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

[disneynanacat]

Here's the answers I can help with:

1. We've done this a number of times... driver gets preference of temperature, music. Keep drink and snacks, especially mints handy. Stop often. If everyone else falls asleep, you must stop if you start to feel drowsy! Change drivers often through night hours... every 2 hours perhaps unless the driver is feeling very good and awake. WATCH OUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. There are lots of people and truck drivers pushing their limits. Find out where you can get 24 hour gas, and food and drink if needed (Truck stops! - plug "truck stop" into google maps.)

3. I recommend you stick with I-75. I-26 and I-95 are two lanes for a lot of the way until Florida. Slow down, speed up, blocked lanes, very annoying at all times of night and day. Coming in to Florida take the FL Turnpike (toll) to 429/Western Beltway (toll) then take exit 8 Western Way. That goes into WDW and at the end turn R for All Stars and AK areas, left for all others.

4. After flying became a hassle and more expensive I learned to love to drive.
I make a chart with a drive plan showing likely places to stop for gas and food, search for and record our favorite places (Starbucks!) If there is planning left to do we do it along the way, or we talk about what are our favorites and priorities. Now that our phones are decent Internet devices we can log in to DIS or do other research, read menus and such.

5. make sure everyone has everything they need to be comfortable. Pillows, light blankets, music players, chargers, snacks, a small cooler for drinks.

have a great trip!

Thank you soooooo much! Very useful info. I copy/pasted your directions into notepad. Good idea to plan those gas stops ahead. Hadn't thought of that! I have my Starbucks app to tell me the Starbucks locations along the way! I better get busy mapping it all out! Thanks again!

 

[cruisingkat]

Hard to compete with a retiree. Lol

"Sittin low and drivin slow" lol

We didn't become Disney-aholics until we retired. Up until that time we had only gone twice when our kids were young and three times by ourselves when they were grown.

 

[dvczerfs]

We didn't become Disney-aholics until we retired. Up until that time we had only gone twice when our kids were young and three times by ourselves when they were grown.

Lol. That is great!! I love it!!!

I have to admit, when we retire, my driving back and forth is going to be over. I'm going to drive down and not drive back. Every time it keeps getting harder and harder to leave to come back north.

 

[Disneyholic]

Lol. That is great!! I love it!!!

I have to admit, when we retire, my driving back and forth is going to be over. I'm going to drive down and not drive back. Every time it keeps getting harder and harder to leave to come back north.

That is why DH & I have opted for the Autotrain for at least one way on a lot of our trips lately. Dh is past retirement age, but still working full-time. I work 5 days a week, part-time. We used to enjoy driving both ways, but as time goes on it has taken longer to get there because of eyes tiring easier and just getting exhausted sooner. We usually end up in a rest stop after 10-12 hours. We used to do about 2-3 hour naps and now it can be as long as 5-6. In November we will be driving both ways unless the Autotrain fares come down. I have been checking daily, but right now it is cost prohibitive. DH also wants to stop in South Carolina to pick up a Motorcycle trailer on our way home. I am not too happy about doing it then because it will be the beginning of December and the chance of snow is too great. I've never driven with a trailer in tow, so that would leave all the driving up to him for the rest of the trip north.

 

[BC1836]

I have to admit, when we retire, my driving back and forth is going to be over. I'm going to drive down and not drive back.

Then there's a remote chance that dvczerfs all-time record number of drives (currently 56) could be broken. Of course, until retirement he'll keep adding to that seeeming insurmountable total.

We're getting ready for drive #30 next month.

[But we'll never catch up to the "Mileage Master."]

All the best.

 

[sharadoc]

Here's the answers I can help with:

1. We've done this a number of times... driver gets preference of temperature, music. Keep drink and snacks, especially mints handy. Stop often. If everyone else falls asleep, you must stop if you start to feel drowsy! Change drivers often through night hours... every 2 hours perhaps unless the driver is feeling very good and awake. WATCH OUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE. There are lots of people and truck drivers pushing their limits. Find out where you can get 24 hour gas, and food and drink if needed (Truck stops! - plug "truck stop" into google maps.)

3. I recommend you stick with I-75. I-26 and I-95 are two lanes for a lot of the way until Florida. Slow down, speed up, blocked lanes, very annoying at all times of night and day. Coming in to Florida take the FL Turnpike (toll) to 429/Western Beltway (toll) then take exit 8 Western Way. That goes into WDW and at the end turn R for All Stars and AK areas, left for all others.

