Driving from New England

[KorieDWnut]

When I was little, we drove to WDW every year. I don't remember much about it, I just knew it was fun. We also took our time driving down and back, there was never any real rush about it.

We are going to the World in Feb, during feb vacation and flights are beyond our comfort level right now. We have DING and check every day. I am hoping come December/Jan that some Feb DINGS come out but if they don't, we are preparing to drive down. I don't mind, we like to drive so that part isn't the problem. But we don't have the kind of time as we did when I was little. Can anyone tell me roughly about how long it takes to drive down there from MA? Its like 22-24 hours right? But we wouldn't be driving straight, we would be stopping to sleep. I am thinking we can probably do it in 2 days..I hope.

If we left super early on a Friday morning, like 5-6am...you think we would get there by SUnday afternoon if we stopped to sleep both Friday and Sat night? What woud you do? ANd are there any sites I can go to that would give us a good mapped our route with hotels and gas stations along the way?
TIA!

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

This year we got lucky and scored a decent non-stop flight on AirTran for our 4/19-4/26 spring break trip.
Last year we weren't so lucky, we drove down to WDW.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW, Orange Lake Country Club, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday the 13th of April 2007, at 3:45 pm:

Destination, Miles, Total Miles from Boston, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 4/13/07, 3:45pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 208 208 7:49 PM
2, N J to Laurel MD 219 427 11:44 PM
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 250 677 3:36 AM
4, NC to Manning SC 219 896 7:00 AM
5, SC to Kingsland GA 226 1,122 10:30 AM
Arrived, GA to WDW 203 1,325 2:00 PM

Started, Friday, 4/13/07 3:45 PM
Finished, Saturday, 4/14/07 2:00 pm
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
63 gallons of gas, $175 for the gas, 21 mpg


The Trip Home started at 9:45 AM, Saturday, April 21,2007
Destination, Miles, Total Miles from WDW, Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston: Saturday, April 21st 9:45 AM
1, WDW to Kingsland Ga 194 194 12:44 PM
2, GA to Manning SC 226 420 4:16 PM
3, SC to Rocky Mt. NC 218 638 7:42 PM
4, NC to Aberdeen MD 292 930 12:26 AM
5, MD to Newark NJ 170 1,100 3:27 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 246 1,346 7:30 AM

Started, Saturday, 4/21 9:45 AM 0 Miles
Finished, Sunday, 4/22 7:30 AM 1346 miles
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops on the way home
62 gallons of gas $175 for the gas 21 mpg

Total miles 2,671, about 21 mpg, about 70 mph
Total gas 125gallons $350
Total Tolls $50

Good Luck all,
Joe

 

[penguincrazie]

I am in MA, well actually NH now but right on the border (like 1 mile) so I still think of myself as MA. My DH and I have driven to South Florida, about 3 hours south of Orlando and it would take us two days. We would leave around 2am-4am and drive 14 hours the first day and then stay in Florence, SC that night. Then get up and hit the road again around 6/7am and arrive around 6 in the evening.

Driving from MA to Orlando would probably take about 20/21 hours. Depending on if you have kids, how old, and the needs you may need to tend to (diapers, etc) will determine how much time you need. You might find that when you start driving you just want to go as far as possible that first day (thats what happened to us).

The first time we drove down we took a list of hotels along (1 or 2 for wach state) the way and called them when we decided to stop.

Try to do most of your driving during off hours though, the middle of the night is perfect!

Good luck!

 

[fumipappa]

When we drove down to Orlando during winter ,from North NJ(around 5hrs south from you?), We left around noon of Friday and reached to Orlando around 4:00PM.

Here was my timeline.

Friday 13:00PM left NJ,
Friday 10:00PM stayed at Days Inn Kenly MC
Saturday 7:30AM left Kenly.
Saturday 4:00PM arrived Orlando.


You are planning to leave early in the morning. Only problem may be the morning rush hour around NYC. I hit evening rush hr between DC and Richmond. But still I could manage the trip by staying only one night on the way to Orlando. I had three kids (6, 4 and 7month) so I had many bathroom stop on the way. So I think you have plenty of time by using two nights stay on the way.

Good luck!

