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

[BC1836]

Local gas at Wawa holding steady at $2.07.

All the best.

 

[BC1836]

Sunset: black ice! Be careful, no matter how far you drive tonight.

All the best.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Driving from northern NJ this August. 2 adults, 1 kid (4yo) and 1 overnight stop each way.

We plan on leaving around 10pm Friday, driving until the GA-FL border on Sat evening. Staying overnight, waking up on Sunday and finishing the last couple of hours. On the return trip, we plan on evening out the driving hours a little more. Any tips would be appreciative.

I'm driving from south Jersey (about 40 minutes from Delaware Memorial Bridge) and have done it 3 times before. We've done it several different ways.

Next trip our plan is to leave on a Tuesday after I get off of work. My BF has off that day and will sleep. Most everything will be packed. We will leave around 6 pm and drive straight through. Hoping to get to Orlando around 10 am.

On the way back my plan is to wake up around 9, get dressed, pack and have breakfast at the resort. Leave around 11-12. Stop around 8 pm and spend the night somewhere. Then do the rest of the ride the next morning. Hoping to get home by 430-5 pm.

I don't think I'm up for a straight drive through after a very active Disney trip. We will have to break up the ride home.

 

[disneysteve]

We will leave around 6 pm and drive straight through. Hoping to get to Orlando around 10 am.

One very important tip that we learned the hard way years ago:
If you are going to drive all night and arrive at Disney in the morning, make sure you are able to check into your hotel when you arrive even if that means paying for an extra night (or booking a cheap offsite room for that day at Motel 6 or similar).

We got to Orlando at 8am one time having unintentionally driven straight through. We were exhausted and couldn't check in until 3pm. We were zombies that day and the next day. Had we been able to check right in and crash for a couple of hours, we would have been fine.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

One very important tip that we learned the hard way years ago:
If you are going to drive all night and arrive at Disney in the morning, make sure you are able to check into your hotel when you arrive even if that means paying for an extra night (or booking a cheap offsite room for that day at Motel 6 or similar).

We got to Orlando at 8am one time having unintentionally driven straight through. We were exhausted and couldn't check in until 3pm. We were zombies that day and the next day. Had we been able to check right in and crash for a couple of hours, we would have been fine.

I've been thinking about this too and you bring up a very good point.

When we've driven straight through like this I was with my XH. His uncle lives in Stanford and we would always go straight to his house and stay for 1-2 days visiting and then head to WDW. Same with the end of our trip. After leaving WDW we would go to his house, stay for 1-2 days and then come home. This time I don't have that option.

This trip I've thought "what if our room at Poly isn't ready?" I know we will be tired and I will WANT a shower. I don't want to pay for an extra night at the Poly. Too expensive.

If we got a cheap room offsite how would that work? Since checkout is usually 11 am anyway? What do you suggest?

Another option, which we've done before, is leave around 5-6 pm, stop around midnight, get a cheap room, sleep, get up the next morning and finish our ride. We did this before and arrived around 4:30 pm.

Now what to decide???

 

[disneysteve]

This trip I've thought "what if our room at Poly isn't ready?" I know we will be tired and I will WANT a shower. I don't want to pay for an extra night at the Poly. Too expensive.

If we got a cheap room offsite how would that work? Since checkout is usually 11 am anyway? What do you suggest?

Another option, which we've done before, is leave around 5-6 pm, stop around midnight, get a cheap room, sleep, get up the next morning and finish our ride. We did this before and arrived around 4:30 pm.

Well when we did it we were staying offsite anyway so I would have just made the reservation for one more day so checkout time wouldn't have been an issue.

In your case, I guess you'd need 2 extra nights. You could probably find something on 192 for about $40/night.

Personally, I prefer the stop on the road. I think it is safer and more comfortable to take that break. We usually leave around 3pm from the same area as you - 32 miles from the bridge) and stop for the night around 10pm. Back on the road about 8am and at Disney around 6pm.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Well when we did it we were staying offsite anyway so I would have just made the reservation for one more day so checkout time wouldn't have been an issue.

In your case, I guess you'd need 2 extra nights. You could probably find something on 192 for about $40/night.

Personally, I prefer the stop on the road. I think it is safer and more comfortable to take that break. We usually leave around 3pm from the same area as you - 32 miles from the bridge) and stop for the night around 10pm. Back on the road about 8am and at Disney around 6pm.

I think this is what we are going to do. Stop overnight and finish up Wednesday. My kids would prefer this since they like a comfortable sleeping arrangement.

To be honest driving through the night makes me very nervous. My BF is supposed to drive and I'm supposed to sleep but I'm so afraid the driver will fall asleep I don't sleep and I'm just miserable. Then when it's my turn to drive I'm exhausted since I haven't slept.

Thank you for your help!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Even though I've done this drive 3 times I have a few questions. We've only stopped overnight once which was in Rocky Mt NC and that was on the way to WDW.

Where would be a good place to stop overnight on the way down? I actually just put in to have off the day before so we can leave early Tuesday instead of waiting for me to get off of work. I'm thinking of leaving around 4 am and trying to get within 2-3 hours of WDW and resuming our drive in the morning and getting to WDW by noon. Savannah GA? Or a bit further in? And should we bother booking a room ahead of time considering it's a Tuesday night at the end of August?

On the way home we plan on leaving WDW around 12 and sleeping in Rocky Mount NC. There have some good rates right now where I can get a room for $60. Usually we never book a room ahead of time but that will be Labor Day weekend and I want to ensure we have a hotel room at a decent rate.

