Driving NJ to Disney (update)

[mrsap]

Hey guys! So I was wondering if anyone drove down from Jersey to Disney on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving last year. We typically leave Tuesday, however, DH was thinking since kids have half day school, to just pick them up and go. Just wondering how crazy the traffic was. I know 95, no matter what, will be crazy traffic in Washington. But we are thinking maybe we can do 81 and go around all that. Just wondering if anyone can please share their experience with either route? Thank you so much!

 

[JohnneeO]

Here is a thread on the merits of taking the "Inland Route" to WDW. The OP started out in MA.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/route-81-77-instead-of-95-was-definitely-the-way-to-go.2522586/

Not many recent posts in the thread, and probably nothing about Thanksgiving, but hopefully this helps.

 

[mrsap]

Here is a thread on the merits of taking the "Inland Route" to WDW. The OP started out in MA.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/route-81-77-instead-of-95-was-definitely-the-way-to-go.2522586/

Not many recent posts in the thread, and probably nothing about Thanksgiving, but hopefully this helps.

Thanks! We have taken 81 before, just not the day before Thanksgiving!! Nervous to try.

 

[sponica]

What time does the half day let out?

And are you north jersey or south jersey?

 

[mrsap]

North! 1:20 This is worst case scenario. If we can arrange some things, we may just keep the kids home and leave at 8:30 AM. I’m sure either way, we are going to hit traffic.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

I live in Eastern PA (10 minutes from I-78). I've done both 81 and 95 for drives to VA/TN/NC, but never at Thanksgiving. My parents are taking the 95 route today. They prefer 95, while I generally prefer 81. Every time I've been on 95 there has been some sort of major delay.

I think there's a tool on Google maps to put in the time of day you'd be driving and how long various routes would take. Check that out for a weekday (especially a Friday) and see what it says. It won't be a perfect estimate of the day before Thanksgiving, but it might give you and idea. I'd also plan on using Google maps or Waze while driving and change your route on the fly if the traffic app recommends it.

 

[sponica]

North! 1:20 This is worst case scenario. If we can arrange some things, we may just keep the kids home and leave at 8:30 AM. I’m sure either way, we are going to hit traffic.

Yeah I wouldn't hit the road at that time, WITH EVERYONE ELSE.

The earlier you can leave, the better off you'll be. At least leaving at 830 puts you somewhere else midday if you take 81. Leaving at 120 means getting onto a highway that's in the midst of the mass exodus.

 

[Jimsig]

I would say if you are in North NJ then I would think I-81 is the way to go. Avoiding major cities would be my main priority that day and possible even the day before.

I just did a quick GoogleMap directions from Morristown, NJ to the WDW Car Care Center.

I-95 is 16 hours 58 min and 1103 miles and is currently showing a slow down south of DC

I-81 is 17 hours 16 min and 1165 miles with currently no traffic.

I know holiday traffic will change things but for a difference of 18 more min and only 62 more miles I would go I-81. I'm sure from the NJTP to south of DC will be a horror show that day and baring a major incident on the I-81 route you will save a lot of time going I-81.

 

[artesian]

I'm with everyone else. I've left that time one a summer Friday and thought the inland route was better overall.

 

[mrsap]

Thank you everyone for your input. I know we were probably crazy for even thinking about this, but I love having a head start, even if that means sitting in traffic for a little bit. A couple years ago, we left on Tuesday and stopped overnight in North Carolina; so when we continued our drive the next day (Wednesday) we were already almost halfway down. We drove the rest of the way with no issue. I guess we will just have to take a chance and see what we are in for. But I agree, 81 might be our best bet that day, no matter what time we leave.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Hey guys! So I was wondering if anyone drove down from Jersey to Disney on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving last year. We typically leave Tuesday, however, DH was thinking since kids have half day school, to just pick them up and go. Just wondering how crazy the traffic was. I know 95, no matter what, will be crazy traffic in Washington. But we are thinking maybe we can do 81 and go around all that. Just wondering if anyone can please share their experience with either route? Thank you so much!

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be horrendous no matter what road you drive on because it’s one of the biggest travel days of the year.

If you truly want to avoid traffic then you could leave around 7 pm on Tuesday night and drive straight through to WDW. You would avoid all the traffic mess from NJ down through Richmond Va. and arrive in WDW by 11:30 am on Wednesday.

I have family in WV so I’m familiar with the 78/81 route and I hated driving on it. Every time we drove on 78 west there were always accidents and backups and we had to detour through the back roads. It seems like every other vehicle on 81 is a truck and it’s a 2 lane road.

 

[Christine]

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be horrendous no matter what road you drive on because it’s one of the biggest travel days of the year.

If you truly want to avoid traffic then you could leave around 7 pm on Tuesday night and drive straight through to WDW. You would avoid all the traffic mess from NJ down through Richmond Va. and arrive in WDW by 11:30 am on Wednesday.

I have family in WV so I’m familiar with the 78/81 route and I hated driving on it. Every time we drove on 78 west there were always accidents and backups and we had to detour through the back roads. It seems like every other vehicle on 81 is a truck and it’s a 2 lane road.

Agreeing with this. I used I81 to get to my son's college in Virginia. While I81 is less traveled than 95 and is generally your best option, it is FULL of tractor trailers, it's 2 lanes, and those trucks are rolling. There are many accidents. And because it is 2 lanes, it can be pretty bad when one happens because it often results in a complete shutdown. I don't think it's going to be great on the day before Thanksgiving but maybe better than I95.

