driving question

[cottontail]

Hello: Do most people who want to drive down to wdw in two days around 23 hours from ontario, leave early in the a.m. and stop each day just after supper, or leave in the evening after work? Just wondering how others do the two day drive, we plan to stop overnight once and arrive at wdw around supper the second day. Thanks,

Deb.

 

[LML]

We've done both. The first time the kids were much younger. We left after school and drove through the night. Good for sleeping quiet kids, tough on the driver. We were in a moter home so I did not help with the driving. We leave early am and drive to Tennessee. We're leaving at 7:30 tomorrow morning. I bought Dave Hunters book 'Along I-75'. We plan on stopping at rest stations so Tom can take a nap We're towing a travel trailer. We're taking our dogs so my daughter and I will excercise them while Tom gets some rest. We plan on a long day tomorrow. Stopping twice for sleep and a run Hopefully we'll get well into Georgia. We did the drive at Christmas. It seemed to take forever to get through Georgia....I think this book will be most helpful!! BTW....if anyone sees us introduce yourself!!! We'll be taking Cara our future leaderdog. She's an eleven month old German Shepard pup. She has a blue cape identifying her as a 'Leaderdog In Training'. We'll be at Fort Wilderness until March 15th.

 

[cottontail]

Hi Good for you for taking the dogs with you. Do you train dogs for the blind, or disabled. I have to put my two babies in a kennel in april, I hate to do it but I have checked it all out for them and we have used it many years ago.

Because we are going in april (no snow) we are driving thru new york,, pennsylvania, the virginias etc, but if I was going now I would do I 75. I have heard only good things about the book you are talking about. We got down to chatannooga one time long ago from hamilton, on our first night travelling down i 75.

My brother towed his fithwheel to texas just before xmas, he and wife should be coming home this week or next.

Hubby wants to leave at 4.a.m. and drive l4 the first day, down to columbia south carolina, and yes with lots of stops etc, I will make lunches and have lots of snacks and drinks, and buy supper when we are in south carolina. The next day should be about 7 or 8 hours to wdw. He would rather get the long push out of the way the first day, and have a little less the second day. Have a safe, and happy to trip to wdw. Bye,

Deb.

 

[SandraC]

Although we are flying in April, I am starting to plan the next WDW trip and it will be a driving trip. (maybe, probably, most likely, we'll see).

The course we are plotting is a lot like Deb's. More than half way the first day leaving EXTREMELY early in the morning (about 4am). The kids will sleep until 7 or 8 am, we are stop for a bit and go on. Will be stop the night at a hotel with a pool so we can all relax. I think we'll sleep in the next day just a bit and hit the road about 8 or 9 am getting into WDW around dinner time. Going home, we will take two night so we can see a bit more. dh wants to make the return trip a part of the vacation.

 

[NancyK]

We also like to leave about 4 a.m. and drive until after supper on the first day. leaving a much shorter drive for day 2. On our way home, the drive is usually split evenly over two days.

 

[Sandiebean]

We usually fly.. but this year, with the cost of flying so high... we're driving. And I'm really looking forward to it. Of course... I may be questioning that judgement, about 10 hours into the drive.

This is how we're doing it. We're leaving on the Thursday, around 6pm. We'll drive until about 1 or 2pm the next day (If we can stand it). Then we'll bunk down in a hotel with a pool... relax... etc. We'll leave very early the next morning (around 5am).. and get to our hotel by 10am. Or thereabouts.

That's our schedule.

Sandie

 

[cottontail]

Hi SandiBean:

That sounds like a good plan. Do you have an idea what area you will be at, or will you just find a place when you decide to stop.

That is about 20 hours of driving, you should be very close by then, if you are leaving from the toronto area. I am not sure where you are located. The drive to wdw is usually 22 to 23 hours for us from Hamilton.
We usually book ahead, have you driven at night before. The only thing that concerns me is if we get into fog in the night in the mountains. We are going over at fort erie and thru the I77 and I79, I am not sure if I have their order right. Bye,

Deb.

 

[Sandiebean]

I'm picking up a triptick at CAA on Monday. I'm in Guelph. I will also enter at Erie, and go that route. When I get the route from CAA.. I'll probably book a room. It's cheaper that way, from what I hear. I'm just not sure. Any suggestions as to which is better? Booking first.. or just finding a suitable place?

Sandie

 

[cottontail]

Hi in Guelph:

Do you know what I do, I figure out approx where we will be stopping, then I find a hotel or motel chain that provides a continental breakfast, this is a plus for a quick get go the next morning, unless your leaving before they would have it out.
plus I make sure I can book the room with a 6.p.m hold, meaning that if we don't go to it , it just cancels itself, now if I am getting close and know that is the hotel I want to stop at I would call them give my credit card to confirm it so we do not lose it.

But if i was not going to it I would try and phone the 800 # and cancel at a rest station or on a cell phone, that is just me though.

Also sometimes we will book two hotels with a 6.p.m hold about an hour and a half to two hours apart, in case we feel well enough to keep on going, then I would confirm the one we want with a call and my credit card and cancel the other one. There are three of us who get severe migraines, so sometimes we have to stop sooner than we want.

When you are stopping for washroom's we usually drive off the highway to a mcdonalds or wendys, use the facilities and grab something small to eat, or we use the rest rooms at the welcome centres at the entrance of each state, as there is usually someone working in them. We do not like the rest stations that have any one working in them, we feel these are unsafe.

Feel free to ask any questions, hope I have not confused you. The internet is a great place to look up hotel chains and check your dates too, --- comfort inns, country inns and suites, amerisuites, hamptons, fairfield inns, etc.

Deb.

 

[hockey mom]

I just used priceline to book a room for my friend. She is leaving Oshawa around 5am and figures she will drive about 13 hours, so using the trip tik we estimated that to be Knoxville Tenn. The rate was $30/night and has a free breakfast in the morning. It was a Laquinta inn.

 

[cottontail]

Hi Hockeymom: Wow that is a great rate, and a nice hotel chain. What do you put in for the zip code if you are doing this from canada. Thanks

Deb.