WWYD: Disney/Yosemite Order Memorial Day Weekend 2022

[Novatrix]

Much to my disgust, the California marathon that I was previously planning my trip around Memorial Day weekend just e-mailed today to let me know that they were postponing the race to a week later. As far as I'm concerned, them letting participants know so last minute results in a vote of no confidence from me that the race will actually occur on the new date, and I don't feel like rescheduling my plans around them again.

So now that I'm no longer planning around the race, I have 2 options. I have a 4 day park hopper to use at Disneyland and I won the lottery for a back country permit at Yosemite with Half Dome that I'd like to use.

Option 1 is a slight modification of my original plan, with swapping the need to travel to Ventura with a full day at Disneyland. Disadvantage is being at Disney during a major holiday, needing to switch Disney hotels, and mostly camping/or staying in a Curry Village tent "cabin" for my time in Yosemite.

Fri: fly LAX check into HoJo
Sat: California Adventure, Lamplighter Inn brunch
Sun: Disneyland all day, check out of HoJo and into Best Western Park Place
Mon: Disneyland, Trader Sam's for Lunch, Napa Rose for Dinner
Tues: California Adventure
Wed: Check out of Best Western, Drive to Yosemite, Pick Up Backcountry Permit (it's a 5 night permit that includes Half Dome), hike to Little Yosemite Valley to camp overnight
Thurs: Half Dome, camp LYV
Fri: Curry Village or camp LYV (currently have the option of either)
Sat: Curry Village or camp LYV
Sun: Drive to LAX fly home

I'm debating changing to the following.
Option 2 - As luck would have it, I hadn't yet called up to cancel my Yosemite Valley Lodge reservation for Memorial Day weekend in Yosemite. The pros are that I can bookend the camping with hotels and I avoid Disneyland on Memorial Day weekend. The cons are that I would have NO dining/park reservations at Disneyland and I really want to experience Trader Sams.

Fri: fly to LAX, stay near LAX
Sat: Drive to Yosemite, Stay Yosemite Valley Lodge
Sun: YVL
Mon: YVL
Tues: pick up permit for next day, stay overnight in a front country campground
Wed: hike Half Dome, camp overnight Little Yosemite Valley
Thurs: drive to Anaheim, check into Anaheim Hotel, spend evening in a park
Fri: Disneyland or California Adventure
Sat: Disneyland or California Adventure
Sun: Disneyland or California Adventure
Mon: Drive to LAX fly home

Any thoughts from the experts?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I like your second option better. The drive to Yosemite is 7 hours, and hiking up to Little Yosemite after being on the road all day -- you won't be rested, and you don't know how long it will take to get your wilderness permit, or other stuff you need to do to registers. You'll be hiking when it's hot after a long drive. Just seems like that is a lot of ifs happening.

At least, if you do Yosemite first, you can tailor your Disneyland visit, and can do mobile ordering. Just seems like a better option to me.

 

[Nonsuch]

You might want to factor COVID into your decision. Disneyland is a high risk location, due to crowds of guests from all over the country and world.
If you start your trip at Disneyland and contract COVID, you might become symptomatic a few days later while camping in Yosemite -- which would be miserable.
Starting your trip at Yosemite might be the better option.

 

[China Expat]

OPtion 2 is much much better. I have climbed Half Dome numerous times and would never have made it to Little Yosemite Valley by daylight after the drive. YOU WILL HIT TRAFFIC! Just wear a mask at Disney if worried about Covid.

 

[sndral]

If you opt for scenario 2 is there any way you can switch your inbound flight to SFO, SJC, or OAK & shave hours off your drive to Yosemite? If not, I’d opt to stay further north on day 1 & get the SoCal traffic behind me.
Wed. in your Scenario 1 is not realistic - first you’ll need to escape SoCal traffic, then drive several hours, & hope you are in time to pick up your Wilderness pass https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/permitstations.htm . The hike to little Yosemite valley is under 4 miles - but it’s basically straight up, at a minimum I’d stay plan on staying in the valley on Wed., heading to LYV on Thurs. and climbing Half Dome on Fri. & staying LYV that night, then hiking back to the Valley, staying there Sat. night so you won’t have to hike out of LYV, drive several hours, deal w/ SoCal traffic & catch a plane all on Sunday.
In scenario 2 I’d hike to LYV on Tues. & camp there rather than staying @ at a camp in the Valley. On Thurs. w/ your hike out of LYV + long drive + SoCal traffic you may not get to Anaheim in time to visit DL on Thurs. evening, so maybe plan a late flight out on Monday & use your 4th DL day then.