I will say that traffic patterns on I95 have changed somewhat over the years. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was always the big getaway day. I work in DC and live south in Virginia. I always dreaded my commute home that day. What I've found is that people are "getting away" earlier and earlier in the week and Wednesdays over the years have been a breeze actually. Not to say there isn't any traffic but, it has been better. What I can say is that if you choose 95, if you have an EZPass, once you get through Maryland and it's past 10AM, you can take the toll lanes all the way down close to Stafford, VA with an EZPass. If you have 3 people in your car and an EZPass flex, it won't cost you a dime. You'll then just have to deal Fredericksburg to Richmond which could be tough.

But I agree with the poster I quoted above: I think traveling that day is going to be difficult and if you can drive at night that would be a great help.

 

[mrsap]

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be horrendous no matter what road you drive on because it’s one of the biggest travel days of the year.

If you truly want to avoid traffic then you could leave around 7 pm on Tuesday night and drive straight through to WDW. You would avoid all the traffic mess from NJ down through Richmond Va. and arrive in WDW by 11:30 am on Wednesday.

I have family in WV so I’m familiar with the 78/81 route and I hated driving on it. Every time we drove on 78 west there were always accidents and backups and we had to detour through the back roads. It seems like every other vehicle on 81 is a truck and it’s a 2 lane road.

I hate 81 too!! We did it once going down and once coming home. Definitely not much to look at during your ride, either, and I agree, there are too many trucks!!! I felt like I was on the truck lanes of the NJ Tpk.! Ugh, I don’t know what to do. I told DH I think we should try it only if we can leave first thing that morning. Hopefully I’ll know for sure by the weekend.

 

[mrsap]

Agreeing with this. I used I81 to get to my son's college in Virginia. While I81 is less traveled than 95 and is generally your best option, it is FULL of tractor trailers, it's 2 lanes, and those trucks are rolling. There are many accidents. And because it is 2 lanes, it can be pretty bad when one happens because it often results in a complete shutdown. I don't think it's going to be great on the day before Thanksgiving but maybe better than I95.

I will say that traffic patterns on I95 have changed somewhat over the years. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was always the big getaway day. I work in DC and live south in Virginia. I always dreaded my commute home that day. What I've found is that people are "getting away" earlier and earlier in the week and Wednesdays over the years have been a breeze actually. Not to say there isn't any traffic but, it has been better. What I can say is that if you choose 95, if you have an EZPass, once you get through Maryland and it's past 10AM, you can take the toll lanes all the way down close to Stafford, VA with an EZPass. If you have 3 people in your car and an EZPass flex, it won't cost you a dime. You'll then just have to deal Fredericksburg to Richmond which could be tough.

But I agree with the poster I quoted above: I think traveling that day is going to be difficult and if you can drive at night that would be a great help.

That was an option too, to take the toll lanes. On a day like that, they’re worth every penny!! We travel every year at that time, just usually Tuesday or before. Last year was the exception, we left Wednesday at like 10 pm and drove straight through overnight. If anything, we’ll go back to plan A and just leave at 1 am Thanksgiving.

 

[richmo]

I think I'd try to go at least part of the way Tuesday if you can. If you can't get going until Wednesday AM, I'd get as early a start as possible...I'd prefer to clear the DC area before the morning rush, so I'd want to be in south Jersey/Phila area by 6 AM...earlier if possible. I don't think the morning rush in Baltimore and DC will be as bad as usual that morning, but starting late morning much, much worse than a normal day as the travelers will be on the road and workers leaving around noon or so.

 

[katherine52478]

We did it once but we left Thanksgiving morning and it was pretty clear! But we stayed in Savannah for the night and then got to Disney on Friday so I can’t comment on that.

 

[rcj2000]

We did a trip to SC from the NYC area and we drove I95 down and 81 back home. We left really early, 4:30am, and we avoided traffic both in NYC and the DC area. We did drive during an "off" time of year. We experienced very minimal traffic. We like to leave earlier in the morning so we're well rested as opposed to driving overnight. The kids function better when we travel that way also.

 

[Rach3975]

I will say that traffic patterns on I95 have changed somewhat over the years. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was always the big getaway day. I work in DC and live south in Virginia. I always dreaded my commute home that day. What I've found is that people are "getting away" earlier and earlier in the week and Wednesdays over the years have been a breeze actually. Not to say there isn't any traffic but, it has been better.

I agree about the change in traffic patterns for Thanksgiving week. Our Thanksgiving trip is the reverse of yours, traveling from Washington, DC to New York City or Connecticut on 95. MANY years ago we always left that Wednesday morning and the traffic was terrible. Somewhere along the way we switched to starting on Tuesday morning instead. The first few years that worked well, but over time traveling on Tuesday has gotten harder and harder. In 2018 we weren't able to leave until Wednesday morning, and we were worried about how much worse it might be. So we did some research before the trip and learned that Tuesday is now the busier of the 2 travel days. Of course there was still traffic on Wednesday and the trip took longer than it would at any other time of year, but our experience driving on Wednesday bore out what we'd read about Tuesday being the worse of the 2 days to travel.

 

[mrsap]

Hey guys! Thank you for all of your feedback. After reading all your posts and much consideration, we decided to leave Tuesday! I made all the arrangements and we’re all set! Thanks for talking us out of a crazy thought