4. After flying became a hassle and more expensive I learned to love to drive.
I make a chart with a drive plan showing likely places to stop for gas and food, search for and record our favorite places (Starbucks!) If there is planning left to do we do it along the way, or we talk about what are our favorites and priorities. Now that our phones are decent Internet devices we can log in to DIS or do other research, read menus and such.

5. make sure everyone has everything they need to be comfortable. Pillows, light blankets, music players, chargers, snacks, a small cooler for drinks.

have a great trip!

Good tips. I'll add for us:

1. A good exit guide. We use 95 so it's easy to get one dedicated to 95 only. Or you can get an Interstate Exit Guide. They map out restaurants, gas stations, etc. along each exit. You can research online and find great local eateries vs. chains like Cracker Barrel. We've discovered some nice little restaurants (a diner in Georgia that roasts turkey fresh every day, Duke's BBQ in Walterboro, perhaps the best authentic Carolina barbecue buffet we've ever been to.) Also maps out rest areas so we can plan driver switch.

2. Get a WiFi hotspot on a pay-as-you-go plan. We use one from Virgin Mobile and pay $50 for a month of unlimited 3G. Then we can connect up to 5 devices. DD's phone, kindle, DS's kindle, my laptop all need WiFi in the van, plus we can use it in the room if we don't want to use the in-room WiFi on the road.

3. Careful if you stop and use free Wi-Fi. Some of them automatically put a cookie or some other "spy" software on your device, that's why we like to use the WiFi we bring with us.

4. Don't use a debit card at a gas station, if they scan you and read your card, you could be out a lot of cash temporarily.

5. Change drivers on a schedule. Makes it easier to do those last shifts, no one every gets totally tired.

Have a great trip!

 

[dvczerfs]

That is why DH & I have opted for the Autotrain for at least one way on a lot of our trips lately. Dh is past retirement age, but still working full-time. I work 5 days a week, part-time. We used to enjoy driving both ways, but as time goes on it has taken longer to get there because of eyes tiring easier and just getting exhausted sooner. We usually end up in a rest stop after 10-12 hours. We used to do about 2-3 hour naps and now it can be as long as 5-6. In November we will be driving both ways unless the Autotrain fares come down. I have been checking daily, but right now it is cost prohibitive. DH also wants to stop in South Carolina to pick up a Motorcycle trailer on our way home. I am not too happy about doing it then because it will be the beginning of December and the chance of snow is too great. I've never driven with a trailer in tow, so that would leave all the driving up to him for the rest of the trip north.

its funny, the older I get, the longer I drive. the trip last week, I worked all day, came home, ate, fell a sleep around 7:30pm. woke up at 12:30am and was on the road at 1am. I drove to the Virginia welcoming center before I stopped. I drove the entire way into okw which was around 5pm. on the way home, we hit the road at 2am. I drove florida, gorgia and into s.carolina on i77 till I let dw drive for about an hour while I napped. I woke up and drove the rest of the way home.

im an outside rep. for a hvac company and do a lot of driving so I think after 33 years of doing all that driving, it keeps me going.

just on the way down this trip dw and I were talking about all the driving I have done. between work, personal cars etc.... adding it up, ive driven well over 2 million miles in 33 years. I spent more time behind the wheel of a car then I have sleeping. but, even as a kid, I always loved road trips and being on the road so I guess it worked out for me.


oh, and after checking in to okw, we went over to the studios to surprise briana!!! we went to her apartment and got her stuff and stayed awake till about 10 that night.
coming home, I was up at 1:30am got home around 6pm and didn't go to bed till 10pm and got up at 4am to go to work Monday.

 

[disneynanacat]

Good tips. I'll add for us:

1. A good exit guide. We use 95 so it's easy to get one dedicated to 95 only. Or you can get an Interstate Exit Guide. They map out restaurants, gas stations, etc. along each exit. You can research online and find great local eateries vs. chains like Cracker Barrel. We've discovered some nice little restaurants (a diner in Georgia that roasts turkey fresh every day, Duke's BBQ in Walterboro, perhaps the best authentic Carolina barbecue buffet we've ever been to.) Also maps out rest areas so we can plan driver switch.

2. Get a WiFi hotspot on a pay-as-you-go plan. We use one from Virgin Mobile and pay $50 for a month of unlimited 3G. Then we can connect up to 5 devices. DD's phone, kindle, DS's kindle, my laptop all need WiFi in the van, plus we can use it in the room if we don't want to use the in-room WiFi on the road.

