How do you split your drive to WDW?

[Princess4Eeyore]

Hi There ... We have driven to Disney 3 times but this time there is more of us, so we wont be staying with friends on the way. We are using I-75 and was thinking about driving as far as possible the first day. I would like any suggestions for a great place to stop/stay. Also, do you think we need more than a nights rest ... we are from SW Ontario (betw Kitchener and London).

Thank You ...

 

[Teresa Pitman]

We've been about nine times, most of them driving.

We have done it in both two days and three days. We can do it in two days if it is pretty much all adults but usually take three with kids.

When we do three days, we stop in Kentucky near the Kentucky Horse Park the first night, and then somewhere south of Atlanta on the second night.

If we're doing two days, we try to get to north Georgia for the first night.

We use the Along the I-75 book and it is very, very helpful.

Teresa

 

[Susan--Ontario]

We gone so many times down I-75 that I can tell you where all the restrooms and Cracker Barrels are situated.

We have left on the Friday night and stopped in southern Ohio. Then southern Georgia/Northern Florida the next day and then just a few hours into orlando on the Sunday.

We usually leave at 3:00 in the morning the first day (we live 6 miles north of London), get well into Georgia and then get to Disney the next day. We have a 3 year old and a 10 year old. My DH does most of the driving too.

Our children travel best in the middle of the night or after supper. We now have a van with a DVD player. That has been heaven sent.

It's all in your perspective too. When we hit Cincinnatti on the way home, we feel like we're almost home when it is still 6 hours away. We plan stops every few hours and we always have unplanned stops as well as my two children always get car sick.

Try and plan your travel so that you're not hitting the major cities at rush hour.

I can help you a bit with that.

Detroit is 2 hours from London
Cincinnatti is 6 hours,
Knoxville is 10 hours,
Atlanta is 13 hours.

Hope this helps.

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Thank You Teresa and Susan. So far, we have decided on a one night stay ... still not sure where because we want to drive as far as possible the first day. Its hard to plan because we will be leaving Thanksgiving(American) night .. we did this before and it was not busy at all but you just never know. I would like to only have about 6 hours or so to drive the next day ... where would that be ... or do you think that it too much driving for the first day. We have 3 drivers, so that makes it easier. Kinda confused. Also, do you book a hotel in advance? Any suggestions? Thank you again for the help

 

[Susan--Ontario]

It's definetely doable. I also like to drive as far the first day because it makes it easier the next day to tell the kids that we only have a short (if you call 6 hours short) drive and we'll be at Disney. We never book a hotel. however, one Easter weekend, we left on the Thursday night and ended up driving straight through because we couldn't get a hotel room. By the time we could my DS who was 8 months old woke up. I told my DH that I wasn't getting a hotel room at 2:00 in the morning to stay up with a wide awake baby. I would book one if I was driving on the American thanksgiving. That way 1) you have a definite destination and 2) you won't have any surprises. Make sure though that they know you will be arriving late. Make sure your destination is far enough along that you won't regret stopping early.

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Hey Susan ... Thanks soooo much .... I will do some research today and see where we will stop for the night! Do you know where the six hour mark is approximately at? I can figure it out on mapquest tho - I think

Have a great day

 

[Susan--Ontario]

It's about 6 hours from Atlanta. I would try for something past Atlanta so that you aren't going through there during rush hour the next morning. We like to stay at Hampton Inns because they have a breakfast bar that is quite good.

Macon GA is about 5 hours from Disney.

 

[SnowWhite]

We leave Peterborough and don't make a stop until we see the mouse! Then we can rest for an hour then out and about!!!!!! I'll rest when I get home from vacation.


Rob (Snowwhite's DH)

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Thanks again Susan ... I think we will be stopping just after Atlanta.
SnowWhite No stops ... wow ... I think I could do it but not sure about the rest of the gang ... Have a great day!

 

[maryliz]

What time are you planning on heading out that first day? The last time we drove, we left London ON at 4AM, arrived at the Georgia Welcome Centre around 7PM, and drove until we were around Macon GA. This included stops for breakfast, lunch, and supper, and rest areas for the kids to run around a bit.

We've stopped in southern TN before, however it makes a really long second day of driving.

Coming home, we don't usually get away from WDW until 9:30AM or so, and we almost always stop at exit 141 in TN - great Comfort Inn there - so 20 miles south of the KY border. Usually try to leave the hotel by 7:30AM and home in London by early evening that second day.

Our kids have been doing this drive since they were 5 months old, and we've never needed a second night on the road. I agree with Susan's suggestion about a hotel for that particular weekend. I've been caught on Easter weekend with no place to sleep !

It's such a great drive ... we really love doing it ! And if you have more than 2 drivers, it will make it sooooo easy.

MaryLiz

 

[Teresa Pitman]

We'll be going on Thanksgiving weekend as well! Hey, maybe we'll see you there!

We are planning to book a hotel this time, even though we don't usually, because of the holiday weekend. We went once on the Memorial Day weekend (didn't even know about that holiday) and spent about 3 hours trying to get a hotel room. We did eventually find one, but I did not enjoy the long search.

Teresa

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Hi and Thanks for the great info.

Maryliz: We are planning leaving our home around 3am (at least). Thank you for the time info ... I just hope there is not much traffic or construction. O am sure it will be fun nevertheless.

Teresa: We will be at Disney the same time ... Yay! When are you driving down? Hope to see you there

 

[Teresa Pitman]

We haven't decided. Our group consists of me, number 3 son (age 23), number 1 son (age 28), number 1 son's wife and their two children (my grandchildren) ages almost 4 (celebrating his 4th birthday in WDW) and almost 1.

We would normally do the trip in 3 days because of having young kids. But, since we do have 4 drivers, we are considering trying to drive all night and just stop one night somewhere in south Georgia.

Our first night in WDW is Sunday, November 27 (POR). Our plan was to arrive in Orlando sometime on the 26th, stay that night in a cheap hotel nearby, and then go to POR early in the morning, check in, and head to the park.

So, if we end up doing the 3 days, we would be leaving the morning of the 24th, driving that day, the 25th, and getting to Orlando on the 26th.

If we decide to try the drive all night plan, we were thinking we'd leave around suppertime on the 24th, drive through the night and stop around suppertime on the 25th, stay over and then go the rest of the way on the 26th.

Does any of that make sense?

We're leaving from Guelph, by the way - an hour or so behind.

Teresa

 

[CharlesTD]

We have driven all but 2 or 3 since 96 and we usually stop near Valdosta it is far enough that our next day is a short drive to WDW. We leave home around 7 PM that way the kids sleep all nght and we wake them up in Georgia at the welcome centre. We then stop in Macon at the rest stop at the Macon bypass then around Valdosta we stop for the night. We usually arrive there around 3 or 4 in the afternoon so everyone gets to have a relaxing evening and a good nights sleep in a bed and get up early for the short drive to the world. Our kids have been making this drive woth us since the age of about 8 months old for the youngest 2 and the age of 3 for the oldest one.

 

[digskat]

We are from about 1.5 hours Northwest of you, and when we drove in November, we stopped in Macon, Georgia. This time (in 21 days) we are hoping to stop in Marietta, Georgia. Buy the Along the I75 book, it is definitely worth it, giving advice on lane changes, off-ramps, restaurants, etc. I am hoping to leave around 4AM the first day, stopping at supper time, and startiing at 5AM the next day, getting through Atlanta before rush hour, and to Disney by lunch.

 

[Princess4Eeyore]

Thanks everyone I really appreciate the help.