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

[ktate82]

Then my estimate is wrong. Looking at your signature, I thought it was October 1.

Anyway...you should be OK. We've gone through Atlanta midday on a Friday with no problems.

Good luck.

Edit to add: What time are the fireworks for MNSSHP? Allowing six hours straight from Atlanta to the Poly (and I think that's extremely generous), you won't get to the Poly much before 6 PM.

Not to make you question your math skills, we originally planned to start our vacation Oct 1 .

Fireworks started last year at 10 am. When I drove last time, we lived in IL and now live a few hours closer (if I can just keep convincing DH to move closer....I only have another 13 moves!). So Google Maps says it is a 13.5 hour trip from our home now. I'm hoping to leave between 3 and 4 a.m. (the more I look at everything, the more I think we will lean more towards leaving at 3 a.m.) and Atlanta is about 6.5-7 (as long as we don't run into anything before hand). If it's all smooth driving, we should hit Atlanta around 10 or 11 and then Poly between 5-6 p.m. If it's getting later, we will get drive through somewhere before getting to Poly or get quick service at Poly.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Google Maps says it is a 13.5 hour trip from our home now. I'm hoping to leave between 3 and 4 a.m. (the more I look at everything, the more I think we will lean more towards leaving at 3 a.m.) and Atlanta is about 6.5-7 (as long as we don't run into anything before hand). If it's all smooth driving, we should hit Atlanta around 10 or 11 and then Poly between 5-6 p.m. If it's getting later, we will get drive through somewhere before getting to Poly or get quick service at Poly.

Do you go through Nashville? If so, have you thought about morning rush hour there?

Going backwards; if you make Atlanta by 11 AM, that means you'd be going through Nashville about 6:30 to 7 AM. Right at the beginning of rush hour.

Full disclosure...I dislike going through Nashville. Love the city; hate the traffic.

 

[ktate82]

Do you go through Nashville? If so, have you thought about morning rush hour there?

Going backwards; if you make Atlanta by 11 AM, that means you'd be going through Nashville about 6:30 to 7 AM. Right at the beginning of rush hour.

Full disclosure...I dislike going through Nashville. Love the city; hate the traffic.

Ugh, I forgot about Nashville! I'm looking if we go around through Bowling Green to Lebanon, TN, that should take us around Nashville without having to go through it.

 

[AaronInWI]

Have you ever stopped in Atlanta? DH & I stopped on one trip home, went to the Atlanta Zoo and Atlanta Aquarium. The Aquarium is really outstanding and the zoo is one of the four in the US to have pandas including the panda twins that were born in 2013. At the Aquarium, you have to see the dolphin show - it's not just dolphin's doing their tricks like at Brookfield Zoo in IL, there is actually a play starring the trainers and dolphins.

Thanks for the suggestion! We try to visit the local zoo whenever we travel, and my wife really likes dolphins too. We've never spent any time in Atlanta, outside of an overnight stay on the way to Orlando. This sounds like it could be right up our alley.

 

[LadyBeBop]

For those that take I-75 from Michigan and Ohio. Or those from the upper Midwest who wants to bypass Nashville.

Massive landslide on the Kentucky/Tennessee border shut down the interstate in both directions. KYDOT suggested a bypass, but motorists are complaining the 26-mile detour takes two hours.

Estimates say the interstate could be closed for several weeks.
http://www.fox19.com/story/31332773/web-update-interstate-75-shut-down-in-tennessee

PM me for a better detour. Keep in mind, this detour will take you a completely different route to WDW. In a nutshell, you'll be taking 40-26-95-4.

 

[mousegear]

I just planned a spur of the moment trip to WDW and decided to drive since plane tix are crazy high during the spring break: 3/18~3/25. So we decided to drive down and it will be our first drive down to WDW from southern NJ. I think given nothing crazy is going on with kid's school, we could leave around noon~1PM on Friday, 3/18. It will be little over 1000 miles each way and where is a good place to stop for a night? I'm thinking somewhere SC? Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[Goofygirl17]

We're heading down again in July from CT. Going to make a stop at the beach- probably Daytona depending on the shark situation We're staying offsite from the 15th-29th. We might also go to Noah's Ark animal sanctuary in Locust Grove GA which is waayyy off track but such an awesome place! So it's looking to be about a 3 week trip. I'm so excited!!

I ordered our tickets from UT last night to beat the increase. Looks like we saved about $58 a person (from the increase) plus the $20 discount from UT.

