Anyone driving to Disney?

[Stac1023]

We live in Il and are driving to Disney on the 26th of Nov. Any tips on a long train ride of a 16hour drive?

 

[Seewhatimesdone]

Well i'll be driving to Disney In Jan from San Diego. It's about a 40 hour trip. At least i'll have a friend. Road trips are okay as long you have some good music and take your time. Take breaks and get a lot of sleep! You'll have fun

 

[Cool-Beans]

I drove from Cleveland.

#1 BEST TIP: Join AAA. Get a TripTik. Even if you think you won't need it.

Make enough stops to pee. Don't try to hold it until the next one.

If the sign says "Fog Ahead", believe it. Even if it is a sunny and perfectly clear day.

Bring Windex. The stuff at the gas stations doesn't always do the trick.

Stretch and do jumping jacks when you get out of the car.

If you're allergic to animals, check with the hotel to see if it is "pet-friendly." If it is, don't stay there. Even if they tell you that they do have non-pet rooms. At some point, there will have been a pet in that room and you'll react. Plus, "Pet-friendly" hotels have big dogs barking when you're trying to sleep and if you call down they'll tell you that they can't do anything about it.

Do "the wave" each time you cross a state line. Silly, but fun.

Get to the Florida Welcome Center BEFORE it closes. I was unaware that it closed and was very disappointed. (On the way home, we turned around to get back to it.)

If you aren't using a Garmin and are going through Jacksonville, pay attention to what you're doing. It is easy to get lost.

If the car doesn't have an iPod jack, make a bunch of CDs. It is such a pain trying to find the right frequency while traveling.

If you're bringing a candle to burn in the room because you're worried it might smell funky, be sure to hang on to the cap or toss the thing when you leave. Wax melts in hot cars and spills all over the seat and it is very, very difficult to get out of the cloth. (Or maybe you're super-smart already knew that. )

Remember that the trip home will be a LOT less fun than the trip there. Save the extra-fun car stuff for that.

 

[Becky2005]

We break it up into 2 days but we are little farther away than 16 hours.

I know we liked to leave super early, pack a cooler and then have lunch at a nice rest stop (a lot of them seem to have playgrounds now), to let the kids run around for a bit as a good stretch.

Caffeine can be your friend (I've heard mint works well too if you start getting tired). My kids tended to sleep a lot so that wasn't too much of an issue (they are pretty good travelers in general).

It all depends on the route and the ages of the people going.

 

[Becky2005]

If you're bringing a candle to burn in the room because you're worried it might smell funky, be sure to hang on to the cap or toss the thing when you leave. Wax melts in hot cars and spills all over the seat and it is very, very difficult to get out of the cloth. (Or maybe you're super-smart already knew that. )

Same with crayons!!! Do NOT bring crayons on a car trip...unless of course, you want one of those funky melted mutli-colored crayons. Don't do markers either (unless it's those new color wonder markers). Colored pencils are your best friend.

 

[Pikester]

We are driving from NH. Leaving very early Saturday morning 12/6 and we are hoping to get there by check in time on 12/7. DH and I will take turns driving. We bought DVD players and headphones for the kids so they can watch movies. I've been collecting alot of other stuff too. By the way, crayons melt too! I plan on bringing colored pencils instead.

Only 22 days till I am at Disney!

 

[Pikester]

Same with crayons!!! Do NOT bring crayons on a car trip...unless of course, you want one of those funky melted mutli-colored crayons. Don't do markers either (unless it's those new color wonder markers). Colored pencils are your best friend.

Great minds!

 

[geffric]

we have driven every year for the past 13.. we leave early ( like 3 am early) that way the kids when they were little just got put into a car seat and we could drive without their help for hours.. even now they sleep. It is a big deal to go to sleep min your clothes on the night before. We bring a DVD player with 2 screens, lots of snack food and a pee pee cup.

We switch drivers every 2 hours. On the day before, I pack the van, stop at a place for bagels for next the morning, buy luncheon meat abd bring bread for sandwiches. I bring lots of books and DVDs for the kids to keep them happy for the long drive..

We stop in Indiana for gas, breakfast at a rest stop of McDs, stop at most of the rest stops and have the kids race or get out and stretch.. stop in TN a Sams stop and lunch at steak n shake... dinner is at a rest stop of luncheon meat sandwiches.. drive to the GA/FL state line or a bit inside FL. Stop at a motel and rest.. up early the next morning and drive into WDW. We arrive about 11ish or noon.. Lunch at DTD and then onto the WDW hotel. We don't do the parks the first day as DH and I are a bit tired from the drive but do mini golf, walk DTD, swim, go to the grocery store.. watch the fireworks outside of Epcot etc..

 

[Cool-Beans]

Same with crayons!!! Do NOT bring crayons on a car trip...unless of course, you want one of those funky melted mutli-colored crayons. Don't do markers either (unless it's those new color wonder markers). Colored pencils are your best friend.

