Driving Michigan to WDW...

[tawasdave]

First..I hate I-75...so I never take that..usually I take 69 to Indianapolis then 65 to 24 to 75 at Chattanooga..then 75 through GA....considering trying a new way...through Columbus, OH, then 33 to 77 to 95 through Virginia, North and South Carolina...anyone gone both ways?..Opinions?...

 

[Colleen27]

I don't have any wisdom to offer but we're planning our first driving trip from MI (thumb area) to WDW so I'm interested in the responses. Coming home we're going to be stopping in Nashville and will probably do the 65 to 69 to 94 route back home.

Out of curiousity, why do you hate 75? I was planning on 94 to 96 to 75 and taking that straight down. Am I likely to run into a lot of problems going that way?

 

[maxiesmom]

We have done both ways, and I like the I-69 route better. I think the route thru South Carolina is longer, plus driving thru Ohio is not very exciting. Sorry to those of you who live in Ohio.

 

[tawasdave]

I-75 is one truck after another truck after another truck after another truck after...um well you get the idea...and like the previous poster said...it is one BORING drive..and always seems to be lots and lots of traffic...

 

[tawasdave]

I don't have any wisdom to offer but we're planning our first driving trip from MI (thumb area) to WDW so I'm interested in the responses. Coming home we're going to be stopping in Nashville and will probably do the 65 to 69 to 94 route back home.

Out of curiousity, why do you hate 75? I was planning on 94 to 96 to 75 and taking that straight down. Am I likely to run into a lot of problems going that way?

Greetings Thumb Area from Tawas

 

[4kids]

We are leaving tomorrow from Cleveland and take the 77-95 route. West Virginia is beautiful but there is a lot of driving up and down hills. South Carolina does seem to take forever like a previous poster mentioned and it seems like you are covering every square inch of the state. Traffic however has never really been an issue unless there is an accident.

 

[Colleen27]

Greetings Thumb Area from Tawas

Hi there fellow Michigander!

About how long does it take y'all to get down to WDW? My triptik is telling me 18 hours from here and I'm thinking that is some serious optimism.

 

[dzorn]

Hi there fellow Michigander!

About how long does it take y'all to get down to WDW? My triptik is telling me 18 hours from here and I'm thinking that is some serious optimism.

That's about right with minimal stops but we are downriver from Detroit.

We are going thru KY this time to take the girls to Mammoth Cave(my devious plan so DH will not try to drive straight through).
We have gone both ways. In laws perfer 75 I perfer the other.

Denise in MI

 

[Colleen27]

That's about right with minimal stops but we are downriver from Detroit.

We are going thru KY this time to take the girls to Mammoth Cave(my devious plan so DH will not try to drive straight through).
We have gone both ways. In laws perfer 75 I perfer the other.

I'm thinking we'll take 75 mainly because I hate driving in the mountains and 75 is somewhat flatter. I think I did VA Beach/Washington DC straight through one too many times in my college years because now I hate the thought of driving through those mountains at night!

I really expected it to be longer than 18 hours. DH wants to try to go straight through, figuring on it taking 24+ hours total with me taking the kids "somewhere fun" for a few hours while he naps in the van around the halfway point.

 

[brookmey]

I grew up in northern MI (Lake City) and my parents usually took 75. We tried other routes (through Indy and along the east coast) but those took much longer. My parents didn't like 75 and tried to avoid it, but since the goal was to get to Disney World as fast as possible, they stuck to 75. About 8 years ago DH and I drove from our home in metro Detroit along 75 and my mom bought us a book about traveling along 75 that had points of interest, rest areas, etc. It made the drive much more interesting.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Even though I am not from Michigian when my family and I drive from Toronto - Orlando we cross into the United States at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, then we take I-75 all the way. Personally we think it's the most direct and easiest route.

 

[tawasdave]

I have a couple times left from Lansing with the kids at 3-4pm...and been to WDW in time for rope drop...taking the Indianapolis, Nashville, Chattanoga way...Personally I prefer driving all night...kids sleep...less traffic...I take a cassette player and listen to books on tape..with just one ear piece on so I can hear emergency vehicles...It is true that taking I-75 is easiest from a direction standpoint...but I prefer some scenery and a whole lot less trucks..

