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

[disneysteve]

Hoping to be one the road by 4pm today! I'll try and post updates along the way.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

So we drove to Gainesville Fl and stopped for the night.

PSA for anyone driving I75 through GA. Watch out for sheriffs. I got pulled over and told I was tagged at 88 on a laser radar gun and got a ticket. There was NO WAY I was going 80 anything so it's BS but there's no way I can fight it. I won't know how much the ticket costs until I log in online to see.

Heading to our timeshare by Disney in a bit. Less than 2 hours away

That stinks!! Safe travels with no more tickets.

 

[BC1836]

Thanks to all the recent informative posts which will be useful to all new...and veteran...long-distance drivers.

All the best!

 

[Mdoyle07]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a hotel between Emporia and Chester, VA for our return drive home in a few weeks. We usually drive back over 3 days with a stop in Washington, D.C, but not this year. We're splitting the drive over 2 days this time and that area of VA seems to be at or around 12 hours from Disney. Thanks for the help!!

 

[Rvillediser]

Thanks to all the recent informative posts which will be useful to all new...and veteran...long-distance drivers.

All the best!

Just left the Chicagoland area for Coronado Springs!!!

 

[disneysteve]

Left Cherry Hill, NJ about 3:40pm yesterday. Traffic was pretty awful everywhere. We only made it as far as Emporia, VA. And the only reason we got that far is because hotels were booked solid from Richmond on down. We finally managed to get one of the last rooms at the Red Roof Inn in Emporia which was surprisingly decent for $91 (including tax).

We got back on the road about 8:30am today and pulled into Crestwynd Bay around 7:30pm. Today was pretty much smooth sailing with a few brief slow downs but nothing major. We did not use the bypasses around Richmond or Jacksonville and we took 417 in Florida.

 

[BC1836]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a hotel between Emporia and Chester, VA for our return drive home in a few weeks. We usually drive back over 3 days with a stop in Washington, D.C, but not this year. We're splitting the drive over 2 days this time and that area of VA seems to be at or around 12 hours from Disney. Thanks for the help!!

We have used the Holiday Inn Expresses at Petersburg (Exit #45) and (Emporia (Exit #11) many times.

All the best!

 

[Mdoyle07]

We have used the Holiday Inn Expresses at Petersburg (Exit #45) and (Emporia (Exit #11) many times.

Thanks for the suggestions!!

 

[nono]

Hi all! I am not new to Disney, but I am new to driving! I am thinking of doing a trip in August 2017 with my 3 kiddos and my niece (ages 13,11,8,5 at the time). I think the only way I can pull it off is if I drive! I will be driving from Maine with a mapquest time of 22 hours. I will be the only driver and hope to make it with one overnight stop. What is a realistic stop point for day one? My ideal would be to leave early on a Saturday morn, stop by 5-6pm and be on the road again by 7ish and at Disney by dinner...Is that doable? I know I will need to factor in stops for the kids, so I want to be completely realistic. I don't want to have expectations that aren't reasonable. Thanks for any help and insight!

OK, so using the old Streets and Trips program, if you left Portland, ME, at 6 a.m., and stopped every 3 hours for 15 min. breaks (highly recommend as the minimum as the only driver) you could be in Emporia, VA by 6:45 p.m. or so, given no major delays. Emporia is a great stopping point. You are almost in North Carolina, and there are many decent hotels for an overnight there. From Emporia, if you also got on the road at 6 a.m., assuming the same 3 hr/15 min break pattern, you'd be in WDW right around 5 p.m. without any traffic snarls.

I know 6 a.m. doesn't sound fun, but it's a reasonable start time to get a couple of easy hours of driving under your belt, and it's already daylight then in the summer.

