National Parks and Disney Parks!

[AnnaGiselle]

DH and I are planning an epic parks trip for next year. We've already decided to call it "Parks and Parks: A California Adventure!" because we're just that cool. We want to do a week in California, starting with Yosemite, moving down the state for a quick stop at Sequoia, then on to Disneyland!

Logistics have been the only problem. We originally thought about flying into SFO, then driving to the national parks, driving to Disney, then returning the car to LAX. Turns out, this makes for one incredibly expensive rental car! Would it be better just to fly in to LAX too? DH isn't crazy about the 6-hour drive from LAX to Yosemite, but I think it probably makes the most sense.

Also, we plan on camping in Yosemite. Do you recommend Yosemite Village or Wawona?

 

[bcla]

DH and I are planning an epic parks trip for next year. We've already decided to call it "Parks and Parks: A California Adventure!" because we're just that cool. We want to do a week in California, starting with Yosemite, moving down the state for a quick stop at Sequoia, then on to Disneyland!

Logistics have been the only problem. We originally thought about flying into SFO, then driving to the national parks, driving to Disney, then returning the car to LAX. Turns out, this makes for one incredibly expensive rental car! Would it be better just to fly in to LAX too? DH isn't crazy about the 6-hour drive from LAX to Yosemite, but I think it probably makes the most sense.

Also, we plan on camping in Yosemite. Do you recommend Yosemite Village or Wawona?

Yosemite Village has no camping. The campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are Upper/Lower/North Pines and Camp 4. There's also the Valley Backpackers's Campground, but use has heavy restrictions (mostly for backpackers). Camp 4 doesn't accept reservations. The rest of the camping in Yosemite Valley is hard to reserve during the summer. I've come up empty on several attempts.

Wawona is rather far away from Yosemite Valley. There are other campgrounds in Yosemite closer to Yosemite Valley. Crane Flat is the closest. There's a lot of other campgrounds, but those mean compromising with location and sometimes amenities. Some have no running water and just outhouses.

 

[Purrkins]

I'd research your camping options in Yosemite ASAP. It's hard to get a campsite reserved and depending on when you're traveling walkups are nearly impossible. We'd tried for a few years to get a campsite for a summer trip. Got lucky this year and settled for less than ideal dates (but an awesome campsite). We're planning a trip around those dates. Perhaps splurge and stay at the Ahwahnee? (now called The Majestic, it will be the Ahwahnee in my house until I'm cold and dead in the ground). Yosemite is great but don't overlook Kings Canyon (next to Sequoia National Park) which has a similar valley and zero crowds. We actually prefer Kings Canyon over Yosemite (but everyone should see Yosemite once or twice).

Sixt is a car rental company many overlook and last time I used them they did not charge me for a dropping the car off at a different airport in a different state. They're German based so I know them my travels Europe and sometimes have good deals. They also gave me a BMW 5 series for something like $19 a day (they had just opened branches in the US like a month earlier so were eager to please).

Sounds like a fun trip!

 

[bcla]

I'd research your camping options in Yosemite ASAP. It's hard to get a campsite reserved and depending on when you're traveling walkups are nearly impossible. We'd tried for a few years to get a campsite for a summer trip. Got lucky this year and settled for less than ideal dates (but an awesome campsite). We're planning a trip around those dates. Perhaps splurge and stay at the Ahwahnee? (now called The Majestic, it will be the Ahwahnee in my house until I'm cold and dead in the ground). Yosemite is great but don't overlook Kings Canyon (next to Sequoia National Park) which has a similar valley and zero crowds. We actually prefer Kings Canyon over Yosemite (but everyone should see Yosemite once or twice).

I think the distinction between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park is kind of artificial. They're operated together and have a single park superintendent. The most popular park of Kings Canyon National Park is the little dot that used to be General Grant National Park before it got absorbed into the then newly authorized Kings Canyon National Park. If you're talking about the actual Kings Canyon (which is partly in Giant Sequoia National Monument (operated by the USDA Forest Service) then I'd say it's interesting but nowhere near as significant as Yosemite Valley. There's actually pretty light visitation. As for the area - I tend to refer to it as SEKI like many other people. They also have a lot of cooperation with the Forest Service, as they have lodging facilities and campgrounds that are in the area.

