HELP!! All you 'No. NJ-to-WDW' drivers: need quick replies...

[kimmar067]

We are leaving for WDW on Friday morning, or so I thought. I had wanted to leave by 9AM and drive for about 12 hours. Now, my DH wants to possibly put in a few hours of work (He and his brother are partners - they are self-employed in the construction biz) before we leave. I was trying to convince him that, if we left early enough, we would miss the NJ 'down-the-shore' traffic, but also miss rush-hour traffic for the Washington DC area....insights, suggestions, opinions welcome.....

 

[tmt martins]

No big deal with the DC area it's a back up from 6:00am until 8:00pm everyday and friday will be worse.I would try to talk him into leaving earlier in the morning rather then later.

 

[kimmar067]

...ewwwwww, THAT'S not helping.... ...any other suggestions??!?!?!

 

[postalcop]

we drove downback in april. we left on a friday. we left about 3:30 am, so we could miss dc traffic. we did hit it but only for about 10-20 min. it wasnt to bad. think we got there about 6:30am. i think it was worse coming home from dc- baltimore. and that was on a sunday! but your best bet is the earlier the better!

good luck
~sue

 

[PortieOwner]

DC can be okay between 10am and 2pm some weekdays, especially on a Friday in the summer when everyone is on vacation. I'd say leave at 11am, drive really fast, and say a lot of rosaries that you get by DC before the traffic builds because you can be in slow traffic from the Beltway to Richmond otherwise.

Consider Rt. 301 as an alternate to I-95 as well as I-81.

 

[Nienor]

Probably not the suggestion you're looking for, but have you considered leaving late on Friday night and driving straight through? If you leave around 8 - 9 PMish, you'll be after the shore traffic and hit DC in the middle of the night. You would arrive in Orlando by 6-7 pm, if you don't make too many stops. My DH and I have done this several times, both just as a couple and with a small child. IMO, works better than stopping.

 

[kimmar067]

Probably not the suggestion you're looking for, but have you considered leaving late on Friday night and driving straight through? If you leave around 8 - 9 PMish, you'll be after the shore traffic and hit DC in the middle of the night. You would arrive in Orlando by 6-7 pm, if you don't make too many stops. My DH and I have done this several times, both just as a couple and with a small child. IMO, works better than stopping.

...years ago, we had left on Friday night at 7:10 PM, drive straight thru
(stopping 4 times, including South-of-the-Border), and arrived at DxL at around 2:45PM on Saturday. This was during Presidents' Week - we BOTH worked all week, and, after that TIRING drive, I vowed NEVER to go straight thru again.....

 

[kimmar067]

...bumping...for more replies...keep 'em coming.....

 

[kimmar067]

No big deal with the DC area it's a back up from 6:00am until 8:00pm everyday and friday will be worse...

...you got THAT right...I didn't know what was worse...the ga-ZILLION cars or the construction!!?!?!??!

 

[kimmar067]

DC can be okay between 10am and 2pm some weekdays, especially on a Friday in the summer when everyone is on vacation. I'd say leave at 11am, drive really fast, and say a lot of rosaries that you get by DC before the traffic builds because you can be in slow traffic from the Beltway to Richmond otherwise.

Consider Rt. 301 as an alternate to I-95 as well as I-81.

...wish I had listened to THIS piece of advice.....