Here's our plan...comments...suggestions?

[mrsv98]

I posted this on the transportation board without luck so I thought I would try it here!

We are driving to WDW for the first time in Feb. We leave from the northwest burbs of Chicago and have sketched out a plan and would like some feedback. We have a 2 1/2 yo DD and have purchased a DVD player for her so that should keep her happy.

The plan is such:

Thursday afternoon: Have the van packed and ready to go for DH's return from 1/2 day of work. Leave by 2 pm. Drive as far as the border of Tenn. to stop for the night. We will take a break or two along the way.

Fri: Up as early as I can roust them from bed to drive thru Tenn and Georgia to the FL border. I would like to be able to stop early enough to let DD play/maybe go for a swim after having been in the van for so long.

Sat: Up and at 'em (don't think I will have trouble getting them up this close to WDW!) to be at the Villas of WL around lunch time.


Well, what do you think oh wise ones of the DIS? Any recommendations in terms of route? TIA for any and all advice!

 

[debster812]

I cannot help with your route, me being a New England girl and all, but the timing sounds OK. If your DD is ANYTHING like my DS, some of the time in the van, she will be snoozing. TO this day, if you get my DS in a moving vehicle around 12:30-1:00pm or around 7:30 pm, he will just CRASH. And he's 5 and a half.

The portable DVV player is a great idea too, I am trying to borrow one from work for our trip.

Sounds like a plan, and as long as Mother Nature cooperates, at least until you are a little further south, you should be good to go.

 

[BounceyOne]

What we do with the TV in the car is, not turn it on right away. We start our journey without it, so a few hours later when the children are getting bored we bring out the TV.
Just a suggestion.

 

[denisem]

I've driven Detroit area to Orlando more than once (we won't discuss my one 24-hour straight-thru drive...was NOT the greatest plan, even with 4 adults and a comfortable car ).

Your plan looks doable. Your first day (with the late 2 pm start) looks a bit daunting; but as mentioned above, if your daughter zonks out while riding and y'all don't mind driving after dark (I actually prefer it), you'll get alot of miles behind you, weather permitting.

Denise < ---- never has a problem meeting a schedule getting DOWN there; it's the "coming home" where I drag my feet a bit

 

[CamColt]

Not sure how long your total trip will be but we have found driving 24 hours straight works very well for us. We dont plan much for arrival day except a dip in the pool, washing up to refresh and then dinner. Then we get a good nights sleep that night and we are ready to start fresh, bright and early, getting a full day in the park. Our original plan for our first drive was to stop overnight and get to WDW midday, however we much preferred just getting there, and then relaxing. We have done this when the kids were 4 1/2 & 20 months, and 5 1/2 & 2 1/2. they handled it very well both times.
Good luck!

 

[EROS]

With the low cost fares these days, I'd FLY!!!!! ........

 

[Dan Murphy]

No comments on the drive, mrsv98, never did it, but want to extend an invitation for our mid-winter Chicago DIS meet, probably late January, for a Lion King IMAX day. We're neighbors. And also what a nice picture of your daughter, so very cute. Enjoy your trip to the World, hope to see you there some time over the days ahead. I get in around noon or so.

 

[AMClvsMKY]

Well,
I have made that trip many times from the south sub's ( by Joliet ) I think you will probally be driving deep into the night to make it to the Tenn border. Our last trip we left @ 5pm and drove until about 1am and barely made it over the Kentucky border. We are not slow drivers and stopped only once or twice or potty breaks. We usually leave around 6 am and make in about 3/4 thru Tennessee before stopping for the night around dinner time. Hope that helps. We have had a tv/vcr combo for the boys and that has worked out great.

Which route are you planning on taking? We would take US 30 to I-65 in Indiana to I-24 in Nashville to I-75 in Cattanooga to the FLorida Turnpike to I-4 west

Any other questions - just ask

 

[mrsv98]

Thanks for all the input!

AMClvsMKY -- Does it really take that long? I remember it being about 6 hours to the border of KY and then not very long across the short part of the state. Hmm, maybe we should just shoot for the KY border and be happy with that. We will most likely go over the Skyway onto I-65 and then straight thru Indiana. We live slose to 53 so getting to the SKyway via 290 is pretty easy. From there, I think we will follow your route to FL.

EROS -- DH is 6'3" and airplanes are torture for him! No flying for us.

Dan -- Thanks for the invite. I am dying to see Lion King on IMAX and DH has never seen it so it would be great. Are you thinking of going to the Regal? We leave on Jan 30 so before that is great for us. Thanks for the kind comments about DD. She surely is a Disney girl and can't wait to get back to the World! (Just like her Mama )


debster812 -- We have the only child in America who won't sleep in a moving vehicle!! Last time we came home from Door County, she wouldn't sleep, so it was the "Bear in the Big Blue House" cd for 5 hours!!!! At least with the DVD player, we can have some variety and DH and I can use it in the hotel room.

CamColt -- I am a "Straight-through kind of person myself, but DH is not so we will break it up. I think coming home we may only stop one night tho.

BounceyOne -- I like that idea. We can play some music and give her a new little toy at first and then start the movies.