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

[amcnj]

Careful about just hanging in the left lane. I know here in NJ slower traffic is supposed to keep to the right, and the left lane is for passing. Many major roads have signs indicating this. So if you are in the left and see someone gaining on you, move to the right, at least till they pass. I believe it may be a ticketable offense to not do so. Maybe that is also the case in other states.

 

[taximomfor4]

I would kind of doubt that your speedometer is off. What kind of GPS do you have that tells you your speed? Is it your actual live at this moment speed? Or is it your average speed for the trip that you are on. Because that would take into account everytime you slow down for mergeing traffic, etc.

Speedometers are quite often a little off. We found this out when DH's car had a voluntary recall to fix a speedometer issue -- seems the industry allows a certain percent off (perhaps 5-6%??) but his year/make/model was off more than that. They adjusted it, added some miles to the warranty, and told us it is now in line with industry standard.

Many (most?) GPS give a constantly updated speed. Since it uses satellite, it is most likely quite accurate. My brother (physics/mathematics major and genius) says it's more accurate, most likely, than your speedometer which is KNOWN to most likely be a little off.

 

[sharadoc]

Hey everyone!

So we're finalizing our route, and I wondered. What's the difference between taking 81 to 95 (above Florence SC) vs. 81-77-95 hitting 95 at the southern end of SC? We'll be driving on a Saturday, so no worries about rush hour.

What's your opinion??

 

[BC1836]

Careful about just hanging in the left lane. I know here in NJ slower traffic is supposed to keep to the right, and the left lane is for passing. Many major roads have signs indicating this. So if you are in the left and see someone gaining on you, move to the right, at least till they pass. I believe it may be a ticketable offense to not do so. Maybe that is also the case in other states.

Agreed!
Stay out of the left lane except to pass. It's a motor vehicle violation in many states, including NJ. And it's the lane where most speeding tickets are issued.

 

[shafke]

Agreed!
Stay out of the left lane except to pass. It's a motor vehicle violation in many states, including NJ. And it's the lane where most speeding tickets are issued.

Except in some states when a police vehicle has someone pulled over on the shoulder you have to move in to the left lane if it is safe to do so.

 

[BC1836]

Except in some states when a police vehicle has someone pulled over on the shoulder you have to move in to the left lane if it is safe to do so.

Indeed! Nearly every state requires the lane adjacent to police/emergency vehicle activity to be either free of traffic or the speed of traffic in that lane has to be greatly reduced. It's a major traffic violation.

Now then...who's on the road to WDW next?

 

[loveysbydesign]

Indeed! Nearly every state requires the lane adjacent to police/emergency vehicle activity to be either free of traffic or the speed of traffic in that lane has to be greatly reduced. It's a major traffic violation.

Now then...who's on the road to WDW next?

Leaving Friday late afternoon/evening!

 

[dvczerfs]

Careful about just hanging in the left lane. I know here in NJ slower traffic is supposed to keep to the right, and the left lane is for passing. Many major roads have signs indicating this. So if you are in the left and see someone gaining on you, move to the right, at least till they pass. I believe it may be a ticketable offense to not do so. Maybe that is also the case in other states.

in pa. you have to pass someone with in 2 miles if you are in the left lane.you can get a ticket in pa for riding the left lane and not passing. (not inforced but it is a law.) if im on 95 and it 3am and theres nobody around, im in the right but any traffic, im in the left and if the car infront of me is doing 90, so am i. if you want to pass ill be more than happy to let you pass. i drive with the flow of traffic in the left lane,(not dilly dallying) if there is a car or truck infront of me and hes moving at a nice speed, ill stay with him. watch ahead, if you see brake lights flash ahead, chances are there is a trooper. people will hit the breaks for some reason when the see a cop car. you all of a sudden see the trucks move to the right, take your foot off the gas. if im driving at night on an interstate, theres a semi exceeding the speed limit, get behind him and just follow him. (not close but stay with him.)

 

[BC1836]

Leaving Friday late afternoon/evening!

Will your route avoid greater DC at rush hour?
And how far do you plan to travel? Part of the way with an overnight stay? All the way to Exit #67 on I-4?

All the best.

