Driving from northern NY

[parmtoo]

Well, we decided that we will drive down in Aug! Now that the decision is made, I'm excited about it. We, ( Me, DH & DS,14), will be driving from northern NY state, (about 65 miles north of Syracuse). Any suggestions?

 

[Weluvdisny]

We've driven down 3 times and I'd be happy to help you with any info. What are looking for? Driving directions? Boredom tips? Hotels to stay at on the way?

I have a great scavenger hunt list to look for if you want that. It kept 4 teenage boys occupied (they made 2 teams and the winners got $25 Disney Dollars) and alot of fun memories from it!

 

[parmtoo]

Thanks! We have spent ALOT of time on the road, (military family), so not worried about passing the time. What I would like to know is what route do you take, and how long does it take for you to get there. We are planning a a stop in Arlington Va., and maybe Savannah, Ga. TIA

 

[dromio42]

I'd like the scavenger hunt!

 

[Robert P]

Thanks! We have spent ALOT of time on the road, (military family), so not worried about passing the time. What I would like to know is what route do you take, and how long does it take for you to get there. We are planning a a stop in Arlington Va., and maybe Savannah, Ga. TIA

I can chime in some on the Southernmost part of your route:

From the SC/GA line on I-95, you have 300 miles to WDW. With one stop for restrooms, we usually make WDW in just over 4 hours from there. Traffic wise, Jacksonville, FL is normally clear except for rush hours. The bypass around Jacksonville works well if you are too close to rush time. Orlando traffic, well, is totally unpredictable. Rush hours are particularly bad, in my experience.

Travel safe!

 

[parmtoo]

I can chime in some on the Southernmost part of your route:

From the SC/GA line on I-95, you have 300 miles to WDW. With one stop for restrooms, we usually make WDW in just over 4 hours from there. Traffic wise, Jacksonville, FL is normally clear except for rush hours. The bypass around Jacksonville works well if you are too close to rush time. Orlando traffic, well, is totally unpredictable. Rush hours are particularly bad, in my experience.

Travel safe!

Thank you!

We are thinking of an overnight stop in the Savannah area, if memory serves, that is about 5 hours from WDW give or take a few. We hope to be in Orlando area by noon (ish). We will spend our first night offsite so will just hang around the hotel pool or something. I'm just ready to go NOW!!!

 

[GrtWtNorth]

My tips:
* Hershey Chocolate World is a great place to stop and relax for an hour or so. The food court there isn't too bad either. It's a bit off the interstate, but well worth the extra time.
* watch for deer around dawn and dusk, especially between Syracuse / Binghamton / Scranton.
* avoid Washington DC traffic.

There's a handful of threads on the Canadian Trip Planning site that talk about driving routes. This one is for a family driving from Ottawa, whose route would likely be through Syracuse: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2445959

 

[momtolots]

We do the 81, 77, 26, 95, 4. If we do it over 2 nights, which we do when driving in the winter, we stop around Roanoke, and then Savannah. We usually get to WDW by about noon. Makes for a relaxing afternoon by the pool.

 

[snowy76]

Is Arlington a "must" for you (ie, to see DC) or just where you figured you'd stop? I would avoid the DC area altogether unless you plan to visit anything there. I'd get closer to the VA-NC line to stop for the night... as PP mentioned, Roanoke, for example. Or, if you're sticking to I-95 instead of 81, Richmond might be a good choice.

We haven't made the drive from Syracuse (yet!) but we were considering it a while back. I would stick to 81 as long as possible. I-95 anywhere in the NE can be a real headache! And the drive down 81 can be gorgeous.

 

[parmtoo]

Is Arlington a "must" for you (ie, to see DC) or just where you figured you'd stop? I would avoid the DC area altogether unless you plan to visit anything there. I'd get closer to the VA-NC line to stop for the night... as PP mentioned, Roanoke, for example. Or, if you're sticking to I-95 instead of 81, Richmond might be a good choice.

We haven't made the drive from Syracuse (yet!) but we were considering it a while back. I would stick to 81 as long as possible. I-95 anywhere in the NE can be a real headache! And the drive down 81 can be gorgeous.

