How do you prepare yourself for the drive?

[Surfinpiratee]

We'll be coming from Illinois, and were thinking of leaving around 8pm or so. We'll hopefully be able to take naps on the way down. It's just DBF and I. So for those of you that drive through the night, how do you prepare yourselves? Or even if you're not driving totally over night, how do you prepare for the long drive ahead of you? What do you bring for snacks and drinks?

 

[pepe of ohio]

We'll be coming from Illinois, and were thinking of leaving around 8pm or so. We'll hopefully be able to take naps on the way down. It's just DBF and I. So for those of you that drive through the night, how do you prepare yourselves? Or even if you're not driving totally over night, how do you prepare for the long drive ahead of you? What do you bring for snacks and drinks?

Nothing can really prepare you.... We don't do energy drinks.... We break a few minutes during gas and restroom stops....

We just returned last week from a 1050 mile drive... We laid over for 4 hours at the Florida Welcome Center.... Then got into WDW at 4 am....

Going home, we switched off drivers when tired, just the wife and I ... Going home drive is worse because there's nothing exciting about leaving and heading home....

For us, extra naps don't help, we used the old CB radio for excitement ( haven't had that out in 30 years)....good luck

 

[cemeb4dk]

Depending on the day you leave, and where in Illinois you are, remember Atlanta is approximately 12 hours from Chicagoland area. You don't want to hit Atlanta morning rush hour. As far as tips go, I usually play mental road games with myself as far as watching the miles to a bigger city and seeing if I am still at a pace I chose or not. Little things like that to keep the mind going. Make stops when you have to, and the biggest thing is don't push it you can always stop at a rest stop or something to rest for an hour or so just to take the edge off.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

Depending on the day you leave, and where in Illinois you are, remember Atlanta is approximately 12 hours from Chicagoland area. You don't want to hit Atlanta morning rush hour. As far as tips go, I usually play mental road games with myself as far as watching the miles to a bigger city and seeing if I am still at a pace I chose or not. Little things like that to keep the mind going. Make stops when you have to, and the biggest thing is don't push it you can always stop at a rest stop or something to rest for an hour or so just to take the edge off.

Thanks! We should be getting to Atlanta around 9am, so maybe we'll catch the very end, but that's okay

 

[Ashlander]

We drive through the night every trip to Disney - makes the time go by much faster and the kids sleep

I always have a cooler of cold drinks, I get some 5 hour energy drinks, peanuts, blow pops (those really help me stay awake) and gum. Those are my staples. That and good radio/music to listen to. Luckily we have satellite radio so there are always lots of options. I can normally make is quite a few hours without needing to stop and switch with my husband - he nods off a lot easier than I do.

I also try to get regular sleep for a few days before we leave so I'm not already exhausted.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

We drive through the night every trip to Disney - makes the time go by much faster and the kids sleep

I always have a cooler of cold drinks, I get some 5 hour energy drinks, peanuts, blow pops (those really help me stay awake) and gum. Those are my staples. That and good radio/music to listen to. Luckily we have satellite radio so there are always lots of options. I can normally make is quite a few hours without needing to stop and switch with my husband - he nods off a lot easier than I do.

I also try to get regular sleep for a few days before we leave so I'm not already exhausted.

Thanks! Yeah my boyfriend and I ate going to switch off during the night and the passenger isn't going to sleep so we can talk to each other and stuff

 

[chartle]

We just clean out the car and pack some water no snacks we never eat them .

We listen to podcasts from NPR like Car Talk or Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Each show is around an hour, so instead of thinking about how many hours to go its more like how many shows to go.

I also pull up some Disney Park radios stations on my phone and listen to that until my family gets sick of it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Audiobooks are great for long drives.

 

[nilseks]

If you do coffee or energy drinks, make sure you are 'fully loaded' and alert when you hit the mountains and hills in Tennessee. Depending on where you are coming from, we left Chicago about that time a few years ago and hit TN in the dead of night when we were really tired. Driving through that area is tough.

Once the sun comes up and we hit Atlanta and I'm fine. Safe travels to you!

 

[mjmyers10]

The night before we leave, we order 2 pizzas. 1 to eat for dinner and another to wrap in aluminum foil to snack on the ride down. I also make ring bologna sandwiches.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

If you do coffee or energy drinks, make sure you are 'fully loaded' and alert when you hit the mountains and hills in Tennessee. Depending on where you are coming from, we left Chicago about that time a few years ago and hit TN in the dead of night when we were really tired. Driving through that area is tough.

Once the sun comes up and we hit Atlanta and I'm fine. Safe travels to you!

Nah, we should be getting to TN early morning...hopefully the sun will be rising!

 

[chartle]

Also something to think about. You may think driving through the night is going to save you time, but if it messes up your first day in WDW and you don't do anything its not really saving time.

We do it in two days. Last time we did 6 hours the first afternoon night and then 10 or so the next day. On our upcoming trip, I'm hoping we can get an earlier start on friday so Saturday isn't so bad.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

Also something to think about. You may think driving through the night is going to save you time, but if it messes up your first day in WDW and you don't do anything its not really saving time.

