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

[marius97]

I can totally relate! We took a few trips to Florida in my parents 1983 Honda Accord Hatchback. For 20+ hours, we had three kids, two parents, and luggage all piled into one of these...

Those were the days!

Not quite that bad for us. We never made a long drive, just up to two hours in a two door Plymouth Horizon(?) hatchback. There were 2 adults and three kids. My sisters sat in second row seats and my brother and I sat in the trunk. We just threw a blanket down an were good to go. We loved it back there. If we only knew how close to death we were, things would have been different.

 

[dvczerfs]

Not quite that bad for us. We never made a long drive, just up to two hours in a two door Plymouth Horizon(?) hatchback. There were 2 adults and three kids. My sisters sat in second row seats and my brother and I sat in the trunk. We just threw a blanket down an were good to go. We loved it back there. If we only knew how close to death we were, things would have been different.

my parents had a buick hatchback, after the plymoth that i use to stand on the back seat so i could see. that was after my sister didnt go anymore and i was the only kid in the car. i would fold the seat down in the back and my feet were the rear bumper as i was laying on the top of the gas tank.
i love the old story traveling story also.
the old 76 truck stops, howard johnsons rest. and hotels.
i thought it was great how you were able to pump your own gas in the south. at the time, up north, you didnt pump your own gas.
we use to sit in the back seat, pump our arm up and down to the truck drivers to get them to blow there horn. all before dvds and video games friends.

 

[SgtClaymore]

We stop at the Holiday Inn Express (hubby is a priority club member). Great breakfast in the morning complete with pancakes. Prices aren't too bad.

I've been there and the continental breakfast is delicious and for the money you can't beat it!

 

[slusher]

Another new topic I've discovered on DISboards!

We're driving from SW Ontario in May. Two years ago we did a "trial" trip to Myrtle Beach, and we're still talking to each other so we thought it was time to go for the big one and have been planning the Disney trip ever since. We learned a lot on the Myrtle Beach trip. Namely, even with lots of drivers there will be a time when everyone is too tired to drive and there are no motels in sight (or we were too cheap to pay for one) and sleeping in the car doesn't make for happy families.

This time there will be three drivers. We know we need to plan better.

To break up the trip, I've scheduled almost four days to drive down, and four back. We are the kind of people (the driving ones, not the flying ones) that will say "oooohhhh loook, a giant potato memorial" and take the exit to go look. (that's recalling a trip to PEI, getting stuck in mud and never hearing the end of it).

Our first detour is the Zippo Museum in Bradford PA. We were going to stop when we went to Myrtle, but the Hershey PA voting block won that one. This time it's on the plan. Then the list gets fuzzy, from "I want to see a really big dam" (that will be Tennessee) to Toccoa GA (Band of Brothers fan) to "can we go to Graceland" and how about Gettysburg? Norfolk! Washington DC! One of those Diner n Dives places!

I'll have the snow tires off the car by then, which will improve the gas mileage by about 20%, but will have the roof carrier on top which will reduce it as we also learned that the more room in the vehicle, the happier we are.

 

[Curious & Curiouser]

Hey Yall ! We will be driving for the very 1st time from MA to The World.....got any tips for 1st timers ???

Also wondering if it is easier to use the buses while there or easier to drive??

thanx for any advice

 

[nono]

Hey Yall ! We will be driving for the very 1st time from MA to The World.....got any tips for 1st timers ???

Also wondering if it is easier to use the buses while there or easier to drive??

thanx for any advice

Tell us more about your crew! How many drivers? Any children? How flexible is your departure time?

My biggest piece of advice if your departure is somewhat flexible, is to not leave anything to the last minute. For instance, if we're planning an early morning departure, I have everything in the car 12-18 hours before. Because sometimes, we are just ready to early, and if everything is ready to go, we can!

 

[melmar136]

It's great that I happened upon this, because I too am thinking of driving from MA for the first time, this August. My plan is to leave on a Fri, stop Fri night in Wilson, NC (they have a Country Inn & Suites, and will accept hotel points plus cash, so it will only be $59 for the night) then, leave Sat morning and stay off site (Fairfield Inn at the Marriott Village, also for $59!) for Sat night.

