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

[starwood]

Thank you we are staying at French Quarters so will this be the best way or exit 67

Say Hi to my DS at the French Quarter. He is working the food court. His name is Matt.

 

[dvczerfs]

Thank you we are staying at French Quarters so will this be the best way or exit 67

your about in the middle. if you get off 67, you will pass dtd on the right, go to the next light, (after you pass the dtd lights) to the bonnet creek light. there will be a white, wooden light house on the right. turn right and fq is on your right. it would probley be a little faster getting off 67. you will be on property faster.

 

[sharadoc]

On our first trip, we took the toll road around the east side of Orlando. The "Greenway" I think it is called. Horrible horrible horrible!

Why was it horrible for you? For us, we love it and wouldn't use any other road. Skipping the drive directly through the heart of Orlando is wonderful for us. There is so much stress from the combination of local drivers and tourists. In some places, there's 8 lanes all coming from different directions and merging together into 4 lanes. People in the left lane realizing their exit is coming in 1/2 mile and streak across 3 lanes, and then the inevitable accident that slows traffic to a crawl.

The Greenway on the other hand is never busy, never crowded, and other than having to stop and pay a toll every few miles, it's smooth sailing.

If you don't mind driving through the center of they city, then you have a good chance of a fine drive on I-4. On the other hand, for us, we don't like driving in the middle of the Daytona 500!

I pride myself on giving good advice on this thread, so I need to know why your drive was horrible. If the Greenway is becoming a problem, then I need to know if I should stop recommending it!

Thanks,

 

[BC1836]

your about in the middle. if you get off 67, you will pass dtd on the right, go to the next light, (after you pass the dtd lights) to the bonnet creek light. there will be a white, wooden light house on the right. turn right and fq is on your right. it would probley be a little faster getting off 67. you will be on property faster.

Ah, Exit #67 on I-4. It doesn't get much better than that.

All the best from Exit #67 on the GSP!

 

[pamkev]

Say Hi to my DS at the French Quarter. He is working the food court. His name is Matt.

Sure will

 

[pamkev]

your about in the middle. if you get off 67, you will pass dtd on the right, go to the next light, (after you pass the dtd lights) to the bonnet creek light. there will be a white, wooden light house on the right. turn right and fq is on your right. it would probley be a little faster getting off 67. you will be on property faster.

Thanks your the best

 

[pwdebbie]

Why was it horrible for you? For us, we love it and wouldn't use any other road. Skipping the drive directly through the heart of Orlando is wonderful for us. There is so much stress from the combination of local drivers and tourists. In some places, there's 8 lanes all coming from different directions and merging together into 4 lanes. People in the left lane realizing their exit is coming in 1/2 mile and streak across 3 lanes, and then the inevitable accident that slows traffic to a crawl.

The Greenway on the other hand is never busy, never crowded, and other than having to stop and pay a toll every few miles, it's smooth sailing.

If you don't mind driving through the center of they city, then you have a good chance of a fine drive on I-4. On the other hand, for us, we don't like driving in the middle of the Daytona 500!

I pride myself on giving good advice on this thread, so I need to know why your drive was horrible. If the Greenway is becoming a problem, then I need to know if I should stop recommending it!

Thanks,

Our trip was in Oct. 2007. We hit that road around 4:30 pm in the rain. Cars were flying past us while we were "poking" along at the speed limit in the right lane. We actually had one car go around us on the right (he used the shoulder) and pull back in front of us with barely an inch to spare. Every few miles we were off to pay another toll then had to merge back on with traffic that refused to yield. It was literally terrifying.

We were so eager to get off but our GPS messed us up and we ended up getting back on the same road in the other direction. When we realized what was happening, the toll collector told us that nope, we couldn't turn around at the toll booth, we had to go to the next exit, get off, get back on for the other direction, and then get off again where we had just gotten off and this time don't listen to your GPS but follow the street signs instead.

