How long to drive from Toronto to WDW?

[HansLeuschner]

Does anyone know how long it will take to realistically drive from Toronto to Orlando? (I'm driving with 2 kids and 2 drivers including myself.)

I'm thinking of leaving Friday evening, ~6pm and I hope to arrive late Saturday evening. (>10pm)

This way we could start our trip first thing Sunday morning.

Is this realistic? or am I deluding myself.

 

[rjan67]

Are you driving straight through or stopping over? We live in Sarnia (3 hours closer to I75) and have made it from anywhere from leaving 2:30 in the afternoon and driving straight through and making it by anywhere from 12-4pm in the afternoon the next day. The beauty of Fri is once you are through the first 5pm rush hour there aren't anymore which saves you lots of time. We almost always take I75. We also have 3 kids and have done this since they were 3 months, 2yrs and 4yrs respectively. (they are 6,8 and 10 now). A dvd player and some video games are pretty mandatory if you plan on doing the power drive imho!

Good luck, but it can be done!

 

[Ham Ham]

24-26 Hours of driving time including restroom breaks, fill ups, eating, traffic delays and which route you take.

QEW at that hour will be a mess from TO to Hamilton. Major Construction on the QEW through St Catharines.

Watch out for the deer through PA.

Click on image for google maps route to WDW

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

We just arrived yesterday from Hamilton driving straight through with 3 young kids and it took 21-22 hours. We have done this multiple times and have found leaving around 10-11 am is an ideal time. we get lunch to go at the border at Fort Erie. The only real traffic we hit is Pittsburgh and we stop there for dinner and put the kids in thier jammies. Kids are awake till about 9-10 and they sleep until we arrive in Flordia the next morning. Makes for a nice quiet ride for DH and I. Very little traffic and construction at that time of day and you can make great time. We have a sleep as soon as we get to the hotel, do something in the afternooon and then have early bedtime. The next day we are ready to enjoy!

 

[nokidz]

We just arrived yesterday from Hamilton driving straight through with 3 young kids and it took 21-22 hours. We have done this multiple times and have found leaving around 10-11 am is an ideal time. we get lunch to go at the border at Fort Erie. The only real traffic we hit is Pittsburgh and we stop there for dinner and put the kids in thier jammies. Kids are awake till about 9-10 and they sleep until we arrive in Flordia the next morning. Makes for a nice quiet ride for DH and I. Very little traffic and construction at that time of day and you can make great time. We have a sleep as soon as we get to the hotel, do something in the afternooon and then have early bedtime. The next day we are ready to enjoy!

How was the fuel situation, any problems? We leave on the 15th. It takes us about 22 hours as well.

 

[bdoyledimou]

My family drove down on Aug 1..

Left Toronto at 3:30 pm, took the 407 down to the QEW/Hamilton (no traffic).
Got to the Fort Erie Border crossing at 5:00 (stopped for a break at the duty free). Then Drove through to Erie and stopped at Cracker Barrel at 7:30 for an hour for dinner.

Drove through until 7:am (with a 15 minute stop every two hours for a sanity break aka smoke break) and stopped for IHOP in Georgia.
Then pressed on to Disney World (continuing the 10-15 break every two hours).. Got there at 3:30 PM

So 24 hours with a straight through drive with stops and meals. I was the only driver though.. I expected to get to the resort and crash, but as soon as I pulled into the parking lot, i got some Pixie Dust and a second wind.. didn't sleep until 11:00 pm and was up fresh and ready at 7 am the next morning

Just set cruise control to the speed limit and go with the flow.. don't push yourself.. enjoy the vacation.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

We did the drive from Oakville checked in at a hotel in Kissamee in 19hrs 20 mins once. We only stopped for gas. Went to the bathroom the same time. This was done with no kids lol. The last 2 times we went down it was 21 hrs of driving time plus a night stopover. It can be done straight but we didnt. The route we always go is the one ham ham has posted. If you decide on going I75 add 4hrs to the drive as you have to get to Detroit. We always leave around 5 am that way were through Buffalo before rush hour and just after Pittsbourghs rush hour. We also get to drive through the mountains in the day. Great view. We drive until 7 pm stop for the night then its only a 5 hr drive into Daytona and spend the day at the beach then you can rest the night there and up early for checkin at Disney bright and early. What ever you decide have a great vacation.

 

[bunnyfoo]

We did the drive from Oakville checked in at a hotel in Kissamee in 19hrs 20 mins once. We only stopped for gas. Went to the bathroom the same time. This was done with no kids lol. The last 2 times we went down it was 21 hrs of driving time plus a night stopover. It can be done straight but we didnt. The route we always go is the one ham ham has posted. If you decide on going I75 add 4hrs to the drive as you have to get to Detroit. We always leave around 5 am that way were through Buffalo before rush hour and just after Pittsbourghs rush hour. We also get to drive through the mountains in the day. Great view. We drive until 7 pm stop for the night then its only a 5 hr drive into Daytona and spend the day at the beach then you can rest the night there and up early for checkin at Disney bright and early. What ever you decide have a great vacation.

Hi Trevor! I'm thinking of driving in March with DF. We're probably going to do an overnight stop somewhere. I was wondering how far you were able to get on your first day when you stop at 7pm. I was thinking somewhere just south of DC so we'd miss the rush hour the next day. I do like your idea of stopping at Daytona and getting in a day at the beach

 

[mommytodarlings]

Drove down I75 at Christmas last year.

Left Cambridge at 10:30am on friday and arrived at our rental house near WDW at 11:30am Saturday.

We drove straight through with 4 dks, ages 1 to 5. Stopped to eat a few times for gas/bathroom breaks.

