For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (II)

[Sleuth]

We're leaving in a week for our first drive (we've always flown!) from Northern Michigan. Three kids under the age of 9... My MIL is freaking out that we're driving. We hear it all the time.

I'm not really nervous about that part, but excited we're going to Disney!!!! I'm just hoping the kids cooperate. DH and I are kicking around the idea of driving straight thru. I'm just trying to calculate the best time to leave. It's about 4 hrs from Detroit for us then I-75 the whole way. Not sure how to plan this to NOT hit Atlanta rush hour. Everyone says that would be a mistake!

 

[dvczerfs]

85 days til i leave and i am the solo driver since my daughter only has a permit and i dont think she can drive out of state - i am planning on leaving here no later than 4am and driving until i cant drive no more at which time i will stop and find a hotel. we will be there for a week and then going take a relaxing drive back home - no set departure time just when we are ready - as long as we are back sometime sunday night all is fine.

with a pa state permit as long as a parent or guardian is in the front seat, she can drive out of state.

 

[dvczerfs]

My DD also just got her permit. I asked if it was legal in other states for this reason too. YES!!! it is legal in other states as long as a parent is in the car with her. I will NOT be Sleeping when she drives but it will be a nice break just the same. Plus, she will get more hours logged.

our dd is 17, we had to log 50 hours and drive 6 months before going for lic. i think we ended up with 68 hours. she had drivers ed in high school and the driver ed teacher gave her the driving test. when i was 16 we had to go to the state police, a trooper would get in the car with you and had you drive. kids have it easy today!!!

 

[Riverhill]

We're leaving in a week for our first drive (we've always flown!) from Northern Michigan. Three kids under the age of 9... My MIL is freaking out that we're driving. We hear it all the time.

I'm not really nervous about that part, but excited we're going to Disney!!!! I'm just hoping the kids cooperate. DH and I are kicking around the idea of driving straight thru. I'm just trying to calculate the best time to leave. It's about 4 hrs from Detroit for us then I-75 the whole way. Not sure how to plan this to NOT hit Atlanta rush hour. Everyone says that would be a mistake!

We live between Flint and Lansing. We usually leave around 10 pm on Friday. We drive straight through till Lake City Fl. We stop there about 6 pm Saturday. We get up Sunday and are on the road by 8 am. We arrive in WDW about 11am and are ready for the day. Atlanta rush hour is a mess and can delay you several hours. Best to hit it about 2pm or late at night, it is beautiful at night with the city lights.

 

[chepic]

First drive to the world in November... 20 hours from here in MA Hopefully leaving at 3 or 4 in the morning on a Sunday so we miss major NYC traffic and hopefully can be in Fayetteville NC around dinnertime for the night...hope it goes well

We do that from RI...leave on a Sat. at 3 am and are into SC by 6 for dinner....keep going and you will be in GA by 9pm. That's with stops every 2-2.5 hours. Get up the next day and you are in Disney by noonish depending upon where you stop and what time you hit the road again.

che

 

[BC1836]

We do that from RI...leave on a Sat. at 3 am and are into SC by 6 for dinner....keep going and you will be in GA by 9pm. That's with stops every 2-2.5 hours. Get up the next day and you are in Disney by noonish depending upon where you stop and what time you hit the road again.

che

That sounds like a good plan. They key thing is getting that early, early start in an effort to miss major rush-hour areas.

All the best. :

 

[amtag]

Yeah! Subscribing to new thread, maybe now I can keep up with all the great info! We are driving down for the 1st time in August from Northern NJ - we plan to leave on a Saturday at 3am and hopefully get to Brunswick, GA by 7 or 8pm that night. We are still on the fence about taking I95 or I81, I am always looking for opinions on that one!

As far as comfort, we aren't so lucky On the way down we will be stopping after Brunsick in Ocala to visit my grandparents so my DD5 can meet them for the first time!! It is me, my parents and my DD5, but my dad's sister is coming with us to Ocala and we are dropping her off at the Orlando airport on the way to Disney. My dad has a ford 500, it's fairly roomy but I will have the car seat for my daughter, so it will be a bit cramped on the way down. Coming home will be better with one less person unless we bring half of Disney home with us

 

[BC1836]

Yeah! Subscribing to new thread, maybe now I can keep up with all the great info! We are driving down for the 1st time in August from Northern NJ - we plan to leave on a Saturday at 3am and hopefully get to Brunswick, GA by 7 or 8pm that night. We are still on the fence about taking I95 or I81, I am always looking for opinions on that one!

Saturday departure. Good.

3 a.m. departure. Good.

Brunswick, GA. Should be no problem to arrive there in the evening.

Unless you live very close to I-78, take I-95 instead of I-81.

All the best.

 

[Gowahoowa]

woo-hoo thread #2!

 

[loveysbydesign]

Yeah! Subscribing to new thread, maybe now I can keep up with all the great info! We are driving down for the 1st time in August from Northern NJ - we plan to leave on a Saturday at 3am and hopefully get to Brunswick, GA by 7 or 8pm that night. We are still on the fence about taking I95 or I81, I am always looking for opinions on that one!