Has anyone stayed at these and if so, would you reccommend them?

It will just be me doing all the driving, since it's just me and DD....

Looking for best routes, best times to leave, etc.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Curious & Curiouser]

Tell us more about your crew! How many drivers? Any children? How flexible is your departure time?

My biggest piece of advice if your departure is somewhat flexible, is to not leave anything to the last minute. For instance, if we're planning an early morning departure, I have everything in the car 12-18 hours before. Because sometimes, we are just ready to early, and if everything is ready to go, we can!

LOL yea forgot to mention the details ... There is myself, DH, and 3 kids 13, 9, & 8. Me & DH will be doing the driving. And we were "thinking" of leaving around 10 pm driving till south of the border and then another 6 hours or so to stop over night in or around Saint Augustine and then the 2 hours to Disney in the morning......never planned anything like this before lol

 

[WI_DisneyFan]

Another new topic I've discovered on DISboards!

We're driving from SW Ontario in May. Two years ago we did a "trial" trip to Myrtle Beach, and we're still talking to each other so we thought it was time to go for the big one and have been planning the Disney trip ever since. We learned a lot on the Myrtle Beach trip. Namely, even with lots of drivers there will be a time when everyone is too tired to drive and there are no motels in sight (or we were too cheap to pay for one) and sleeping in the car doesn't make for happy families.

I think it's great that you did a trial trip prior to the big Disney drive. We did the same thing last summer. We drove to Kansas City, which was about a 10-hour drive for us. We learned a lot about how to do a longish road trip (even though 10 hours is nothing compared to the almost 20 to get us to Orlando). We learned things like how long I can drive before I need a break to stretch my legs (about two hours); how long I can drive before needing to have my wife take over for an hour or two (six hours was my max); even simple things like how many snacks to pack (we snacked in the car a lot less than I thought we would, therefore we had way too many snacks), how to pack the car (behind which seat the garbage can should go and behind which one the snacks should go). It was a great learning experience for us, and I feel like I am much more prepared for this September's inaugural Orlando road trip than I would have been without that trip.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We had a pick-up truck with a cab on the back and a mattress in the back that we could sleep on.

We did that one, too! I distinctly remember shortly before one trip the back window on Dad's pickup got broken. It had been a sliding window and he replaced it with a regular one because it was cheaper. So he said anyway. Personally, I think it was so we couldn't bother him from back there

Loved the big-rig horn pump comment too. Was always a hoot when they'd blow that horn & a big letdown when they wouldnt

 

[Daisy Dog]

Hi Everyone, This will be our first family trip to Disney, and our first ever road trip! We are leaving sometime a week from this Friday from CT!! Starting to get a little nervous about this, and praying we will make it!! For drivers it will be my husband and I, and we have 3 kids - 12, 8, and 3. We have every electronic device and individual goodie bags for the kids so I think they should be pretty good!
One of my questions is, should we make a stop over reservation ahead of time? Or do other's of you just drive until you feel you want to stop? We are not planning on doing this trip in one shot. We were thinking of stopping somewhere in NC or SC. I'm thinking we should probably try to get at least half way?? I am not sure what time we are leaving yet, a little confused on that too. But, we will try to avoid rush hours. Our checkin at POR isn't until Sunday at 3, so we don't have to rush too much. If we get to Orlando Saturday we will have to find another room for that night.
Thanks for any tips!

 

[Bearikens]

We have driven several times from Colorado to WDW and back, which by the way is 1909 miles each way, and are planning yet another road trip back to the mouse this September. Over the years I've learned quite a bit and wanted to pass on some of my wisdom.

1) Before you hit the road, visit the DOT (department of transportation) websites for the state(s) that you will pass through. You can find out important information such as where Interstate/Highway construction zones will be, speed limits, and rest stop locations.

2) Stop as often as you need. Don't push yourself - Disney will still be there when you arrive. Know your limitations such as night driving issues, how far you can safely drive during your shift at the wheel, and city rush hour anxiety issues. I try to avoid major city rush hours wherever possible and plan my driving hours accordingly. I have found driving at night very useful for our passage through Atlanta, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Nashville.

