Driving the Family from PA to the World -- Need Advice

[disney_dreamingmom]

The DH and I are taking DD(5) and DS (7 mo) to the World in November. We're driving from Pennsylvania to the World for a week long stay at AKV. We plan on picking DD at school at 1:00 PM and heading out from there. Mapquest says trip should be 16 hours.

I wanted to get some input from other DISers who have made similar trips. Should we:
1. Drive straight thru (with bathroom and food stops) and let the kids sleep in the car while DD and I alternate driving all night. OR
2. Drive 8-12 hours, pack it in at a hotel and then finish our trek to the world the next morning.

Any input would be appreciated.

 

[dblr]

My vote would be to drive right thru, that is what we do when we drive with just the car as my wife and oldest son help, if we take our rv I am the one that does all the driving we stop for 1-2 nights each way.

 

[Cin]

I've driven from Texas which is a 19 hour trip. We break it up into two days. It's just easier on everyone to stop, get a nice hot meal for dinner, some pool time for the kiddos and a hot bath and a good night's sleep do wonders for refreshing you. It's not that DH wouldn't drive straight through, but I cannot and will not tolerate that much sitting still in a car. We take an ice chest and keep cold drinks, sandwiches, and snacks in the car. Stopping at roadside rest areas and grabbing a sandwich from your ice chest for a quick bite will have you back on the road faster than a stop for fast food, and healthier too. Plus the ice chest is handy at the hotel room. It's a long long trip though overall and seriously I would pay the extra to fly. We flew the last time and used Disney's Magical Express for the first time ever, and it was wonderful! From our house to our hotel room at WDW in half a day, and I wasn't tired and stiff from being cramped in a car for two days. Not to mention once the trip is over, you gotta drive back. DH wants to drive the next time so we'll have our own car and not need to rent one plus he was annoyed that Magical Express picked us up 3 hrs ahead and he hates waiting and we did plenty of that. That flying sure had me spoiled. By the way, we did not need to rent a car, we used Disney transport but it did take over 3 hours round trip to get from our hotel to another for a meal and back (including dining time).

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We live in Central NJ and have made the drive to WDW several times. We opt for the 78/81/77/26/95 route, so we go through PA. The first day we drive to southern SC and then the next day we get to WDW in the early afternoon. The first day we have a relaxing dinner and then drive a couple more hours before we stop for the night. It's a personal preference whether or not to drive straight through, but by breaking the trip up with an overnight stop we aren't tired from the drive.

One other thing to consider is you can't be sure that you can get into your room on property before the middle of the afternoon. Again, it's personal preference but we like to get into our room before we head out and enjoy WDW!

As for the driving time of 16 hours that seems realistic, not knowing exactly where you live. Our total actual driving time is around 18 hours, however, we live 45 minutes from the PA border. Traffic and construction can also be an issue, but weekends are usually better.

Hope this helps!

 

[mousebymarriage]

The DH and I are taking DD(5) and DS (7 mo) to the World in November. We're driving from Pennsylvania to the World for a week long stay at AKV. We plan on picking DD at school at 1:00 PM and heading out from there. Mapquest says trip should be 16 hours.

I wanted to get some input from other DISers who have made similar trips. Should we:
1. Drive straight thru (with bathroom and food stops) and let the kids sleep in the car while DD and I alternate driving all night. OR
2. Drive 8-12 hours, pack it in at a hotel and then finish our trek to the world the next morning.

Any input would be appreciated.

o.k. just remember that mapquest doesn't account for: bathroom breaks, food breaks, and traffic, so the time is a bit more than they estimate.

We live in northern NJ and have done it both ways and I can honestly say that I prefer to drive straight through with most of the driving done during the night but, my kids are older than yours (DS was 5 when we drove for the first time). I usually try to sleep as much as possible during the day that we are leaving (we like to leave at dinner time),DH drives in the beginning and then I take over when he gets tired (around midnight or so). We stop for gas and then I take over for the night, DH puts earplugs in and i put my I-pod in (1 earbud only) and have my snacks within reach so I don't disturb anyone. I also try not to drink alot of water while driving during the night so I don't have to make too many bathroom stops. When It's time for breakfast we stop and the DH takes over the driving, I put in earplugs (a life saver for the other driver) and nap for while.
*I am a night person so driving through the night works for us but, it's important to know your limits. If you feel drowsy just pull over at one of the rest areas and nap for a bit, an hour or two makes a huge difference. We have pulled over to nap at the rest areas before and have never had a problem, many many people do it.

When the kids were little we would try to stop for meals at fast food places that had a "play place" so that the kids could burn off some energy after they ate. Now that they are older we bring a football and frisbee that they can toss around for a few minutes at the rest areas when we stop for bathroom breaks (even 10 or 15 minutes helps).

We have stopped for the night in Santee, SC (it's approx. 12 hours from our house).. We stayed at The Country Inn & Suites, it was a nice clean hotel with a free breakfast and indoor pool for $100 a night.