 

[ktlm]

I agree with the others- Option 2. I also would question whether you might be able to change your flights. If we were doing that trip we would fly in to SJC (San Jose) and then leave from SNA (Orange County). I wouldn't want to have to be driving from Yosemite to LAX on the day I was flying out. That is a long drive, if you are staying in the park you wouldn't want to be driving out until it is light outside, and I would be worried about issues on the road etc. making me miss my flight.

I also think that option has your much better DL/CA dates. I have a friend who was trying to go May 31 and June 1and the par, reservations are already sold out for non-resort guests. That Tuesday-Thursday are the last days the two lower level Magic Keys can go to the parks before being blocked out for the summer. May 31 and June 1 are also grad nights. It is going to be packed--- we have been there on the last days before passes were blocked out for the summer before, and we much prefer being there on blocked or other dates-- it can be crazy crowded. There is also the Star Wars Convention May 26-29 I would definitely stick to plan 2.

Set a couple of dining alerts and you may pick up reservations at DL/CA for the other dates. I didn't turn mine off even though I had gotten what I wanted and in the days leading up to our last trip and during our trip, I got lots of opening alerts.

 

[Novatrix]

Ended up rebooking to option 2, although I'm loathe to lose my dining reservations. Looking at the open jaw option, the only airport that has direct flights from mine is SFO, and that's only 2 hours less driving. For the difference in price I'd have to pay for both the rental car and the flight, it's not worth it for me to fly in there. I also don't view 8 or 9 hours as too long of a drive.

The way backcountry permits work, you have to start your hike on the day the permit is issued. You're allowed to camp in a front country campground the night before, and the night after, but you can't change the dates of the permit. Especially since mine includes Half Dome, there's zero chance of shifting dates. I'll enter the Half Dome day lottery for the preceding days, if I win/or decide the Cloud's Rest hike is good enough I might cancel the backcountry permit and instead leave Yosemite and see SEKI or Monterey Aquarium instead with that time.

Anyone have experience with the Alpine Inn and the Anaheim Hotel? They're the two options I currently have for those nights. Alpine Inn has free parking which is a perk. Mostly looking for someplace quiet, clean and safe to walk back to as a solo female if I stay to park close at night.

Also, the only park pass available for 6/2 is for DCA. Should I stalk for Disneyland instead? I have a park hopper, so I assume as long as I tap into DCA it shouldn't make a difference since I'll be arriving after 2 anyway. How do the park pass plans look for the other days?

Current Plan:
5/27 Fri: fly to LAX, stay near LAX (arriving late)
5/28 Sat: Drive to Yosemite, Stay Yosemite Valley Lodge
5/29 Sun: YVL
5/30 Mon: YVL
5/31 Tues: pick up permit for next day, stay overnight in a front country campground
6/1 Wed: hike Half Dome, camp overnight Little Yosemite Valley
6/2 Thurs: drive to Anaheim, check into hotel (estimating around 6pm), California Adventure Park Pass
6/3 Fri: Disneyland Park Pass
6/4 Sat: California Adventure Park Pass
6/5 Sun: Disneyland Park Pass
6/6 Mon: Drive to LAX fly home

 

[Derry Wade]

Ended up rebooking to option 2, although I'm loathe to lose my dining reservations. Looking at the open jaw option, the only airport that has direct flights from mine is SFO, and that's only 2 hours less driving. For the difference in price I'd have to pay for both the rental car and the flight, it's not worth it for me to fly in there. I also don't view 8 or 9 hours as too long of a drive.

The way backcountry permits work, you have to start your hike on the day the permit is issued. You're allowed to camp in a front country campground the night before, and the night after, but you can't change the dates of the permit. Especially since mine includes Half Dome, there's zero chance of shifting dates. I'll enter the Half Dome day lottery for the preceding days, if I win/or decide the Cloud's Rest hike is good enough I might cancel the backcountry permit and instead leave Yosemite and see SEKI or Monterey Aquarium instead with that time.

Anyone have experience with the Alpine Inn and the Anaheim Hotel? They're the two options I currently have for those nights. Alpine Inn has free parking which is a perk. Mostly looking for someplace quiet, clean and safe to walk back to as a solo female if I stay to park close at night.

