Good place to stop?

[saralexander97]

Okay Disers, me DH, DS 12, DS 9, and DD 2 are driving down to Disney in December from St. Louis. Should we stop in Valdosta 14 hours from STL or go to Lake City Fl which is 15 hours. Any suggestions?

 

[pkondz]

I'd like to know this one too.

 

[larryz]

I go on down into FL -- I'd rather be in the state to start my epic drive day into WDW.

But it really doesn't matter - it's only an hour or so more to stay in Valdosta than Lake City. And as far as hotel choices and food places, they're essentially the same.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Lake City!! When we drove down last year we stopped here:

http://www.comfortsuites.com/lake_city-florida-hotels?chain=CS&source=gcsfl990

If you click on the picture, you can see more pictures of this hotel. I loved the decor.

I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. I don't think it had been open to long when we went, and it was nice. The rooms were big, nice and clean, the breakfast was great too.

We are planning on stopping here in May when we go. We only have an 8 hour drive, but we can't leave until after my DD graduates that night so we are getting a late start. I am hoping that we make it to Lake City that night.

 

[nooneshome]

Oh my, it would be hard for me to stop if I were that close to WDW. I get stoked when we get Tallahassee in my rear view mirror. When we get on I-75, my foot gets a little heavier cause if you ain't going 80 you are getting passed by everyone.

 

[imthatgirl]

I would go as far I could.

Actually if I'm being honest, I wouldn't even stop. When we drive, we drive from Boston which is 24hours. We drive straight through.

 

[mickey mouse lover]

If you decide not to go quite that far, there is a great Hampton Inn in Lake Park, Ga. That's right before going into Florida. Turn to your right when you get off the interstate. Have a great trip.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Oh my, it would be hard for me to stop if I were that close to WDW. I get stoked when we get Tallahassee in my rear view mirror. When we get on I-75, my foot gets a little heavier cause if you ain't going 80 you are getting passed by everyone.

I feel the same way, but we won't even be leaving here until 9pm because of her graduating and we will have three, maybe four car loads of us going. That's going to slow us down a little too. I may pass out some 5 Hour Energy drinks before we go!! I am just happy to be getting down there earlier that Saturday because we were going to leave here at 4am that morning!!

 

[Wadecool]

Oh my, it would be hard for me to stop if I were that close to WDW. I get stoked when we get Tallahassee in my rear view mirror. When we get on I-75, my foot gets a little heavier cause if you ain't going 80 you are getting passed by everyone.

I second your comment about driving 80 on I75 just to keep from getting run over. My vote would be for stopping in Valdosta just because over the years those exits have become so common (Tifton,GA is like that too) for travelers to FL that you will have a bigger selection of restaurants, hotels, etc. It has been like that forever even going back to my college spring break trips to Daytona, although I'll admit my priorities were a little different back then.

 

[Traveliz]

We have stopped many times in Valdosta but never in Lake City, FL (that would just be too far for us in Central IL). I really like stopping in Valdosta though - lots of good hotels and places to eat plus the drive the next morning is rather quick.

Liz

 

[acwsmom]

We love stopping in Valdosta and have always stayed at the Comfort Suites there. Great hotel! We stayed there on our way down to WDW in Nov and loved the hotel so much that we ended up cancelling our reservations in Macon for the return trip home so we could stay there again. (Plus, that meant we could leave MK later that next Saturday since Valdosta was closer.)

 

[carly chloe]

We drive from Minnesota and we just try to make it as far as we can so there's less driving the next day. I'd play it by ear- you might get to the town you pick and all the driver's aren't tired. Since my husband's the only driver we usually go about 16- 17 hours.

 

[kerri0616]

We're also from St. Louis! Our strategy revolves around avoiding Atlanta during any point of rush hour! We typically stop somewhere around Valdosta...and with our 2 boys, we have to make several pit stops during the day...so it takes us longer to get south of Atlanta. If you can make it to Lake City, that's awesome! I just don't think we can make it that far.

Now if someone has a strategy for getting to Orlando and completely avoiding Atlanta, I'd like to hear it! We tried driving through the center (stay on I-75) and also going around it on 285 (is that the right hwy #?). No luck. We always seem to get stuck. Don't even try to go through on a Friday evening. You may never arrive!!!

Good luck and happy driving. Maybe we'll see you! We'll look for your MO plates!!

Kerri

 

[mjohnson96]

We come from the Kansas City, KS area and last time we left at 4am and it was the easiest trip we have done. Got out of KS before rush hour and then got back Atlanta the same. In the past we have left later and always stoped outside of Nashville and then again in upper Florida but that time we were able to get past Atlanta before we stopped so we were in Orlando by the next afternoon a day early nice.

