For anyone that has drove from PA to FL

[1Grumpy9]

This is the first time I have driven to WDW in about 10 yrs, but I am trying to plan my trip out for October.

I am planning on leaving the Harrisburg, PA area around 7am and driving I-81 down to I-77. When I look at the map, the travel time to WDW is around 14 hrs. I was thinking if I leave that early I could almost be in Orlando by later in the evening. I also looked at stopping at Daytona for the evening just so I was rested enough for the following day.

Has anyone done the drive lately and how far have you made it?? I am pretty good at driving long distances during the daylight. There will be two of us to drive, so we can switch off if someone gets tired. Usually after 10pm is when I start getting tired.

(I may have just answered my own question...LOL)

 

[danielangie]

We have driven from PA the last four years...it takes us 15 hours...

We leave at night so our kids sleep through half the trip...

Really not a bad trip at all

 

[Pipefitr]

We drove it in May, we made it to Savannah the first day. That made for a pretty short trip the next day. We left NEPA at 5am got to Ga. About 10pm. With young kids( 5-2) we stopped at every welcome center and let them stretch their legs and run around a bit. We did not stop for any sit down dinners just hit up drive thrus. We are going again in May 2015 and keeping the same plan maybe leaving a little earlier? Have fun!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

we drove 81down to Tenn last week, be prepared for construction delay on way home. we were delayed over a half hour going into the one lane construction in Va. that was the only delay either way for us

 

[1Grumpy9]

Thanks...I do know that I would like to stop at the Florida welcome center since I haven't stopped there in like 20 yrs (I was little when we stopped there). That would be the only BIG stop we would take. I have to talk to my friend about it, but I would think we would be ok with Drive-thru restaurants for food. I am also thinking about taking food with us to eat on the way down (sandwiches and drinks).

When I was young, we would drive every year to Daytona. I remember we would leave at lunch time (when I was in Middle School), and make it to Florence, SC around 9pm. I also remember us trying to beat an ice storm coming home and we left Daytona at 5am and pulled into our house at 8pm. Every time we stopped and the ice started coming down, we got going again quickly.

I guess it will be depending on weather, traffic and us on where we make it to on the first day. I just would like to get to Orlando early enough that we can go over to GKTW to drop a donation off to them. If not, then we have a free day that we can go over to the Village and do some other things (outlets).

 

[ParrotBill]

14 is a long driving day,and you have to figure 15-16 with bathroom and food stops. But certainly doable.

We drive from Rochester NY and make it to Columbia SC, making the first day about that long at 13 hours, and it takes us about 15 with a lunch stop and 3 other short stops... assuming no traffic delays.

 

[1Grumpy9]

I was just looking at it, and if we can make Jacksonville, there are some nice hotels near the airport and that is just around 12 hrs. My mom and I have drove from Nasvhille, TN to right outside of Harrisburg (where we live) in 12 hr and that is losing an hour with the time change. We start getting tired near the end (but that is because we are working on very little sleep from the night before). We also have stops for food (breakfast and lunch) that are more than just drive thru's. I am thinking Jacksonville, might be a little more reasonable for me and my friend for our trip.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am really looking forward to this trip as it will be the first in a while that I haven't flown and will give us a little more flexibility for our trip (outlet shopping and shopping at other places).

 

[kazfloyd]

We have done this drive the pastfew years Not bad at all. Typically 15-16 hours but we norally do a sit down dinner. Last year we left at 1230am and did hit a lot of road work in DE, MD and VA. We normally leave at 4am. Nice getting in earlier but the traffic and sitting was a little unexpected for the hour. Be sure to avoid DC rush hour traffic.

Less than 3 weeks until we do the drive again.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done the drive many many years ago from northeast Ohio...flows a couple of times and done a ton of Amtrak trips too...we're back to driving again ....

We do the I 79 to 19 to I 77....I 26 to I 95 and I 4 into WDW.... GPS says 14-15 hours but it's more like 16-17 hours... we only stop for gas... have a cooler on board with sandwiches, drinks and snacks...

