How long a drive -- Windsor/Detroit - WDW?

[RoyalCanadian]

Folks,

It's been long enough since the Thomsen family hopped into the Ford LTD Station Wagon (you know -- the one with the woodgrain panelling on the outside.) to make the trip to Florida that I've forgotten how long it took us to get there. On top of that, I can't remember exactly where in the boxes and boxes of my late mother's stuff I put the notebook with all the details of the trips (odometer readings, hotels/motels, location of the nearest Stuckey's).

Barring the thought of driving 24 hours straight through -- how does your family do it? Where do you stop on the way to Florida and on the way home? Don't worry about getting me lost -- I keep a road atlas within reach of the computer.

With thanks!

 

[NancyK]

In January, DH & I left WDW in the morning and arrived at my in-law's home in Windsor 18 hours later. Now, we really only stopped for a couple of quick meals and gas. We didn't plan on driving that far in one day, but the weather was good and the roads were clear so we kept going. We will usually try to drive at least 12 or 14 hours the first day. For some reason, the 2nd day is more intolerable in the car. If you're going I-75, make sure you pick up Dave Hunter's Along I-75 book. It's really informative.

 

[Cruisin]

I agree with the 18 hours (give or take a little bit) from the border in Windsor to WDW. That is straight driving time with no stops. We make a game out of keeping track of how long it takes to drive, so we record when we stop and when we start on the road again.
We usually stop about 1/2 hour above Atlanta or so on the first night down and then continue the next day. We leave quite early about 5 - 6 am and are on the road at least 12 hours the first day.
We stop usually around Knoxville, sometimes further north on the way back.
We live in Chatham, so we have an extra hour from the border.
Have a great trip!!!

 

[DSNY FN]

Our best time was 18 hours to london from WDW that was a straight drive home with only a breakfast stop and lunch and gas stops. We live and die by Along the I-75 book it is a saviour on the trip gives you gas stops rest areas radar traps and hotels and restaurants etc very worthwhile reading before during and after the drive.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

We do the drive in 2.5 days down and 2 days back. We leave around 4pm from Toronto on the first day and drive to just inside Ohio. We then drive the next day to somewhere south of Atlanta in Georgia. It's varied during the years how far we get on the second day because of weather but it's always somewhere just north of the Florida border. The third day we arrive in Orlando around 1pm or so.

We do the drive north in 2 days usually stopping in Tenn for the night -- we don't tend to get an early start leaving WDW.

We swear by Dave Hunter's book -- absolutely invaluable.

 

[Susan--Ontario]

Here are the approximate times from London.

6 hours to Cincinnatti, 5-5 1/2 hours to go through both Kentucky/Tennessee combined, Georgia is about 7 hours if you go the speed limit, and it is three hours to Orlando from the Georgia border.

Here are the miles from the Windsor bridge

MI- 49 miles to Ohio
OH- 210 miles
KY - 196 miles
TN - 160 miles
Georgia - 350 miles
Florida - not so sure because you have to switch to the Turnpike and their exits just switched to miles recently and I haven't memorized the new exits.

The speed limit is mostly 70 outside of the major cities but in many places the traffic travels a bit??? faster than the limit posted.

 

[DSNY FN]

Ya the last few trips down we take a day and a half roughly. We leave London around 7PM and drive to the Georgia welcome centre and stop for breakfast usually about 7AM or so then we drive till Valdosta and stop for the night and usually arrive there around 3 in the afternoon. We leave there about 9AM and arrive at Disney for around 12 or 1 depending on how long we hang around the Florida welcome centre.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

Originally posted by cdnmickeylover
We do the drive in 2.5 days down and 2 days back. We leave around 4pm from Toronto on the first day and drive to just inside Ohio. We then drive the next day to somewhere south of Atlanta in Georgia. It's varied during the years how far we get on the second day because of weather but it's always somewhere just north of the Florida border. The third day we arrive in Orlando around 1pm or so.

We do the drive north in 2 days usually stopping in Tenn for the night -- we don't tend to get an early start leaving WDW.

We swear by Dave Hunter's book -- absolutely invaluable.

This sounds so very much like the family trips we took when I was young. Holiday Inns all the way in Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee and back in Ohio again. Thanks for the kind reminders and advice -- Dave Hunter's book will be along for the ride whenever we do take this route.

 

[cottontail]

If you guys leave in the evening and drive all night and the next day, aren't you all tired from missing a days sleep. Just wondering,

Deb.

 

[DSNY FN]

No what happens is the day we leave I take off work and sleep all day (stay up till about 5 AM the night before) then I am fine to drive all night till the AM then after the Georgia welcome centre Lisa takes over the drive and goes till lunch. Then at the rest stop in Macon on the bypass we stop and eat and I drive the rest of the way to Valdosta it works out great that way and then we stop about 3 in the afternoon and have an early night to get everyone back on a normal schedule.