3. Careful if you stop and use free Wi-Fi. Some of them automatically put a cookie or some other "spy" software on your device, that's why we like to use the WiFi we bring with us.

4. Don't use a debit card at a gas station, if they scan you and read your card, you could be out a lot of cash temporarily.

5. Change drivers on a schedule. Makes it easier to do those last shifts, no one every gets totally tired.

Have a great trip!

Great tips! I'm packing a cooler with drinks, sandwiches, and will have other nibbles too in case we want to nibble and nothing is open. It'll save time too.

Bought a map last night and started studying it to plan stops.

Great idea about the wifi. Hadn't thought of that either!

I'm worried I won't be able to nap on my turns with the granddaughter driving. She's a really cautious driver, but still only been driving a couple years. I'm going to take off half a day and try to get some sleep before we go.

I'm also going to make a rule that at least two of us be awake going through larger cities like Atlanta. Just in case. Help spot exits etc.

Thanks for your great ideas!

 

[BC1836]

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013; local gas (regular) prices range from $3.39 to $3.57, with most around $3.43, a slight drop.

All the best.

What a difference a week makes! Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013 (regular) prices range from $3.29 to $3.41, with most around $3.37.

All the best.

 

[BC1836]

No tolls until you reach the Florida Turnpike.

There are optional toll roads off I-4 tp get to WDW.

LadyBeBop:

Is your countdown counter accurate? When is your arrival day? We may be crossing paths.

All the best.

 

[LadyBeBop]

LadyBeBop:

Is your countdown counter accurate? When is your arrival day? We may be crossing paths.

All the best.

We arrive at Wyndham Bonnet Creek on Sunday October 27, hopefully mid-morning. Hoping to be at the Magic Kingdom by noon. But it depends on where we stop the night before (hopefully, Lake City), and what time we wake up on Sunday.

 

[BC1836]

We arrive at Wyndham Bonnet Creek on Sunday October 27, hopefully mid-morning. Hoping to be at the Magic Kingdom by noon. But it depends on where we stop the night before (hopefully, Lake City), and what time we wake up on Sunday.

Alas, your arrival date and our departure date are the same.

In fact, your are number four in a growing list of good folks who we are missing this year at WDW by either hours or days.

Go figure.

Let our mutual countdowns continue.

All the best.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Alas, your arrival date and our departure date are the same.

And we can't even wave to each other on the road. While you'll be heading east on I-4 toward I-95, we'll be coming in from the west on I-4 from the turnpike and I-75.

All the best.

As always, you too.

 

[sharadoc]

Alas, your arrival date and our departure date are the same.

In fact, your are number four in a growing list of good folks who we are missing this year at WDW by either hours or days.

Go figure.

Let our mutual countdowns continue.

All the best.

But I think we are crossing on this trip! We are 12/15-22.

 

[BC1836]

But I think we are crossing on this trip! We are 12/15-22.

Nope! We're departing when you're arriving! It's just like LadyBeBop and our next trip.

Once, good friends (who are not yet on this thread) were traveling south on I-95 in southern VA as we were driving north. By chance, we had made a phone call and realized that we were about 20 miles apart. As we approached MM 11 on I-95 we saw each other and blinked our high beams at each other. It was a cool moment.

A few years ago, sharadoc AND dvczerfs and us were at WDW at the same time but for one reason or another we could never get together.

Our quest continues....

All the best.

 

[feet1]

So sad...leaving tomorrow after a wonderful 8 days at POFQ...dreading the ride back to PA...sad sad sad. Don't want to leave the Mouse

 

[dvczerfs]

B wanted me to post this for the friends on the 2000 plus mile thread.




(sorry, was cleaning up photo bucket and moved and deleted some pics.)

 

[dvczerfs]

So sad...leaving tomorrow after a wonderful 8 days at POFQ...dreading the ride back to PA...sad sad sad. Don't want to leave the Mouse

have a safe trip home. hope you have a coat and long pants. (I came home to 50 degrees looking like I was going to the beach )

 

[CopperWife]

Well, the car is packed and gassed up. We leave in about an hour. Hoping to drive through the night and roll into POR around noon tomorrow. The kids still don't know - they are under the assumption we are going to Georgia for work for Daddy

 

[nono]

Well, the car is packed and gassed up. We leave in about an hour. Hoping to drive through the night and roll into POR around noon tomorrow. The kids still don't know - they are under the assumption we are going to Georgia for work for Daddy

Enjoy the ride!!!