Driving to Disney World

[Lizab609]

Driving to Disney World from New Jersey. We are leaving April 9(37 more days). Is anybody else planning a drive? And what are your favorite tips? I'm going with my 6yr old son and my two bestfriends.

 

[KStarfish82]

Driving from NY in the beginning of April myself.

A good thing to remember is to try to avoid the DC area at rush hour. So depending how long it takes you to get there, plan accordingly.

Another tip...if you need to stop and rest, do it. Too many people have come close to accidents because they were very tired while driving.

Gas is cheaper in the Carolinas...try and stop there to fill up.

Good luck and have a great time!!!

 

[bubba73]

Granted my drive from Birmingham, AL is no where near as far as yours but I always drive to WDW when we go. My favorite thing is to drive at night. Reason being is you can make great time because there is no traffic on the road. Also, gas is cheaper in GA and anywhere outside of Orlando. There are a few HESS stations in Disney (one is very close to DTD) that are reasonably priced but all the others are going to be way more expensive that what is normal.

 

[MikeS.]

We drove down from No Va last March with our 4.5 yr old. Take a lot of stuff for them to do. Also a DVD player is great, bring several kid/Disney movies with you.

Like already said avoid DC between 6 and 9 AM and 4 - 7 PM. 1 of the biggest bottle necks, the Wilson bridge, is much better now. Richmond, Va can be a pain if you get there during rush hours. So can Jacksonville, FLa.

From what I saw last year and have read many times S. Carolina does have thwe best gas prices.

Have Fun!

 

[kozmo]

Dont drive when you get sleepy ,always have two people awake(since 3 adults are going ,and if you get there later than planned , you will still have the time of your life, just remember safety first

 

[A&CsMom]

My tip is when you need to stop for one person to use the washroom, everyone has to try to avoid frequent stopping. The tip also applies in the parks.

 

[A&CsMom]

Also, Cracker Barrell has some of the cleanest washrooms.

 

[GreenBanned]

Hi!

When my familylived in NJ we drove down for several years. Here's what worked for us.

We left around 6PM and drove straight through until we arrive at a favorite hotel on I-4.

We hit the Washington Metro area around 2 AM, and had smooth salling.

We have a DVD player in the car for the kids. Lots of snacks and games for them as well. My Wife and I would alternate the driving, with bathroom breaks every 3-5 hours.

Coffee and sugary snacks kept us (the drivers) awake.

We do require one night to 'recover' so we sleep the first night off-site in our I-4 Hotel. We generally arrive around 3 PM.

 

[Disneycrew5]

We drive from PA every year with 3 young children. We bring a portable DVD player, game cube video game system and movies. That seems to keep them really busy. Make sure you stop at the Florida welcome center for your free cup of orange juice! Have an awesome time and dive safely!

 

[diz8297]

We drive every year from RI. We leave around 2am Saturday and stop Saturday night in Florence, SC. We usually get to Disney at 3pm on Sunday. Return home, we stop in Rocky Mount, NC. I agree with all of the advice given prior. Get EZ pass if you don't have it already-you'll save time at the tolls. Have a great and safe trip-we're heading down in April, too!!

 

[Disneyof3]

This is our 4th year in a row driving to Florida and we have no problems. We have 3 kids under the age of 10 and they bring lots of stuff in the van to do. This year will be the first time with DVD players and they are all excited for that. We always leave at supper time so the kids are already in there pj's and they sleep most of the way there. My DH and I take turns driving and I bring lots of music for me to listen. I feel the same way that driving at night is the best with less traffic but the mountains aren't fun in the snow and ice. Have fun and make it a big adventure and you will do fine. We drive right through from Canada and it usually takes us 22-24 hours of driving with 7 stops along the way (including supper and breakfast).

 

[Harvestmooner]

We just drove down in January from NH. We left at 2:30pm on a Friday and arrived at WDW at 7pm Saturday night (with some down time in Daytona for dinner and fun)
DVD players are a life saver for the kids!!! We also stop at all the state welcome centers in NC, SC, GA and FLA-just a nice safe break!! We take a photo of the kids in front of the state sign at welcome centers-nice to see the changes year to year!!!
Be really careful when you are coming into Orlando-we have seen and almost been a part of some nasty accidents there-due to crazy stupid drivers!!!
We also like Cracker Barrels-clean restrooms and the food is always good and affordable!!!
Drive careful and have a great trip!!!

 

[nopdwife]

Anyone driven from Louisiana to Disney? We're thinking of leaving around 5pm and driving half way, then staying overnight somewhere around Tallahassee, Fl. so not to overtire ourselves. I was wondering if anyone had good recommendations on a hotel in that area.. Thanks

 

[byoung]

Going in May from NJ but I'm flying.

 

[Unregistered]

We have been driving to Disney, from South Jersey for 5 years running, we leave the day after Christmas at 3 am. and stop for the night in Savannah
(12 hours later). Its my DW, DD16, DS14, DW10 and myself. I try to stop every 90 min or for gas, which ever comes first. This past year gas was cheaper in VA and GA.
On the drive back we go right thru 15.5 hours this year, DW drives about 2 hours to give me a break, We found that driving home is sad, but a lot easier for some reason?? Maybe its because the traffic seems to be heading south in Jan. ??? Anyway have fun, and a take break before you think you need too and strech out a few min. every now and then.

 

[photo_chick]

When we trave with the kids we use a dvd player in the car too. We have one of the portable ones with 2 screens. The second screen can be used with a video game console a thte same time the other one is watching a dvd. It works great for my monsters. At times DH had the extra screen up front and was playing games.

We also have a PSP and Gameboy. They are invalueble car distractions for energetic kids. I don't know how I grew up without them!

Also a GPS is great. We did not really use it to find our way around, but to tell us exactly how far we were from our next stop. THe one we used also had nifty features like telling us where the next gas station was and where the neares wal-mart is. It was a great help. Especially for DH who is navigationally challenged. IT also helps give my DD a time definitve answer to "when are we gonna get there?"

Oh, one more thing....fast food places with playplaces are the best. We did not make the kids eat when we stopped. We let them run and play for a good 30 minutes, then they ate when we got back in the car. It really helped keep them settled. I have a very hyper DS. We could not have traveled without doing this.

 

[Lizab609]

Thanx For The Gas Tip Seems Im Going To Need It We Are Leaving @ 10pm Its My Second Time Driving Now Im Taking My Son With My Two Bestfriends One Who Has Never Been Thanx Agisn For The Info On Gas

 

[Lizab609]

Thanx For All The Advice All Im Very Prepared For The Drive But Wanted To Also Know If There Is Anywhere Worth Stopping ........36 More Days!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lokin4deer]

The one thing we did was always get gas when ever you stop even if we didnt really need it. You never know when the kid will fall asleep and you will have a chance to cover some miles without having to entertain him/her. Only to have to stop for gas and them wake up.

 

[KStarfish82]

I would recommend that you LOOK AT South of the Border as you drive by, don't stop. My family used to visit and even stay over years ago, but it has gotten really shady since then so don't stop, just look.

We also LOVE Denny's. Not sure why, but we do!!