1000 Island Bridge to WDW

[ontario2orlando]

We need some help planning this please. The posts about doing this route seem to be quite old. That's why we've made another thread.

Our stats are:
leaving June 11, 2008 from Thousand Island Prkwy Hil Island Bridge
Minivan
4 and 13 yo.
One driver

Our plan is to drive for 10 hours then stop. The next day, drive 10 hours then stop. The next day drive 4 hours arriving at WDW around 10 or 11am.

Our Questions:
Is the 81|66|95|4 still the best way?
How does our plan sound is it the best, is there a better one?
What about fuel costs, do you have a guesstimate?
We figured $100/night for hotels along the highway, is this a safe bet?

Thank You so much for the help. We are so excited(our first vist) and concerned. We're hoping to save money by driving.

 

[PhotobearSam]

I have switched to going to the 95 by way of the 64 not the 66...i like it better.

Also, I think $100 is a little low. If you put that up just a little bit, you could stay at a lot of Hampton Inns or Fairfield Inns and have a free HOT breakfast at the hotel in the morning and a pool for the kids to poop themselves out in if they need it.

You can research it all on their web-site and they may even send you their list in book form. We have both of them from our last trip. They are clean, new, comfortable and we don't stay anywhere else on our trips.

Don't forget to become a member of their Honours club...it gets you better room location.

 

[iluvflorida]

The route you quote is taken by many but I prefer less time on #95 as it has more traffic. I go I-81-I-77-I-26-I-95-I4. Little traffic and no cities. It misses SOUTH OF THE BORDER which a lot of people like, I personally don"t mind missing a tourist trap that takes up driving time. Each to their own. I think your estimate for hotels is close. And drive times are OK. Pick up the discount travel/motel books along the way at state welcome stations. They give good discount or go on line and down load coupons if you know where you will be. www.travelcoupons.com (red) or www.roomsaver.com (green) Check both as sometimes the same motel is in both at different rates. Can.t help with gas est. because of up and down prices. Depending on where you are coming from in ONt. and driving habits you may be in earlier.

 

[ontario2orlando]

Good Stuff! Any other suggestions?

 

[iluvflorida]

Not sure how many times you have made the trip (only 16 posts to the board) but if you have not made many keep a diary of where you stop and note other easy on easy off exits for gas etc. (my rule is must be visiable from exit turn) also favorite resturants exits, hotels etc. Make quick pee breaks in rest areas. Note rest areas in diary. Buy a GPS unit. They will tell you where the motels, gas etc. are and take you right to them. Any other questions you may pm me. I have driven the route I gave you about 15 times. Just moved in Oct so will be changing my route. Good luck

 

[ontario2orlando]

This will be our first trip to WDW and Florida! We've never drove it, or that far. This will be our second and longest road trip yet(the other was half as long roungtrip).

Looks like all those coupons are expired. That's too bad, they were looking good.

 

[iluvflorida]

The coupon books will be out as they expire. Keep checking. You will find them not expired or on line.

 

[ontario2orlando]

I just took a look at gasbuddy. Looks like the average price is $3.00/gal (give or take .20 either way. So, I did the math. 1 gallon = 3.78 litres. That's about $1.25/litre = $0.79

 

[Nagle]

I also prefer the route suggested by iluvflorida. Just did it again right after Christmas and the less time I spend on I95 the better.

Left Brockville at about 9:00 AM. Drove all day with a couple of brief gas/food/pee breaks and got to Rock Hill S.C.(just south of Charlotte) around 10:00 PM. Stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn for under $100 USD. Would definitely stay there again. Left Rock Hill before 7 the next morning and with the usual stops plus 45 minutes at the Daytona Flea Market (pecans & grapefruit) we got to the Walt Disney area around 3 PM.

Coming home we left before 7 AM and drove until about 9 PM where we stopped in Chambersbusg PA. and stayed at a Hampton Inn right by I81. Left around 7 AM next morning and were home by 2 PM with a stop at duty free and 20 minute wait at customs.

If you need more details I will try to help. I have gas receipts around here somewhere.