 

[TXStormtrooper]

Getting ready for our 'just barely over 2000' round trip drive in about 60 days!! DD and I have done a similar length road trip with some friends years ago, but this will be a first for our family. I have a teen and a young elementary age child. We are so excited!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We're heading down again in July from CT. Going to make a stop at the beach- probably Daytona depending on the shark situation We're staying offsite from the 15th-29th. We might also go to Noah's Ark animal sanctuary in Locust Grove GA which is waayyy off track but such an awesome place! So it's looking to be about a 3 week trip. I'm so excited!!

I ordered our tickets from UT last night to beat the increase. Looks like we saved about $58 a person (from the increase) plus the $20 discount from UT.

What do you mean by shark situation??

 

[OKW Lover]

What do you mean by shark situation??

Probably refers to how many lawyers are vacationing there at the time.

 

[Goofygirl17]

What do you mean by shark situation??

Last year there were quite a few shark bites in Daytona during July. Actually there was a lot of shark activity all the way up the coast.

 

[disneysteve]

it will be our first drive down to WDW from southern NJ. I think given nothing crazy is going on with kid's school, we could leave around noon~1PM on Friday, 3/18. It will be little over 1000 miles each way and where is a good place to stop for a night? I'm thinking somewhere SC? Any suggestions are appreciated.

We've made the drive many times. Plenty of spots to stop in SC. Take a look at this site: http://www.i95exitguide.com/lodging/south-carolina-lodging/. That shows what is at each exit. You can look at hotels and also restaurants at each exit. You'll see that some are much more populated than others. Dillon, Santee, Walterboro are a few of the big ones.

 

[mousegear]

We've made the drive many times. Plenty of spots to stop in SC. Take a look at this site: http://www.i95exitguide.com/lodging/south-carolina-lodging/. That shows what is at each exit. You can look at hotels and also restaurants at each exit. You'll see that some are much more populated than others. Dillon, Santee, Walterboro are a few of the big ones.

Thank you for the site. It will be very useful. I figure, we will drive until we are tired to drive, so I'm not going to book a place yet. We have a 12y/o and he's good with long car trips (although this will be the longest car trip) so I figure, he would be fine in the back seat probably entertaining himself with iPad/ movies.

 

[disneysteve]

Thank you for the site. It will be very useful. I figure, we will drive until we are tired to drive, so I'm not going to book a place yet. We have a 12y/o and he's good with long car trips (although this will be the longest car trip) so I figure, he would be fine in the back seat probably entertaining himself with iPad/ movies.

When you enter the state where you will be stopping, stop at the Welcome Center and pick up the hotel discount booklets. Then you can pick a place and call ahead to hold a room. Those coupon books are legit and do save you money over just walking in. The weekend rates are higher, of course, but you can still get some good deals.

 

[DSLRuser]

I am @ 9 days before our trip. West St. Louis to WDW. First glance @ the 15 day forecast shows a rainy drive down. I know it is no where near set in stone. Lets see how it changes as we get closer to the drive. Trip #17 will be here soon.

 

[mousegear]

When you enter the state where you will be stopping, stop at the Welcome Center and pick up the hotel discount booklets. Then you can pick a place and call ahead to hold a room. Those coupon books are legit and do save you money over just walking in. The weekend rates are higher, of course, but you can still get some good deals.

Would the coupons work over AAA as well? I also downloaded Expedia app on my phone as well since it does search the nearest accommodations. My thought was that after searching Expedia, I'll call and see what the AAA rate would be.....

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Last year there were quite a few shark bites in Daytona during July. Actually there was a lot of shark activity all the way up the coast.

Wow. I was there last July a few times and didn't hear that at all. Yikes!!

 

[melanie18]

I just planned a spur of the moment trip to WDW and decided to drive since plane tix are crazy high during the spring break: 3/18~3/25. So we decided to drive down and it will be our first drive down to WDW from southern NJ. I think given nothing crazy is going on with kid's school, we could leave around noon~1PM on Friday, 3/18. It will be little over 1000 miles each way and where is a good place to stop for a night? I'm thinking somewhere SC? Any suggestions are appreciated.

We live in central NJ and find that Savannah is a great place to stop. It's about 12 hours. I want to say we stop off of Exit 8. There are tons of hotels & restaurants.

 

[cruisingkat]

Had to cancel our April trip - our son won't be doing the Star Wars half marathon. Hate to miss Disney but at least there is one good thing about cancelling - DH won't have to rush his tax clients to get their info in early. We did book for mid-May - granddaughter is graduating eighth grade in May down in Ft. Myers so we will do Disney on the way down and Disney/Universal on the way back. And we will be planning another trip in early June for our anniversary.

 

[mousegear]

Thank you so much everyone. I think we will try to drive 10~12 hours first day since that will give us good start and we could definitely drive until 10~12pm before being too tired. So that should lead us to somewhere in souther SC or GA. Hopefully, we could find clean and affordable overnight place and be well rested to make next day's drive.