1st Time Driving Encouragement Report!

[JMBCILLINOIS]

I just wanted to give some encouragement for all of those 1st time drivers out there. We drove to WDW from the northwest suburbs of Chicago with our two boys (9 & 7). I was absolutely dredding the drive. We planned the trip last minute for over Thanksgiving and airfare was too high. We have never driven anywhere of length. Always have flown.

We left Crystal Lake at 1:30 on a Friday afternoon, drove to Nashville via 65/Indy. Got up on Saturday morning and drove the rest of the way to Orlando. We did just the reverse leaving Orlando the following Saturday.

We were pleasantly surprised by the drive. The boys played Ipod and watched movies on the DVD players, read, lumed bracelets, etc withouth many issues. Did it feel long at times? Sure. But it was a little bit of an adventure.

I just wanted to let you know that you can do it! Did we change to a driving family? Not if airfare is reasonable. Would I do it again? Absolutely. We saved over $1,000 in this case. It paid for our WDW tickets.

 

[amcnj]

Congrats on your successful first drive. Its nice when everything works out well. It helps make up for some of the other times!

 

[cemeb4dk]

congrats we will be taking same route just starting a little south on Randall Rd. at the end of the month. Any major construction happening on the route?

 

[JMBCILLINOIS]

There was your typical road construction, but nothing that I would consider major (i.e. either there wasn't much or we really lucked out).

We made it through Chicago and Atlanta with very little traffic on the way down. We were not so lucky coming home as there was significant traffic much of the way home, but that was also on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I know this has been discussed before but for those contemplating the drive, I strongly recommend using I-57 through Illinois and then I-24 from southern Illinois to Nashville. This is in lieu of using I-65 to Nashville. There are no big cities along this route and far less traffic (in particular truck traffic). You avoid NW Indiana, Indianapolis and Louisville.

BobK/Orlando

 

[s.r.disney nut]

Never saw anyone on the boards from Crystal Lake. One of my old college roommates is the owner/operator of the Crystal Lake Rib House! Never been there as I'm in NJ, but I hear that it's really good!

 

[KrazeeK120]

I'm from just south of the OP in Bloomington, IL. DH and I did the drive in 2009 and are doing it again in January. We stop in the Atlanta, GA area. It really is a pleasant drive! I think I like driving more than flying...I think it's less stressful even though it takes longer.

 

[Sysyphus]

Thought I'd chip in here as another first-time driver - we'd done the autotrain down and had planned to drive back up to the North-East Philly suburbs over two days this past weekend.

By Friday night it was obvious that this plan would have us and the weather getting to the DC area about the same time, leaving us driving the last 200 miles or so in some kind of unspecified wintry precipitation.

So after some brainstorming (do the train back again, DW & DD take a flight while I drive back at my leisure later in the week...) we decided our only sensible plan was to drive straight thru... we were actually in Bradenton, (visiting family, after our four nights at Universal, a side trip to MVMCP justifying my post on these boards) so an hour and a half further from home than WDW... we hit I-75 at 10am, made a brief bathroom and buy some oranges stop off 95 between Jacksonville and the Georgia border Fl border, after getting back in the car we decided we'd make another short stop to do a grab-and-go lunch so we could do dinner at "South of the Border" - which we made at about 8pm... 9pm departure DW took over the wheel while I took a brief nap... slightly briefer than planned as we had top make a DD puke-stop on the outskirts of Nowhere, NC...bathrooms/coffee at what may be the first sign on "home" on the trip: Wawa gas station on I-295 by-passing Richmond, VA... Washington/Baltimore traffic was non-existent at that hour of the morning, and a final bathroom coffee stop at one of the MD rest-stops North of Baltimore got us home at exactly 6am, about 4 hours befofre the first snowflakes got here

Unforgettable moment of the journey was around Jacksonville, when my dear GPS lady announced that I should "continue on Interstate 95 North for five hundred and fifty-nine and a quarter miles"

I'd definitely consider driving again, probably not straight thru, but perhaps travelling at off-hours to avoid traffic in and around the major cities

 

[JB2K]

I know this has been discussed before but for those contemplating the drive, I strongly recommend using I-57 through Illinois and then I-24 from southern Illinois to Nashville. This is in lieu of using I-65 to Nashville. There are no big cities along this route and far less traffic (in particular truck traffic). You avoid NW Indiana, Indianapolis and Louisville.

BobK/Orlando

Agree - most of this route is also preferred by drivers from the St. Louis area, and points west!

The only "big city traffic" encountered is Nashville and Atlanta.

Don't like Atlanta traffic? That can be easily-avoided (for an extra gallon of gas), if you take I-65 South to Montgomery, Alabama, then take US 231 South to Marianna, Florida and connect to I-10 East to Lake City/Florida's Turnpike and on to WDW...

 

[hearts8701]

We always drive in January from Chicago o'hare area we are 2 adults no children only once had we hit bad weather coming home quite a few years back I was listening to the radio in Chattanooga and laughed at school closing due to snow flurries to my surprise the road was shut down for 18 hours due to ice
we drive 65 to 24 to 75 to the turnpike exiting at 429 instead of going to 4 the exit takes us to western way where Coronado Springs is located always maybe it's a mind over matter thing for me but coming in thru Indiana as soon I see a sign for Illinois I know I'm close to home when I see a Illinois sign on 57 I have over 5 hours to get home

 

[Tink0513]

Thank you for the encouragement! We will be driving in August from Algonquin...we are dreading it but the savings from not flying is worth taking the chance!

 

[StirlingSilver83]

This is good to hear! We are first time drivers as well...driving down from NJ. We are doing it in 2 days...first day driving to Florence, sc and the next day to disney and doing the same trip back. I am absolutely terrified to fly. I have to take Valium every time I fly...but that wasn't the deciding factor of driving. I have 2 kids, 1 being a 7 month old and I just feel better throwing all the baby gear in the back of my car and not worrying about it on the plane. My other son is 7 with ADHD so that's a little more tricky, but he has an iPad, Nintendo 3ds, and we also have a portable DVD player for him to watch movies so I am hoping he will be ok. I actually really excited to drive. I love road trips...my mom thinks I'm nuts, lol. She's staying home to pet sit for us I am super excited for our disney trip!

 

[klmall]

We have driven to Disney only once in our 10+ trips and it was a long time ago so I am not looking forward to the drive next December from the Washington, DC area but DH can't stand being crammed into plane seats anymore!

We are a bit older now and I know we will be very tired even if we stop overnight along the way. Luckily we will have 2 or 3 drivers to divide up the driving. Still not looking forward to it but at least we will have our own car while there. Plus being able to drive down will give us flexibility if the weather turns bad. Two of our three prior trips in December were marred with worry about weather affecting our plane's arrival into our local airports. If we think the weather will be an issue locally we can jump into the car and leave even earlier for Florida!

 

[taymorel]

Congrats glad you had a good drive. We are considering driving from Atlanta to Orlando for the first time this May. We love flying but we also always rent a car in Florida so driving this time would free up more money to spend on vacation.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Completed my drive w/DH to and from Disney the past 2 weekends with no problems! I can't believe we managed to dodge the bad weather that seems to be overtaking much of the country...but we did it! Woo hoo!