(we are also driving down to Orlando January. )

 

[KorieDWnut]

Thanks so much! Very helpful! We are in South East MA, near the cape

This year we got lucky and scored a decent non-stop flight on AirTran for our 4/19-4/26 spring break trip.
Last year we weren't so lucky, we drove down to WDW.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW, Orange Lake Country Club, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday the 13th of April 2007, at 3:45 pm:

Destination, Miles, Total Miles from Boston, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 4/13/07, 3:45pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 208 208 7:49 PM
2, N J to Laurel MD 219 427 11:44 PM
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 250 677 3:36 AM
4, NC to Manning SC 219 896 7:00 AM
5, SC to Kingsland GA 226 1,122 10:30 AM
Arrived, GA to WDW 203 1,325 2:00 PM

Started, Friday, 4/13/07 3:45 PM
Finished, Saturday, 4/14/07 2:00 pm
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
63 gallons of gas, $175 for the gas, 21 mpg


The Trip Home started at 9:45 AM, Saturday, April 21,2007
Destination, Miles, Total Miles from WDW, Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston: Saturday, April 21st 9:45 AM
1, WDW to Kingsland Ga 194 194 12:44 PM
2, GA to Manning SC 226 420 4:16 PM
3, SC to Rocky Mt. NC 218 638 7:42 PM
4, NC to Aberdeen MD 292 930 12:26 AM
5, MD to Newark NJ 170 1,100 3:27 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 246 1,346 7:30 AM

Started, Saturday, 4/21 9:45 AM 0 Miles
Finished, Sunday, 4/22 7:30 AM 1346 miles
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops on the way home
62 gallons of gas $175 for the gas 21 mpg

Total miles 2,671, about 21 mpg, about 70 mph
Total gas 125gallons $350
Total Tolls $50

Good Luck all,
Joe

 

[KorieDWnut]

Thanks
I told dh we should leave at like 4-5am on Friday but he works until midnight the Thursday before and he said NO WAY! I said I will drive the first leg and you can sleep! I figured it would be better so the kids would still be tired enough to go back to sleep or something but he won't budge. I guess I don't blame him, he would be exhausted, but still. lol Every hour helps!

When we drove down to Orlando during winter ,from North NJ(around 5hrs south from you?), We left around noon of Friday and reached to Orlando around 4:00PM.

Here was my timeline.

Friday 13:00PM left NJ,
Friday 10:00PM stayed at Days Inn Kenly MC
Saturday 7:30AM left Kenly.
Saturday 4:00PM arrived Orlando.


You are planning to leave early in the morning. Only problem may be the morning rush hour around NYC. I hit evening rush hr between DC and Richmond. But still I could manage the trip by staying only one night on the way to Orlando. I had three kids (6, 4 and 7month) so I had many bathroom stop on the way. So I think you have plenty of time by using two nights stay on the way.

Good luck!

(we are also driving down to Orlando January. )

 

[cranbiz]

IMHO, It's a less than desirable option to leave MA between 5 and 6am. This puts you in part of rush hour in NY and MD/DC/VA. (unless it's on a weekend)
I always tried to leave Carver between 4 and 6pm on my many trips to FL. I always drove straight thru, but that's me. With 2 drivers it's a very doable thing. It has almost always taken between 19 and 22 hours.

The halfway point is just about Roanoke Rapids, NC and there are several name hotels there. Other good stopping places are Santee and Lumberton.

I have done the trip straight thru and back with my nieces, 2 and 4 and they were fine. Just made plenty of potty/break stops and had handheld games, portable DVD player and non-messy snacks (goldfish, peanuts, chex mix, etc)

I feel that you could do it with only one night on the road easy.

 

[tete01830]

I don't know where in MA you are but I just got a flight out of Pease Air Base on Skybus for $10...Yup, $10... My friend turned me onto it because she got a flight for her Feb vacation for $40...It is 111 miles from Disney but for that cheap-I dont care. Plus I would rather drive that than from Mass!!!

 

[toystorymom]

We are also in southeastern MA and we have made the trip to WDW by car many times. What works best for us - leave about midnight, we are through NY well before the heavy traffic hits, and the kids will sleep for this whole time. Once everyone is awake, we stop for breakfast in Virginia (somewhere about 7-8AM). After that we stop only for bathroom or quick stretch breaks and are usually in Georgia by 6pm. Often we will spend the night here, have dinner, let the kids swim, get a good nights sleep, have the complimentary breakfast and hit the road. We arrive at Disney by noon that day and everyone is well rested and ready to go. The other option is to push through those last couple of hours and arrive that night - personal preference.

We have 3 kids and they enjoy the trip. These are the same kids who fight and drive each other crazy on a trip to the store a mile from the house. They are just different on our Disney trips. We plan ahead, lots of snacks and things to keep busy. Recently my 3rd grader had a project for school - had to pick a number and tell why it was significant to him. He picked 16 - the # of states he's been too, many thanks to his drives to Disney!