3) Have emergency supplies in the vehicle such as tools, food, water, blanket, cell phone or CB, and roadside trouble indicators (flares or reflective triangles). Check your spare tire and ensure you have a working jack and lug wrench. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.

4) Plan your route ahead of time, even if you are using a GPS. My GPS once thought that the new Interstate in Alabama we were driving on was actually farmers fields. Let family/friends know your route just in case something should happen.

5) Eating choices on the road are up to the individual tastes of the driver and passenger(s), but if you should notice a truck stop restaurant that has a very large number of trucks parked outside, then chances are excellent that the food is very good, reasonable prices, and the coffee is hot and fresh.

6) Check the weather. If you have a smartphone and have service where you are driving and have a national weather website app (NWS, Weather Underground, or Weather Channel), then you shouldn't have any surprises. If you don't have a smartphone, then I recommend checking the forecast before you start out. Some states have TV or radio in their rest stops that are set to give travelers the current weather conditions/warnings.

7) Take emergency cash and have coins and one Dollar bills for tolls (maybe someday there will be a toll transponder that can be used in any state and on any toll road). Inform your bank(s) that you are going out of town and will be using your debit/credit card for purchases. There is nothing worse than having your card declined because the bank put you on the fraud alert list (using your card outside your normal spending pattern) and then you have to call the bank to get the alert lifted.

 

[cruisingkat]

One of our tricks when driving down during winter (we usually take 2 days to drive down) - we book a hotel near Disney off-site for the first night of our Disney stay that we can cancel if we get delayed by weather. Since you have to cancel a Disney hotel 5 days in advance, we find it more economical to stay off site instead of not making it to our Disney resort.
We don't totally unpack the car - just bring in a change of clothes - and check into our Disney hotel early in the morning.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

One of my questions is, should we make a stop over reservation ahead of time? Or do other's of you just drive until you feel you want to stop?

Personally, I prefer to reserve a room. Have been caught a couple times where I ended up in the middle of nowhere & couldn't get a room, so had to drive a couple more hours down the road. But, that kind of locks you into a spot & that can kind of stink if you get there early & feel like you should be pressing on.

If possible, we try to reserve a room somewhere that has fun stuff to do (in our case, we like the Aquarium in Chattanooga, for example), so even if we get in early we don't feel like we're "wasting" time at our stop. It's just another part of the trip

 

[justakrazymom]

We are all booked up for Sept at POFQ so this family will be doing the 2500 mile round trip again!!

 

[briles5]

We are driving from mass On April vaca too!
Thinking of leaving right after dinner around 6 on Thursday night, myself, dh, and 5 kids19,18,17,17,12, oy vey! Going to try to drive straight through, if we can't do it check in somewhere. Just bought the i-95 book at barnes and noble and going to get a ez pass!

 

[justakrazymom]

We are driving from mass On April vaca too!
Thinking of leaving right after dinner around 6 on Thursday night, myself, dh, and 5 kids19,18,17,17,12, oy vey! Going to try to drive straight through, if we can't do it check in somewhere. Just bought the i-95 book at barnes and noble and going to get a ez pass!

we will leave at 2am when I get out of work..ahhh

 

[dvczerfs]

Another new topic I've discovered on DISboards!

We're driving from SW Ontario in May. Two years ago we did a "trial" trip to Myrtle Beach, and we're still talking to each other so we thought it was time to go for the big one and have been planning the Disney trip ever since. We learned a lot on the Myrtle Beach trip. Namely, even with lots of drivers there will be a time when everyone is too tired to drive and there are no motels in sight (or we were too cheap to pay for one) and sleeping in the car doesn't make for happy families.

This time there will be three drivers. We know we need to plan better.

To break up the trip, I've scheduled almost four days to drive down, and four back. We are the kind of people (the driving ones, not the flying ones) that will say "oooohhhh loook, a giant potato memorial" and take the exit to go look. (that's recalling a trip to PEI, getting stuck in mud and never hearing the end of it).

