Leaving at 2:30am from NC... is that a good idea?

[robinbutterfly]

We are thinking of leaving around 2:30am to FL from NC and getting there around 1:00pm and head to AK and then to Epcot for Illuminations. We have a 8 and 9 year old and I am assuming they will sleep in the car a few hours.
Do you think this is not a good idea? I do not want to start our trip exhausted. But by leaving so early, it gives us an extra day to do things. For those of you that have left in the middle of the night, would you do it again or not?

 

[bigbabyblues]

We drive 14-15 hours from Ohio, and our preferred way is to leave late afternoon and drive straight through. The kids sleep most of the night, and I usually take my turn driving from about 10 pm (around Columbia, SC) until the FL line. I'm usually the only one who is really tired the next day. We check in as soon as we arrive, around 6:30 or 7 a.m., have breakfast and head to a park. We come back after lunch to rest when i can't go anymore.

 

[jimmytammy]

I am 48 now, live in NC, and not to keen on the idea now, but we used to do this all the time. Advantage that time of night, not much traffic. In fact, we have left around 10 pm and felt even better about it as we arent as tired. Trying to sleep before the anticipation of the drive just prolongs the lack of sleep. Resting a couple hrs before the 10 pm drive wasnt as rough. If you can get in a room prior to going to parks, lay down, let the kids rest or hang by pool. This way you have had some rest, and you can hit the ground running next day without be exhausted.

 

[robinbutterfly]

Thank you! I guess we will try it! I just hope the kids can make it until 10 that evening.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think it's like taking a red-eye with a kid. You have absolutely NO idea how that child will react. You have no idea how YOU will react, actually. Or your partner. What if your partner suddenly needs you to stay up with him/her during the drive, when you could have slept? What if one or both of the kids can't sleep?

We once took a super-early flight, thinking that DS would go right back to sleep once in his carseat on the way to the airport, and not only did he NOT do that, but of course the lights and excitement of the airport, even early in the morning, woke him up. Didn't sleep at all. And was CRANKY later on.

Just never know! Relatively worst case scenario is that some or all of you are zombies by noon. What will you do if that is the case? Get a plan B going.

 

[Robert P]

We are thinking of leaving around 2:30am to FL from NC and getting there around 1:00pm and head to AK and then to Epcot for Illuminations. We have a 8 and 9 year old and I am assuming they will sleep in the car a few hours.
Do you think this is not a good idea? I do not want to start our trip exhausted. But by leaving so early, it gives us an extra day to do things. For those of you that have left in the middle of the night, would you do it again or not?

Without knowing where you are leaving from in NC, I'd guess that a straight shot drive may possibly put you in the Jacksonville area around morning rush (though your post says anticipated arrival of 1:00 means a 10+ hour drive for you, so maybe you'll be stopping more than we do). Aside from that, I see no traffic issues. Yes, the kids should zonk back to sleep, and may even sleep later while riding in the car. I like the idea of gaining the extra day, but think your plan to get there and do AK then Epcot til close is optimistic after such an early departure.
Assuming you hit that arrival time, there's a good chance you're room will be ready. If you wanted to unload the car and try for just a one hour nap (not much more, or it could mess up your sleep that night), it could make a huge difference in staying out that late for Illuminations.

We've done the same thing before, modified now to leaving at 3:30 or 4, arriving by 1, to gain the extra day. It works for us, but the kids go back to sleep quickly, and I enjoy the lighter traffic. We still do it at times now, and would certainly do it again, if we felt adding the extra time at WDW was needed for a trip.
I think it's a fine idea to try, and see how it works for your family.

 

[dancin Disney style]

When we drive to WDW we generally leave home around 2:30-3am. What we do is this. DH goes to bed by 9pm and then is able to get a good 5hrs of sleep. While he is sleeping I pack the car and finish up all the odds and ends that need doing. I stay awake until after we leave home for about an hour and a half....I'm a night owl so it's easy for me. I then sleep for a few hours and when DH needs to stop for coffee/breakfast we switch drivers until the next gas stop. We then start switching off for the rest of the day as needed.