We leave home around 5 am and be at the Florida Welcome Center around 10 pm.. Traffic willing...we or more so, I want to get to WDW as early as possible to get that whole day...so...we break at the Welcome Center ( night time security on property all night ) after about a 3-4 hour nap/ rest we want to be thru Jacksonville before the crazies wake up...we also breeze right thru Orlando straight thru on I 4 with hardly any traffic arriving at WDW around 5-6 am....

Yeah, we're early, room not ready but we like breezing thru the Florida traffic in the wee hours...we'll check in, head to Publix for groceries, return to resort, have breakfast, a swim and luckily our room is ready....

I know this is not for some but I hate to waste 100.00 for a motel room for a few hours heading down to WDW... and I like a few hour drive after the 3 hour rest at the Welcome Center....though closed, restrooms open and quite a few people do stop and rest and traveling security (armed) makes for a secure stop...

 

[amcnj]

This is the first time I have driven to WDW in about 10 yrs, but I am trying to plan my trip out for October.

I am planning on leaving the Harrisburg, PA area around 7am and driving I-81 down to I-77. When I look at the map, the travel time to WDW is around 14 hrs. I was thinking if I leave that early I could almost be in Orlando by later in the evening. I also looked at stopping at Daytona for the evening just so I was rested enough for the following day.

Has anyone done the drive lately and how far have you made it?? I am pretty good at driving long distances during the daylight. There will be two of us to drive, so we can switch off if someone gets tired. Usually after 10pm is when I start getting tired.

(I may have just answered my own question...LOL)

I need to use 95 from my area, and leave early (2:30 am) to avoid traffic. It's about 1060 miles and I usually reach the WDW area by 6:30-7:30 pm. So it is similar to your trip, only you are leaving and thus arriving, a few hours later. It sounds like you should arrive by 10-11 pm at worst, with some stops? I haven't had trouble with driving that many hours and do all the driving myself. But of course everyone is different and knows their own tolerances and preferences. Good luck with the drive!

 

[dvczerfs]

This is the first time I have driven to WDW in about 10 yrs, but I am trying to plan my trip out for October. I am planning on leaving the Harrisburg, PA area around 7am and driving I-81 down to I-77. When I look at the map, the travel time to WDW is around 14 hrs. I was thinking if I leave that early I could almost be in Orlando by later in the evening. I also looked at stopping at Daytona for the evening just so I was rested enough for the following day. Has anyone done the drive lately and how far have you made it?? I am pretty good at driving long distances during the daylight. There will be two of us to drive, so we can switch off if someone gets tired. Usually after 10pm is when I start getting tired. (I may have just answered my own question...LOL)

Hello neighbor!! 14 hours is right on. I do it in 15 and I'm an hour east of you. If you can, try to leave maybe two hours earlier. It will get you into Virginias mountains before rush hour. Once you get past i66 you should be good.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Hello neighbor!! 14 hours is right on. I do it in 15 and I'm an hour east of you. If you can, try to leave maybe two hours earlier. It will get you into Virginias mountains before rush hour. Once you get past i66 you should be good.

I have to talk with the girl that is going with me, as she will be the other driver also and I need to make sure leaving at that hour is ok. My only worry is going through Charlotte. I have been through that city plenty of times and I have seen the traffic. I am hoping that if we can get through there before 4pm, we should be good.

I was also looking at different hotels around the Jacksonville airport for a nights stay.

 

[dvczerfs]

I have to talk with the girl that is going with me, as she will be the other driver also and I need to make sure leaving at that hour is ok. My only worry is going through Charlotte. I have been through that city plenty of times and I have seen the traffic. I am hoping that if we can get through there before 4pm, we should be good. I was also looking at different hotels around the Jacksonville airport for a nights stay.

Char. Is a mess at rush hours. For me it is nine hours. I also hear from truck drivers that come into where I work that i26 in Columbia is under construction and should try to be avoided at rush hour.
I posted a time and mileage break down on this route some time age, if your interested let me know and I'll see if I can find it. If not I can re type it again.
My problem this trip is I will hit Columbia at morning rush hour so I am leaving at 12:30 am and going i81/i66/17/i95. I will be well south of Richmond before the morning rush hour.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Char. Is a mess at rush hours. For me it is nine hours. I also hear from truck drivers that come into where I work that i26 in Columbia is under construction and should try to be avoided at rush hour.
I posted a time and mileage break down on this route some time age, if your interested let me know and I'll see if I can find it. If not I can re type it again.
My problem this trip is I will hit Columbia at morning rush hour so I am leaving at 12:30 am and going i81/i66/17/i95. I will be well south of Richmond before the morning rush hour.

