driving to Disney from MA

[GailT]

OK, airfares are high and I am going to Disney at Christmas on a budget. who else has driven there from MA an d how many days and how bad was it? I look at it I save airfare and a rntal car. I also thinking of flying down and driving home or Vise Versa, HELP, I already book my room at PC?

 

[Ran]

hi, I haven't actually driven to WDW, but have driven to Florida, although we are driving down next time we go. Unless you drive non-stop you'll need to stop overnight somewhere. You'll also want to stay away from I95. I planned our trip to drive to Hartford, then take I84(?) to Scranton then I87 down through the Shenadoah Valley. This route will keep you away from major cities and is quite scenic, You can make the trip in two fairly long driving days, 12-15 hours.

 

[figment13]

We r driving down to disney, leaving 4 a.m. tomorrow. This will be our 4th or 5th trip driving down. We r just 2 adults. Previously we have done one overnite, going the jersey turnpike and 95 all the way. We have aaa map it out for us. this time we r going a different route thru PA, 84,81,17 then pick up 95 in Richmond VA. We have friends that r snowbirds and do this route all the time and say it's a much nicer ride. We r allowing 2 overnites this time. Not sure if we will really need them, but we r retired and have the time.
Can't wait until we get there.

 

[Michelemouse]

We make this trip (well...from Northeastern CT) 2-3 times per year. We follow 95 all the way and it takes us 20 hours door-to-door. We usually leave at 2am and drive straight through, arriving at WDW around 10pm.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the trip.

 

[CamColt]

Weve done it 3 times in the past 2 years, with the last time being last month. We do it straight through, 24 hours. Lots of snacks, cds, and the tv/vcr for the kids make it very easy.
I used to think people who drove it were crazy, but after doing it, I found its not really bad at all.

 

[wdwnutze]

Haven't done it yet but I am contemplating it for our next trip. It will be me, my mom, and my 2 dd's(11 & 5). We are trying to decide if we want to take the train instead(mom doesn't do much driving).

 

[Allie322]

We have also done this many times (from RI). We take the route that RAN recommends. We find it much easier than driving 95 all the way. There seems to be a lot less traffic and you avoid a lot of the tolls. We usually leave at about 3 a.m. and drive until 4 p.m. or so. That usually takes us to around Roanoke Virginia. All totalled, it takes us about 21 hours from RI to WDW.
It is a very long drive but we always did it because we took our dog with us and brought her to my parents' house an hour south of WDW so they could babysit for their 'granddaughter'. Now that she is in Doggie Heaven, we fly and are quite happy that our driving days are behind us.

 

[GeorgeG]

We have driven the past 4 or 5 times we went to WDW and will probably continue to drive down.

We're just NW of NYC and take 287 to the NY Tpke. and follow that and 95 all the way. 287 will drop you onto the turnpike around Perth Amboy and you'll miss all the Newark Airport and docks traffic.

The trip takes us about a day and a half or so stopping overnight in either North or South Carolina. Leaving early the first day and driving until about 7:00 and then getting an early start the second day, we've arived at WDW anywhere from noon to 3:00 the second day. Depending on where in Mass. you're coming from, you could add that to our time and figure on a full two days. Do NOT take 95 through NYC. If you're coming down 95 through Conn., get off at 287 at the NY line and take that to go around. If you're coming across 84, stay on that until you get to 87 in NY and then take that to 287.

Gas, tolls, and lodging will definitely total a lot less that airfare, even without the rental car. The only problem is the extra day or two on either side of your time at WDW, which is only a problem if your time is limited.

Having a car at WDW, especially if you're staying on site, is not critical, but it does make getting between resorts a lot easier for enjoying the resort dining, which is usually at least a notch above many of the park restaurants.

 

[rbuzzotta]

We have driven several times from MA. We usually leave in the am (6-7) and drive until around 8 PM. We try to stop at the end of VA. We then sleep and get up around 4 Am and put 3 sleepy princesses in the SUV and get on the road................we then arrive in WDW around 2 ish.......

It is not a bad ride at all .......................

PM me if you have any specific questions.

 

[TINKTWINS]

Weve done it twice and I did all the driving both times. (that was how I got DS to agree to go )

It wasnt bad and Id do it again. Holiday vacations are rough, when we went in April we got stuck in mega traffic coming home. But in August it was a much better drive.

We left Boston at about 645 am, we decided to pack lunches so we wouldnt be temted to stop to eat, its a waste of time, You need the bathroom breaks and that eats up time so we ate on the drive. We drove to North Carolina. Id suggest that, we were in WDW by about 330 the next day. I liked getting the longest chunck of driving done the first day.

And yes saving on the air and car was the best part. I got to spend that money at the Character Premiers!! So ill drive anytime if I can shop freely!!