John

PS Welcome.

 

[nepean]

We also use the 81-66-95 route. We left December 27 and returned January 12th. We spent approximately $350. gas total driving a 2006 Impala. We used to stop but since I am a night owl we have driven straight through the last three trips. We left Ottawa at 7:20 am. stopped in Ogdensburg to pick up mail and arrived in St. Augustine Florida for a 2 hour stop. We then drove on to Kissimmee and arrived at 3:00 pm. For gas we paid $2.83/gal in PA, GA and SC. The highest was $3.47 in Watertown NY. We usually stop at Flying J, Loves, Coastal or one of the major truck stops, the gas is usually less expensive and they have a well stock store/CS food.

If I was driving alone I would aim for Fredericksburg, VA the first day. It is about 10 1/2 hours. Then it is a straight shot down I-95. There are lots of rest areas along that area.

We have a plug in cooler and we stock drinks, snacks so we don't waste time at restaurants.

It is a beautiful drive. DH got a GPS for Christmas and it wanted us to take 76 and go by Baltimore. We ignored it on 81 and it then did direct us to 66 and all of the turns in there perfectly.

Enjoy

Nepean

 

[Ham Ham]

I just took a look at gasbuddy. Looks like the average price is $3.00/gal (give or take .20 either way. So, I did the math. 1 gallon = 3.78 litres. That's about $1.25/litre

My calculations arrived at $0.7936 per litre using your figures

$3.00 dived by 3.78 L = 0.7936

Big fan of spending as little time as possible on I-95

From Mississauga

QEW/ Peace Bridge/ I-190/I-90/I-79/US 19/I77/I-26/I-95/I-4

Careful taking I-66 it will take you right into the beltway around Washington. A place you want to avoid around rush hours. I've also gone through Washington on the week-ends and it has been a mess.
Signage around DC can be very confusing

Take US 17 south off of I-66 to hook up with I-95 around Fredericksburg if you want to get on I-95 as soon as possible

Here's a link from the 1000 Island Bridge to WDW using
I-81/I77/I-26/I-95/I-4

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...9362,-79.865112&spn=1.95046,3.735352&z=8&om=0

 

[ontario2orlando]

Thanks for the really great responses. You all are very helpful. I think our biggest concern is the fuel cost. We've already figured $100/night for motel. With some coupons or even CAA we'll be below that.

 

[ontario2orlando]

Okay,

I divided the wrong way. Everyone ignore my math.

 

[newcomer52]

We need some help planning this please. The posts about doing this route seem to be quite old. That's why we've made another thread.

Our stats are:
leaving June 11, 2008 from Thousand Island Prkwy Hil Island Bridge
Minivan
4 and 13 yo.
One driver

Our plan is to drive for 10 hours then stop. The next day, drive 10 hours then stop. The next day drive 4 hours arriving at WDW around 10 or 11am.

Our Questions:
Is the 81|66|95|4 still the best way?
How does our plan sound is it the best, is there a better one?
What about fuel costs, do you have a guesstimate?
We figured $100/night for hotels along the highway, is this a safe bet?

Thank You so much for the help. We are so excited(our first vist) and concerned. We're hoping to save money by driving.

'A Fool and his money'

 

[PhotobearSam]

'A Fool and his money'

Not nice...

 

[Ham Ham]

'A Fool and his money'

I will join my friend in Shediac in saying not nice and confused about your post.

 

[highland3]

'A Fool and his money'

Okay... I don't get it either!

 

[newcomer52]

Not nice...

I agree. I didn't think it was nice of the OP to title his thread as such on the community board thread.

 

[PhotobearSam]

I agree. I didn't think it was nice of the OP to title his thread as such on the community board thread.

What is wrong with the title...

The OP is driving from the Thousand Island Region of Ontario to WDW and wanted advice on the route...What is wrong with that.

 

[newcomer52]

What is wrong with the title...

The OP is driving from the Thousand Island Region of Ontario to WDW and wanted advice on the route...What is wrong with that.

This is the OP thread title that I don't think is nice. (and according to your response to me, neither do you)

www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1715588