Make sure you pack plenty of snacks, my family likes: goldfish, teddy grahams or other cookies, grapes, string cheese, rice crispy treats, mini boxes of cereal, mini bagels, m&m's and granola bars. All are easy snack that aren't too messy. We also pack a small cooler with water bottles and juice boxes( we are not big soda drinkers).

A DVD player with some new unseen dvd's (and some old favorites too) is great. Color wonder markers and paper are also great (crayons can melt in a hot car). A few small inexpensive gifts that your DD can unwrap periodically is a nice treat for her.

To help with your DD's comfort level while driving, try putting a cooler or small suitcase on the floor in front of her so she can rest her feet on it , it will make her more comfortable so her legs aren't dangling the entire time.

Have fun and have a safe trip!

 

[Ed J]

When was the last time you and the hubby pulled an all nigher then spent the next day engaged in a activity like walking through a theme park? How did you feel?

I know the last time I did anything like that I felt like crap for 2 days, thats 2 days of "fun" while dragging butt. There was a time in my like I'd drive strait through, but it has passed. Good luck with what ever you chose.

 

[Elmo007]

I would break it up. However. my kids can only make it as far as Newark,NJ (from LI) before they lose it


PS - I prefer to fly

 

[persimmondeb]

We drive from just north of Philadelphia, and have tried various strategies. Last trip, we went to bed very early, were up and in the car by 3 am, and were checking into an Orlando motel at 6pm. We only have a single driver, and that allows us to make most of the drive in daylight, with a reasonably perky driver. DS was 14, though, and is fairly good at amusing himself, so we did not have a chorus of "are we there yet" all the way down 95, which you might with a daylight drive with young children. We break up the way back, because the timing is different.

 

[bookwormde]

If you are leaving at 1pm from near Philly, then be sure not to stop till you are clear of DC because any delay will put you in the traffic. For me I drive straight through, but I leave at midnight, so it is mostly about if you feel yo can drive safely through the night (or with a rest stop nap).

Bookwormde

 

[the Fidge]

OK here is my 2 cents worth on this one. I am also from PA. We have done this trip many times as I hate flying and so does DS. Yes you can drive straight through but there is some problems with that. You have little ones and they want to get out there and storm the parks or the resort, you however will be more interested in getting the road hum out of your head and some rest.

If you have not I would suggest joining a hotel chain and get a membership so your stays can be used towards future trips. Right now prioirity club with Intercontental Hotel has 2 stays get 1 night free. That would be with Holiday Inn. HI Express, etc. It helps out for the next trips! You don't need to give them your CC# to join either. Other chains are surely running other promos as well. For our trip this time we will be taking it real slow on our way down as DH and I both drive for a living and doing a mad rush down holds no appeal. SO all our hotel stays are free from our points collected!

You could also stop at one the rest areas or gas stops and pick up one of the books on the way down and use a coupon from one of these

http://www.travelcoupons.com/

Get an idea of where you would like to stop, Brunswick ga or other areas and get an idea of which hotels by reading hotel reviews on here

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

It brings me no comfort in driving that so many folks are going without sleep on the way down and back. The horrific accidents we have seen are enough to remind everyone that everybody needs to sleep after being behind the wheel too long.

When you see the suitcases and disney and universal bags spread over the interstate and blankets covering whole bodies of a family on a road is a sad reminder of the reality that sleep is needed. Tkae your time enjoy the family time in the car.

There are great ways to deal with are we there yet? Every 100 miles I would give DS a little something from the dollar tree. There are printable pages on this board for Disney trivia and disney coloring and activity pages.

Don't forget gas buddy too to get gas prices along your journey. Have a safe and wonderful time!

 

[disney_dreamingmom]

Thanks for all the GREAT info! I think we are going to break it up into 2 days now.

 

[Happy Mom2]

We are driving down, and our drive is expected to be 12 hours plus restroom stops and breaks. We are splitting it up into two days. We don't want to arrive at WDW exhausted from the drive. We will drive most of the way the 1st day, and arrive in Orlando around 1:30. Instead of wasting a day's ticket on a few hours in the park, we are going to hit DTD, go to a few resorts to see the Christmas decorations, have dinner at O'hana, and go to bed early to we can hit the parks rested on the 1st day.

 

[ncc1701]

Thanks for all the GREAT info! I think we are going to break it up into 2 days now.

Hi. You may want to consider booking a room.My cousin's family decided to wing it.They started looking in lower SC on I-95 and didn't find anything until they were near Daytona. If you are traveling on a Friday you may run into to people heading to college football games or maybe a NASCAR race who are also looking for rooms in addition to normal Friday traffic.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi fellow PA-er! We are NW of Philly and take 202 to 95 from here. We like to break it into two days so we don't feel wrung out or tired, especially if you're only going to be at WDW for one week.

