Need advice for first road trip to Disneyland--fun stops? Tips for road?

[ExcitedMamma]

We are leaving soon for Disneyland and I'm excited but very apprehensive. My kids have always hated being in the car and never ever nap in their car seats. DS has been great ever since he went from RF to FF when he outgrew RF around 2.5 but he still won't nap in the car. DD hates the car and screams even on short trips to the store. I've spent a fortune trying to find toys to keep DD happy, much like I did with DS at this age, to no avail. I try food when desperate but for the most part I worry about choking because she's so young and she throws food containers and gets bored with them anyways after a little while. Any tips on trying to keep her from screaming the whole way there? Obviously we will be making lots of pit stops for food and bathroom breaks so I doubt we'll go longer than 2 hours without stopping.

Since we will be making lots of pit stops any fun places along the way? I've never driven to L.A. with kids and I think I've only ever driven 101 there. We will be taking 5 down and possibly 101 back home if we stop to visit family along the way. TIA!

[AnnieW625]

There is nothing but gas stations, and state maintained rest stops on I-5 pretty much all of the way down, not sure what highway you are taking to connect with I-5. There are more fruit stands and a heck of a lot more gas stations than there were even 20 yrs. ago, but it is a whole lot of nothing for the most part. 101 is a much prettier drive, but it will probably take longer. There is a better variety of fast food stops now than there used to be (Kettleman City has a Subway, Mc Donalds, and an In N Out, and maybe a Starbucks), Buttonwillow has a nice TA Travel Center and some more fast food places. Same with the 46/I-5 junction (46 comes over from Paso Robles). TBH if you can try and leave when your kids are tired. At Tejon Ranch (bottom of the Grapevine) there are decent food options and the Tejon Ranch rest stop in the Grapevine is really nice and new. Otherwise I-5 is a lot like this:
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4544901220401639&w=231&h=176&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4902053472437967&w=246&h=182&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.5059305089862509&w=250&h=175&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7

and absolutely NOTHING like this!

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4861912702321674&w=249&h=168&c=7&rs=1&pid=1.7

[lalasmama]

Where are you starting from? Coming from Oregon or Washington, or someplace east? That kind of dictates what could be on the way to see! ;)

Otherwise, as another poster mentioned, try leaving when the kids are sleepy, drive all night, and see how far you can get!

[elektra]

How far up the Central Coast are you? We have done OC to Santa Barbara a few times with kids.
Here is a breakfast place we stopped at on the way down from our last trip. It was really good!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zzyzx-caf%C3%A9-camarillo-2

[craftysierra]

We drove up to Oregon last fall and most of out stops were along the 101 on the way up. We came home on the 5 mostly with few stops and Annie's pictures are so true :)

[sariana]

Depending on where you are starting, there may not be a huge difference in time between the 5 and the 101. The 101 is much better than it used to be, and the 5 always seems to be congested now.

Annie gave good advice about the rest stops. I will add that there is a stop in Le Bec, not far from where the actual "grapevine" part of the 5 starts (the back-and-forth part that looks like a grapevine). So going south it will be not long after you have made the climb into the mountains. We usually stop there to have lunch, but we are traveling from the south to the north. I'm not sure what there is the other way.

There also is a good selection of options in La Val, which is a bit north of the Grapevine stop, just south of where the 99 splits from the 5. It has grown into a HUGE stop, with numerous restaurant options on both sides of the freeway. (There also is a HUGE IKEA distribution warehouse nearby, just for sightseeing.;))

[ExcitedMamma]

Thanks for the info and pictures Annie! I went to college at UCSB so I am only familiar with the more scenic 101 drive so 5 does seem very different! Sounds like 5 north route I know when I have taken it to Modesto and Sacramento. We are outside of Monterey so we have a few options, we can backtrack North a little to Hollister to connect with 5 or take 101 to 46. We are leaving next Thursday and hope to be on the road before 7 a.m. Any advice on which way to go? Would any time lost be worth it to go 101/46?

[connor_mommy]

Le Bec is great because there is a Starbucks there.

[crayonblue]

Thanks for the info and pictures Annie! I went to college at UCSB so I am only familiar with the more scenic 101 drive so 5 does seem very different! Sounds like 5 north route I know when I have taken it to Modesto and Sacramento. We are outside of Monterey so we have a few options, we can backtrack North a little to Hollister to connect with 5 or take 101 to 46. We are leaving next Thursday and hope to be on the road before 7 a.m. Any advice on which way to go? Would any time lost be worth it to go 101/46?

