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

[angwill]

Kattiesmommy,
Wouldn't it be funny if we did run into each other. lol

I try to hit Macon so we are south of Atlanta for the next day but last year we left about 6pm and DS was begging to stop to sleep in a bed by 3:30am so we stopped just before Chattenooga and left about 9am and drove the rest of the way. I wish we had gotten farther so the drive wasn't so long the second day. Plus I discovered hotels were a lot less expensive in GA than TN on our way down.

If you can make it further than Macon I would try to stop in Tifton or Valdosta, GA which also have some nice hotels.

I always wanted to stop and check out Bonnet Creek as I pass it on the way to DTD because I have heard great things about it.

Enjoy and have a safe trip.

 

[BC1836]

I posted this on the other driving thread also
We are leaving Friday April 16th around 5pm from central Mass. I was thinking of driving through NYC by way of the BQE - Varrenzanno Narrows bridge back to the NJTP. I have traveled on that road before for business and there are some impressive views of Lower Manhattan and the statue of Liberty. I know my way around so I'm not afraid of getting lost my only concern is traffic. We should be there between 8 and 9pm on a friday night. I think the kids would get a big kick out of seeing the city at night and seeing lady liberty but I dont want to do it if it's going to add hours to our trip. Anyone ever do this -- any thoughts?

The BQE route could be problematic at that time, but not as bad as it would be earlier.

All the best.

 

[LoveKermit]

Just barely thinking about this for August 2011. For those that drive from Chicago, what time do you leave? What time do you stop? When do you get to WDW?

It would be my mom, DD (4 by then) and I. I would be the only driver. And we definitely have to stop, preferably around dinner time. If my dad came, he'd probably drive too.

Here's my thought--leave early morning--7 ish. Then can be in Chatt around 8 PM. Leave Chatt about 7 AM. Atlanta then almost 9 AM and Orlando late afternoon, but in time for dinner. Does that sound right?

In 2003, DH and I drove from Chatt but got stuck in the great construction traffic after ATL that set us back about 2 hours. We got to St. Augustine about 6 instead of 3 or 4.

Just curious. On the return, I'd try to get to Nashville.

 

[hushupu]

The BQE route could be problematic at that time, but not as bad as it would be earlier.

All the best.

Thanks for the Response. I'll probably just tune into 1010 WINS somewhere south of New Haven and fly by the seat of my pants. I have one concern about taking the BQE. I'm pretty sure when you are going in that direction you're on the lower level and I doubt my GPS will work well there. If I remember correctly you basically just follow the signs for Staten Island and that should get me to the Varrenzanno.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

Just barely thinking about this for August 2011. For those that drive from Chicago, what time do you leave? What time do you stop? When do you get to WDW?

It would be my mom, DD (4 by then) and I. I would be the only driver. And we definitely have to stop, preferably around dinner time. If my dad came, he'd probably drive too.

Here's my thought--leave early morning--7 ish. Then can be in Chatt around 8 PM. Leave Chatt about 7 AM. Atlanta then almost 9 AM and Orlando late afternoon, but in time for dinner. Does that sound right?

In 2003, DH and I drove from Chatt but got stuck in the great construction traffic after ATL that set us back about 2 hours. We got to St. Augustine about 6 instead of 3 or 4.

Just curious. On the return, I'd try to get to Nashville.

We are taking our 6 and 4 year olds, I drive and my wife rides the whole way.. With your 4 year old, I would suggest getting MUCH further than Chatt (it will take you nowhere near 13 hours to get there)..

We live in Kankakee County, so a little south of you.. This time we are going to leave before 2AM, get to Paducah for breakfast, into GA for lunch and to Lake City, FL for dinner and spend the night.. This way, our kids sleep for 3-4 hours and we only have about 150 miles the next day..

 

[chellewashere]

chellewashere, if we stop to eat which isnt to often but if we do, we tend to hit a cracker barrel. theres one at just about every exit, price is not bad and youll get a good meal.

i didnt even think of those...i love those they give ya a HUGE breakfast..thanks

 

[dvczerfs]

i didnt even think of those...i love those they give ya a HUGE breakfast..thanks

 

[LoveKermit]

There's no way my mom would leave in the middle of the night. They aren't even long day driving people anymore (this from the people who drove to the Canadian Rockies when I was 8). And we lose an hour the first day. I'm fine with two more even days of driving than showing up by lunch on driving day 2 completely exhausted.

We've never been drive straight through people. Mostly 10 hour days, maybe 12 if necessary.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

There's no way my mom would leave in the middle of the night. They aren't even long day driving people anymore (this from the people who drove to the Canadian Rockies when I was 8). And we lose an hour the first day. I'm fine with two more even days of driving than showing up by lunch on driving day 2 completely exhausted.

We've never been drive straight through people. Mostly 10 hour days, maybe 12 if necessary.

Tellin ya, your child will be miserable doing it that way...

JMO, 2 whole days is chewing up too much time, our whole family would prefer to spend day 2 at Downtown Disney or Sea World instead of the back seat of a car..

