Palm Springs trip, DL visit easy?

[sdwjones]

We will be vacationing in Palm Springs for about 5 days with my parents and our 2 kids (age 2 and 8) in July. Can we do a couple of days at DL with ease? How easy is it to drive to DL from Palm Springs (actually Palm Desert)?

What would be the best days of the week to go? Is is necessary to be there first thing in the morning? Or can we arrive leisurely and still see and do quite a bit of both parks in 2 days? The last time we were there, CA was still being built, so I don't have a frame of reference as to how much more there is to do.

We always do WDW commando-style (crack o'dawn to midnite) and I'm hoping not to have to do DL that way. But, hey... We'll need a Disney fix, being so close and all (well, closer than Texas), so we'll do what we gotta.

Would love to get some feedback!

 

[LeftCoaster]

Here's the main thing to remember about the drive from Palm Springs to Anaheim and back:
You do not want to drive from Palm Springs to Anaheim on a Sunday afternoon or evening.
You do not want to drive from Anaheim to Palm Springs on a Friday afternoon or evening.
A lot of people drive to Palm Springs and Vegas for the weekend and that drive will be a killer.

Are you planning on driving to Anaheim each day? or planning on driving ou tthere for a couple of days? Without traffic, the drive will be about 2 hours.

I would try to arrive early as July will be packed, packed, packed at DL. If you're staying in the area. Get there early, take a mid day break to relax at your hotel. Remember to pick up a fastpass or two before you leave the parks. =)

Since the parks are much smaller in size, going commando isn't as taxing as WDW. You can go commando AND take relaxing breaks.

 

[sdwjones]

Thanks! That's such good info! I'm thinking we'd go to DL on a Tues, then a Thursday or a Monday, then Wednesday, driving back and forth each time, with a day's break between.

 

[spendleb]

Oh no, we had planned to visit Palm Springs on Sunday 1st May which would mean driving back in the afternoon, what is so bad, is the traffic horrendous?, we would be driving back to Newport Beach?

 

[LeftCoaster]

Oh no, we had planned to visit Palm Springs on Sunday 1st May which would mean driving back in the afternoon, what is so bad, is the traffic horrendous?, we would be driving back to Newport Beach?

Palm springs and Vegas are major weekend getaways for Southern Californians. Vegas is about 2 hours east of Palm Springs and on the same freeway. So Sunday afternoons into the evening, it is a major traffic back up as all the people try to get back into the L.A. / Orange County areas. Basically, you'll have heavy traffic until you get into Orange County. Once you're back in Orange County, you'll be fine.

 

[LeftCoaster]

Thanks! That's such good info! I'm thinking we'd go to DL on a Tues, then a Thursday or a Monday, then Wednesday, driving back and forth each time, with a day's break between.

If you arrive early in the day, and need a "break", head over to the lobby of the Grand Californian. They have some very cozy places to sit down and it's gorgeous. Also be sure to see the new fireworks, they're going to be unbelievable.

 

[iceskatejen]

Um, Vegas and Palm Springs are not off the same freeway. Vegas is off the I-15. Palm Springs is off the I-10. And I think it might be more than 2 hours to drive between them.

 

[LeftCoaster]

Um, Vegas and Palm Springs are not off the same freeway. Vegas is off the I-15. Palm Springs is off the I-10. And I think it might be more than 2 hours to drive between them.

I thought they were for some reason. The times I've gone out to Palm springs for a weekend, I usually sit in traffic. I just assumed it was a combination of the two.

 

[spendleb]

Think we have decided to go to Palm Springs on the Friday instead now, is this a good bet?

 

[iceskatejen]

So long as you're going there in the morning all the traffic will be heading the other way. If you wait until afternoon, the traffic will be bad.

 

[sdwjones]

I think we might plan to drive to DL from Palm Springs on Sunday morning and Tuesday morning. Sound do-able? I figure Sunday morning would be pretty easy and Tuesday morning we might face the going-to-work traffic.