Anyone with experience driving from NYC area to Disney?

[Williamsfamily7]

We've actually done it a few times, but never during August. We're leaving on Saturday, August 12. Not sure if we'll leave early in the day, stop somewhere for the night, and finish the trip on August 13, or if we'll leave really late on Saturday and drive straight through for arrival on the 13th. Any suggestions? Is it difficult to get a hotel on a Saturday night during August near I95? We drove out to the mid-west one year and had no choice but to drive all night because we couldn't find any hotel with a vacancy! We really wanted to stop and it wasn't fun to just have to keep driving!!! Anyone have any advice or suggestions about the drive in general? Thanks.

 

[java]

I would make a reservation just in case- and most along I95 allow for a 6PM cancelation- so if you feel like you want to keep going at that point you could always cancel. We are driving down in the morning- we live in western NJ now. We are planning on leaving around 4AM we'll see how that goes. good luck and have fun.

 

[DeeDeeDis]

Weve driven to Orlando in August from Mass about 7 times starting back in our college days some 26 years ago to our last road trip in August of 2002. Never bothered with any hotel reservations and we're always able to find a cheap hotel to crash.

We usually play it by ear. Sometimes the ride seems like a breeze, other times it seemed to be very stressful like the year with all the thunderstorms and a tornado touching down or the year the highway was on fire.

Normally once you get past washington dc its a pretty easy ride other than Jacksonville.

Our best trip was leaving Springfield, Mass at 10pm, that would get us driving thru NY around 12:30am. We past washington dc about 5:30am and stopped at a rest area for a two hour power nap, which lasted us until Hilton Head where we spend two nights right on the beach - what a beautiful area.

have a safe trip

 

[Cupmom]

We're driving down this August from LI. Last time we left about 5am and drove to Lumberton, NC. That is considered the midway point between NYC and Disney. Coming home we stoped at Rocky Point NC.

This year we are leaving 8/14 stopping in Cary, NC to visit relaitives for a couple of days and the driving to Savannah GA overnight stay and then checking into Disney on the 18th.

Coiming home we're taking the Auto Train. The drive down is fine the drive home seem extra long since your tired from a "restful" vacation at WDW.

 

[Hef4545]

We prefer to leave on the weekend as we don’t hit any construction delays (knock on wood…) and you don’t have to worry about rush hour. We do the bulk of the driving the first day leaving at about 3:30am and usually stop by 7:00pm. We do bathroom, gas stops, fast food lunch and I have a snack bag in the car. I make a couple of reservations as I am a little particular where we make our stops and as another poster said, you have until 6:00pm to cancel without penalty. You just cannot predict weather or accidents and we have encountered both which caused major delays but most times, we usually stop in Savannah, Georgia (about 800 miles done) or Brunswick, Exit 38, Georgia. We have a good dinner and then take a dip in the swimming pool (I pick a hotel with an indoor pool so weather is not a factor) before going to bed. Next day we don’t rush as much. We get back on the road by 9:00am, have a pancake house breakfast and head to Disney. This gets us there just around check in time. There is a very nice web site to check for feedback on hotels and restaurants along I 95. It is good to look over. As for the trip home, for us, it seems to go faster than the trip down. I can never figure out why and we drive straight through. We leave the same gruesome time from Disney, about 4:00am, and are home the latest by Midnight.
Check out www.drivei95.com

 

[Williamsfamily7]

First of all, I have to tell you that I TOTALLY agree about the ride home thing! I think that every single long road trip we've taken (including 3 to Disney), we've driven straight through on the return home......the trip always seems shorter!!

Thanks for the info in your post. I appreciate it. I'm still a little conflicted about when to leave. So many different possibilities!!

Anyone have any motels they have stayed out and would recommend? I'm sure we'll get at least to South Carolina - probably George, so anything in those states right off I95 would be what we're looking for. Of course cleanliness and price are big considerations, but other amenities (pool, free breakfast) aren't important at all. We will definitely just sleep the night and hit the road in the morning. (Probably stop for breakfast at a Waffle House - my DH and DS love them!!!! Luckily my health-conscious DD will be flying in with my sister and meeting us down there!)

Again, thanks to anyone who has given me info so far.

 

[debbie655]

Hi Williamsfamily7,

Just had to respond to your post because we're also going to Disney, driving from NY leaving Aug 11. We've done this every year for quite a few years now. Normally we leave somewhere between 6pm - 9pm and just drive all night but it just seems to be getting harder and harder each year. The hours between 1 am and 5 am are rough. This year we decided to leave very early am and stop for the night probably around SC or Georgia. I think it will make for a much more pleasant trip. I don't have any recommendations for you as to hotels but I seem to recall many recommending Brunswich Ga as a good stop for the night. That's where I am hoping to stop.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Hi all....been driving from Long Island to WDW twice a year since 1985...so I would consider myself somewhat road weary and expert only took a plane down 3 or 4 times in all those years....the LAST time that I drove straight through with catnaps along the way (and mind you I usually go solo) I swore I would never do that again, by the time I hit the world, I felt and looked like roadkill....I will be staying at motel 6 Fayetteville, NC on way down and then continue on early the next morning looks like it's right off I-95....safe trip have fun ...haven't made ressies for trip home but will probably do the same thing on way back.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Great info on this thread. We have never driven from LI, but with the higher airfare, we might consider it.

I apologize for asking an Off Topic question, but does anyone have a rough idea of the cost to travel by car (gas, tolls)?