 

[Becky2005]

Tellin ya, your child will be miserable doing it that way...

JMO, 2 whole days is chewing up too much time, our whole family would prefer to spend day 2 at Downtown Disney or Sea World instead of the back seat of a car..

I don't know. We don't plan on more than approx. 10 hours/day because we physically can't drive longer than that. My kids did just fine when we went in 2005. That included a 1 1/2 year old. We stopped north of Atlanta (I believe it was Marietta?) and then near Chattanooga on the way back home as our 1/2 way point.

It took us way longer than expected in general due to bathroom breaks with 4 kids plus the time change in there that I forgot about. OOPS. We also had the fun of getting lost in the cornfield about an hour away from our house on the way back home due to cops making us turn & we had no clue where we were at.

 

[justcynn]

I don't know. We don't plan on more than approx. 10 hours/day because we physically can't drive longer than that. My kids did just fine when we went in 2005. That included a 1 1/2 year old. We stopped north of Atlanta (I believe it was Marietta?) and then near Chattanooga on the way back home as our 1/2 way point.

It took us way longer than expected in general due to bathroom breaks with 4 kids plus the time change in there that I forgot about. OOPS. We also had the fun of getting lost in the cornfield about an hour away from our house on the way back home due to cops making us turn & we had no clue where we were at.

I say do what is comfortable and safe for you and your family - I drove my Dad a couple years ago on a trip to Canada and when he was done, he was done and until I found a motel he really let me know about it. No where near the kind of days we are thinking about on this trip. I don't know if I can drive much more than 12-13 hours in one day, we are towing a camper which slows us down a little, but we did one 12 hour day last year and it was tough. Just about to book one way flights for DW and the kids, I'll drive down ahead of time and then we will all ride back. I am planning two days to come back - the first day will be as long as we can stand and hopefully the second day will be shorter.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

I mentally couldn't handle taking 2 full days to get down there...

 

[Becky2005]

I say do what is comfortable and safe for you and your family

That's how we found our limits. When we only had the older 2 kids, DH had done the Richard Petty Driving at "Atlanta" which is really not IN Atlanta but oh I think about 2 hours south (I don't even remember anymore).

The PLAN was to stop and get a hotel on the way but of course, he didn't listen to me as to when to start looking (his family never did the just drive until you find a hotel, they always had reservations)...the hotel we DID find, happen to be having a convention there and was booked solid by the time we were really tired. Then it got to the point of "oh, we are only a few hours away from home, we my as well just go straight home" plus the fact that there weren't any hotels anyway at that point where we were at.

We ended up driving all the way home and we were BOTH literally falling asleep, it was awful. The first words out of his mouth after we pulled into the driveway was "Never let me do that again"...so I haven't.

I knew when we went to Disney we *had* to stop before Atlanta! No way was I having a repeat. Now I only plan 10 - 12 at the most since we always seem to take longer than we think or get a later start than we plan, etc...

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

I am taking 2 days to drive down, just to make it so that I am not completely exhausted my first day. I figure I will start vacation early and kind of make the drive an adventure. But it is a 20 hour drive for us so straight through is not an option anyhow.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

First 10 or so times down we drove straight thru, left around 4PM after work and arrived into WDW by noon usually, hit a park and all was good..

But now we go during the summer when we have more time, so toss the kids in the car at 2AM, hit it hard the first day and drive until dinner, either Lake City or Gainesville and then the next day is super relaxing.. leave the hotel, drive for 2 hours, this year we have a night at the Regal Sun, will spend the day at the pool relaxing and resting before checking in for 12 nights at AKL..

Having the kids wake up at 6:00 AM in the car and we are already close to Paducah is awesome..

But it all depends what one can physically handle..

 

[Disneynutbsv]

We are driving about 17 hours that first day, leaving about 1am and getting as far as Rocky Mount, NC. Then we don't have that far to go the next day. This is what we did last trip and worked out well.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

We are driving about 17 hours that first day, leaving about 1am and getting as far as Rocky Mount, NC. Then we don't have that far to go the next day. This is what we did last trip and worked out well.

Just a good way to go for me as I get a little older, I always try to sleep around 7 PM, sleep 5-6 hours and then go, the excitement of the trip keeps me wide awake until the sun comes up, then all is good..

 

[starwood]

I just found this site to calculate costs for driving to Disney World. I found the estimates a little more than what we actually paid.

http://www.drivetodisneyworld.com/

 

[dvczerfs]

I just found this site to calculate costs for driving to Disney World. I found the estimates a little more than what we actually paid.

http://www.drivetodisneyworld.com/

thats pretty good. the mileage was with in 20 miles, and they have me using 45 gallons one way wich i use 50 gallons but i get there 11/2 hours faster. (someone must exceed the speed limit) that explains the usage of my gas. thats pretty good for how many variables there are, real close, thanks for the post!!

 

[sharadoc]

Interesting cost calculator. They told me I would spend $95, which is below what we spent last time, I think it was more like $120, but still close. They DID say we would get 30 mpg, which we actually got, and the mileage was right on.

(Replying to move this back on the front page )