We have tried a different route on the way home one year that takes out away from Atlanta so we ended up coming home through Springfield, MO and that was horrible. It was all county roads so half the time we were on roads with a 45-55 mph limit. Never again will we go that route, we just try to hit Atlanta either first thing in the morning prior to rush hour or late in the day after it ends and that has always worked well with us.

Now this year I have to go down a week early with the girls for a wedding so we are flying but I do love to drive and have some family time before we get to the theme parks.

 

[Wadecool]

We're also from St. Louis! Our strategy revolves around avoiding Atlanta during any point of rush hour! We typically stop somewhere around Valdosta...and with our 2 boys, we have to make several pit stops during the day...so it takes us longer to get south of Atlanta. If you can make it to Lake City, that's awesome! I just don't think we can make it that far.

Now if someone has a strategy for getting to Orlando and completely avoiding Atlanta, I'd like to hear it! We tried driving through the center (stay on I-75) and also going around it on 285 (is that the right hwy #?). No luck. We always seem to get stuck. Don't even try to go through on a Friday evening. You may never arrive!!!

Good luck and happy driving. Maybe we'll see you! We'll look for your MO plates!!

Kerri

Now that's the kind of luck I seem to always have driving through Nashville. But yeah, Atlanta can be a mess. The only surefire way I know to breeze through Atlanta is to hit it really early in
the am on a weekend, then it's not bad. Granted we drive straight through (it's a 13 hour drive)
but here's our routine. I'll take a nap on Saturday afternoon while DW finishes packing the
bags, then we load up and leave home around 11pm or so. DW and DD3 will sleep the whole way and we end up hittting Nashville at 1am, and Atlanta at 5am. At around 8am or so we will stop
and eat breakfast, usually in Valdosta, and DW will take over driving while I catch some zzzzz's.
We hit the hotel at around noon on Sunday and just chill out til we do the parks on Monday.
Just talking about it is getting me fired up to go!

 

[travelfanatic]

Fairfield Inn Lake City is very nice.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gnvlc-fairfield-inn-and-suites-lake-city/

 

[delmar411]

Oh my, it would be hard for me to stop if I were that close to WDW. I get stoked when we get Tallahassee in my rear view mirror. When we get on I-75, my foot gets a little heavier cause if you ain't going 80 you are getting passed by everyone.

^^ This.

I was planning on stopping on our drive down if I got too tired but once we hit FL, everyone was driving 85-90mph! Even the truckers got out of everyone's way.

I'm not sure how long the drive is from St.Louis but from Indy it took us 17hrs to get to Disney. We left here at 5:30am and pulled into DTD at 10:30pm.

 

[Wadecool]

^^ This.

I was planning on stopping on our drive down if I got too tired but once we hit FL, everyone was driving 85-90mph! Even the truckers got out of everyone's way.

I'm not sure how long the drive is from St.Louis but from Indy it took us 17hrs to get to Disney. We left here at 5:30am and pulled into DTD at 10:30pm.

Last time we went to FL, I got so excited On the way down I even got a souvenir from a friendly FHP trooper. DW was thrilled about that.

 

[saralexander97]

I go on down into FL -- I'd rather be in the state to start my epic drive day into WDW.

But it really doesn't matter - it's only an hour or so more to stay in Valdosta than Lake City. And as far as hotel choices and food places, they're essentially the same.

Thanks for responding I was wondering because a co-worker drives down to Florida a few times a year and she told me Valdosta was dangerous. But I figured I would bring my questions to the boards for expert advice.

Lake City!! When we drove down last year we stopped here:

http://www.comfortsuites.com/lake_city-florida-hotels?chain=CS&source=gcsfl990

If you click on the picture, you can see more pictures of this hotel. I loved the decor.

I was pleasantly surprised by this hotel. I don't think it had been open to long when we went, and it was nice. The rooms were big, nice and clean, the breakfast was great too.

We are planning on stopping here in May when we go. We only have an 8 hour drive, but we can't leave until after my DD graduates that night so we are getting a late start. I am hoping that we make it to Lake City that night.

May is close =) disney is such an awesome place to go in celebration of an accomplishment such as graduation. Thanks for the link, I will take a look today. Our first day travel tradition is eating breakfast at IHOP. I hope Lake City has an IHOP.

Oh my, it would be hard for me to stop if I were that close to WDW. I get stoked when we get Tallahassee in my rear view mirror. When we get on I-75, my foot gets a little heavier cause if you ain't going 80 you are getting passed by everyone.

We thought about driving through but Im a little worried about DD who will almost be 3, she might get a little restless.

I would go as far I could.

Actually if I'm being honest, I wouldn't even stop. When we drive, we drive from Boston which is 24hours. We drive straight through.

WOW, you guys drive 24 hours, thats amazing. I do not think the kids could handle that. The longest we have been in a car is 14 hours, DD was 1 and she was very unhappy, she kept saying no, no, no.

