BEWARE! If you are driving through Atlanta to get to Disney!

[dlaushey]

We are leaving Knoxville around 6:00 am next Friday, which should put us in Atlanta around 9:30. Can anyone tell me if this might be in that magical hour that things might be calm?? Also, given the Atlanta potential hang up, can anyone tell me about how long it takes to get to the Mouse's House from Knoxville?? It's our first time coming from there.

Thanks!!

If you are getting to Atlanta around 9:30a I would definitely use 285 East instead of going through downtown. The rush hour down 75 has been running later and later especially on Friday mornings. In fact you might hit traffic about 5-10 miles out from 285 near 575. Take 285 East to 675 which will run you to 75 South. Btw, to exit onto 285 East you will need to be in the far right lane which will take you up and over to head East.

We have made the trip from North Atlanta to Disney many times (too many to count). If we leave at 5:00am on a Saturday we are usually walking into a park by 12:15pm. Keep in mind though, we only make 2 stops (1 if the kids can hold it), we eat breakfast and lunch in the car, bathroom break when getting gas or rest area, we check-in after we have gone to the park for the day (we have AP's).

 

[dlaushey]

Use I285 around the city. That's the only route for trucks so you will have that kind of traffic. Stay with the traffic and don't pay attention to the speed limit signs. There are HOV lanes and they are on the left. They are NOT separate from the rest of the traffic, just a specially marked far left lane. The rules are kind of funky for entering and exiting. You should only enter or exit when there is a dotted line and not a solid one. Stupid, I know but at least it's a lane.

I don't know of any HOV lanes on 285. HOV lanes are only on 75 and 85 going through the city and some North of 285 on 85.

And do be a little nervous on 285. It is a Race Track! If you go less than 65 you must stay right. The left 2 lanes are usually doing 85+.

 

[ilovebassets]

I've lived in Atlanta since 1990 (basically grew up here), and I-285 isn't THAAAAAT bad. You just can't expect to drive the speed limit, that's all. But if you keep up with traffic and cruise at 75 mph, you'll have no problems!

When I went to college out of state, it amazed me that people actually drove the speed limit in other cities. I thought everyone routinely just cruised at 75 in major metropolitan areas.

 

[Disney grandma]

What route did you take to go through Alabama? We live in central Illinois. I checked the map and was wondering if you go around St. Louis towards Mempis and then south. Thanks.

Mickeymousemom - in rechecking the map I see where you probably go down 65 out of Nashville. If so, what route do you take after going around Montgomery?

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

I think the only time we've ever gotten through Atlanta easily was when we went through at 2 AM from driving overnight! LOL!

The first time we went down we hit Atlanta around 11 AM and got stuck on 285! We were there for about an hour... and then got stuck for another hour right outside of Macon. My husband doesn't like driving through Georgia during the day now. He was so exhausted when we got to Gainesville for the night.

 

[kaysmommie]

We are leaving Knoxville around 6:00 am next Friday, which should put us in Atlanta around 9:30. Can anyone tell me if this might be in that magical hour that things might be calm?? Also, given the Atlanta potential hang up, can anyone tell me about how long it takes to get to the Mouse's House from Knoxville?? It's our first time coming from there.

Thanks!!

It averages 10 hours for us. We stop for few bathroom breaks and a drive thru for food at lunch time. we usually bring a cooller too for drinks and snacks. We have driven to Disney 3 times now. The quickest we have ever made it was 9 hours on the way home once. we have only run into traffic in Atlanta & Macon too on a friday evening around 7 and 8 PM. we have only taken 75 and cruised through Atlanta every other time but that one. Have a safe trip.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Seriously, I would stick with 75. Get all the way over into the HOV lane and it's a straight shot through the city. Construction, in my guess, will be confined to the weekends, during the week you will just have to deal with rush hour (for about five hours worth on either side).

285 is known as the Atlanta Autobahn at our house -- if you aren't familiar with being a speed racer or get freaked out merging quickly and often in spaces more suitable in size for Power Wheels instead of normal cars -- don't get on it.

Having said that, I would rather tackle 285 any day of the week over Tower of Terror. But I have been driving it for 14 years.

 

[mking624]

Of course it would begin April 5th...as that's the day we'll be driving through there to get to Florida. LOL Ah well, we're from Chicago originally...construction & traffic is a way of life.

 

[Conan the Librarian]

It's easier to just anounce when they are NOT doing construction on I-75/85 than to say when they are not.

Construction is just part of the Atlanta experience.

