Driving from NJ to Disney

[DisneyLvr55]

We will be driving from NJ to Disney in October, and would appreciate some hotel recommendations. We will have 3 grandparents, and our DDs 7&8.


TIA

 

[ban26ana]

We're doing this drive next week. We're staying at the Hampton Inn in Walterboro, SC.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

We did this trip in November. We stopped at exit 94 in Savannah GA. There are lots of major hotels there, and chain restaurants there. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in a mini suite (2 queen beds and a queen fold out).

I would recommend this hotel and stopping point. We left Middletown NJ at 4am, stopped to visit with a friend in NC for about an hour, and made it to Savannah before 7pm. Had a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, and only 4 hours to Disney the next morning.

Have fun!!

 

[Schmeck]

We liked the Smithfield, NC Best Western, but we drive from MA.

 

[DisneyLvr55]

We did this trip in November. We stopped at exit 94 in Savannah GA. There are lots of major hotels there, and chain restaurants there. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in a mini suite (2 queen beds and a queen fold out).

I would recommend this hotel and stopping point. We left Middletown NJ at 4am, stopped to visit with a friend in NC for about an hour, and made it to Savannah before 7pm. Had a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, and only 4 hours to Disney the next morning.

Have fun!!

Hey there Middletown!!!

I grew up just over the bridge from you in Rumson - Great parts of New Jersey!!! I played tennis in the Middletown summer league this past summer, and plan to play there again this summer. Looking for a new partner if ya play


Thats great that you left at 4am, and its what I want to do, but we are going down with my father, and my inlaws - We have already discussed it, and they will not be willing to leave that early!! What time did you get down to the DC area leaving at that hour? Was the traffic crazy,or OK? We are leaving on a Thursday, so its a work day. My father (who has done this drive probably 25 times or so) keeps going on and on about "If you don't time it right, you could get stuck in DC traffic for hours!!!"

Thanks for your response neighbor!!!

 

[ChrisinNJ]

Hey there Middletown!!!

I grew up just over the bridge from you in Rumson - Great parts of New Jersey!!! I played tennis in the Middletown summer league this past summer, and plan to play there again this summer. Looking for a new partner if ya play


Thats great that you left at 4am, and its what I want to do, but we are going down with my father, and my inlaws - We have already discussed it, and they will not be willing to leave that early!! What time did you get down to the DC area leaving at that hour? Was the traffic crazy,or OK? We are leaving on a Thursday, so its a work day. My father (who has done this drive probably 25 times or so) keeps going on and on about "If you don't time it right, you could get stuck in DC traffic for hours!!!"

Thanks for your response neighbor!!!

Hey Neighbor! Rumson is a Beautiful town, We actually live in Lincroft. Do you live in Middletown? Or just play there?

We went during Jersey Week, after hurricane Sandy, while our power was out. Really if you have to choose between Disney and a power outage with a nor'easter on its way...kind of a no brainer!

We left on a Friday and we wanted to leave at 3am, to avoid DC at rush hour, but we just didn't make it out by 3. We hit DC around 7:30-8 and I was worried about rush hour. We were on the outer loop, didn't drive through the city, and we didn't hit any traffic until right after DC as we entered VA. The traffic wasn't bad, it just slowed down for about a half an hour, then picked up to normal speeds again.

We made really great time on this trip, compared to some of our other times. I was happy to be so far along the route at dinner time when we stopped. We like to get the bulk of the driving done on day 1, so that day 2 is a short drive. On a previous trip we stopped at Florence SC. It was OK, but not as nice as Savannah, and a longer drive on day 2.

On another trip, we drove straight through... that was a bit too much.

We just bought a motorhome and I am itching to book my next trip. Luckily next time we wont need a hotel, just a safe place to stop and eat and catch a few hours sleep.

 

[DisneyLvr55]

Hey Neighbor! Rumson is a Beautiful town, We actually live in Lincroft. Do you live in Middletown? Or just play there?

We went during Jersey Week, after hurricane Sandy, while our power was out. Really if you have to choose between Disney and a power outage with a nor'easter on its way...kind of a no brainer!

We left on a Friday and we wanted to leave at 3am, to avoid DC at rush hour, but we just didn't make it out by 3. We hit DC around 7:30-8 and I was worried about rush hour. We were on the outer loop, didn't drive through the city, and we didn't hit any traffic until right after DC as we entered VA. The traffic wasn't bad, it just slowed down for about a half an hour, then picked up to normal speeds again.

