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

[MamaJessie]

Funny you should say this. I often find myself comparing the amount of time I've spent on the road, whether just a short trip to town or a longer trip to, say, the ocean, in terms of how far I would have been to WDW. Sometimes when we are on southbound 81, I'll say to dh, "Skip the exit and let's just keep driving south, we're already 1/16th of the way there . . . "

We do the same thing lol

Getting some new tires to get ready for our trip next week

 

[loveysbydesign]

HELP!!!!! We are leaving on Oc.t 8 to do the drive from PA, 78-87-77-26-95. I had all hotels booked for drive down and back using dfil's AAA card and now they can't go as my dmil has a blood clot in her lung. She is out of the hospital thankfully but they can not travel for at least 6 months.
I canceled all the old ressies and now need to make new ones, problem is we have 3 kids and I'm having a hard time finding a place for us to stay in 1 room that's $100 or less as we do not have AAA. (one child was going to stay with my inlaws in their room until this happend). Can anyone recommend a place for us for the drive down and back???

 

[disneymarie]

HELP!!!!! We are leaving on Oc.t 8 to do the drive from PA, 78-87-77-26-95. I had all hotels booked for drive down and back using dfil's AAA card and now they can't go as my dmil has a blood clot in her lung. She is out of the hospital thankfully but they can not travel for at least 6 months.
I canceled all the old ressies and now need to make new ones, problem is we have 3 kids and I'm having a hard time finding a place for us to stay in 1 room that's $100 or less as we do not have AAA. (one child was going to stay with my inlaws in their room until this happend). Can anyone recommend a place for us for the drive down and back???

Can you pick up an AAA membership for yourself? There are so many way to use it for discounts then hotel ressies and car service. There is a huge book of discounts.

On our trip drive back, I went on the internet, found a hotels.com or similar rate. Then call the hotel directly and asked if they would honor it in person when we arrived. They did, $70 for Hampton Inn Florence SC. We were not sure how far we would be. The men had to stop at Daytona raceway, Darlington too.
We are leaving Oct. 3rd.

 

[pwdebbie]

awwwwww, so the paint can isnt there anymore????

I don't know if they fixed it or not. I won't be back up that way for another week and a half unless dh and I decide to run up for a snowball. (That's a Baltimore area treat, not to be confused with PA snowcones, and there is a guy that sells them in Shippensburg because he is married to a Baltimore area gal who wanted them. Then he spends Oct. to April in FL.) If we go, I'll report back on the paint can!

 

[dvczerfs]

I don't know if they fixed it or not. I won't be back up that way for another week and a half unless dh and I decide to run up for a snowball. (That's a Baltimore area treat, not to be confused with PA snowcones, and there is a guy that sells them in Shippensburg because he is married to a Baltimore area gal who wanted them. Then he spends Oct. to April in FL.) If we go, I'll report back on the paint can!

i leave next tuesday, ill keep an eye open for it. the paint can and the tractor trailer ontop the billboard are the two thing we look for in pa.

 

[BC1836]

You know you're a desperate (eagerly awaiting the next trip) 2,000+ mile round-trip driver when you go to Google maps and trace your drive...at a magnified resolution.

All the best.

 

[Fwd Facing Tentacles]

Funny you should say this. I often find myself comparing the amount of time I've spent on the road, whether just a short trip to town or a longer trip to, say, the ocean, in terms of how far I would have been to WDW. Sometimes when we are on southbound 81, I'll say to dh, "Skip the exit and let's just keep driving south, we're already 1/16th of the way there . . . "

My in laws live near Chambersburg and every time we visit them we say the same thing when we get to their exit. We're leaving for WDW next Sunday morning and this time the answer to "get off or stay on" will be a definite "stay on". We always stop for breakfast at IHOP in Hagerstown and to us that signifies the real beginning of our drive south. Psychologically, being in 4 states, PA MD WV and VA, in less than an hour helps too.

 

[Curious & Curiouser]

HELP!!!!! We are leaving on Oc.t 8 to do the drive from PA, 78-87-77-26-95. I had all hotels booked for drive down and back using dfil's AAA card and now they can't go as my dmil has a blood clot in her lung. She is out of the hospital thankfully but they can not travel for at least 6 months.
I canceled all the old ressies and now need to make new ones, problem is we have 3 kids and I'm having a hard time finding a place for us to stay in 1 room that's $100 or less as we do not have AAA. (one child was going to stay with my inlaws in their room until this happend). Can anyone recommend a place for us for the drive down and back???

Iam having the same issue ! We will be driving down for the first time next sept and we want to stop and spend a night so we are all fresh to hit te parks the next morning when we get there. BUT ...... with 3 kids there is no way im gonna pay for 2 rooms for one night!

i was kinda thinking of tryin to sneek my youngest in lol all we need to 2 full size beds ! my kids have sleep overs on the living room floors all the time so trust me the 3 of them would have no problem at all sharing a bed for one nnight!

anyone have any advice???

 

[MinnieTink]

Forgive me, my fellow 2000 mile round trip drivers, this may have been asked before...

What us the shortest trip you have done to WDW? We usually go for a week or so, but are considering a trip where we would leave Tuesday, arrive Wed, have either 3 or 4 park days then drive home Sat or Sun. I feel like I need a Disney fix but not sure I want to do 34 hours of driving in such a short time span.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Iam having the same issue ! We will be driving down for the first time next sept and we want to stop and spend a night so we are all fresh to hit te parks the next morning when we get there. BUT ...... with 3 kids there is no way im gonna pay for 2 rooms for one night!

i was kinda thinking of tryin to sneek my youngest in lol all we need to 2 full size beds ! my kids have sleep overs on the living room floors all the time so trust me the 3 of them would have no problem at all sharing a bed for one nnight!

anyone have any advice???

