Road Trip Advice

[BethanyMouse]

Hi All,
We are heading to WDW for a family vacation this summer. We are traveling with our 7 year old daughter and our almost 3 year old daughter. We live in New Jersey so we have quite the drive- and this will be our first time driving. We are planning on leaving around 2am and stopping for bathroom breaks only. We will be staying overnight somewhere (any suggestions are appreciated- we are thinking Carolinas?). I would like our second day to only require 4-5 hours to Orlando. My 7 year old is very good at entertaining herself. My two year old- IS BUSY! Neither of my girls are very into the IPAD or kindle but I am open to apps that might be fun. I also purchased some water wow books, the magic pen books, and coloring books. We have been reading lots of blogs and I know a potty was also recommended so I ordered one. I am open to any advice you may have. Any travel tips with regard to roads, highways, what to avoid, where to stop? Helpful hints for kids in the car.......products? Thank you all in advance!

 

[MICKIMINI]

Disney's Hilton Head Island is a bit off the beaten path from I95, however it fits your desire for a "short" trip to WDW. It is a gorgeous resort and will get you in the DISNEY mode! Have fun!

 

[redrosesix]

We've driven from Nova Scotia, so we actually went through New Jersey on our way to WDW. It was I95 pretty much all the way down until we veered off and went to Daytona then across to Orlando. We stayed in a hotel just the other side of the border in North Carolina on day 2, but it was another 8 or more hours to Disney from there. So you'll want to stay further south than that. Travel time on your 2nd day is really going to depend on traffic so it's best to time that right...which we didn't.

when my daughter was little we travelled a lot by car and the pottie really came in handy. We also travelled with a small cooler with sandwiches and snacks, because warm sandwiches are just yucky and you don't really want to stop every time they want a snack. Other than that she slept more than usual, so getting out of the car at rest stops to just run around was a must. These tactics worked for her little cousins too.

If you don't have the back of the seat organizers for all of their stuff, I highly recommend them. they get a pull down table for food or ipad and so many pockets that they don't have to continuously ask you for things. they even have these on Wish now.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hi All,
We are heading to WDW for a family vacation this summer. We are traveling with our 7 year old daughter and our almost 3 year old daughter. We live in New Jersey so we have quite the drive- and this will be our first time driving. We are planning on leaving around 2am and stopping for bathroom breaks only. We will be staying overnight somewhere (any suggestions are appreciated- we are thinking Carolinas?). I would like our second day to only require 4-5 hours to Orlando. My 7 year old is very good at entertaining herself. My two year old- IS BUSY! Neither of my girls are very into the IPAD or kindle but I am open to apps that might be fun. I also purchased some water wow books, the magic pen books, and coloring books. We have been reading lots of blogs and I know a potty was also recommended so I ordered one. I am open to any advice you may have. Any travel tips with regard to roads, highways, what to avoid, where to stop? Helpful hints for kids in the car.......products? Thank you all in advance!

one thing we found out the hard way no crayons on summer trips. only markers or colored pencils. thanks to a missed crayon had to replace a carseat after messing up 2 outfits with melted crayon. if stopping for night make sure they do not sleep a lot during the day and stop early enough for a swim before bed to tire them out. i have found our girls when younger and now our grandkids do not sleep well first night in strange bed. not so much what to take but nothing with small or small like pieces to get all over back of car. with your coloring type things a tray or something hard to write and color on. for older one some stories/books on tape for her to read along with maybe read herself if she is reading. check at your local library for books for her age/ability ps I would plan on more stops than just bathroom breaks just to move about. nothing is worse than a bored cranky toddler who needs to move. the other thing you can count on at least once is 5 minutes after bathroom stop if not potty trained is a stinky diaper. as snacks go nothing real messy and nothing that melts. no milk in bottles/sippy cups in car. all of this comes not so much Disney trips but we have done many 8 to 10 hour drives with ours when young

 

[Schneewittchen37]

A couple of things. We're road trip veterans. We routinely drive from MD to Florida. We usually launch around 3 or 4 am. We try to aim for Santee, SC (500ish miles) or preferably Savannah, GA (600ish miles). Savannah makes driving day two super easy (less than 300 miles). The kids are DD9 and DS11 now.

Each kid got their own portable dvd player with a 12v charger and kiddie headphones when they turned 2 or 3 years old. At first, I had to put the dvds in for them, but by the time they hit 4 or 5 they can handle it themselves or help each other. I usually bring a box full of Disney movies for them to binge on. Very effective. At some point, DH got fancy with putting movies on external hard drives and the kids have their own chromebooks. So they can watch movies that way without wifi.

We've done cross country 3 week driving summer vacations to the west coast this way.

Keep juice boxes and single serving snacks handy too.

Small picture books or Little Golden Books were good for my kids. Coloring books and crayons of course. If the girls play together, this might be a good time to bring along some Barbies, matchbox cars or Star Wars action figures. My kids liked little toys on the road.