We do it in two days. Last time we did 6 hours the first afternoon night and then 10 or so the next day. On our upcoming trip, I'm hoping we can get an earlier start on friday so Saturday isn't so bad.

We're not really going to do anything in Disney when we arrive. Well probably take a nap! Haha, DTD, explore our resort.

 

[Tamiami]

The night before we leave, we order 2 pizzas. 1 to eat for dinner and another to wrap in aluminum foil to snack on the ride down. I also make ring bologna sandwiches.

Ring bologna is our tradition, too! Just not in sandwiches. We do cut up ring bologna, cut up cheese, and crackers, and just eat as we go. I do NOT stop at restaurants, I'm on a (Disney) mission! Lol. I also pack skittles, M & M's, licorice, and other candy that will keep me occupied (and happy, lol), and LOTS of Diet Mt. Dew. My DD19 and I have made the 1200 mile trip many times over the years, with only me driving. I always make it down going straight through.....the adrenaline keeps me going, usually with only a couple hour nap somewhere. But the trip back is a killer, and I usually have to stop at a hotel for a short nights sleep. This year DD can drive part of it, YAY!! Well..... as I told her, if it's daylight....and not the mountains.....and not bad weather (we're going in December, lol)....and not a big city.... So, basically....northern Florida, LOL.

I also just downloaded a bunch of music.....Disney, showtunes, etc. My DD vetoed audiobooks, she can't stand 'em. Of course, she'll be sitting in the passenger seat enjoying books and movies on her kindle almost the entire way....so I may veto HER veto!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Just don't try too hard to maintain a schedule. Get out & walk around a bit when you stop, and do stop often. IMO, it's the best energy boost you can get.

 

[lilaggie2002]

We are driving straight thru the night this go round. We are located about 15hrs from Disney. Our plan is to leave around 9pm when the boys are asleep and drive straight thru.
We are packing plenty of water, dr. pepper, sunflower seeds, almonds, and M&Ms!
We have downloaded a ton of music from spotify, but also have some audiobooks ready for the long trip.

 

[mikek]

Thanks! Yeah my boyfriend and I ate going to switch off during the night and the passenger isn't going to sleep so we can talk to each other and stuff

sort of off topic but maybe a good warning...

when i was just out of high school i worked at McDonalds and had a bunch of friends there. We would often work the 'closing shift' till ~1:30am and then hop in the car and drive for a road trip. One time there were 3 of us heading to Florida from NJ. The plan was one guy would sleep in the back. One would drive. One would stay awake in passenger seat.

At some point I was in the back and awoke to the car bouncing along on the grassy median of I95. Basically the driver fell asleep and drove off the road. My buddy in the passanger seat said "man that was crazy I just watched you (the driver) drive right off the road". So I smacked him and said "why didn't you wake him?" and he replied "well i would have but i was too tired to say anything".

At that moment of late teenage boy stupidity it was funny. But really could have turned out bad.

Needless to say my wife and I are a bit more careful...

Be safe!

 

[Surfinpiratee]

sort of off topic but maybe a good warning...

when i was just out of high school i worked at McDonalds and had a bunch of friends there. We would often work the 'closing shift' till ~1:30am and then hop in the car and drive for a road trip. One time there were 3 of us heading to Florida from NJ. The plan was one guy would sleep in the back. One would drive. One would stay awake in passenger seat.

At some point I was in the back and awoke to the car bouncing along on the grassy median of I95. Basically the driver fell asleep and drove off the road. My buddy in the passanger seat said "man that was crazy I just watched you (the driver) drive right off the road". So I smacked him and said "why didn't you wake him?" and he replied "well i would have but i was too tired to say anything".

At that moment of late teenage boy stupidity it was funny. But really could have turned out bad.

Needless to say my wife and I are a bit more careful...

Be safe!

Geez! Haha, no worries, we're pretty responsible, and if we're both tired we will pull over!!

 

[hearts8701]

We drive down from the ohare area in chicago my husband does all the driving the day before my husband relaxes all day no work no heavy eating pack up the car with luggage we leave at 7 am stop at a dunkin donuts before we hit the highway and a redbox for a few movies sitting in the passages seat gets boring after a few hours and we're off driving until Tennessee when we stop for gas and a potty break we find a drive thru for lunch nothing heavy we don't want to get too full and tired I grab a few snacks when we stop for gas I try to only grab 1 soda or 1 water for each of us we don't want to stop too many times for potty breaks once we pass Macon Ga we take a nap in a rest stop arriving in Orlando I return my movies at the redbox on 192 we take a nap hitting the park in the evening
One note the day before we leave for home we also take it easy no parks a nice lunch at a resort a short afternoon swim and my husband the only driver heads back to the room to relax I do some last minute shopping at DTD or at our resort in the morning about 5 am we head home stopping at dunkin donuts just before the 75 north exit and we are home that night

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I don't drive overnight but on any long drive I usually plan stops to get some Diet Coke and snacks and to stretch my legs.

I usually bring some 5 hour energy too which helps me. My go to snack lately has been twizzlers. I don't know why I like them when driving maybe because they are chewy and not messy.

I usually have my ipod for music going when I am tired of the radio too.