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

[DVCisME]

You can drive to the Turnpike via route 40, but it isn't a road to use "instead" of the Turnpike since the south Jersey highway is essentaiily an east-west transportation artery.

I could be wrong but taking 40 from down by mays landing, can't I just get on 295? The turnpike seems like back tracking tome

 

[casey49781]

Help driving for the first time from upper michigan any tip would be great.

 

[Nik's Mom]

DH and I were thinking of driving from Kansas City early in the morning, and trying to get somewhere into Georgia (maybe Atlanta) and spend the night in a hotel. Do you all think that would be too far of a drive? It's about 800 miles. If anyone drives from my neck of the woods, how far do you normally drive on the first day? We don't want that 2nd leg of the trip to be long. I'd rather get the bulk of it out of the way on day one.

Thanks!

 

[cmf06]

I do not know if this is what we are even going to do, just wondering if anyone has driven from this area with kids 7 and 5 and about how much money in gas it costs? Also how did the kids do? TIA

 

[PrincessMom4]

We leave near the border IN Ontario Canada. We close to the Prescott-Ogdensburg bridge. We load up our 4 children (first trip they were 8, going 5 at WDW, 2, and 9months old). We are going on our 3 Disney trip in 18months plus we've made one trip to Clearwater March 2008. Last trip my "baby" was 21 months old...all I have to say is thank god for for DVD player. We turned it off because I ahd family games planned (license plate bingo, etc) and he screamed through half of North Carolina.

 

[Nik's Mom]

cmf06,

We are driving from Kansas City, but I use this website to calculate gas mileage. http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

Also, if you are a AAA member, they will provide free maps and a route book that is spiral bound.

 

[cmf06]

Nik's mom thank you so much for that site. That is very helpful.

 

[loribell]

I saw gas today at Walmart for $1.15!!!!!

 

[Nik's Mom]

Nik's mom thank you so much for that site. That is very helpful.

You're welcome!

 

[BC1836]

One of the best aspects about making the 1,000+ mile drive from the North to WDW in the winter or during the very early spring is stopping and sensing the change in the weather. The outside temperature at every rest stop and gas stop gets warmer. And warmer!

 

[kntheboys]

We roadtrip almost everywhere. With 5 sons, it's too costly to fly. We're heading down to WDW in February from Duluth,MN, and figure the gas will cost about $250 or so.

Last time we drove straight through, but we won't do that again. On the way home, we drove 12 hours one day, 13 the other. That's what I think we'll do on the way down and back this time.

We started "road tripping" when our oldest boys were 2 and 3 1/2. Didn't have a VHS or DVD player until a couple years ago. But out of 12 hours of driving, they generally only watch 2 movies (3 hours).

I've pared down what we bring -- everyone is allowed a book and a notebook, otherwise the van floor is littered with junk! The 7 year old gets a few books because they are smaller (not chapter books). I keep a bag of things in front with me -- a new CD (book on tape or biography-type things), some "travel game" books, and sometimes a few wrapped items for the youngest to open once in a great while to keep him busy (things from Goodwill or rummage sales or McDonald's). The other thing we do is to give everyone $5 per day (started with $1 in quarters, but have upped it as they are now 7, 12,13,16, 18 ). The 16 and 18 year old aren't the problem, but they want money too! If they fight, complain, etc., they pass up $1. If they keep their money, they have it for spending on the trip. This works great for keeping the fighting to a minimum -- and the "are we there yet?" Plus, if they want ice cream at McDonald's for example, they have to spend their own money...

 

[TSMAMI]

One of the best aspects about making the 1,000+ mile drive from the North to WDW in the winter or during the very early spring is stopping and sensing the change in the weather. The outside temperature at every rest stop and gas stop gets warmer. And warmer!

I totally agree.

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

One of the best aspects about making the 1,000+ mile drive from the North to WDW in the winter or during the very early spring is stopping and sensing the change in the weather. The outside temperature at every rest stop and gas stop gets warmer. And warmer!

