California - San Diego to Disney - traffic patterns?

Hi,
Visiting Disney tomorrow, leaving from San Diego.
With LA's infamous traffic, when should we leave if we prefer our day to be traffic-jam free?

Thanks,

I'd avoid late afternoon, anything else should be OK.

Azepine, now I see my question was not clear - I meant to ask about San Diego to LA traffic in the morning.

As for the way back, there's the parade @ 7PM, so that pretty much sets the earliest tim we can get out at...

if you hit the usual San Clemente area, El Toro Y area and Irvine area bottlenecks after say 9AM, you should be fine into Disneyland. Afternoon is a mess anytime from 3:30 or 4:00 until after 7:00-7:30, as you note.

Thanks Jack,
I guess we'll plan on leaving SAN ~9am or so.

hope it helps...good luck...have fun!!!

or, plan to leave SD so that you hit SC around 9...just a thought


Thanks Jack,
I guess we'll plan on leaving SAN ~9am or so.

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question about traffic in the same vicinity. I have to be in Irvine for two different swim meets in August, and the morning events would be around 10am, and evening events at 6pm.

There's a Hyatt in Anaheim/Garden Grove with pretty decent rates for both stays, but it's 12 miles from the pool, about 8-9 miles of that along the 405 and the rest on surface streets on either end. The Hyatt in Irvine is too expensive for me.

Anyone able to give me an idea of travel time to the pool for morning and evening events? Ideally I'd like to be there 30 mins before events start, so figure arrival no later than 9:30am and 5:30pm. Is this workable or should I pay more to stay in Irvine or consider Foothill Ranch (see there's a toll road there, but better hotel rates than Irvine even with tolls).

hi, let me see if I can help.

it would help if you could provide location in Irvine where you're going...that'll make a difference.

not sure about the property you have in mind in Foothill Ranch. but, you could easily do FR-Irvine on regular roads...no toll road would be necessary...maybe no freeway either. depends on locations of both. generally, that would be 20-30 minutes max.

while there's always traffic on the 405, or at least it seems that way, at the times of day you mentioned, I suspect you're looking at 30-40 minutes. you could take Beach Blvd north and south GG-Huntington Beach/405, which would help. traffic will start really clogging up as you near OC airport/Irvine. again, a lot depends on where you're going in Irvine.

let me know more detail...I'll try to help.

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question about traffic in the same vicinity. I have to be in Irvine for two different swim meets in August, and the morning events would be around 10am, and evening events at 6pm.

There's a Hyatt in Anaheim/Garden Grove with pretty decent rates for both stays, but it's 12 miles from the pool, about 8-9 miles of that along the 405 and the rest on surface streets on either end. The Hyatt in Irvine is too expensive for me.

Anyone able to give me an idea of travel time to the pool for morning and evening events? Ideally I'd like to be there 30 mins before events start, so figure arrival no later than 9:30am and 5:30pm. Is this workable or should I pay more to stay in Irvine or consider Foothill Ranch (see there's a toll road there, but better hotel rates than Irvine even with tolls).

I'd be going to 4601 Walnut Ave in Irvine which is the Aquatic Center at Heritage Park (http://www.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/cs/aquatics/default.asp) and starting at the Hyatt in Anaheim/Garden Grove (http://www.orangecounty.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp).

helpful...thanks.

I believe you'd be better of using the I-5 rather than I-405. you'll encounter some bottlenecks at I-5/22 interchange and going into Irvine, but likely better overall than 405...and more direct. Foothill to swim complex could still be all surface streets, about 20 minutes or so. GG to complex likely 30 minutes +/-, maybe a little less in AM and maybe a little more in PM. that should be safe, though. I hope that helps.


I'd be going to 4601 Walnut Ave in Irvine which is the Aquatic Center at Heritage Park (http://www.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/cs/aquatics/default.asp) and starting at the Hyatt in Anaheim/Garden Grove (http://www.orangecounty.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp).

O.K., thanks. As long as it's under an hour I can live with that. Looking at the map I can see 5 works much better.

good luck..

O.K., thanks. As long as it's under an hour I can live with that. Looking at the map I can see 5 works much better.

Thanks Jack,
I guess we'll plan on leaving SAN ~9am or so.

Leving at 9 a.m. (depending on where in SD you are) could get you to Disneyland before 11, whch may leave enough time in the park for you (and since it's in May hopefully you won't spend a lot of time getting parking, buying tickets and standing in line for rides). I certainly wouldn't want to leave Anaheim before 8 p.m. on a weeknight, anyway, due to traffic.

Ended up leaving SD a bit later then planned (10:20 or so) - no traffic issues whatsoever.
Got out of the park ~8pm (maybe a few minutes earlier) - again, open road.

Thanks to all who helped on this thread!

excellent...hope you had a good day at the Kingdom

I came through there around 6PM that same day heading southbound and traffic was remarkably good for some reason. take it when I can get it.


Ended up leaving SD a bit later then planned (10:20 or so) - no traffic issues whatsoever.
Got out of the park ~8pm (maybe a few minutes earlier) - again, open road.

Thanks to all who helped on this thread!

O.K., thanks. As long as it's under an hour I can live with that. Looking at the map I can see 5 works much better.

Going south on 5 in that area is in general OK with some slowdowns near 22 and 55. It will be definitely under 1 hr, most likely 30-40 min. Irvine surface streets are quite fast in case there is a major freeway jam.

You're right about those bottlenecks at 22 and 55. Got in the left lane of I5 heading south and sailed around those the last two mornings, and made it to the pool in both days in 20 minutes. Haven't tried it yet during evening commute as we're planning on early dinner around Irvine and leave here by 3. Have been trying to get to the pool around 5 for a 6pm start.

I was down two weeks ago and had to get onto 55 from Southbound I5 and found it a little challenging. My hotel then was off of 55 at Dyer, where this time I'm up in Garden Grove.

glad to hear it worked out for you...and you've had decent warm weather as well (finally)...good deal.

i personally will do anything I can to avoid the 55 between I-5 and I-405 any time of the day and any day of the week.

You're right about those bottlenecks at 22 and 55. Got in the left lane of I5 heading south and sailed around those the last two mornings, and made it to the pool in both days in 20 minutes. Haven't tried it yet during evening commute as we're planning on early dinner around Irvine and leave here by 3. Have been trying to get to the pool around 5 for a 6pm start.

I was down two weeks ago and had to get onto 55 from Southbound I5 and found it a little challenging. My hotel then was off of 55 at Dyer, where this time I'm up in Garden Grove.

..

I was down two weeks ago and had to get onto 55 from Southbound I5 and found it a little challenging. My hotel then was off of 55 at Dyer, where this time I'm up in Garden Grove.

Take local next time you stay in Irvine/Santa Ana/Costa Mesa (Dyer/Barranca then left on either Red Hill, Jamboree, Harward or smaller streets etc then right on Walnut) and avoid 55.
55&5 are for torturing commuters...

From GG though, 5 is the only practical option.

We figured out the local route to the pool via Jamboree after arriving last trip, and pretty much avoided the freeway during peak times. Within 2 hours of arriving on Hotel Terrace I was over at Costco on Park Ave getting gas, and at Target getting Diet Coke, and saw how easy it was to go that way. We were over there again yesterday for lunch at Lucille's Smokehouse (don't have that chain in the Bay Area). We're not use to these wide local streets in the Bay Area, and when they do exist they're clogged with traffic signals every block and you'd never be able to get up to 50mph.