It's really too early to work on securing reservations for Yosemite since they don't become available to the public until about five months before the planned trip. if you want to make a reservation for a stay beginning June 15-July 14, they go on sale at precisely 7 AM Pacific Time on February 15. I've tried this several times and it is insane trying to reserve. I have done everything perfectly and got shut out. I've also found availability a minute after the sale period started by searching for availability when my first choice was booked before I could get to it. I equate trying to book a site to the Oklahoma Land Rushes. There used to be a problem with illegal resellers, but that's not the issue that it once was.

I would recommend a backup plan too. There will be some availability in Mariposa or Oakhurst if camping isn't doable. There are also vacation homes in inholdings and Yosemite West, but they can be really pricey compared to camping.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

This map lays out where the campground locations are. The locations in Yosemite Valley are packed pretty tightly, so they don't show the names of those campgrounds. Some campgrounds are first-come, first served and can't be reserved. Those are fine if you can live with going somewhere else, but won't be so great if you have a special trip planned. The cheapest sites are $12/night at Porcupine Flat and Yosemite Creek have no running water. They're near streams, so you can boil, treat, and/or filter water or bring a large container from elsewhere.

 

[Nahanni]

For car rental, my large corporate employer has a contract with National that can be used for personal travel. We are picking up at SFO and dropping at LAX for $42/day with no extra charges (cross fingers until I see the bill). Something to look into if you work for a company with a car rental contract.

6/23 update - reviewed booking terms and this rate did not include mileage (I'm used to unlimited at this rate but I guess it's a one way rental term). Ended booking a full size with Hertz for about $400 (really had no choice as flights were booked).

 

[bcla]

I'd note I was talking about camping reservations. Lodging reservations are available up to a year in advance. Camping in Yosemite Valley is also at a premium. The Merced River floods of the mid 90s caused a lot of damage, and as a result NPS decided not to reopen the Upper/Lower River campgrounds and took out several campsites at the remaining campgrounds. The last time I was at Upper Pines, I noticed a row of former campsites. They had allowed vegetation to take over, but they were by the road and looked like they had been cleared for camping.

There's also difficulties in securing reservations. Part of it was the loss of campsites, but Yosemite is also as popular as ever. Couple that with the ease of reserving on the Internet, as well as illegal resellers using automated "bot" programs to book campsites, and it makes it more difficult for the camper who actually wants to book at the prices set by NPS.

 

[AnnaGiselle]

It's really too early to work on securing reservations for Yosemite since they don't become available to the public until about five months before the planned trip. if you want to make a reservation for a stay beginning June 15-July 14, they go on sale at precisely 7 AM Pacific Time on February 15. I've tried this several times and it is insane trying to reserve. I have done everything perfectly and got shut out. I've also found availability a minute after the sale period started by searching for availability when my first choice was booked before I could get to it. I equate trying to book a site to the Oklahoma Land Rushes. There used to be a problem with illegal resellers, but that's not the issue that it once was.

Thank you for all the Yosemite advice! Yes, we're not going till next summer, so we certainly can't book camp sites yet. Wow, I had no idea booking was so competitive.

 

[21stamps]

DH and I are planning an epic parks trip for next year. We've already decided to call it "Parks and Parks: A California Adventure!" because we're just that cool. We want to do a week in California, starting with Yosemite, moving down the state for a quick stop at Sequoia, then on to Disneyland!

Logistics have been the only problem. We originally thought about flying into SFO, then driving to the national parks, driving to Disney, then returning the car to LAX. Turns out, this makes for one incredibly expensive rental car! Would it be better just to fly in to LAX too? DH isn't crazy about the 6-hour drive from LAX to Yosemite, but I think it probably makes the most sense.

Also, we plan on camping in Yosemite. Do you recommend Yosemite Village or Wawona?

