driving from Michigan

[aerials friend]

We are driving to Disney for the first time and are looking at spending the night possibly in Chattanogga as I believe that will be almost 1/2 way. The challenge is I don't know where to stay?? I want to make sure it is a safe area and not far off 75. If anyone has any great reviews or ideas on a good location I would greatly appreciate your info.

Thanks

 

[disneyfan1992]

I don't have an answer, but was going to post the same question. Thank you for asking.

 

[MidgeD79]

I have made the drive from Monroe to WDW about 7 times and i have never made a reservation for the mid-way point. I usually stop at the welcome center of Tennessee or Georgia and pick-up on the hotel guides coupon books. I recommend "Along I-75" with Dave Hunter as an excellent map and info book. I buy a new one every year we go (usually every other year) and donate the previous one to the library. I buy my Pepsi (only Coke at WDW) in Ohio so I don't have to worry about losing the deposit from the cans/bottles, take lots of electronics for the kids, and a cooler for the pop,snacks,etc. I make the drive a part of our vacation and many times the younger ones didn't want to leave the hotel we were at. If you have any questions, I would be happy to help.

 

[carol-lamb]

I have driven to WDW many times from the metro Detroit area and we always do a big push the first day and stop over in Calhoun, Georgia. We get up real early the next day so we don't hit Atlanta during rush hour and we usually get to WDW in the early afternoon - maybe around 1 or 2. On the way home, we will stop over in Jellico, Tennessee (right near the Kentucky border). My parents always do the same thing too and in fact, just got back this past Saturday!

 

[maxiesmom]

I just asked my dad this question, as he has drove from Michigan to Florida many times. He said that he drives farther than that the first day. Usually to northern Georgia. A good thing to do is to plan your travel time to avoid any of the major cities (Indy, Atlanta) at rush hour.

Do you have AAA or know someone who does? They can plot your trip for you, and their maps are the best! Plus their tour books will give you tons of help with picking out a hotel.

 

[SparrowsWing]

We just made the MI to Disney trip last month. We usually try to push past the bigger cities (like Chattanooga). On our trip down, we stayed in Dalton, GA at a new Holiday Inn, right off 75.

We've made this trip many times over the years. We typically stay in Hamptons, so we can get free breakfast in the morning. Unfortunately, the Hampton at the Dalton exit was older and had room doors on the outside. That is my one MAJOR rule-We don't stay in hotels with room doors on the outside of the building. Too much coming and going by anyone and everyone. We had a bad experience when our kids were really little and ended up leaving in the middle of the night because neither my husband or I could sleep!

Best wishes on your trip. You'll be able to find lots of hotels right off 75, no matter where you decide to stop.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Should you decide to stay in Chattanooga I would recommend the Hampton Inn Chattanooga-Airport/I-75, located off exit 5.
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/...ionid=4ZQOFXHRGJIE4CSGBIY2VCQ?ctyhocn=CHASFHX

However if you want to drive another half hour into Georgia, then I would recommend the Hampton Inn located off exit 333 in Dalton.
http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/...ionid=4ZQOFXHRGJIE4CSGBIY2VCQ?ctyhocn=DNNWSHX

 

[aerials friend]

Thank you so much to everyone for your advice. A friend had mentioned to avoid Atlanta between 8-10am and 4-7pm, so we are really going to try to make sure that happens. I always fear staying in an area that I don't know. So I appreciate your info as we set out for our first road trip to see the mouse

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thank you so much to everyone for your advice. A friend had mentioned to avoid Atlanta between 8-10am and 4-7pm, so we are really going to try to make sure that happens. I always fear staying in an area that I don't know. So I appreciate your info as we set out for our first road trip to see the mouse

You're welcome and good luck with your trip planning.

 

[Sandi]

I'm a Michigander and made that trek several times in my youth. My sister wound up living in Calhoun, GA for a couple of years and said that every spring break and around the Christmas holidays, there would be tons of cars with Michigan plates at the area hotels. Calhoun is a bit more than 1/2 way from mid-Michigan and is before Atlanta, so you get through that city before its afternoon rush. (Good to avoid morning rush, too.)

 

[kristenrice]

We leave two weeks from today!