We drove the 101 (doesn't it become the 1 north of LA?) from San Diego to Monterrey a few months ago. Gorgeous. It was soooooo worth it. However, it took us freakin' forever!!!!! I think we sat on the side of a mountain for an hour while some sort of construction was going on in front of us. And then s-l-o-w-l-y snaked our way around the mountain for several more hours.

On the way home, we drove the 5 and it was so dry and barren and ugly that I almost wished we had taken the 101. However, it was smooth sailing and got us home much faster!

[ABO Mama]

5 is so much faster! Far less pretty, but faster. Stops are farther apart, but that works for us. Stopping less frequently allows us to finish the boring part of the trip more quickly.

[ExcitedMamma]

Any advice about taking 5 all the way or taking 101 to 46 to 5? I've gotten conflicting advice so I'm torn about which route to take.

[AnnieW625]

I have only come from Monterey and when we have done that we have taken 5, to 46 to 101 and the reverse coming home. It takes us about 5 hours with no stops, the last time we did it was in 2009 so pre DD2 and DD1 was still in diapers so it was a bit easier than having two kids who need potty stops. Now I think it would take closer to 6/1/2 hrs. with stops. If you are going in the middle of the night or first thing in the AM you could probably do 101 with little issues as long as you aren't trying to go on 101 through Western LA County between the hours of 7 am and 9 am and between 3 and 5 pm.

If you aren't taking 101 to 46 then are you coming over through King City or Santa Nella via Gilroy (that's how my parents go when they go to Monterey from Woodland and how our friends go who live in Spreckels/Salinas area)? I also think there is another cut over spot between Santa Nella and 46 (maybe that is the King City one), but I can't remember (and I just spent two days on I-5 last week!) The advantage to being on I-5 from further north of 46 is that you can stop at Harris Ranch in Coalinga, which has a nice restaurant, reasonably priced gas, and if you don't want the restaurant there are other options for fast food. Plus an hour south of there is Kettleman City.

I remember the first time I drove 46 (in 2005) I thought I was going to die of boredom (I think you are on it for 90 minutes to 2 hrs, I can't remember), but the second time in 2009 it seemed quicker than I had remembered. One nice thing about 46 is that once you are off of 46 you are only about 2/1/2 hrs. from Disneyland.

I would recommend getting through LA before 2 pm if at all possible. If you are stuck there during commute hours I rec. these two routes, but IME it is still often better than getting stuck on I-5 through some really funky and sketchy parts of Los Angeles. Plus there is limited carpool lanes on I-5.

option A:
take I-5 to 210 East. Drive through Pasadena until you hit 57-S. Exit 57 S. at Katella and go right about 2 miles and Disneyland will be on your right side. You might hit a bit of traffic for a 10 mile or so stretch going through Pasadena and going over to the 57 South, but there is a carpool lane for most of that. If you do get stuck in Pasadena and want to get off the 210 before the 57 S you can take 605 South to I-5 South or 605 South to 22 East. If on I-5 you can exit at either Katella or Disney Way depending on where your hotel is.

Option B:
the 405 South (against traffic for the most part--slow by West LA and UCLA, but it is usally okay from the airport on, but it can still take an hour if you get stuck near UCLA, airport, and then in Torrance) to 22 East (Garden Grove freeway, stay in right hand lanes through Seal Beach) and then exit at Harbor Blvd., and go about 3 to 4 miles north and there is Anaheim/Disneyland resort area. There are carpool lanes for much of the 405 South through Long Beach (exit carpool lane at Bellflower Blvd.) and then start getting over to the right, once you pass the 605 North freeway (which all the way to the right). Do not take the 105 at all, it will be a mess in the PM.

My last tip, esp. if you are fast drivers is to drive in the right hand lane and if you are in the fast lane never go above 85. If you have radar take it with you. For the most part we stay in the right hand lane and go between 75-80 and only go in the left lane to pass a slow car, a motorhome, or a line of big rigs. I figure if someone is going to get caught speeding they will be going faster than you in the left hand lane. The speed limit on I-5 pre grapevine is 70, 55 or 65 in the grapevine and 65 for most of LA and OC.

Have a safe trip.

[ExcitedMamma]

Thank you so much Annie! I really appreciate your detailed and helpful advice!