Driving to Disney: From Southern Ontario.

[emmettsmommy]

Hi!
Im interested in any information I can get from those who have driven to Disney from Southern Ontario (Hamilton). We're planning a trip for January of 2009 and we're starting to consider driving.

How many hours did it take?
What's the drive like?
Did you stop over for a night in between?
Did you find it to be cheaper than flying? (2 adults 1 child)

Im really looking for any tips or info!
TIA!!

 

[cndnchicky]

Hello!!!!
I'm from Woodstock, so not too far from Hamilton, but we drove last time. We took our minivan with 3 kids (2,3 and 4) my brother, hubby and mother. We left at lunch time, stopped an hr for dinner, then drove through the night, and stopped at around 8am at the top end of Florida. It was great because the kids slept through the night while we drove, so it wasnt so bad. We took the I75, but i think since you are closer to Niagara Falls you might be smarter to go that way. Check mapquest out and type in your details and it will give you the best way to go. We are going again in May, but i think this time we are going to leave at dinner time. Hopefully the kids will sleep through the night again this time Hope this helps!!!!!

 

[MegaWoman]

We've driven twice, the same route both times. We left the GTA at 9am, stayed at a hotel on the road, and arrived in Orlando the next day.

We took the I-90/I-79/US-19/I-77/I-26/I-95/I-4 route. We have a GPS also.

The first time we stayed at a shabby/slightly scary Best Western in Orangeburg, SC. We were exhausted by the time we arrived, we drove too far that first day, but we were in Orlando checking into our hotel at 2pm the next day.

The second time we drove to just before Charlotte, NC. Spent the night there and arrived in Orlando at 4pm the next day.

We have two drivers and two kids (ages 5 & 3). The second trip we thought about staying on the GA/FL border for the night, but we made great time so we kept going.

We have friends that have driven through the night and they said they wouldn't do it again. You arrive tired but the kids have slept so they're ready to go. It's just not for us.

HTH

 

[lisaviolet]

We've driven multiple times. Always the 79/77 route because it's so darn beautiful.

It takes about 23 hours. We usually stop twice for two reasons. One, I enjoy the road trip. It's like a mini-vacation to me. And two, the second stop is so I arrive in the morning to Disney and not late in the day the day before.

We like Beckley, WV and then Pooler (Savannah) GA for our stops.

If I was only stopping once and you somehow, weekends or get up late, avoid rush hour traffic the next morning I would stop just a tad north of Charlotte in Lake Norman, NC. Very nice area and perfect timing for a one night stop.

This time however we are driving right through, sort of. Leaving 2AM Saturday morning. Getting some late day winks, but not overnight, at a rest stop and then arriving at VWL on Sunday morning.

As far as flying. Well, it can be as reasonable as driving at certain times of the year. Depending on the # of people and # of overnights of course. I've been checking PIT to MCO for the March break and the prices were coming very close to driving the full way with gas and motel stops. But we decided to give driving through a go this time to save some $$.

I know I've already said it but the 79/77 is breathtaking. I love it. And crave it.

Best of luck,

Lisa

 

[Ham Ham]

Excellent tips so far QEW, I-190, I-90 I-79,US-19 I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 is the way to go.

Watch your speed on US-19 through Summersville, WV. Respect the posted limits and you will have no problem.

There is a really nice rest area/museum/information centre/gift shop at the New River Bridge on US -19 in WV.

If you are a NASCAR fan, we're not, there is some kind of shrine North of Charlotte in Mooresville, NC.

Charlotte traffic is heavy but nothing compared to T.O. There are HOV lanes in Charlotte we used last we drove down during their morning rush hour.

 

[karters*mom]

Hi!
Im interested in any information I can get from those who have driven to Disney from Southern Ontario (Hamilton). We're planning a trip for January of 2009 and we're starting to consider driving.

How many hours did it take?
What's the drive like?
Did you stop over for a night in between?
Did you find it to be cheaper than flying? (2 adults 1 child)

Im really looking for any tips or info!
TIA!!

why torture yourselves with the drive..and cut into your vacation time! i hate driving!
we are flying out of Buffalo in April $627 for the 3 of us. No renting a car, gas, hotel fee during stop-over...stress of the drive!