As far as comfort, we aren't so lucky On the way down we will be stopping after Brunsick in Ocala to visit my grandparents so my DD5 can meet them for the first time!! It is me, my parents and my DD5, but my dad's sister is coming with us to Ocala and we are dropping her off at the Orlando airport on the way to Disney. My dad has a ford 500, it's fairly roomy but I will have the car seat for my daughter, so it will be a bit cramped on the way down. Coming home will be better with one less person unless we bring half of Disney home with us

We love the 78-81 route! Less stressful and more beautiful!

 

[Gowahoowa]

We're leaving in 28 days for our 5th drive down to WDW since 2007. We are very excited as it's our first trip with DSinfant. He will be 3 months old! We plan on leaving on Friday, 8/13 and stay the night in Savannah. On 8/14 we check into AKV for 2 nights and then VWL for 7 nights. Anyone else leaving on 8/13? Happy and safe travels to all!

 

[BC1836]

A recent Wallet Pop blog noted the following [all are arranged vertically from most severe (top)] info based on a national 2008 survey:

Most Deadly Days to Drive:

June 10
June 16
July 4
July 15
June 17

Least Deadly Days to Drive:

Dec. 25
Feb. 27
March 20
Jan. 24
Jan. 15

Deadliest Days to Drive:

Saturday
Sunday
Friday
Thursday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Monday

Deadliest Times to Drive:

9 pm to 10 pm
6 pm to 7 pm
5 pm to 6 pm
3 pm to 4 pm
7 pm to 8 pm

Least Deadliest Times to Drive:

4 am to 5 am
5am to 6 am
8 am to 9 am
3 am to 4 am
9 am to 10 am

Most Deadly Interstates:

I-95 FL
I-76 NJ
I-4 FL

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

I am going to make the drive next week. First time driving a long distance in many years. I have my mom, my 2 children, and myself. We are leaving from Norfolk, VA and going to Tampa. Then, hitting Orlando after a couple of days. Does anyone know where 5 hours south of the VA border on 95 will put me?

 

[sharadoc]

I am going to make the drive next week. First time driving a long distance in many years. I have my mom, my 2 children, and myself. We are leaving from Norfolk, VA and going to Tampa. Then, hitting Orlando after a couple of days. Does anyone know where 5 hours south of the VA border on 95 will put me?

which border? With NC or with DC?

 

[BC1836]

I am going to make the drive next week. First time driving a long distance in many years. I have my mom, my 2 children, and myself. We are leaving from Norfolk, VA and going to Tampa. Then, hitting Orlando after a couple of days. Does anyone know where 5 hours south of the VA border on 95 will put me?

Five hours south of the VA/NC border on I-95 will have you somewhere in south central SC, perhaps even southern SC. Lake Marion, for example, should be reachable within a five-hour drive.

All the best.

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

Five hours south of the VA/NC border on I-95 will have you somewhere in south central SC, perhaps even southern SC. Lake Marion, for example, should be reachable within a five-hour drive.

All the best.

Thanks! We will be the NC border when we start. Just trying to figure out what time I want to start driving on Thursday afternoon.

 

[chipper10]

We're leaving in 28 days for our 5th drive down to WDW since 2007. We are very excited as it's our first trip with DSinfant. He will be 3 months old! We plan on leaving on Friday, 8/13 and stay the night in Savannah. On 8/14 we check into AKV for 2 nights and then VWL for 7 nights. Anyone else leaving on 8/13? Happy and safe travels to all!

We will be driving on the 13th as well. We're coming from St. Louis though. I plan on stopping somewhere in GA. Not sure where at yet. We will hopefully be a few hours past Atlanta. This is our first long trip with DS, so who knows what will end up happening.

 

[mandysmom]

We are driving down next month from just north of NYC. We're also debating going 95 or 81. The plan is to leave at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday and drive to Savannah to make the next days drive to Orlando quick and easy. Would like to hear opinions about which route to take.

 

[BC1836]

We are driving down next month from just north of NYC. We're also debating going 95 or 81. The plan is to leave at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday and drive to Savannah to make the next days drive to Orlando quick and easy. Would like to hear opinions about which route to take.

If you take the I-95 route it will be more direct; however, you'll probably hit some traffic around Philly and you might encounter some near-end-of-rush-hour traffic in southern MD/greater DC/northern VA.

All the best.

 

[disneymom06]

We are driving down next month from just north of NYC. We're also debating going 95 or 81. The plan is to leave at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday and drive to Savannah to make the next days drive to Orlando quick and easy. Would like to hear opinions about which route to take.

Coming from the same area, I would suggest leaving before 2AM. Last time we left at 1:45am, (Henry Hudson Pkwy to the GW, then 95 All the way down), checked into POR at 8:30PM. It was our best trip yet with travel time because we missed all of the traffic. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.