First Time Driving from NJ (w/two 2-year-olds)

[DVCinderella]

DH and I are driving from northern NJ to Orlando for the first time, with our twins, who just turned 2. Our first night at Disney is a Saturday, and we don't want to drive straight through. I was thinking we could leave Friday, and hopefully make it to the SC/GA border....stay overnight, and finish the ride the next day. I've read good things about "Country Inn and Suites" on this board, and I've noted 4 of them at various points on I-95, depending how far we get:

Lumberton, NC (just before crossover into SC)
Santee, SC
Port Wentworth, GA (just over border from SC)
Kingsland, GA

If anyone knows of another good hotel, please let me know.

What time should we get on the road? Initially, I thought we should drive all night while the kids slept (that much less time to keep them occupied). But now I'm thinking maybe we should leave at 3am. I figure we'll move them into the car in their PJ's, and hopefully they'll go back off to sleep. If we left at 3am, what time should we hit SC/GA? I want to do most of the driving on the first day, if possible.

For those of you who have driven with little ones, how does all that time in a car affect them? I'm concerned that the kids will be wired, and won't sleep that night in the hotel, while DH and I are wiped from the drive. Also, how much time do you spend at rest-stops? Aside from diaper changes, food & gas, should we allow some time for them to stretch their legs, or does that make it that much more difficult to get them back in the car seats.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[dreamcometrue]

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to say you are very brave to drive so far with 2 toddlers!

 

[WildGrits]

It's no easy task to keep them entertained. Thank God for the invention of the portable DVD player.

If you feel you drive till Lumberton, Try going a little further and staying at South of the Border. It is so tacky.

When mine where that age, my youngest would play with her Leap Pad for hours.

 

[WildGrits]

For years my two daughters and I would drive the 13 hour trip from Wilmington, NC to Albany, NY. I would leave at 6pm and get in the following morning. They where really good, but that was a much shorter drive than NY to Disney.

We usually did one meal stop and only 15 minute stops twice, or as needed one the way.

 

[jeffn5631]

What time of day you leave could be affected by current weather conditions....but early in the morning would be best. When I drove to Florida from Virginia, always planned on staying overnight in the Kingsland, Georgia area. I would suggest when you get to Jacksonville, take I-10 west to I-75 south and pickup the Florida Turnpike to I-4, it is just a short drive from there to WDW. Making a long trip like that takes a lot out of you and I think if you try to stop somewhere every 2 to 3 hours just to stand up and stretch for 5 or 10 mins will make a big difference.

JN & JN


Season Pass Day Trippers

 

[GMULL]

We did the drive a year and half ago from central NJ to Disney. At the time we had three kids, ages 5, 3, and 1. We left at 6 PM Friday and drove straight thru arriving in Orlando around 12 PM the next day. My wife and I switched driving about every 4 - 5 hours. It wasn't bad other than the time between 3AM and 6AM which is when we were the most tired and needed to pull over once or twice to rest. All in all it was fine. The kids watched videos until around 10:30PM and then went to sleep. They slept pretty much straight thru until 6 the next morning other than when we stopped for gas in the middle of the night and then they woke up only for 5 minutes or so. We stopped for breakfast at 7 and were back on the road by 8. 4 more hours and we arrived in Orlando in time for lunch. We all went to bed early Saturday (8:30) and awakened ready to go on Sunday. I would do it again but we're going to try the Autotrain this November instead of driving.

 

[ryanmilla]

My family and I live in Northern NJ and my parents live in Savannah, GA, so we are quite familiar with that drive. We leave at 4am, which gets us past the DC traffic before anything picks up. Once you get past DC, the rest of the trip is a breeze. For us, leaving at 4am we make it to Savannah 14 hours later. And that is walking into my parents house. We also stopped for a nice breakfast, but then made the other stops as quick as possible (eating in the car). From Savannah, it is only 4 hours to WDW.

As another poster said the portable DVD player is a godsend. On our last trip down (last August), our kids were 5 (just) and 23 months. They pretty much watched the DVD constantly, at least the 23 month old did. Our older child drew sometimes, but they were both angels. My DW and I were commenting how easy of a drive it was.

I think leaving at 3am would be no problem for the trip down there. I would recommend stopping just over the SC/GA border. I believe it is exit #104 in GA has several decent hotels/motels. If that is the exit I'm thinking of it is also the exit for the Savannah Airport, hence all of the hotels. From there you can have an easy, 4 hour, next day down to WDW and enjoy your time there.

Either way, best of luck with the drive.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I am sure there is a reason you wish to drive, but if I was you the $49 fares on Southwest out of Philly would be tempting........

 

[ellenmiele]

We did the drive a year and half ago from central NJ to Disney. At the time we had three kids, ages 5, 3, and 1. We left at 6 PM Friday and drove straight thru arriving in Orlando around 12 PM the next day. My wife and I switched driving about every 4 - 5 hours. It wasn't bad other than the time between 3AM and 6AM which is when we were the most tired and needed to pull over once or twice to rest. All in all it was fine. The kids watched videos until around 10:30PM and then went to sleep. They slept pretty much straight thru until 6 the next morning other than when we stopped for gas in the middle of the night and then they woke up only for 5 minutes or so. We stopped for breakfast at 7 and were back on the road by 8. 4 more hours and we arrived in Orlando in time for lunch. We all went to bed early Saturday (8:30) and awakened ready to go on Sunday. I would do it again but we're going to try the Autotrain this November instead of driving.

This is how we always do it, too. Doing most of the drive at night means so much less traffic/less sunglare/more sleeping for kids . We have done the Autotrain, too. A few times both ways and twice we just took the train back. That was when our kids were younger and I think the straight thru drive might have been a lot tougher. But now whenever I think about splitting the drive two days and stopping at SC (or wherever) I just think gosh once we're that far let's just keep going. As long as you can take turns and be safe (not tired) it works!!

 

[LisaNJ25]

We are in Nothern NJ also,, out last trip we left around 3 am also.. we made it to South CArolina and spent them night. can remember where.. its been years.

This summer we are taking the auto train.. at the time of the trip my kids will be 14, 7, 35 months and 23 months. Hopefully they will sleep good on the train.

 

[DVCinderella]

I am sure there is a reason you wish to drive, but if I was you the $49 fares on Southwest out of Philly would be tempting........

I just wanted to thank everyone for their posts and suggestions. One of the main reasons we were looking to drive was because DS and DD just turned 2, and now require their own seats on a plane. I kept checking airfares from Newark to Orlando, and it was floating around $233. So at more than $1,000 for the 4 of us to fly, driving was starting to look attractive.

Over the past week, I've watched airfares steadily drop...$203, $168, $158. Then last night, I saw $128!!! We couldn't pass it up. So now we are flying. However, we visit WDW usually twice a year, and I know we will not always be able to fly, so all of your advice will certainly come in handy down the road...literally and figuratively.