We like to leave at 6am and stop around Walterboro SC, which will take around 11 hours or so, depending on breaks. That puts us about 5 hours away from WDW for day 2. We get up, eat breakfast in the hotel, and leave no later than 10. Allowing for one stop at the Florida Welcome Center for free juice and brochures and book, plus potentially one other potty break, we are at our hotel by 3:30 - 4:00, just in time for check-in. We are well-rested and refreshed and usually unpack, explore the resort a bit, then go out to eat or shop for food.

They key to handling the trip is acknowledging that you will be in the car all day - don't expect it to go by quickly - just enjoy the family time together.

If you have time, read through the first and second "For 2000+ mile" threads. There's a TON of info that is SO helpful - it's truly the best thread on the DIS if you plan to drive.

We're getting ready for our third drive this year and can't wait to hit the road!!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

we drove from Landcaster area in Aug with 6 boys from 9 years to 16 months in 2 cars. i would vote for 2 days. unless your 5 year old is used to long drives and sitting, she will need time out of seat and extra potty breaks. little will be very bored in car seat for that long. potty breaks take a lot longer with diaper changes. we took run breaks at the rest areas. rain storms can ruin rest area lunches. we are looking to do a repeat in a couple years. let me know if i can answer anything else.

 

[GranddadTom]

I would suggest breaking the trip up into two days. No matter what, the second day will be pretty much lost. You may even be able to salvage some of the second day by stopping at a reasonable hour on the first day and getting to WDW by early afternoon of the second day somewhat refreshed. Otherwise let me picture this – mom and dad dead tired from 16 hours of driving and two kids all rested up and ready to go. Not a pretty picture! It would help if you had a “non-park” plan for that arrival day that included getting the kids to bed so all of you are ready to go the next day. I don’t normally recommend people taking Rt. 81 (because of the trucks and the hills) but I suspect it would be easy for you to get on it and because leaving central PA at 1:00 pm on a workday means hitting Washington at a very bad hour (meaning don’t go there). You can take Rt. 77 down to Rt. 26 and get onto Rt. 95 just south of Santee. I usually figure its 4 hours of driving from the SC/Ga border to WDW. I’d also recommend making a motel reservation in advance. You can usually cancel by 6:00 pm if you need to.

 

[DCTooTall]

Definately recommend 2 days. I Drove (by myself) from York, PA to Orlando last November and it's a LONG drive.

Biggest issue with the drive would be DC area traffic if you are going the 95 route. Baltimore isn't TOO bad, but DC is a nightmare... especcially the south side if you get caught in rush-hour traffic from people trying to head home for the day. If you can time your trip to be in and out of DC outside of rush hour, you will thank yourself later. (Even if it means leaving later in the evening). With as long as the drive is, that extra hour or 2 cramped in a car because of traffic can be a killer.

Beyond that.... you'll want to make sure you have stuff to keep your kids (and yourself) entertained on the trip. It is LONG and lacks a lot of scenery. NC and SC don't really have a lot to see since it's pretty straight and flat, although the road signs for South of The Border might be a fun little diversion. Once you get to GA the view gets a bit more interesting because of the swamp/marshes around the highway.

I think by myself it took me about 13 hours or so on a Saturday drive to get to Savannah where I spent the night, and then another 4-5hrs to get to my resort at Disney. I don't remember exactly if that first day included my big stretch and refresh stop at South of the Border or not.

 

[supersuperwendy]

subscribing...

We are about to start planning our first drive to Disney from PA. I've decided I don't want to take the chance of my kids being patted down by the TSA. I read soooo many crazy stories over the past few days and NO THANKS. The more I started thinking about driving the more it makes sense anyway! We have a big family and flying is expensive. Plus we can take whatever we want with us if we drive!!!! Plus..it would give us a vehicle to visit non disney parks and my brother who lives in Orlando! It's a win - win every way I look at it! My MIL lives in Western Michigan and our kids have grown up their whole lives driving out there. That's close to 12 hours straight through so I think they can totally handle the drive to Florida. I'm so excited about it! They've never been to South of the Border or the Florida welcome center. All things I liked seeing as a kid when my parents drove us! I can't wait!

 

[disneymayz]

I skimmed thru most of the posts.

You said you are leaving at 1PM. My best time from Lancaster is 14.25 hrs. Even that would put you at 3AM. Your going to have to pay for a extra night anyway so I would say stop on your way. I saw that you are going to do it in 2 days.

As to the responder that said flying is so expensive. For my family of 4 we are getting 4 round trip from Philly including tax & bags = $680 + $200 (car) For us to drive it would cost about $250 in gas, $200 in hotel cost (if we needed to stop), and $100 for food during the drive SO ............ $330 is so worth not having to spend 30 hours in the car.

 

[duffy]

Another Pa. person here, we're in Johnstown. I would also say take at least 2 days. Have fun!