For those folks driving!

[Bim-muv-fab]

My family is driving from NC to WDW on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Does anyone have any input on what southbound traffic conditions on I-95 might be like?

 

[CPT Tripss]

My family is driving from NC to WDW on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Does anyone have any input on what southbound traffic conditions on I-95 might be like?

That's the heaviest traffic day of the year . . . be safe, good luck!

 

[pilferk]

My family is driving from NC to WDW on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Does anyone have any input on what southbound traffic conditions on I-95 might be like?

It'll be heavy. Heavier northbound, usually, than southbound...but still heavy in both directions. The earlier you leave, the better it'll be..but by mid-day, it's a zoo in both directions...and stays that way for quite awhile.

 

[rockydek]

What part of VA do you stay in where it is only 10 hours to Orlando?
Also, do you make any stops in that period, or is that straight?

Also, thanks, your info is really helping me guage my trip.

I have an infant and a 3 yr old, so I will have to make more stops, but the plan is to leave Massachusetts early Saturday Morning (about 3 am) drive your route I-84 to I-81 to I-64 into VA. It looks like from your experience that it takes you 7 hours to get from Conn. to VA. to catch a hotel. That means that if I leave Mass at 3 am, that would give me plenty of time to get to VA. with many stops for the children and then to get a hotel Saturday night.

Then depart early on Sunday (by your experience it takes you from 6 am to 4pm to arrive in Orlando, thats 10 hrs) drive again with a number of stops to arrive in Georgia or Florida to get a hotel Sunday night.

Then wake up Monday morning with a short drive to arrive in Orlando for check in.

Hi Craig
We are from the North Shore also. My Mom refuses to fly, so when she comes with us, we drive 7 1/2 hours to the Auto Train and take our car on with us.
The price includes your vehicle, and dinner. You leave at 4PM and arrive a half hour from Disney at 8:30am. We love it. If you book 11 months in advance it is very reasonable. Also aaa 10% off. Orlando magic card 20% off.

 

[denise5374]

I hope someone can help, we are driving from PA(philly) to FL next Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. We aren't going to WDw but to Jacksonville to visit friends. ANyway...DH and I are debating what time to leave. I was thinking we should leave about midnight on Wednesday and that will get us into Jacksonville in the afternoon on Thursday, DH wants to leave around 3am on Thursday to get into Jax about dinner time. Since we are driving on a holiday and have to go through DC area will it make any differnce in traffic?
Thanks!

 

[MinMouse]

I hope someone can help, we are driving from PA(philly) to FL next Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. We aren't going to WDw but to Jacksonville to visit friends. ANyway...DH and I are debating what time to leave. I was thinking we should leave about midnight on Wednesday and that will get us into Jacksonville in the afternoon on Thursday, DH wants to leave around 3am on Thursday to get into Jax about dinner time. Since we are driving on a holiday and have to go through DC area will it make any differnce in traffic?
Thanks!

Denise,

We've driven to WDW from Wilmington, DE 7 times. We like to leave in the early a.m. (between 2 & 4 a.m.) to get through DC. Your plan of leaving at midnight I would think would also get you through DC with minimal traffic.I would say it really depends on how you feel about driving for such a long time in the dark. Once you get into NC/SC it is very very dark; no lights on I-95. We have found that we like driving into the daylight. We can handle a few hours in the dark (especially leaving here, Baltimore, DC which tend to be fairly well lit) and be in daylight by the time we hit NC. Have a great trip!

Mindy

 

[bdcp]

Hi Craig
We are from the North Shore also. My Mom refuses to fly, so when she comes with us, we drive 7 1/2 hours to the Auto Train and take our car on with us.
The price includes your vehicle, and dinner. You leave at 4PM and arrive a half hour from Disney at 8:30am. We love it. If you book 11 months in advance it is very reasonable. Also aaa 10% off. Orlando magic card 20% off.

We've done the auto train twice. Fortunately for us, we live 45 minutes from the Lorton Train Station. The arrival time in Sanford has actually changed to 9:30. We never got in early so I think they found it easier to just make the official arrival time later. They also serve you a cold breakfast (cereal, bagel, juice, coffee, fruit (banana, orange). Dinner is actually pretty good. We've had a roomette and have gone coach. The dinner menu in "first class" which is roomettes and bedrooms is actually better and a little more extensive than coach. I dont particuarly like to fly either, but we can get to FL in about 2 hours by air versus 17.5 hours on the train or 12-14 hours driving. Flying is sounding better and better. We have found quite a few of the passengers are from NY and NJ.

 

[poteat_3177]

we are driving from rogers arkansas (northwestern arkansas) to orlando in may. a total of 18 hours and 1,170(ish) miles one way. I'm glad to see others avioiding the airports and stickin to the streets!

can anyone tell me which way is the best to go? google maps says to go through memphis, tn then to birmingham, atlanta and then orlando but I think I might like to take the little rock to jacksonville, through pensicola and then down to orlando route - but I have no idea which way is faster/better. any advice would be very helpful!

