Driving From New Jersey With 3 Kids

[tresas]

Does Anyone Have Any Helpful Strategies To Suggest To Make This Long Drive A Little More Bearable. I Have 3 Girls Ages 8, 5 And 5 Months. What Is A Good Time To Leave And Where Is A Good Place To Stop , Maybe With A Pool. Thanks

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

It should be interesting. Actually we drove from MA with 3 kids under 5. We were lucky to have a VCR in the car. Now you can purchase dual DVD players for the car for about $150.00 at Target. That would pass the time quickly for the oldest ones. Bring books, coloring books, music. Play guess the character, etc. If you have AAA they can map out your trip and also give you info on AAA approved rest stops. We even found somethign that told us where all the MC donald's were that had a play area. We didn't stop to sleep when we drove so i can't help you there. We left first thing in the morning on a Saturday. THe ride was fine until we drove during the night. It is very dangerous to drive at night with all the truckers. I am glad that you are going to be staying overnight. We also kept a spare potty in the van in case one of the kids had an emergency. It worked out good for us and i wish you luck. Drive safely.

 

[kimbac3]

Hello We did this last Thanksgiving and we plan to do it again this Thanksgiving. We did the dual DVD players and also books on CD. These actually kept them more entertained then the DVD. Also plenty of snacks and potty breaks. Dillion S.C. is a good early stop. If you are up for a longer drive Pooler, GA is nice too. Coloring books and crayons are good too. We left at 6:30am and made it to Pooler GA by 7:00pm - we made a 1/2 hour stop at South of the Border and various other potty breaks. We left around 8:30 from Pooler and were at WDW by 2:00 (stopped for an hour for lunch and had a delay - truck fire on side of the road..everyone had to slow down to look )
My sister left around 9am and made it to Dillion S.C. around 6:30pm, she drives fairly slow too. She left S.C. at 8:00 and made it to WDW around 6:00pm. She ran into construction at Jacksonville.
I hope this gives you some idea. By the way we are both leaving South Jersey..NOT taking the Cape May Ferry (going over Del Mem Bridge then down 95)
Any more questions I'd be happy to help!!
Have Fun,
Kimba

 

[MinMouse]

We've made the drive from DE several times. We like to leave early (some time between 2 & 4 a.m.) to get through DC traffic before the quagmire. On our first trip we decided to do the pool stop and we stayed in Savannah, GA (that was about 12 hours from our house) at a Fairfield in right off exit 94. Very nice place -- we paid $84 with tax for the night. It had an indoor pool which is what we were looking for (it was December!). There was also a Ruby Tuesday within walking distance. I think no one wanted to get back in the car. It took us less than 5 hours to get to WDW the next day . . . I would say we left the hotel around 8 a.m. (after the free continental breakfast of course!)

We've enjoyed 4 more driving trips since then and have one scheduled for November. Now we usually drive to about 30 miles north of WDW stay the night at a LaQuinta in Lake Mary, Fl, eat a free continental and then are at our WDW resort by 9:00 a.m. or so. But for our first trip it was nice to give the kids a break and "reward" them with a swim in the pool!

It's an adventure . . . have a great time!

 

[mjmcca]

My kids are 4 and 5 and have driven to WDW 7 and 8 times each. They are old pros at it.

 

[katyjeka]

Although we get many comments from friends who think we're crazy, we've driven our children to Florida many, many times. Why? We love the drive. Our oldest DD, who is now 11, is a true pro. I don't know what's wrong with our girls but they are great on a car trip. We laugh, play games, watch movies, color(gotta love the color wonders), sleep and sing(corny, I know!). We skipped our trip to WDW this past December, and went on a 11 day cruise from NYC. It was only a five hour trip from our house in Pa. and my whole family complained of the short drive. I guess we should get out more!!!! Janice

 

[Ishy]

I have vein problems, so driving in a car that long is very painful - 2 hours in the plane is about all I can take anymore.

Anyway - I drove several times long ago, before the days of VCRs and DVDs for the car. My habit from NJ was the following...

We left after dinner. Last day of work, would sleep anyway if we left the following morning, but you get down past DC by midnight. Always have a triptick from AAA and my state by state books, so I could find decent lodging and gas/food pretty easily - always look 60 miles a head.

Games - Count the neon south of the boarder signs the next day... If memory serves me right, there are 500 billboards.

State license game - try to collect as many different ones as possible (yes you can get all 51 - I have seen 3 hawaii's in the last 10 years. 50 states and DC. (give 5 points to the kid that figures out 51 possibilities)
Each out of state plate is worth 1 point.
If you call the state your currently in, you loose 1 point.
If it's a vanity plate, it's 2 points. (out of state and bonus)
If it's a Handicap plate its 2 points. (out of state and bonus)
If it's VW Beetle its 2 points...(out of state and bonus) with daisy hubs - another bonus...

