I95 - Sunday after Thanksgiving?

[rbork]

Ok, I've traveled the Sunday after Easter up I95 and traffic was bumper to bumper from FL to SC!!! (hin't: apparently the snowbirds travel on this day too. lol) How is it Sunday after Thanksgiving? Don't alot of people fly? Will the roads be to congested? Maybe I should leave Saturday instead?

 

[Bob P]

I think you're looking at a loooooooonnnnnnggggggggggg drive. The day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are the two busiest travel days of the year, both on the roads and at the airports.

 

[clkelley]

We did the Sunday after Thanksgiving on I-75 back in 2002. NEVER AGAIN!!

Once we hit the Georgia line, we never broke 35-40 MPH until we got past Atlanta heading west on I-20.

A normal 11 hour trip home took us 15-16 hours.

 

[dis-happy]

UGH. Major travel day. Any chance you could leave on Monday instead? Otherwise I would leave bright and early (ie. 5 am) on Sunday and get a head start on the traffic.

 

[boBQuincy]

Bad, *really* bad! Even the Saturday after Thanksgiving is very busy but Sunday is a nightmare.

 

[kimberh]

We used to go to Disney every year on Thanksgiving Weekend... come home to South Carolina on Sunday. It is a nightmare. A 6 1/2 hr trip turns into 12hrs. Once we got off of I-4 to I-95 there were three 5-6 car wrecks in a 7 mile stretch. We never were able to get over 35 miles per hour. Once we entered SC we actually left I-95 and took the back roads home. We were traveling in 3 cars and I said I would never put my family through that again! My son left early Sunday and he didn't have a problem. We left by 11:00 am. It was a long day. This year we are going in mid Dec. I sure hope it is better.

 

[rbork]

urrrh. I was afraid of that. With easy traffic our drive time is ~14.5hours from MD. Seems we had ressies for 10 days prior to moving and starting a new school district that does mind kid's being taken out (never had this problem and liked traveling other times than the busiest holidays and summer. I thought we might abbreviate our trip and arrive Friday before thanksgiving and leave Saturday AFTER thanksgiving. THINK that will HELP with the impending TRAFFIC??? Other than that I'm only left with Spring break, Christmas or Summer, none of which I think are less crowded.

 

[Starr W.]

Why not leave Friday after Thanksgiving?

 

[rbork]

I know we are spoiled. We figure if we are driving 900+ miles and camping at the Fort (this always works well for our Budget!) we want and need at least 8-10 days at the world. Eventhough I vowed I wouldn't and physically couldn't tour commando style this time. The shorter the trip the more stuff I feel compelled to see? If we were flying, it might be another story. DH and I have been pretty good about the drive although we are beat driving home after WDW trips. Okay I guess I MUST do the grown up thing and sacrifice something? Are the crowds honestly lower Thanksgiving week than Spring/Break Easter??? I'm thinking for the hassel of timing a WDW trip I might be better off to switch vacation venues. I just love WDW though and wanted to take the DS8 and DS 10 back before they get older.
Thanks for the imput on this thread.

 

[Starr W.]

Now this will be our 2nd Thanksgiving. Last yr I really didn't think the crowds were bad Mon-Wed morning at the parks. We're coming in a day earlier this year(Saturday before) then staying far away from the parks on Wed pm-Thursday. Flying home on Friday.

 

[kimberh]

To the Op, It is crowded at Thanksgiving Weekend, but not unbearable. We will not go springbreak! If you leave early Sunday morning after Thanksgiving, you will more than likely get a head start on the traffic out of Flordia and Georgia. My son did, he made the trip back to Charleston in the same time. We left at 11:00 AM, as I already posted , we bottled necked where I-4 intersects with I-95. The parks are so beautiful at this time of year. Everything is decorated. When we take the family, Married children, we have to travel with school breaks. This year we are going Dec 13-17th. We love to see Disney Decorated!