NJ Driving......help! Daytona????

[mom2of2]

We are leaving from NJ around midnight. The "plan" was to drive to Brunswick, stay, then in the AM drive to Daytona, check out the beach and the speedway (DH NEEDS to see the speedway!) and then proceed to WDW. We have an 8pm PS at CM!
Last night DH says "Oh it's only about 15 hours to Daytona! let's just stay there!" totally screwed me up!
I have 2 DS's 5 & 12......thinking potty stops, gas, an actual MEAL....what time are we gonna hit Daytona???

 

[WDWisTheBest]

First, to Brunswick, GA from the Princeton NJ area, for example, is about 13.5 to 14 hours, if you decide to stop for gas and/or food. I don't think your hubby would want to try to get to Daytona Beach in 15 hours, since it takes about 17 with stops for gas and/or food. If you left at midnight, you would get to Daytona around 6pm, if there are no traffic delays anywhere.

Second, your DH may enjoy going to Daytona Beach and to the Speedway www.daytonausa.com a whole bunch more if everyone in the car has had a good night's sleep. Grumpy 5 and 12 yr old kids are not a whole lot of fun to have around, if they have been sitting in the car for 17 hours straight. Maybe as a compromise, you may even consider stopping at Kingsland, GA, the last stop before Florida.

It is certainly possible to drive a marathon to Daytona, it is just a matter of how well your family travels for 17 hours or so in one long drive (1000 miles) from home.

Whatever you decide to do, have a safe trip and enjoy your time at WDW, Daytona Beach, and the rest of Florida.

 

[EllenJ]

We drive to Daytona every year from Connecticut.
We usually leave at 3 am and arrive in Daytona at 9pm.
I would have to think that depending on where you are from in NJ, it would take even less time for you.
There are plenty of resonable hotels in Daytona.Stay there for the night, get to the speedway when it opens and you will have plenty of time to get to WDW.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[mom2of2]

My thought was to get to Daytona, spend the night, the next day hit the speedway and the beach.
DH made the drive straight through from New Smyrna Beach in 14 1/2 hours but he was alone and potty breaks consisted of a stop along the highway! EWWWW!
Kingsland sounds like a possibility, I will have to look into it. I wanted to have the stop over hotel booked and paid for prior to leaving that was we just had to pull in and be guarenteed a room.
Should I just wait and see how far we get before we can't go any farther? who knows we might hit Daytona and be ok or we might make it to Kingsland and close to killing each other....... ugh...flying was so much easier......

 

[WDWisTheBest]

You might want to book a 6pm hold for the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn at Kingsland and then see how it goes on the trip. If you are delayed by traffic, unforseen problems, etc. then just call their 1-800 number and guarantee the room.

If all goes well with your leaving at midnight from NJ and everyone is feeling chipper during the trip, then just continue along to Daytona Beach for the night's stay. You could also book a 6 pm hold for Daytona for a motel there and then let it expire if you can't make it.

From experience, there is obviously quite a bit of difference driving solo versus having two kids with you. It all depends on the way your group travels, it would seem. It would seem reasonable that it would take longer for reasonable breaks for the kids to stop and eat and bathroom breaks, wouldn't it?

Since you are driving on a Saturday, there is less possibility of traffic problems around DC and other places, but you just never know. Whatever the case may be, just have fun at WDW.

 

[jel0511]

We left Princeton, NJ at 3:30am and made it to Brunswick, GA at 5:30PM. We stopped an hour for breakfast and then an hour for lunch. Those were our only stops, except for a driver change. We got gas when we ate breakfast and lunch, and the kids used the potty as well then, and didn't need any additional potty breaks. We stopped approx every 4 1/2 hours, so the kids were fine with the potty. Using leaving at midnight, I don't think you'll have any problem making to to the Daytona area by 6pm or so. It might be tiring though, DH and I were SPENT by 4:30 that day, and really pushed it to get to Brunswick.

 

[mom2of2]

I appreciate all your advice, now if I could get Mr. Stubborn to listen. We went over our route last night and where we should take the short cuts and what nots so that is a go. He's still pushing for Daytona so that's what it is.
I'll let you all know how things worked out when we get back.

 

[Pryncess'mom]

We always make Daytona. We leave South Jersey around 9 PM and I drive all night. Last year we crossed the FL border at 1 PM, and hit Daytona at 4 PM. We did hit a lot of traffic after crossing the border, and several thunder storms going through Jacksonville. But our kids are car sleepers, so they slept or read or watched videos (full size van with TV/ VCR!!) We stopped for breaks whenever we needed them, or when something looked interesting!


Good luck!

Deb