• The new WDWMAGIC iOS app is here!
    Stay up to date with the latest Disney news, photos, and discussions right from your iPhone. The app is free to download and gives you quick access to news articles, forums, photo galleries, park hours, weather and Lightning Lane pricing. Learn More
  • Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
    Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.

Disneyland...Denied!

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Not the biggest deal, just wanted to vent.

My job sent me to California this past weekend for a special assignment. I flew in early Friday, making it to Los Angeles at around 11:30 am pacific time. The plan was to do a little prep work with a coworker, with all the big work happening Saturday, and catch a red -eye back to Newark Saturday night, to arrive Sunday morning.

So after the prep work Friday afternoon, my coworker & I were deciding what to do on Friday night. I basically said don't ask me, because I'm a big nerd and we have a rental car and we're about 50 miles away from Disneyland, and I know it's open until midnight. Turns out, she thought it was a great idea, so we headed out to the Happiest Place on Earth.

An hour and a half later, having moved 7 miles on (I think) the 5 (could've walked 7 miles in that time), we gave up and headed back to our neck of the woods where the hotel was, had dinner, called it an early night. Probably all for the best, as I needed to be focused for work, but man, I really would've liked to go to DL, if only for a night. But at the rate traffic was going, we would've gotten there around 10 or later at night.

Ironically, we were staying at the Beverly Hilton, which was owned by Merv Griffin, and the side street is called Merv Griffin Way. I didn't know why the street was called that, OR that he just died shortly after we left, until after I got home.

Anyway, I already told work, next time I have to go to LA (If there IS a next time), I'm going to try to go a day earlier, or stay a day later, pay for an extra night's lodging or whatever, if I can go. Now...comes the waiting game...
 

Nicole220

Well-Known Member
That stinks! I hate SoCal's traffic, it's so annoying...:fork:

Hopefully your work sends you our way soon and you can try it again.
 

lilclerk

Well-Known Member
Anyway, I already told work, next time I have to go to LA (If there IS a next time)...

I didn't even drive out there and have already decided I probably won't go back. It was horrible. I barely made it back to LAX in time for my flight. Thank god I didn't check any luggage, I never would have made it.
 

PintoColvig

Active Member
Now I feel better about the decision we made about not visiting Hollywood on our recent trip to Anaheim. It was our first trip ever to CA and we'd tossed around the idea of heading up to Hollywood on our arrival day to get pics of the Hollywood sign and to say "hey, we've been to Hollywood.". We decided to hang around DTD instead...and now I'm glad we did . Sorry you missed out on the Magic.
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
You really have to time the traffic in LA - and sometimes that doesn't even help. I've made it from Hollywood to DL in about 30 minutes and I've made it in 1 1/2 hours - completely dependent on traffic.

Sorry you were stuck in it!
 

IROC it

Member
Too bad you got stuck in traffic...

My wife and I missed the traffic all together, and we drove around on a Saturday for about 550 miles worth of rental car bliss!

But I was looking way ahead and exiting at the first sign of any... then using the good ol' "nose" method...

And of course cheating off of landmarks and a built in compass on the dash.

Next time rent one with GPS and "cheat.":animwink:
 

nybound

Member
Now I feel better about the decision we made about not visiting Hollywood on our recent trip to Anaheim. It was our first trip ever to CA and we'd tossed around the idea of heading up to Hollywood on our arrival day to get pics of the Hollywood sign and to say "hey, we've been to Hollywood.". We decided to hang around DTD instead...and now I'm glad we did . Sorry you missed out on the Magic.

To make you feel even better, I tried to make it to Hollywood from Anaheim on the 15th. I got maybe 10 miles on I-5 before the congestion became unbearable. I slogged another few miles before giving up and came back. I ended up taking the family to the beach just south of San Juan Capistrano. Not what we intended, but still fun.

Ah, well, maybe next trip we'll make it.
 

mickster

New Member
Not the biggest deal, just wanted to vent.

My job sent me to California this past weekend for a special assignment. I flew in early Friday, making it to Los Angeles at around 11:30 am pacific time. The plan was to do a little prep work with a coworker, with all the big work happening Saturday, and catch a red -eye back to Newark Saturday night, to arrive Sunday morning.