 

[MidgeD79]

I have done both and prefer 75. The mapquest direction is 1 page. We usually take 2 days and the only problem we had was a back-up due to an accident. I recommend Dave Hunter's "Along I-75". It has useful info and fun trivia.

 

[Disneyforus]

We will take 131 south to Indiana Border, 13 South to Indianapolis (never done this portion, we normally take 94 over to 69 South), 65 South thru Nashville, thru Atlanta and hook on to 75 at Macon Georgia. Mapquest is saying 21 hr 25 min from Kalamazoo MI.

This is only our 2nd time driving. We are hoping to drive straight thru.

Weird question, but....how do your kids sleep in the car, seatbelted? Our kids have never been much into sleeping in the car and I wonder how they will actually do sleeping sitting up with a seatbelt on???? Obviously they will have a blanket and pillow, but any other ideas?

 

[kksmom92]

I'm from the Grand Rapids area and we always end up taking 65 south and love that way. Maybe it's because we have driven it 9 times out of the last 8 years, but most of those times was to visit my parents in Alabama. The only part we don't like is Atlanta and always try to not hit that during rush hour.

We always drive straight thru and yes, the kids stay buckled, but the last couple times when we rented a minivan my DH reclined the seats a little so they weren't sitting straight up. My kids have gotten better sleeping at night in vehicles, but they still try to stay awake as long as they can because they are afraid they might miss something. I keep telling them the only thing they will miss is Semi's here and there.. and to go to sleep. They do love seeing the bigger cities at night.

 

[MM1102]

To Disneyforus regarding IN SR 13--I live not far from there and it's two-lane, lots of little towns and Amish buggies for quite a while after you cross into Indiana. Don't want you to be surprised. Don't know how the Mapquest times compare, it just feels like it takes forever to get where you're going.

 

[maxiesmom]

We will take 131 south to Indiana Border, 13 South to Indianapolis (never done this portion, we normally take 94 over to 69 South), 65 South thru Nashville, thru Atlanta and hook on to 75 at Macon Georgia. Mapquest is saying 21 hr 25 min from Kalamazoo MI.

We drive from Grand Rapids, and go down 131 too. However there we get on the toll road in Indiana, take that west for a while, and then start south. Can't think of the interstate number, but I know we go thru Louisville. Love that bridge!

Just went and grabbed an AAA tourbook. We take 31 South to Indianapolis, and then 65 South from there.

 

[Disneyforus]

I'm from the Grand Rapids area and we always end up taking 65 south and love that way. Maybe it's because we have driven it 9 times out of the last 8 years, but most of those times was to visit my parents in Alabama. The only part we don't like is Atlanta and always try to not hit that during rush hour.

We always drive straight thru and yes, the kids stay buckled, but the last couple times when we rented a minivan my DH reclined the seats a little so they weren't sitting straight up. My kids have gotten better sleeping at night in vehicles, but they still try to stay awake as long as they can because they are afraid they might miss something. I keep telling them the only thing they will miss is Semi's here and there.. and to go to sleep. They do love seeing the bigger cities at night.

Do you take 131 south to (where) ????
I see we could jump on the toll road and hit 15 south, or go all the way over to 31.

 

[Disneyforus]

To Disneyforus regarding IN SR 13--I live not far from there and it's two-lane, lots of little towns and Amish buggies for quite a while after you cross into Indiana. Don't want you to be surprised. Don't know how the Mapquest times compare, it just feels like it takes forever to get where you're going.

Thanks for the info! What would be a good alternative? 15? or head all the way over to 31?....either way it seems so much less out of the way than driving all the way over to 69. (which I don't like)

Thanks for your help!

 

[marius97]

Never gone this way, but I'm from not that far north of South Bend. I would come down 131 into Indiana-toll road west to 15 (Bristol)-15 south to 20-20 then turns into the Bypass around South Bend-then head south on 31 to Indy. If you take the toll road all the way into South Bend, you will either have to head south through the heart of South Bend or go past South Bend and come back east on the 31 Bypass.

Thanks for the info! What would be a good alternative? 15? or head all the way over to 31?....either way it seems so much less out of the way than driving all the way over to 69. (which I don't like)

Thanks for your help!