Anyone drive from NY?

[stormer]

We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge from April 18 - 26. We were planning on flying, but the prices are so expensive. We are now considering driving - with our 6 and 4 years sons. Anyone drive from NY and have suggestions about good places to stop on the way down and back. We will be leaving from Long Island and would like to try to drive about 11 hours the first day. Thanks!

 

[MagiKitty]

I live about 1 1/2 hours of NYC and have driven down to WDW in the past, but never with small children. Still, we drove hard the first day and got just to the Georgia border, drove the next 5 hours to Orlando the next morning. It was a hard drive.

I'd suggest if you're a AAA member requesting a TripTik and plan out where you want to stay more thoroughly. I imagine you'd be able to make it to South Carolina your first day. But there are stretches without much along 95, so you'd have to plan more carefully in terms of hotels and food. Sorry I couldn't off more particulars.

From what I remember, there were lots of chain hotels, so if you're planning to stay one night in a hotel each way, it may be worth it for you to join their frequent stay play and earn either airline mileage or free nights for the future.

 

[Teacher510]

We're just outside Manhattan in NJ and have driven twice, but not for about 12 years. We left around 5 AM, stopped for breakfast in Md or Del, lunch in Va and then stopped in North Carolina around 4:30 PM. That allowed time for swimming, dinner and some relaxation. We left the next day around 5 again and stopped for breakfast and lunch (I think lunch was in Jacksonville) and got to WDW around 5:30.
We also took the Autotrain twice. You have to drive to Lorton, Va and you need to get there by 3PM. The train leaves around 4:30 and gets to Fla around 8:30 AM. It's then about 45 min. to WDW. I would definitely recommend a sleeping compartment if you do Autotrain. This may be more $$ than air travel.

 

[Aliceacc]

Have you considered Continental out of Newark?

I've been looking for fares for the 5 of us for August. From LGA or JFK the fares are running $210 or so. But from Newark they're $139 for some flights. I'm biding my time, but keeping it in the back of my mind as an option.

It might be worth the price of a cheapo airport hotel (or a later flight) to try that approach.

Hit www.kayak.com for the prices.

 

[Roy Disney]

We also took the Autotrain twice. You have to drive to Lorton, Va and you need to get there by 3PM. The train leaves around 4:30 and gets to Fla around 8:30 AM. It's then about 45 min. to WDW. I would definitely recommend a sleeping compartment if you do Autotrain. This may be more $$ than air travel.

I'm also from NY and we have taken the Auto Train many times. We are also going to WDW around the same time. The airfare for that week is ridiculous averaging $700 - $800 per person roundtrip. For my family (4) that would be
$2,800 - $3,200 just to fly there then we'd have to rent a car.
The Auto Train is $1,929 (with AAA discount) round trip for all of us and a van with sleepers both ways. Close to half the price of flying and renting a car.
The train leaves Lorton, VA at 4:00 pm and arrives in Sanford, FL at 9:30 am.
(It used to arrive at 8:30 but they recently added an hour to the arrival time. Most of the time it will get in earlier anyway).
Cars have to check-in at 3:00 pm, vans have to check in at 2:00 pm.
They serve you dinner and breakfast in the dinning car (if you get a sleeper).
They also have observation cars where they play a movie at night.
Most of your time on the train you are sleeping. The nice thing I like is getting to Florida at 8:00 in the morning. You have the whole day and your not tired from driving 11 or 12 hours.
They have a family sleeper that sleeps 4 (2 kids and 2 adults) or you can get 2 bedrooms (deluxe or rommettes).

I think your 2 sons would like it.

 

[ducklite]

The drive from LI is actually pretty easy if you plan it right. I'd strongly suggest packing the car the night before, getting to bed early, and leaving at 2:00 am to avoid the worst of the traffic--plus get a great jump on the drive before the kids come to. (Just put the sleeping kids into the car in their PJ's!) You'll want to get to 278 in Staten Island, and take that to the NJ Turnpike. Follow that across the Deleware memorial Bridge, and onto I-95. Stay on I-95 to Baltimore, then follow the signs for 895/Harbour Tunnel. Take that through Baltimore then get onto 295/BAlt. Wash. Expressway.

You'll want to stop and use the facilities at the Maryland House Rest Area north of Baltimore, as there isn't a good (safe) place to stop again until you're south of DC.

Take that through DC to 95/495 and cross the Wilson Bridge. Follow 95 south. Stay on I-95 until you get to Richmond, where you'll want to hop onto 295--the Richmond Bypass.

Get back onto I-95 and keep going south. The 11 hour mark will probably put you into SC. We haven't been terribly impressed with any place we've stopped in taht state, and I'd suggest you spend the extra hour or so to cross the state line into GA. There's a nice, safe, clean Hampton Inn in Richmond Hill. Interior corridors for added security and a decent breakfast buffet, plus IIR a small indoor pool. From there you are about six hours to WDW.

