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

[MinMouse]

Welcome back BC1836! Glad to hear you didn't have any trouble gassing up!

 

[BC1836]

Welcome back BC1836! Glad to hear you didn't have any trouble gassing up!

Thanks for your kind words, MinMouse, but we're not back; in fact, we haven't even left yet! That quote I included was from someone else [see my previous post]. We're not headin' to WDW until later this month. At that time - if we are able to gas up at will - we will then be eligible for your thoughtful comments!

All the best.

 

[MOmousefan]

My 22YO son and I are driving down to WDW on Nov 30. We will drive straight through and it should take around 18 hours. My daughter and her husband are flying, so we will plan our departure from central MO to coincide with their arrival.
My DD wants to got to the Premium Outlet mall, so we will do this on the arrival day (Sun). We will also go to Downtown Disney on this day. My son loves to drive, so I will take it easy and spell him as he gets tired.
BTW, I love the drive down and back and prefer this to the flight I took last year.
See my 2007 trip report below.

 

[MinMouse]

Thanks for your kind words, MinMouse, but we're not back; in fact, we haven't even left yet! That quote I included was from someone else [see my previous post]. We're not headin' to WDW until later this month. At that time - if we are able to gas up at will - we will then be eligible for your thoughtful comments!

All the best.

Oops! Got a cold making my head all fuzzy! Although I do wish you the best on your upcoming voyage. We have a few months before we head out in April but we're looking forward to the drive. We flew in June for the first time in a long time but I doubt the price will be right to fly during Easter week this spring. So hit the road again we will!

 

[pilferk]

As usual, pilferk provides a qualitative reply, especially regarding those DC times. However, those DC a.m. times can be dealt with if you are driving on the weekend. From the Jersey Shore to the Potomac is usually a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive for us.

Yup, shoulda qualified:

My times are based on weekday drive through. If you're heading through on the weekends, traffic seems to get heavier during the day (starting about 9 AM til about 6 PM), but is usually steady. NOTHING like rush hour traffic.

 

[pilferk]

yes, excellent info, thanks
i guess that means my plan is flawed at least
so if i leave the NJ shore,
maybe we will just leave at 3 ish
(pick kids up from school and go
that should be exciting if i dont tell them in advance)
stop for dinner out side of Baltimore,
and plan on getting to balt-wash around 7 to miss eve rush
that should put us in disney by 8ish even if we take a hour cat nap break?

does that sound right?

never mind, i see that i just repeated myself, sorry.
got it in my head and cant get it out

Sounds right...actually, you may get there even earlier.

It was about 12 hours for us from the time we were LEAVING DC til we arrived in Florida. And that included a 45 minute cat nap and a WHOLE bunch of bathroom stops for our young kids. I'd say that, in total, we were stopped close to 2 hours between gas stops, potty breaks, and that cat nap. Maybe a few minutes more, even.

So you're thinking 13 hours from the time you HIT DC until you arrive in Florida...I think that's a pretty safe bet.

 

[BC1836]

Sounds right...actually, you may get there even earlier.

It was about 12 hours for us from the time we were LEAVING DC til we arrived in Florida. And that included a 45 minute cat nap and a WHOLE bunch of bathroom stops for our young kids. I'd say that, in total, we were stopped close to 2 hours between gas stops, potty breaks, and that cat nap. Maybe a few minutes more, even.

So you're thinking 13 hours from the time you HIT DC until you arrive in Florida...I think that's a pretty safe bet.

Here are some of our times from crossing the Potomac to the FL border:

4/05: 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

5/06: 11:10 a.m. to 10:09 p.m.

3/07: 9:45 a.m. to 8:06 p.m.

12/07: 8:42 a.m. to 6:54 p.m.

5/08: 8:43 a.m. to 7:12 p.m.

Two gas station stops + bathroom breaks. No food stops.

Hope these trip registers help!

All the best.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

yes, excellent info, thanks
i guess that means my plan is flawed at least
so if i leave the NJ shore,
maybe we will just leave at 3 ish
(pick kids up from school and go
that should be exciting if i dont tell them in advance)
stop for dinner out side of Baltimore,
and plan on getting to balt-wash around 7 to miss eve rush
that should put us in disney by 8ish even if we take a hour cat nap break?

does that sound right?

never mind, i see that i just repeated myself, sorry.
got it in my head and cant get it out

This is sort of what DH and I are planning now. To leave at 3 when we get DS from school but we leave from SJ. It takes us about 45-1 hour to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Stop around 6-7 for dinner and then drive straight through and get to FL in the morning. We will have potty breaks, maybe a rest break and of course stop for breakfast.

