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

[Yellowstonetim]

I love this thread, it is comforting.

Can anyone offer tips for kids on the long drive, especially while trying to sleep? Ods complains his feet get tingly when hanging from the booster for a long time but he is too small to be with out booster. They slide and jerk around when trying to sleep, head bobs around. I cant sleep in the car so I feel their pain. I just dont want to wind up with them up all night as we drive. Any ideas to make it more comfortable?

Get a small cooler or piece of luggage that fits in the footwell beneath him and is high enough to give him a foot rest. Use other items or boxes to adjust the height as necessary. There are really cool stuffed animal seat belt covers that allow kids to sleep better in a booster seat.

 

[jm106]

Omg why didn't I think of a foot rest, brilliant! Thank you.
I did see those head things, wasn't sure if they work.

 

[cheap traveler]

I love this thread, it is comforting.

Can anyone offer tips for kids on the long drive, especially while trying to sleep? Ods complains his feet get tingly when hanging from the booster for a long time but he is too small to be with out booster. They slide and jerk around when trying to sleep, head bobs around. I cant sleep in the car so I feel their pain. I just dont want to wind up with them up all night as we drive. Any ideas to make it more comfortable?

Definitely get a foot rest. In the past I have used a cooler, a duffel bag, or my daughter's own backpack that is full of her car stuff. The cooler and backpack will both need to be used at various times, but a few minutes without the foot rest won't ruin the trip. These days, DD7 uses her backpack, because she doesn't have anywhere else to put it!

As for sleep..... I'm at a loss. They make those little neck pillows, (looks like a "U") and you can use them on the front of the neck to keep a head stable. I've never tried it, my kids won't sleep in the car for very long. I would also recommend something to COMPLETELY block outside light. I hang a fleece blanket from the front seat headrest to the back seat headrest, one on each side, and often another one from driver's to passenger seat. If there is a near-constant onslaught of headlights shining in my kid's faces, there will be no sleep at all. We've tried eye masks, but they don't find them comfortable.

I imagine it is harder in a normal car, the seats don't lay back at all. My CRV has rear seats that recline enough for the kids to be comfortable. They can both lean toward the center, where I leave that seat back upright, so they have a little headrest.

Good luck!

 

[dtr_angel]

making our first drive from Maryland very very soon. DH wants to head to Winchester and do 522-81-77 I'm not sure if there are any drivers close to us, but does that sound like a good plan? So nervous and excited!

 

[dvczerfs]

making our first drive from Maryland very very soon. DH wants to head to Winchester and do 522-81-77 I'm not sure if there are any drivers close to us, but does that sound like a good plan? So nervous and excited!

I am not familiar with 522 but I drive 81/77/26/95. sounds like a good plan to me. just did it this past week.

 

[dtr_angel]

I am not familiar with 522 but I drive 81/77/26/95. sounds like a good plan to me. just did it this past week.

Thank you!

 

[dvczerfs]

Thank you!

try not to hit the major cities at rush hours. char. nc, colum.sc, jacks. fl and Orlando.

have a nice trip.

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Omg why didn't I think of a foot rest, brilliant! Thank you.
I did see those head things, wasn't sure if they work.

Do a search for "seat belt pillow pet" on Amazon or Google. They are getting really popular. The seat belt is covered with a padded soft body, and then near the child's shoulder is the animal's "head" pillow. Looks like they would work pretty good, although I have never used one.

Another trick is to get several little things, toys, books, games from the dollar store, but give them out allotted times during the trip, not all at the beginning, so the novelty doesn't wear out.

Any Disney related stuff is fun for them to work on and get excited for the trip.

 

[BC1836]

try not to hit the major cities at rush hours. char. nc, colum.sc, jacks. fl and Orlando.

have a nice trip.

Ah, Jacksonville, FL. For years, there was construction as you approached the bridge/overpass and then drivers had a break. Now there's construction just beyond the aforementioned area. Ugh.

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

Ah, Jacksonville, FL. For years, there was construction as you approached the bridge/overpass and then drivers had a break. Now there's construction just beyond the aforementioned area. Ugh. All the best.

Will it ever end !!!!! Lol by the time they get done with it they are going to have to start all over again.

They should put a sign. " construction. Since 1972" lol

 

[amcnj]

I have a question for all you long-distance drivers. How many hours do you put in in a single day without burning out?

I am driving down in August, me and my 2 kids (10 and 8) from NY. I made this trip (just us) once before, but left around 12:45pm. Only made it until 11pm before I needed to stop.

This trip I plan to leave around 3am, and I hope to make it until 8pm with a 30 minute lunch stop and roughly an hour for dinner, plus potty and gas stops. Do you think this is a crazy goal? I'm not going to push myself, if I'm tired, I'll stop. Better to arrive later than not at all!

I try to leave around 2:30 AM and am usually in the WDW area by 6:30 PM. But when I have gone longer distances, I found myself getting tired by 9-10PM. That is with having done all the driving. My problem is staying up late and hence why no overnight drives. My current schedule for work makes getting up a few hours earlier easier for me. But going to bed relatively early every night compared to most, makes me less able to handle late night driving, thus the feeling tired by 9-10 pm most days. Now I have left WDW around 8 AM and arrived home 12-12:30 AM and was fine with that. Maybe because it wasn't combined with an early morning departure, or the effects of a week at WDW!

