Driving from Jersey

[Dawn414]

Being a fellow Jerseyean, I'm lovin' this post. We are going several times between April '07 and April '08...We're flying down in April (icky airfare price), September (good airfare) and driving down in November. Our plan is to leave around 6pm or so after Thanksgiving and go until I'm tired...probably early/Mid-North Carolina. (I'm usually the driver versus my husband as I get car sick). Our twins will be 4 at the time...my biggest 'concern' about stopping is as it relates to potty breaks. I can hold it, but they can't...But I figure if we leave Thanksgiving night, we can get into Orlando that Friday afternoon, stay at a random hotel and then check into our vacation club (not Disney) that Saturday and we'll still be well rested. Looking forward to trying it out, actually...I've driven to Myrtle Beach, that's as far south as we've gotten driving.

be well all!
Dawn

 

[diz8297]

We come from Rhode Island and we have driven down 5 times and are planning number 6. We've done it even without dvd players, although I must admit it is easier with. Our boys bring their gameboys also. They have learned so much about traveling-about using maps, following directions. We stop every year in Florence, SC at the same hotel, and we have breakfast at the same IHOP. We arrive in Disney around 3p.m. on Sunday. It's the only way we can afford to go to Disney every year, and frankly, now I prefer it to flying. My mother comes as well so the boys are not sitting together (cuts down on fighting) and they bring pillows and blankets. Don't be afraid of it-we have had our share of adventures-travel tie ups, even driving into the remnants of Hurricane Charlie in 04. But hey, it has just made the trips more interesting.

 

[java]

We drive- with 4 children it is much more economical for us to drive.. And easier to lug all the junk with your car! We have found the easiest way to do it is to leave around 4- we say 3 but never get out that early... Kids go to bed in travel clothes- we just swoop them into the car- usually they stay asleep or just take a little light music to get them back. We drive until 8 for breakfast and bathroom (usually the kids are slowly waking then) back in the car- get their car treats(usually a new game for a game system- or crayons for the little guys..) that is good for about 2 hours- then pop in a video when that is over we stop for lunch. Everyone out of the car-(30 minute break here) back in and we drive until around 5-6. We get to Georgia. We may try to go a little further this time. But the travel works well- and the kids know we are stopping at a hotel they behave with prospects of a pool dip. Then up bright and early usually another 5 hours to disney and we are there by lunch!
One tip MAKE A HOTEL RESERVATION!!! you can always cancel it if you feel you can travel further- but when you need it it is a godsend.... trust me.

 

[jndmommy]

Aahh. Thanks, you have all eased my nerves about driving down there. My dh, is looking forward to it, and now I am not scared. So thanks from this neurotic mom in Jersey.

 

[momtoce&j]

Would you mind sharing this info with me please? We will be driving down in May. I was looking for info on the I-95 site but didn't find what i was looking for like gas stops etc. Thanks in advance!

Hi....sure as soon as I pull out our lime green Disney binder, I'll try to get that for you. We just got a new computer for Christmas, so I'll try to pull up our favorites from the old computer. I had collected alot of great websites for our Disney trips and will look for those to give you all too.

As I am still recuperating from surgery, I should be able to get to this tomorrow.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

We have driven from NH a few times now. It has gone well for us. I pack a cooler, so all we buy is gas. Single parent on a budget here. I love having our car, we don't use it on Disney property, we give it a rest, lol, but I like having our car cause whatever you buy you just pack and forget about it until you get home. And you can grocery shop. We kept the cooler full and got ice from the hotel everyday. We always seem to overpack though.

We get up early say 4-5 a.m., drive a long day, stay overnight and then get up early again and drive another long day. We get into Florida and stay on route 192, a day before our reservations start at Disney.

I tried to keep journals of our trip, but never seem to finish them. I get all my receipts for gas. We drove down in August for the free dining and the gas was high. But it was still cheaper than the 4 of us flying. But I got a ticket in New York on the way home, so that added to the expense.

I had the car serviced before we left, but it needed it anyway.

We pay no tolls cause we don't get on route 95 until the end of Virginia.

 

[HACAM]

We drove last year in March, and found it not too bad, the kids were great (DS10, DS8, DD5, last year), we packed lots of snacks, drinks, games, DVD, they had their gameboys/PSP's, etc. We left our home in Eastern Ontario at 2am, and landed in Florence SC at around 5:30pm. Stayed there for the night and headed for WDW the next morning, Florence is about 7 1/2 hours from WDW. This May we will be driving again, but plan on leaving at 4pm in the evening and driving straight through the night. DH will be coming off midnights so it works out perfect, he will start out driving, we will stop someplace at around 6-7pm for dinner, and then head down the highway.
We hope to be in Orlando at around 2-3pm the following day, if all goes well.

 

[sleepinbootie]

We've driven 3 times from S. Jersey and only hit bad traffic on one trip home. Nothing worse than sitting in traffic with only laundry to look forward to.

Something that helps us on the long and even short drives now is books on CD. Our library has quite a few of them and I downloaded a bunch (itunes has some and audible.com has a lot even for really young kids). We did all the Narnia books and the last one was Peter and the Starcatchers. DS10 and DS 7 I kind of expected to get into it (better than a movie as you can play your gameboy and listen) but I was also happily surprised that DD3 liked to listen, too.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Disneytwinz]

Hi....sure as soon as I pull out our lime green Disney binder, I'll try to get that for you. We just got a new computer for Christmas, so I'll try to pull up our favorites from the old computer. I had collected alot of great websites for our Disney trips and will look for those to give you all too.

As I am still recuperating from surgery, I should be able to get to this tomorrow.

Thanks so much! Hope you are recouping well!