I have no valuable input, haven't ever been to Yosemite. A national parks tour is on my short list though.

Anyway, I stopped by to say---- Your trip sounds AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bcla]

Thank you for all the Yosemite advice! Yes, we're not going till next summer, so we certainly can't book camp sites yet. Wow, I had no idea booking was so competitive.

Here's an article on the former problem with reselling. They started taking steps five years ago. Even after that, the demand far outstrips the supply.

http://overheadbin.nbcnews.com/_new...semite-tries-to-outsmart-reservation-scalpers

And how NPS describes the process:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Campground reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all reservations for the months of May through September and for some other weekends are filled the first day they become available, usually within seconds or minutes after 7 am! For your best chance of getting a reservation, be sure your clock is set accurately and start the first few steps of the reservation process at www.recreation.gov before 7 am Pacific time. You can find more help making reservations and other frequently asked questions.

http://www.recreation.gov/marketing...California_Gold_Rush__Yosemite_and_Beyond.htm

On Recreation.gov, nothing—and we mean nothing—creates the demand that Yosemite Valley campsite reservations do, but other “gold strikes” include a permit for the Yosemite Cables on Half Dome, a permit to scale America’s tallest peak outside of Alaska—Mount Whitney in California, or camping at Pinecrest Lake, Serrano on Big Bear Lake or Nevada Beach on Lake Tahoe.​

There are a lot of reasons it may be difficult, but basic supply and demand is the primary reason. You may have a specific campground, campsite, and dates ready for exactly 7 AM, but someone could be a hair trigger faster than you - possibly with overlapping dates. The information says the majority of availability is maybe gone within minutes, but these days it's more like seconds. There may be a few sites or even your preferred dates available within minutes, but they will be gone quickly as people just "pick up the scraps". They might just be one or two days here and there. Within five minutes I think nearly all availability will be gone.

The Recreation.gov page recommends getting familiar with the website and how to reserve, as well as practicing "speed drills". It's not necessarily that intuitive. There are a bunch of ways, including searching by start date or looking through graphical representations of available dates. There's also the campsite maps. They way I did it (and this is recommended by Recreation.gov) was having my preferred site and dates selected the night before. I also had some alternate sites picked as well as another page with the site search window set for my preferred start date and number of days. Then I woke up, logged in, and waited (using a precise clock) for exactly 7 AM Pacific time to hit the reserve button. Within seconds I would know if I got it or needed to move on quickly. If you hit it early, you will get a message to that effect, and possibly blow your chance to reserve it.

I also made sure to use a wired connection to my internet. Those are just a hair faster with delay.

 

[loveswdw]

We are doing this trip in October. Flying into LAX, driving to Yosemite. First night probably staying in Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, somewhere outside the park. Then 2 nights at the Yosemite Valley Lodge (booked it back in March after the new concessioner took over), driving to Anaheim on Monday staying 5 nights at the Grand Californian Villas. I really, really want to do SEKI but can not figure out how to work in it time wise. The drive from LAX to Yosemite Valley is around 7 hours so there's Friday. The drive from Yosemite Valley to Grand Californian is 7.5 hours so that's Monday. That's pretty much 2 days of driving in the trip. I also looked at flying into San Fran, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno, etc. but it was more expensive and the rental car price to pick up at a northern airport and drop off at either LAX or SNA was INSANE. I'm talking $1500-$1600/week when I have one reserved for pickup/dropoff at LAX for around $225/week.

I'm not camping so we are coughing up the $250+/night to stay at the Lodge in the Valley. Luckily, the Grand Californian is booked through DVC so no OOP cost there. I booked nonstop flights to/from LAX for 4 people for just over $1000 with Southwest. Now I have to buy the 3 day hoppers for DL and a 1 day ticket for USH. So there's the rest of our trip. We did discuss skipping Yosemite and just staying in SoCal so we avoid the 7 hour drive 2 ways but I don't know if/when we'll get back to CA so I REALLY want to see Yosemite.

