For 2,000+ mile round-trip drivers only!

[Disneynutbsv]

I just got into the College Program for the Spring, so I will be taking my first drive to WDW in January! The "round trip" part won't happen til almost the summer though lol...I have never been on this long of a drive before, and I am really nervous! I have always flown, but I really don't want to be living there for 4-6 months without my own transportation...so, I am joining the 2000+ Mile Club now! Tell me it isn't as bad as I am anticipating lol

Congrats!!!

 

[Flyerfan]

ha eveyone!! we made it, no problems. ga construction still movong along.sc had gas for 2.15. va was 2.19. the highest we saw was 2.39. traffic was light,even on 95 thru richmond. even jacksonville on 95 wasnt bad and we hit that at 8:30 am on wednesday. have a save trip to eveyone down.

Great! Maybe I can convince DH to head straight thru Jacks instead of around it. We'll be going thru on a Saturday so don't think it will be too bad. (Flyers/Pens tonight...go Flyers!)

 

[BC1836]

I just got into the College Program for the Spring, so I will be taking my first drive to WDW in January! The "round trip" part won't happen til almost the summer though lol...I have never been on this long of a drive before, and I am really nervous! I have always flown, but I really don't want to be living there for 4-6 months without my own transportation...so, I am joining the 2000+ Mile Club now! Tell me it isn't as bad as I am anticipating lol

You will enjoy the freedom of driving...and that ain't bad!

Of course, your January departure involves weather concerns, especially if you are driving south rather than east. No matter, though. There are always weather concerns no matter what method of travel you use or when you travel.

College Program at WDW? Are you a CM in the making? We wish you good luck!

All the best.

 

[tiggerplus5]

vickalamode

Are you going to drive down by yourself or will you have a navigator? I've driven to FLA many times but I've never done it alone before. If you are going it alone, you are very brave!! I'm a space cadet and need someone to help me read signs so I don't miss my exit.

Good Luck

 

[vickalamode]

You will enjoy the freedom of driving...and that ain't bad!

Of course, your January departure involves weather concerns, especially if you are driving south rather than east. No matter, though. There are always weather concerns no matter what method of travel you use or when you travel.

College Program at WDW? Are you a CM in the making? We wish you good luck!

All the best.

Yeah I am a bit worried about the weather, worst case scenario I will just have to leave a couple of days earlier and take it slow through wherever bad weather might be happening.

And yep I am going to be a housekeeping CM...not exactly the job I wanted but since it is only going to be for 4 months I will deal with it lol

vickalamode

Are you going to drive down by yourself or will you have a navigator? I've driven to FLA many times but I've never done it alone before. If you are going it alone, you are very brave!! I'm a space cadet and need someone to help me read signs so I don't miss my exit.

Good Luck

My boyfriend is going to drive down there with me...he likes driving and he likes road trips, so hopefully he will be a good companion to help me drive almost all the way down the east coast. I don't think I would have a problem doing it alone, though, except for the fact that it would take SOOO much more time to do it by myself

 

[Morganpics]

We are driving to WDW for the first time later this month. We are leaving Maine on 29 October, stopping to see DS and his DW, then leaving NJ via the Cape May ferry at 9:30 on Saturday, 31 October. Is it reasonable to expect we could drive to Hilton Head that day, (hoping to stay at Disney's HH on points that night), then drive the rest of the way to Florida for our check in 1 November? DH will be doing most of the driving, which he doesn't mind. Any tips will be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[blondietink]

When we drove from Washington, DC in August it took us 10 hours to get to Brunswick, GA which is a little south of Savannah. There were no traffic delays or slowdowns. Personally, I think you would get to HH very late at night if you leave NJ at 9:30 am. I wouldn't waste my DVC points to stay at a resort where I would not see it in the daylight and get to enjoy some of the amenities. HH to WDW is more than doable in a day. We went from Brunswick at 9 am and got to WDW before 2, stopping for lunch and at the Florida Welcome Center.

 

[Brook1099]

My family will be driving down as we always do. We are leaving Oct 30 from Jersey about 3 am and going to stop and have dinner and sleep in Savannah. Then get up and hit the road to the World should arrive there around 11:00 am checking in @ OKW for 2 weeks. Oh I can't wait!

 

[dvczerfs]

Yes! You are there! Interesting notes on the I-95 traffic.

We're in Nashville, TN right now. A separate trip, not WDW-related. We drove, of course. But the truck traffic on I-81 (I-95 to I-495 to I-66-to I-81 to I-40) was incredibly heavy; it was almost as if there was a truck convention going on! We've never seen as many big rigs on I-95.

Perhaps that's why traffic was light for dvczerfs!

All the best.

thanks for tacking the truck traffic with you bc!!! i think we managed to hit all the bad spots at a good time. i was concerned with jacksonville at 8:30 am but it wasnt bad. stay in the left two lanes, theres an exit that backs up into the highway for about two miles. im sorry, i have to remember, im a sales rep and i drive 50k a year for work and not bad to me may be a nightmare to some.

