For those folks driving!

[mwehttam]

Thinking about driving from NY this summer- should we leave in the am to get to GA for the night and then continue to disney the next day?
Wondering what time is best- was thinking 6am to get to DC after rush hr and also beat NY rush hr.
Any thoughts?

When we drove last summer we left Friday after I was done with work. We hit no traffic at all and was below DC and checked into our hotel at midnight. We then drove to Savannah the next day then 4 hours till Disney on Sunday. We are glad we did this as DS, who was 9 months at the time, was done with being in his car seat after the 8 hours on the road Saturday. No way we would have gotten him to stay for 15 hours like we first planed.

If you don't mind that extra day this is a nice way to do it.

 

[disneymom06]

6am will not beat NY traffic and you will be stuck in Jersey traffic. I would leave at least 3-4 hours earlier.

 

[Captain Hook]

Coming from CT, we leave at 3AM. This puts us over the bridge and beats all the DC traffic just as it starts to build.

 

[dawz1026]

Coming from CT, we leave at 3AM. This puts us over the bridge and beats all the DC traffic just as it starts to build.

We leave at 3 also from Long Island NY ....We drive to GA for the night or bravely go for it!

 

[katieloubear]

We are considering driving from Texas in 2009 for our Disney trip. I have only driven to Homosassa, Fl and it was a 23 hour trip...straight through...we took turns. I am thinking I want to start at like 10pm and drive till about 4 or 5 the next afternoon, then get a hotel for the night and the next morning drive the remainder to Disney..what do ya'll think?

 

[dawz1026]

We are considering driving from Texas in 2009 for our Disney trip. I have only driven to Homosassa, Fl and it was a 23 hour trip...straight through...we took turns. I am thinking I want to start at like 10pm and drive till about 4 or 5 the next afternoon, then get a hotel for the night and the next morning drive the remainder to Disney..what do ya'll think?

driving thru the night can be a killer on you.maybe leaving closer to dawn 3-4am and driving till night would keep you on a better schedule.

 

[LIIRISHMAN]

Thinking about driving from NY this summer- should we leave in the am to get to GA for the night and then continue to disney the next day?
Wondering what time is best- was thinking 6am to get to DC after rush hr and also beat NY rush hr.
Any thoughts?

There are two schools of thought in regards to driving from NY to WDW. Here they are
1) Leave late night or early morning (2 a.m.) to avoid Baltimore and DC traffic jams that rival what we deal with here in NY everyday. This can allow you to make the drive down in 18-20 hrs and gives you the option of stopping in GA or Northern Fla late afternoon allowing for a easy 2-3 hour trip the next day
2)Driving down with the rush hour traffic in NY and dealing with the tail end of DC's morning rush,arriving in SC in the mid to late afternoon. I have driven down 3x and have used both styles. Driving straight through will kill your first day as you fall in to a bed as soon as you arrive. Since you'll be arriving around 9 p.m. it might be a good option for you. The second option allows you to make the driving a part of your vacation. Whatever way you choose have a safe trip.

 

[pilferk]

Coming from CT, we leave at 3AM. This puts us over the bridge and beats all the DC traffic just as it starts to build.

Nice to see another nutmegger.

We leave about 12 hours later (between 1 and 2 PM, usually), to the same effect. We just avoid the GW, and hit the Tappan Zee and Garden State. Jersey Traffic seems to move faster than NYC traffic, usually. We hit DC well after rush hour.

 

[pilferk]

We are considering driving from Texas in 2009 for our Disney trip. I have only driven to Homosassa, Fl and it was a 23 hour trip...straight through...we took turns. I am thinking I want to start at like 10pm and drive till about 4 or 5 the next afternoon, then get a hotel for the night and the next morning drive the remainder to Disney..what do ya'll think?

We just did it, though from CT. 22 hours, straight, to Florida.

It was brutal, but not impossible. And, for the record, there was only one driver (ME). Switching off would make it a bit easier.

Next time, we drive to NC (should arrive just before midnight) around exit 121 and stop for the night...and then finish up the next day. Be a little less brutal and since I can get the extra time off, it works out better for us.

 

[dawz1026]

There are two schools of thought in regards to driving from NY to WDW. Here they are
1) Leave late night or early morning (2 a.m.) to avoid Baltimore and DC traffic jams that rival what we deal with here in NY everyday. This can allow you to make the drive down in 18-20 hrs and gives you the option of stopping in GA or Northern Fla late afternoon allowing for a easy 2-3 hour trip the next day
2)Driving down with the rush hour traffic in NY and dealing with the tail end of DC's morning rush,arriving in SC in the mid to late afternoon. I have driven down 3x and have used both styles. Driving straight through will kill your first day as you fall in to a bed as soon as you arrive. Since you'll be arriving around 9 p.m. it might be a good option for you. The second option allows you to make the driving a part of your vacation. Whatever way you choose have a safe trip.

think 3 am will get us out of dc? from long island?