 

[AnnaGiselle]

We are doing this trip in October. Flying into LAX, driving to Yosemite. First night probably staying in Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, somewhere outside the park. Then 2 nights at the Yosemite Valley Lodge (booked it back in March after the new concessioner took over), driving to Anaheim on Monday staying 5 nights at the Grand Californian Villas. I really, really want to do SEKI but can not figure out how to work in it time wise. The drive from LAX to Yosemite Valley is around 7 hours so there's Friday. The drive from Yosemite Valley to Grand Californian is 7.5 hours so that's Monday. That's pretty much 2 days of driving in the trip. I also looked at flying into San Fran, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno, etc. but it was more expensive and the rental car price to pick up at a northern airport and drop off at either LAX or SNA was INSANE. I'm talking $1500-$1600/week when I have one reserved for pickup/dropoff at LAX for around $225/week.

I'm not camping so we are coughing up the $250+/night to stay at the Lodge in the Valley. Luckily, the Grand Californian is booked through DVC so no OOP cost there. I booked nonstop flights to/from LAX for 4 people for just over $1000 with Southwest. Now I have to buy the 3 day hoppers for DL and a 1 day ticket for USH. So there's the rest of our trip. We did discuss skipping Yosemite and just staying in SoCal so we avoid the 7 hour drive 2 ways but I don't know if/when we'll get back to CA so I REALLY want to see Yosemite.

Yep, we are going through all the exact same dilemmas. I figured out that same rental car price too, which is so crazy!

I wish we could stay at the Lodge, but DH loves camping. We made a deal though: for every night of camping I do, we get to stay one night at a Disney deluxe resort.

You should totally still see Yosemite! I've never been and I'm not what you'd call an outdoorsy person, but it seems like one of the can't miss national parks. We also don't know when we'll make it out to California again, so I think it's totally worth it to try to fit it all in!

 

[elaine amj]

Keep in mind some some rental companies charge a dropoff fee and some don't. We did our Cali trip last summer - I started with Hertz but ended up switching for various reasons.

I started looking seriously in March for a July trip (typically I find best prices for car rentals about 2 months out although occasionally I try much farther out and rebook if prices drop). Sometimes airport locations are cheaper, sometimes offsite is cheaper. All the places I looked in Cali, offsite was cheaper, even including cost of uber to pick up.

Reservation #1:
Booked: March 2015 for July 2015 trip
Hertz 1 week intermediate vehicle. pick up San Jose (offsite), drop off Anaheim. $314 incl all taxes and fees (watch for that - the car was only $282), AAA discount.

Reservation #2:
Booked: June 17 2015 for July 10 2015 pickup
Hertz 1 week intermediate vehicle, pick up Burbank (offsite), dropoff Anaheim. $249.85 incl all taxes and fees. AAA discount + $20 coupon from Hertz website

Reservation #3:
Booked: June 17 2015 for July 10 pickup
Avis 1 week convertible, pick up Burbank (offsite), dropoff Anaheim. $356.09 incl all taxes and fees. Maybe AAA discount? I forget. I also used a $30 off coupon from somewhere.

We went with the convertible It was a blast - but I had to pack VERY little. We spent almost 2 weeks with just 2 carry-ons and a backpack for a family of 4 (2 teens). I did laundry twice and packed super light. Worth it though - the convertible was super fun in California!

Anyway, I originally booked our trip to fly into San Jose, travel down the coast and then cut across to Sequoia/Kings Canyon and then down to Anaheim. In June, we decided to add a day to our trip. I couldn't find decently priced flights to San Jose/San Francisco. Also, DH was dreading the winding twisty drive down the coast. So I switched things up at the last minute and flew to Burbank. We started by driving up to coast past Santa Barbara, stopping in San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach (loved the tiny town!). Then across to Sequoia/Kings Canyon. Here we stayed one night in a tent cabin in Kings Canyon and the 2nd night in a motel room at Hume Lake. We LOVED SEKI. Those trees were incredibly majestic, we didn't have to deal with insane crowds, and it was just gorgeous. Did a bunch of hiking. My DH and DS really liked the summer camp atmosphere of Hume Lake - my son went paintballing, paddleboarding, etc.