 

[FlatBlackLI]

We will be making our first drive to Disney in late October from Long Island. Looking for all the help I can get lol. Original plan was to leave at 7:30pm and drive thru the night, but my wife and I have decided that is probably not what we will do. So now thinking about leaving at 2pm driving till midnight-ish. Thinking that will put us somewhere around Florence. But don't really know the kind of traffic we will see leaving at that time. We are open to ideas, plus anyone stayed in that area or is there maybe a better route then 95. Thanks

 

[BC1836]

We will be making our first drive to Disney in late October from Long Island. Looking for all the help I can get lol. Original plan was to leave at 7:30pm and drive thru the night, but my wife and I have decided that is probably not what we will do. So now thinking about leaving at 2pm driving till midnight-ish. Thinking that will put us somewhere around Florence. But don't really know the kind of traffic we will see leaving at that time. We are open to ideas, plus anyone stayed in that area or is there maybe a better route then 95. Thanks

If you live in Queens, for example, you might make it to Florence if there were no rush hour traffic issues. But if you live farther east on LI and depart at 2 p.m., you'll be hitting the NJ Turnpike at rush hour. If you leave a couple of hours earlier, you'll hit the greater Baltimore rush hour traffic. It's a kind of "no-win" drive. But, if you are patient.... Good luck and drive safely.

All the best.

 

[AaronInWI]

We're starting to plan for our next Disney drive! This will be our third drive down, so two more and I earn my bronze status! (Incidentally, that'll probably coincide with with WDW's 50th Anniversary celebration.) We had originally planned on going in September of next year, but due to a few family reasons we're going in February of next year instead. Not only am I now under 200 days until we leave, but I also get to celebrate my 40th birthday in Disney World!

We're changing up our driving routine this time around. In the past, we'd hit the road before the break of dawn and drive 12-14 hours before stopping for the night. Then we'd drive the last 6 or so hours the following day. My plan for this drive is to break it up into three days, mainly to account for any bad weather we might encounter in the middle of winter. I want to be able to be as flexible as possible in terms of when we depart. I had originally planned on leaving around 9:00 am and driving to Mt. Vernon, IL the first day, which is about 6 hours from home. Then we'd take I65 through Nashville, I75 through Atlanta, and stay the night in Valdosta, GA. Then from there it is a 3-hour drive to Orlando. However, I was a little nervous about driving the mountains in Monteagle in the middle of winter, based on some horror stories I've read. So instead of driving to Mt. Vernon, we'll drive to Cincinnati the first day, before taking I75 all the way to Valdosta. This adds 30 minutes to the first day drive, and is nearly identical in mileage and time on the second day (less than 5 miles/minutes longer). I'm probably being overly cautious, but one less thing to worry about. Plus, it gets me around Nashville, which I've never liked driving though. Although, if there are mountainous areas to worry about in the winter on I75, then I've changed my plans for nothing...

 

[nono]

We will be making our first drive to Disney in late October from Long Island. Looking for all the help I can get lol. Original plan was to leave at 7:30pm and drive thru the night, but my wife and I have decided that is probably not what we will do. So now thinking about leaving at 2pm driving till midnight-ish. Thinking that will put us somewhere around Florence. But don't really know the kind of traffic we will see leaving at that time. We are open to ideas, plus anyone stayed in that area or is there maybe a better route then 95. Thanks

Yeah, which end of LI. If you give me a town name near to you, I can run a simulation for you.

 

[BC1836]

As always, nono, you are quick to assist!

All the best!

 

[crzy4dsny]

We will be making our first drive to Disney in late October from Long Island. Looking for all the help I can get lol. Original plan was to leave at 7:30pm and drive thru the night, but my wife and I have decided that is probably not what we will do. So now thinking about leaving at 2pm driving till midnight-ish. Thinking that will put us somewhere around Florence. But don't really know the kind of traffic we will see leaving at that time. We are open to ideas, plus anyone stayed in that area or is there maybe a better route then 95. Thanks

I think I've done 7 trips from Long Island. I was "trained" by a friend who had done about 30! I kept travel logs and recorded times in each state. You need to get out of dodge early, leave at 2:00am. You will clear DC by 6:30 which is major. 9:00am you should be in NC. If I'm stopping I stop in kingsland GA, but most times I went straight thru. Going straight I would arrive about 8:00pm. My best run was when I left at midnight and arrived in Disney 4:30, 16.5 hours. My worst trip was when I left at 7:00pm. But I was towing a 28' trailer and it took me 23 hours.