We made really great time on this trip, compared to some of our other times. I was happy to be so far along the route at dinner time when we stopped. We like to get the bulk of the driving done on day 1, so that day 2 is a short drive. On a previous trip we stopped at Florence SC. It was OK, but not as nice as Savannah, and a longer drive on day 2.

On another trip, we drove straight through... that was a bit too much.

We just bought a motorhome and I am itching to book my next trip. Luckily next time we wont need a hotel, just a safe place to stop and eat and catch a few hours sleep.

I live in Wayside now (part of Ocean Township). My father has a house in Florida, and I was begging everyone to drive down there after Sandy. We were without power for 11 days. I didn't care about not having lights or TV, but the no heat thing was a killer!! Thankfully, my fathers house here (also here in Ocean) got power after 7-8 days, so we just stayed there with him.

Thanks for the help on where to stop - I want to do it like you, drive as much as I can the first day, so that we don't have much to go the next day, and we can get there nice and early.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

I live in Wayside now (part of Ocean Township). My father has a house in Florida, and I was begging everyone to drive down there after Sandy. We were without power for 11 days. I didn't care about not having lights or TV, but the no heat thing was a killer!! Thankfully, my fathers house here (also here in Ocean) got power after 7-8 days, so we just stayed there with him.

Thanks for the help on where to stop - I want to do it like you, drive as much as I can the first day, so that we don't have much to go the next day, and we can get there nice and early.

Our house was without power for 11 days as well. We already had our trip planned and booked in advance. We were lucky we were still able to go. A friend of mine was supposed to go with her family, but had to cancel and stay home to feed their generator and keep their sump pump running.

I told my DH this was our BEST drive to the world! Now that we got the MH we have to see how that drive will work out since we need to go a bit slower.

 

[*HappyDisneyMom*]

My family and I drive down every year, I love the drive- its an awesome road trip. We always end up at the Holiday Inn in Lumberton,NC-(its the tip of NC very close to SC) Inside the hotel itself is a Denny's, and apparently there's an awesome buffet one exit away called Fuller's that is supposed to be the quintessential "Southern Experience." Something to definitely check out!

 

[disney_me]

We drive to WDW from Delaware and stay overnight in Florence SC. There is a nice Hampton inn right off 95. They have a free hot breakfast and a lot of restaurant in walking distance. We are driving down again in late March and staying at a remodeled Red Roof Inn. $89.00 per night.

 

[DisneyLvr55]

We drive to WDW from Delaware and stay overnight in Florence SC. There is a nice Hampton inn right off 95. They have a free hot breakfast and a lot of restaurant in walking distance. We are driving down again in late March and staying at a remodeled Red Roof Inn. $89.00 per night.

$89 sounds good to me - Gotta be on the look-out for Red Roof Inns!

 

[mlynn]

Buy a book called Idrive95. Best book I have ever bought to drive to FL it has every exit and what is at every exit

 

[mousebymarriage]

Buy a book called Idrive95. Best book I have ever bought to drive to FL it has every exit and what is at every exit

Excellent suggestion...we absolutely love this book and use it every year.

We drive down almost every year from Bergen County, NJ and usually drive straight through but we have stopped over for the night in Santee, SC. Santee is approx. 12 hours from our house and there are multiple motels, gas stations, restaurants etc. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the drive down from NJ. We are heading down to Disney again June 25th

 

[luvmesometigger]

So glad I found this thread. I am in NJ too and have considered driving but it always seems like it would be a nightmare.

 

[Theaberdeenkid]

Oh good I found the Jersey thread.
We live in Aberdeen and are DVC owners. We lost power for 9 days and left for WDW on Nov 10.
We usually take the Autotrain down to Florida. We have a 4 & 6 year old so we usually upgrade to a family cabin but coach fair is pretty reasonable. It really cuts down on driving hours plus we have our own car one we are down there.

 

[kam1011]

We almost always drive straight through. We leave around 4pm (passing DC after dark - and even worse - Richmond!) and get to Disney around 11am. That's with quite a few stops as my kids are little. Grandma comes with us, so we have three drivers, in three hour shifts through the night. It gives each of us a solid 6 hour block to sleep, plus whenever else you feel like drifting off!

Back in the day we would stay over, stopping wherever we got tired: Santee, SC, Brunswick, GA, the town right above South of the Border, etc. Never had a bad experience. In Brunswick we stayed in a mall. It was an interesting experience. Restaurants inside the mall delivered room service

 

[JVL1018]

Excellent suggestion...we absolutely love this book and use it every year.

