Anyone else enjoy the drive to WDW?

[momof2disprincesses]

We've done the drive from Appleton, WI 5 times now. It is 1162 miles and usually takes about 24 hours. I can't say I "look forward" to it, but I also don't dread it. I like seeing so much of the country and having our own vehicle in WDW.

We have always driven straight through, but this next trip (March 2011) we do plan to leave around 4am on a Saturday and stop overnight in Macon, GA. That way we only have a little ways to drive the next day and hopefully we won't be exhausted when we arrive.

Our oldest dd is 18 so the last few years, we've allowed her to do some of the driving but she isn't coming in March since she's in college and doesn't have the same spring break as dd15.

Airfare at peak times (Christmas and Spring Breaks) is so expensive that we typically choose to drive at those times and fly the rest of the time.

 

[dvc_john]

I live about 1250 miles away. When I was working, I always flew to conserve vacation time. Now that I'm retired and time is not an issue, I drive, and depending on the route, I may take anywhere from 3 days to a week. I usually take extended trips (2-3 months in the winter, 3 weeks or so in May and October), so having my car is better than airfare plus several weeks rental car.
The problem for me is that I'm really tired of the shortest route, and I'm running out of alternatives. The direct route is thru So Ill, Paducah, Nashville and Atlanta.
Recently I've gone up the east coast (Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Washington DC, then west), a westerly route (Destin, Biloxi, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis), and up the middle (Destin, Birmingham, Nashville). I've even gone via Chicago, Louisville, Lexington, Chattanooga, Atlanta. I'm really running out of ideas!

 

[Who's your Mickey?]

I-95 is the most boring road on the planet... Love Disney, but I loath the drive down I-95....

 

[dianeschlicht]

The problem for me is that I'm really tired of the shortest route, and I'm running out of alternatives. The direct route is thru So Ill, Paducah, Nashville and Atlanta.

That's the exact route we took as well.

 

[Conan the Librarian]

We drive down I-95 from Savannah. We're close enough that we don't have to 'Power Drive' to get there, so, we've been known to drive US-17 down to Yulee and then cut over to A1A to Daytona. Did you know there is a car Ferry across the St. Johns near Jacksonville? We try to make the trip the first part of our adventure. When we do this, we come back I-4 to I-95 and home.

Other times we do it the other way round. It can be just as fun.

We do it often enough that we bought a Sun-Pass box for the toll road (417) around Orlando.

 

[tmm09]

I love the drive, too!

We used to fly, but it got too expensive. We're in MD, so it's just under 1000 miles and we do it in 2 days b/c of the kids. We stop in Savannah and have dinner, swim in the hotel pool, then go to bed early, so we can be on the road to Disney early the next morning.

My favorite part is crossing the Florida state line and stopping for OJ at the welcome center!

 

[Micca]

I hate long car trips, but flying has become so unpleasant I think when we're retired we may consider a drive. We're about 900 miles away.

 

[wildernessDad]

I hate driving from Maryland. I don't even rent a car while I am in Orlando. I use ME to the resort from the airport and resort transportation.

 

[DVC SSR Owner]

Nope! Rather fly!

 

[kaffinito]

We usually drive down from MI and then take the Auto Train to Lorton VA on the way home. That way I only have an 8 hour drive home, and I get to sleep on the train.

I like the drive down, we usually stop in Valdosta GA on the way down, since I hate having a lot of hours to drive until we get to WDW. That drive from the Florida state line to WDW seems to take forever!

I've thought about flying but I'd need a lot of something to make me get on a plane again.

 

[Cajun28]

We're right at 700 miles and 10 1/2 - 11 hours away and I love the drive to WDW. I find the drive from Pensacola to Tallahassee the longest part, although it's not as bad as it used to be. When we first started driving the route, there were very few stops and nothing to see but trees between the two cities, which made for a pretty boring stretch of highway. Once we hit Tallahassee, I know we're getting closer. Then, when we turn onto I-75, we feel like we're on the "downhill" part of the trip and know it won't be long. The only bad part of the trip is when we're on the turnpike, we miss the orange trees we used to see when we first starting going to WDW. They once had orange trees as far as the eye could see. It was a beautiful sight and it's sad to not see them.

 

[Hibernians]

looks like we're doing the drive for the first time (I did it a couple of times years ago before wife and kids). We'll be driving from Mass. and haven't decided if we want to drive straight through or stop for one night.

I'm thinking of driving most of the way and maybe staying at a hotel a couple of hours north of Orlando for the night and then arrive at WDW the following morning ready to go.

Curious - for folks who drive, what time do you arrive at WDW - and do you hit the parks or hit the sack ?

 

[dbprimeaux]

If you think Tallahassee to Lake City is a long boring ride, try Mobile to Lake City. We're actually on I-10 from Lafayette, but that AL-FL drive always seems to be the worst. Nothing like the turn South, though.

On our last trip, we were only there four four nights (three days and four nights), and we drove all the way there without stopping and all the way back without stopping (except for fuel and food).

Now for June's trip, we'll be stopping in Tallahassee on the way there and Daphne, AL on the way back.

We always drive to WDW. We live in Lake Charles, LA and it is about a 13 hour drive for us.

I agree....the worst stretch is Mobile, AL to Lake City, FL.