Good tip. I guess the thing to remember isn't the form, just that wax melts in hot cars.

I suppose most people would say, "Duh. Of course it melts. It's wax, you moron." But I wouldn't say that. Oh, no. Not me.

 

[Stac1023]

Thanks, keep them coming. I am loving the tips. WE are going to stay overnight in Ga.

 

[Becky2005]

Good tip. I guess the thing to remember isn't the form, just that wax melts in hot cars.

I suppose most people would say, "Duh. Of course it melts. It's wax, you moron." But I wouldn't say that. Oh, no. Not me.

Me either....crayon wax is also very difficult to get out of those cloth seats....just consider it a PSA to anyone driving with little ones --

coloring books/crayons = good in theory -- not so much in reality!

coloring books/markers instead of crayons because they won't melt = good in theory -- not so much reality!

coloring books/colored pencils = HEY...we have a winner!!!

 

[megthewonderful]

We are driving from NH. Leaving very early Saturday morning 12/6 and we are hoping to get there by check in time on 12/7. DH and I will take turns driving. We bought DVD players and headphones for the kids so they can watch movies. I've been collecting alot of other stuff too. By the way, crayons melt too! I plan on bringing colored pencils instead.

Only 22 days till I am at Disney!

We drive from NH too! Definitely need a DVD player with a wide assortment of DVDs, some CDs and a cooler full of snacks and drinks. People think we are crazy, but I think the trip is fun!

 

[Becky2005]

We took the Rt. 47 to 74 way to I believe 24 then to 75 -- definitely get AAA though. I love the Triptiks!! I suppose if you have a GPS you won't need one but I like it anyway.

We made maps up for the older ones to follow the route. My DD likes those invisible marker books (I picked up a few a AAA when I got traveler's checks last time).

I read about it somewhere that the person made up a binder with the general maps, etc... and then had a folder for each state with info/games for that state in it, so I did that for the older ones with find-a-words that I was able to make up on-line with things such as their state bird, nickname, etc...

My 2 youngest just slept most of the time, although we made the mistake of stopping at a cracker barrel for a rest stop & the 5 year old at the time decided then he needed to use the restroom every 5 minutes!!! He told us he had to go, then fell asleep & we drove for about another 2 or 3 hours and he was fine that entire time (I try very hard to NOT wake up sleeping children while driving!!! Sometimes you have to but if we had thought to stop but then most were sleeping, if it wasn't absolutely necessary, we just kept on driving!!!) That was mostly for lunchtime type of thing.

 

[CharityLynn]

The melting problem depends on the time of year you drive too. We drive every October and have never had a problem with crayons melting. The kids do keep them in a back pack when they're not using them.

 

[geffric]

we are further north than becky so we do then 80 to In 65 and then 65 to 75..

we did a thing with the McD maps one year.. you can print it out and it also tels you the McDs on the way.. the kids got a stamp from every McD we stopped at.. it was fun for the ride..

 

[meloneyb21]

We're driving down in May from Philadelphia. I can't wait!

 

[Becky2005]

we are further north than becky so we do then 80 to In 65 and then 65 to 75..

we did a thing with the McD maps one year.. you can print it out and it also tels you the McDs on the way.. the kids got a stamp from every McD we stopped at.. it was fun for the ride..

I think a lot of places do that with the maps now! I know Cracker Barrel does and I've seen others too. That could be fun to print-out for all sorts of things.

Either route would work -- we debated -- DH is stubborn about the Rt. 47 and stopping at Gibson City McDonald's. It's pretty much tradition now for us heading south = 47 & a Gibson City McDonald's stop! I'm trying to convince him for next time now that I-355 goes all the way down, it would be faster.

 

[tonilea]

We are driving down and this is my plan:
Leave at midnight. DS stays w/ Granny next door, while we nap and we pick up sleeping boy and head south! I am hoping if he spends six hours or so sleeping, it will help make the trip pass faster for him.

I have a goody box with two new DVDs, two new Leap Pad games, coloring books, colored pencils, etch-a-sketch, a pin, and a few other little goodies to hand out as he gets restless.

We plan on stopping at McDonalds for at least a couple of meals. Let him play while we eat, then get him a Happy Meal to eat in the car.

Not everyone can do this, but we are planning on taking both of his car seats to reduce car seat fatigue.

Spend the night at Valdosta and only have a 3-4 hour drive the next day.

 

[Stac1023]

These are great tips. I am getting so excited.

Gibson City is not that far from us.

We are thinking of leaving early in the morning around 5 or 6

 

[bigbabyblues]

We're leaving Wednesday to drive down from Ohio, it takes us 14-15 hours, depending on traffic and stops, etc. We're driving through the night, and the kids will sleep.