 

[CDN Prince Charming]

why torture yourselves with the drive..and cut into your vacation time! i hate driving!
we are flying out of Buffalo in April $627 for the 3 of us. No renting a car, gas, hotel fee during stop-over...stress of the drive!

Believe me, we would fly if we could.
All 7 of our trips to WDW, we have flown out of BUF. One time in February '05, my family of 5, flew r/t on SW for $475 US TOTAL!
Unfortunately this year we are tied to flying during March Break and there are no cheap flights to be had, so its pack the van up and go this time. I'm sure we won't be the only ONT plates on I-95.

CPC

 

[karters*mom]

Believe me, we would fly if we could.
All 7 of our trips to WDW, we have flown out of BUF. One time in February '05, my family of 5, flew r/t on SW for $475 US TOTAL!
Unfortunately this year we are tied to flying during March Break and there are no cheap flights to be had, so its pack the van up and go this time. I'm sure we won't be the only ONT plates on I-95.

CPC

LOL!
i agree!
I'm a nastey traveller...worse than a back seat driver! I get cranky after 5 hours in the car!

 

[esdras]

Since you live in Hamilton, I would consider flying out of either Buffalo OR Detroit. Yes, it would take you 3-4 hours to drive to Detroit, depending on traffic, but it gives you another U.S. airport to check for low fare deals.

If you want to fly, research EVERY airline that flies out of both airports to Orlando - the most likely discount carriers include Southwest, AirTran, JetBlue and Spirit (there are probably others that I'm not thinking of at the moment).

Go to each of their websites and sign up for ANY of their promotional mailing lists. I have heard of people getting Southwest fares from Buffalo to Orlando at $49 each way, and this is not entirely unheard of - depending on the time of year that you are travelling. When we went in '06, I acted too quickly, booking our flight 3 months in advance at $79 each way (from Detroit) on non-refundable tickets. 6 weeks before our vacation, I saw an online offer for $39 each way!!!! Yeah, I was kicking myself.

To decide whether to fly or drive, I suggest the following.

Estimate the cost of gas, food and (if not driving straight through) lodging. Depending on your fuel economy, the type of motel you use and the number of people (in terms of food costs), I've seen most estimates range between $300-$600 USD for a family of four.

Second, estimate the cost of flying (get a range of the maximum you would pay by getting virtually no deal on the flight vs. one of the best) and then add the cost of gas to the airport and the cost to park your car there. For us, using Detroit, as a family of four our total cost will be between $625 and $950.

Usually, for a family of four, flying will probably cost $200 to $300 more than driving, but could be close to break even if you stay at a nice motel, eat a lot, and get lousy milage with your vehicle.

Finally, even if it costs more, is it worth the cost to effectively cut your travel time in half (if you do not drive straight through)? I know that I feel lousy the day after driving a lot, so even my first full day at Disney wouldn't be great for me - but that's me. Others don't mind driving.

Anyway, there is a lot to consider, and way too many factors to say what is best for your family.

Good luck on the decision, and I hope you have a great time!

 

[Ham Ham]

Last time we drove in March of '06 costs for driving our 2001 Ford Windstar including gas for the drive down & while in Florida , motels, food, tolls were $600.

Started in Mississauga Wednesday 17:00 arrived at Pop Century 17:00 Thursday.

Try this link for more precise fuel costs.
http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

If you are thinking about flying also look at Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
You may need to calculate the cost of a rental car if needed when in Florida if staying off site.

 

[Disneyof3]

Drove the past 4 years from Guelph just north of Hamilton. We drive right through and it usually takes us 22 hrs straight driving with 3 kids. That includes bathroom brakes, gas and supper the night before and breakfast in the am. We leave usually about 5pm the night before and drive all the way and usually end up in Kissimee about 12noon the next day. We love it and the kids have fun watching DVD's and playing in the van. This year for the first time we are flying. The kids have never flown before and can't wait. We have done I75 the first 2 times and then the rest through Buffalo and I79/77. Buffalo is much shorter and were NASCAR fans so we stayed one night in SC and had a ball with NASCAR CONTRY (that is the year we didn't see WDW ) Driving for us was the only option for a few years but this year the van won't make it so we opted for flying. We'll see how it works out. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[incoo50]

Excellent tips so far QEW, I-190, I-90 I-79,US-19 I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 is the way to go.

