Driving from Boston to WDW

[cinmell]

If any of you out there have driven from MA to WDW how long did it take you and how many stops did you make? Did you get directions from AAA or internet? Where would be the best place to obtain driving directions for this drive?

 

[CamColt]

We have made the drive twice and plan to do it again in August. It has taken us just under 24 each way, both times however we always seem to have a little something to slow us down(downpour, traffic, getting lost...). We only stop for gas/bathroom breaks and 1 fast food meal(with my kids, its not too fast ). I like leaving around 10:00am because by the time the sun comes up and the kids wake up the next morning, you are almost there. Once we did 3:00pm-3:00pm and it seemed like we were driving for 2 whole days.
We got directions from AAA
I highly recommend a tv/vcr too.
Good luck!

 

[cinmell]

Thanks Camcolt! I think we are going in October and we are still considering driving. I would like to drive straight thru but my mother would want to stop in a hotel over night. Has anybody done this \drive and stopped over night? I'd like to arrive in WDW by 10 or 11 am so what time would recommend leaving Boston and where have you stopped on the way (to sleep)? Thanks!

 

[Andrew_Lubow]

I've driven down to WDW from NJ a few times and figure it takes 2 hours per hundred miles including a rest/gas up stop. I use AAA to plan out my Triptik. It gives me an easy to read route maps and guidebooks to plan overnight and sightseeing stops along the way. I'm getting the impression you'll have more then one driver in the car? It'll make it much easier if you do.

 

[Snowysmom]

We are planning to drive to WDW from Mass. and were wondering if it is better to follow AAA triptik directions and go over the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York or follow Mapquest directions over the George Washington Bridge? We are tending to follow AAA directions since they seem to be much clearer. Now if the teenagers will settle down and not ask "Are we there yet?" every 100 miles we'll be all set.

 

[joeokw]

We live right near the Tappan Zee bridge and I work right near the George Washington Bridge..... I have a few tips. Avoid the George Washington Bridge at all cost. I do not know where in Mass. you live... but if come down the Mass Turnpike you can use the New York State Thruway and take the Garden State Parkway to The NJ turnpike. or if your coming down 95 take the Tapppen Zee and take the GSP to the NJ turnpike ... but do it in the AM only... if you hit the Tap after 3 pm you are going to be stuck in traffic. This is good for weekdays.. on weekends it is a crapshoot.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by Snowysmom
We are planning to drive to WDW from Mass. and were wondering if it is better to follow AAA triptik directions and go over the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York or follow Mapquest directions over the George Washington Bridge? We are tending to follow AAA directions since they seem to be much clearer. Now if the teenagers will settle down and not ask "Are we there yet?" every 100 miles we'll be all set.

We have had pretty good luck with the AAA triptik directions...just a few minor mess ups. They sent us over the Tappan Zee bridge. We didnt hit traffic there, but we have gone on Saturdays. It may be different on week days.

 

[Snowysmom]

Thanks for your help. We do use the Mass Turnpike and it looks like we will be heading over the Tappan Zee Bridge bright and early on a Friday morning.

 

[kylara]

I have done this trip in reverse many times. I have driven from GA and FL to MA at least once a year since 1995. I don't use AAA triptik (I don't trust then since I got one back in 1994 when I moved to GA...sent me through GA on some back road with no lights and no gas stations for miles). I just pull out my US atlas and plan my own way.

Since it is often just me and my dog, I usually stop for the night. On the way up, it is usually after I get through Maryland and on the way down, it is usually after I get past DC (I usually try and hold out until South Carolina to make the next day a shorter drive).

I tend to take a strange route since I by-pass NY/NJ as much as possible. I take the MA pike to I-84 to I-81 to I-83 and catch up with I-95 there. By doing this, I go around the NY/NJ/Philly area and the only real heavy traffic I have to deal with is the Baltimore/DC area. I just try and time it that I am going through there either late at night or very early in the morning.