If you decide not to go quite that far, there is a great Hampton Inn in Lake Park, Ga. That's right before going into Florida. Turn to your right when you get off the interstate. Have a great trip.

Okay thanks, I look it up today =)

 

[saralexander97]

I second your comment about driving 80 on I75 just to keep from getting run over. My vote would be for stopping in Valdosta just because over the years those exits have become so common (Tifton,GA is like that too) for travelers to FL that you will have a bigger selection of restaurants, hotels, etc. It has been like that forever even going back to my college spring break trips to Daytona, although I'll admit my priorities were a little different back then.

A co-worker told me I should not stop in Valdosta, I was confused by her comment because it seemed to me that they had lots of hotels. Ill take a look at Tifton to, thanks

We have stopped many times in Valdosta but never in Lake City, FL (that would just be too far for us in Central IL). I really like stopping in Valdosta though - lots of good hotels and places to eat plus the drive the next morning is rather quick.

Liz

Thanks. How many hours is it for you to Valdosta?

We love stopping in Valdosta and have always stayed at the Comfort Suites there. Great hotel! We stayed there on our way down to WDW in Nov and loved the hotel so much that we ended up cancelling our reservations in Macon for the return trip home so we could stay there again. (Plus, that meant we could leave MK later that next Saturday since Valdosta was closer.)

Awesome, I will check out the Comfort Suites. Is there an IHOP close?

We drive from Minnesota and we just try to make it as far as we can so there's less driving the next day. I'd play it by ear- you might get to the town you pick and all the driver's aren't tired. Since my husband's the only driver we usually go about 16- 17 hours.

He told me he wanted to take turns, but last summer when we went to Colorado he drove the whole time. Id prefer just to ride and take in the scenery

We're also from St. Louis! Our strategy revolves around avoiding Atlanta during any point of rush hour! We typically stop somewhere around Valdosta...and with our 2 boys, we have to make several pit stops during the day...so it takes us longer to get south of Atlanta. If you can make it to Lake City, that's awesome! I just don't think we can make it that far.

Now if someone has a strategy for getting to Orlando and completely avoiding Atlanta, I'd like to hear it! We tried driving through the center (stay on I-75) and also going around it on 285 (is that the right hwy #?). No luck. We always seem to get stuck. Don't even try to go through on a Friday evening. You may never arrive!!!

Good luck and happy driving. Maybe we'll see you! We'll look for your MO plates!!

Kerri

We actually live in Washington, how many hours is it from STL to Atlanta? We will be going down on a Wednesday and plan on leaving at 4amish, but getting three kids up and moving can be challenging.

We come from the Kansas City, KS area and last time we left at 4am and it was the easiest trip we have done. Got out of KS before rush hour and then got back Atlanta the same. In the past we have left later and always stoped outside of Nashville and then again in upper Florida but that time we were able to get past Atlanta before we stopped so we were in Orlando by the next afternoon a day early nice.

We have tried a different route on the way home one year that takes out away from Atlanta so we ended up coming home through Springfield, MO and that was horrible. It was all county roads so half the time we were on roads with a 45-55 mph limit. Never again will we go that route, we just try to hit Atlanta either first thing in the morning prior to rush hour or late in the day after it ends and that has always worked well with us.

Now this year I have to go down a week early with the girls for a wedding so we are flying but I do love to drive and have some family time before we get to the theme parks.

This is the first time driving, typically we fly. But I wanted to experience driving down.

Now that's the kind of luck I seem to always have driving through Nashville. But yeah, Atlanta can be a mess. The only surefire way I know to breeze through Atlanta is to hit it really early in
the am on a weekend, then it's not bad. Granted we drive straight through (it's a 13 hour drive)
but here's our routine. I'll take a nap on Saturday afternoon while DW finishes packing the
bags, then we load up and leave home around 11pm or so. DW and DD3 will sleep the whole way and we end up hittting Nashville at 1am, and Atlanta at 5am. At around 8am or so we will stop
and eat breakfast, usually in Valdosta, and DW will take over driving while I catch some zzzzz's.
We hit the hotel at around noon on Sunday and just chill out til we do the parks on Monday.
Just talking about it is getting me fired up to go!

Looks like you have it planned out, by your ticker you do not have long =)

Fairfield Inn Lake City is very nice.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gnvlc-fairfield-inn-and-suites-lake-city/

Ill check it out thanks =)

^^ This.

I was planning on stopping on our drive down if I got too tired but once we hit FL, everyone was driving 85-90mph! Even the truckers got out of everyone's way.

I'm not sure how long the drive is from St.Louis but from Indy it took us 17hrs to get to Disney. We left here at 5:30am and pulled into DTD at 10:30pm.

For real, per map quest we are about 17 hours from Disney also, what route did you take?