For those folks driving!

[patclairesmom]

I am sure that I am blind...but where is the 2000+ board? I just don't seem to be seeing it..

I just actually got off the phone with my husband and we decided driving it is..flights just too much. Would rather save $1000 and have an extra day in Disney.


Ohhhhh boy. lol My husband hates long drives ...but still wants to drive straight through!

Now I have to figure out the best plan. I just don't know how we are going to do it.. We are always so exhausted that it will make driving through the night very difficult.

Look down a little, it's not a sticky, it's call "For 2000+mile round trip drivers only"

 

[sersee05]

ohh patclairesmom...I think I must be getting senile at 41! I don't see that at all.

 

[patclairesmom]

ohh patclairesmom...I think I must be getting senile at 41! I don't see that at all.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3124884

That should take you there

 

[sersee05]

Thank you! I swear to you it isn't on my screen..

 

[Harringtons]

We leaving from texas roughly 2 1/2 hrs from austin. With 4 adults and 2 three year olds. Hoping they will sleep all night the first night and stopping the next day to take breaks and playtime. Any suggestions with travel tips?

 

[jsdeforge]

We leaving from texas roughly 2 1/2 hrs from austin. With 4 adults and 2 three year olds. Hoping they will sleep all night the first night and stopping the next day to take breaks and playtime. Any suggestions with travel tips?

We made inexpensive gift bags for the kids loaded with toys related to the drive. We didn't give it to them till we were about halfway there that way they had something to focus on the last leg of the trip.

 

[DIS kid at heart]

Sersee - It's really not that bad. We did it from Long Island last year (and are planning to do it again in May). I'll tell you what we did, which worked very well to minimize the pain on everyone. We left after dinner at 7pm and I drove until 2am. My wife slept from 11pm to 2am and then drove from 2am to 4am while I got the little shuteye that I needed. Then I powered from 4am to about 2pm when we arrived. Stopped for an hour for breakfast in the morning and a few stretches (and one vomit cleanup) but that was it. We even had a blast on our first night!

Definitely 95 all the way, and if you do the overnight like we did, you won't see a lick of traffic. Good luck to you!

This is very reassuring!! We are driving to WDW for the first time in April from Burlington County, NJ with DS2. We're planning on leaving around 7pm also and driving straight through!

 

[jrsharp21]

70 days away from our drive from Houston to WDW. We drove to Dallas yesterday on a whim. After only driving 3.5 hours I was already talking finding plane tickets to Orlando or Tampa.

 

[disneylovin24]

We are possibly driving... Its been back and forth. Flights are so expensive!!!! We are heading down from South Jersey on the 21st. We did it a looooong time ago and it was miserable.

95 was shut down due to an accident. It added HOURS. We ended up stopping in Savannah. I don't remember where we stayed, but it looked nice..lol

It will be nice to have our car where I can pack some breakfast food, wine(I will need it!) , etc. It will be nice to be able to bring full bottles of shampoo..lol. It will be better on mine and my son's nerves. We are both nervous fliers!

My husband is insisting on driving straight through IT could be a nightmare We don't want to take the kids out of school any more than we have too...so Thursday will be a day of driving! ALL day of driving! Holy poop!


What is the route most south jerseyians take? The lovely 95? How long does it take straight through? I cannot remember? What time do you all leave? I know things slow down once we get into VA due to the popo pulling over out of staters. Impedes with my speeding.

We don't have it written in blood yet.( Im a little squeamish). The cost is going to be about $500 buckeroonies for gas. Yes , I have a big gas guzzling environment killing SUV. Fabulous choice on our part...but it also keeps the kids from pinching, hitting, kicking and harassing each other.

So we have seen flights out of Philly..running about $1500 for the five of us. Sooo we are figuring with gas....that would pay for a rental car and a ticket. Soooo debating debating...

Anyhoo..I have never gotten up in the middle of the night to drive. I have to pee before, but I can go right back to sleep. Is this what most of you guys do?

We have driven straight through from NY twice now. Have taken 95 to Florida 20+ times now and have only experienced horrible traffic once or twice, think the accident was a fluke. Also, have never had experiences getting pulled over going slightly over the speed limit. South of DC you can get away with going 80 in a lot of places in our experiences.

Driving straight through both times we left at 3PM and made it to Disney around noon the next day. It's not that bad

 

[Tallent]

and solo at that! My dh most likely won't join us this trip (hates heat) so for now it'll just be lill ole me (hi!), dd 12 and ds 9 doing the drive in Aug from MD. DS gets carsick and takes bonine/dramamine to keep it under control. That plus me being the only driver limits our daily driving. My plan is to leave on a Wednesday in August and take 3 days to get to poly. We'll do about 5/6 hours a day and arrive at poly on Friday. (So it's MD, stop in florence, sc drive to lake mary and stop, and then the next morning drive to WDW) We're there till the following Thurs and will be taking the auto train back. Hoping dh will fly own the last few days and just hang and maybe do some evening hours in the parks and train it back with us. 3 days, 2 hotels, for 13 hours. Crazy!

