and a lot of being stuck in traffic. Honestly you're going to be in the thick of rush hour for several hours by the time you get into LAX on Thursday, so the drive to Anaheim will take two or three times longer than usual. Then traffic coming into LA on Friday morning is a mess. By the time you leave the Dodgers game on Friday evening though, it should be an easy drive. If you can somehow stay in LA on Thursday night at least, you'll be in for a much easier time. I'd suggest looking up in Los Feliz/Echo Park/Silverlake area so you're close to the Observatory/Dodger's stadium. (Also added benefit: you could go up to the Observatory on Thursday night and use their telescopes!)

 

[sunnyshari]

I work about 15 minutes from LAX, and at that time you can expect about a 1.5 hour drive to the Disneyland Resort. In my experience, traffic tends to die down around 7pm or so. Are you interested in having dinner near the airport, or near the beach? There are quite a few places to eat there, and you can get some fresh groceries at Ralphs on Sepulveda, about a 2-minute drive from LAX, and near the 105 Fwy. If you would just rather get to the resort, by the time you get your car (depending on how many other people are getting a car, and if you have a preferred membership - I recommend you get that), expect to be on the road around 5/5:30, and you should get to the resort around 7/7:30.


I have given "tours" of LA, and I typically have picked people up around 9am from Anaheim to go to the Observatory and LA area. Note that the Observatory opens at 10am. The parking lot is small up there, and then you have to park on the road leading up to the observatory, so it's an uphill walk. If you get there earlier then you will have a better chance to park up on top (maybe leave at 8:30?). Other things to take advantage of in the area: Olvera Street (first street in LA), lunch at Tam O' Shanter (Walt Disney's favorite lunch spot that has a table dedicated to him), Hollywood and Highland, La Brea Tar Pits...


The morning isn't so bad, however, I would recommend giving yourselves 2 hours to drive down there, and find a place to have breakfast near the San Diego Zoo. You might also look into a backstage experience at the zoo. I did one and found it to be so interesting, plus we got to pet a kangaroo! Take sunscreen and lots of water. I was at LA Zoo today, and it was HOT. The San Diego Zoo should also have a night-time experience, so you might want to also stay for that.

Thanks so much for this very helpful information!!!

 

[geergirl]

The morning isn't so bad, however, I would recommend giving yourselves 2 hours to drive down there, and find a place to have breakfast near the San Diego Zoo. You might also look into a backstage experience at the zoo. I did one and found it to be so interesting, plus we got to pet a kangaroo! Take sunscreen and lots of water. I was at LA Zoo today, and it was HOT. The San Diego Zoo should also have a night-time experience, so you might want to also stay for that.

I'm considering a similar drive and looking at going on the weekend to avoid the worst of the traffic. We're okay with longer drives thanks to growing up in the boonies but traffic is a different beast. Would Saturday or Sunday be fairly similar in terms of how much time we should allow? Are there any times we should avoid on the trip back to Anaheim?

 

[Pocahontas_]

LA traffic is no joke. I can suggest taking back roads. Whenever we go, and traffic is crazy we hop off of the express-way at the nearest exit and kind of coast parallel along the side roads. I know it doesn't sound efficient but trust me, it works lol, we actually got to our last destination about a half an hour earlier than expected last time.

 

[Albort]

You will be in the thick of it but I am not a fan of just wasting time to avoid traffic.

Two tips...download Google Maps and use that as your GPS...it will give you the fastest way there in real time. Use the WAZE app for the absolute quickest, but WAZE will take you on surface streets if it is quicker and you are adventurous.

GoogleMaps online has a great traffic predictor tool. Enter your start and destination and there is an option to "leave by" or "arrive at" and you enter the day and time and it will give you typical drive times.

https://www.google.com/maps

google maps pull data from Waze so either or is fine. :]