Driving from Dallas

[kalebjaxonsmommy]

I have used several different map planning services and have come up with 2 different routes.

Can anyone who has driven from Dallas to WDW please tell me your route?

I am driving to Dallas from Tulsa to pick up my aunt and then we are driving on from there. I am a little nervous driving there without my husband.
I want to take the fastest route.

Also, are there any places of interest to stop on the way? I am taking my 2 year old and 11 year old and I know we will need to make several stops along the way. I woud like to make it something interesting and fun for the kids if at all possible.

Thanks so much!

 

[HaleyB]

Search the transportation board. There is a thread with all sorts of route info for Dallas to WDW...
Nothing from Austin to WDW, as it turns out, but tons of info for Dallas to WDW.

 

[kalebjaxonsmommy]

Thank you so much!

I am so stupid! I saw the transportation link but since it was highlighted, I thought it was just a header for the other subjects under it so I didn't even try to click on it.

DUH!

Thanks again! I will look there!

 

[Tigger1]

We drive from Dallas to Disney every year. Usually we go to Shreveport (about 200 miles),

Turn South (I think it is Highway 49) (another 200 miles),

Go to Interstate 10, 10 changes to 12 then back to 10 around Baton Rouge (I think this is a 600 mile stripe on Interstate 10),

Take 10 to Interstate 75 in Florida heading south( under 200 miles).

Take the Turn pike near Disney, exit to Interstate 4. Disney is about 10 more miles on the left.

WE stop at Destin which is about 30 miles out of the way but a nice stop for two days on the beach.

We stopped at a Golden Corral in Marshall Tx for Breakfast. It was pretty good and reasonable.

Another stop is at Shoneys at Marianna on the interstate 49 stripe between Shreveport and Interstate 10.


I think there is a Official Disney visiter place in Ocala Florida, next to it is a Sams club.

We have also taken another route that you go on Interstate 20 from shreveport. You then travel a couple hundred miles and then take a highway down towards mobile Alabama. This highway seemed to take forever.

Let me know which route you take.

Tigger

 

[Nebsky]

Ill be taking that exact route in about 9 days...
ill be driving from Flower Mound....

Pensacola is a nice place to stop at. If you have kids and family who like airplanes, be sure to stop and check out the Naval Air Museum. From what I have heard, its great. We will be stopping there on the way back. If your driving through on a Tuesday morning, go to the beach. They have an area set up with bleachers so that you can watch the Blue Angels practice over the ocean.

Mobile is pretty neat too from what I heard. You can take a tour of the battle ship there. Not sure what else....Saw on the map that there really is a place called Bayou Labatre. I just thought that was a made up city in the movie "Forrest Gump". Maybe youll see Forrestt and Lt. Dan. LOL...

We are planning on leaving at 0300 or 0400 on 3/9 and driving all the way to Lake City, FL where I10 and I75 cross. The first day will be a long one, but, the 2nd day will be easy and we will be able to jump into the park right away...

I hope you have a VCR/DVD player....Its a long drive!!
Gotta keep the kiddos entertained.....
When are you leaving?

 

[kalebjaxonsmommy]

I am driving to Dallas on Friday the 12th to pick up my aunt. She works until 3:00 so I figure it will be 5:00 before we head out of Dallas. We are going to drive as far as possible that night so our drive on Saturday can be more leisurely. Our reservations for PC are for the 14th. We don't have any set plans for Sunday so we can also make a leisurely drive that day and see other sites before our room is ready.

My van has a vcr and i have been buying movies that the kids haven't seen to hopefully keep them occupied. And of course, I have a supply of the Wiggles and other annoying characters to keep the 2 year old happy.


My mapquest map had me driving to Jackson, MS and then turning south but it sounds like I would be better off taking a different route.

Our goal is to travel at least 5-6 hours on the first night so I need to figure out a good place along the way to stop.

Thanks so much for your advice!

 

[scanmom]

(whew...what a name!!LOL!!). We are from Muskogee...small world! We are heading that way the same week...spring break! We are staying offsite in a condo. Wear a lime green ribbon, maybe our paths will cross! Have a great trip!

 

[Nebsky]

kalebjaxonsmommy

We are checking into Pop Century the SAME DAY...and looking at your posting picture, we are leaving to go home the same day too...If you see a Pearl White Mitsubishi Endeavor with a RON JON surf shop sticker on it and Texas tags, thats us.....
Like I said, we are planning on leaving at 3am and driving for 15-16 hrs...Get up the next morning and go check in if possible. If not, leave the bags with Tyler and his group and jump into the parks. You should consider doing this too. If you get in at 8am go check in. They will give you your tickets so that you can start parkhopping right away..No sense to miss a day if you paid for it.
Of course Im assuming you booked a package not just a room.

We will have lime green with us...

A fellow Dis-er is going to be there at the same time too, except her and her family are flying down on the 12th. KathyTX is her name. We met via this board. Our kids are in the same day care and know each other. We have mini-Dis meets a couple times a week....

Thanks Map going to Jackson is just screwy. I got the same thing on Yahoo! maps. I talked to a friend who has AAA website access and she pulled it up. It has the I20, I49, I10, I12, I10, I75 route. It even tells where there might be traffic....Maybe we link up and form ourselves a convoy.....LOL

HOLY COW!!!!
Im single digit dancing again!!!!!