Truly it was a nightmare. We spent about $11.00 in quarters on that road. We were shaking and I was in tears by the time we finally pulled into POFQ and then, Ah, peace and relaxation. Funny thing was that about an hour after we got there, a car pulled up to the door, a lady got out shaking and in tears and she yelled at her husband, "We will never drive on that road again." I have a feeling I knew just what road she meant. I looked at her and said, "Don't worry, it all gets better from here on out."

 

[dvczerfs]

Our trip was in Oct. 2007. We hit that road around 4:30 pm in the rain. Cars were flying past us while we were "poking" along at the speed limit in the right lane. We actually had one car go around us on the right (he used the shoulder) and pull back in front of us with barely an inch to spare. Every few miles we were off to pay another toll then had to merge back on with traffic that refused to yield. It was literally terrifying.

We were so eager to get off but our GPS messed us up and we ended up getting back on the same road in the other direction. When we realized what was happening, the toll collector told us that nope, we couldn't turn around at the toll booth, we had to go to the next exit, get off, get back on for the other direction, and then get off again where we had just gotten off and this time don't listen to your GPS but follow the street signs instead.

Truly it was a nightmare. We spent about $11.00 in quarters on that road. We were shaking and I was in tears by the time we finally pulled into POFQ and then, Ah, peace and relaxation. Funny thing was that about an hour after we got there, a car pulled up to the door, a lady got out shaking and in tears and she yelled at her husband, "We will never drive on that road again." I have a feeling I knew just what road she meant. I looked at her and said, "Don't worry, it all gets better from here on out."

was that you just poking along?? im just kidding. people are nuts in the rain. i never went that way but i do stay on 4 through orlando. i just stay in the left and follow the car in front of me. its easier to join them sometimes than try to beat them. i agree with you, people are nuts in bad weather.

 

[dvczerfs]

Ah, Exit #67 on I-4. It doesn't get much better than that.

All the best from Exit #67 on the GSP!

wait, your not there are you bc???

 

[loveysbydesign]

Alright, I can't seem to find the one post on this thread that had recommendations for a places to stay when traveling from PA to WDW on Rte. 77 south of Charlotte.

We are staying in Statesville NC on the drive home at the Best Western(we stayed there last time and really liked it...room for 5 for under $70 was clean and with free breakfast and a pool)
Now I need to find something about 1-2 hours drive south of Statesville NC for the drive home on Rte 77! If I can't find a place for 5 for under $100 than I will have one of my kids sleep in my in-laws room!

 

[Tanooki]

Getting ready for our 3rd driving trip in a year
Although we are only doing IOA/US this time , it' still the same trip but a little shorter
We are going down I-95 (and coming back) all the way this time since we are traveling during the weekends but our previous trips using 84-81-77-26 went very well, thanks to all the good advice I got from you nice people!

Here's to hoping for a warmer trip for a change (we had to take the winter coats out last December ) and, mostly, to absolutely NO snowstorm on the way back! I can tell you that I would NOT recommend driving through the Adirondacks during a snowstorm... but we did make it all alive and unharmed, thankfuly!

Thanks again!

 

[sharadoc]

Our trip was in Oct. 2007. We hit that road around 4:30 pm in the rain. Cars were flying past us while we were "poking" along at the speed limit in the right lane. We actually had one car go around us on the right (he used the shoulder) and pull back in front of us with barely an inch to spare. Every few miles we were off to pay another toll then had to merge back on with traffic that refused to yield. It was literally terrifying.

We were so eager to get off but our GPS messed us up and we ended up getting back on the same road in the other direction. When we realized what was happening, the toll collector told us that nope, we couldn't turn around at the toll booth, we had to go to the next exit, get off, get back on for the other direction, and then get off again where we had just gotten off and this time don't listen to your GPS but follow the street signs instead.