Most suites will sleep five easily. Pick up a motel coupon guide at the states's welcome centers. Last trip, we had five (although one was under two). Each way, we got a two room suite (one bedroom, and one living area with a pull out couch) for less than $100. Bedroom sleeps four, and living area sleeps two.

 

[pilferk]

Iam having the same issue ! We will be driving down for the first time next sept and we want to stop and spend a night so we are all fresh to hit te parks the next morning when we get there. BUT ...... with 3 kids there is no way im gonna pay for 2 rooms for one night!

i was kinda thinking of tryin to sneek my youngest in lol all we need to 2 full size beds ! my kids have sleep overs on the living room floors all the time so trust me the 3 of them would have no problem at all sharing a bed for one nnight!

anyone have any advice???

Given you're in MA, I'm assuming you're coming down MOSTLY on 95.

We stop in Roanoke Rapids, NC (Comfort Suites) on the way down and Wilson, NC (Qualilty Inn and Suites) on the way back.

Both offer rooms UNDER $100 that will fit our family of 5.

 

[BC1836]

i leave next tuesday....

We assume that you will be there on October 1, Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary? If the 40th anniversary "Wishes" fireworks are anything like EPCOT's 25th anniversary "Illuminations" fireworks, you are in for a display that you will remember for the rest of your life! The EPCOT anniversary fireworks' conclusion literally illuminated the theme park into a daytime-like silver and white world! It was unbelievable.

So get ready to be at the Magic Kingdom on October 1 (extended hours have already been added).

All the best.

 

[Curious & Curiouser]

thanx guys !! i never thought of getting coupons from the welcome centers !!! thats genius !

And yeah we are takin 95

 

[dvczerfs]

We assume that you will be there on October 1, Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary? If the 40th anniversary "Wishes" fireworks are anything like EPCOT's 25th anniversary "Illuminations" fireworks, you are in for a display that you will remember for the rest of your life! The EPCOT anniversary fireworks' conclusion literally illuminated the theme park into a daytime-like silver and white world! It was unbelievable.

So get ready to be at the Magic Kingdom on October 1 (extended hours have already been added).

All the best.

we are going to the mk around 4 or so on the 1st. we dont have much planned but just to hang out. we re looking forward to the fireworks and just the evening.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I'm so excited to plan our drive! Can you suggest a hotel with an amazing indoor pool for the drive down??

 

[pwdebbie]

awwwwww, so the paint can isnt there anymore????

I've been told the paint can is back where it belongs. My son said he didn't notice anything at all amiss with it on Sunday when he passed it.

 

[pwdebbie]

thanx guys !! i never thought of getting coupons from the welcome centers !!! thats genius !

And yeah we are takin 95

We used welcome center coupons on our last trip. The first place we stopped at told us they were all out of rooms at that rate. So I said to dh, 'Ok, well, there's also coupons in this book for those hotels right over there, so let's go check them out." Boy, did a room ever open up quickly for us! So, you might just have to be a little assertive or voice that you will take your business elsewhere in order to get the coupon rate. (I really had the feeling that "We're all out of rooms at that rate" was just a line they always use, a bait and switch tactic.)

 

[minnie mum]

We're packing up the ol' Volvo this afternoon so we can hit the road first thing in the morning. According to our Trip Tik this trip will be 4,826 km (2,999 miles) round trip. We'll be doing the 81/77/26/95 route on the way down and splitting it into 3 8 hr driving days. DH feels that even though we could do it in 2 days, he doesn't want to arrive at WDW already tired out!

He's finally decided to make use of all the hotel loyalty points he's accumulated, so hotel stays down and back will be free (SWEET)

This drive should be a lot easier than our last one in Jan (no snow storms this time). Does anyone know if there are any areas of I81 that are still having any problems related to the hurricane and flooding?

We'll be stopping in Hagerstown and Orangeburg before pulling into Orlando late Friday and staying at the Radisson Worldgate. Then EARLY Sat. we will at last check into CBR for the week.

So wish us luck on our latest driving adventure. Will report back when we get home.

 

[dvczerfs]

I've been told the paint can is back where it belongs. My son said he didn't notice anything at all amiss with it on Sunday when he passed it.

We're packing up the ol' Volvo this afternoon so we can hit the road first thing in the morning. According to our Trip Tik this trip will be 4,826 km (2,999 miles) round trip. We'll be doing the 81/77/26/95 route on the way down and splitting it into 3 8 hr driving days. DH feels that even though we could do it in 2 days, he doesn't want to arrive at WDW already tired out!

He's finally decided to make use of all the hotel loyalty points he's accumulated, so hotel stays down and back will be free (SWEET)

This drive should be a lot easier than our last one in Jan (no snow storms this time). Does anyone know if there are any areas of I81 that are still having any problems related to the hurricane and flooding?

We'll be stopping in Hagerstown and Orangeburg before pulling into Orlando late Friday and staying at the Radisson Worldgate. Then EARLY Sat. we will at last check into CBR for the week.

So wish us luck on our latest driving adventure. Will report back when we get home.

good luck!!! i 81 is open.

 

[sharadoc]

good luck!!! i 81 is open.

When's the Wills visit? This week?