Driving from IL

[janie91]

We will be driving from southern IL and plan to drive most if not all the way to WDW in one day about 930 miles. We are considering an overnight stay within a couple of hours of WDW or less. Our resort reservations begin the day after we leave home so we will be staying offsite the first night even if we make it all the way to WDW area. Any hotel suggestions? We will also make the most of our last day at the parks and begin to drive home after they close. I would guess we will be tired and won't make it to far so I'm looking for hotel suggestions. I posted this on the budget board before finding this travel board. We have checked into a Fairfield Inn in Gainsville, FL but I didn't know if this is a good place to stop.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[Chicago526]

Sorry, no real help here. I drove down in '98, but it was from Chicago, and we stoped in Murfreesburo, TN which is just outside of Nashville. I didn't like the hotel we stayed at but can't remember what it was. I think it was a Choice hotel, but I'm not positive. We then stayed outside Orlando the night before staying on-site. It was a Quality Inn, and we loved it! I just can't remember which one. I want to say it was on International Drive.

Anyway, have a safe drive down!

 

[clkelley]

We always stop at the Super 8 in Ocala both directions. It is about 75-80 miles north of WDW. There are many other hotels of various rates and calibers at the two Ocala exits to meet everyone's needs.

It is close enough for the trip down to check into your WDW resort early the next morning to have a good room selection.

It is close enough to WDW for your last day that it is an easy drive when you are tired to get to your bed.

It is far enough away from WDW for your driving day, that you are not tempted to go back to WDW for one last shopping trip or meal, etc. to delay your drive home.

Carol

 

[momtotwinglesx4]

I think you will be fine making the drive in one day, but if you have kids with you, be sure to bring plenty of car activites for them (dvd player/movies are great for passing the time!).

There are tons of off-site hotels to choose from--check out the "orlando hotels and attractions" board for recommendations for cheap, clean accomodations.

Your plans for the return trip don't sound so great though. Do you really want to start driving after a long day in the parks? If it were me, I wouldn't be able to enjoy my day knowing I had to drive any distance after we left the park. It would be a dark cloud over my day!

Instead, why not spend another nite off-site and then just get up early the next morning to drive home?

Good luck!

 

[janie91]

Our plans are still up in the air for the return trip home, it will depend on how early the parks close and how tired we are. We plan to stay 8 nights/9 days. So after the first couple of days we may slow down a little when we are convinced we have time to do it all. All our vacations in the past, though never to Disney, include getting up very early and not returning to our room until everything in town is closed. It's possible we will crash off site, but ideally we would like to make it a couple hundred miles to cut hours off the next day because we will return to work the morning after we get home.
Thanks for all the advice!

 

[clkelley]

When we do drive (we're only 670 miles from WDW) we have found it quite advantageous to get out of town a little bit on that last night.

The two times we stayed on WDW property our last night intending to drive out the next day, it has been about noon before we managed to hit the road and makes for a long drive and getting home late, and we always have to be back at work the next day.

It is much easier to leave Ocala fairly early than it is to leave Disney property and get on the road!!

Then we get home at a reasonable 8 or 9 instead of after midnite!!

carol