Truly it was a nightmare. We spent about $11.00 in quarters on that road. We were shaking and I was in tears by the time we finally pulled into POFQ and then, Ah, peace and relaxation. Funny thing was that about an hour after we got there, a car pulled up to the door, a lady got out shaking and in tears and she yelled at her husband, "We will never drive on that road again." I have a feeling I knew just what road she meant. I looked at her and said, "Don't worry, it all gets better from here on out."

I didn't realize it had been open that long! It's unreal that you had that many cars. We drove in a driving rain in June 10 and we saw around 15 cars at once at the most! We felt better driving on 417 in the rain rather than I-4.

At least there's choices for all of us. Some folks do the main roads, we do some back roads and we're all happy!!!

 

[sharadoc]

wait, your not there are you bc???

He meant Garden State Parkway!! Yes, he's in NJ!!!

 

[Disneyhayes]

doing the drive from Buckeye City (columbus, ohio if you live under a rock ). A little nervous...haven't even mapped it out yet...heard 12 hours or 16 hours Leaving at 8pm to drive through the night...oh jeez. Well not 8pm tonight...I wish we were going today

 

[dvczerfs]

He meant Garden State Parkway!! Yes, he's in NJ!!!

oops. you never know with bc.

 

[sanfran22]

doing the drive from Buckeye City (columbus, ohio if you live under a rock ). A little nervous...haven't even mapped it out yet...heard 12 hours or 16 hours Leaving at 8pm to drive through the night...oh jeez. Well not 8pm tonight...I wish we were going today

I've done that drive for 15 years or so. it's not bad but it is closer to 16 than 12. I think the fastest we did it was 12.5 but i'm not gona tel you how fast we were going. It should be around 15-15.5 if you make good time with minimal stops. We are going down the same route March 4th....

 

[cop185]

Hello to all my disney drivers, especially those from NJ, especially along the Jersey Shore..... In april we are making our 1st drive, even though we fly 1 or 2x a year. DVC has made it easy to do.
Anyway we are thinking of taking the GS Parkway to the Cape May ferry and down through Del and MD to the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel before hooking up with 95 south of DC. We would likely take the 6am ferry and get into Del around 730. Has anyone done this before and if so is it worth going that way instead of down 95 and hitting traffic?

 

[BC1836]

Hello to all my disney drivers, especially those from NJ, especially along the Jersey Shore..... In april we are making our 1st drive, even though we fly 1 or 2x a year. DVC has made it easy to do.
Anyway we are thinking of taking the GS Parkway to the Cape May ferry and down through Del and MD to the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel before hooking up with 95 south of DC. We would likely take the 6am ferry and get into Del around 730. Has anyone done this before and if so is it worth going that way instead of down 95 and hitting traffic?

Greetings, snowy neighbor! Yes, snowing again at the Jersey Shore.

Now then, unless you have a lot of time and are willing to wait for the ferry, wait to board the ferry, take the ferry trip and disembark from the ferry, don't take that route. It will set you back hours as opposed to taking I-95.

Instead, depart very, very early on a weekend as we have done many times and you won't experience any expected traffic. Stay away from driving on Fridays, however.

Good luck whether it's "one if by land, two if by sea."

All the best.

 

[nono]

Anyway we are thinking of taking the GS Parkway to the Cape May ferry and down through Del and MD to the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel before hooking up with 95 south of DC. We would likely take the 6am ferry and get into Del around 730. Has anyone done this before and if so is it worth going that way instead of down 95 and hitting traffic?

I think you should choose your route based upon month/day/daypart. We use the ferry frequently for travel, so as an experienced ferry traveler, I'll give you my thoughts.

1. New schedules aren't out yet for April and beyond. Check to be sure you can get a ferry that early on the day you want to travel. Even in high season, I think the only ferries before 7 a.m. are on the weekends.

2. Once on the DE side, follow a route for Rt. 24 to Rt. 113 and then to Rt. 13. You will keep moving that way. Going down the Delmarva is a pleasure once you get to Rt. 113. There's even rest areas along the way which are well-kept.