So after the prep work Friday afternoon, my coworker & I were deciding what to do on Friday night. I basically said don't ask me, because I'm a big nerd and we have a rental car and we're about 50 miles away from Disneyland, and I know it's open until midnight. Turns out, she thought it was a great idea, so we headed out to the Happiest Place on Earth.

An hour and a half later, having moved 7 miles on (I think) the 5 (could've walked 7 miles in that time), we gave up and headed back to our neck of the woods where the hotel was, had dinner, called it an early night. Probably all for the best, as I needed to be focused for work, but man, I really would've liked to go to DL, if only for a night. But at the rate traffic was going, we would've gotten there around 10 or later at night.

Ironically, we were staying at the Beverly Hilton, which was owned by Merv Griffin, and the side street is called Merv Griffin Way. I didn't know why the street was called that, OR that he just died shortly after we left, until after I got home.

Anyway, I already told work, next time I have to go to LA (If there IS a next time), I'm going to try to go a day earlier, or stay a day later, pay for an extra night's lodging or whatever, if I can go. Now...comes the waiting game...

Wow! I know the feeling. That sucks! I agree with your plan to pay for an extra night and make sure you go. It will definitely be worth it. Good luck!
 

Iakona

Member
Wow! I know the feeling. That sucks! I agree with your plan to pay for an extra night and make sure you go. It will definitely be worth it. Good luck!

I have done this many times when traveling for work. I will also have my wife travel with me (we pay for her transportation) and have a mini-vacation and only have to pay half the transportation and hotel costs.
 

wdwmomof3

Well-Known Member
I have done this many times when traveling for work. I will also have my wife travel with me (we pay for her transportation) and have a mini-vacation and only have to pay half the transportation and hotel costs.

We are doing the same thing in two weeks. DH has business meetings & I am taking the kids to WDW. We added days before & after the meetings so that he could enjoy the parks too.

I'm sorry about your luck with the traffic. There is NO WAY my husband could ever deal with that. He gets stressed out in our little city. :hammer:Hopefully it will work out for you next time. :animwink:
 

DisneyNme

Member
Now your scaring me. Im on a buisness trip out in CA as well. Im In San Jose now, A co-worker and i are driving to Santa Barbara to drop him off and then im heading to DL ALL BY MYSELF!!! Ive been warned by all the SJ people that LA traffic is the worst! this wont even compare to Boston traffic! I think ill be hitting LA by 8:30 9:00 ISH? Anybody think the traffic will be light?? Hopefully! :brick:
 

CSUFSteve

Active Member
Now your scaring me. Im on a buisness trip out in CA as well. Im In San Jose now, A co-worker and i are driving to Santa Barbara to drop him off and then im heading to DL ALL BY MYSELF!!! Ive been warned by all the SJ people that LA traffic is the worst! this wont even compare to Boston traffic! I think ill be hitting LA by 8:30 9:00 ISH? Anybody think the traffic will be light?? Hopefully! :brick:

Hey fellow Bay Area'er!! :-)

I grew up in SoCal and can certainly relate to traffic woes. Everytime I go back, I'm reminded of how much worse it's gotten since I lived there 7 years ago. I was frequently a victim of the "Orange Crush". When I moved up here, I intentionally picked a spot no more than 15-20 mins away from work on surface streets!!

Anyway, I do drive down from time to time. If you get into LA by 9-ish, that will definitely be better than if you were getting there anywhere from 3-to-9-ish. The later you can get in, the better.

That said, there's a point at which you have options. Usually a 1st hint about whether LA traffic will be bad is Valencia (Magic Mountain). If that's backed up, that's not a good sign. If that's OK and you get to Glendale (2 Fwy) / Burbank and it starts backing up, then that's really not a good sign. Sometimes I have found that taking the 210 is advantageous. It does take you out of your way a bit, but sometimes you can bypass the gnarl that is the 60-5-101-110-710-91. If you take the 210, then you'll hit the 57, head south. 57S at that time of night will be fine. Get off at Ball Rd and that will take you the rest of the way to Disneyland Dr where you turn left and stay in the far left lane. That will get you in the Mickey & Friends parking structure.

Have fun!!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom