How many days to drive to WDW from Toronto?

[SandraC]

Hi, still thinking about one driving trip and one flying trip this year. Right now, if dh can get the time off, I'm working on Dec 26 to Jan 5, so that's 11 days. I don't know how many days I should bank to get there and back. I thought about one night stop there and two nights stops home. What do you suggest?

 

[madonna31]

Driving is one of our FAVOURITE ways to travel to WDW! Just taking in some of the other great US states - is just oh so cool! We have driven like 20 times now.

We stop 2 nights (there and back) so your on the road for about 10 hours the first day, 9 or so the second and that way the third day you only have about 4 or 5 so you can be in WDW by lunchtime, and check in, if the room is not ready- grab a bite.

The last time we flew to WDW was aboard Royal Airlines. They had delayed us on the way back to TO from the Orlando airport from 7:00 in the morning until - are you ready for this? 10:30 at night!!! My mother is a diabetic - needed her insulin (which was already checked) and they wouldnt let us get it. It was an absolutely horrible experience. They kept delaying it only a hour or two at a time as well, so we couldnt even like go out for the day and come back later....needless to say we havent flown to Florida since.

If I were you I would purchase the book called 'Along the Interstate 75' I know that you can find it at Chapters, it lists EACH AND EVERY exit, restaurant/hotel etc along the way. Plus kids will enjoy flipping along as you 'pass' that exit - it makes the time go by faster for them.

Be sure to stop at the Florida welcome center and get the freshly squeezed Florida orange juice - you cant beat it! Also stop at the Disney welcome centre in Ocala Florida. When you drive into the world - be sure to put on their radio station ( I dont know what the number is - but there are signs EVERYWHERE for it) - your kids will love this one!

If you have any questions - feel free to email me!

Enjoy!

 

[SandraC]

Thanks Christine! Do you have kids? I have two, dd almost 8 and ds almost 2. I really really really would love a break just after Christmas and driving to WDW is one the things I have been thinking about doing. Any tips you have about directions and routes would be most helpful. I think if we go, we'd leave Dec 27 and get home on Jan. 4th or 5th so that's 9 - 10 days. I thought one night stop over on the way there and two on the way back might work. I haven't driven to Florida since I was around 13 years old. I remember it was loooooong, but we survived. THANKS! S

 

[TimNDansMom]

Hi Sandra, we are also thinking of driving down to Orlando between the same time as you are at Christmas! Dh has two weeks off at Christmas and doesn't want to sit around for two weeks. (He wants to golf!)

I have been looking into hotels on the internet but have not, as yet, booked anything or called CRO to see what deals are still available at WDW then. It's the days between Christmas and New Years that will be the most expensive.

I'm in a quandry of what to do because of the state of the economy=Dh's job security, the loonie etc. plus the kids don't want to go back to Disney "again!" (see my signature for our WDW visits).

Dh and I were there last November when the decorations were going up and the Osbourne Family Lights were lit and they were all so beautiful. It wouldn't take much for me to load up the van on a moments's notice and drive down there even if we couldn't make up our minds until the very last minute!

Originally I was planning for March Break again, which I'd still like to do, but Christmas is VERY tempting. And we would have extra days to relax more since the kids will be out of school for the two weeks too!

Madonna31, we do pretty much what you do when driving down--make two stops-- so we get into Orlando in the afternoon--but can make it back home with one stop in Knoxville depending on how much time we want to spend in Florida. I highly recommend "Along I-75" too.

 

[madonna31]

Hi Sandra!

Nope - no kids here, getting married April 20 - Honeymooning in DW at GF....then after that I can think about kids...lol!

You know when I was 13 - the drive took FOREVER - but for some strange reason when your older - it doesnt seem nearly half as long!

I highly recommend the I75 route (as timndansmom and I mentioned) I would REALLY invest in the' Along the I75' book.

The 95 route is WAY nicer (and about 1 hour shorter), but not as convienient with restroom stops/restaurant/hotel selection as I75...with two little ones - this will be a high priority!!!

On 95 - you could go for an hour with no exits...to long of a stretch of highway for my liking if something should happen...Last time we drove, our car broke down in Kentucky on I75 - with so many exits - as a result, all that happened is we were delayed about 1 1/2 hours. We found a dealership/mechanic within like 15 minutes who was able to fix the problem.

Oh and 1 stop on the way back is totally do-able (sp).

 

[TimNDansMom]

Madonna31, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I've heard that about I-95 too. My next door neighbours spend their winters in Florida and took that route one year. They found it much harder to find accomodation. Also, it's not a recommended route during winter because of the mountains. I'd like to try it one year during the better weather.

Sandra, you will find I-75 much better for stops for your family. It's so nice to be able to pull off at short notice to take a break etc. "Along I-75" will also show you alternative routes to take around the big cities if you need/want to or what exit to get off at to bypass an accident, road construction etc. instead of sitting in a traffic line-up. There is tons of info in this book! Go to Chapters or Indigo and take a look through a copy and you will see what I mean. It's a little pricey--I think the 2002 copy is up to $28.00 or so now, but it's worth it!

 

[madonna31]

Timndans - thanks for the congrats!

The I 95 is really beautiful throughout the Virginia mountains (beware: lot of ear popping)
I dont recommend this route with children or people with disabilities and/or special needs...and definetely NOT during the winter!!

But boy is it ever BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 

[kristas mom]

We drive every year and really enjoy it believe it or not. We have 4 children ages 4-10, we put a tv-vcr in and gameboys etc. we live about 1 1/2 hours north or T.O. We always drive to Windsor after school, stay over and then to Sweetwater (sp) Tennessee and then to Florida after breakfast the next day. We put in about 10 hour days, the last few are difficult, but we arrive about 8p.m.
we are a very busy family and this way my husband can`t escape, and we do alot of catching up during this time. i personally wouldn`t want to do it on a shorter trip, we usually go in March and take almost 3 weeks for our whole trip.

 

[DSNY FN]

We will be driving for the second time in 3 years this Dec we love the drive we will have our 2 DD one 5 the other 6 months old it will be their first drive down but we can't wait we stop in Georgia for the night and then leave the next morning around 9 AM and stop at the welcome centre for free fresh Florida orange juice.
Darren

 

[SandraC]

Thanks all! I really hope dh can get a significant amount of time off to go around Christmas. I just can't imagine my kids staying still and happy in a car for 10-12 hours at a time (breaks of course). I've driven twice as a young teen and we took I95 because I lived in Montreal and that's the route. But I would like to take I75 for the change and it would take me thru states I've not seen. I imagine the drive TO WDW okay because it's something to look forward to, but I think the drink home would be torture. We are still going in April, but we are trying to fit in two trips with year. Thanks all, I love your input.

 

[TimNDansMom]

LOL, Sandra. I know this is a typo, but I would think that your "drink home" wouldn't be torturous at all!

 

[SandraC]

LOL! I laughed out loud at that one! OOPSS! Drinking all the way home would make the time fly ~ as a passenger of course. But since one glass of wine makes me goofy, I'll stick to DRIVING home!

 

[my3princesses]

We usually stop in Tennesse on the way down on 75 and then somewhere in Virgina on the way up on 95 - this gives us a change of scenery as as beautiful as it is through Tennesse all those rolling hills can get boring after awhile. We did drive straight in university once though I think it took us 22 hours which wasn't bad as we took turns and we didn't have a lot of time. Be careful of those great Virginan mountains however as we were stuck for over an hour on one once with black-iced roads and turned over transport trucks. Needless to say we did this when we were without kids. Now we fly (and I still would today). Even though my kids are really well behaved I couldn't put them (and myself) through all that driving and they love to fly. We might attempt it in a few years when they are older - and maybe we might rent a motor home to do it so we can move around.

 

[MichelleTO]

HI Sandra C
Driving can be done in 2 days. We have done it with young kids, 2,3,5, 8. Not all in 1 car. This was back in 96 when we did a big family trip with my brothers family. Our half way mark was Wyetheville , West Virginia. A great place to stop overnight with lots of hotel choices and restaurants right off the highway. We had lots of little things to entertain the kids and a cooler for lunch and snacks. Good news about the bond and story in the mag! The nice thing about driving is getting to see all the scenery iand states all the way down. A great way for your oldest to learn some US geography.Ii am jealous, I would love to go down at CHristmas.

 

[SandraC]

Thanks all! Hi Michelle! Emily says hello to Hilary! It's not a for sure thing about driving around Xmas, I want to go, it's talking dh into it that's hard. With Canada 3000 I think I'm SERIOUSLY considering driving more and more. THX S