Driving, from MA, RI ?

[MICOL]

We are thinking about the 22 hour drive over 2 days each way for next year. Would you folks who have done this in the past do it again. Or was it an awful thing. I think the ride anywhere is ok but the ride home could be very long. Any thoughts would be appreciated plus or minus.

 

[Disney Ron]

from RI, and wouldn't do it again.

I don't mind driving, and the ride down isn't bad when one is filled with anticipation about ones upcoming vacation, but the ride home can be difficult.

If you truly don't mind it then drive and enjoy, but for me flying out of Providence at 7:30 AM and landing in Orlando at 10:15 AM just can't be beat.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy!

Disney Ron

 

[mickeymule]

My dad and I did it in December and brought my son back up with us (17) in a snowstorm as a matter of fact. My dad loves driving down and we had no issues at all. We drove 95 most of the way down except in New York and went around DC I think it was around on a 295 type beltway. When are you going and if you want our route, I can PM it to you???

Good luck

 

[Jacksmom99]

We drive every year and take two days to do it both ways. We have played around with the start times (ie. leaving @ 7 or 8pm vs 4 or 5 am) I've decided that we will not drive the over nights anymore. I could never get enough sleep while DH was driving, so when it was my turn, I was not in any condition to drive. Also, we would reach our destination hotel really early and have to make a decision as to cancel the reservation and keep driving or stop and loose driving time.

This year we are leaving @ 4am and driving to Lumberton, NC. AAA says it 12:30 hrs from Norton using 95 and taking the Tappen Zee bridge route to the NJ turnpike. We are planning to arrive in Lumberton by 6pm at the latest including bathroom and rest stops.

We also are going to try the Mass Pike to 84 in CT this year. 95 through CT has had a lot of night construction the past few years and it has really slowed us down. Also, the last leg of our trip is on Sunday afternoon/evening and the traffic has been really bad.

We really don't mind the drive and spend the time on the trip home planning our next trip to Disney!

 

[autumnblue]

Hey Jacksmom, I'm right next door in Attleboro

I actually don't mind the drive but I'm not the one driving. I've driven 5 of my 7 trips to WDW. My sister lives in Raleigh NC so I usually stop to see her so its like two vacations. This year I plan to fly but I'm getting a little freaked out about travelling just before the election, so we may end up driving again.


Autumnblue

 

[MICOL]

We are trying to figure the cost, we guess about $250 for gas and an extra two nights at hotels $50-$75 type. This is Vs. getting Airfare during April vaca can be $250 x 4 plus rental car of $200 for Minivan. So it looks like $400 vs $1200. We have flown the past 3 trips with Delta when they had the direct flights and it was great, now only SW has directs out of PVD and Logan is not fun to get to.

 

[mickeymule]

We have used SW without issue from Providence and this trip my wife and I are going JetBlue. My dad is dropping us off in the morning and on the way back, we are using the logan express to Braintree where my inlaws will pick us up with our kids to say welcome to reality ;-)

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

It was my first time driving to Disney. We drove down at the end of March when Route 95 was a mess and there was a traffic jam from Boston to Delaware.
Me and my 3 year old daughter picked up my wife from work in Downtown Boston on Friday at 1:00 in the afternoon and were walking around Downtown Disney on Saturday at 1:00 in the afternoon.
We stopped for gas every 200-250 miles, went to the bathroom and traded places behind the wheel. NO PROBLEM!
On the ride home, we left Disney at 11:00 in the morning and cruised with no problems to North Carolina.
From North Carolina to Boston we drove all night in the pouring rain and got home at 9:00 the next morning.
We stopped for gas every 200-250 miles, went to the bathroom and traded places behind the wheel. NO PROBLEM!
We drove down in our Nissan Xterra, the gas and tolls cost us $300.
Even with the traffic jams and the pouring rain It was alot easier than going to and from Logan airport, hanging around the airport, flying down and going to and form Disney and Orlando...and $1,000 less.
NO PROBLEM!

