For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (III)

[emksmama]

Only about 30 hours til departure time!!! I got the bench seat removed from our minivan, shop vac'd it out, and cleaned the dash and windows. Tomorrow we'll take it through the car wash and then let the girls use their window markers to decorate their windows for the trip. So excited!!!

 

[cruisingkat]

Hi, We will be driving from NW Oklahoma to disney this Nov. This will be our first drive from here. We used to live in NC and drove down every year. It was only a 9 hour drive. This trip is 1300-1400 mile drive one way depending on the route. Has anyone driven from all the way out here?? What route did you take. Also trying to decide do we split it up evenly 10 or so hours a day or do we drive 15 the first and then just 5 the next day. We know that we do not want to drive straight through. I thought flying was a good idea but I was out voted:, as hubby and 5 kids(21,16,13,11,11) wanted to see the sights since we have never been this way before. Any tips, advice or ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Lisa, who is just glad we get to go, as we have not been since 2009!(serious withdraws)

We drive to Disney about 4 times a year (this year we will get 5 drives in), and it is much better to get the larger chunk of the drive on the first day. Not only to help with road fatigue, but also because you get to Disney a lot earlier and get some time to go to a park. If you weren't planning on a park on arrival day, you can enjoy your resort, have a leisurely dinner, maybe hit downtown Disney or do some mini-golf and be rested for a full day the next day.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Hi, We will be driving from NW Oklahoma to disney this Nov. This will be our first drive from here. We used to live in NC and drove down every year. It was only a 9 hour drive. This trip is 1300-1400 mile drive one way depending on the route. Has anyone driven from all the way out here?? What route did you take. Also trying to decide do we split it up evenly 10 or so hours a day or do we drive 15 the first and then just 5 the next day. We know that we do not want to drive straight through. I thought flying was a good idea but I was out voted:, as hubby and 5 kids(21,16,13,11,11) wanted to see the sights since we have never been this way before. Any tips, advice or ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Lisa, who is just glad we get to go, as we have not been since 2009!(serious withdraws)

I can't help you with the route as we come from MA. But, it is 1346 miles from my house to Pop Century. I agree with the posters who suggest trying to do the longer bit of your journey first.
My 2 rules when driving long distances are: if one person's gotta go - then everyone goes. This cuts down significantly on the # of stops you need to make. And two, nobody goes anywhere alone.
Although we had lots of different things with us on a recent driving trip, the thing my kids found passed the time the best was a portable DVD player. Watch one movie, and voila, that's about 1 1/2 hours gone. We loaded up with DVD's at our local library before we went.
We also found it helpful to have some drinks and small snacks such as candy in the front of the car with us.

 

[iDad]

Thanks monymony3471
thanks so much for that website. This is our first time driving to wdw. We are coming from southern ontario and i was trying to guess what it was going to cost and i came pretty close. I really liked the way it included the stations too, that will help me out with the planning of the drive.

 

[iDad]

My DW and kids are driving down to WDW at the end of Aug. from Southern Ontario. This will be my first road trip with or without my DW, DS (6) and DD (4).

I have been reading though the post and have found some great tips on what to do during the trip. Any suggestions on how to plan the trip in the first plan. I have never done this type of thing before and want it to be a success. One thing we have already done is joined CAA which is affiliated with AAA. So my questions are:

What should be done to the vehicle before the trip?

Where can you look to find those great pit stops (preferably with some free activities or sites)?

 

[2bliss]

Hi everyone! we're planning to drive from NJ and we were hoping to rent a car from 8/11 to 8/27, but the prices are so high! I'm starting to wonder if it would be cheaper to fly any advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks

 

[nono]

Where can you look to find those great pit stops (preferably with some free activities or sites)?

iDad, do you know your route yet?


On the splitting up the driving days topic, I'll be the odd person out and say we prefer to have our short driving day the first day if we aren't driving straight through. We can get a half day of work in, take off, and get to the lower part of VA (anywhere from VA Beach to Emporia) easily in time for dinner. My husband stays up with the kids and I get to sleep sometimes before it's completely dark (depending on time of year).

I will naturally wake up anytime between 3-5 a.m. and I shower and herd everyone (who showered after I went to bed) back in the car. They all go right back to sleep, and I drive for the first few hours. We pack breakfast and lunch to eat at the rest areas on I-95. Arrival in WDW is usually 12 1/2 - 13 hours after we leave, and we always have a goal restaurant in mind (but no reservations). So no pushing to get there.