We just got back from flying out of DTW with the 4 kids and would definitely drive down again on our next trip.

 

[Drivercan]

Left Mississauga 8:30 am, arrived in Colombia South Carolina at 11:00 pm after short stops and washroom breaks. We ate lunch in the van (we brought sandwiches) and did a drive through for dinner. Stayed the night in a Sleep Inn.

Left at 9 am and arrived in Orlando around 3:30 pm after being stuck in traffic because of an accident then an hail storm.

 

[Lisa Anne Colling]

How was the fuel situation, any problems? We leave on the 15th. It takes us about 22 hours as well.

The fuel was still on short supply through the Carolinas and Georgia. Took 3 exits past Charlotte to find one with fuel at 2 in the morning. Georgia we fared at bit better, but the station we filled up at was running out and shutting pumps down. Don't let your tank get to low and you will be fine.

 

[Ham Ham]

Wow some of you folks hum right along.
Don't know how an earlier poster was the only one behind the wheel to drive down and non-stop to boot.

Making sandwiches and snacks to eat on the way down is a great way to shave off a few hours of stops.

 

[Csaks]

Does anyone know how long it will take to realistically drive from Toronto to Orlando? (I'm driving with 2 kids and 2 drivers including myself.)

I'm thinking of leaving Friday evening, ~6pm and I hope to arrive late Saturday evening. (>10pm)

This way we could start our trip first thing Sunday morning.

Is this realistic? or am I deluding myself.

Very realistic I think. We did it last year in about 24hrs over two days with both driving. I did the lions share of the driving and Amy took over when I needed a break. We left at 3 in the morning and stopped in Hardeeville SC around 10 at night. That left Georgia and Florida the next day. We stopped when ever we needed to, gas, food or breaks. We were in no hurry but there was a few fellow Canadians in a big hurry though. The way I see it the drive was part of the vacation, unwind on the way down and ease back into the real world on the way back. Plus we had two weeks off, anything less we would fly.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

Hi Trevor! I'm thinking of driving in March with DF. We're probably going to do an overnight stop somewhere. I was wondering how far you were able to get on your first day when you stop at 7pm. I was thinking somewhere just south of DC so we'd miss the rush hour the next day. I do like your idea of stopping at Daytona and getting in a day at the beach

We ended up being on the road for just over 14 hrs we stopped in Orangeburg South Carolina We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. Heres the Location
Holiday Inn Express-Orangeburg loc: 33.555762,-80.825947

They had a great contental breakfast.
We left a Home around 3am I beleive. Wont do that again lol Next time we will do 5am like the time before. 120 to 130 kph (flow of traffic) most the way except in US19 we went 2mph under the posted speed limit. We saw a few Ontario plates pulled over along that stretch. We got up and left the Hotel at 8am and 5 hrs we were in Daytona. We loved Daytona USA and loved the beach. If you have any more question I would gladly offer any info I can.

 

[JackJack08]

We leave at 6pm as well. Kids sleep and then we check into a hotel around 4am. Catch some z's and are back on the road by 10am. It has worked for us the last few times. It should take you 22-24 hours straight, with a few short breaks. Drive safe!!

 

[MCFADDEN5]

We are leaving from the Oshawa area and haven't decided yet, but we are planning to drive until Hardeeville, Columbia or Oragneburg. Does anyone have any suggestions for good hotels.
Thanks

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I use Interstate 75 and take 2 & 1/2 days to drive down because we don't like to rush, we would not want to arrive in the evening on our 2nd day of driving. So on our 1st day we would leave our house at 2:00 AM and drive all the way to Cleveland, Tennessee to spend the night. The next day we would drive to Valdosta, Georgia for the evening and would arrive the next day sometime in the afternoon we would arrive at WDW.

 

[nokidz]

We are leaving this coming Wed morning at about 8am. Earlier if I can talk my wife into it...lol. We will drive straight through and be in Orlando roughly 8am the next morning. We both take turns, switching about every 4 to 5 hours. We will stop somewhere for a nice sit down meal, then other than gas (bathroom breaks) we will be motoring on the interstate. We bring snacks an drinks to cut down on the cost and the stop times.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

We are leaving from the Oshawa area and haven't decided yet, but we are planning to drive until Hardeeville, Columbia or Oragneburg. Does anyone have any suggestions for good hotels.
Thanks

In Orangeburg we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. Very nice hotel and good contenental breakfast. The hotel is very clean. The employees are very nice. It is not the cheapest place but I would not change hotels for anything. We plan on using Holiday Inn express for all our stopovers next trip just as we did last trip. We picked up a book from our local Holiday Inn weeks before leaving for our last trip. It had all the addresses and phone numbers in it for all the chain. We called a few hours out to see if they had room and they held a room for us.

 

[Joe Dirt 1972]

We are leaving from the Bowmanville area Dec 21 2008. I am as green as can be when it comes to driving that far. In the winter is the I75 route the best way to go, or is it ok to take the I95 route that early in the winter.

Second thing I plan on leaving at 1am on the Sunday and driving 14 to 16 hours and get a hotel around 6 or 7 and let the kids unwinded. My kids are 3 and 4 years old and a 5 month old. thank god for the DVD player and leapesters and the DS. Anyways where should I stop i want to book a room now. Then leave the hotel around 8am Monday morning and get to WDW around 4 pm for check in.

Now on leaving coming home what is the best time to leave and what hotel should i stay at or should I do a reverse of my drive down and stay at the same hotel on the way back and drive 14 to 16 hours to reach home.

Please help I want to get my wife and kids a good Christmas in WDW and that includes the drive there and back

HELP