driving from nj

[mom2boys77]

We are going to Disney in November. We will definitely be driving and will be coming from Pt.Pleasant area. We'd like to only take one day to drive. We know it will be rough but we can't afford to waste time. We'd like to be safe so we won't drive through the night but were thinking of leaving like maybe 3 or 4 a.m....my question is:can we do this and what approximate time would we get there? We wil be leaving on Nov.20th(if that helps) it's a saturday. Any help you guys can give, I'd appreciate. Thanks! Barbara

 

[Lisa3]

We are from northern NJ and have driven to WDW 3 times with 3 kids! Any way you look at it to do the entire drive in one day is a long haul but I do know of others who have done it. On our last trip we hit the perfect combination for our family. We leave by 3:30 am so that we can make it through the DC area before traffic (on Saturday this should not be a problem for you). We stop for breakfast in Virginia. We arrive in Jacksonville around 10:00 PM where we stop for the night. If you leave early the next morning you can be at Disney by around 10:00 am - 11:00 am and still have most of that day without feeling totally wiped out.

We drove straight home on one of our trips and I really would not want to start my vacation so tired. Also, keep in mind that driving straight through is fine when the weather is good but on our last trip we hit heavy rain through the entire state of Virginia which exhausted DH so much he actually let me drive through the Carolinas!

 

[jiminy14]

We have driven several times from the South Jersey area (near Cherry Hill) to WDW. Depending upon traffic and the number of stops you make, it will take about 16-17 hours. We usually do the drive in two days. We drive to Savannah, GA (about 11 hours), spend the night, and then drive to WDW (about another 5 hours). We do not stop for any sit-down meals. We do all fast food and get it to go. Sit-down meals are going to significantly add to your time.
On Saturday, you will not encounter any rush hour traffic around D.C. To save time, do not take the beltway, Drive straight through D.C. on 95S. There is usually some sort of construction in N.C. Speed limits are reduced to about 50-55 miles/hour. Watch for speed traps in Maryland and Virginia. These were the worst two states. The only other concern is whether or not there is a NASCAR race scheduled in one of the southern states. We encountered one on a drive back about three years ago. The traffic was greatly increased though it did move. I would check their schedule before you leave.

 

[magnumaid]

Driving from Brick should take about 16 hours. Give or take, depending on how many brakes you take and how long etc.

We're driving from Brick in October. PM me after Oct. 11th and I'll let you know exactly how long it took us if you want. =)

 

[mickeymousefan]

We drove straight through from Burlington, NJ last December and it took us 20 hrs!!!!! We have to small DD's and took lots of long breaks. We spent 45 minutes at one rest area!!! We also lost time fixing a flat tire. We left at 8pm and this was a bad chioce of time for us. DH was exhausted by 3 or 4 am and had to keep pulling over and getting out of the car to avoid falling asleep behind the wheel.

This years plan is to leave at 4 am on Jan 1st (hopefully all the drunks will already be home) and drive until we just can't drive anymore. My goal is to make it at least to Kingsland Ga, but if we make it all the way to Orlando, we will just grab a cheap hotel and check in at ASMo bright and early.
I figure straight through, we would arrive in Orlando, at the latest, midnight. I also think driving through the day (as long as it isnt a high traffic weekday) is better for a family than at night. During the day you won't be as afraid to get out of your car and stretch.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Having driven from Jersey too, I reccomend what the others have said! Leave early in the morn...but don't drive straight thru! Plan on stopping somewhere between Savannah, Ga and Jacksonville, Fla... that way you will have a nice rest and will be able to start off a good day at the parks! Here is a great web site!
www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

 

[crzy4dsny]

The 2 times I have driven we left on a Saturday at 2:00am. The first time we drove straight through and arrived at Disney around 8:30 pm. The second time we stopped in Kingsland Georgia, which is right on the border of Florida. It took us 13 hours to get to Kingsland, from there it was another 2.5 hours to Disney.

It takes me about an hour and 15 min to get from my house to New Jersey. I would say that the best possible time for you would be 15 hours. Thats with no traffic and short stops.

 

[DisKim]

I'm a little south of you in Forked River, NJ. We have driven several times. I drive through the night because it has been easier that way with the kids and I can easily stay awake. It is hard to tell you how long the trip will take you. I know, on average, it takes about 18 hours. However, every time I have gone, I have had traffic issues. The first time we drove, we ended up literally parked for 4 hours on route 4 in Florida due to a fatal car accident. The second time I drove, we just hit traffic constantly. I was jammed in traffic in Virginia from 1 am until 4:30 am. During that time, I literally crawled. That trip took us 24 hours to get to Disney. Hopefully, you won't hit traffic and the drive won't be that bad.

 

[NeedsNEscape]

We'll be leaving in about a week for our trip to Florida.
I'm also looking for advice our where the best place to
break the trip on 95 is. Where is the nicest hotel
within a couple of miles of 95 with a great pool?

Also, we're interested in any advice on traffic delays.
Sometimes it is nice to take a bypass around the traffic!

Thanks in advance for advice!