 

[disneysteve]

should we bother booking a room ahead of time considering it's a Tuesday night at the end of August?

I wouldn't. We have been driving for 20+ years and have gone at various times of year - spring break, bike week, summer, September, November, etc. Only twice have we run into a problem finding a room. One time there as a major college football game in Georgia and the other time we never did find out why everything was so booked. The hotels we stopped at didn't know either. We did ultimately find a room both times. One time we just had to drive another 30-40 miles. The other time one hotel referred us to a place farther off 95 so it was off the tourist corridor.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Great! I probably won't get one for the ride back then. Thank you!

 

[disneysteve]

On the way home we plan on leaving WDW around 12 and sleeping in Rocky Mount NC. There have some good rates right now where I can get a room for $60. Usually we never book a room ahead of time but that will be Labor Day weekend and I want to ensure we have a hotel room at a decent rate.

Great! I probably won't get one for the ride back then. Thank you!

I think booking a hotel on the holiday weekend is a good idea. As long as you have a pretty good idea of where you'll be, I'd probably do that, but I don't think you need one going down on Tuesday night.

 

[nono]

One very important tip that we learned the hard way years ago:
If you are going to drive all night and arrive at Disney in the morning, make sure you are able to check into your hotel when you arrive even if that means paying for an extra night (or booking a cheap offsite room for that day at Motel 6 or similar).

Yeah, we have had that happen only when we used the Auto Train. We call it our personal "Auto Train Curse." ;-) But, we are lucky that our kids love to sleep on the lounge chairs at the pool (as do we). Yes, if you saw a family a few years back (last time we took the Auto Train) in winter clothes passed out at a quiet pool at SSR, that may have been us!

 

[Laketravis]

Just found this thread - we've always flown but in June we'll be driving from Austin (about 1100 miles each way). Plan on leaving around 9pm on Friday (6/5) and arriving around noon on Saturday (6/6).



.

 

[sharadoc]

Thanks for the info on the 417. Looks like I'll need to stock up on my supply of quarters. The last time we drove we got stuck on I4 during rush hour and a rain storm. It took us over 2 hours to get through!

We're now having to change our driving plans. We were going to leave on Sat. morning, drive to Hagerstown, then to Orangeburg on Sun. and arrive in Orlando on Mon. But they're forecasting snow in upstate NY and everything from rain to snow and ice all the way down the 77. So now we think well leave on Friday to get ahead of the weather and cut over to the 95 at Richmond to avoid winter conditions on that scary descent near Statesville.

We have a change jar in the kitchen and collect everything for the trip. We can pay the tolls with dimes and nickels LOL. I also get a couple rolls of quarters. The tolls run around $7.50 from beginning to end. Make sure you are in the cash lanes (usually on the right) when you hit a toll booth. There are almost always exact change lanes. But you can get change from a person at every booth.

I am a major proponent of 417. Always use it and we drive once or twice a year.

Just a tip - take Exit 3 off 417 and head to the Magic Kingdom, that will take you through the main big entrance gate. Then that road will take you anywhere within WDW.

 

[BC1836]

Just found this thread - we've always flown but in June we'll be driving from Austin (about 1100 miles each way). Plan on leaving around 9pm on Friday (6/5) and arriving around noon on Saturday (6/6).

Do you reside in Lake Travis? A beautiful place. [I had the pleasure of staying at one of fine hotels in Lake Travis (it was located on a cliff side overlooking the lake) several years ago while working on a History Channel program]

Note: local gas jumped from $2.07 to $2.15 overnight.

All the best.

 

[Laketravis]

Do you reside in Lake Travis? A beautiful place. [I had the pleasure of staying at one of fine hotels in Lake Travis (it was located on a cliff side overlooking the lake) several years ago while working on a History Channel program]

Note: local gas jumped from $2.07 to $2.15 overnight.

All the best.

Thanks!

I did have a home on Lake Travis but sold it about a year ago. Was lucky to do so because our boat dock had been sitting on the ground for over a year; the lake itself has dried up pretty bad and just last week they declared it to be the worst drought of record.

 

[BC1836]

Thanks!

I did have a home on Lake Travis but sold it about a year ago. Was lucky to do so because our boat dock had been sitting on the ground for over a year; the lake itself has dried up pretty bad and just last week they declared it to be the worst drought of record.

Sad. We have read reports about the falling water line but did not know the severity of it.

[We did two Jersey-Shore-to San-Antonio drives a decade ago. We pushed it with one overnight stay the first time, an exhausting drive. The next time we divided our time a bit more sensibly and had two ovenight stays before reaching the Alamo city.]

All the best.

 

[BC1836]

Possible toll implementation on I-95 in CT in the not-too-distant future.

All the best.

 

[SnackCredit]

Possible toll implementation on I-95 in CT in the not-too-distant future.

What are the details about that?

Just take the Merritt/ Wilbur Cross if that happens.

 

[AndiMarie]

Hey guys! New to Disboards, leaving Saturday and driving down from Michigan. Planning to spend the night in northern Georgia on the way down and back. We stayed in Dalton, GA at the Holiday Inn last year and it was pretty nice, hopefully we can make it that far before getting tired for the night. I will be doing the driving (yikes!) my mom (grandma) and 9, 8, and 7 year old for a three generation road trip to Disney! My mom used to drive us down when I was a kid so I'm trying to get pumped about being the driver this time around (my husband drove last year but he is not going this time). Honestly a little nervous about traffic but also excited about the drive since I love road trips!