Thanks!

 

[NewJersey]

I"d also like to know how much it costs to drive since I can't find air for less than 250. Although I don't know if I can handle driving to FL...I'd go insane!

 

[Luvchefmic]

I"d also like to know how much it costs to drive since I can't find air for less than 250. Although I don't know if I can handle driving to FL...I'd go insane!

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

 

[MinnieFan]

We have also driven down several times from LI. We leave at 3 a.m. which is great, we completely miss rush hour in the NY metropolitan area and are practically to Virginia by 9 a.m.

We usually stop overnight in southern North Carolina, but last time we stayed over in Hilton Head, SC to try out the DVC there. It was a very long day on the road the first day, but only about 6 hours to WDW on the second day.

DH swears that he could do the whole drive straight through, but that it just too much time in the car for the DKids.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Great info on this thread. We have never driven from LI, but with the higher airfare, we might consider it.

I apologize for asking an Off Topic question, but does anyone have a rough idea of the cost to travel by car (gas, tolls)?

Thanks!

Re-Gas check out link I posted for New Jersey poster, re tolls check out

http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm OR http://www.drivei95.com/

 

[Williamsfamily7]

Thanks so much for that site!! Even if you figure in a hotel and meals it's still cheaper for us to drive. Any way, we actually enjoy the drive.....it's part of the tradition. Crackerbarrel, Waffle House, some BBQ by the side of the road in Georgia. Maybe if money were really no object at all (not in this lifetime) and I enjoyed flying a little more than I do, we'd hop on a plane. As it is, the drive down really is part of our vacation. We gave our son the option of driving down with us, or flying with his aunt......he'll be in the car with us. Our daughter, however, has chosen to fly. She likes the idea of getting there quickly, but I know a part of her will miss the fun we have on the drive down. More room for her brother to stretch out in the back however. See, it's all good!!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thanks so much for that site!! Even if you figure in a hotel and meals it's still cheaper for us to drive. Any way, we actually enjoy the drive.....it's part of the tradition. Crackerbarrel, Waffle House, some BBQ by the side of the road in Georgia. Maybe if money were really no object at all (not in this lifetime) and I enjoyed flying a little more than I do, we'd hop on a plane. As it is, the drive down really is part of our vacation. We gave our son the option of driving down with us, or flying with his aunt......he'll be in the car with us. Our daughter, however, has chosen to fly. She likes the idea of getting there quickly, but I know a part of her will miss the fun we have on the drive down. More room for her brother to stretch out in the back however. See, it's all good!!

I LOVE the Crackerbarrel....it's not a road trip unless I hit at least one been a family tradition forever....brings back so many memories of trips long gone dds are now 30 y/o tomorrow and 32 in Oct....I don't hate to fly, but love the road trip too....will be flying in Nov though, keep us posted on your trip I am sooooo excited I can hardly wait

 

[NewJersey]

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

Thanks!! It'd cost me 250 plus 20 dollars in tolls, so it's about 250 cheaper than flying...hmmm something to think about! I'll have to discuss with bf.

Thanks again, what a neat site.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thanks!! It'd cost me 250 plus 20 dollars in tolls, so it's about 250 cheaper than flying...hmmm something to think about! I'll have to discuss with bf.

Thanks again, what a neat site.

You're Welcome &
Oh a few other things I forgot...the trip wouldn't make you insane, the trip can be 1/2 the fun with the right attitude...my first road trip I was 17 newly licensed and drove to California with a dear friend....I'm 52 in Sept, at 22 you can do anything !! AND Congrats on the new job

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Thank you for those links, Luvchefmic! That really gives me something to consider.
BTW, we love Chef Mickey's too!

 

[NewJersey]

You're Welcome &
Oh a few other things I forgot...the trip wouldn't make you insane, the trip can be 1/2 the fun with the right attitude...my first road trip I was 17 newly licensed and drove to California with a dear friend....I'm 52 in Sept, at 22 you can do anything !! AND Congrats on the new job

I must admit, I know I"d have a good time becuase I'll be with the bf but I just hate losing all that time you could be in Disney to driving. I'm going to talk about it with him tonight, and it'd be a cool way to see the I-95 corridor south of DC which I've never been able to see!

I actuallly start my job the day after we get back!

 

[cranbiz]

I drive from Carver, MA all the time. With an additional driver and driving straight thru, stopping for gas, potty and one meal, I usually do it in 20 hours.

From Central NJ, I would think that your travel time to WDW would be about 15 to 16 hours. If you look at flying, the time needed in total is 8 hours on average and can be a lot more if you have flight delays.

Now, I have found the fuel calculator to be a little off. It's a great tool for a guestimate. Depending on the actual MPG of your vehicle, your costs may be a little more or less. I also think the tolls from Central NJ will be a little less than $20 R/T (but not much maybe $3 to $5 less)

SO.......

If you and your bf drive, you are not really losing all that much time at WDW. If you leave in the evening (say 6pm), you will be at Disney by noon. If you flew down the same evening ( 6pm flight) you will get there by 10pm any you would be able to do things the next morning but is it worth the $250 for a couple or extra hours? If it is, then fly. If it's not, then drive.

If you are staying on property, then you can use ME and won't need a car therefore saving the cost of a rental. If you are not staying onsite, then you will need to factor in the rental car costs also.

Having the car with you will let you take advantage of shopping the Disney outlets off site. There are many bargains there to be had. Most stuff is 50% off onsite Disney pricing.