 

[Cora]

Jacksmom99,
In case you haven't driven 84 in a while...coming through Hartford can be a nightmare if you hit it around 4pm also 84 has A LOT of construction - right outside of Hartford, also in the Danbury area. If you belong to AAA you may want to check with them regarding construction areas in CT. I'm also assuming that you will be going 84, 684, 287 and over the Tappan Zee down the NJ Turnpike. We'll be taking that route going to Williamsburg in June.
Good luck
Cora

 

[paulinewdw]

Not too bad...really! I like to drive, so I do all the driving Mass pike to 84, over tappen zee etc....I like to leave on a Friday night
stay over in NJ make it to south Carolina on Saturday then arrive at Disney on Sunday night. I have three boys and we have done this since they were infants!

This year we are flying, since I happened to get in on the $49.00 flights on SWA from Manchester NH. I live very close to Logan...but for that price I am driving up to NH.


We also plan our next trip to the world while driving home!

 

[Jacksmom99]

Originally posted by Cora
Jacksmom99,
In case you haven't driven 84 in a while...coming through Hartford can be a nightmare if you hit it around 4pm also 84 has A LOT of construction - right outside of Hartford, also in the Danbury area. If you belong to AAA you may want to check with them regarding construction areas in CT. I'm also assuming that you will be going 84, 684, 287 and over the Tappan Zee down the NJ Turnpike. We'll be taking that route going to Williamsburg in June.
Good luck
Cora

Cora,

Thanks for the heads up. We've never driven this route before, I will check AAA for construction updates. We plan to hit Hartford around 4:30 am on a Thursday morning. If we take the same route home, we will be there around 4pm on Sunday the following week. Could you post about the route after your June trip?

Thanks,
Kim

 

[Cora]

Coming through Hartford at 4pmish shouldn't be a problem on a Sunday. However, the toll for the Pike may be backed up when you hit it around 5p.
Cora

 

[Snowysmom]

We drove from Mass to WDW this past summer and would definately do it again. We had a great time. The ride home was long but we were tired from WDW so it wasn't bad.

 

[ushkina]

We never drove, but I just wanted to say that we got air tickets for 116$ rountrip non-stop flight from PVD to MCO with SW - if you can this price, it is not worth driving.

 

[twoeeyy]

Hi . we usually drive down every year.

this year because of gas we are flying on jet blue we got excellent rates for this oct.

We leave early enough from mass to avoid the NY traffic


We usually stop at about South of the Border then get up early the next day and finish the trip

depending on if we stay most of the last day in the parks we usually take two night to get home ( thats if we dont leave WDW until about 5:00 )


What I have done for our daughter is pack a bag of various treats ( usually from the dollar store and every so often she gets to reach in the bag and pull out a surprise ) This ensures that she will be on her best behavior if she wants to get a prize.

I am actually a little bit dissapointed that we are not driving down and will not have our own car, with us.

 

[tebookie]

Originally posted by paulinewdw
Not too bad...really! I like to drive, so I do all the driving Mass pike to 84, over tappen zee etc....I like to leave on a Friday night
stay over in NJ make it to south Carolina on Saturday then arrive at Disney on Sunday night. I have three boys and we have done this since they were infants!

This year we are flying, since I happened to get in on the $49.00 flights on SWA from Manchester NH. I live very close to Logan...but for that price I am driving up to NH.


We also plan our next trip to the world while driving home!

Just as a FYI...if you find 84 to 684 too busy, try 84 to 91 South to 95, then hookup with 287 and 87 to the New Jersey Turnpike. I find the Route 91 route a little easier with the Hartford traffic.

 

[Michael623]

I did it once and would never do it again. With the increasing price of gas I think you can fly cheaper. Make sure you check all of the rental car companies if you fly because the price difference can crazy. As far as getting to Logan it has gotten much better. If I were you I would take 95 to the pike and you can cruise right into the airport. Plus there are far options from Boston, flight wise.

 

[Jacksmom99]

Hi Michael623, we used to live in Stoughton and my kids both go to daycare & preschool there!