 

[Tigger1]

You can put in cities in between your destination on map quest to get the route you want.

I think I put in to go to Shreveport, then to Marianna La, then to Disney.

Does anyone know of a good route to take in Dallas? We will be coming from Wichitah falls.

Tigger

 

[Nebsky]

There are two ways you can do it....

Take 287/281 south out of Witchita Falls and link up with I35w and then go I820 east then south and link up with I20 to Shreveport.

The other way (way I would go) would be 287/281 south out of Witchita Falls to Highway 380 east...This will take you to I35...
About 2 miles south you will come to an interchange for I35e and I35W. Take I35e to Dallas....Then stay on that to I635 . Take I635 east and follow it around to where it links with I20 and take I20 to Shreveport....

 

[kalebjaxonsmommy]

Scanmom

I was born in Muskogee, lol.

Actually I have to go to Muskogee quite a bit for my job. I am a sales rep for a company based in New Braunfels, TX that supplies Albertsons with their movies in thier rental department.

I can't keep a person in that store so I end up having to go back and work until I hire a new person. The one in there now is pregnant and due very soon and I am hoping she waits until after my trip to go into labor because I refuse to cancel my trip.

I discovered your water park this summer and plan on taking my kids there alot this summer.
I couldn't believe Muskogee had a place that nice and that it isn't more widely known.

 

[Deb & Bill]

About 14 hours from Shreveport to WDW. Take I-49 to Lafayette, then get on I-10. Nothing much on I-49 between Shreveport and Lafayette except Alexandria and Nachitoches. Lots of hotels around Lafayette or Baton Rouge. It's about 2.5 or 3 hours to Lafayette from Shreveport. You could probably get to Lafayette.

Marianna, LA is not ringing a bell with me. I know there is a Marianna FL in the panhandle.

 

[scanmom]

the water park is nice...we really enjoy it. We usually go 2-3 times a summer, we would go more, but we have a pool at home. I am an ultrasound technologist at Muskogee Regional...I probably did the prenatal ultrasound on the employee you are talking about!!! I hope her pregnancy doesn't affect your vacation! that would be the pits! We will be at the world the exact same dates you will be, so I hope we run into each other...I will probably be stopping everyone that has any lime green on!!! My DH says I am crazy!!! But I love it! I am going to put lime green ribbons on all my kids!!

 

[cajunmommy]

Deb & Bill - From a fellow Louisianian - Marianna doesn't ring a bell with me either. Hmm.. am I that geographically impaired with the area north of Alec???

Anyhow to those of you doing the I49- I10- I12- I10- I75 route, the traffic gods must've been smiling last week. Hubby & I commented that the trip felt quicker than usual. We attributed it to the fact that there were no construction delays the entire route!!! (shhh - they might hear me). There was very little construction activity, and most of it was on interchange work off to the sides of the highway.

Give us a wave as you're passing through Baton Rouge!!

Happy trails!

 

[Belle5]

DebandBill,
Hmmm....we must take a lot more potty breaks than y'all because 14 hours from Shreveport to WDW seems awfully quick!


kalebjaxonsmommy,
Sometimes we leave Dallas at 5 pm and have found Lafayette to be a good stopping spot. Think it was the Hilton we got on Priceline for Lafayette once...???

 

[Tigger1]

Where did I come up with Marianna? It is in Florida. Sorry about that. I was thinking Alexandria. Is'nt Lafayette about 200 miles from Shreveport? I think it would be a good stopping point if you care to check in kinda late. I hate the exit onto I-10 from I-49. It can be heavy traffic. Late at night might not be so bad. If your used to Dallas traffic it will be nothing. Be careful and have a great trip.

Tigger

 

[Deb & Bill]

Alec is about 120 miles from Shreveport. Lafayette is about 200 miles from Shreveport. Takes about 2.5 - 3 hours to get to Lafayette from Shreveport. Baton Rouge is only another 40 minutes from Lafayette. The road from Lafayette to BR goes over the swamp, so there may or may not be anything to see.

 

[kalebjaxonsmommy]

Thank you so much for all of your help!
I re-routed our trip taking everyones advice.

I think we will make Lafayette or maybe Alexandria our goal for night one and then take Saturday at a leisurely pace. Even if the route to Baton Rouge is just swamps, that fascinates me.
Being from Oklahoma where everything is ugly, I love seeing the scenery everywhere else.

One more question...

On this route, where would be a nice place to stop at a beach so the kids could see the ocean? Neither of them have ever seen it so I want them to get to stick their feet in just once.

Thanks again to everyone for all the information you have given.
I hope to see some of you at WDW!

 

[Nebsky]

Id stop in Pensacola...
In fact we will be stoppin there on the way back...

 

[Troyfus]

Pensacola looks to be about two thirds of the way there from DFW to Orlando. That would make a good "get out and stretch" stop.
My two sons have never seen the ocean either.
Do the beaches there have seashells?
Where in Pensacola is the best place to stop?
Are there other beaches on the way to Orlando that might be better?
Thanks for any suggestions.