It was my first time driving such a long distance: from Eastern Ontario to Orlando. I decided to take the 81, 66, 17, 95 route to avoid the mountains on the 77 and to bypass the bigger cities on the 95. We left mid-December and returned in January.
We left Friday night around 9:00 pm and drove till 2:00 am staying in Scranton, PA. On Saturday I drove to Wilson, NC (8 hours of driving plus 2 hours of breaks). From Wilson it took around 12 hours to get to Kissimee (including about 2 hours of breaks).
On the way back we left on Friday morning from Kissimmee to Wilson, NC (about 12 hours with breaks) and then on Sunday I drove 16 hours to arrive home at 2:00 a.m. There was heavy fog for about an hour around Wilkes-Barre in northern PA. We arrived last weekend and I didn't encounter any snow during the drive home.
My toddlers did really well and were entertained by new toys, singing, and taking breaks every 2-3 hours. My teen watched movies on the portable DVD.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the rest areas in northern NY. Though the signs indicated they were staffed by state police, there were none during the late hours (9:00 pm and later). The buildings were empty and I didn't feel very safe using the restrooms.
The drive was definitely part of the vacation experience and I loved having my own car and not relying on Disney transportation. I've traveled to Orlando by flying, greyhound bus, Amtrak and charter bus. I prefer driving by far and look forward to making the trip again next year.
We left Friday night around 9:00 pm and drove till 2:00 am staying in Scranton, PA. On Saturday I drove to Wilson, NC (8 hours of driving plus 2 hours of breaks). From Wilson it took around 12 hours to get to Kissimee (including about 2 hours of breaks).
On the way back we left on Friday morning from Kissimmee to Wilson, NC (about 12 hours with breaks) and then on Sunday I drove 16 hours to arrive home at 2:00 a.m. There was heavy fog for about an hour around Wilkes-Barre in northern PA. We arrived last weekend and I didn't encounter any snow during the drive home.
My toddlers did really well and were entertained by new toys, singing, and taking breaks every 2-3 hours. My teen watched movies on the portable DVD.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the rest areas in northern NY. Though the signs indicated they were staffed by state police, there were none during the late hours (9:00 pm and later). The buildings were empty and I didn't feel very safe using the restrooms.
The drive was definitely part of the vacation experience and I loved having my own car and not relying on Disney transportation. I've traveled to Orlando by flying, greyhound bus, Amtrak and charter bus. I prefer driving by far and look forward to making the trip again next year.