We drive down almost every year from Bergen County, NJ and usually drive straight through but we have stopped over for the night in Santee, SC. Santee is approx. 12 hours from our house and there are multiple motels, gas stations, restaurants etc. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the drive down from NJ. We are heading down to Disney again June 25th

I think we're going to drive this coming November.
We drive to Hilton Head every year, but we check into the hotel there on Sunday, so we leave on Saturday, mosey our way down 95 and leave about 3 hours to drive Sunday morning.
For WDW, we want to get there asap on a Saturday.

Do you ever leave on a weekday?
We want to leave on Friday, but the kids have school(week before Jersey week), my husband has work-he may be able to leave by 3, meaning we could be on the road by 4, hitting Baltimore around 7, DC around 8...but traffic wise who knows.
I'd say we can drive til about 1 or 2 am.

My kids will be 12 and 14 by then, so they're easy..and like I said, we drive to HH(14 hours each way) every year, so they're used to long trips.

We've driven to WDW twice before-once when my daughter was 18 mos, and once when the kids were 1 and 3, so it;s been a loong time. I remember the ride down not being too bad, but the ride back was hell because you just wanted to be home-both times we stopped on the way down, but straight through on the way back.

Any tips about best time to leave or about driving through the night(I'd like to, but not sure if I can do it..)
I'm also in Bergen County.

 

[mlynn]

Last time we left on a Thursday afternoon stops right before the Ga line around 11pm. Going Jersey week this year.So the kids don't miss a lot of school.(only 1 day this way) I don't mind the drive once your past Dc it isn't so bad. But LOVE the book. I tell everybody who drives anywhere on 95 to get it. I'm ordering a new one since mine is 7 years old for my next trip

 

[Happiest mommy]

Bumping great thread hoping to do our first drive in May Auto train sounds interesting....

 

[mousebymarriage]

I think we're going to drive this coming November.
We drive to Hilton Head every year, but we check into the hotel there on Sunday, so we leave on Saturday, mosey our way down 95 and leave about 3 hours to drive Sunday morning.
For WDW, we want to get there asap on a Saturday.

Do you ever leave on a weekday?
We want to leave on Friday, but the kids have school(week before Jersey week), my husband has work-he may be able to leave by 3, meaning we could be on the road by 4, hitting Baltimore around 7, DC around 8...but traffic wise who knows.
I'd say we can drive til about 1 or 2 am.

My kids will be 12 and 14 by then, so they're easy..and like I said, we drive to HH(14 hours each way) every year, so they're used to long trips.

We've driven to WDW twice before-once when my daughter was 18 mos, and once when the kids were 1 and 3, so it;s been a loong time. I remember the ride down not being too bad, but the ride back was hell because you just wanted to be home-both times we stopped on the way down, but straight through on the way back.

Any tips about best time to leave or about driving through the night(I'd like to, but not sure if I can do it..)
I'm also in Bergen County.

Last summer we left on a Thursday late afternoon and we hit quite a bit of traffic. Not really much traffic in Jersey but, there was an accident just as we crossed into Delaware and then we hit some pretty bad traffic in Virginia due to road work and some for no apparent reason. For us leaving late afternoon/early evening seems to work best and traffic usually isn't bad.

As for driving through the night:
-I am the overnight driver so I usually try to sleep as much as possible during the day we are leaving. (we tend to leave late afternoon/early evening).
-I bring my I-pod so I can listen to music while everyone is sleeping (I only use 1 earbud so I can hear emergency vehicles etc. if necessary).
-I keep a small water bottle within easy reach (I try not to drink too much during the night to limit having to make bathroom stops).
-I keep m&m's, mints and sometimes grapes within easy reach for driver late night munchies.
-for people with little ones, try to get the kids as tired as possible during the day (bike riding, running around the yard playing tag etc., swimming). They will be much more likely to sleep in the car without issues if they are really tired.
-having the kids take a warm relaxing bath or shower right before you leave helps calm them down and relax them.
-limit the kids caffeine and junk food during the day you are leaving so they are not off the wall in the car.
-earplugs are a MUST for the other driver when they are sleeping so they can get enough undisturbed rest and are ready to drive when it's their turn.
-for people with little ones please put a cooler or small suitcase on the floor in front of them so they have a place to rest their feet so their legs aren't dangling for hours. Believe me it really does help with their comfort level.