Sounds like we're from the same area, let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Bearvet]

Our family of 5 has driven down to Florida for Feb vacation week for the past 11 years. Sometimes we drive to Ft Myers Beach (26 hrs) and sometimes we dive to Orlando (22 hrs). We leave at dinnertime (6PM) and I pack subs and everyone eats when they get hungry. We drive through the night and breeze right through New York and all other major cities including Wahington DC. We stop for breakfast and lunch and arrive in time to check in on Sat! I know that driving straight through isn't for everyone, but it works for us (switching drivers) and we save the expense of a hotel and a lot of time (and the kids sleep through the night).

You may want to check your timing so you don't hit NYC-Wash DC at rush hour - sometimes we hit traffic (NJ Turnpike, Delaware bridge) even at 1 AM!!! It's crazy!

Well, when we saw the fares on Skybus this year, we decided to fly to St. Augustine and do the short drive to Orlando in a rental. We didn't get the $10 fare, but each ticket was $100 RT (It's now over $220 RT!). My only concern is that we arrive at 9PM and the car rental places all seem to close at 3:30!! I haven't quite figured out what to do about this - any suggestions? I think I'll email Skybus to see what they have to say.

BTW I have already flown Skybus to Columbus (DS is a freshman at Ohio State) and it's great. Also, free parking at Pease! We fly out of Chicopee (Westover) next month for Family Weekend at OSU - this is even closer to home for us!

 

[tete01830]

Well, when we saw the fares on Skybus this year, we decided to fly to St. Augustine and do the short drive to Orlando in a rental. We didn't get the $10 fare, but each ticket was $100 RT (It's now over $220 RT!). My only concern is that we arrive at 9PM and the car rental places all seem to close at 3:30!! I haven't quite figured out what to do about this - any suggestions? I think I'll email Skybus to see what they have to say.

BTW I have already flown Skybus to Columbus (DS is a freshman at Ohio State) and it's great. Also, free parking at Pease! We fly out of Chicopee (Westover) next month for Family Weekend at OSU - this is even closer to home for us!

I never even thought about that-renting a car I mean. I just assumed they would be open! Could you let me know if you hear anything? You can always PM me, too...Thanks

 

[Our2Girls&Disney]

I am not trying to sound negative, so please so not take this the wrong way, but I would have to say that your chances on getting a DING for the week of MA school vacation week are slim to none. Seriously those flights book the first day air fare opens. Not only that but, that week is the Daytona 500, so the crowds will be high. Other posters have made some good recommendations and if you feel that you are up to driving, I say go for it. I have considered driving, but I have never taken the leap. Good luck!

 

[kldmom2000]

We are also in southeastern MA and we have made the trip to WDW by car many times. What works best for us - leave about midnight, we are through NY well before the heavy traffic hits, and the kids will sleep for this whole time. Once everyone is awake, we stop for breakfast in Virginia (somewhere about 7-8AM). After that we stop only for bathroom or quick stretch breaks and are usually in Georgia by 6pm. Often we will spend the night here, have dinner, let the kids swim, get a good nights sleep, have the complimentary breakfast and hit the road. We arrive at Disney by noon that day and everyone is well rested and ready to go. The other option is to push through those last couple of hours and arrive that night - personal preference.

We have 3 kids and they enjoy the trip. These are the same kids who fight and drive each other crazy on a trip to the store a mile from the house. They are just different on our Disney trips. We plan ahead, lots of snacks and things to keep busy. Recently my 3rd grader had a project for school - had to pick a number and tell why it was significant to him. He picked 16 - the # of states he's been too, many thanks to his drives to Disney!

Sounds like we're from the same area, let me know if you have any other questions!

My parents always drove down with us as my mother has an insane fear of flying

We did something similar. My dad would sleep during the day we were were leaving.... he'd pack up the car/van at 5pm and then we'd hit the road around 8pm. Mom and Dad would pack snacks for themselves and hit Dunkin Donuts to fill a huge thermos of coffee My brother and I would sleep in the back as they drove all night and when we woke up, we'd be in Washington DC. (We lived in northern RI on the MA border). Dad would take a nap while Mom would take us into the awesome DC museums for a few hours. Just before lunch, we'd head out again and drive until we got to South of the Border (South Carolina) We'd spend the night there and leave at 6am.... we'd usually get to Disney by evening .

Enjoy your trip no matter how you get there!

