i95- NY/ NJ to disney Q's?

[Jrabbit910]

Hoping some of you have made the trip by car from the NY/ NJ area that can help w/ i95 questions?

Do most of you drive straight thru or do you stop ? for those that drive straight thru what time do you leave? and for those that stop where do you stop? Looking for idea's on what works best for most. Traveling w/ 3 children & Grandparents.

Thanks so much all.

 

[nobellybutton]

We drive down from Northern NJ we leave at various times depends on my work hours for the day before. Last time we drove down was April 2014 we left around 3pm and planned on stopping around 11p-midnight we planned on being in N.Carolina. We didn't hit traffic til Virginia they had overnight construction that left only one lane open. It was a snail crawl for 3hours so we gave in and stopped in Virginia. It was an unexpected stop but nonetheless we made it 12hrs later.

I have also left early hours from NJ. Washington DC/Virginia area try to avoid during rush hour traffic because it's just as bad as our traffic .
I also travelled the 2x's before with my DM who is 64 but has the energy of a 40yr old and my DS who was 12 and DD 6, we plan on doing it again in October. We plan on leaving at night around 8pm I feel like sleeping that night home we will "miss" out on being there earlier .
Just plan for the people you travel with and expect the unexpected leave room for "impromptu" stops . Enjoy the close knit quarters and the family conversations even the "are we there yet???" Have FUN YOUR GOING TO DISNEY!

 

[OKW Lover]

Before we moved, we did the drive from Cape Cod to WDW several times. We would never think of doing it non-stop as its nearly 24 hours on the road for us. Also, we're retired so taking a couple of days to travel isn't an issue. I'd think that starting from NJ you could make it in 18-19 hours straight through. If you feel comfortable doing that, then go for it.

Otherwise, I'd suggest breaking the trip into two even parts. Just use something like google maps to see where you would be half-way. Maybe go a bit further on the first day while you are fresh. You seem to have a good grasp on the traffic issues in the Baltimore/DC/Northern VA area so do what you can to avoid the worst rush hours there. On the second day try to get through Orlando before 3 pm on I-4 to avoid the worst of rush-hour traffic.

You might find some good info on this thread. http://www.disboards.com/threads/for-2-000-mile-round-trip-drivers-only-part-v.3351891/

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

Coming from southern NJ, we've left around six or seven in the AM, making frequent stops (trip 1: seven year old and 4 month old; trip 2: teenager, 7 year old, and 4 year old) and stopping early (five-ish) in Fayetteville and having dinner before crashing early and getting back on the road at 7 or 8 after a Waffle House breakfast. (Waffle House is non-negotiable for my family.)

We usually leave on Saturday and get there Sunday afternoon, which helps with rush hour traffic, but can be a pain with shore traffic in MD and VA, depending on what time of year.

 

[Newsies]

Hey there! I'm about to do the same thing this weekend!

This will be our third time driving down to Disney via i95, 5th or 6th time going down to Florida itself. We usually start our drive at around 1:00 in the morning. By 6:30 the following evening, we usually arrive at Kingsland, Georgia. I recommend the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kingsland. The Kingsland exit itself is rough, but the hotel is cheap, clean, and a great stay for one night. Then, the next morning, we wake up at 7:00 and by 11:00 in the morning, we're at Disney!

Have a great trip and don't forget to eat at some of the cool southern chain restaurants that the i95 has to offer. Zaxby's is the best

 

[jec6613]

It depends where in Jersey. I live in CT, and could not drive it straight through - even timing it perfectly to avoid as much traffic as possible it's still an 18-20 hour drive. But if you're near Trenton, that shaves nearly four hours off of my time, so it's do-able.

For driving, you're driving through a string of major cities pretty much through Virginia, and I'd recommend getting on the road early enough to get those traffic headaches out of the way before stopping on the south side of Richmond - and avoid DC at rush hour at all costs. From where I live, that would mean leaving at 5 PM or so and driving through about midnight.

That still leaves an entire day's worth of driving the next day, but it's not the stressful driving in traffic.

 

[Jrabbit910]

Thanks so much for the tips. I really do appreciate them and now I learned that DC & VA can be traffic packed . Sounds like we are going to stop somewhere. I would love for it to be more then 1/2 way but I just never know what to expect. Ps: nobellynutton- My kids are infamous for the "are we there yet" even just driving around the neighborhood lol lol. I should bet on how many times they ask!!! . Again thank you all so much

 

[amcnj]

I am about an hour and ten minutes from the DE Memorial Bridge. I leave around 2:30 am, pass the DC area 5:30 am and in the Orlando area by 6:30-7:30 pm, depending on traffic weather and stops.

 

[theterms]

We live in NW NJ and have driven so many times, I can't even keep count! We always go straight through - leave home around 9pm and miss all the rush hour traffic. We've done this with our kids since they were very young (2 and 5 was the first time) and have also done it with the dogs. My husband's best time ever was 15 hours

 

[Accident]

If it'll help, check into the amtrak auto-train. They will do most of the travel for you.

 

[Cupmom]

Hey there! I'm about to do the same thing this weekend!

This will be our third time driving down to Disney via i95, 5th or 6th time going down to Florida itself. We usually start our drive at around 1:00 in the morning. By 6:30 the following evening, we usually arrive at Kingsland, Georgia. I recommend the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kingsland. The Kingsland exit itself is rough, but the hotel is cheap, clean, and a great stay for one night. Then, the next morning, we wake up at 7:00 and by 11:00 in the morning, we're at Disney!

Have a great trip and don't forget to eat at some of the cool southern chain restaurants that the i95 has to offer. Zaxby's is the best

What do you mean the exit is rough?

 

[cranbiz]

I would like to know also what you mean by the exit being rough? I have used that exit many times and never felt like I shouldn't have got off there. It's not a high class area but the establishments are usually clean and seem to be safe.

Granted, I'm ready to protect myself and my family but I never felt like needed to be on High Alert like other area's I have stopped in.