Charleston to WDW road trip

[alsamant]

Hi all,
We will be driving down from Charleston to WDW on a Friday in February. We fly into Charleston airport around 1pm with 2 kids, under 8years old. Generally the kids won't go more than 2-2.5 hrs without a break, unless they fall asleep. Never driven through that part of the country and we will mostly stick with GPS/google maps etc... but wondering how safe are parts of that drive? Are there long stretches of the road without rest areas or are remote?

We will need to make quick stops in SC/GA while kds are up, and then drive straight down once they are asleep. Any areas or towns that would be good to stop for dinner, about an hr or two beyond Savannah? Any areas to avoid? Welcome any other suggestions/tips or general things that we need to watch out for.

Thank you!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

My wife and I have gone up and back from Charleston several times since we moved out here. There’s lots of rest areas and welcome centers to stop at, as well as a couple of Buc-ee’s. Brunswick would be a good place to stop for dinner. We like the Cheddars but there are several fast food places near the Sam’s Club.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm curious... why are you flying into Charleston (I assume SC, there's also a Charleston WV) in order to drive to Disney?

 

[_19disnA]

^^ I was thinking the same thing. Are you stopping to visit relatives? It is a very long drive to Orlando from either Charleston WVA or Charleston SC. Where are you flying from?

 

[Sanchez]

I live in Charleston (East of the Cooper) and have made this drive many times. Depending on your departure point the trip is about 400 miles. Drive time (without traffic and stops) is approximately 5.5-6 hours.

The key is timing the drive to minimize traffic in Charleston, Jacksonville and Orlando. You are driving on a Friday and I assume leaving from the airport around 1:30-2:00 p.m. You want to get going as soon as possible to clear Charleston by 2:30.

Assuming a 2:00 p.m. departure time, you should hit the SC/GA border by 4:00 p.m. (Using I-526 west/US 17 South/I-95 south) For some reason, traffic backs up on I-95 at MM8 in SC heading south so note that. Your best bet is to clear Savannah and stop at that point. It is ok to take a long break here because you do not want to hit JAX any time near rush hour. Assuming you stop for 30 minutes you should hit the GA/FL border around 6. As you approach JAX pay attention to Waze or Google Maps - unless there is a problem on the eastern beltway (NOT western) (I-295) you are better off taking it around Jax rather than staying on I-95. The beltway is about 20 miles into FL at Exit 362.

Once you clear Jax you are set. It is another hour to I-4 west and then just under an hour to WDW (assuming no traffic.) Of course, I-4 is terrible but you shouldn't hit it until after 7:30. The Bucc-ees in FL are at Exits 323 and 265 so they fit into your planned break schedule.

There are no unsafe areas and I am not aware of any notable construction until you get to Orlando. There are many exits and options, but in general I-95 in SC and I-95 GA Exit 36 to FL border do not have many options.

 

[mmouse37]

In December we drove from NY to WDW so Charleston to WDW seems like a piece of cake to us lol!! I discovered Buc ees on this trip. Absolutely loved it. Stopped at the one in Florence, SC on the way down (which you will be south of already I believe) and hit 2 of the Buc ees on the way back North. As a grandma with her daughter in law and 3 young kids we felt very safe driving down. We left on Sunday night at 5pm of Thanksgiving weekend and drove straight through with a few stops along the way. We made it to WDW by 1:00 pm on Monday. A 7 year old, 5 year old and 3 year old all did very well with the drive!!

Good luck with your drive. We often drive 5 hours from our home up to New England. You can do it!!!