I have done the drive to Charlotte numerous times going to the races and I have left my house at different times. One time I left at midnight and arrived in center city for an event at 7:30 am. Since my house is within 5 min of I-81, and I am west of Harrisburg, the only worries are Charlotte and I guess now Columbia.

My parents go to Florida every year (Daytona) and they usually leave at 5:00am to get out of our neighborhood with the camper and are in Orangeburg, SC by 7pm that evening. Of course they are towing a camper and have to stop a little bit more than I would. I am figuring being through Charlotte by 2:30 pm. I guess I should have said that I am leaving on a Saturday also...hopefully that will alleviate "some" of the traffic around those two cities.

 

[ParrotBill]

I too have hit Charlotte at rush hour.... anyone know if taking I-485 to the west is a sensible alternative or is it just as bad?

We are driving in less than 2 weeks and could hit that on a Friday night !

 

[geniegirl]

Doing the drive in October from Pgh alone with an almost 3yo. We have done it as a family several times and left after work so the kids sleep mist of the trip but being the inky driver I'm leaving around 7am and doing most in 1 day then rest and a short drive the next. This will be mid week which us also change so now I guess I have to think about rush hours.

 

[1Grumpy9]

I too have hit Charlotte at rush hour.... anyone know if taking I-485 to the west is a sensible alternative or is it just as bad?

We are driving in less than 2 weeks and could hit that on a Friday night !

I have never taken it, but if I remember it isn't getting through the city that is the biggest part, it is right around Lake Norman where everything likes to slow down and/or come to a stop.

I-485 might be a good alternative going around town.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I have to talk with the girl that is going with me, as she will be the other driver also and I need to make sure leaving at that hour is ok. My only worry is going through Charlotte. I have been through that city plenty of times and I have seen the traffic. I am hoping that if we can get through there before 4pm, we should be good.

I was also looking at different hotels around the Jacksonville airport for a nights stay.

From a woman, if you are taking a new to the drive and want your relationship to last, don't fatigue the poor girl to be exhausted the whole trip. I'm a little older, but I needed to stretch, tinkle, snack, and refocus. By 10 hours I was so done with the road. For us to have a good vacation in needed a break and deep rest. Because of traffics when we left we were at 2days 10 hrs each.

One delay was Va, the other Jacksonville. But, when I got to Disney I was a happy camper, sore, but able to say my name, stand up and be ready to go, not sleep an entire day.

If my dh had driven me to Disney during our dating, we probably wouldn't be married. If I grew up taking on down as far as humanly possible that may be different, but not to a novice. If you took it easy on her this year, you are more likely to have a second trip with her.

Just my thought.

 

[1Grumpy9]

From a woman, if you are taking a new to the drive and want your relationship to last, don't fatigue the poor girl to be exhausted the whole trip. I'm a little older, but I needed to stretch, tinkle, snack, and refocus. By 10 hours I was so done with the road. For us to have a good vacation in needed a break and deep rest. Because of traffics when we left we were at 2days 10 hrs each.

One delay was Va, the other Jacksonville. But, when I got to Disney I was a happy camper, sore, but able to say my name, stand up and be ready to go, not sleep an entire day.

If my dh had driven me to Disney during our dating, we probably wouldn't be married. If I grew up taking on down as far as humanly possible that may be different, but not to a novice. If you took it easy on her this year, you are more likely to have a second trip with her.

Just my thought.

The two princesses sat down the other day to discuss the trip and my friend has offered her car to drive down for the trip and said we can each take a 4 hr drive shift. She is all about the drive and can't wait for this trip. She hasn't been there since she was in Middle School so she is excited for all the changes. She is also figuring on driving the whole way. We will have to see about that on how we both feel. I would really like to stop in Daytona to get some taffy (I know it sounds funny but there is a great place on the boardwalk that has some of the best taffy I have ever eaten). Plus once we get to WDW, there won't be but very little driving.