When I was your age I drove to Anaheim from Omak, WA which is about 1 hour south of Penticton, BC. We got to Anaheim on the third day. We traveled about 500 miles per day. If you did the you drive he sleep and visa versa, you could make it in 2 days maybe, but it would be very exhausting. We are going in September this year and paid $251 for plane tickets. At now over $4 a gallon for gas I dont know how you could save money.

I guess if you don't mind driving 750-800 miles a day like bats out of Hades, you could do it. Whoever isn't driving will be sleeping and not available to be the co-pilot or company for the driver.

I would do this drive only if I wanted to take several days and enjoy a grand tour of the areas along the way. I have done the round trip from San Francisco to the Glacier area and enjoyed it very much, because I visited friends and took the time to see the sights and explore the side roads.

On the most direct route, you will be passing Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, Salt Lake City, and Lake Mead-Las Vegas. Isn't there anything on or near that route that you'd like to spend more time seeing? Or you could take any number of detours and see other things.

If my sole objective were to get to Anaheim, I would fly and save both the time and energy to enjoy it once I got there.

westjetvacations.com

wife/daughter/myself....1 week return from GP (thru Calgary) mid-sept.

with hotel and LAX transfers and 6 day hopper passes are under 3000 (for 2 I would think alot less than that).....you will spend alot of money of fuel now and the wear and tear on car....

It sounds like you've done some of the work ( air fare vs. gas ) but you should consider some of the other potential costs - if you decide you just can't make it straight shot and need a hotel for a night or 2, and you say you're driving a truck? ouch - gas!! atleast it's only $4/gallon in the US as opposed to the $5.25/gallon up here.

I actually agree with Lent, look into westjet vacation packages, for 2 people it's gotta be cheap. I'm doing 4 people for 8 days in Oct. with parkhopper/universal/seaworld, etc for $4K even.

gas math - mileage on an F-150 pickup is 11L/100KM, the trip is 2500km, so using about 275L or 72gal of gas getting there @ $4/g = $300 one way, $600 return, plus any stopping and some while you're there.

I also say tho' if you're adventurous and have the time - go for it! it's something you'll likely be able to do when you get old like me :-)

All I can say is that your dad should try out for the NASCAR circuit. If you don't mind driving 18 hours a day, mostly through a hot desert and sleeping it off on your first day once you get here, then have at it!

I would advocate flying. If LAX or John Wayne (OC Airport) present high costs, consider checking out flights into/out of Long Beach or Ontario airports.

I must start this by saying I drive all the time for work.

I've actually driven from Brandon, Manitoba to Anaheim twice and have saved tons of money doing it this way - we are approx. 3083 km from Anaheim (for reference point for you, Calgary is 2515 km). I did the drive last year with 2 older teens and I was the only one driving - we left early Friday morning, got to Buttle Montana the first night at about 8 pm, Barstow California the second day at about 9 pm and we had a short hop into Anaheim on the third day. This year in June my husband and I drove together and left Friday night after work and got to Vegas on Saturday night at about 7:30 pm (we drove right through the night - one of us slept while the other drove and we drove in shifts). After the night in Vegas (we just went for a walk along the Strip and then went to bed), we drove to Anaheim the next morning.

The travel portion of the trip last year in May, hotels and gas included, cost $400.00 (two nights in a hotel) - this years trip with the night in Vegas included cost $400.00 (but only one night in hotel). We drive a Toyota Echo but I think the gas cost is minimal compared to the $3000.00 for flights I was looking at both times.

Google maps says that Calgary is 2515 km from Anaheim - I figure that you would get about an average of 100 km per hour (this would take short pit stops and slowdowns into consideration). 25 hours is not bad. You could definitely do that in 2 days.

Sorry I stated my costs wrong - I didn't include the return hotels - should have said $550.00 for last May (2 hotel nights each way) and $400.00 for this years trip (1 night on the way down and no hotel stays on the way back).

iris - your trips sound like a great adventures!

one thing I didn't think of - the more passengers you have , the more you save. it'd be great to have 2 young couples, more drivers, saving more airfare.

Troy

OK, here I am sitting at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Anaheim. Today was the 53rd Anniversary of the first Dedication of Disneyland on ABC. (July 18th happens to be the official Birthday of Disneyland).

Anyway, I ended hooking up with the winners of the Disneyland Dream Suite today.. and guess where they were from???

Alberta, Canada!!!!

Photos to come shortly.....

You could make it in two days of driving as I had friend who made it from Calgary to Vegas in 24 hours (non-stop) and if I remember correctly, the Anahiem to Vegas drive is 4-5 hours.

Westjet has a seat sale on right now as I just booked Calgary to LA Sept 4-9 for 3 people. It was just a tad over $1200 ($400/person) including all taxes and surcharges.