 

[Captain Hook]

We leave at 3 also from Long Island NY ....We drive to GA for the night or bravely go for it!

What part of GA are you planning on making it to? What do you think your ETA will be? We usually hit Santee, SC at 3:30-4:00, was wondering if I should push onto GA myself.

 

[Captain Hook]

Nice to see another nutmegger.

We leave about 12 hours later (between 1 and 2 PM, usually), to the same effect. We just avoid the GW, and hit the Tappan Zee and Garden State. Jersey Traffic seems to move faster than NYC traffic, usually. We hit DC well after rush hour.

Try going onto the Henry Hudson it puts you right onto GW and avoids all the city traffic, on the way down

 

[dawz1026]

What part of GA are you planning on making it to? What do you think your ETA will be? We usually hit Santee, SC at 3:30-4:00, was wondering if I should push onto GA myself.

We left at 330 last year and hit MAJOR traffic in DC AND A MAJOR RAIN STORM IN mj which is what held us up from going faster.This year leaving at 200 am and we go to Brunswick GA which has a nice Holiday Inn with a great steak place and the next day is only a few hours to go!!!! it took us 16hrs with stops included from LI to Brunswick..and we stopped alot!

 

[deltachi8]

Thinking of Driving from Houston to WDW in October. Anyone make the drive? We most likely would leave about 4 PM on a Friday (after DS gets out of school) - what would be a good stopping point for the night?

Thanks!

 

[LIIRISHMAN]

You would probably be in Maryland and 1/2 hr away from D.C. We go down the Belt pkwy over the Verazzano to the Outer Bridge crossing. This will bring you to Exit 10 on the Turnpike. Figure an hour and 15 minute to the end of the TPK. I would try to leave by 2 a.m.. This will allow you the time needed to clear D.C.'s traffic. You then have the option of arriving in Ga. in the late afternoon or pushing on to Disney.I would stop in Ga. go for a swim eat a nice dinner and hit it early the next day for a nice 3 -4 hr trip to WDW. Whatever you do have a great trip.

 

[Kimbere]

Hi Kimbere! We are considering driving to WDW from Michigan in October 2008. It will just be my husband and I. We will be celebrating our 10yr Wedding Anniversary down there. I am trying to make this trip as affordable as possible and it seems if we can get good gas mileage it will be cheaper than flying but definetly more time consuming. We plan on driving straight through by taking turns. Do you suppose you could let me know how you do on gas cost and mileage? I would greatly appreciate it.

As far as ideas to keep the young'ens busy...we always sang songs, played slug bug, I spy, tic-tac-toe, dots, and see who could blo the biggest bubble gum bubbles. I hope these ideas help.

I'll post what it cost us when we get back. I'm braced for a HUGE hit!! It won't be pretty I"m sure.

 

[Kimbere]

Its your trip, but I can't imagine stretching out that trip into 3 days like that, you are only doing about 400 miles each day.. Or are you doing other things on the way down?

Since we are pulling our camper, we'll need to stop for gas about every 250 miles or so. Our friends made this trip from Chicago last year, pulling a camper, and they averaged only about 50 mph with all the stopping!! Trust me, if it was my decison I'd be flying!! Our plan is to get an early start driving in the mornings and then stop at dark to put the kids to bed and get some sleep!

 

[keylimepie]

We are driving from se Va..about 40 min from the va/nc border. Now, we know going up to MD where the speed traps and cop spots are. Basically the entire way up 17!lol. but how about going down to FL. My dad says to watch out in sc, i think it was...maybe it -was ga? My dh is from MD, and no one goes the speedlimit there, so I have to constantly be watching the spedometer. So where do i need to watch it the most!? Any stretches that police patrol the most? Also we are leavign on a sun morn about 5-6 am. is traffic usually pretty ok on sundays, and any areas where traffic might suck? Any good stopping points. We will prob make the first stop at SOuth of the Border. any good spots to stop at to stretch in the GA area. I really would love Savannah, but no way am I going there for just an hr!!!!Maybe on the way home.....

 

[JimFitz]

We leave tomorrow and drive from New Jersey. We did this two years ago and went straight through. We are going straight through down but stopping overnight on the way home.

Jim

 

[dawz1026]

We leave tomorrow and drive from New Jersey. We did this two years ago and went straight through. We are going straight through down but stopping overnight on the way home.

Jim

enjoy!