My family is funny though -- I swear everyone enjoys the ride just as much as being in WDW. And, the way we split our hours between the two drivers, this has become our preferred method. It'll vary by family. Also, I think our enjoyment of the VA Beach/Suffolk area sways us greatly too. It's so much more fun for us to stop there, v. any nice m/hotel along I-95 in GA...

 

[iDad]

iDad, do you know your route yet?

On the splitting up the driving days topic, I'll be the odd person out and say we prefer to have our short driving day the first day if we aren't driving straight through. We can get a half day of work in, take off, and get to the lower part of VA (anywhere from VA Beach to Emporia) easily in time for dinner. My husband stays up with the kids and I get to sleep sometimes before it's completely dark (depending on time of year).

I will naturally wake up anytime between 3-5 a.m. and I shower and herd everyone (who showered after I went to bed) back in the car. They all go right back to sleep, and I drive for the first few hours. We pack breakfast and lunch to eat at the rest areas on I-95. Arrival in WDW is usually 12 1/2 - 13 hours after we leave, and we always have a goal restaurant in mind (but no reservations). So no pushing to get there.

My family is funny though -- I swear everyone enjoys the ride just as much as being in WDW. And, the way we split our hours between the two drivers, this has become our preferred method. It'll vary by family. Also, I think our enjoyment of the VA Beach/Suffolk area sways us greatly too. It's so much more fun for us to stop there, v. any nice m/hotel along I-95 in GA...

Thanks Nono

The route is one of the decissions we have to make. We are about one hour from Fort Erie and about three hours from Windsor. Google maps says that e Fort Erie way is 22 hours and the Windsor way is 22 hours 44 minutes, so there really isn't much time difference. DW (karmalady) and I really are leaning towards the Ford Erie way 90/79/77/95/4 as we have read that it is beautiful driving.

As for our schedule, we are planning on me going to bed early (5:00ish) and then loading everyone into the van at 2:00 am. I am the early riser in this family so I would then drive for the morning until DW wakes up (we are hoping she can sleep) and then switch with each stop.

iDad

 

[sharadoc]

Our recommendation for anyone attempting the drive for the first time is to limit each driver's shift. We do a max 3 hour shift and switch off. That way you avoid fatigue.

We'll drive 12 hours the first day and 5 the next, so that means 2 shifts each on day one and 1 shift each on day two. It's easy!

 

[iDad]

Our recommendation for anyone attempting the drive for the first time is to limit each driver's shift. We do a max 3 hour shift and switch off. That way you avoid fatigue.

We'll drive 12 hours the first day and 5 the next, so that means 2 shifts each on day one and 1 shift each on day two. It's easy!

That is what we are hoping to do, I have some experience with long driving, just not this long. We figured I could get us on the way and then start the switching and save DS and DD some of the trip by letting them sleep through the first part.

 

[justussix]

We are doing the same in picking a new route instead of 75 all the way. We too are from MI. We leave in 18 days and are looking forward to the new sights and hopefully less messes along the way.

Have you done the route through Ohio then? It cuts at an angle from Findlay to Parkersburg West Virginia. There doesn't appear to be much in the way of construction, but there are segments that are just divided highway and may have traffic lights, etc. I'm concerned that some of this goes right through towns and could be stop and go. If this is very limited, I can live with it but I don't want to find us two hours in with no way of changing course.

With our regular way, there is construction accross the Ohio River bridge and through downtown Louisville as well as through downtown Nashville. Looks like the entire segment of I-24 after it comes back into Tennesse from the Georgia dip, through Chattanooga, then back into Georgia is under construction. That's concerning as well.

 

[nono]

As for our schedule, we are planning on me going to bed early (5:00ish) and then loading everyone into the van at 2:00 am. I am the early riser in this family so I would then drive for the morning until DW wakes up (we are hoping she can sleep) and then switch with each stop.

iDad

I can't help with the route. Heck only about 2 people take my route anyways! We ferry over from Cape May and drive down the DelMarVa penninsula and across VA to hook into I 95. But, I hope someone can guide you to a guidebook or website for your planned route.

As for your strategy, it sounds very good. My problem (and hence the leaving after lunch and getting me away from the house) is that I just have to get away from the house. Getting me on the road puts me in vacation mode and I relax and sleep better with a few hours behind me. (Whacked, I know! LOL)

It sounds like you are sensible, and I bet you'll have a great time. We've been doing this for a few years now, and my kids are only 8 & 5. They LOVE the car ride. Best tip anyone gave me here was to put a cooler or carry-on bag under each child's feet, so they have footrests. It helps relieve the pressure on their backs, and they can more easily shift themselves in their seats, just like adults do.

