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  1. #1
    Princess of Chickapin Hill
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Florida someday soon!

    Driving to Disneyland from Tucson?

    We may be moving to Tucson, AZ next month,and of course I start thinking about how to get to Disneyland on a regular basis!

    Googlemaps says it's 7 1/2 hours, but I'm assuming that's not possible unless you are driving through Phoenix and into Los Angeles at very off times, like 7 p.m. for Phoenix, 1 a.m. for LA.

    I guess we could go either via San Diego or I-10 out of Phoenix?

    We really don't mind driving late at night if it will make a big difference. Hubby is a night owl and can drive comfortably until around 2, 2:30 a.m. We'd check in late to a hotel and pull the curtains shut, and sleep in the first day.

    Sitting in traffic is definitely not an option. If there's no way to avoid that, we'd probably go ahead and fly and use the airport shuttle instead.

    I'd love to hear routes, tips and tricks! Thanks in advance.

    [COLOR="Purple"]Amanda, Joe, & Miles
    "I met the love of my life on the Seven Seas Lagoon"

  2. #2

    I drive from Phoenix and its about 5 1/2 to 6 hours driving time most of the time for us. I think from Tuscon you could go I-8 then drive North to the 10 somewhere near the border? Ive never gone to DL from that way.

    Our normal route is to leave my job on Friday in Phoenix about 1or 2PM. Then go the 10 until Beumont I think. Its a left hand exit to the 60. Then we take 91 all the way to Harbor. DL is about 3 miles down on Harbor. There use to be big time construction in Riverside. Its better now that the over pass part is done. We rarely sit in traffic thats dead stop now that that is better.

    The cool thing about Disneyland in the winter is the clock falls back an hour as you cross the border. In the Winter time I can leave work at 1PM and be eating dinner on main street.

    Ive never flown because we haul an electric wheel chair with us so that option is not as easy for us.

    Oh I forgot Tuscon is about 2 hours from Phx. in case that helps you any


  3. #3
    It was a good day! Malcon10t's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Modesto/Waterford
    Blog Entries
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    I have a friend who would drive from Tucson. He drove the San Diego route once, then did the 10 route form then on. Said San Diego was longer.

    Planning 3 trips at once...

  4. #4

    I live in Tucson...and just got back from Disneyland last night...

    Mapquest tells you to take I-8, then catch up to I-10 past Phoenix.
    But I find this takes longer

    The drive took us about 6 hours both ways, but we were goin like 80-90mph most the way and did not encounter much traffic. The only problem with going through Phoenix is that every now and then you can come across an accident of the freeway that really slows it all up. And you dont really need to worry about L.A. as you dont drive through it, you drive through Riverside, which usually doesnt have much traffic on the freeway.

    All in all, its not a bad drive.


  5. #5

    Our regular route was I-10 to PHX and then west. If we knew traffic was going to be particularly hairy in PHX we'd take the bypass route off I-10 around the city and rejoin just outside Phoenix, but we found that under regular circumstances it didn't save us too much time, especially since it's hard to pass people on that route. Time yourself to miss rush times in Phoenix and Riveside; those are going to be your bigger snags, but it's totally possible to do the drive in seven hours, especially driving at night and switching drivers regularly.

    If it was cheap enough to fly I would do that instead, since it's hard for me to sit for that length of time, but if you don't have that problem and you add in the hours you wait at the airport/security/shuttles, it almost works out the same, timewise. Going through to San Diego and north is kind of a drag and does seem to work out to be a longer drive.


  6. #6

    if you go the Phoenix route...

    If you go I-10, I would recommend staying on 10 all the way to 57, which takes you south into Anaheim. It's about 10 minutes longer than exiting onto 60 and then 91 (like Mapquest will show.) However, it's simpler and you are less likely to make a wrong turn, fail to exit at the right spot, etc. When you've been driving six or seven hours, with snarling, gassy back seat denizens that no longer resemble the smiling children you put there...a little simplicity goes a long way.

    We live in Phoenix. We've gone 4 times, and this is our preferred route now. To each their own...I prefer a few more minutes on the road with less lane changes and exits.

    You should be ready for changing speed limits in the Phoenix area with plenty of photo radar.

    Last edited by edensw; 02-16-2009 at 02:05 PM. Reason: forgot something
     

  7. #7

    edensw makes a good point

    going through Phoenix be especially careful about the speed limit as they are enforced by photo on the interstate

    and in between Tucson and Phoenix watch out for speed enforcing photo vans parked along the freeway


  8. #8
    Figuring out the mom thing
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tucson, AZ

    We drive through San Diego because we prefer the scenery. There's very little time difference between taking the Phoenix route and the San Diego route. It takes us about 8.5 hours with 2-3 bathroom breaks. Either way, it's an easy drive. You'll want to have an annual pass!


  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Tucson, AZ...8 Long Hours from DL!!

    We drive from Tucson 3 or 4 times a year. Often - we will leave after work and drive until about midnight. We've always stayed in the Good Nite Inn in Redlands (just north of Riverside). Then, we get up in the morning and have about an hour drive to Disneyland and can get there at opening!! The hotel is about $30 cheaper than the ones @ Disneyland.

    The other times, we just get up early in the morning - use the carpool lane in Phoenix to bypass most of the traffic. For lunch - we pack the kid's food and let them play at Carls Jr or Mc Donald's in the play area while we eat...then they eat in the car. That helps wear them out a bit, but doesn't eat up too much time!!

     

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