 

[LadyBeBop]

So instead of driving to Mt. Vernon, we'll drive to Cincinnati the first day, before taking I75 all the way to Valdosta. This adds 30 minutes to the first day drive, and is nearly identical in mileage and time on the second day (less than 5 miles/minutes longer). I'm probably being overly cautious, but one less thing to worry about. Plus, it gets me around Nashville, which I've never liked driving though. Although, if there are mountainous areas to worry about in the winter on I75, then I've changed my plans for nothing...

I've lived in the Cincinnati area for most of my life. The only time I lived away from here was the four years I went to college at Marquette. So I know the Milwaukee to Cincinnati route. And the Cincinnati to Orlando route.

I've never been on the Nashville to Chattanooga route, so I can't comment about Monteagle. There is one stretch of mountains for about 30 miles between the Kentucky/Tennessee border and Knoxville. They aren't bad. Just straight up and down. Just keep an eye on the weather. It may even be better to take the Monteagle route. Or if you think both are bad, I know a route with a very minimal mountain presence (just about five miles). However, that will add about an hour to your trip, off expressways.

When driving, it's best to actually bypass Cincinnati. When you get to I-275 (the Cincinnati bypass) just across the Indiana/Ohio border, go south into Kentucky. Then pick up I-71/75 south around Erlanger, KY. It's about 25 miles on I-275. Then spend the night in either Erlanger or Florence. Between exits 184-180 on I-75, nearly all the major lodging chains are represented.

There are a lot of good places to eat. If you're in the mood for ribs, and you don't mind backtracking for a mile or two, Montgomery Inn is off of I-75, (Exit 186) one exit north of I-275. Then you have either Skyline or Gold Star Chili at nearly every exit off the interstates. In the Cincinnati area, you're never more than 5-10 minutes away from Cincinnati chili.

 

[Limes96]

We're starting to plan for our next Disney drive! This will be our third drive down, so two more and I earn my bronze status! (Incidentally, that'll probably coincide with with WDW's 50th Anniversary celebration.) We had originally planned on going in September of next year, but due to a few family reasons we're going in February of next year instead. Not only am I now under 200 days until we leave, but I also get to celebrate my 40th birthday in Disney World!

We're changing up our driving routine this time around. In the past, we'd hit the road before the break of dawn and drive 12-14 hours before stopping for the night. Then we'd drive the last 6 or so hours the following day. My plan for this drive is to break it up into three days, mainly to account for any bad weather we might encounter in the middle of winter. I want to be able to be as flexible as possible in terms of when we depart. I had originally planned on leaving around 9:00 am and driving to Mt. Vernon, IL the first day, which is about 6 hours from home. Then we'd take I65 through Nashville, I75 through Atlanta, and stay the night in Valdosta, GA. Then from there it is a 3-hour drive to Orlando. However, I was a little nervous about driving the mountains in Monteagle in the middle of winter, based on some horror stories I've read. So instead of driving to Mt. Vernon, we'll drive to Cincinnati the first day, before taking I75 all the way to Valdosta. This adds 30 minutes to the first day drive, and is nearly identical in mileage and time on the second day (less than 5 miles/minutes longer). I'm probably being overly cautious, but one less thing to worry about. Plus, it gets me around Nashville, which I've never liked driving though. Although, if there are mountainous areas to worry about in the winter on I75, then I've changed my plans for nothing...

I've taken both routes in the past and I-75 is more mountainous. If it was me, I'd stick to the Nashville plan, with 75 as a back up. Winter driving can be so unpredictable! When we made the drive last January it was during the biggest winter storm of the year for Kentucky/Tennessee. We decided on taking I-65 to Nashville, then to Chattanooga on I-24. The biggest trouble we had was in Nashville. It's hilly enough that a little ice really makes for a difficult drive. In the same storm however, I-75 between I think Lexington, KY and Knoxville was completely shutdown and people were stranded. Completely impassable. Being able to have a flexible departure time really helps! We're making the drive (from northwest Ohio) end of January. Hoping for better weather this time! Hopefully you'll get good weather too!

