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

[nono]

I want to get there around 9-10pm so I was hoping to leave NJ around 5am. Does this seem logical to those who have ventured before us.
..........

Give yourself a cushion. Leave at 4 a.m. I plugged in your location (chose the shopping center) into Streets & Trips and put a 15 min stop in every 3 hrs. I also have you driving a little over the speed limit on highways. If you leave at 4 a.m. and encounter no problems, you'll arrive roughly around 8:30- 8:45 p.m. A couple of slowdowns on the road (like passing through DC), and you'll be right in your desired range of arrival times. Also, by leaving at 4 a.m., you chance of a DC slowdown decrease. Win/win!

Enjoy your adventure!!!

 

[BC1836]

Oh shoot! I don't think I'll be able to help you much with the early states, as we're leaving on a morning ferry Jan. 1 and spending the day with my friend who has a house on the DelMarVa penninsula. We're leaving her place at 10 p.m. to continue the drive (but I didn't think it was fair to list a morning departure time, even though that's when we're leaving our house in NJ!). However, I will still keep notes from the Bay Bridge/Tunnel because one of these days, you know you'll want to try that route. If I could just convince you of the joys of taking the last ferry and the leisurely drive over to Emporia. (I know you don't have the deficit we have of having to go North to go South! That really changes the game for us.)

Now for the packing... At least Marathon day weather looks good enough that I know what I can wear that day!

Thanks, nono. Indeed, the ferry throws off the comparative time schedule. Nevertheless, we look forward to your notes. Let your countdown continue....

All the best.

 

[Disneyholic]

Question: Who has the first 2,000+ mile round trip of 2012 planned?

All the best.

Don't know if this counts as we will be starting our trip in 2011 and finishing it in 2012. If not then maybe we will be the last trip for 2011.

We will be leaving sometime after I finish work ( at this point I finish at noon ). Anywhere from 2 pm to 10 pm on New Years Eve ( hopefully closer to 2 to get as far along as possible before dark. ). Hope to get to WDW by early Sunday afternoon. Still not sure if we will get a hotel on the way down or just use a rest stop for naps, we'll see as we go.

 

[sharadoc]

Question: Who has the first 2,000+ mile round trip of 2012 planned?

All the best.

January 21 for us!!!

 

[BC1836]

It appears that January 2012 in WDW will be well represented by 2,000+ mile round-trip drivers!

[And Iran is threatening to close the Straight off Hormuz, sending crude oil to over $100 a barrel. Here we go again.]

All the best.

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

...
[And Iran is threatening to close the Straight off Hormuz, sending crude oil to over $100 a barrel. Here we go again.]
...

Honestly, gas prices would have to just about double before it's more cost effective for my family of 4 to change to flying from driving. That's the main reason we choose to drive the 2000 mile round trip.

Next trip in June for us. Can't wait!

 

[blondietink]

Honestly, gas prices would have to just about double before it's more cost effective for my family of 4 to change to flying from driving. That's the main reason we choose to drive the 2000 mile round trip.

Next trip in June for us. Can't wait!

Same for us .... the cost of gas would have to double or more for us to be more cost effective to fly. But, don't forget, if gas prices go up, so do the airfares, so it will never be more cost effective for us to fly than drive, no matter what the price of gas is.

Saw a segment on one of the evening news show a couple of days ago. It showed that we as Americans are using so much less gasoline that we used to (driving less, higher mileage in our new cars, etc.) that we are actually EXPORTING our own gasoline to other countries. So, IMHO, the gas prices are pure manipulation on the oil companies part.

 

[amcnj]

byejou, what day of the week do you plan to leave? It is wise to get past DC early on weekdays. I like to be by there by 5:30 am on weekdays.

 

[cruisingkat]

So looking forward to our first trip for 2012 in Feb. We will be driving down for the Princess half marathon as our middle daughter is running. It should be a nice nearly complete family get together with 3 of our 4 children and spouses and 5 of our 9 grandchildren there at the same time to cheer her on. We might be doing a split stay - our daughter and grandchildren will be staying at POR so we booked POFQ for the weekend (both are host resorts so early bus service for the run is available) so we can take the grandkids while she runs. But I would like to have a few days without the family so we might be going earlier and possibly staying at POP for those extra days.
Has anyone done a split stay? I understand that Disney will move your luggage for you - but with the car would it be easier to do it ourselves?

 

[patclairesmom]

So looking forward to our first trip for 2012 in Feb. We will be driving down for the Princess half marathon as our middle daughter is running. It should be a nice nearly complete family get together with 3 of our 4 children and spouses and 5 of our 9 grandchildren there at the same time to cheer her on. We might be doing a split stay - our daughter and grandchildren will be staying at POR so we booked POFQ for the weekend (both are host resorts so early bus service for the run is available) so we can take the grandkids while she runs. But I would like to have a few days without the family so we might be going earlier and possibly staying at POP for those extra days.
Has anyone done a split stay? I understand that Disney will move your luggage for you - but with the car would it be easier to do it ourselves?

If you want your luggage, when you want it, I would move it myself. We did a split stay. We checked out of POR @6am and we didn't get our luggage at the Poly until after 5pm.