You could always go down I-26 and hit I-95. Little bit out of the way, but, you end up close to the Ocean!

 

[JonS99]

I have driven 285 a lot over the years, never noticed it going faster than traffic in any other major city...

 

[FFerret]

SO GRATEFUL to everyone posting!
We'll doing Disney end of this week and next, and then will be at Mr. FFerret's baby cousin's wedding. In Atlanta

 

[OB1]

lived in Atlanta for all my life (over 50 years) Traffic is always bad, construction is always going on someplace. You also run into construction when you get near Valdosta (20 miles from the FL line). 285 is a tough road to drive. It feels like a 70 mph traffic jam in very tight lanes. Just hang on and take your time - just like going through the parks. You'll get there when you can. It may take an extra 30 minutes, but be careful. Just make sure you don't try to make up time when going through Macon - they will get you!!

 

[waynesgirl]

We will be driving down through Atlanta in June, and now, NOT looking forward to it! On our last trip, we drove down on Thanksgiving day--it was GREAT!! No traffic anywhere--it was like having 75 to ourselves! (Even through Atlanta) I am subbing to this thread so that I can keep all your tidbits for when we venture through!

BTW--what makes 285 so scary? Just wondering!

Even though it is 55 mph, MANY people have been caught doing 87, 92, even in the low 100's around it. It's just crazy! But, if you grew up here, not a biggie! And I have lived other places-especially Boston-and it's a lot worse in other places, but the simple stupidity of the drivers here is amazing!

 

[disnut8]

lived in Atlanta for all my life (over 50 years) Traffic is always bad, construction is always going on someplace. You also run into construction when you get near Valdosta (20 miles from the FL line). 285 is a tough road to drive. It feels like a 70 mph traffic jam in very tight lanes. Just hang on and take your time - just like going through the parks. You'll get there when you can. It may take an extra 30 minutes, but be careful. Just make sure you don't try to make up time when going through Macon - they will get you!!

Very well said. And just to mention to people that are going to be taking I285 and don't feel comfortable going 75 MPH, you don't have to. You can do the speed limit. But if you do decide to slow it down, move over to the far right lane, please. And we do recognize the out of state license plates so we give you a break. We even have our counties on our licenses plates so if you aren't from a county around here, we give you a break too. But please stay to the right.

And OB1 is absolutely correct with not speeding in south Georgia. If you go a certain amount over the speed limit (10 MPH) you HAVE to appear in court. You can't just send in your check for the fine. So unless you want to come back to our fair state, keep to the limit.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Construction on 75 will continue until November.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Just make sure you don't try to make up time when going through Macon - they will get you!!

Well, not only there, but Forsyth too, because that is where they train the GA State Troopers, Sheriff's Deputies, Police, Fire, and HazMat teams. They train RADAR use there and have to try it out on someone and it's usually the folks going down 75 thru Forsyth.

 

[RachelTori]

Very well said. And just to mention to people that are going to be taking I285 and don't feel comfortable going 75 MPH, you don't have to. You can do the speed limit. But if you do decide to slow it down, move over to the far right lane, please. And we do recognize the out of state license plates so we give you a break. We even have our counties on our licenses plates so if you aren't from a county around here, we give you a break too. But please stay to the right.

And OB1 is absolutely correct with not speeding in south Georgia. If you go a certain amount over the speed limit (10 MPH) you HAVE to appear in court. You can't just send in your check for the fine. So unless you want to come back to our fair state, keep to the limit.

I respectfully disagree! I've never seen anyone give a slower driver a break on 285!!!

 

[OB1]

just be happy you are coming through here in the warm weather. You should see us drive on the ice!!! Same speed as usual, just slam the brakes on when you need to slow down.

 

[photobob]

Any idea on how long this will be going on? We are headed down this fall and we usually go that way.

It's been going on for decades. I live about 90 miles from Atlanta and we drive through every year going to WDW plus a few times visiting family. There was a joke 25 years ago about Atlanta that still stands true today, "If they ever finish it, it'll be a nice place."

 

[CheshireVal]

The sad thing is that you don't even need construction to have bad traffic in Atlanta. It's pretty much always bad trying to get through on I-75.

The worst section is south of Atlanta, near McDonough/Locust Grove. There is a traffic jam there pretty much 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I haven't figured out a good way around THAT.

When we were driving home from Disney back in November (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), traffic was so bad in that area that we just got off the interstate and tried to find our way home via back roads. It took us almost 10 hours that day from Disney to home, when usually it takes 8.