They'll each want their own mini pillow, favorite stuffy, and blankie to snuggle in. Car A/C can get so cold and they might get drowsy.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I would be tempted to make a very simple Map for 7 year old to follow with basic City , state border , State Flag, bird ,flower, Capital, as an educational tool and keepsake. Occasionally making a stop at the Official Travel Centers for a picture.... I did this as we entered Texas a long time ago because they have big Texas Star photo and State Flags.
Miss all those road trips from childhood Route 66 ,
Also look for postcards that have designated State . Most of the gas stations or truck stops have this. And buy postcard stamps before you leave So they can mail the official Greetings from Florida Wish You were here... to grandparents!
Do all roads lead to Disney?

 

[BethanyMouse]

Thank you all! I appreciate your wisdom.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Hi All,
We are heading to WDW for a family vacation this summer. We are traveling with our 7 year old daughter and our almost 3 year old daughter. We live in New Jersey so we have quite the drive- and this will be our first time driving. We are planning on leaving around 2am and stopping for bathroom breaks only. We will be staying overnight somewhere (any suggestions are appreciated- we are thinking Carolinas?). I would like our second day to only require 4-5 hours to Orlando. My 7 year old is very good at entertaining herself. My two year old- IS BUSY! Neither of my girls are very into the IPAD or kindle but I am open to apps that might be fun. I also purchased some water wow books, the magic pen books, and coloring books. We have been reading lots of blogs and I know a potty was also recommended so I ordered one. I am open to any advice you may have. Any travel tips with regard to roads, highways, what to avoid, where to stop? Helpful hints for kids in the car.......products? Thank you all in advance!

Pooler GA would be about 4 hours out from ORL. Suburb of Savannah and lots of hotels off the highway. We've stayed in all areas around GA so if you have specific town questions, let me know. SC has hotels off the highway but the low country towns are smaller and not as many good options IMO. Keep in mind, that Orlando traffic is always bad and the last hour of your trip will likely be your longest. We drive all the time from SC and it's almost always smooth sailing until I-4.

We always packed a disney related gift that kept my girls busy on the drive down when they were little. I also had every food/snack under the sun ready to go to keep them quiet. I'd pack stuff they were never normally allowed to have so it was a fun treat. We also had a DVD player and that was a life saver....learned all the words to all my kids movies, but Lord knows that helped a ton. We just had the cheap one that strapped onto the headrests. We'd plug that in for long car rides, best $100 we ever spent. As far as stopping, most of the TA travel centers have nice clean bathrooms in the south and are located right off of 95.

 

[BethanyMouse]

Pooler GA would be about 4 hours out from ORL. Suburb of Savannah and lots of hotels off the highway. We've stayed in all areas around GA so if you have specific town questions, let me know. SC has hotels off the highway but the low country towns are smaller and not as many good options IMO. Keep in mind, that Orlando traffic is always bad and the last hour of your trip will likely be your longest. We drive all the time from SC and it's almost always smooth sailing until I-4.

We always packed a disney related gift that kept my girls busy on the drive down when they were little. I also had every food/snack under the sun ready to go to keep them quiet. I'd pack stuff they were never normally allowed to have so it was a fun treat. We also had a DVD player and that was a life saver....learned all the words to all my kids movies, but Lord knows that helped a ton. We just had the cheap one that strapped onto the headrests. We'd plug that in for long car rides, best $100 we ever spent. As far as stopping, most of the TA travel centers have nice clean bathrooms in the south and are located right off of 95.

Thank you! We were thinking about Savannah after so many of you recommended that area. That will put us about 12-14 hours in the care give or take with a few bathroom breaks along the way. We are looking for a clean, safe hotel to stop in. I dont want to spend $300 a night but I am more concerned about cleanliness and safety so any suggestions on specific hotels are welcome!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Pooler is great since it’s got a variety of dining options and hotel accommodations. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and the Fairfield both in covid era times. They were both very clean but I think the Fairfield is newer and a little nicer. And if you want to sightsee and visit savannah it’s right there. Have a fun trip!!

 

[MudQueen22]

I didn't read all the responses, but a few years ago we took a trip with a 23-month-old and a 7-year-old.

We normally limit electronic devices to 30 minutes a day on weekdays and an hour a day on weekends and holidays.
For road trips, they get unlimited time. We find that, still, they prefer regular toys. Each kid has a portable DVD player for the vehicle, and we bring plenty of DVDs.
At the time, we had one iPad, and only the older one used it. We brought Barbies and Barbie clothes, coloring books and color pencils (we didn't want crayons melting), small toys and games, and other smaller items that they enjoyed. For my older one, I printed out a blank map of the states we were driving through (the Gulf states for us), and I had her label (I provided a word bank) and color each state as we crossed the state line. I did this for the trip there and another for the trip back. She enjoyed it. I know that sounds a lot like school work, but kids this age tend to enjoy learning.