So if your in North Carolina and a VW Beetle with handicap plates from NJ PLATE - BUGME2 and it has daisy hubcaps - you get 5 points for that car.

We usually limit it to max of 5 per state. Team with the most points gets to choose where we are having dinner.

Finally we would have a supply of cards, travel yahtzee, travel connect four, and fun topics with us.

 

[Ariel8676]

I have driven to Florida a few times with my girls...what we have always done is Leave late at night..that way the kids can sleep like they would if we were home and you can get A LOT of driving out of the way.
My Dh would sleep as much as possible during the day, then we would eat a late dinner and get the kids bathed and dressed in comfy clothes and then pull out around 11 pm. Although there are a lot of trucks, its better than a lot of traffic. The first time we drove with my 1st daughter we got from Jersey to South of the Border before she woke up.
I agree with getting a portible DVD player if you don't already have one, and make sure when you stop to let the baby stretch out for a while, their ittle legs get cramped too .
Good Luck..

 

[mom2isaac&ella]

and make sure when you stop to let the baby stretch out for a while, their ittle legs get cramped too .
Good Luck..

After one 6 hour ride with my DS when he was 3 months old he was very cranky for a few days afterward. I chalked it up to his personality & that it was just a long day for him. I was talking to my friend about it & she had heard that babies can get sore riding that long in a car so she would give her baby tylenol on long trips. I don't know how valid the info is, but it has worked with my babies.

 

[bartleby1]

We drove straight through at night one time. I know it works fine for some, but we hated it and it left us all cranky and tired. We now do the drive in 2 days, leaving bright and early in the AM (around 4:30 am). The kids are usually excited to be leaving but since it is so early, once the excitement dies down, they take some nice long naps. We stop in South Carolina, get a good night's rest and get back on the road early the next day.

It really isn't too bad. Last year my kids were 5, 3, and 9 months. They did great. Just be sure to let them out to run around at rest stops.

Also, I agree with one other poster to be sure to bring a potty. Coming home through construction in VA, my DD who was 3.5 at the time, came down with diarrhea. We had cement construction barriers on both sides of us and traffic was at a stand still. There wasn't even a shoulder to pull off onto. Thank goodness we had a potty in the van! A little travel tip: line the potty with a plastic bag, open up a diaper so the absorbant part is facing up. When they are done, simply wrap up the plastic bag and dispose of it.

Have a great trip! My family actually considers the drive part of the fun!

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Just a comment on the portable DVD players...if you're going to use one, it would be best if you can try it out with the kids on a long-ish trip (maybe to the shore?) before counting on it for your trip to WDW. DS had no problems with it on a few of our long-distance car trips, then suddenly last summer began feeling sick to his stomach and got a headache while watching a movie in the car. We thought he just had a bug, but it happened again on two other car trips - one where he was watching another movie and one when he was using his Game Boy. Luckily, he's fine as long as he isn't concentrating on anything visual, but it's unfortunate we can't use the DVD player, let him read, play his Game Boy, etc.

 

[lovethattink]

The last 2 long drives we made to and from Florida, we stayed at a Best Western in Smithfield, NC. It's a new motel. It was clean, had an indoor pool, there are coupons for the motel in the travel guides. They have free high speed internet.

 

[java]

OK I just booked a night at a new Jameson on 95 in GA. I am pushing it to get to GA. But I think if we leave early early we can make it there- and if I do some of the driving and give dh a chance to sleep.

 

[kimbac3]

OK I just booked a night at a new Jameson on 95 in GA. I am pushing it to get to GA. But I think if we leave early early we can make it there- and if I do some of the driving and give dh a chance to sleep.

Have a great time!!!! Let us know how that hotel is.
Kimba

 

[suffolkprincess]

We live in VA and drive frequently to Fair Lawn and to LBI. We LOVE taking the Cape May Ferry and really enjoy the country drive along the DelMarVa peninsula on 13-- but beware if you go that way, because there are VERY FEW decent restrooms. ALWAYS pick the place that looks most recently built. If you see something that looks brand new: stop NOW. I have seen some SCARY restrooms along 13!
Also, if you go that way, plan on stopping at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on the pier (halfway across.) There is a snack bar and shop, you can fish there (well-- *you* won't but people do, and the kids can watch) and its just an easy place to stretch the legs.

Now, if you are taking 95 through VA-- BEWARE that the stretch between Northern VA near DC and Richmond, VA is a nightmare and if you hit it anytime that is a rush time you can count on it taking at least 2x as long as you think it should.
Also-- stop at the big exits, because there are few and far between rest stops. Fredericksburg exits are good places to stop because its not too congested there generally and so getting on and off the road is easy.

have fun!

 

[In a hurry]

Leave early! Arrive early! Swim them hard! Feed them well! Take a ball and jump rope to the rest areas and use them, even if it is raining!