Driving from NYC to Disney for 1st time and have a few questions

[radev104]

We are driving to Disney for the first time and wondering for anyone who has done this with any advice or help.
How much tolls do you pay (or an estimate)? Can you use your EZPass for the whole trip?
We are stopping NC for our overnight stay.
Thanks for any suggestions or advice or help.
My husband just told me he had a confernce next week and since its summer vacation for our 6yrs old he thought it would be fun to drive and see some states. This is such a last minute trip and I'm so not prepared but when someone tells you lets drive to Disney...you just have to say why not.

We just got back from driving from PA to FL and back. We hit two tolls on the way down, both DE and MD. I believe they were no more than $10 total and EZPass could be used. We took I-95 down and went around Baltimore, DC and Richmond. Then took I-4 into Orlando. We didn't hit any tolls in FL. On the way home we hit 3 tolls about the same area and I believe they were a little more than going down.
We stop in GA around Savannah/Pooler since it is about 4-6 hours to Disney from there. It is a fun ride when there are DVDs to watch and games to play. The worst state to drive through I think is SC since it is all road and trees and the longest.
Hope you have a nice trip.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Here is the link to the 2000+ Miles Thread -

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2507731

Come join us over there.

Thank you, I'm joining now..

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

We've found what works best for us is to leave late afternoon and drive straight through. It's about an 18 hour drive, we get on the turnpike by exit 8. Tolls aren't much, I recently did some research and figured it will cost $400 - $500 in gas round trip.

Look for the South of the Border signs, they can be fun (but not as much fun as they were when I was a kid). Just don't bother stopping there, it's a dive. LOL

The BEST advice I can give you is to be prepared with towels, garbage bags and paper towels. And buy some children's Dramamine, just incase. One of my nieces tends to get car sick, but only in the morning. We now crush up a pill and put it in her fruit punch. We've learned to be prepared.

We'll be doing the drive in November, can't wait to go! Have a great trip!!

thats a great advice with the towels, garbage bags and paper towels...I would never have thought of that.
Thanks for the estimate for gas...are you driving a van or SUV?

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

I also recommend an I95 Exit Guide. You can follow your route and find good exits for meals, gas or diversions. We have found a few good restaurants that way. We refuse to eat at Cracker Barrel or Waffle House, only local places whenever we can.

What works for us - don't count the hours, prepare yourself that it will be a LONG time in the car; the mile markers going south count down to the next border, so you'll always know how many miles to the next state; make sure you stop at the Florida Visitor Center on the way down. There's a TON of magazines and brochures and you can get a glass of free orange or grapefruit juice too.

The transportation board, especially the 2000+ mile drivers thread has a ton of great info - come on over!

Thanks for the recommendation of I95 Exit Guide

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thank you everyone who had even many great recommendation, I really appreciate

 

[Tomh]

Last summer it cost us $28.75 in tolls from Putnam County in NY to Florida and back. You'll have to add the cost of any bridge / tunnel into and out of the city you need.

We spend the night in Manning South Carolina. It's a long drive that first day, especially if you get stuck in that mess on I95 in Virginia, but the second day we are in Disney by early afternoon.

 

[gometros]

It has been years since I went that way to get to Florida, but it sounds about right. I would assume that you are going on the Jersey Turnpike and possibly the Garden State (depending on your starting point) There are the tolls there and the toll on the Delaware Bridge and the tunnel in Baltimore. After that you're pretty much home free. You might find yourself on some toll roads in Florida but you shouldn't really.

There's also a toll on I-95 after the Del Mem Br (That's how my GPS says it too!) and the beauty of it is that they now have a separate express section on the left for EZ pass. No more waiting in line until you get clear of the cash paying customers to eaze into an EZ Pass lane.

I also recommend staying left onto I-895 and taking the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. I always find there's much less traffic going that way.

