Any last minute advise--driving Dallas to WDW

[trampslady]

We are heading out from Dallas at around 6am on Thursday, March 17. We've never driven it before, so we aren't exactly sure what to expect. Based on advise here, we are driving I-20 to Shreveport, then to 49 down to the New Orleans area over to I-10. We did not make a reservation for Thursday night as we are unsure where we will end up. I'd either like to enjoy the coast along the way or drive hard and get really, really close that evening. We don't have plans for Friday at the parks, so we can check in and enjoy the area if we get their early. Any suggestions for a route along the Florida coast versus straight to Orlando? We were thinking that if we make good time we could stray a bit and head over to WDW on Friday morning from the St. Pete area? Am I being too ambitious? There's four adults and no kids on this trip.

 

[nearlychildless]

We have gone spring break the last several year and a few other times. We all ways drive home in one day, about 16 hours, and going over we usually leave late after noon then stay in Mobile and arrive next morning. This year we are leaving very early ( 4 0r 5 am) on the 21st and plan to arrive at 6 0r 7 pm. Will stay the night with our grown kids then check in at POR early the 22nd.

 

[MMCD]

We drive straight through the night all the time. We've never stopped to spend a night because we'd rather save the money. We keep saying that we will stop somewhere along the way but we just keep on going esp. when the 3 kids are asleep and quiet!!! I don't have any AAA triptiks left over. I usually throw them away after a month or 2 when I find them among DH's "not to throw away" pile. It takes 19 - 20 hours. We make lots of bathroom/gas stops. I'd say about 5-6 times. Sometimes, we will stop at a pancake type restaurant for brunch.

Take 20E to Shreveport. 49S to going around New Orleans using 12E, then 10E to 75S (Lakeland????) to the Florida turnpike on to WDW's exit. Biggest traffic jam was during football season in Gainsville or when we hit Orlando during rush hour. No major constructions along the way.

I'm the one who usually gets lost. I always blame it on the AAA preprinted triptiks. I'm use to seeing bright yellow or green highlighted maps. But the preprinted one comes in a pale pink which is the same color AAA uses for the highway but fatter lines. I miss the 12 heading east (around N.O.) going to WDW or the 49N to go to Shreveport heading to Dallas. Now when we get the preprinted sheets, DH highlights in bright yellow or green.

If you reach Jacksonville around midnight, don't stop for gas in the downtown area. They might not have bathrooms or their keyed bathrooms are around the back outside not visible to where you get gas.

Have fun,

MMCD

 

[trampslady]

Thanks for the advise folks. We are planning to just drive as far as we feel like on Thursday after leaving Dallas at 6am. My original plan was to divert in Pensacola and drive the coast a bit before overnighting in Tallahassee. I've reconsidered after remembering that it's gonna be spring break time at the beaches!

 

[MMCD]

OOps, I mean Jackson, Miss NOT Jacksonville, FL.

MMCD