Rachel

 

[Hasil72]

This is very reassuring!! We are driving to WDW for the first time in April from Burlington County, NJ with DS2. We're planning on leaving around 7pm also and driving straight through!

That's definitely the way to do it if you're traveling anywhere near Easter! We can normally do the drive from Gloucester County to WDW in 16 hrs but we don't normally travel during peak season. Last Easter was a nightmare driving during the day. The trip home took 21 hours! Once nightfall hit, the roads cleared and we had smooth sailing, even through Richmond. This Easter we know better.

Have a great trip!

 

[DIS kid at heart]

That's definitely the way to do it if you're traveling anywhere near Easter! We can normally do the drive from Gloucester County to WDW in 16 hrs but we don't normally travel during peak season. Last Easter was a nightmare driving during the day. The trip home took 21 hours! Once nightfall hit, the roads cleared and we had smooth sailing, even through Richmond. This Easter we know better. Have a great trip!

We're leaving the 28th from Burlington County. Our son is only 2 so we stayed clear of most spring breaks!! It's also a Tuesday so I'm hoping we do fine with any traffic.

 

[Tallent]

sorry, double post

 

[DJFan88]

I'll be the only driver so we are taking our sweet time--Leaving central MD on a Wed early afternoon and stopping in Fayetteville, NC (a bit over 5 hours) for the night. Leaving again after breakfast and planning on driving down to Jacksonville, FL (again around 5 hours). The next day (Fri) we supposedly have about a 2.5 hour drive to Disney. Does anyone have any idea what traffic in the Jacksonville area and 95 in that area is like? Would like to be on the road that day no later than 9. Thanks!

Wish I had some encouraging words for you. That stretch is always very trafficky (is that a word?). 9 seems like you're right in the heightened time of it. We usually approach that area around 6-8 and it's already crazy. But, maybe the later time will work better, I don't know.

 

[Tallent]

Wish I had some encouraging words for you. That stretch is always very trafficky (is that a word?). 9 seems like you're right in the heightened time of it. We usually approach that area around 6-8 and it's already crazy. But, maybe the later time will work better, I don't know.

I got the same opinion from a friend in FL so decided to redo the route--Md, to Florence, SC, to Lake Mary. Hoping traffic is better from there! Only 45 min away...still not sure if we should leave around 8 or 9 or if it makes a difference.

 

[DHSTL]

We are going to try driving to WDW this time instead of flying, and I had a few questions from people that have done it before. We will be leaving Saint Louis Wednesday May 28th in the morning, early enough to miss rush hour in Atlanta. I would like to make it to Gainesville, FL the first day and leave a short drive on to WDW the next morning. According to Waze it is around 12hrs and 45mins. to Gainesville and according to Goggle Maps it's around 14hrs and 20mins are these somewhat accurate? I also read somewhere on trip advisor that it's best to take 75 through
Atlanta rather than taking the 475 around because of semi-truck traffic, is that accurate? Also is there a certain road to take once in Disney area to make sure you go under the welcome to Walt Disney World sign? Some friends of ours went another route when they did the drive and came in on another road and missed the sign. That sign is one of our highlights when we fly and come in on the Magical Express. Any other pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Tim

 

[dayvewc]

Any info?

I'm planning to drive from outside Memphis and looking at cutting across Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia with a right turn at Atlanta. Google puts this at about 12 1/2 hours, but very little is interstate. I normally drive down 55 to 10 then across to 75 (?) and down which from experience is 18 hours drive time. (Google maps this at 14 1/2 hours. )

So can I expect the diagonal route to take about 16 hours? And does anyone have experience with the road quality?

Thanks

 

[glocon]

Avoid any times anywhere near rush hour by Atlanta!!! It can add hours!!!

 

[dayvewc]

Avoid any times anywhere near rush hour by Atlanta!!! It can add hours!!!

Thanks!! I don't have the map in front of me right now, but if memory serves it was estimating that I'd hit Atlanta after about 6 hours, so close to 11 pm based on when I'll be able to leave after work. I'd like to get all the way in to Florida before I stop for the night, just not entirely sure if the calculation for the travel times is correct and if the roads are good. Last time I drove, I got routed onto a dirt path through someones farm!!! I kid you not. I kept expecting to see someone chasing me with a shotgun and the sound of banjos in the distance.

It's why I'm looking at an alternative route this time.

 

[jwoods703]

I was hoping there would be a page like this, I'm driving from Northern Virginia roughly 30 minutes from D.C.; mapquest said it should take 13.5 hrs to get there. Is that roughly accurate, what are some tips you could lend my way as this will be the first time I've driven this long with a 5yo.

There will be 3 adults but only 2 driving (myself and my sister in law)I told my wife I would like to leave around 8-9 pm the night before arrival to have the 5 yo sleep most of the trip(but how likely will that be as she will be hopped up on Disney goofballs). I'm working a nine hour shift, coming home showering and leaving. My sister in law is driving the first 5 hour leg so I can rest, then I'm driving straight through. At the very least it should be interesting...

Edit:
Also if anyone who is seasoned at this knows of better rest stops along route 95s for restroom breaks and quick meals I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!