Watch your speed on US-19 through Summersville, WV. Respect the posted limits and you will have no problem.

There is a really nice rest area/museum/information centre/gift shop at the New River Bridge on US -19 in WV.

If you are a NASCAR fan, we're not, there is some kind of shrine North of Charlotte in Mooresville, NC.

Charlotte traffic is heavy but nothing compared to T.O. There are HOV lanes in Charlotte we used last we drove down during their morning rush hour.

How would this route be for a trailer,is it very hilly,steep grades,curvy??Any info would be appreciated.I'm coming from Sudbury so my choices is the route you have or down I75 thru the Sault.thanks

 

[Csaks]

How would this route be for a trailer,is it very hilly,steep grades,curvy??Any info would be appreciated.I'm coming from Sudbury so my choices is the route you have or down I75 thru the Sault.thanks

It depends on the trailer and your comfort level.
New York and Penn is almost the same as anything you would see in Ontario. Driving is a bit hilly and curvy in the Virginia's and could be a little slow going with a trailer but once you come out of the hills into the Carolina's ,Georgia and Florida it's smooth sailing and down right boring between Jacksonville and Daytona on 95. Do not try this tired, I was getting sleepy with 8 hours of rest under the belt .

Some have said the hills on 75 are not much better than this route, I couldn't tell you because the last time I came down that way I was about 12 asking "Are we there yet" every 5 minutes .

Chris

 

[dancin Disney style]

LOL!
i agree!
I'm a nastey traveller...worse than a back seat driver! I get cranky after 5 hours in the car!

we must be sisters.....since it's a 2.5 hour flight...at the 2.5 hour mark I start saying "we could have been there by now" or my now famous (at the 18 hour mark) "we could have been in Hong Kong"


Anyway back on topic....here's how it broke down for our drive last year.

cost roundtrip: $580
2 adults and 2 kids--8 and 16
2003 Chev Venture
I-90, 77/79 route
2 nights hotel incl. breakfast
2 restaurant dinners
1 fast food lunch
food to pack the cooler for 1 breakfast and 1 lunch
snacks and drinks
3 coffee stops

We left Oakville at 3:30am and drove until approx. 9:15pm on day 1. We stopped for the night just after we got onto the I-95 about 1 hour north of Savannah, GA. We got hung up in rush hour traffic twice other wise we think we would have been in the Savannah area or south. Day 2 we left the hotel at about 8 am and arrived at POFQ at 2pm(could have been about 30 minutes sooner...we stopped for OJ at the FL welcome station). Total hours on the road :24

The return trip was shorter by about 2.5 hours. We left POFQ at 6:30am and drove until 10:30pm we were somewhere in PA. We left around 6am the next morning and got to Erie, PA before 9:30am. We had to go to the Timmies in Erie, then we did some shopping and got back on the road at noon. We were back in Oakville at 2:50pm. Total hours on the road :21.5

 

[F4disneyfan]

Hi!
Im interested in any information I can get from those who have driven to Disney from Southern Ontario (Hamilton). We're planning a trip for January of 2009 and we're starting to consider driving.

How many hours did it take?
What's the drive like?
Did you stop over for a night in between?
Did you find it to be cheaper than flying? (2 adults 1 child)

Im really looking for any tips or info!
TIA!!

Our best reccomendation is to start your drive after dinner that way the little one/child can sleep for the longest part of the drive. We do this each and every drive. We leave around 6:30-7PM and the kids all sleep till we get to the GA welcome centre. So the next day they are only awake in teh car for about 8 hours till we stop in Valdosta for the night. Plus this way we are at the bottom of GA when we stop for our hotel stay and the drive the next day is only 4 hours or so.

