may trip - need help with plans

[RADOPT]

We are going to DL for my daughter birthday and I need some help with driving and our plans.

Our Plan:
Saturday - drive down to DL on I5.
Sunday - La breaTar pits, farmers market, DL if we have any energy left.
Monday - DL (actual birthday), Goofy's for dinner
Tuesday - San Diego Zoo
Wednesday - DL
Thursday - DL, evening drive to hotel in Santa Clarita
Friday - drive home (we have to be in San Jose by 4pm)

As for driving:
We are leaving San Francisco at about 3:30 on Saturday April 30th and taking 80 to 580 to 5. How long do you think it will take to get to DL? Are there any decent hotels on I5? We can't leave earlier because of the ballet.

How long will it take to get to the San Diego Zoo from DL? What time is rush hour both in the morning and evening?

We are staying in Santa Clarita (by magic mountian) so we can miss the LA traffic friday morning. How long a drive from DL to Magic Mountain?

Any idea to make my daughter's birthday more special would be appreciated (as well as any other information, opinion, etc.).

 

[Rivergallery]

For her birthday make sure to get her a free pin/sticker at City Hall etc. She will get perks for it being her birthday, of course tell the people at Goofy's Kitchen!

Not sure about all the driving stuff.
have fun!

 

[tuppence a bag]

I am from Santa Clarita (but moved away 5 months ago to Idaho). It takes me an hour and 15 mins to DL with little traffic. Please make sure you leave later in the evening from DL (say after 7 or so). Also keep in mind that the 5 between Castaic (a northern part of Santa Clarita) and the San Fernando valley is slow any time of day now in either direction. Are you staying at the Hilton or Best Western in Santa Clarita? I have had relatives stay at both and they prefer the Hilton although the BW wasn't too bad. The Marie Callender's there is a good restaurant as well as the El Torito. If you are staying at the Hyatt by the mall, it is an excellent hotel. It used to take us 3-3/12 hrs to get to san diego, but we haven't been in 2 years, so I don't feel I could give you an accurate time frame (It would seem like 2 hrs from DL to me, but don't hold me to it). The last time we went we took Amtrak.
Have a great trip, Happy Bday to your daughter!

 

[jencav5]

We live in Tracy and it takes us between 5 & 6 hours to drive to DL, depending on stops & traffic. It takes about 1 hour/15min to get to SF from here, so I'd tack that on to your total. The best driving down south is during the night, though, so leaving late is better in my opinion. We like leaving around 6 or 7pm and getting there 12-1am. It is less stops with the kids and no traffic going thru LA. You'll probably do ok with your time, though. I would drive straight thru, but there are plenty of motels off of I5. We really like to stop at Petro, which is right before you go over the Grapevine. It is a nice, clean stop, and they do have a fairly new Best Western there, but we've never stayed there-we always drive straight thru.

It takes 1hour/30min to drive to the San Diego Zoo from DL. We've done this often and it always takes the same, regardless of traffic. We usually leave between 8 & 9am. The commute lane works great!

It is about 1hour/15min to Santa Clarita from DL. I would leave later in the evening.

Definately get the birthday sticker at City Hall-your daughter will get treated special by all the cast members telling her happy birthday all day! They also have birthday parties at the Plaza Inn. It is $10 per person and you get to decorate a cake and see Mickey & Minnie for pictures at the end. We've done this a couple of times and the kids really enjoy it. It's not a huge thing, but it's cute and the pictures are priceless! You can also buy birthday buckets which are cute. Since you're going to Goofy's already, you can tell them you're celebrating a birthday and you can buy a birthday bucket to have at the dinner. It comes with a personal size cake. The princess one is really cute. They also have birthday hats you can buy with a birthday cake on top! (think of "Goofy" hat) Whatever you do, it will be fun-you'll be at DL!

 

[disneegrl4eva]

hmmm...my daughter goes to school in SF so when I come home to Merced I travel the way you are going...Im thinking that you should be ok driving on a saturday into Santa Clarita but the drive to DL may take a bit longer as to me unless your driving out at 2am that stretch is always backed up...