Our first detour is the Zippo Museum in Bradford PA. We were going to stop when we went to Myrtle, but the Hershey PA voting block won that one. This time it's on the plan. Then the list gets fuzzy, from "I want to see a really big dam" (that will be Tennessee) to Toccoa GA (Band of Brothers fan) to "can we go to Graceland" and how about Gettysburg? Norfolk! Washington DC! One of those Diner n Dives places!

I'll have the snow tires off the car by then, which will improve the gas mileage by about 20%, but will have the roof carrier on top which will reduce it as we also learned that the more room in the vehicle, the happier we are.

i live about an hour east of hershey park!!! if your into the civil war, gettysburg is nice. you are also very close to philadelphia and the entire area of the birth of the usa. you could spend weeks in about 100 square mile area. have a good trip, sounds like a blast!!!

It's great that I happened upon this, because I too am thinking of driving from MA for the first time, this August. My plan is to leave on a Fri, stop Fri night in Wilson, NC (they have a Country Inn & Suites, and will accept hotel points plus cash, so it will only be $59 for the night) then, leave Sat morning and stay off site (Fairfield Inn at the Marriott Village, also for $59!) for Sat night.

Has anyone stayed at these and if so, would you reccommend them?

It will just be me doing all the driving, since it's just me and DD....

Looking for best routes, best times to leave, etc.

Any help would be appreciated!

i have stayed at the wilson exit before. we stayed at the hampton inn. not a bad area. the best time to leave is as early as you can. 3am is late for us. kids fall back to sleep, little traffic, your excited because today is the day and its a great time to sit a talk about your up coming trip. when we do a two day drive trip, i love getting up around 2:15am or so, getting on the road early. our dd falls back to sleep and just enjoy the morning driving. you will look forward in the sun coming up, stopping for a coffee. ( stop and go, cant waist time ) have a great trip.

Hi Everyone, This will be our first family trip to Disney, and our first ever road trip! We are leaving sometime a week from this Friday from CT!! Starting to get a little nervous about this, and praying we will make it!! For drivers it will be my husband and I, and we have 3 kids - 12, 8, and 3. We have every electronic device and individual goodie bags for the kids so I think they should be pretty good!
One of my questions is, should we make a stop over reservation ahead of time? Or do other's of you just drive until you feel you want to stop? We are not planning on doing this trip in one shot. We were thinking of stopping somewhere in NC or SC. I'm thinking we should probably try to get at least half way?? I am not sure what time we are leaving yet, a little confused on that too. But, we will try to avoid rush hours. Our checkin at POR isn't until Sunday at 3, so we don't have to rush too much. If we get to Orlando Saturday we will have to find another room for that night.
Thanks for any tips!

 

[pwdebbie]

i live about an hour east of hershey park!!! if your into the civil war, gettysburg is nice. you are also very close to philadelphia and the entire area of the birth of the usa. you could spend weeks in about 100 square mile area. have a good trip, sounds like a blast!!!

I live 25 minutes west of Gettysburg. There is plenty to do in the area. If you get to Gettysburg and are looking for a cool restaurant, check out "The Fairfield Inn" in nearby Fairfield, PA.

 

[Taylor'sMom]

Hi all! Our family is planning our 2nd road trip down, coming from Upstate New York (near Albany). We are annual Disney/Florida visitors but with rising flight costs, we decided to drive last year, and will do so again this year. Last year we left at 3:30pm on a Friday and drove straight through, only stopping for gas and food. I believe we took 87-287-95? I know we got on 95 pretty far north and stayed on that as long as possible, except for the beltway around DC, etc. I hope that makes sense? The trip wasn’t too bad. We hit heavy rain for about 2 hours through the Maryland/Virginia/DC area, but other than that, no problems.
This year, our schedules are a bit different and we’re planning to leave at 11:00am on Friday, April 27th and are actually headed to Naples on the west coast as our first destination. We’ll drive straight through again, only making gas & food stops. I’d love any suggestions for what route to take (would still prefer 95 as much as possible, but if we can avoid some metro areas, that’d be good too), and any issues we may encounter leaving at that time.
Drivers are myself and DH. Our DD (almost 9) will be with us as well. I’m a bit concerned the new travel time will mean a far long stretch of daylight hours to keep her entertained, but I think I’m well prepared.
Thanks in advance for any feedback/advice you guys may have!