Our plans are slightly different. We are leaving in the afternoon (around 3:30) after DD6 gets out of school. We have a reservation in Seymour, IN (Fairfield Inn) for the first night. The next day, we'll drive all day and stop in Lake City, FL (another Fairfield Inn) to get a good night's rest. That way, we can sleep in a little the next morning and only have a couple hours to Orlando. We have a "dinner" reservation at 3:30pm at T-Rex and we are going to brave the MK after dinner...on a Saturday...the night before Easter. (Hey, I have to show DH what WDW looks like when it is crowded)

On the way home, we leave early in the morning (after filling up at Boma) and we'll probably stop somewhere around Chattanooga. We're not sure yet where we will stop since it will depend on when we finally leave and how well the kids (and some of the adults) are holding up. Luckily, my parents are coming with us so we will have four drivers in one vehicle.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

The next day, we'll drive all day and stop in Lake City, FL (another Fairfield Inn) to get a good night's rest. That way, we can sleep in a little the next morning and only have a couple hours to Orlando. We have a "dinner" reservation at 3:30pm at T-Rex and we are going to brave the MK after dinner...on a Saturday...

Thats funny, we live in the Chicago area and always drive to Lake City on the first day and this time we have a 3:30 reservation at T-Rex the day we get to Orlando...

We stay at the Fairfield in Lake City last time, this time we are staying at the Country Inn and Suites..

 

[CoachG]

We're considering driving next year and I've heard how bad it is trying to get through Atlanta - Google Maps shows an alternate route that goes down I-95 through the Carolinas - its about an hour more drive but I was curious if anyone had taken this route? I thought maybe we could drive to SC and stay there for the night and then head to WDW from there in the morning to break up the drive.

 

[hearts8701]

we drive from chicago and get to dalton GA.if we stop thats usually where we stay its a college town if you stop in TN. mufreeboro exit 78a & b is a nice area walmart..restaurants..motels

 

[marius97]

We're considering driving next year and I've heard how bad it is trying to get through Atlanta - Google Maps shows an alternate route that goes down I-95 through the Carolinas - its about an hour more drive but I was curious if anyone had taken this route? I thought maybe we could drive to SC and stay there for the night and then head to WDW from there in the morning to break up the drive.

We did that last year on our trip from MI. Going down, we went through Atlanta. We caught the tail end of rush hour on a friday in June. We stayed in HOV lane all the way through downtown. It wass no problem. We never went slower than 55mph while the regular lanes went 30 mph at best. You could also take the bypass around Atlanta, though I hear that can get pretty bad too.

Coming home, we went up 95 into the Carolinas. Nothing wrong with that route, just a bit longer. I'd have to look at the map again, but it seemed like we went through fewer big cities that way.

Here is what I am doing for our next trip: I created a schedule of what time we leave, with drive times to all the cities. If that schedule would put me in Atlanta around rush hour, we would have gone the 95 route. But for us, we are hitting Atlanta at an off peak time, so we'll be fine.

 

[eeyoremommy]

I live in between I-75 and I-95. I used to live in Chattanooga and have driven 75 a lot. I also used to live in the Carolinas (both NC and SC) and have driven 95 from FL to NC a lot. I now live in southern Georgia. I will be more than happy to help with specific questions. Feel free to PM me if you would like.
As far as I-75 goes, there is contruction throughout. We currently have construction from below Macon, GA to the state line. In Chattanooga, stay at exit 5 on I-75. It is near the mall in the safer part of the city (actually just a little north of the city). You will find almost every hotel chain here. In Georgia (across the state line), I would recommend staying in either Dalton or Calhoun. Both are nice areas with good hotels.
With I-95, construction through Jacksonville is a bear. Through Georgia, it is fine. Through SC, it is fine, but boring (could be because I have driven it too many times). I don't know where halfway would be for anyone on I-95, so I can't directly comment on locations. Florence, SC, has some great hotels. Savannah is good. The only other drawback with coming down I-95 is that you likely will then come over I-4 to WDW. Don't do it. I-4 is awful. WDW is on the opposite side of Orlando from where I-4 brings you into town. The traffic is terrible.
So this post is long. Seriously, though, I will be happy to answer any questions I can