Also, the only park pass available for 6/2 is for DCA. Should I stalk for Disneyland instead? I have a park hopper, so I assume as long as I tap into DCA it shouldn't make a difference since I'll be arriving after 2 anyway. How do the park pass plans look for the other days?

Current Plan:
5/27 Fri: fly to LAX, stay near LAX (arriving late)
5/28 Sat: Drive to Yosemite, Stay Yosemite Valley Lodge
5/29 Sun: YVL
5/30 Mon: YVL
5/31 Tues: pick up permit for next day, stay overnight in a front country campground
6/1 Wed: hike Half Dome, camp overnight Little Yosemite Valley
6/2 Thurs: drive to Anaheim, check into hotel (estimating around 6pm), California Adventure Park Pass
6/3 Fri: Disneyland Park Pass
6/4 Sat: California Adventure Park Pass
6/5 Sun: Disneyland Park Pass
6/6 Mon: Drive to LAX fly home

I have heard lots of good things about Anaheim Hotel -- if you like a retro vibe that would be a good choice.

 

[oakleycat]

Option 2. Disneyland on Memorial Day was the most crowded I have ever seen it and we swore never again.

 

[sndral]

6/2 - Thurs. drive to Anaheim arriving by 6 pm & visiting CA is a bit optimistic IMO, since you’ll be hiking a couple of miles down a fairly steep trail from LYV before you even reach your parked car to start that 7 hour drive to Anaheim. Definitely hike out as soon as there’s light & aim to reach SoCal before rush hour traffic starts. IME the traffic on the drive south on 99 & the merge w/ 5 & then over the grapevine isn’t usually bad, but once you drop down into the craziness of SoCal traffic all bets are off especially if you‘re driving through LA during the afternoon commute. Good luck.

 

[Novatrix]

I'll be sure to report back after the trip in a month.

I'll just note, DCA is open until 10pm and Disneyland is open until 12am on 6/2. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume I could tap in and do 2 or 3 rides/see a nighttime show, ect.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Ended up rebooking to option 2, although I'm loathe to lose my dining reservations. Looking at the open jaw option, the only airport that has direct flights from mine is SFO, and that's only 2 hours less driving. For the difference in price I'd have to pay for both the rental car and the flight, it's not worth it for me to fly in there. I also don't view 8 or 9 hours as too long of a drive.

The way backcountry permits work, you have to start your hike on the day the permit is issued. You're allowed to camp in a front country campground the night before, and the night after, but you can't change the dates of the permit. Especially since mine includes Half Dome, there's zero chance of shifting dates. I'll enter the Half Dome day lottery for the preceding days, if I win/or decide the Cloud's Rest hike is good enough I might cancel the backcountry permit and instead leave Yosemite and see SEKI or Monterey Aquarium instead with that time.

Anyone have experience with the Alpine Inn and the Anaheim Hotel? They're the two options I currently have for those nights. Alpine Inn has free parking which is a perk. Mostly looking for someplace quiet, clean and safe to walk back to as a solo female if I stay to park close at night.

Also, the only park pass available for 6/2 is for DCA. Should I stalk for Disneyland instead? I have a park hopper, so I assume as long as I tap into DCA it shouldn't make a difference since I'll be arriving after 2 anyway. How do the park pass plans look for the other days?

Current Plan:
5/27 Fri: fly to LAX, stay near LAX (arriving late)
5/28 Sat: Drive to Yosemite, Stay Yosemite Valley Lodge
5/29 Sun: YVL
5/30 Mon: YVL
5/31 Tues: pick up permit for next day, stay overnight in a front country campground
6/1 Wed: hike Half Dome, camp overnight Little Yosemite Valley
6/2 Thurs: drive to Anaheim, check into hotel (estimating around 6pm), California Adventure Park Pass
6/3 Fri: Disneyland Park Pass
6/4 Sat: California Adventure Park Pass
6/5 Sun: Disneyland Park Pass
6/6 Mon: Drive to LAX fly home

For the heck of it, consider on your drive back to go through the Tioga Road over to the 395 to drive back to Los Angeles. You'll have different views of Half Dome & Cloud's Rest from Olmstead Pt, and the drive through Tuolomne Meadows is nice, plus you'll see Mono Lake, etc. As you pass Lone Pine you'll be able to see Mt. Whitney (highest point in the contiguous 48 states), and some interesting landscape on your way back south along the 395.