 

[BC1836]

THIS is the thread to ask your driving questions.

There are many experienced long distance drivers who have driven 1,000+ miles one way to WDW. How experienced? Just check out the first post on page one!

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

just checking out my new signature. looks good!

 

[BC1836]

just checking out my new signature. looks good!

Thirty two drives for us. Although we have scheduled drives for August, October and December, we will never catch up with dvczerfs.

Question for dvczerfs: Are you the only one behind the wheel on those 59 drives?

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

Thirty two drives for us. Although we have scheduled drives for August, October and December, we will never catch up with dvczerfs. Question for dvczerfs: Are you the only one behind the wheel on those 59 drives? All the best.

Nope. From 1973 to 1981 I was in the back seat. I drove a little bit from 1981 to 1983. Second driver to my father. After he passed away and Tammy and I started going in 1984, then I did most of the driving. The last 15 years or so if Tammy drive two hours total on the way home that's a lot.

 

[BC1836]

Nope. From 1973 to 1981 I was in the back seat. I drove a little bit from 1981 to 1983. Second driver to my father. After he passed away and Tammy and I started going in 1984, then I did most of the driving. The last 15 years or so if Tammy drive two hours total on the way home that's a lot.

Ah! Cool details. So actually, you have been a passenger from 1973 to 1981, and then a driver (secondary driver a number of times to primary driver most of the time) on your many family drives to WDW. So, you have been behind the wheel on how many drives: nearly 50?

Any other long distance drives, perhaps out West?

All the best.

 

[WIDisneyFan]

I have a question for all you long-distance drivers. How many hours do you put in in a single day without burning out?

I am driving down in August, me and my 2 kids (10 and 8) from NY. I made this trip (just us) once before, but left around 12:45pm. Only made it until 11pm before I needed to stop.

This trip I plan to leave around 3am, and I hope to make it until 8pm with a 30 minute lunch stop and roughly an hour for dinner, plus potty and gas stops. Do you think this is a crazy goal? I'm not going to push myself, if I'm tired, I'll stop. Better to arrive later than not at all!

We have found that about 725-750 miles is what we can do comfortably and that usually takes us 11-12 hours including stops.

 

[dvczerfs]

Ah! Cool details. So actually, you have been a passenger from 1973 to 1981, and then a driver (secondary driver a number of times to primary driver most of the time) on your many family drives to WDW. So, you have been behind the wheel on how many drives: nearly 50?

Any other long distance drives, perhaps out West?

All the best.

yes sir!! I still remember as a kid i95 not being completed. there were "rest stop plazas", 76 truck stops along with howard Johnson rest. lining the little traveled i95. and yes...... Jacksonville was under construction back then!!!

as far as other drives, spent a lot of time as a kid at beach haven, long beach island.
my best friend from high school worked at mit in boston in the early 80s. (yes, he worked on the guidance system on the trident nuke missles.)driven up there a half dozen times.
drove out to cinci. ohio and mini min. a couple times for work. stopped driving to mini. and started flying. way to long of a drive for that weather.

I have been on the road for employers for close to 30 years. I have my books since I started. between work and vacations I have driven over 2 million miles.

Im hoping in another seven years (ill be 55) I can call it quits and only drive to florida and back home once a year. we have already secured our home in Bradenton florida (along with few other things) so god willing, dw and I have a lot to look forward to.

 

[BC1836]

yes sir!! I still remember as a kid i95 not being completed. there were "rest stop plazas", 76 truck stops along with howard Johnson rest. lining the little traveled i95. and yes...... Jacksonville was under construction back then!!!

as far as other drives, spent a lot of time as a kid at beach haven, long beach island.
my best friend from high school worked at mit in boston in the early 80s. (yes, he worked on the guidance system on the trident nuke missles.)driven up there a half dozen times.
drove out to cinci. ohio and mini min. a couple times for work. stopped driving to mini. and started flying. way to long of a drive for that weather.

I have been on the road for employers for close to 30 years. I have my books since I started. between work and vacations I have driven over 2 million miles.

Im hoping in another seven years (ill be 55) I can call it quits and only drive to florida and back home once a year. we have already secured our home in Bradenton florida (along with few other things) so god willing, dw and I have a lot to look forward to.

Your total lifetime driving mileage is greater than five round trips to the moon!

Now then, to the best of you calculations ( ), how many times were you behind the wheel from home to WDW? Remember: this is a "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread.

All the best!

 

[dvczerfs]

Your total lifetime driving mileage is greater than five round trips to the moon! Now then, to the best of you calculations ( ), how many times were you behind the wheel from home to WDW? Remember: this is a "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread. All the best!

Lol. As many as going down. Lol

I now also have a 2000 plus mile trip, down and back to Florida as being the driver and more important, the only person in the car. Straight through on the way down. Stopped over night in sc at a Hampton inn on the way home.