 

[Bearvet]

tete01830 - just wanted to give you an update on Skybus and car rental. Enterprise is modifying their hours of operation at the St Augustine airport to accomodate Skybus flights. They will be open daily 7AM - 11 PM. I just booked with them!! Got a full size car for $250 (Feb 16 - 23) using the Entertainment book coupon. I'll keep looking for better deals, but at least now we know we can get a car!

Not sure how large their inventory will be at a small airport, so I'd book ASAP. Good luck!

 

[tete01830]

tete01830 - just wanted to give you an update on Skybus and car rental. Enterprise is modifying their hours of operation at the St Augustine airport to accomodate Skybus flights. They will be open daily 7AM - 11 PM. I just booked with them!! Got a full size car for $250 (Feb 16 - 23) using the Entertainment book coupon. I'll keep looking for better deals, but at least now we know we can get a car!

Not sure how large their inventory will be at a small airport, so I'd book ASAP. Good luck!

Thank you so much for getting back to me! I was getting worried and I even had my friend in a panic because her flight gets in at 8:55...I think you can do better than that rate so keep checking. I never book my car until the week before! We leave in 9 days and I still dont have a rental yet....
Have a great trip!

 

[Berkshires96]

We're in Western Mass. Would love more info on the flights out of Westover. Isn't it a military base? And what is Skybus? Thanks for the info. We usually fly out of Hartford, CT (Bradley)

 

[Bearvet]

Skybus is a new airline based in Columbus, OH. They sell so many seats at $10 and prices increase after that (I just got $35 tickets). They fly out of Pease airforce base in Portsmouth, NH and now also fly out of Chicopee,MA (Westover airforce base). Until recently you could only fly to Columbus, which is fine with me since DS is a freshman at Ohio State Univ. They just started 2 Florida routes from Pease only (St. Augustine and Punta Gorda).

We flew them in June (from Pease) and fly next week from Chicopee - planes are new (nice!) and service is no frills. You pay $5 to check a bag and $2 for a soda. Parking is free at the airforce bases, so that's a savings too. Check it out at www.skybus.com. If you see a flight you want, don't hesitate because the word is out now!

 

[Jillpie]

Skybus is a new airline based in Columbus, OH. They sell so many seats at $10 and prices increase after that (I just got $35 tickets). They fly out of Pease airforce base in Portsmouth, NH and now also fly out of Chicopee,MA (Westover airforce base). Until recently you could only fly to Columbus, which is fine with me since DS is a freshman at Ohio State Univ. They just started 2 Florida routes from Pease only (St. Augustine and Punta Gorda).

We flew them in June (from Pease) and fly next week from Chicopee - planes are new (nice!) and service is no frills. You pay $5 to check a bag and $2 for a soda. Parking is free at the airforce bases, so that's a savings too. Check it out at www.skybus.com. If you see a flight you want, don't hesitate because the word is out now!

Bearvet, I have a question for you...my son goes to MCLA, in N. Adams. How convenient is Chicopee from there, and where do you fly into, St. Augustine or Punta Gorda, how far away from DW are those locations? I ruled out him coming with us this April as he'll be in classes, but it would be great if he could come down for a long weekend to meet us.

 

[Bearvet]

Jillpie - Unfortunately, Skybus only flies to Florida from Pease (NH) right now. The flights from Chicopee only go to Columbus, so I don't think it will help you.

We are flying in to St Augustine (from Pease) in Feb and plan on a 2 hour drive to Orlando. I suggest you go to the skybus website and at least sign up for their email notices - I was totally shocked when they emailed me about the flights to Florida and booked right away. You never know what other changes might be in the works.

 

[KorieDWnut]

Skybus is a new airline based in Columbus, OH. They sell so many seats at $10 and prices increase after that (I just got $35 tickets). They fly out of Pease airforce base in Portsmouth, NH and now also fly out of Chicopee,MA (Westover airforce base). Until recently you could only fly to Columbus, which is fine with me since DS is a freshman at Ohio State Univ. They just started 2 Florida routes from Pease only (St. Augustine and Punta Gorda).

We flew them in June (from Pease) and fly next week from Chicopee - planes are new (nice!) and service is no frills. You pay $5 to check a bag and $2 for a soda. Parking is free at the airforce bases, so that's a savings too. Check it out at www.skybus.com. If you see a flight you want, don't hesitate because the word is out now!

Lol, well word got out fast I guess. I checked and it would cost us 1800 for the five of us to fly down in Feb on Skybus and then we would have to rent a car and drive. Ugh.