Driving to Disney World from Hilton Head, and Driving Home to New Jersey Alone.

[lat]

We are planning to drive to Disney from Hilton Head at the end of August. We will be going from Disney Hilton Head Resort (using Member Discount for 2 nights before we check into Grand Ocean, love their activies and Chef Gordon's meal!!!), to Marriott Grand Ocean, and then to Disney Beach Club Villa to stay in a 1-br unit.

We have never stayed at BCV, only at BC and YC before, it will be nice to visit SAB again.

I have never driven this route before. I think it takes about 5 hours, we will be driving on a Saturday going to Disney. Any tips on routes?

I will be driving down with DH and both my kids (4 an 7), but then will be driving back to New Jersey by myself with my 4 year old.

It will be a challenge driving back. I think I definitely will need a stopover point, where is the best point?

Thanks for any tips you can provide!!!

 

[dis-happy]

Hi there!
You can do it---I too am a road warrior mom, car in drive, kids in the backseat....let's go!

Anyhoo, I do have advice about your trip from HH to WDW, which we have done several times including last August. Make sure you leave EARLY on Saturday morning. All the beach rentals begin and end on Saturdays, and traffic on the interstates can be bad all day long. You can beat the rush (including the off-island rush) by leaving early. Pack the car the night before and aim for 7 am at the latest as your departure time. It will take about 5 hours---you'll be checked into your new place and miss all the Orlando area madness by doing this earlier rather than later. We only stop once for gas on the way down, and include a run through fast food which we eat in the car (I do let everyone get out and use the potty though).

HTH

 

[lat]

Great advice. Thanks!!!

I was going to just take our time on Saturday going down there.

Now I am considering taking the auto train to VA and then driving back, but that involves me trying to get toand from the train stations (very direction challenged) vs. going to I95 all the way home.

 

[Macnjac87]

Hi-
We've done this before- but in the opposite directions- we drove from WDW to HH last Easter, it took 5 hours. We are from Long Island. On other trips while driving home straight from WDW, we found a great stopover point is around Rocky Mount, NC.

 

[Pa@okw95]

You will have about 1000 miles to drive depending what part of NJ you are from. You may want to stop when you start feeling you have had enough the first day on the road. Remember, South Carolina and North Carolina are boring to drive. It will difficult on your 4 year old, maybe he will fall asleep, but that could be a problem for you also. Be careful, if you did not get a good sleep before you leave, I would be careful.

 

[disworldnum1]

We drive down to Florida 2-3 times a year.We live on Staten Island right on the Jersey border.It takes us about 19 hours for the drive.Going home we usually check out ,shop dtd and then hit the road.I have found that Florence south Carolina is a good place to stop if you get a late start.They have alot of motels and restaurants to choose from.There have been times where I havent felt tired till we hit Va. or Md. and then just pulled into a rest stop and slept,but I have a conversion van and the family is usually asleep already.We have stayed in just about every state up 95 because I feel once you start feeling tired its definitely time to pull over.When we stop we just try to find a well known chain of motels and really have'nt been dissapointed yet.Good luck and have a good time

 

[lat]

Thanks for all your replies