Too early for a June/July 2016 roll call?

[pjpoppins]

We will be there 6/22-7/8 next year. First trip to the fort. Hauling from Scotland. That's Scotland, CT.

 

[KristinU]

We are thinking about going down for a summer vacation around the same time next year! We have three options on the table, so we need to have a family meeting and make a decision.

 

[pjpoppins]

Have you driven down from CT before? If so I'd love to hear your tips and opinions. Somebody told me (going south not necessarily FL) they always leave CT around 7p and drive til 3-4a to get past DC. Then sleep (some) and continue on. Thinking about trying this and then getting to within a few hours (2-5) the next day and then getting a good nights rest. I may be hauling by myself. My FiL may come another time as we hope to get AP and make it down to MNSSHP while my DD is still into it. My DW may have PTO issues so I may just fly her and DD down on 6/22. We will all drive home together and there will be 2 other families heading back with us.

 

[pjpoppins]

I've driven to Fl several times. A couple in my youth with other drivers and young energy (and stupidity...think we made it to Orlando in 19 hours once). Also driven a van down about 4 years ago. I understand hauling will be a whole new ballgame and I'm not gonna push the limits of safety.

 

[pas130]

Never too early for a roll call. We usually do August, and actually just back. I'd like to do end of June/early July. It will depend on my husband's schedule for 2016. We have APs expiring on 8/13 so it has to be before then We just got back Tuesday night from our annual NJ to FL drive.

 

[pjpoppins]

We usually try to do free dining and pull my DD out of school. That's flying and usually staying at Pop. We've done Sept. a few times and April once (got a pin code and it was during DD's break. 2 weeks after Easter it was perfect; crowds, weather, and FD). Last year we went the 3rd week of August so DD didn't miss school (also did a disney cruise in November). We bought out TT late last year (winterized) so we have to do the fort. Coming from CT the only real option in summer. August was unbelievably hot. I'm a big guy and didn't care but my DW was having trouble with it. I know there won't be a huge difference but hoping it's a little cooler. I know in New England June and early July can be hot but August there is no doubt it's always hot. Supposed to be close to 90 here a few times next week. I know 4th of July will be crazy but we will get to cross it off out Disney bucket list.
But the best part is...my DD's birthday is 7/6 so we have never been down for her birthday (with the 4th and all). And this will be her 10th. So she actually gets to celebrate her birthday at the most magical place on earth!!!!!!!!!

 

[KristinU]

Have you driven down from CT before? If so I'd love to hear your tips and opinions. Somebody told me (going south not necessarily FL) they always leave CT around 7p and drive til 3-4a to get past DC. Then sleep (some) and continue on. Thinking about trying this and then getting to within a few hours (2-5) the next day and then getting a good nights rest. I may be hauling by myself. My FiL may come another time as we hope to get AP and make it down to MNSSHP while my DD is still into it. My DW may have PTO issues so I may just fly her and DD down on 6/22. We will all drive home together and there will be 2 other families heading back with us.

Yep, several times! We like to swing out into PA and VA to avoid NYC and DC. So we take 84 to 81 then drop in to 95 via 17 that you pick up around Winchester and it drops you in around Fredericksburg. We have family in Raleigh, otherwise I might even go further on 81 and drop over later. When we leave all depends on our schedule, but our last couple of trips south we've left in the afternoon after half-day school and made it as far as the Wilkes-Barre area for an overnight then on to Raleigh area where we overnight and either do dinner or breakfast and spend some time with my SIL and BIL (or sometimes Raleigh is our destination). Then from there we like to hit the Jacksonville area for another overnight (like that last exit in GA before the FL border - there's a KOA and an indy Good Sam park at that exit), then we arrive fresh at Disney mid-morning the next day. (Or sometimes continue further south to Fort Myers to visit my parents). I don't love driving into the wee hours since I'm a morning person and so is my DH. We have done the opposite, though, where we get up at o'dark thirty and hit the road and make it to NC on the first day. If we weren't stopping for family we'd probably go further into SC. I really don't like to short ourselves too much sleep just to make it there a little faster only to be whipped on the first couple days of vacation, but I do love being "up with the chickens" and watching the world wake up while I'm driving down the road

Just to note, we've tried the Tappan Zee route, but we just feel that swinging further out is worth not messing with trying to time traffic correctly around DC. And that route 17 is nice and pastoral with farms and horses and stuff...a nice break from the interstate.

 

[pjpoppins]

The last time we drove we did the 81 route. It seemed like the Wilkes-Barre area had some insane hills yet maybe there were lanes for that (seems as if trucks were crawling up some of them). We cut across to 95 near Charlotte. I think I'd avoid that as it was morning rush hour. I was excited to drive through the southern mountains but unfortunately it was the middle of the night and we missed the scenery.

 

[tiggerdad]

We did early June in 2012. It wasn't unbearable. The heat was up, but not the July-August blast furnace levels so you guys should have a good time of things. Looking forward to reading about it.

