Hey New York (or NJ or PA) are you Driving to Disney?

[bell.of.the.ball]

I leave in August 15 at 2am and drive to Brunswick GA. The about 3 1/3 hrs the next day to check in at the WL about 11am. How do you plan your drive?

 

[Micka Mouse]

Connecticut here........We are leaving on July 12, and will probably leave around 4 AM (hopefully), and drive until South Carolina. I would leave earlier, but DH isn't crazy about that idea (and since he does most of the driving, I'm at his mercy ). We're going to visit FIL for 3 nights before WDW, so we have 2 extra hours on the road. On the plus side, when we head to WDW on the 16th, we only have a 2 1/2 hour ride !

 

[MinnieTink]

In 2007 we left our home in Northern NJ around 430 or 5 am. We got to St Augustine FL around 8 pm. Slept. Got up the next morning, had breakfast and were checking in at CBR around 10. We unpacked and went to Epcot that day. The down side was the yucky motel. It wasn't a cheapo place, it was just a typical side of the highway thing. I would have rather stayed in the car the extra 3 hours.

In November of 2008, we drove again. (I know, with three kids...glutton for punishment) We left between 8:30 and 9 pm. No stopping. I mean, we stopped to eat and go to the bathroom, but no overnight stops. We arrived at POP around 230-3 o'clock the next afternoon. We just unpacked, got pizza (not NY/NJ Pizza!!!), and were asleep by around 730 pm. We got a great night's sleep and had a great vacation!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We are in Rochester, NY. We have driven it every trip. Our most recent trip (this past November) we left at 3:30 when we picked the kids up from school. We drove straight through (pulling off once for a few hours to let a snowstorm let up). We got in for dinner the next evening. A good dinner and a good nights sleep and we were ready to go the next day. It isn't so bad, we actually enjoy the ride.

 

[xoxorockon1]

we used 2 drive nd we would leave nj at 4am nd at 6pm get 2 savannah ga spend the night nd the next day drive 2 the resort ( probably contemp)

 

[ChasPowl]

We are leaving from Rochester, NY in August and driving to Columbia, SC and then on to WDW the next day. The first night we are staying off-site and then start with FD the next day. This is the first time we are driving and I liked the flexibility we had to change our trip to take advantage of the FD.

 

[laurainsem]

Woop for others driving! We are going Oct 12-20th from the State College, PA area. We will be driving to the Beaufort area and camping overnight. Then we drive about another 7 hours the next day and hope to check into CBR mid afternoon. We sooo can't wait!

 

[korzmom]

just me and dh this time around ,leaving on may 16 and my dh is looking forward to the driving,i'm looking forward for a nice long nap! staying at SSR.

 

[tiggerzpalz]

We are driving in July. Drove last year as well. We plan on again leaving the Jersey Shore around 3am. Last year we pulled into our hotel, for the night, right outside the Disney gates around 10:30pm. Hoping for another good drive this year.

 

[Goofyz3girls]

Right now with the way airfare looks we will be driving down for our July 4th stay.We will leave the night before like we did for our xmas stay.Our start time is 8pm with just fuel and bathroom stops.We do one drivethru breakfast while refueling.We plan on arriving at around 11:30am on the 4th.As my wife puts it we fly low.The best is since 75% of the driving is during the night no problem with the kids.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. We left at 6AM (planned to leave at 5 - oh well). We stopped for breakfast in Virginia around 9:15. Big mistake. It was Sunday morning and EVERYONE goes to IHOP apparently at 9:30 AM. It took us almost an hour and a half. We drove to Florence SC and stayed at the brand new Springhill Suites. Really nice hotel and good breakfast. Left the next morning at 9 and got to All Star Music around 6. We really didn't hit any major traffic but it seemed like it took longer than it should have.

This time we plan to drive to Walterboro SC to sleep and then have around a 5-6 hour drive to Disney, getting there around 3 at check-in.

Going home, we didn't leave the resort until noon and stopped in Santee to sleep. We had eaten at Whispering Canyon the night before and were not feeling too well, so we didn't sleep too well that night.

Still not sure how to do the drive home this time. We'll have a ticket day left, so we may do some park time and then leave for home. Stop in SC again and have a longer second day drive.

We have a Grand Caravan with a TV/DVD player. It's an easy drive for us - both DH and I enjoy driving.

 

[Lynne G]

When it was DH and I we drove straight thru. Left around 6 in the morning Phila. time and arrived at outside Disney at midnight. Took turns sleeping and stopping for gas and food refill. 95 isn't bad, just pack your own music and enjoy the highway.

With the kids, we fly now. Though its going to cost us a few hundred dollars, the time saving is worth the money. I guess it depends on the number of people. We are 4, but my coworker's taking 7, and they're driving 2 cars. Stop in Georgia, then right into Disney.

 

[mjbradeis]

We drove in December, from South Jersey first day we drove 12 hours and made it to Savanah Georgia, second day drove last 4 hours and arrived around noon. On the way home we drove straight thru with a couple of stops to get out and stretch. We are going back in September and planning on doing the same.

 

[java]

We leave sometime between 3-4 and drive to Savanah. Usually get there around 5-6. Leave bright and early the next day- having lunch at Disney.

 

[Peanut&Piglet'sMom]

We've driven from NJ 3 times now and in August it'll be the 4th time!

This year we'll *try* to leave just before dinner time - grabbing fastfood someplace along the way. Hopefully the kids (2 girls, ages 3 and 7) will sleep as my DH does the drive through the night! Naturally we'll make stops to eat, stretch and use the bathroom!

We hope to be in Florida by the morning/early afternoon. Stopping in Daytona for the night and then straight on into Disney the next day.

Our ride home will be without stopping overnight and it's always worked out just fine.

 

[mjbradeis]

We've driven from NJ 3 times now and in August it'll be the 4th time!

This year we'll *try* to leave just before dinner time - grabbing fastfood someplace along the way. Hopefully the kids (2 girls, ages 3 and 7) will sleep as my DH does the drive through the night! Naturally we'll make stops to eat, stretch and use the bathroom!

We hope to be in Florida by the morning/early afternoon. Stopping in Daytona for the night and then straight on into Disney the next day.

Our ride home will be without stopping overnight and it's always worked out just fine.

I have two girls as well 5 & 2.5, I like the idea of making it to Daytona, I may give that a try this September. It is amazing how many people I talk to from Jersey drive down!

 

[PoohNRoo2]

We drove down in Sept. 2004. We left Harrisburg right around dinnertime, grabbed some quick dinner, and stopped south of Richmond around 9:30 pm. Got back on the road between 8 and 9 am the next morning, and unexpectedly drove straight thru to Orlando to stay on International Drive. (We got to Jacksonville at about 4pm, and figured what the heck, may as well just go for Orlando since its sooooo early!) Checked in to CBR at 9am the next morning, and was in the parks by 10!!

We've flown the past two times, but are planning a road trip with our new camper in 2010 to see the Space Coast and WDW. Probably going to follow a similar plan!

Have fun!

 

[NanaV]

DH & I usually leave from Delaware just after lunchtime & drive 6+ hours to somewhere in NC. We then leave early the next morning & drive straight to Lake Buena Vista, arriving around dinner time. We spend our 1st night offsite & check in at WL sometime the next morning, after a leisurely breakfast. This year, we're considering spending our first night at a value resort, if we can get a good deal.

 

[MelanieC]

We are leaving after work on August 6th from near Philly!