Need suggestions on Driving from DFW area

[Tinky]

Ok, here is the deal. We have airline tickets already in hand but before we bought the tickets we toyed with the idea of driving.. DH's idea. DH travels constantly for work and now I am thinking that maybe driving down would be more relaxing for him, not to have to deal with the airport etc...
So... from all you folks that have made the drive from Frisco/DFW area, can you help. We could leave around 7:30pm next Thursday night (DS has program at school) We dont check into the Poly until Saturday. Can this be done at a good but not hectic pace. Any ideas on where to stop the first night? Or should I just stick to the original plan and fly? I want this to be as relaxing and fun for DH as possible.
Thoughts??

 

[SuBeat]

We have kind of the opposite situation going on here, DH spends a lot of time in his car for work so we wants to fly for a change. We have made the drive from the Dallas area 3 times in the past, and IMO it is a pleasant little road trip. We split the trip over 2 days, driving around 10-11 hours the first, 7-8 the second. Marianna, FL is a great little town to stop in with a couple of reasonablely priced hotels (think HI Express, Comfort Inn, etc) and several family friendly restaurants nearby. We've never taken off in the evening though, so I imagine you would want to stop somewhere closer. On the route we go, Vicksburg, MS might be a good stopping point. You shouldn't have any trouble getting to WDW by Saturday, even at a relaxed pace. My DH doesn't do "relaxed pace" on a road trip. Any other questions just let me know.

 

[LIFERBABE]

We drove last month on our 2 week stay in December. We too had airline tickets in hand, and then decided to stay longer so instead of dealing with the holiday air traffic and added costs during that time, we cancelled our ticket (using them for our cruise when we need to be there on time) and drove.

We left at 3pm and drove straight through. We planned on stopping if we were tired and I agree, Marianna is our favorite stop. I believe it is in Louisiana. Marianna has a great McDonalds with clean restrooms, reasonably priced gas and family restaurants and hotels. It is easy on and off the highway. We drove our Toyota Mini Van and we try to time our gas stops to bypass Alabama because the gas is much higher and sparse.

Another favorite stop is the rest area in Bay St. Louis Miss. It's very close to Stennis AFB and has a space center tour located right there at the rest stop. There is 24 hour security there, very clean with a picnic area. We always stop here too.

We plan on driving again in May and hopefully we can stop in Destin overnight. That is about half way.

We take 20 to Shreveport then south on 49 to 10 then south on 75 to the Toll. It took us 20 hours to get there and 18 to get back.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When we leave from Shreveport, we usually leave right after work/school. We drive to Daphne, AL, just east of Mobile Bay and usually get there about 11:30 PM. Then we get up the next AM and hit WDW about 2:30 or 3PM. It takes us about 14 hours from Shreveport (I-49 to I-10 to I-12 back to I-10, south on I-75, catch the FL Turnpike and then into Lake Buena Vista).

We just had family go to WDW with us and they drove from Frisco, too. They left after work and got to about Baton Rouge. Then they arrived the next day at WDW about 5PM.

Leaving after your school program might be a bit late to get any distance unless you plan on driving late. Otherwise, you might hit the bed at home, get up early the next morning and beat the traffic out of Dallas. Then you could drive to about Tallahassee that day and coast into WDW the next morning. You only have about four hours after you get to Tallahassee. There are multiple chain hotels around the Tallahassee exits - LaQuinta, Choice, Holiday Inn, etc.

 

[Tinky]

Thanks for all the great reponses! I talked with DH last night and he said that he thought since we would have to leave late after the school program that we should just fly this time. So next time we're driving!
Thanks again!