 

[madjohn]

Wish I had the short drive. I am planning to arrive on June 10 for 14 days. I will be leaving out of Central California. I am planning two and a half long days to San Antonio, stop for the day and visit the Alamo. Then two more days and get within about 100 to 150 miles of the fort. I will take a day off and rest up before we arrive nice and early on the June 10. Looks like I will be driving mostly US 10 all the way across the country but have not finalized the plan. It will be a 5 week trip that will include another week or so in and around Florida and then a stop at Graceland for my wife and then 2000 miles home. Figuring the trip will be about 7500 miles.

John

 

[KristinU]

Wish I had the short drive. I am planning to arrive on June 10 for 14 days. I will be leaving out of Central California. I am planning two and a half long days to San Antonio, stop for the day and visit the Alamo. Then two more days and get within about 100 to 150 miles of the fort. I will take a day off and rest up before we arrive nice and early on the June 10. Looks like I will be driving mostly US 10 all the way across the country but have not finalized the plan. It will be a 5 week trip that will include another week or so in and around Florida and then a stop at Graceland for my wife and then 2000 miles home. Figuring the trip will be about 7500 miles.

John

Wow, I've never heard the drive from New England referred to as "short" until now...and rightly so! What a great road trip, though! Sounds awesome!

 

[connor2002]

June 1st family of six

 

[Teamubr]

Thinking about a June vacation somewhere. I have a dilemma though. My DS graduates from HS in 2017. I've been considering taking him on a Disney cruise for graduation. We've never been on a cruise of any kind and we are all Disney fans. Will probably wait until September 2017. It won't be as busy and prices are MUCH cheaper than summer. Don't know I could pull off a WDW/Fort trip one year and a Disney cruise the next though.

The originally plan was to go to the Sarasota beach area in 16, then the Disney cruise in 17. That means no Fort trip for quite a while and I really want to go back to the Fort.

Now I'm considering the Fort in 16 and a non-Disney cruise (half the price) for graduation in 17.

Decisions, decisions.

I'm considering making a reservation now, just in case.

j

 

[KristinU]

Those are tough decisions, Teamubr! Does your DS have a preference?

So, we are in for June/July 2016! Still need to nail down dates and decide on preferred or premium. The dates are the tough one since the schools never keep the original projected last day, currently scheduled for 6/8 - it inevitably gets pushed out because of snow days (and it would make way too much sense to just pad the schedule with a few extra days). So we have to do our best to make a guess at how many snow days we'll have this year and when it would be safe to book.

 

[pjpoppins]

We are staying in the 300 loop as we have a dog. Though my DFiL may stay home now (and come with us in the fall...hope to buy AP). May leave her (dog) home with him as he spoils her rotten. Other party with us still has a dog so we will see. We picked the 22 as DD is scheduled to get out the 8th or 9th but most likely will be the following week. I believe school has to be out by the 20th by law (state law?) so the 22nd will work, could probably even make it down sooner but we also want to be there on 7/6 for DD's 10th birthday. Leaving the 8th (that puts us at 16 nights). Don't want to leave the 7th as that would deter from DD's birthday but we don't want to be there too far into July due to heat and summer crowds.

 

[KristinU]

I wonder if the last day date is town by town law, DS was in school until the 22nd last year and the 25th 3 years ago. With this extra padding I sure hope it doesn't go that far this next year! I'm kinda thinking we should be safe planning on heading out of town on the 18th. We're going to visit Savannah on the way down and maybe St. Augustine, so we need to firm those thoughts up, but arriving around the 22nd to the Fort is around the time frame for us as well!

 

[Teamubr]

I wonder if the last day date is town by town law

I think it varies from state to state or district to district.

My DS' school has a scheduled "last day", May 20th- "unless snow days are used; June 1, 2016, if ALL snow days used
(One day of attendance ADDED for each snow day taken to a maximum of 7)"

Illinois only requires schools to make up 7 snow days (up from 5 last year). And calling them "snow" days is a bit of a misnomer. Last year, they were off 3 days because it was cold. (Wind chills below 0). I said "put on a coat!"

j

 

[KristinU]

I think it varies from state to state or district to district.

My DS' school has a scheduled "last day", May 20th- "unless snow days are used; June 1, 2016, if ALL snow days used
(One day of attendance ADDED for each snow day taken to a maximum of 7)"

Illinois only requires schools to make up 7 snow days (up from 5 last year). And calling them "snow" days is a bit of a misnomer. Last year, they were off 3 days because it was cold. (Wind chills below 0). I said "put on a coat!"

j

Yeah, I mentioned town by town since Pjpoppins and I are both in Connecticut, so I'm thinking it must not be state laws here.

Yes, you guys had some awful temps last year! Hopefully this year won't be as bad...or everyone gets heavier coats, or wears coats at all - silly kids seem to be allergic to wearing coats!

 

[maryj11]

Hoping to go the second or third week in June.

 

[eeyoreluvr77]

June 3 - 10 for our first Fort experience. We will be driving down from OH - leaning towards renting for ease (and because the cost of borrowing a friend's RV and fuel may make that option a wash)