We have done this several times and it works really well for us. If DH couldn't sleep that early in the evening I doubt it would work.

 

[robinbutterfly]

Without knowing where you are leaving from in NC, I'd guess that a straight shot drive may possibly put you in the Jacksonville area around morning rush (though your post says anticipated arrival of 1:00 means a 10+ hour drive for you, so maybe you'll be stopping more than we do). Aside from that, I see no traffic issues. Yes, the kids should zonk back to sleep, and may even sleep later while riding in the car. I like the idea of gaining the extra day, but think your plan to get there and do AK then Epcot til close is optimistic after such an early departure.
Assuming you hit that arrival time, there's a good chance you're room will be ready. If you wanted to unload the car and try for just a one hour nap (not much more, or it could mess up your sleep that night), it could make a huge difference in staying out that late for Illuminations.

We've done the same thing before, modified now to leaving at 3:30 or 4, arriving by 1, to gain the extra day. It works for us, but the kids go back to sleep quickly, and I enjoy the lighter traffic. We still do it at times now, and would certainly do it again, if we felt adding the extra time at WDW was needed for a trip.
I think it's a fine idea to try, and see how it works for your family.

We are coming from Raleigh area. You think it will take less than 10 hours?

 

[sam_gordon]

Are any of the drivers used to early mornings/late nights? There were a number of times I had to come into work early (around the 3am range), drive a truck to a location, work for an hour or two, then drive back. Invariably, I'd have to stop somewhere on the way home and "power nap" for 10-15 minutes. I wouldn't try staying up until 10pm that night though.

I agree with bumbershoot. Unless you've had experience doing this, you have no idea how the kids (or you) will react. I understand wanting to get the "extra day", but IMO it's not worth it if it means everyone will be cranky the rest of the trip.

If you do this, I suggest turning in early that night, or getting a late start the next morning.

 

[Robert P]

We are coming from Raleigh area. You think it will take less than 10 hours?

Closer to 9 than 10, unless you stop for a sit down meal.
In the 'before time' without kids, I've made Chapel Hill to WDW in 8 hours once. Moving fast, 2 stops for gas.

Now, in the family 'real' world, I'm leaving from the Winston-Salem area, just over 600 miles (roughly the same distance as Raleigh), and we are 8:15 to 8:30 every trip. That's 2 stops (occassionally a third quick rest area stop), but one for a gas/food/bathroom break, the other for a rest area in FL. I keep the mph within 10 of the speed limit.
Leaving from Raleigh, you shouldn't have traffic congestion issues until Jacksonville though, then you'll be behind rush hour traffic heading into Orlando.
Twisting my arm to make me guess, and with no sit down meals and limited time stops, I'd say you'll be closer to 9 hours than 10 from the Raleigh area. Especially with little other traffic on the road for the first part of your drive.
Travel safe!

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Leaving 3am is better than 10pm imo because you can sleep for a good 5 hours before you leave

 

[auntboink]

we have driven from nc to orlando many times. We do drive at night also. There is a few 24 hour starbucks that we have found along the way. You may want to google them. they come in handy for late night, early morning coffee or light snacks..and nice clean places to break and have potty breaks also.'

We typically leave around 430 pm though and drive all night. we end up arriving in orlando around 6 am which gets us through the early morning traffic jams in orlando quite well. we get pre checked in to our resort, and let them store/fridge our items and on our way we go!!!

We also stop in some of the rest areas for cat naps if we get a little too tired during the late night times.

be sure to bring a few small pillows/stuffies and a few throws.

We have even used a sun shade in our car window in the rest area to help us shut out some of the overhead lights for a better rest break. Hope some of these tips helps you to have a little better/safer trip! enjoy!

 

[grassmower]

We usually leave from Western, NC around 3:30 - 4:00 am and usually arrive around 2 ish pm. Leaving at this time usually puts us in Jacksonville around 11:00 am and we take the eastern loop around town so we usually don't hit the lunchtime traffic and the kids likes to drive over the big suspension bridge!