 

[marius97]

43 hours and we are off to The World!!! This will be our family of five's second 2100 mile round trip. DS and I are ready to go...To bad we have to wait for DW to finish work and the girls to finish the last two days of school. Maybe we'll leave without them.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Will your route avoid greater DC at rush hour?
And how far do you plan to travel? Part of the way with an overnight stay? All the way to Exit #67 on I-4?

All the best.

We live just a few minutes away for Rte 78 so we'll be picking that up and taking it the 78-81-77-26-95 way!
Gonna stay over somewhere a little past Roanoke, VA depending on how tired we get when driving.
My dh has to work til 2p.m. and I babysit til 3p.m. on Friday, so we're planning to leave no later than 3:15. We're packing up the van tonight!

 

[ADAMANDLISA]

DH is so anxious to leave for this trip, that he keeps bringing up driving straight thru the night!Of course I told him no way, because if he gets tired...we're stuck. I NEED my sleep!

 

[HeatherC]

LovesbyDesign: Have an AWESOME TIME!!! Let us know how the trip went.

We are driving that route in 3 weeks from Mass. to Hilton Head. There's not as much info on this route, so I love to hear what others who have done it have to say.

Have fun!!!

 

[BC1836]

We live just a few minutes away for Rte 78 so we'll be picking that up and taking it the 78-81-77-26-95 way!
Gonna stay over somewhere a little past Roanoke, VA depending on how tired we get when driving.
My dh has to work til 2p.m. and I babysit til 3p.m. on Friday, so we're planning to leave no later than 3:15. We're packing up the van tonight!

Your last sentence is important: there's something unique about packing for a drive to WDW. To be sure, it's different than packing for a drive to the airport to go to Orlando, and it's different from packing for a vacation to some other location. For us, there's nothing like step #1: backing up out of the garage....

All the best on your drive.

 

[mrodgers]

For us, there's nothing like step #1: backing up out of the garage....

Just make sure you aren't backing out of the garage via the Clark Griswald way!

I have plans for a photo slideshow DVD to create for the grandmas. I plan to start out with my daughter filming a video of me backing out of the garage with some boxes piled up on the roof rack, hehe.

I'm also trying to figure out how to mount the camera tripod on the hood of the car so I can pile everyone up inside and take a photo of us all sleeping while driving down the road.

Packing up my luggage tonight after the last load of laundry and packing up the car tomorrow! Whoohoo!

 

[PrincessMom4]

Mrodgers, really excited for your family. Can't wait till its our turn again

 

[dgagnon519]

We leave in 8 days and will be driving straight through from RI to FL. We will be driving down with 5 kids and iI will be sharing the driving with 1 other adult. I know I will not be able to sleep while someone else drives so plan to stay up. Hopefully i will nap, but am prepared not to. We are leaving at 4 pm and hope to switch drivers every 5 hours. We figure those will be 30 min breaks and we know there will be bathroom stops along the way as well. We hope to get to Disney by 2-3pm on Saturday.

 

[DSLRuser]

We drive and are leaving tomorrow from st. louis. 16 hours from STL, and 1,018 miles each way for 2,036 RT

We time our trip to leave at 7pm after we have a nice dinner at home.

We put the kids, 8 and 3 in their PJ's, and leave. They watch a movie or two and fall asleep. My wife will drive from STL to nashville while I rest, then around 11pm in nashville, I take over and drive all night.

We make it to ocala florida around 7am, and stop for breakfast, at cracker barrel and allow everyone to stretch and rest. After we eat, it's a nice 4 hours to WDW. We usually get there around 1pm.

Driving through the night has many advantages. The kids sleep, so they dont get bored or on their or our nerves. traffic is very light. we go through downtown atlanta at 1am. And the trucks on i75 are not an issue.

I know not everyone can drive all night, but if you can, it works great.

 

[DSLRuser]

Just curious, how far over the speed limit do you drive? and have any of you been pulled over by the police?



But I wonder if I-95 is a police trap for out-of-state drivers...?

Both my wife and I drve FAST. 85-90 except on i95 through georgia. The HS state troppers dont mess around. 4 mph over is all we will do.

Now when you hit florida, 95-100 is not unheard of. That is a freakin race track.

 

[mrodgers]

We drive and are leaving tomorrow from st. louis. 16 hours from STL, and 1,018 miles each way for 2,036 RT

Dang, St. Louis just sounds like it would be so much further than I have. I'm longer though at 1091 miles one way.