 

[Banshee]

Well were not in NY but we are in Ocean County NJ we leave at 3 Am and drive to Brunswick GA area we arrive around 4:30 pm . We leave about 8 the next morning and arrive at Disney around 1:30. Check out the I-95 exit guide it has info on hotels and dining and rest stops. Also check out the www.fuelcostcalculater.com

 

[The Prophet]

I've done the drive from Long Island a number of times and will be doing it again President's Week.
One must have item with 2 small kids is a portable DVD player.

If I can assist you with a specific question, let me know


The Prophet

 

[Teacher510]

I don't know if it's still there, but there was a very nice Best Western in Santee, SC with a good restaurant onsite.

 

[stormer]

Thank you so much for all of your help. We are going to look into the train, but if not, we will give the drive a try and use all of your advice.

 

[Just(donald)Ducky]

Hey-
The majority of my family vacations, not only to WDW but to myrtle beach, NJ, Maine, etc. were driving. One vacation we flew to San diego, then hit tons of stuff, like Vegas and the Grand Canyon, San Fran, L.A., etc. by car....

There is just something about driving that my family enjoyed, but we did it the right way; we would take a 2 week vacation, and take our time driving down, seeing sights on the way. I've been to many places between Rochester NY and Florida, as well as many places in florida, that I would never have thought to go to unless my family forced me to. Homasasa Springs (spelling error I'm sure), Laray Caverns, Gettysburg, the Great Smokey mountains... literally hundreds of places, all starting when i was six years old for my first trip. And honestly, I can remember being scared of PotC, but that's about it.

I remember much more about the other things we did.... Going back to Myrtle Beach, an unexpected surprise, Luray Caverns, and the first time I was at Gettysburg.

My advice, even though it might be too late, is to take your time. Getting there is half the fun, not all the stress!

 

[TheresaNY]

We do the drive every summer from Eastern Suffolk (by Riverhead). This last summer was the BEST yet. My husband got up early the day before the trip (about 4am) so he would be tired the next day...then he layed down around 4pm and slept for 5 hours. Woke up around 9pm and we were on the road by 10 pm the latest ! We were rolling into Lake Buena Vista by 6pm !! The kids slept all night and only had to deal with one day of the car ride. We used to leave around 2 am and stay in South Carolina or Georgia but leaving at 10 at night was so so much better. Staying over made it seem so much longer.

 

[stormer]

That actually sounds like a great idea. I looked into the Auto Train, but it is sold out for the family room for the date we want to come home. Maybe we will try driving through the night!

 

[ShellyShell]

I think that's what I plan to do is Drive from NJ. We are going around the same time as well. Air Fare is INSANE and there is no way I can afford that. It will be two adult drivers so it shouldn't be that bad. I love driving so it's definetly not going to bother me.

 

[Roy Disney]

That actually sounds like a great idea. I looked into the Auto Train, but it is sold out for the family room for the date we want to come home. Maybe we will try driving through the night!

Stormer,

They also have 2 bedrooms that open up into a suite. It actually has more room than the family room and depending on the time of year can be the same price as 1 family room.

April is considered peak time coming from Florida going to Virginia. So the room prices are more expensive on the return trip.
We're getting a 2 bedroom suite for a little less than one family room.

The beds in the 2 bedroom suite are bigger than the beds in the family room.

You could also take the Auto Train one way and drive back.
I would take it to Florida and drive back since it will be more expensive taking the Auto Train coming back.

 

[cheesekate2005]

We have done the drive from long island and from upstate new york too. On our last trip we left at 3 am and arrived at 10 pm, it was a long day in the car but with some sleep the night before it was not too bad, and it did not interfere with the next day's sleep.

 

[stormer]

Thanks Roy Disney.

I did not know about the bedroom suite. It was not showing up as an option when I looked. I looked a little further and found it. It says you have to call to book it, it cannot be done online. I will give a call tomorrow and maybe try that one way. Thanks again!

 

[Roy Disney]

Thanks Roy Disney.

I did not know about the bedroom suite. It was not showing up as an option when I looked. I looked a little further and found it. It says you have to call to book it, it cannot be done online. I will give a call tomorrow and maybe try that one way. Thanks again!

You're welcome.
Have a great trip.

 

[RK13]

We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge from April 18 - 26. We were planning on flying, but the prices are so expensive. We are now considering driving - with our 6 and 4 years sons. Anyone drive from NY and have suggestions about good places to stop on the way down and back. We will be leaving from Long Island and would like to try to drive about 11 hours the first day. Thanks!

I drove with the family in 2004 from LI, (DDs were 2, 4, 6 at the time). Judging by the airfares, it looks like I might be driving down again this Jan. Here's my plan if we drive.
1) Leave about 3-4am, drive to Florence or Santee, SC. This is about the 11-12 hr mark and will only leave about 400 or miles on the second day.
2) I enjoy eating at Crackerbarrel, but it takes too much time. Try to keep stops to a minimum.
3) The worst traffic is in Baltimore for the tunnel and in DC were 495/95 merge. Try and avoid these areas during rush hour. Also SB 95 in Northern VA can have traffic early afternoons on a Saturday.
4) Once you get to the 295 Richmond VA bypass, its pretty easy drive.

As someone mentioned portable DVD player, coloring books, etc and plenty of snacks are key to the drive.

Hope this helps.