Two Kinds of Wonderful: Las Vegas and Disneyland

Even though both Las Vegas and Disneyland glitter at night,they offer the road trip planner distinctly different experiences. Link the two together into one week long road trip and you'll have created a grand vacation for two that's hard to beat.

This particular road trip consists of 3 nights in Vegas, 1 day to drive the distance between Vegas and Anaheim (can be done in 4-5 hours), then 3 more nights in Anaheim. Of course, your road trip planner may have a different order; you might make it a triangular road trip, depending on your starting point; or fly to Vegas, rent a car and make it a round trip road trip. But no matter how you get from Point A to Point B, you'll have a great time at both spots with some interesting scenery and experiences in between.

The first night there, put on your walking shoes & get some free entertainment. Catch the spectacular water visual of the Fountains at the Bellagio. Check out the entire valley from the Stratosphere Tower and then grab a taxi for the Fremont Street Experience.

The following night is for music! Make sure you add the Hard Rock Café to your road trip planner if you thrive in a rock environment. Top-notch blues, Louisiana style has its home at the House of Blues. And for those who like to hear bands jam - and get the occasional surprise musical legend come on state - hit the Legends Lounge for a fantastic evening.

Take in a show on the third night like Cirque du Soleil's Love, which blends the magic of Cirque du Soleil with the revered songs of the Beatles, creating a phenomenal night of spectacle and awe. We recommend booking these tickets the same time that you're doing your road trip planning because these tickets sell out months in advance.

And of course, in between all that, there's gambling, pool side lounging, spa treatments, shopping, and art museums. There's more than you can do in 3 days so consider this a teaser visit; there's always flight deals to/from Vegas to have you coming back for more.

Leaving Las Vegas, your route on your road trip planner will show that you'll be on the I-15 for over 230 miles. Bring plenty of water for the drive as you're traveling through the desert. And best to have a gallon of water for your radiator as well. Add some interesting side trips to your road trip planner like the Mojave National Preserve, a 1.6 million acre park with canyons, mountains, mesas, abandoned mines, homesteads, military outposts...and wildflowers. Consider eating lunch at a restaurant in Barstow and stop at the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville.

There's a strong push to develop a high-speed train that whisks you from Vegas to Disneyland in a matter of hours - and traveling at 300mph would be an adventure in itself - but until that is a reality, just enjoy the ride at a leisurely pace. We recommend allowing a full day for this road trip so that once you get to Anaheim, you can check into your hotel and relax for a bit before enjoying a leisurely dinner. Save your 2-day Park Hopper package (about $143 per person) for the following 2 days so you can make full use of both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park. You'll be going from morning to night at both of these theme parks...and loving every minute of it!

Many people may have already been to Disneyland but not Disney's California Adventure Park, which celebrates the pioneering spirit of the Golden State. You can opt to stay at one of the 3 hotels at the Disneyland Resort, where the rooms will run you from $245 to $399 night for their hotel/ticket package deals (mid-week, 2 adults, 2-day Park Hopper). If that's a bit steep for your budget, there over 100 hotels within 1 mile of the resort with rates starting at only $50 per night.

Consider getting a City Pass for $259, which gives you entry into 5 great places: Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure, Universal Studios, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Separately, this would cost $365, so if you can stay longer in Anaheim, go for this option (3-Day Hoppers, valid for 14-days).

Vegas will have you dancing and gambling into the wee hours of the night and sleeping late in the mornings; Disneyland will have you up early to catch the fun during the day and relaxing with your feet up at night. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...unless your road trip planner takes you Disneyland, in which case, the party just moves from Sin City to the Happiest Place On Earth.