3. There's a rest area just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. But, there's also an observation area on the bridge with facilities. It's a bit of a hassle in heavy traffic to get in and out of there, but if traffic is moderate to light, it's a nice place to stop.

4. After the bridge, strap yourself in and make sure you are wide awake! The tangle of roads around the VA Beach/Norfolk area and their accompanyng road signs, even combined with GPS directions, are somewhat insane if you're actually going past the area. You will see nearly NO signage for anyone traveling past to Rt. 58 and over to Rt. 95. THIS is a reasonable objection to taking the ferry-route, because it has taken us several trips to do it the way we intended. So, my advice is to memorize, memorize memorize your route numbers and intended direction on each segment, and pray if you are so inclined.

5. The drive on Rt. 58 to Rt. 95 is easy, about 1 hour.

Generally, I find that we're getting used to doing things one of two ways when using the ferry and heading out for FL.

1. Take the last ferry and drive overnight. I stay in the car and nap on the ferry while the family goes up on deck for about an hour. I drive most of the night while my kids and dh sleep in the car. DH will drive a couple hours, usually through NC, and go right back to sleep once I'm back behind the wheel. Once daylight breaks, he generally takes over and I snooze. All of us do well in the car though, but we make sure we have a dull week before we leave when we choose this option. So far, we've only done it twice, but we like it.

2. Take a mid-day/afternoon ferry. I get all the last minute running around done, and dh works part of the day. We then travel to the VA Beach/Norfolk area and stay overnight. (It's so much easier to have a destination in the area we've found, than trying to get past it. Masterful marketing? Maybe!! ) We eat, chill out, shower and sleep. My family is really easy to get going in the early morning, so when I get up, I pack us up (usually 4 a.m.) and we're on the road. Everyone goes back to sleep and I drive us along. We bring breakfast and lunch with us, and it takes us (roughly) 12 hours to get to WDW. So whatever time we pull out of VA Beach area, we know that's what time we'll get to WDW in the afternoon. No grousing from the family if I get us going before 4 a.m., 'cause they know we'll be there that much earlier--> .

DON'T try to take the ferry in the height of the summer traffic and expect to make good time on the GSP through Cape May County. There's 3 lights towards the southern end ("Exits" 11, 10, 9) that will make you wish you had taken your chances with Balt/Wash/Rich traffic!

IF you can get your group going at 2-4 a.m. I'd avoid the ferry (even if you live far downbeach at the shore like I do). At that time of day, it would be an anomoly for you to have any issues on I-95.

So, my answer is, it depends. But, we take the ferry far more times than not, simply because we find it fits the times of day we prefer to get going.

 

[mousebymarriage]

Greetings, snowy neighbor! Yes, snowing again at the Jersey Shore.

Now then, unless you have a lot of time and are willing to wait for the ferry, wait to board the ferry, take the ferry trip and disembark from the ferry, don't take that route. It will set you back hours as opposed to taking I-95.

Instead, depart very, very early on a weekend as we have done many times and you won't experience any expected traffic. Stay away from driving on Fridays, however.

Good luck whether it's "one if by land, two if by sea."

All the best.

I noticed that you said "stay away from driving on Fridays" so maybe you can give me some advice. We have made the drive a few times (we live in Bergen County) but, never in the summer, we tend to go in Jan. Feb. March or April. We have planned a trip for June and were thinking about leaving on Friday June 24th and have tossed around different departure times. Some departure times we are considering are (1:30pm-right after DS gets out of school, it's his last day, 7pm or 9pm - we decided to eliminate leaving during 3pm-7pm because we figured there would be alot of shore bound traffic). We are planning to drive straight through. So, my question to you is: which of the above mentioned departure time would be best to avoid traffic (not just here in NJ but also along the way) or would it be better to have DS9 miss the last day of school and depart a day early on Thursday June23rd in the early evening (DH works until 4:30pm). Thanks in advance. Any other tips about driving down in the summer would be greatly appreciated.