DH has family in Florida so we will stop at their house, rest a bit, take showers, get freshened up and then go to POP by noon.

 

[amcnj]

Hi BC1836.

I am also in the AC, NJ area and have been happy to see the gas prices have dropped below $3 ($2.97 - 2.99) at many stations now. I heard some stations in NJ are at $2.89. Who ever thought we'd be happy about gas prices just under $3 a gallon. And the report is that more drops are expected through Thanksgiving.

 

[BC1836]

Hi BC1836.

I am also in the AC, NJ area and have been happy to see the gas prices have dropped below $3 ($2.97 - 2.99) at many stations now. I heard some stations in NJ are at $2.89. Who ever thought we'd be happy about gas prices just under $3 a gallon. And the report is that more drops are expected through Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the update!
More good news, amidst larger economic concerns nationwide.

On our last drive to WDW on May 29, we made two gas stops:
VA/exit #33 ($3.94 per gallon)
SC/exit #90 ($3.89 per gallon)

And we filled up at WDW Hess before returning home ($3.83 per gallon).

On the return home, we paid as high as $3.99 a gallon (SC).

Total driving miles last trip (including miles in WDW): 2,260.

 

[onelugnut]

This is sort of what DH and I are planning now. To leave at 3 when we get DS from school but we leave from SJ. It takes us about 45-1 hour to get to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Stop around 6-7 for dinner and then drive straight through and get to FL in the morning. We will have potty breaks, maybe a rest break and of course stop for breakfast.

DH has family in Florida so we will stop at their house, rest a bit, take showers, get freshened up and then go to POP by noon.

yeah, what day? we could draft each other and save on fuel mileage.
I am almost exactly an hour from del bridge,
(barring that traffic on NJT south of 195)

((of course i would feel funny stopping at your inlaws, but i could get over it))
(((do they have a pool?)))

 

[mi*vida*loca]

yeah, what day? we could draft each other and save on fuel mileage.
I am almost exactly an hour from del bridge,
(barring that traffic on NJT south of 195)

((of course i would feel funny stopping at your inlaws, but i could get over it))
(((do they have a pool?)))

LOL!!!!!!!!

DH and I just talked and we changed our plans for the week before. Our "new" plan is to leave Friday 3/20 in the early morning, stop for BF around rush hour and get to Florida that night. Stay at the in-laws, get up early and go over to POP to start our vacation!

 

[onelugnut]

LOL!!!!!!!!

DH and I just talked and we changed our plans for the week before. Our "new" plan is to leave Friday 3/20 in the early morning, stop for BF around rush hour and get to Florida that night. Stay at the in-laws, get up early and go over to POP to start our vacation!

hmm too bad,
we are gonna beat you there, we leave in 22 days and
if we dont find some amazing airfare, i will be able to report back to you and
let you know how the plan works.

please extend my regrets and thanks to your inlaws.

 

[loribell]

Gas in parts of Oklahoma today were $2.66 a gallon.

 

[BC1836]

Gas in parts of Oklahoma today were $2.66 a gallon.

Good news!
Hopefully, things have improved for the good folks in and around Atlanta, among a few other southeastern cities.

 

[pilferk]

Good news!
Hopefully, things have improved for the good folks in and around Atlanta, among a few other southeastern cities.

Man, I wish gas were that low here at HOME, never mind on the drive.

We're still paying around 3.35 (as of Monday...mighta dropped since then) around here.

 

[loribell]

Looks like they should be dropping again today. Prices per barrel fell again today by $1+!

 

[JanineandMike]

i wouldnt exactly call it a silver lining in regards to the economy, but it's nice to see gas prices dropping. when we planned to drive to WDW we were expecting to pay over $400 in gas round trip, now the gas calculator estimates under $285.

 

[TinkOhio]

i wouldnt exactly call it a silver lining in regards to the economy, but it's nice to see gas prices dropping. when we planned to drive to WDW we were expecting to pay over $400 in gas round trip, now the gas calculator estimates under $285.

I'm guessing that it's been posted before, but do you have a link to the gas calculator that you use? It would be very helpful!

 

[JanineandMike]

here you go.

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/