 

[disneyorbust]

We just got back and this is what we did: left 6PM Wed night and drove straight through - we planned to stop in GA overnight but we felt fine and kept going the extra 5 hours. We arrived at WDW around 5PM Thursday. We were also towing a pop-up. The kids loved it because they fell asleep in NJ and woke up in SC so the ride was easy for them. My DH and I took turns driving. We left WDW Monday at 10AM and arrived home Tuesday at 10AM. We ran into a severe storm and construction in DC late at night. If you can take turns driving and sleep in the car, driving straight works out well. There's barely any traffic at night. Once you hit NC, you can almost do autopilot. No traffic and straight down.

 

[Steve Hurley]

twice when our kids were 10 & 8 and 12 & 10 from Mass. Left at 4:00AM and drove to Pheasant Hill GA just south of Savannah. Arrived at 10:00PM to hotel (made reserv. prior to leaving) Got a good nights sleep and left around 8:00AM to WDW arriving around Noon time. Liked doing it this way as we arrived in WDW with a good night sleep under our belt. We would check in and head to pool for afternoon and then head to one of the parks at night.

I definately recommend using the AAA TripTik. But i still have it embedded in memory.

Mass Pike to Rt 84 to Rt 684 to Rt 287 (Tappan Zee Bridge) to Jersey Turnpike to Garden State Pkwy to Rt 95 to Beeline around DC to 95 all the way to Rt4 West to WDW.

180 Exits in North Carolina!!!!!!!!


Good Luck

 

[disneydebi]

We also are driving from MA. AAA has us going 95 to Tappan Zee to NY State Throughway to Garden State Pkwy to 95 (nj Turnpike).

My inlaws say we should go Tappan Zee to 287 through NJ and connect back to 95 from that. They said to avoid the Garden State, but AAA internet site seems to indicate construction on 287?

Which way would be best? Anyone done it recently?

 

[Snowysmom]

We plan on following that route this year too. A coworker drives from MA to Florida every summer and follows the AAA trip tik to the letter. She says you just need to be careful and have the best navigator calling out the directions and the best driver driving around the big cities.

 

[goofyforwdw]

Hi we have driven to WDW many many time since my youngest was 2 and she is now 16. We have tried AAA trip pic and many different rts .We think the one I am listing below is the best , nice highways, nice rest stops ,good traffice flow. When we did the 95 rt I would cringe everytime we had to use a bathroom on the NJ turnpike (gross). Stopping to pay tolls every 10 miles was no fun either, and no matter what time we hit the Tappen Z there was a 2 hr back up, noit to metion driving through Harlem in the middle of the night. Things may have change since we have not taken 95 for sometime now but I love this other route and you can ask AAA to map it out for you. In milage it is 50 miles longer but in time it about the same on a little less. We have made the drive straight through in 23-24 hrs also have stayed over night at South of the boared I know some crindge at that place but we have had good luck a big room that had two beds and a pull out sofa good for us as we are 5. and indoor pool so no matter the weather the kids go to burn off some energy in the pool huge gift shop to brouse and get the kids if they were good some cheap trinkets.and have a good chuckle at some of the stuff they have. We have not found anywhere there that we want to eat at so we packed some Kentucy fried chicken and took it with us. got up the next more and got on the road ate breakfest at Clarks resturant about an hour from SOB then to Fw by 1 am or so. The route is from Melrose we take
128 to 90 to 84 w
84 w to Rt 81 south
81 S to 66 E
66 E to 17 E
17 E to 95 S
95 S to Rt 4 to DW
Good luck ,drive safe, have fun.
Brenda

 

[diskids2]

If you will be going over the NY NJ bridges at night or at the crack of dawn (before 5 AM) either will be fine unless there is construction going on at night.

If you are traveling during rush hour, and are going from NY Westchester to NY Rockland I would take the Tappan Zee and avoid the GWB at all costs. The Tappan Zee bridge is very busy Rockland to Westchester in the am and the reverse in the pm rush hour. Friday night rush hour Westchester to Rockland or NJ to NY is a nightmare.

During the day (after morning rush and before evening rush), I would take the Tappan Zee bridge.

Hope this helps.