Yes, Arlington is a must do. My husband's father is buried there, and we have been unable to make the trip for a while. Also, we have a dear friend living there that we would love to see. We have been to DC several times, and know about the traffic, however, that is our first stop. Not sure if we will skip Savannah or stop.

 

[GranddadTom]

Washington traffic can be manageable if you understand how it works. Most of the roads into the city are clogged in the morning (from before 6:00 am until around 9:30 am) and the opposite is true from around 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The major exception is Rt 95 in Northern Virginia. DO NOT GO THERE on Friday between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm in the summertime. Almost as bad is Saturday morning in the summer as vacationers are heading for the VA and NC shores. There is a lot of construction on the western side of the Beltway right now (they are adding an HOV lane) but unfortunately that’s the way you need to go to get to Arlington. Timewise the drive from Arlington to WDW is about 12+ hours with just quick stops. We normally do the drive in one day leaving around 9:30 am on a weekday and arriving in Orlando around 10:00 pm. It's a full day but not bad. We don't get searched, don't have anyone poking around in our luggage and stealing our Disney pins, and can carry liquids of more than 3 ozs!

 

[burnsoc]

We drive down every other year and get really excited about it. The kids have fun and it brings back good childhood memories for me. However the drive back home seems to take forever . I've gotten a lot of use out of this site and book. http://www.i95exitguide.com/ The book is easier than the GPS when figuring out where to eat. We have to hit a Cracker Barrel at least once per trip. We also like to leave in the middle of the night and stop early afternoon. It lets the kids sleep during the night and run off some energy at the hotel. We too also stop around the GA/ SC border going down.

 

[Weluvdisny]

I'd like the scavenger hunt!

The list is on my work computer so I'll get that on here Monday!

 

[dromio42]

Thanks

 

[ParrotBill]

We just finished a trip driving down and back from Rochester, NY.

We always put extra stops in our trip home instead of down - if traffic is going to delay us would rather it happen coming home!

Our drive down was I-90, I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 and it was straight through and a breeze.

Coming home we were stopping in Herndon VA one night, seeing the Air & Space museum at Dulles Airport, then we stayed another night north of Philly before coming home. So coming home we did I-4 and I-95, one traffic delay area around Brunswick GA for construction, and then BIG construction on I-495 west from I-95 - don't go that way! We drove north on I-95 again to Philly and I-496 (PA Turnpike Northeast Ext) to I-81, to Syracuse and then back to Rochester.

Some constructions zones on I-496 if you use it, and the Hickory Run service area is a pile of dirt.

In VA, NC and SC there are closed rest areas... plan to get off and use truck stop and fast food rest rooms in some cases. Buy one of the two Exit Books at a bookstore... came in real handy for finding food and fuel stops. Even though we also use a GPS that's not great for finding stuff ahead accurately.

Driving on weekends and off-hours really helped avoid traffic problems and kept truck traffic to a minimum.

Have a good trip!

 

[Weluvdisny]

Here's the list. Change it up whatever way you want and have fun!!

SCAVENGER HUNT

1. Dog in a car
2. Light-blue pickup truck
3. Sign with the word “welcome” on it
4. Ambulance
5. Statue
6. Flag without stripes
7. Crane
8. Sign with the word “no” on it
9. Somebody wearing a hat
10. Car with big dice hanging from the rearview mirror
11. Somebody singing in a car
12. Boat
13. Bus stop
14. Car pulling a trailer
15. Motor home
16. Truck pulling two trailers
17. Baseball diamond
18. Tennis court
19. Soccer field
20. Farm animal
21. Skyscraper
22. Bridge
23. Swimming pool
24. School
25. Mountain
26. Water tower
27. Tractor
28. Bird of prey
29. Cemetery
30. Detour sign
31. Palm tree
32. Snowplow
33. School bus
34. Punch bug
35. Car with Idaho state plates
36. Car from your area
37. Tow truck
38. Car pulled over by a police car
39. Car with someone on a cell phone
40. Hummer limo
41. Car broken down
42. Days Inn billboard
43. Hearse
44. “Highway cared for” sign
45. Flashing arrow construction sign
46. “South of the Border” fireworks billboard
47. Hubcap
48. Taxi
49. Dumpster
50. Get a trucker to honk their horn

 

[momtolots]

That's great!!! Thanks for posting!