 

[emksmama]

Roughly 6 hours til we leave!!! DH is getting ready to go lay down for a few hours, and I think I will too. We are pretty much ready to go, I'm dropping our dog off at my friend's house at 4pm for the week, and then home to load up, pack the cooler and have a quick dinner before hitting the road!!

Gassed up our van today, 20 gallons at $3.17 (thanks to 20 cents off at Kroger), so hopefully I'll luck into prices around the $3 mark most of the way. Last tank (all in town driving) I only managed 12.5 mpg ...gotta love driving a 13 year old minivan with 143K miles on it. Ugh. Hoping to average 22-23 mpg on the road!

 

[BC1836]

Roughly 6 hours til we leave!!! DH is getting ready to go lay down for a few hours, and I think I will too. We are pretty much ready to go, I'm dropping our dog off at my friend's house at 4pm for the week, and then home to load up, pack the cooler and have a quick dinner before hitting the road!! QUOTE]

We assume you've been on the road about three hours by now...and making great progress, especially as the traffic starts to thin out during the night .

Be safe...drive cautiously...and enjoy WDW!

All the best.

 

[emksmama]

Making good time, 230am and we are just south of Knoxville!

 

[dvczerfs]

Our recommendation for anyone attempting the drive for the first time is to limit each driver's shift. We do a max 3 hour shift and switch off. That way you avoid fatigue.

We'll drive 12 hours the first day and 5 the next, so that means 2 shifts each on day one and 1 shift each on day two. It's easy!

or you can do it another way.

HI SHARON!!!!! how are you guys doing? did you get the house sold yet?

 

[mamapajama]

I am not sure if you are thinking a hard or soft carrier, but if you are thinking soft I would highly recommend roofbag.com, in particular the Cross Country model. We have the larger model and have used it for multiple trips to Florida from Wisconsin and it has worked great. It is relatively compact and easy to store, waterproof (short of driving into a lake I don't think you can get water into it), and easy to load / unload.

If you have any specific questions please let me know - I would be happy to answer them.

We also have a roofbag and it was fantastic. I also recommend it.

 

[Tanooki]

Hi there!

We're preparing for our 5th drive (in less than 3 weeks, woohoo!) and I need opinions on the itinerary. First off, let me tell you that we leave around 5am and we always do he drive in 2 days, stopping for the night in VA.

Since we leave from near Montreal (Canada), we've gone the I-95 all the way a couple of times but they were always during a weekend day in the winter time. We did the 88-81-77-26-95 way as well, mostly when we were traveling weekdays.
Last summer, we did our first summer drive and we also used the 81 since we didn't want to chance traffic, as I've read here that the 95 can be really busy during the summer months, even on weekends. We found that, even if we were using the "less busy road", we encountered much more traffic than any of our other drives.

This time around, we are leaving on a Saturday (August 11th) and I'm really wondering what itinerary we should take. The fact is, the I-95 shaves a couple of hours on the drive, which is nice at the end of the day. As dh says, these last 2 hours can seem like forever...
Can anyone tell me about their experience on using I-95 all the way during the summer? When we go this way, we usually hit Washington, DC around 4:00pm, which would be really bad on a weekday, but we're talking about a Saturday.

I'm also wondering if the I-95 would be a good option going back home, since we will be traveling during a weekday, but leaving from our overnight stay would put us in DC around 9:30-10am. What do you think?
We've also done the I-95 going down and I-81 coming back so this remains an option as well.

Ok, I'm ready now, I know there are a few specialists here who will tell it like it is

Thanks!

 

[monymony3471]

Have you done the route through Ohio then? It cuts at an angle from Findlay to Parkersburg West Virginia. There doesn't appear to be much in the way of construction, but there are segments that are just divided highway and may have traffic lights, etc. I'm concerned that some of this goes right through towns and could be stop and go. If this is very limited, I can live with it but I don't want to find us two hours in with no way of changing course.

With our regular way, there is construction accross the Ohio River bridge and through downtown Louisville as well as through downtown Nashville. Looks like the entire segment of I-24 after it comes back into Tennesse from the Georgia dip, through Chattanooga, then back into Georgia is under construction. That's concerning as well.

I think we leave 75 at Corbin in KY. I don't have any experience with the route you described.

 

[nono]

Ok, I'm ready now, I know there are a few specialists here who will tell it like it is

Thanks!

I can't believe as a near-Montrealer, you aren't coming to spend a couple days in Wildwood first, and then heading onto WDW. If you did that, you could take my route!!