 

[BC1836]

thanks for tacking the truck traffic with you bc!!! i think we managed to hit all the bad spots at a good time. i was concerned with jacksonville at 8:30 am but it wasnt bad. stay in the left two lanes, theres an exit that backs up into the highway for about two miles. im sorry, i have to remember, im a sales rep and i drive 50k a year for work and not bad to me may be a nightmare to some.

Lots of big rigs on I-81N in northern VA this afternoon. We settled in at Manassas for the night. Of course, we have to deal with greater DC traffic tomorrow. This NJ to Tennessee and back trip is only going to log about 1,700 round-trip miles. We need to do the 2,000+ mile round-trip WDW journey soon.

To Morganpics: We considered the ferry but it takes too long. A direct I-95 drive will save time compared to waiting for the ferry, loading the ferry, riding the ferry and unloading the ferry. If time is not a concern, the ferry should not be problematic. You should be able to reach your Hilton Head stopover with no major concerns, unexpected traffic and weather notwwithstanding.

All the best.

 

[Tweevil]

We are driving to WDW for the first time later this month. We are leaving Maine on 29 October, stopping to see DS and his DW, then leaving NJ via the Cape May ferry at 9:30 on Saturday, 31 October. Is it reasonable to expect we could drive to Hilton Head that day, (hoping to stay at Disney's HH on points that night), then drive the rest of the way to Florida for our check in 1 November? DH will be doing most of the driving, which he doesn't mind. Any tips will be appreciated. Thanks!!

Cape May - you are a skip away from me, I love the ferry I would say HH is reasonable, especially if you have 2 drivers.

 

[Morganpics]

Thanks to Tweevil and BC1836. We will keep reading here and thinking. We are actually leaving from Somers Point, which is why we were thinking of the ferry.

 

[BC1836]

Gasoline prices up in a week at the Manahawkin, NJ Wawa: from $2.09 to $2.15.

 

[dvczerfs]

WARNING!!!anyone who drives on disney property, make sure you watch all posted speed limits and obey traffic laws. the orange cty police are now sitting on property with radar guns!!! the will pull you over. last night, they were sitting near the water bridge by the contemp.(i was on the bus) sunday, they had a car pulled over by port orl. resort. we dont drive around much when we are here but i thought id let you know incase you drive on property.

 

[BC1836]

WARNING!!!anyone who drives on disney property, make sure you watch all posted speed limits and obey traffic laws. the orange cty police are now sitting on property with radar guns!!! the will pull you over. last night, they were sitting near the water bridge by the contemp.(i was on the bus) sunday, they had a car pulled over by port orl. resort. we dont drive around much when we are here but i thought id let you know incase you drive on property.

The police have always enforced speed limits on World Drive. And they should. WDW should be a safe place for all, especially CM's with dark uniforms/clothing who have to cross streets at night to get to CM parking.

Still, thanks for the warning dvczerfs! We hope to heed your important advice before the month is out.

All the best.

 

[onelugnut]

thanks for the traffic, construction and gas prices reports,
they are great!

sounds like a jersey convoy leaving on October 31st.

count me in, leaving after the soccer games and a cross country meet.

so we will be going thru the night.

now i know i should stop in S. Car for some of that cheap gas.

 

[sticker231]

We are driving to WDW for the first time later this month. We are leaving Maine on 29 October, stopping to see DS and his DW, then leaving NJ via the Cape May ferry at 9:30 on Saturday, 31 October. Is it reasonable to expect we could drive to Hilton Head that day, (hoping to stay at Disney's HH on points that night), then drive the rest of the way to Florida for our check in 1 November? DH will be doing most of the driving, which he doesn't mind. Any tips will be appreciated. Thanks!!

Down in the world now. We drove down Wednesday night, it took us 16 hours driving straight through. Don't know how long the ferry takes, but we are about an hour north of Cape May. Hope this can help you with your trip timing.

 

[Morganpics]

sticker231, thanks for the help. We're feeling more confident about this trip now, and thinking we might just go as far as we can, rather than make a reservation. Hope you are having a great time! We've got 18 more days!

 

[BC1836]

Down in the world now. We drove down Wednesday night, it took us 16 hours driving straight through. Don't know how long the ferry takes, but we are about an hour north of Cape May. Hope this can help you with your trip timing.

Only 16 hours? Impressive!

We are also "about an hour north of Cape May" and have yet to make it straight through in less than 17+ hours from the Barnegat Bay area in southern Ocean County.

[10/08: 4:45 a.m. departure; 10:27 p.m. arrival (no stops except for gas and bathrooms)...total time: 17 hours and 42 minutes]

[6/09: 3:22 a.m. departure; 8:48 p.m. arrival (again, no stops except for the above)...total time: 17 hours and 26 minutes]

Could a heavy Jersey foot on the gas been the key to your rapid success?
Please advise!

 

[disneyfan55]

I have done it in 17 hours from Central NJ without really any speeding. Maybe 5 miles over the limit sometimes, usually where 95 changes speed limits down by 5 mph. It's a smooth ride past Washington DC or at least has been for us. All our trips, aside from 2, were driving from NJ (including the 2 DL trips!-of course not the 17 hours either;they were midpoint on crosscountry trips).