driving to wdw

[Disneyfan1977]

Hello All
So we are considering to WDW for the first time. I am thinking we are crazy...we have to kids 8 and 11 and I'm thinking we'll be nuts by the time we get there. We are in DE and we have estimated that it will take us 15hrs if we drive straight.

We usually fly so I am very nervous and am looking for advice or tips for the commute...thx!

 

[eliza61]

We're in NJ (I actually work in De) and have driven a number of times.

Things that work well for us.

1) Start ridiculously early. We leave around 3:00 am. We find that leaving that early the kids usually fall back asleep and the roads are empty.

2) getting back to tip 1. Try and make it past the Washington D.C./beltway area before rush hour.

3) plan a couple of long breaks. Once again since we leave so early we take a long breakfast break around 9:00 am. There are plenty of cracker barrels along 95 or not far off the exit for easy on and off. We stop and have a good breakfast and long leg stretch.

4) you must stop at "South of the Border" It's an American tradition. LOL. never has one place sold so much junk in the history of car travel.

5) plan a light first day. My kids were fine when we got to the world, dh and I on the other hand we're beat. First day is not the day to plan 2 ts meals and lots of touring.

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

I'm from the other side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, so we're in basically the same area! I would have to agree with everything eliza61 said. DH and I drive down every year and even though it can be mentally grueling at times, we also tend to look forward to it! Really!

Personally, we don't take long breaks, or many at all, but we don't have kids so it's pretty different for us.

We usually leave at 10pm the night before our trip because of my work schedule. DH rests all day and starts out the drive armed with coffee and energy drinks. I try and sleep while he drives and then when he gets tired I take over and we switch off driving as often as necessary and drive straight through. We never hit any traffic this way and we get to the hotel around 1 or 2 pm and take a quick cat nap before we go into the park.

We always do really well with the drive and never argue until the last hour for some reason. We always get cranky with each other during that final stretch. So beware of last minute crankiness!

We bring our ipods and sing-along to a weird playlist we made specifically for the drive and make up games to play in the car. This always makes the time go by a little faster. Once you get into North Carolina it's always fun to keep an eye out for South of the Border billboards too!

Hope you have a great trip and enjoy the drive!

 

[dblr]

We drove down from Newark De. a couple of years ago for the week after Christmas, we left around 5pm and drove right thru only stopping for gas ( and bathroom breaks @ the same time) and once for breakfast off of Rt4. we got to our resort around 9:30 - 10 the next morning. Our kids are older so that helped also.
The main thing is planning your drive time like others have said try to get in as many miles you can while the kids sleep and also a dvd player might help with a couple of new movies they have not watched already, good luck and don't sweat it the trip can be fun.

 

[jasko5990]

We've driven from Doylestown, Pa (about 45 mins from I-476 & I-95), numerous times over the years, and I agree with the other posters, especially about getting through D.C. before the rush hour starts, which is about 6:00 am. After trying different departure times we've settled on one that works great for us. We leave around midnight, after I wake up from a 6-8 hour sleep. My wife & the kids (now 15 & 16) stay awake all day & go to sleep once we get on I-495 around Wilmington. We get through D.C. around 3:00-3:30 and also Richmond before their rush hour starts. The wife & kids usually wake up around 6:00-6:30 am, then we stop for breakfast (always at a Cracker Barrel) around 7:00 am. We never hit any volume traffic until we're on I-4 between Universal & WDW.

Our entire trip lasts about 15-1/2 hours, which includes the Cracker Barrel stop, 2 gas stops, and however many bathroom breaks are needed. We check into our WDW resort around 3:30 pm. Our kids bring iPods, portable DVD players, books, PSP, etc to keep them occupied during their awake moments during the trip.

 

[NJFireman22]

I have to agree with everyones coments, except for stopping at SOB. We have been driving up and down "the big road" ie: I-95 from South Jersey since our kids were toddlers, last year we drove it 4 times !!
We have tried to leave at all different times, and have found that leaving between mid-night and 2 am works for us, arriving at our other home in the afternnon, in time to unpack, food shop, relax and go have a nice dinner.
My comment about SOB, comes from when we stopped there for a bathroom break as we headed South last Fall, the bath rooms were just plain dirty to say the least, and a few shady people hanging around, one of these people tried to sell my Dw phone cards and half price! If you stop becareful.
One other thing, if you get tired please stop and rest, Disney will be there