Anyone drive from Michigan? I could use some help...

[Riviera510]

We plan to drive to Disney in November from the Metro Detroit area.

We are leaving the day before Thanksgiving hopefully around 4am and drive the majority of the way there the first day.

I would like to drive no more than 6ish hours on the 2nd day to get to Port Orleans-Riverside.

Where would you stop if you were me? How many estimated hours will it take to get to that first stop from MI?

Do you think being the day before Thanksgiving that there will be more people than normal on the roads that day?

Thanks!

 

[JanB]

I'm not from Michigan --- I'm from metro Atlanta.

You'll be driving I75 through Georgia and Florida -- correct? If so, consider that Atlanta is about 7 to 7-1/2 hours from WDW. Depends on what part of the metro area you are measuring from

Macon, GA is about 6 hours (maybe a bit less) from WDW. Lots of hotels in that area. According to Google Maps, Detroit to Macon is about 13 hours. I've never driven it, though. Someone from your area may be able to speak from personal experience. Of course, the time that it takes you to get through Atlanta will vary by time of day and day of week. Sounds like you'd be going through Atlanta around 4 or 5PM (or a bit later due to stops?) on the day before Thanksgiving. On a typical weekday, you could count on very heavy traffic at that time of day. Traffic can be heavier the day before a holiday. HOWEVER --- metro area schools are on holiday, which can make traffic lighter in the city.

Even with a couple of stops along the way and heavy traffic in Atlanta, seems to me like you'd be to Macon by 7PM (15 hours after departing Detroit).

If you want to go further than Macon, you should be able to find places to stay near Perry GA, Cordele GA, Tifton GA, Valdosta GA (listed north to south). Valdosta is about 3 hours from WDW.

 

[skiingfast]

I made this trip down I75. We left Ann Arbor area about 11am, we got into florida about 5am the next day. Then it was about 9 coming to Orlando. We stopped for Dinner, and breakfast when in florida so that added to the last leg. The best thing is the roads vastly improve in quality as you go South.

 

[MidgeD79]

I would recommend "Along I-75" by Dave Hunter.

 

[GDUL]

We haven't driven this in a number of years (7 to be exact) but the last time we drove:

Canton, MI -> Ohio state line - 1 hour
Ohio -> Kentucky state line - 2 1/2 hours
Kentucky -> Tennessee state line - 3 hours
Tennessee -> Georgia state line - 3 hours
Georgia -> Cordelle, GA - 4 1/2 hours (spent night here)
Cordelle, GA -> Florida state line - 1 1/2 hours
Florida -> WDW - 3 1/2 hours

The times include stopping for gas, rest areas, and fast food though we tended to do all 3 at the same stop. Disclaimer: my wife does say that I tend to fly at low altitudes but I usually stay at +/- 5 MPH of the speed limit.

 

[Sugardimples]

the day before Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest travel days of the year. You WILL encounter a lot of traffic.

 

[Poohs Pal]

I would recommend "Along I-75" by Dave Hunter.

I second this...

Tifton and Perry Georgia are good place's to start...

 

[#1SonofMIannie]

Have done Cadillac MI to Orlando in 24-1/2 hours non-stop, leaving around 4 in the afternoon and tag-teaming the driving overnight with 3 kids. first time was in April and second was last fall 3rd week of Oct. given the holiday traffic and the questionable weather, I for one would plan for the worst and allow for plenty of delays. Good luck!

 

[jksgrammy]

We drove from Lansing, MI to WDW one Thanksgiving and vowed we would NEVER do this again. Be prepared for the worse traffic jams you can imagine. I have never seen such traffic and we drive from our MI home to our condo in Sarasota, FL every fall/spring. I don't want to be the reaper of bad news, but plan on coming to dead stops at times because of the heavy traffic. Not sure when you plan on returning, but if it's the Sunday OR Monday following Thanksgiving, traffic will be bad.

Please drive safely and take your time!

Report back on how your drive was - I'd love to be proven wrong!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If you can make it this far in one day I would highly recommend staying in Valdosta, Georgia because from there it's about 4 hour drive the next day to WDW.