We skipped Yosemite that trip. We finally decided the driving was too much for us. Especially since SEKI was on my must-do list. I have a few friends who have been to both, and they all said I would prefer SEKI. One day we'll get to Yosemite I'm glad we chose SEKI. My son isn't too patient with lengthy road trips and even the 2-4 hours a day we did for the week before DLR was a lot for him and he was complaining a little.

 

[bcla]

I wish we could stay at the Lodge, but DH loves camping. We made a deal though: for every night of camping I do, we get to stay one night at a Disney deluxe resort.

You should totally still see Yosemite! I've never been and I'm not what you'd call an outdoorsy person, but it seems like one of the can't miss national parks. We also don't know when we'll make it out to California again, so I think it's totally worth it to try to fit it all in!

My deal with my wife was once a bear invaded a nearby campsite, she was too freaked out to return for the night. We stayed at a hotel outside the park for the night and left our camping equipment at the campsite and put a padlock on our bear box. The hotel was nice - a then new building at a tribal casino, which has had some crazy issues since then. We filled up on their $10 weeknight buffet (including peel and eat shrimp) and I probably should have stopped playing blackjack. My wife didn't want to leave, and we requested late checkout. I think the place recently reopened (after a tribal squabble that closed it), so you might consider the place on your last night in Yosemite on the way to Disneyland.

http://chukchansigold.com/hotel/rooms/

As far as Yosemite goes, you don't really have to be an outdoorsy person to appreciate it. Touring by car is fine; a lot of the best parts of Yosemite don't require extensive hiking. Regardless of all that, you have to be cognizant of nature. If you see heavy waterfall flow, that means the perfect conditions for mosquitoes. Bears in Yosemite have a relatively rare talent for breaking into cars (almost always at night). When it's dark, all food is supposed to be outside of vehicles that aren't occupied and placed in a room or bear box. Definitely don't eat or store food in your tent. Yosemite bears aren't really known for violent attacks (nobody has ever died from a black bear attack in Yosemite and grizzlies were gone for over a century) but they are notorious for sneak attacks on unsecured food, coolers, and food stored in vehicles. Many have learned how to peel open a door frame with their claws, which busts the window. They can squeeze through tight openings like they're circus animals, and then they'll claw through seats to get into vehicle trunks. I don't mention this to alarm anyone, but taking precautions is very important.

 

[Purrkins]

Had a bear walk into the bathroom on me one night in Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park (you'll see many more bears in SEKI than you will at Yosemite). Even said to myself, "I betcha a bear is going to walk into here since some yahoo put their trash in the bathroom trashcan," and even brushed my teeth out front. I had turned, spit in the sink, turned back and started walking out the door when the bear started walking in. I threw a left and treed it.

Thank god I had just used the restroom because otherwise...

I tried for years on multiple computers to get Yosemite reservations at the on-sale time. Finally lucked out this year.

I'll bring bear spray.

 

[bcla]

Had a bear walk into the bathroom on me one night in Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park (you'll see many more bears in SEKI than you will at Yosemite). Even said to myself, "I betcha a bear is going to walk into here since some yahoo put their trash in the bathroom trashcan," and even brushed my teeth out front. I had turned, spit in the sink, turned back and started walking out the door when the bear started walking in. I threw a left and treed it.

Thank god I had just used the restroom because otherwise...

I tried for years on multiple computers to get Yosemite reservations at the on-sale time. Finally lucked out this year.

I'll bring bear spray.

I only have one experience with a bear looking for food in SEKI. It was my mother's fault. Years later, I also saw a sow with cubs once in Redwood Mountain Grove. That was an amazing experience, and one where I was cautious but clearly understood that the bear was neither alarmed or threatened. I probably could have scared it off though by throwing stuff at it, but I didn't sense anything other than it was happy to leave slowly and quietly.