 

[BC1836]

So...who is the next long-distance driver to begin a journey to WDW? Anyone departing before July is over?

All the best!

 

[AaronInWI]

I've lived in the Cincinnati area for most of my life. The only time I lived away from here was the four years I went to college at Marquette. So I know the Milwaukee to Cincinnati route. And the Cincinnati to Orlando route.

I've never been on the Nashville to Chattanooga route, so I can't comment about Monteagle. There is one stretch of mountains for about 30 miles between the Kentucky/Tennessee border and Knoxville. They aren't bad. Just straight up and down. Just keep an eye on the weather. It may even be better to take the Monteagle route. Or if you think both are bad, I know a route with a very minimal mountain presence (just about five miles). However, that will add about an hour to your trip, off expressways.

When driving, it's best to actually bypass Cincinnati. When you get to I-275 (the Cincinnati bypass) just across the Indiana/Ohio border, go south into Kentucky. Then pick up I-71/75 south around Erlanger, KY. It's about 25 miles on I-275. Then spend the night in either Erlanger or Florence. Between exits 184-180 on I-75, nearly all the major lodging chains are represented.

There are a lot of good places to eat. If you're in the mood for ribs, and you don't mind backtracking for a mile or two, Montgomery Inn is off of I-75, (Exit 186) one exit north of I-275. Then you have either Skyline or Gold Star Chili at nearly every exit off the interstates. In the Cincinnati area, you're never more than 5-10 minutes away from Cincinnati chili.

Thanks for the advice! This, along with the reply below from @Limes96, makes me think I over-thought this a little bit. I might go ahead and book the Mt. Vernon hotel and keep an eye on the weather and road conditions up to and on departure day. I'll have until at least noon (maybe 3:00 pm) to cancel either one without penalty. I will say though, if we stick with Cincinnati, we'll definitely hit up Montgomery Inn. I'm always in the mood for good ribs! And we'll be in town well before dinner time, with nothing to do but watch TV in our hotel room. Thanks again!

I've taken both routes in the past and I-75 is more mountainous. If it was me, I'd stick to the Nashville plan, with 75 as a back up. Winter driving can be so unpredictable! When we made the drive last January it was during the biggest winter storm of the year for Kentucky/Tennessee. We decided on taking I-65 to Nashville, then to Chattanooga on I-24. The biggest trouble we had was in Nashville. It's hilly enough that a little ice really makes for a difficult drive. In the same storm however, I-75 between I think Lexington, KY and Knoxville was completely shutdown and people were stranded. Completely impassable. Being able to have a flexible departure time really helps! We're making the drive (from northwest Ohio) end of January. Hoping for better weather this time! Hopefully you'll get good weather too!

The fact that I75 is actually more mountainous is precisely the information I was looking for. So thanks for that! The route you described - I65 to Nashville, I24 to Chattanooga, is the exact route we've taken in the past, and was the way I was planning on going until I started second guessing. But based on both of your replies, it looks like I75 wouldn't be any better, and could potentially be worse. I might have to save the I75 route for my next summer drive.

 

[nmrgrl55]

OK, so using the old Streets and Trips program, if you left Portland, ME, at 6 a.m., and stopped every 3 hours for 15 min. breaks (highly recommend as the minimum as the only driver) you could be in Emporia, VA by 6:45 p.m. or so, given no major delays. Emporia is a great stopping point. You are almost in North Carolina, and there are many decent hotels for an overnight there. From Emporia, if you also got on the road at 6 a.m., assuming the same 3 hr/15 min break pattern, you'd be in WDW right around 5 p.m. without any traffic snarls.

I know 6 a.m. doesn't sound fun, but it's a reasonable start time to get a couple of easy hours of driving under your belt, and it's already daylight then in the summer.

Thanks!