I was also wondering if anyone could give me a rough estimate of the gas prices in the southern states or such as louisianna, mississippi, alabama and florida, around here right now gas is 2.99/gallon, is it about the same around those states as well?

also any ideas of games or other stuff to pass the time besides a DVD player and computer games for an 12 year old boy?? i don't want him staring at a screen for 18 hours straight!
thanks in advance

 

[MinMouse]

also any ideas of games or other stuff to pass the time besides a DVD player and computer games for an 12 year old boy?? i don't want him staring at a screen for 18 hours straight!
thanks in advance

One of the games my girls enjoy is the license plate game. We are a tad competitive so sometimes we play front seat passengers (DH & me) versus backseat passengers (2 DDs). We print out blank maps and see who gets the most, furthest away, etc. We also bring books. Our last trip down we hardly used the DVD player . . . they listened to music, relaxed and it was great. On the return trip it was DVD the whole way! Whatever keeps the peace ! Good luck! Sorry I can't offer any route advice . . . we're about 1,000 miles north of Orlando in Delaware (actually right outside Philadelphia, PA)

 

[pilferk]

Quick question for the group:

Any suggestions on good radio stations along I-95 from, say, Jersey to Florida?

I prefer Classic rock or 80's and 90's hits type stuff. Top 40 will do in a pinch. I'm considering moving my Sirius radio from my car to the mini-van (which is what we'll be driving down with), but with the DVD player and the TomTom GPS, it's going to be a hassle to swap out power hook ups....we've only got 2 in the front of the van, so I'm waffling.

 

[Luvamouse]

Driving to WDW was just what we expected and planned for. We left RI at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 and took 95S to Rte 9 in CT, to Rte 66 --691-- I-84. We picked up I-81 near Wilkes-Bury, PA then I-77.

Took our time and arrived in NC around 6:30 p.m. About 770 miles +/- . We stayed in Mt. Airy, NC (Andy Griffith is from here—we spent an hour or so the next morning driving by his childhood home, Main Street, statue of Andy and Opie…). I found it quite commercialized in the area we stayed, but pretty and friendly. On Sunday we drove to Mooresville, NC. Spent an hour or two here driving by several of the many NASCAR race shops that are in the area. Back on to 77to 26 to 95. Continued on to Daytona Beach, FL for that night. I was terribly disappointed in the “strip” at Daytona. It was scary after dark and commercialized/touristy beyond my comprehension. La Quinta Inn here very disappointing. Not “new” as advertised, but renovated old hotel. Damp towels, tiny room, scary area. View only plus side as it is on the beach. Even in the daytime it looked like the Las Vegas strip to me. Over the bridge in Daytona Beach was much nicer. On Monday we went to Daytona USA—higly recommend this if you are a NASCAR fan. $100 for our 3 “adults” and 1 child, but worth it to us. Expect to need at least 3 hours here to get you money’s worth. Headed to WDW on 4—noontime. Traffic was fine; we had no trouble arriving at the Polynesian in little more than an hour I think…

Home—Took 417 from WDW to I-95 (Wednesday at 8 a.m.) 5 tolls? About $5.50 total I believe. I knew my Fast Lane/EZ Pass is not compatible in FL—check before you leave home for compatibility. Home to RI via I-77, I-81, I-84, 691, etc. --1400+ miles.


I highly recommend taking the I-81, I-77, I-26 route if it is convenient to your location. We hit hardly any construction which slowed us little, we traveled at good speeds and hit hardly any cities at all. The extra mileage from not going I-95 is made up for by not hitting cities and construction. Also—the views are terrific as you go by the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Shenandoah Mountains!

I strongly suggest using Gasbuddy.com to help you know what states NOT to stop for gas in. I actually stopped at a couple of the actual stations I mapped out and the prices were comparable to what was reflected before we left. Even if it does keep going up! Good use of time for me.

 

[poteat_3177]

http://gasprices.mapquest.com/ is also a really good site for comparing gas prices! it also tells you the time and date that the gas price was put up so you know how accurate it is!

 

[Luvamouse]

Gasbuddy does the same! I love that feature so I can tell how accurate the pricing is. I found it to be very helpful as even just one exit farther can make a difference of 10 or more cents! No understanding of that whatsoever...

 

[CPT Tripss]

Quick question for the group:

Any suggestions on good radio stations along I-95 from, say, Jersey to Florida?

I prefer Classic rock or 80's and 90's hits type stuff. Top 40 will do in a pinch. I'm considering moving my Sirius radio from my car to the mini-van (which is what we'll be driving down with), but with the DVD player and the TomTom GPS, it's going to be a hassle to swap out power hook ups....we've only got 2 in the front of the van, so I'm waffling.

Just an FYI - they do make "extension cords" for cars that have multiple outlets.

 

[pilferk]

Just an FYI - they do make "extension cords" for cars that have multiple outlets.