The last time I was at Lodgepole I was rather amused that there was an open trash can on the deck of the grill. The smell of burgers and chicken must have been intoxicating to bears. I saw unconsumed food tossed into the can. That was as opposed to the Curry Village (or whatever they're calling it now) Pizza Deck, where all trash went into steel trash containers with bear-proof latches.

And yeah, trying to secure a Yosemite Valley campsite for the peak periods is fun, isn't it?

Also, to be serious, you could get in trouble for carrying bear spray. All weapons are considered illegal to carry except for guns (too difficult to explain). The only exception is when a park superintendent has authorized the public to carry spray, such as Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, or several parks in Alaska. You could legally carry it on Forest Service land outside the park boundaries. Heck, I would have liked to have a slingshot ready for bears, but that would be illegal. I'd probably use something like clear practice paintballs as ammo. That's what the Park Service uses to haze bears, but with real paintball guns.

 

[Flossbolna]

We did a very similar trip last summer: started in LA with Disneyland, then Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite and then to San Francisco and back along the coast. My trip report is finally about to get us to San Francisco, but I hope to get it finished soon! There is a link in my signature (big and green). It was a lot of driving to do it round trip, but my BF had never done the Highway 1 along the coast, so that was one of his must dos. Depending on how much time you have, I think not doing the full round trip would be much preferable as it would give you more time to explore. We had a monthly rental as my BF stayed longer in LA for business. That helped a lot with the rate for the car.

I also would suggest to not skip SFO as the Walt Disney Museum is absolutely fantastic!!

Flights might be pricier, but otherwise it might be worth it to look into flights to Fresno and go to Yosemite from there. We had to exchange our rental car there.

Also, you could consider dropping the car at a rental location at Disneyland and not have a car while you are at Disneyland. A lot of hotels there charge for parking anyway. And then just take a shuttle to the airport. Depending on how long you plan staying at Disneyland, you might save some money.

 

[AnnaGiselle]

We did a very similar trip last summer: started in LA with Disneyland, then Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite and then to San Francisco and back along the coast. My trip report is finally about to get us to San Francisco, but I hope to get it finished soon! There is a link in my signature (big and green). It was a lot of driving to do it round trip, but my BF had never done the Highway 1 along the coast, so that was one of his must dos. Depending on how much time you have, I think not doing the full round trip would be much preferable as it would give you more time to explore. We had a monthly rental as my BF stayed longer in LA for business. That helped a lot with the rate for the car.

I also would suggest to not skip SFO as the Walt Disney Museum is absolutely fantastic!!

Flights might be pricier, but otherwise it might be worth it to look into flights to Fresno and go to Yosemite from there. We had to exchange our rental car there.

Also, you could consider dropping the car at a rental location at Disneyland and not have a car while you are at Disneyland. A lot of hotels there charge for parking anyway. And then just take a shuttle to the airport. Depending on how long you plan staying at Disneyland, you might save some money.

Awesome, I will definitely check out your TR!

 

[Flossbolna]

Awesome, I will definitely check out your TR!

Let me know if you have any questions! I am happy to help!

 

[quinnc19]

Just returned. Flew into Reno and got car, couple days Lake Tahoe, then Yosemite, then LAX (Hawaii for a week), Disneyland, then returned car and flew out of SNA. Rented car from Alamo for $300 for 15 days. Later quote was 3k, so you have to get lucky I guess. I left Wawona exit at 5 and got to LAX hotel by 1030, even stopping for In n Out burger. Definitely recommend that drive at night, and it was very nice to enter Yosemite from Tioga Pass.

 

[ekatiel]

We're set to leave for a similar trip in 2 weeks . We're flying into San Jose, then driving to Sequoia/Kings Canyon, then to Yosemite, then through Death Valley to Vegas, then to Grand Canyon, then back to Cali for Disneyland and Legoland!! We got our rental car through Sixt, and they are not charging us a fee to pick up at San Jose and drop off at LAX. Although, once we added Sequoia to the beginning of our trip, the travel time difference between San Jose and LAX to Sequoia is negligible. I'll try to report back after our trip .