I agree! We drove down last Feb. from the northeast and left during the beginnings of a snow/ice storm. It was GREAT to head south and not only see the temp. rising, but also to see the snow change to rain and then have the weather completely clear up. Our kids (and us too) were thrilled when we stopped in Virginia and took a walk around a civil war battlefield in 50+ degrees and sunny weather!

 

[Luvamouse]

One of the best aspects about making the 1,000+ mile drive from the North to WDW in the winter or during the very early spring is stopping and sensing the change in the weather. The outside temperature at every rest stop and gas stop gets warmer. And warmer!

and I agree with you too! Our last drive down was Thanksgiving 2007. It got warmer all the way south, but the flip side of that was that we had snow here when we got home... This time, we'll be heading south Easter weekend and enjoying the ever greening scenery, ever warming temperatures and then come home to warmer temps than we left from, with the trees and plants beginning to sprout. I think that will be much more enjoyable than returning to the cold.

This also makes me think, lately a number of people have asked us how on earth we could drive so far?? My first answer is always the "being in control" part regarding stops, detours, traffic conditions, food, bathrooms, not being locked in a plane stuck on a runway.... But my other answer is this-- when we leave RI, our vacation begins. My DH, DD's and I talk about what we'll do, what we can't wait to see. It's like something falling away behind us as we drive. Taking 2 days to get there is a build up for us. Not to completely knock it, but I don't want to be there in 3 1/2 hours. Whammo! When we get there and pull up in front of the Poly, there is a true sense of accomplishment. On the ride home, it is the reverse. We don't get slammed back into reality. Headphones go on in the back seat, a CD goes in the DVD player and the girls decompress. If you never turned around, you wouldn't know they were there until we hit the GA line! It isn't a speedy trip on a plane and back to school the next morning. We talk about our favorite things and what we'd like to do again. We recognize landmarks and backyards from our trip down to WDW. It's like a slow trip back to our real lives, but just time for the 4 of us again. That's why we do the things we do

 

[pwdebbie]

cmf06,

We are driving from Kansas City, but I use this website to calculate gas mileage. http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

Also, if you are a AAA member, they will provide free maps and a route book that is spiral bound.

I tried to get a TripTik last week and, while I was welcome to print one out on m own computer, I could no longer order the nice spiral bound one. Very disappointing.

 

[Nik's Mom]

I tried to get a TripTik last week and, while I was welcome to print one out on m own computer, I could no longer order the nice spiral bound one. Very disappointing.

Wow! That stinks. I just walked into my AAA office last Tuesday and they printed and spiral bound a TripTik for me while I waited. I used to even order them on-line. Maybe it depends which area you live in.

 

[DVCisME]

I was able to order a trip trek (spiral bound) through AAA's website.

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

The other thing we do is to give everyone $5 per day (started with $1 in quarters, but have upped it as they are now 7, 12,13,16, 18 ). The 16 and 18 year old aren't the problem, but they want money too! If they fight, complain, etc., they pass up $1. If they keep their money, they have it for spending on the trip. This works great for keeping the fighting to a minimum -- and the "are we there yet?" Plus, if they want ice cream at McDonald's for example, they have to spend their own money...

I like your idea. I am thinking of a version of this for our trip. For our drive with my 6 and 9 year old I am going to get a bunch of $1 Disney dollars. I will give each kid an envelope at the start of the trip with all of the states we are going to pass through on the front. Each time we enter a new state I will have the kids check that state off and give them a Disney dollar. I figure this will give them something to look forward to (and maybe be a small geography lesson!) and then once they get to Disney they'll have an envelope full of dollars ($13 each if I count our own state as one). Also, if we're having big problems (fighting, complaining, etc) we can threaten that they won't earn their next dollar!

 

[PrincessMom4]

Calle&Jakesmom, at first I thought I had posted that because I also have a 6 and 9 year olds. I love this idea and we have also incorporated this into our next trip.

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

I'm trying to come up with more ideas to keep the kids busy and happy. We have a DVD player, but I want to avoid having them watch movies the ENTIRE time we're driving. They'll have coloring and activity book. We also have a couple read along CD books. I was thinking of bringing the cards from our Disney Trivial Pursuit game so we could do family Disney trivia games on the way down. I'd love to hear more ideas to keep us all busy during the drive.