Okay, seriously considering driving from CT- this week!

[Goofygirl17]

We're considering driving to Disney this week because we can get a timeshare swap plus another extra vacation week fairly cheap. We also have friends going down at the same time.

We would be driving from the New Haven area- stopping in Maryland w/ friends the first night, then somewhere at least halfway between Maryland and Orlando the second night, and then arriving on Saturday.

Any thoughts? (Besides how crazy we are for going during the hot, crowded month of June!)

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

We're considering driving to Disney this week because we can get a timeshare swap plus another extra vacation week fairly cheap. We also have friends going down at the same time.

We would be driving from the New Haven area- stopping in Maryland w/ friends the first night, then somewhere at least halfway between Maryland and Orlando the second night, and then arriving on Saturday.

Any thoughts? (Besides how crazy we are for going during the hot, crowded month of June!)

I can't comment on the June weather since I haven't been there in June since my senior class trip 22 years ago. I can comment on driving though since I did in from the Philly PA area 4 years ago. I drove straight through left in the afternoon and got to the World around 8 in the morning. I did take an hour snooze just past Jacksonville about 3 in the morning.
If you can get further than Maryland the first day, the second night could be spent in Florida.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, but I'll keep them to myself

No, seriously - there's a 'sticky' thread near the top of the list of threads on this forum titled "For Those Folks Driving..." with a lot of good information. There's another thread floating around somewhere for "2000 plus mile drivers"; you can use the 'search this forum' tool for that. Plus, yeah, you'll get good recommendations just from this post.

 

[Goofygirl17]

DaddyofPrincesses- Stopping in MD was a bargaining chip with my older DD We have friends who live there so it's a good first stopping point. Then we can stop one more time and it breaks up the ride. I just need to figure out where the second stop will be.

Kaytie- Thanks- I'll check out the sticky. I've been in July and August before so we're prepared for the heat and crowds

Now I need to wait for RCI to get back online so I can doublecheck the availability!


I also need to decide if I should take the car or our full-size extra cab truck. The car gets better mileage but the truck feels more secure and might be more comfortable for the girls.

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I would go with the truck. Comfort on a long road trip is important. If you can get to Georgia the second day it would make a good stopping point, or even Florida if you can make it. Once you hit Florida it is still a 2-3 hour drive to Disney.

 

[disneysnob]

Hey, maybe we'll pass you on the highway!!! We're leaving Wednesday late afternoon (after DH softball game )
We want to get a few hours into it, and stop somewhere in NY or NJ. Then do the "long" drive on Thursday..hopefully get to SC or GA. Then onto WDW Friday morning.........

The airfare is just so expensive, but I'll still be checking fares all the way up to Wednesday afternoon.

 

[Goofygirl17]

I've been checking airfare for weeks It's crazy! We just went in April so I originally wasn't going to take the girls this summer but friends of ours are going so it would be fun to do things together. Of course they're flying. My older DD doesn't like long drives but when I said we could do two overnights each way (one is free- at our friends' house) and we could stay two weeks she agreed

Of course now the timeshare website is down so I can't check availability

Have a great trip! I hope you find cheap airfare! If you do let me know!

 

[nono]

How old are your girls? Are they good travellers? That'll factor a lot into how far you can get on day 2. Also, what time are you thinking you'll leave MD on day 2? Dawn? Or will you want to hang out with your friends for a bit before getting on the road?

 

[sjs314]

I would say you have a very doable driving trip planned. We drove twice also from where you are in Ct. but doing it in two days , roughly driving 10 hrs each day with stops for gas etc. Both times we stopped somewhere near Lumberton, NC for the night then continued on the next day again leaving pre dawn and arriving at Disney 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
As far as the truck or car it all depends on how much more the truck will use in gas vs comfort, since you are driving to save $ I would probally use the car, after all any drive that long gets to be uncomfortable no matter what you are driving in.

 

[kidd_freeper]

We're driving from CT (Hartford area) to Jacksonville the weekend after this coming weekend.

Spending 11 days in Kissimmee. In July. With crowds.

Of course it's nuts.

And its going to be the best vacation yet!

 

[sorul82?]

Check out this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2465424

The OP is doing a very good job with it.

 

[Goofygirl17]

We're going! I got a last call week at Vacation villages and an exchange week at Celebration world so we'll be there for two weeks

Now I need to start planning, organizing, and packing! We leave Wednesday!!

I'll get directions for the first day of the trip from our friends in MD. Then I need to plan the next two days with a stop at least halfway between MD and WDW.

Thanks!!

 

[Goofygirl17]

We're back!! Thanks everyone! We had a great time

We left on a Wed morning- drove 6 hours to MD and stayed with friends. Left before 7 the next morning to avoid DC traffic- drove 11 hours to Savannah. stayed at a hotel for the night and drove the last 4 hours to Disney.

We played in the parks for 2 weeks and headed home. We drove 9 hours to Myrtle Beach. Stayed the night, played in the waves for a few hours and hit the road again. Drove 8 1/2 hours to Delaware (almost NJ, right before the Del Mem Bridge), stayed the night and then drove the last 4 1/2 hours home. The only place we had trouble was in NY city. I should have gone around but didn't think Sunday afternoon would be bad going north. I was wrong but oh well, we had a great time!

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

We're back!! Thanks everyone! We had a great time

We left on a Wed morning- drove 6 hours to MD and stayed with friends. Left before 7 the next morning to avoid DC traffic- drove 11 hours to Savannah. stayed at a hotel for the night and drove the last 4 hours to Disney.

We played in the parks for 2 weeks and headed home. We drove 9 hours to Myrtle Beach. Stayed the night, played in the waves for a few hours and hit the road again. Drove 8 1/2 hours to Delaware (almost NJ, right before the Del Mem Bridge), stayed the night and then drove the last 4 1/2 hours home. The only place we had trouble was in NY city. I should have gone around but didn't think Sunday afternoon would be bad going north. I was wrong but oh well, we had a great time!

That's great. You got to see Savannah for a bit, and Myrtle Beach in addition to Disney. I remeber New York traffic when I was going to Newport R.I. I will drive around the city every time now.

 

[pooch]

DH and I are driving DD to her year long internship in Sarasota next month (so she can have her car and, no, she wouldn't do this drive alone). We are planning on leaving Sunday morning around 9am from Enfield CT (northern most town in CT). I'm looking at stopping in Fredericksburg VA the first night, Savannah, GA the second night and arriving mid afternoon in Sarasota. For those more familiar with this drive, does this sound reasonable? We will have 3 adult drivers in the car although DH rarely lets anyone else drive and we don't need to be there until Tuesday late afternoon.

 

[pumpkinboy]

There is another alternative that will save you a bit of driving at only a little more than driving plus hotel room: You can grab the Autotrain in Lorton, VA and spend the AM with your friends' in Maryland, spend the night on the train and wake up in Orlando (or Sanford at least) the next morning. We are considering it and the more I look at it, the more attractive it seems.

Have a great trip whatever you choose.

 

[Goofygirl17]

Pooch- That's what we did- took 3 days to drive down and I was the only driver so it is definitely do-able. Good luck!

Pumpkinboy- We've already returned from our trip! Thanks for the info about the autotrain though.