From Disneyland to Magic Mountain

[ParkFreak]

Can anyone help with the best way to get from DL to MM? We won't have a car and I can't seem to find any kind of bus route. Preferably the cheapest way. . . Thanks!

 

[bjsmico]

Well you will be going form Anaheim up to Valencia. That can take around 2 hours or more by bus. Your best bet would be to check into greyhound. I know there is a greyhound bus station in Anaheim. I would go to the website and check.

 

[princess_tink]

How long is it by car?

 

[da disney fans]

It's at least an hour... but could be considerably longer depending on traffic.

 

[karylrocks]

It took us over 2 hours by car a couple of weeks ago.

 

[MateasMom]

I really can't think of an easy way without a car. You could take a bus or something into L.A. and then trade to a train and then trade to the Metrolink (commuter train). It would be a PITA though. My DH has taken the metro to L.A. from Valencia (we live here) and it's takes almost 2 hours for him to get just passed LAX. The metro is cool if you only have to take one train, but once connections get involved it's totally not worth it, not to mention the fact that it runs really limited hours so you would have to spend the night up here. Plus you'd have to find a bus to get you to MM from the train station. That would probably mean another connection plus maybe sitting on the bus forever waiting....okay, I'll stop now but 'inconvenient' would be an understatement.

Anyways....DL is about 1 hour 15 minutes on an average day. It usually takes us less because we leave during 'off' hours to come down there and we usually go on non interesting days (we have socal select passes...so no holidays or weekends). If you take the 5 it would probably take 2 hours. We go the back way (210).

So...the 'best way' would be to rent a car. If you can't rent a car, I have no idea! I'm sure there's not easy way though.

 

[Clotho]

I found an Anaheim tour company which will pick you up at your hotel in the AM, drive you to the park and drop ya off, then drive you back at about 8pm. The drive is about 2 hours by car, and the tour is about 3 hours with pickups from various hotels. Costs $81 per person. We decided we could tack on an extra day at DL for $10, and not have 4-6 hours of transit (not to mention the 6F tickets are only $25, so the markup is ridiculous).

 

[ParkFreak]

Thanks Clotho, that's the one that makes sense. I'm actually trying to figure this out for my friends who are traveling from Australia and really want to see MM. Personally, I'm staying at DL because I know it must be quite a hassle to get there! We're also planning a day at Knott's which is MUCH more convenient (Planning on taking the bus, it seems direct, fairly quick and cheap! If anyone has a better way, please let me know!)

P.S. Clotho, do you recall the tour company's name?

 

[bjsmico]

How about a day at Knotts Berry Farm. It's only 10 minutes from Disneyland?

 

[blackjackdelta]

There is a VIP tour company that will pick you up at your hotel(anytime you want) take you there and return you when you want. Very VIP service...but very hassle free.
It took us 2 hours a month ago to drive from Anaheim to Valencia.
I would do Knotts(some very good rollercoasters and great chicken) 15-20m minutes away at the most.

Have a fantasmic day

 

[Clotho]

http://www.allanaheimtours.com

 

[Party Teacher]

I live 5 min. from Magic Mountain. On a good day, it takes me 1 hr. 30 min. to get to Anaheim. That's only if I leave later than 9:00 a.m. For the return, I've made it in 1 hour (and no, I wasn't speeding!) but that's leaving after 8:00 p.m. at night, usually after the fireworks. I never leave DL between 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. or I just end up sitting on the freeway for hours. I always go the 5. I went the 210 once, it took me 3 hours!

 

[MateasMom]

I think you must have done something wrong going the 210 way then It's a longer drive distance wise, but absolutely NO traffic at all. If you leave at 9 you won't hit a single bit of even minimal traffic until you hit OC (which is only like 5 mintues of the trip). It's basically empty freeway the whole time. Like I said before, takes us about 1 hour 15 mintues. Less if it's late at night (after 8) or an oddly slow traffic day in OC or the Newhall Pass (since those are the only places you really slow at all).

We take that way to get to San Diego and get there in under 3 hours (north county). I can't imagine it taking that long to get to Disneyland.

 

[JennsBabySky]

So, which way do you go when you take the 210? I usually take the 5.

Thanks,
Jennifer

 

[MateasMom]

I'm a 'drive by sight' kinda person I've lived in L.A. my whole life so sometimes I just go through the motions and that back area of the 210 changed a few years back (they extended the 210) so I might be missing a freeway number. It's the 5-210-57. That little section through San Dimas though, I'm not sure if it's 57 or something else??? I think it's 57. Anyways, Now that I've confused you

It's totally easy. It feels like you're on the road forever because it's further mile wise and you're just driving forever never really 'hitting' any great landmarks (no 'theres the zoo' or 'there's the citadel'). In the evenings if it's late enough we'll take the 5 or the 5-101-170-5 (my kids like that way...and sometimes it's faster) and we can make it home in an hour, maybe a little less if we 'loose track' of the speed limit If we have to leave during traffic time (4-7) we go the 210 route to get back and it's taken as long as an 1 hour 45 minutes. Most of the traffic though is just getting out of OC and then a small pocket of traffic in Pasadena (but nothing to write home about).

 

[Party Teacher]

I drove down to the parks last Sunday morning. We left Valencia at 8:06 a.m....arrived at the DL parking structure at 8:51 a.m. Unbelievable! That
was taking the 5. We made it home in just over an hour. We left at 10:15 p.m.

The time I went the 210, I left at 3:00 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. (I know, not a good choice from any direction! LOL) We had reservations at the Napa Rose at 6:00. We were late!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Probably a good time to go, but I am still amazed. Church must have something to do with it. I am not that luckey.

 

[karylrocks]

We took the 210 route from the DLH on a Tuesday, leaving about 8:30 and it took well over 2 hours. I think I would opt for I-5 if there are no accidents.

 

[MateasMom]

We went yesterday and we got there really quickly. I 'timed' it from MM pky onramp and it was 120 miles round trip. Took 56 minutes to get there are 58 to get back. We left to go down there at 12:00 noon right on the dot, and came home just before 8. We went 5,170,101,5.

 

[Zoemakes5]

You could try a limo service. Sometimes you can get a good deal. My step-dad did this for extra income a couple of years and actually did the trip a couple of times out to MM from the beach area.
LA being LA, it can take as little as 45 minutes and as much as three hours for that drive. I have always had better luck doing the 210 route they have talked about, but it's been a long long time! I-5 is definitely the most direct route.
I hate to say it in the midst of all the Dis'ers, but I LOVE MM (Six Flags in general, actually)! Living in So. Cal., I always went there every year. I make sure you had an opportunity to check the hours for MM, though. This time of year, it starts going to very limited hours and often is only open on weekends, and only until 8pm.