Driving from Detroit

[cariann77]

Looking on thoughts and suggestions regarding the long drive from Detroit to Disney. How do you break up the drive? I'd love to be able to drive overnight, but I don't think that is a safe option for us. Ideally, I would like only one hotel stay on the way down and to arrive at Disney around 1-2pm on a Sunday.
**We're traveling with 3 kids...16, 9, 8, and 2

Here's my plans. Wondering if it's doable or if anyone has any better suggestions.
Depart 3-4am Saturday and drive as far as we can. Aiming for FL, but not sure if it is doable.
Stay overnight
Depart 8am to Disney.
On Sunday, we need to check in and have a 5:10 ADR.

How do you do it? Do you pre-schedule your over night stop and book a hotel or find one on the way?

TIA

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I would definitely discuss your options. I've driven to Disney from Wisconsin without stopping overnight, however I'm also an insomnia sufferer and my father is a bartender, so both of us were prepared and used to the lack of sleep that we would be facing. However it is doable. If you do want to stay overnight somewhere, definitely plan out your stops beforehand. I find that makes it easier. Look at restaurants, rest stops, etc. I would also note areas that would be a quick stop for a bathroom break if you need one. So I think you should certainly try and work out beforehand if driving straight down is doable or if you'd rather stay overnight.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We always try to plan our departure so as to avoid rush hour traffic in all the major cities we'll pass through. If it looks like you can't avoid one, maybe stop short & use that time for a meal break, or even a nap. No sense being in the car if you're not moving anyway.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

We drive from Michigan quite often. We leave early and usually stay in Macon, GA on the way down. Everyone will be more than ready for a break by then! Then the next morning, we have about 6 hours to go and manage to get to WDW for lunch.

 

[powellrj]

We live about 4 hours south of Detroit and our trips usually start with us leaving about 5pm and driving till Knoxville TN. We stop for the night and then start out early the next morning and drive all day and arrive around dinner time. Going home we leave 1st thing in the morning and drive all the way home just stopping for bathrooms, gas and meals and will arrive home around midnight.

I would never suggest anyone do their trips this way because the only reason we do is because we leave when DH gets off work on Friday and then turn around and leave on Saturday morning so we can regroup for going back to work on Monday.

 

[TOOFARFROMFLORIDA]

We have drove from Toledo a few times and we have left at many different times too. I prefer to leave really early and stop somewhere near Macon, GA. We have left later in the day and stopped sooner in lower Tennessee. I cannot drive overnight. I like my sleep too much. For us, I have found that leaving early and stopping in Georgia is a good plan. It helps to have a reservation not only because its usually cheaper than just walking in but we have had times where it was more difficult to find rooms. It is nice too because you have a goal of where you want to be and can plan according to that. I tell the kids we have X more miles and it should take however much longer. It helps to have a goal.

We pack snacks and drinks that help keep stops to a minimum. We stop to get a quick meal, use bathrooms, gas up, and get back on the road. We also eat light before we leave. Dvd players, headphones, laptops, ect help too.

 

[Mouse3Dad]

In NE Ohio here. Door to door it's 16 hour drive for us. We have done it a few ways.

Trip 1: Leave Friday 8am (DW works till 7:00am) - Stop in Savannah GA overnight fir sleep. 11 hours
Depart GA at 8am - Arrive 1pm at the resort.

Trip 2: Leave Friday afternoon 3:00pm - Stop 8 hours in splitting the trip in 2 equal days staying in SC
Depart SC at 8:00am - Arrive at the resort around 5pm (bad storms in Orlando).

With the ADR at 5:10pm, I would agree with your first suggestion of making it as close to FL as possible. I know my brother (in Columbus) took 75S to Macon, GA and said it was an easier drive on the 2nd day.

 

[cariann77]

In NE Ohio here. Door to door it's 16 hour drive for us. We have done it a few ways.

Trip 1: Leave Friday 8am (DW works till 7:00am) - Stop in Savannah GA overnight fir sleep. 11 hours
Depart GA at 8am - Arrive 1pm at the resort.

Trip 2: Leave Friday afternoon 3:00pm - Stop 8 hours in splitting the trip in 2 equal days staying in SC
Depart SC at 8:00am - Arrive at the resort around 5pm (bad storms in Orlando).

With the ADR at 5:10pm, I would agree with your first suggestion of making it as close to FL as possible. I know my brother (in Columbus) took 75S to Macon, GA and said it was an easier drive on the 2nd day.

Thank you! That gives me a little bit of a guideline to go off of. Macon to Orlando would probably take us a little less than 6 hours. So, i think if we shoot to go a little past that we'll be in good shape. Think we'll go with our early morning start and aim for as far south as we can get. Hoping the kids cooperate! I had planned on booking a hotel, but think I'll wait until we're well on our way and have a better judge of our progress.

 

[NinaBella]

We recently drove from Tampa to Detroit. We stopped overnight just North of Atlanta in Marietta, Ga (at a military reserve base because rooms are $44 a night). During our stop we went into downtown Atlanta and took the kids to World of Coke (military get in free). My kids have been there three times but still love it. It is right next door to the Georgia Aquarium. We also rode the skywheel and walked around Centennial Olympic Park.

I wouldn't drive "as far as you can" if you plan to stop. I would pick an appealing location to spend the evening, such as Atlanta or whatever appeals to you.

I lived in Valdosta, Georgia for a few years. That is a decent place to stop. It's a military town. Exit 18 or Exit 16... both lead to the same intersection with a mall, but exit 18 is a bit closer to the mall. If you want to google map this exit look up Lowndes High School and then go to street view and you can explore around the mall area for places to eat, etc. Disney is going to be about 3-hours drive from Valdosta so it would be a short drive the next day.