 

[digskat]

Our best reccomendation is to start your drive after dinner that way the little one/child can sleep for the longest part of the drive. We do this each and every drive. We leave around 6:30-7PM and the kids all sleep till we get to the GA welcome centre. So the next day they are only awake in teh car for about 8 hours till we stop in Valdosta for the night. Plus this way we are at the bottom of GA when we stop for our hotel stay and the drive the next day is only 4 hours or so.

What time of day are you getting off the road for the night when you reach GA welcome centre? Are you driving straight thru with one night in Valdosta? We tired this the first year and made impecable time but were dead tired. So we leave early in the am like 3am. Which I am up half the night anyway so we should just leave at midnight.....too excited to sleep!!

 

[Ham Ham]

Drove the past 4 years from Guelph just north of Hamilton. We drive right through and it usually takes us 22 hrs straight driving with 3 kids. That includes bathroom brakes, gas and supper the night before and breakfast in the am. We leave usually about 5pm the night before and drive all the way and usually end up in Kissimee about 12noon the next day.

You drive from Guelph to WDW in 19 hours? 5PM-12:00 PM next day.

That's some fast driving and strong bladders.

we must be sisters.....since it's a 2.5 hour flight...at the 2.5 hour mark I start saying "we could have been there by now" or my now famous (at the 18 hour mark) "we could have been in Hong Kong"

Door to Hotel is more like 8 hours. So let the DH have it after 8 hours in the car.

 

[F4disneyfan]

What time of day are you getting off the road for the night when you reach GA welcome centre? Are you driving straight thru with one night in Valdosta? We tired this the first year and made impecable time but were dead tired. So we leave early in the am like 3am. Which I am up half the night anyway so we should just leave at midnight.....too excited to sleep!!

We arrive at the GA welcome centre around 7 AM and get the kids up and get them breakfast. We take an electric cooler with us for milk and juice boxes and bottles of water etc. We let the kids run for about an hour and then load them back into the car then drive to Macon we hit the rest stop at the Macon bypass around lunch time and stop there to eat lunch and relax for a couple hours. We then load up and head to Valdosta we arrive in Valdosta around 4PM so the kids get to have a real night sleep in a bed and we hit the Applebees next to the Fairfield inn we always stay at. (roomsavers coupon for 49 bucks). We then hit the road by 8 the next morning and stop at the Florida welcome centre for our fix of Florida OJ and Disney reading material and our complimentary FLAUSA or VISITFLORIDA.com window cling decal. We then drive to Gainsville and stop there for a little rest and discovery time and then load back in and hit Disney around 12/1 in the afternoon. This gives us a nice relaxing drive and the kids and parents are nice and rested when we arrive at Disney on the Sunday we leave on the Friday night.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

We do the I79 route. As others have said watch your speed on US-19. Do just under the speed limit on that hwy. The rest of the trip we go with the flow of traffic. Somewhere around 80mph / 130kph. Knowing where your from you should be used to driving those speeds anyway. We leave Oakville around 5am to get through rush hour in Buffalo just before it starts and Pittsbourgh just at the end of it. We drove 14 hrs the first day. Holiday inn express is a bit more expensive but are newer and clean. Smoke free in most of them too. We then drove 5 hrs into Daytona and spent the afternoon on the beach and Daytona usa. Then early the next day 1 hour to Disney. To the person who asked about towing this way. We towed in 1996 with our Astro van. We had a popup about 3000lbs total in weight. No problems. If your towing a travel trailer I would make sure you have a good V8 as some of those inclines are longgggggg. We will be towing next year not sure of the route yet though. Our trip cost us $350 in gas the whole trip. With our Astro in 2007 not towing. Thats down to Daytona then to Disney back out to the space coast then to Clear water then back to Daytona then back home. We prefer to drive as we love to shop and always bring home way more than we are allowed to on a plane.

 

[PanamaMike]

I went the I-75 route the last time I drove (from Toronto). 12 hours day one. Stopped near the Kentucky/Tenn border. Day two was 10 hours into Orlando. Pretty much the same drive for the return trip.

This time I'm going to drive down I-75 and drive back the I-79 route for a comparison.