 

[LuvnLaney2]

Thanks!

Greetings from Lake Buena Vista, Fl!
We departed the Jersey Shore at 12:18 a.m. yesterday and crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge at 1:55 a.m.

We entered the following states at these times:

MD...2:10 a.m.
VA...3.55 a.m.
NC...7:02 a.m.
SC...10:35 a.m.
GA...1:50 p.m.
FL...3::46 p.m.
FL...I-4...5:40 p.m.
Lake Buena Vista...6:48 p.m.

1,064 miles

Two gas stops (exit $33 in VA and exit #68 in SC): both $3.29 regular.

We took more rest stop breaks than usual due to a lack of sleep the previous night.

Lots of State Police activity in NJ.

Some construction in NJ on I-95 and MD; no delays during the early morning hours.

All the best.

Hi...we are leaving on February 1st from the jersey shore also. Have you ever left around 4 in the morning..that is what we were thinking of doing...not sure if it would work out. We are about 15 minutes north of Long Beach Island.

Thanks!

 

[BC1836]

Hi...we are leaving on February 1st from the jersey shore also. Have you ever left around 4 in the morning..that is what we were thinking of doing...not sure if it would work out. We are about 15 minutes north of Long Beach Island.

Thanks!

Howdy, neighbor!

We never departed at 4:00 a.m. but we did leave our home at 3:30 a.m. (March 2009), crossed into FL at 6:24 p.m. and made it to Deltona on I-4 for an overnight stay.

We left at 3:22 a.m. (June 2009), crossed into FL at 5:49 p.m. and made it to Lake Buena Vista three hours later.

Both of those drives took place on the weekend.

Caution: If you depart at 4 a.m. on a weekday, prepare for the southern MD/northern VA traffic "experience." Of course, a Feb. 1 departure can be affected by Mother Nature's snowy side.

All the best.

 

[MsRem]

Leaving northern MD on the 14th at 3:30/4 am. Headed to HHI for overnight stay and then to check in WDW on Sunday

 

[LuvnLaney2]

Ok...I don't know what to do...LOL! I am thinking we aren't going to drive straight through. Grandma is coming with us so we were thinking of driving until we hit Brunswick GA and staying over and then making it to Disney by noon the next day. What time around would I be hitting DC traffic...I would like to avoid it! Should I do 95 or 81?

Thanks!

 

[MIChessGuy]

I am coming down from Michigan late next month, probably using just rest stops this time. In the past I have overnighted at a lodging in the Atlanta area, but that's fallen victim to the budget.

I remember last time, there was a major slowdown before the I-75 Ohio River bridge in Cincinnati because of construction. We actually ducked out just in time, headed east to another bridge, and reconnected with I-75 in Kentucky. Anyone know if that bridge project is completed?

 

[supersuperwendy]

So we did a test drive to western Michigan from Philly burbs for Thanksgiving. It was exactly 12 hours. I don't think we could have gone any further in one day. The older kids were pretty good but our 2 year old was beat. I think if we decide to drive to WDW in June we'll most likely stop overnight. But DH is afraid we'll sit at a hotel and twiddle our thumbs and regret not keeping driving.

 

[Echo queen]

We drove from TX to IL and back for Christmas 2400 miles. 10 hrs on day one, 4 hrs day 2. We had not done a road trip in years, I was hoping if it was great we would drive to disney this summer 18hrs drive time. Well, Southwest was paid the day after we arrived home It was a really good trip my dh and I split it up. I do not sleep well if ever when in a car, while there for a week we had alot of late nights with my family so I lost alot of sleep. I have been home for four days and still feel the effects.

I love reading this thread, y'all keep up the good work and traveling grace to all. Happy New Year

 

[amylevan]

Sounds like the time and day of the year to beat...to be first in 2012. Cool.

Now then...since we are neighbors of sorts, our earliest night time departure was on our most recent drive a few weeks ago: 12:18 a.m.

Weather notwithstanding, we are very interested to see your state border by state border progress next week. On our next drive in March we might depart before midnight. And your info may help us make a better decision.

All the best.

We are about an hour north of Philly in the Lehigh Valley, and plan on leaving between 7 & 8 pm on Feb 3. I'll be happy to keep track of the state border times for you.

However, since we are pulling a 5th wheel camper, we can't go through the tunnels on 95 in Baltimore. Since we'd have to go around anyway, we are going ALL the way around. We're going west first, taking 15/south from Harrisburg to 270, to hit the westerly loop around DC (495?). We join 95 south of DC. According to mapquest & google, the time is no different than going down 95, so the times might still be of help to you.

 

[Disneyholic]

We left the Lehigh Valley at 4:30 & are now (7:30 pm) at the Maryland welcome center. I drove first so it is now time to switch drivers.

 

[BC1836]

We left the Lehigh Valley at 4:30 & are now (7:30 pm) at the Maryland welcome center. I drove first so it is now time to switch drivers.

We wish you a continued safe drive!

And we also extend advance greetings to you since you will be the first among the 2,000+ mile round-trip drivers to be at WDW in 2012!

Happy New Year!

All the best.