 

[DrivingfromNJ]

As others have said EZpass is good, just not in FL. The tolls are not too bad. Just a bit of info.. They are doing MAJOR construction on I-95 in the DC/ Virgina area. We were there in April and the traffic was Crazy. At 11am we sat for almost 3 hrs.
You may want to leave late at night to avoid that mess. We drove to Disney from NJ every year for the past 10 years. Last year was the first time flying there. Enjoy your trip

 

[gometros]

As others have said EZpass is good, just not in FL. The tolls are not too bad. Just a bit of info.. They are doing MAJOR construction on I-95 in the DC/ Virgina area. We were there in April and the traffic was Crazy. At 11am we sat for almost 3 hrs.
You may want to leave late at night to avoid that mess. We drove to Disney from NJ every year for the past 10 years. Last year was the first time flying there. Enjoy your trip

Was that south of the beltway? We just came back from DC this weekend and didn't see any construction up to the beltway.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Was that south of the beltway? We just came back from DC this weekend and didn't see any construction up to the beltway.

Thanks for the update regarding the DC construction.

 

[baseballmickey]

We try to fly nowadays. As a kid my family always made the drive from NJ/NY to WDW. Our last trip in December, the holiday blizzard did us in. After getting stranded at JFK, we dug out the car and drove. It was like old times.

One scary moment on way home. Got a chip in the windshield from a rock on first leg of trip. Stopped for the night and as I was accelerating onto 95 the next morning, we watched in horror as the chip became a crack and worked its way across the windshield. All I could do was ease up on the gas and hope it stopped... which it did.

Years ago as we were heading down through GA, someone's tire came bouncing across our lane in front of us... very surreal.

So as you can see... driving can be fun!!

 

[GoHerbie]

If you do end up on Florida toll roads for some reason (such as 417, 528 going to KSC) bring a few dollars of quarters so you can use the automated toll booths which have shorter lines than the manned booths.

HEY FLORIDA - GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND USE EZPASS!

 

[nytimez]

If you do end up on Florida toll roads for some reason (such as 417, 528 going to KSC) bring a few dollars of quarters so you can use the automated toll booths which have shorter lines than the manned booths.

HEY FLORIDA - GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND USE EZPASS!

I've seen toll plazas in FL that didn't have a single manned booth... including one right near WDW.

It's insane. There were people stopped on the side of the road begging for change -- change for a dollar, not change for nothing -- so they could get through.

 

[CTFAMILYLUVSDISNEY]

We are leaving early Sat. AM and driving down from CT. We have been debating which route to take - straight down 95 or the inland route. We've gotten some great tips on these boards. Right now we are leaning towards the inland route. Even if it's longer mileage wise it may work out to be the same as 95 as it has less traffic.

Have a safe trip down and enjoy Disney!

 

[RH22]

If it's this Saturday, I think I'd avoid 95, particularly with all the shore traffic in NJ and VA.

 

[gometros]

If it's this Saturday, I think I'd avoid 95, particularly with all the shore traffic in NJ and VA.

I was surprised on Saturday how much traffic there was. I wrongly assumed that shore bound people would go down Friday after work.

Btw, A good way to avoid the southern part of the Jersey Turnpike is to drop off at Exit & and pick up I-295. It runs parallel to the turnpike into the Delaware memorial Bridge, is three lanes most of the way and not a toll road. The Iron Skillet off the exit is a great rest stop if one is needed. The turnpike rest stops can be very crowded and the Skillet, popular with truckers, has a restaurant and a huge Travel Mart (since it's geared toward truckers, it even has showers)

 

[sharadoc]

I was surprised on Saturday how much traffic there was. I wrongly assumed that shore bound people would go down Friday after work.

Weekly house rentals are usually Saturday-Saturday so a LOT of people travel on that day.

 

[nytimez]

Weekly house rentals are usually Saturday-Saturday so a LOT of people travel on that day.

How are Sundays this time of year?

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

We are leaving early Sat. AM and driving down from CT. We have been debating which route to take - straight down 95 or the inland route. We've gotten some great tips on these boards. Right now we are leaning towards the inland route. Even if it's longer mileage wise it may work out to be the same as 95 as it has less traffic.

Have a safe trip down and enjoy Disney!

thanks, you too have a safe journey and Have a Magical trip.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

I've seen toll plazas in FL that didn't have a single manned booth... including one right near WDW.

It's insane. There were people stopped on the side of the road begging for change -- change for a dollar, not change for nothing -- so they could get through.

Thanks, I have to put quarters in a zip lock bags right now.