Driving fr. NY (or nearby) to WDW

[4merlurkerchris]

Whenever we have driven to WDW in the past, we leave at 4:00am and stop near Savannah, Georgia later that night. Then about 6:00am the next morning, we leave Georgia and arrive at WDW at approximately 11:00am. Should we instead leave at 6:00 pm and drive straight through and arrive at about the same time? Thanks!!
Chris

 

[eeyore0062]

I wouldn't...that is quite a long haul, and will take you some time to get over once you get there. You are better off stopping and refreshing yourself for the night, that way, when you get to WDW, you may feel like doing something other than collapsing on the nearest flat surface!

<table width="350" border="0" bgcolor="#996433"><tr bgcolor="#F0A268"><td width="125" bgcolor="#FFCCFF"><div align="center"><img src="http://www.geraldfield.com/nadinesplace/muppetquiz/fozzie.jpg" width="125" height="108"></div></td><td width="177" bgcolor="#FFCCFF"><p align="center"><b><font size="3" color="#612203">You are Fozzie!</font></b><font color="#612203"><br><font size="2">Wokka Wokka! You love to make lame jokes. Your sense of humor might be a bit off, but you're a great friend and can always be counted on.</font></font><font color="#950000"><font size="2">.</font></font></p></td></tr><tr bgcolor="#996433"><td colspan="2"><div align="center"><font size="1"><b><a href="http://www.geraldfield.com/cgi-bin/unofficial/quizzes/sfesurvey.cgi?whatmuppetareyou" target="_blank"><font color="#FF99FF">Take the <i>What Muppet Are You?</i> Quiz!</font></a></b></font></div></td></tr></table>

 

[crazyme5kids]

We drove straight through, it wasn't a problem. We will be doing it again in Dec.

 

[RUDisney]

We drove straight through when I was 16... almost 20 years ago. Eek! We drove from Scranton, PA.

Anyway, it really wasn't a problem, well, except when my Mom kept telling my Dad that she thought she should find a gas station and he kept telling her that she had plenty of gas left even though the gauge was on E. We were stuck on the side of the road from about 3 a.m. until 6 a.m, when a very nice truck driver gave us a gallon of gas to get to the next exit. AAA wasn't an option then since no one had cell phones back then.

Anyway, we just kept alternating between my parents and me with the driving and we all slept well when got there.

My DH and I drove through the night once to Chicago, too. We had worked all day and had a business dinner that night. We decided that instead of going home to sleep for a few hours and start at 2 a.m., we'd start at 10:30 p.m. We alternated driving every hour so we could sleep, too.

The greatest thing about driving through the night is NO TRAFFIC! I think that psychologically, you know that the only other thing you'd be doing then is sleeping, so it helps the time go by better. We drove back from Chicago during the day and that was torturous because of all of the "good" things we could have been doing instead of driving. (We flew the next time we went to visit his friend there.)

IMHO, everyone should experience at least one long distance driving trip in their life. I've taken many and they sure do give you an appreciation for air travel. lol

 

[lisaost]

IMHO....no one should drive through the night without sleeping. After a while, whether you admit it or not, you get worn down, you are less alert, your reflexes are slower, and you are a danger to yourself and others on the road. I have heard several cases in the last few months of people getting killed in car accidents while driving to or from FL from this area. Two teachers from our town were among them. In my opinion, it just isn't worth it. We are stopping in Florence SC after about 12 hours on the road including breaks. That seems like the best choice to me.

Lisa

Visiting in Late Aug with hubby, 6 yr old daughter and (will be) 15 mo old boy/girl twins

 

[crazyme5kids]

I agree about the lack of sleep. When we went, my husband and I took turns so each could sleep. The agreement was that if both of us were tired we would stop,even if it meant pulling into a rest area or a parking lot along the way. We did not need to do this on the way down, but had to on the way home. We also stopped every two to three hours for a bathroom break and to move around for at least 10 minutes. Remember to bring blankets, never leave the car running while you sleep.

 

[Andrew_Lubow]

I do an overnight stop or you'll prolly be worn out by the time you reach WDW. You may be too tired the first day or two at the parks to enjoy them if you're frazzled.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Used to drive staraight thru from Baltimore (did it 4 times) but never will again. Simply too tired when we got there to enjoy myself. Now we drive to Brunswick ga. and stay. Then maybe a side trip to St. Augustine next morning and then on to WDW. Much more relaxed feel to our trip.

 

[4merlurkerchris]

Thanks for all of the replies!
Chris

 

[buddy&wooz]

Please! Don't drive straight through. The husband of a dear friend of mine was recently hit head on by a driver who fell asleep. He's alive, but with his legs so severely damaged he may never walk again.

It's just too dangerous to risk.

We're driving down from NJ, but the drive will be part of the fun, taking 3 days (2 overnights) to get there and 4 days to get home. Planning the route was as much fun (well, almost) as planning WDW! If you're in a hurry, fly!

 

[chach]

Hello,
We are from southern NH.

First time we stopped halfway down, got a hotel room at
noon and laid in bed until 7pm, we just couldn't sleep. We
took showers, packed up the clothes and portacrib and were back on the rode by 8pm.
Second trip I drove straight through (29 hours down/ 28 hours back). We left right after dinner so the kids would sleep for the first 10-12 hours and I wouldn't hit any traffic. When I got tired I'd either stop somewhere and walk around for awhile or I'd take a power nap in a rest area.
Third time will be next June and I plan on driving through again.
The best part was that I allowed 2 night each way so we picked up some extra time at Disney World.