Ohhh....I'm gonna have to look for one of those!

 

[gydell]

we are driving from rogers arkansas (northwestern arkansas) to orlando in may. a total of 18 hours and 1,170(ish) miles one way. I'm glad to see others avioiding the airports and stickin to the streets!

can anyone tell me which way is the best to go? google maps says to go through memphis, tn then to birmingham, atlanta and then orlando but I think I might like to take the little rock to jacksonville, through pensicola and then down to orlando route - but I have no idea which way is faster/better. any advice would be very helpful!

I was also wondering if anyone could give me a rough estimate of the gas prices in the southern states or such as louisianna, mississippi, alabama and florida, around here right now gas is 2.99/gallon, is it about the same around those states as well?

also any ideas of games or other stuff to pass the time besides a DVD player and computer games for an 12 year old boy?? i don't want him staring at a screen for 18 hours straight!
thanks in advance

From where you are going to Jacksonville is going to add miles to your trip. We live in Atlanta and it's a straight shot down I75 to the Fl tollroad to WDW(you do have to get on I4 for a minute).

 

[kiingor]

hi, im going to be driving ( first time) from NJ to WDW sometime mid march. haven't decided whether to go straight or stop for a night. How's the traffic during mid march and anyone know a good place to stay on the 1/2 way mark- I guess would be in NC. Will be traveling with a 2 year old, and would like to stay in a hotel near the I95. Don't want to get stuck in an unfamiliar territory. Did anyone visited anywhere else on the way to WDW or just a sleep over and head on again.
Thanks

 

[pilferk]

hi, im going to be driving ( first time) from NJ to WDW sometime mid march. haven't decided whether to go straight or stop for a night. How's the traffic during mid march and anyone know a good place to stay on the 1/2 way mark- I guess would be in NC. Will be traveling with a 2 year old, and would like to stay in a hotel near the I95. Don't want to get stuck in an unfamiliar territory. Did anyone visited anywhere else on the way to WDW or just a sleep over and head on again.
Thanks

We've done it in a straight shot a few times, though from further north (CT). It usually takes us about 15+ hours from southern NJ border.

One of the beautiful things about car travel with young kids (and there aren't many of them) is they'll pretty much sleep through the night time piece of the drive.

If you're looking for places to stay, I've always had the best luck, from a price, room cleanliness, room size perspective around Richmond, Va. That might be a bit too far north for you, though. That's only about 6 hours or less into your drive. If it's not too early, right after you leave 95 for 295 (which you really should do...95 through Richmond is busy during the day and perpetually under construction at night), there's a couple exits in a row with good lodging choices.

In NC, you'd likely have to wait, to get GOOD choices, til you get closer to the SC border...say Fayetsville area. But don't wait TOO long...or your best choice is going to be South of the Border, just over the line into SC until you hit Georgia.

 

[kiingor]

We've done it in a straight shot a few times, though from further north (CT). It usually takes us about 15+ hours from southern NJ border.

One of the beautiful things about car travel with young kids (and there aren't many of them) is they'll pretty much sleep through the night time piece of the drive.

If you're looking for places to stay, I've always had the best luck, from a price, room cleanliness, room size perspective around Richmond, Va. That might be a bit too far north for you, though. That's only about 6 hours or less into your drive. If it's not too early, right after you leave 95 for 295 (which you really should do...95 through Richmond is busy during the day and perpetually under construction at night), there's a couple exits in a row with good lodging choices.

In NC, you'd likely have to wait, to get GOOD choices, til you get closer to the SC border...say Fayetsville area. But don't wait TOO long...or your best choice is going to be South of the Border, just over the line into SC until you hit Georgia.

Thanks for the info- Im thinkin driving straight going there ( leaving NJ around 7pm on a saturday night) and possibly stop the night coming home ( leaving florida friday noon). And VA would be good, this way, i wont have to drive far to get home.

 

[pilferk]

Thanks for the info- Im thinkin driving straight going there ( leaving NJ around 7pm on a saturday night) and possibly stop the night coming home ( leaving florida friday noon). And VA would be good, this way, i wont have to drive far to get home.

That's what we're thinking, for this trip, too. Straight shot down, and probably a stop in Va on the way home.

The drive down, I can "adjust" my sleeping so that the 20 hours isn't TOO bad, because I'll get up around noon ish (we're leaving at 2 PM) on the day we head down.

Not so easy to do on the way back, as we have a 1/2 day in the MK, with lunch at Crystal Palace planned for the day we head back home. We'll be up and out of the room by 8 AM at the latest. So to do that AND a 20+ hour drive home is a little tough. We'll likely stop around Richmond that night, and make the rest of the drive the next day.

What's interesting is we'll be headed through NJ at just about 6 or 7 PM, ourselves. It usually takes us about 5 hours to get down and through MOST of NJ (think somewhere between Mercerville and Mount Holly...maybe a little further south).