 

[CrazyDuck]

I tried to drive there but I didn't get very far before the car died!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We always drive to WDW. We live in Lake Charles, LA and it is about a 13 hour drive for us.

I agree....the worst stretch is Mobile, AL to Lake City, FL.

Yeah, I-49 from Shreveport to Lafayette isn't so bad.

 

[Carl'n'Ellie'sDad]

We've driven from NE PA four times to the World. Love all the mentions of ChickFilA, South of the Border, and the Florida Welcome Rest Area. My wife and I lived in NC for 4 years, so we have to find every Bojangles that we can while we're in the Carolinas. Also tried a Zaxby's in SC in '09, and thought that was fantastic.

We've typically tried to split the ride in 2days. We also have always stopped at a Hampton Inn at DeBary FL on I4, about an hour from WDW. We do some shopping on Sat. Night or Sun. Morn at WalMart so that we're stocked in our room for afew days. Might not do the shopping run, as we're staying Sun & Mon at Universal and arriving at SSR on Tuesday.

We used to hit I 95 in Fredericksburg VA from US17, which avoids the Beltway and N VA rat race, but even that stretch from Fredericksburg to Richmond has gotten crazy. We tried going down I81 to Blacksburg then to Charlotte, and that was much calmer, even when we hit afternoon Charlotte traffic.

We'll see how well we all travel in June -- last time DD was 11months and whenever she would cry in the car, we'd turn on a Disney CD I'd made that started with the Country Bear opening number and she'd laugh. This time DD will be nearly 3 and DS will be 18 months. I'm guessing we'll be investing in a back seat DVD system this spring! Wife took DD by plane in Oct, and said she had good luck keeping DD occupied with the iPad. We'll also have to try out starting our own "state line crossing traditions."

 

[Tigger1]

I enjoy the 1350 mile each way trip so much that when planning I look over the maps on the internet, get all the AA maps and ask friends every year what route they take. Thats been going on for over 10 trips in the past 14 years.

I get excited when we get Dallas, shreveport, to I-10, I12, I10 AGAIN, Tunnel in Alabama, Florida Border line, Then we stop for a night or two, Then I-75.
I start hopping in my seat the closer we get to Disney.

 

[katmittens]

We have driven at least 25 times to Disney. We flew twice when the kids were little and both set of grandparents came with us. In 1993 we bought our first van and we were hooked on road trips. I am now on my 6th. van. I just got a new Honda Odyessey mini van last month. I even went out and looked for another car or SUV, but went back to the van. Our kids are now 23and 26 and will be going with us in June. DH and I are leaving Saturday for two weeks in Florida (if we don't get snowed in).

Since we started driving we to have our routines. Chick Filet, Zaxby's and Bojangles, can't get them in NE Pa. Side trips to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Savannah, beaches in Florida on East and West coasts, and many side trips to Durham, when DS was in law school. We have had so much fun in the van and so many laughts. I would not have traded it for anything even getting there in maybe 4 hours of flying. We live about 1,100 miles to the World. We usually stay over one or two nites on the way down and on the way back. It always has depended on the kids schedule with school. DH is ok with taking off 7 or 8 work days so with weekends it works out great. I have rhematoid arthritis so I don't work, so my job is to make all the plans.

DH is home sick today with the flu, so wish me luck that I don't get it since we are leaving on Saturday. We will have 1 day at Vero, 3 in Fort Lauderdale, and 7 at Disney. I will have a glass of OJ at the rest stop in Florida for everyone.

 

[tidefan]

We love the drive. It's about 8.5 hours from our house in SE Birmingham. Since we live out on HWY 280 already, we take it down to Columbus/Phenix City, then cut over on US 80 to I-185, then pick 280 back up at Ft. Benning (this avoids all of the traffic and lights in Phenix City and Columbus). From there, we cruise down to Albany, then through Sylvester and pick up I-75 in Tifton. At that point it is a straight shot to WDW.

We have started to take the Western Bypass (429). Love that there is hardly ever 2 other vehicles on that road...

 

[Iheartdis]

We have driven at least 25 times to Disney. We flew twice when the kids were little and both set of grandparents came with us. In 1993 we bought our first van and we were hooked on road trips. I am now on my 6th. van. I just got a new Honda Odyessey mini van last month. I even went out and looked for another car or SUV, but went back to the van. Our kids are now 23and 26 and will be going with us in June. DH and I are leaving Saturday for two weeks in Florida (if we don't get snowed in).

Since we started driving we to have our routines. Chick Filet, Zaxby's and Bojangles, can't get them in NE Pa. Side trips to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Savannah, beaches in Florida on East and West coasts, and many side trips to Durham, when DS was in law school. We have had so much fun in the van and so many laughts. I would not have traded it for anything even getting there in maybe 4 hours of flying. We live about 1,100 miles to the World. We usually stay over one or two nites on the way down and on the way back. It always has depended on the kids schedule with school. DH is ok with taking off 7 or 8 work days so with weekends it works out great. I have rhematoid arthritis so I don't work, so my job is to make all the plans.

DH is home sick today with the flu, so wish me luck that I don't get it since we are leaving on Saturday. We will have 1 day at Vero, 3 in Fort Lauderdale, and 7 at Disney. I will have a glass of OJ at the rest stop in Florida for everyone.

I'm also from NEPA and will be driving down in April. About how much money do you put aside for tolls and gas?