We also have road trip bingo games that we play as a family.

 

[hulagirl87]

I'm taking my first Disney road trip the first week of May with my kids! We are in upstate NY, so quite a drive for us too. We are stopping in Columbia, South Carolina and then the next day will only have 6 hours or so. I think that will work well for us. Found a really nice hotel for a little over $100 with great reviews for the overnight stop. Now I'm reading up on tips and tricks for road trips

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I'm taking my first Disney road trip the first week of May with my kids! We are in upstate NY, so quite a drive for us too. We are stopping in Columbia, South Carolina and then the next day will only have 6 hours or so. I think that will work well for us. Found a really nice hotel for a little over $100 with great reviews for the overnight stop. Now I'm reading up on tips and tricks for road trips

main one I tell most people watch for lost crayons in hot weather. we ended up replacing about 3 outfits and a carseat because of a melted crayon piece. we used colored pencils and sharper after that. melted while we were out of the car for lunch and did not notice until our next stop and was not until that night stop that we really found out what had happened

 

[riversend22]

I'm taking my first Disney road trip the first week of May with my kids! We are in upstate NY, so quite a drive for us too. We are stopping in Columbia, South Carolina and then the next day will only have 6 hours or so. I think that will work well for us. Found a really nice hotel for a little over $100 with great reviews for the overnight stop. Now I'm reading up on tips and tricks for road trips

We are driving down from upstate NY too and although I'm excited, this is our first long road trip with my two kiddos (4 and 2) and I'm pretty nervous about it! We are going in April, but we have a pretty loose schedule since we aren't doing any parks and just going to visit my mom who lives down there. So, as scary as the journey may be, I'm super excited to get out of this cold!! Good luck on your trip and I hope you have a great time! If you find any special tips or tricks, feel free to share them.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Try and be flexible as far as booking a hotel in advance. Our one road trip from NC to WDW we were making such good time. It would have been a shame to lock into a hotel when circumstances might lead you to be able to drive 2 more hours. I’m originally from NJ and made the trip from NJ to NC often. I’d definitely try to get further than the Carolinas as it is still quite a haul down to Orlando. Leaving at 2 am even at 12 hours will have you coming to your hotel 2 hours before most check in times. Aim for that 14 + hours the first day snd make the second day so much easier!!

 

[BethanyMouse]

Try and be flexible as far as booking a hotel in advance. Our one road trip from NC to WDW we were making such good time. It would have been a shame to lock into a hotel when circumstances might lead you to be able to drive 2 more hours. I’m originally from NJ and made the trip from NJ to NC often. I’d definitely try to get further than the Carolinas as it is still quite a haul down to Orlando. Leaving at 2 am even at 12 hours will have you coming to your hotel 2 hours before most check in times. Aim for that 14 + hours the first day snd make the second day so much easier!!

That 14 hour mark seems to be key. Everyone has told us to try and get to Savannah the first day so that is now our goal.

As far as road trip advice- I am a newbie but I have already started prepping activities for the kids. New stickers, notebooks, colored pencils, surprises, etc.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I'm taking my first Disney road trip the first week of May with my kids! We are in upstate NY, so quite a drive for us too. We are stopping in Columbia, South Carolina and then the next day will only have 6 hours or so. I think that will work well for us. Found a really nice hotel for a little over $100 with great reviews for the overnight stop. Now I'm reading up on tips and tricks for road trips

We always drive and are in SC. If you get off track and want to

I'm taking my first Disney road trip the first week of May with my kids! We are in upstate NY, so quite a drive for us too. We are stopping in Columbia, South Carolina and then the next day will only have 6 hours or so. I think that will work well for us. Found a really nice hotel for a little over $100 with great reviews for the overnight stop. Now I'm reading up on tips and tricks for road trips

assume you’re not coming down 95 if you’re stopping in Columbia and bringing you via 77. If you get tired before that stopping near fort mill, just south of Charlotte, is a good spot too. Safe and clean and there’s a brand new Hampton inn off the highway. If you do drive down from Columbia and pick up 26 it will be a little longer than 6 hours. That’s how we go down and with traffic, it’s closer to 7 usually depending on time of day. But really no matter what time we arrive near orlando, the last 30 miles are usually an hour.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We are driving down from upstate NY too and although I'm excited, this is our first long road trip with my two kiddos (4 and 2) and I'm pretty nervous about it! We are going in April, but we have a pretty loose schedule since we aren't doing any parks and just going to visit my mom who lives down there. So, as scary as the journey may be, I'm super excited to get out of this cold!! Good luck on your trip and I hope you have a great time! If you find any special tips or tricks, feel free to share them.

one thing we found when our girls were little was to stop well before bedtime and have some time to be active since they had been stuck in carseats most of day and had slept more than normal. since we usually traveled in summer planned on swimming either before or after dinner ahead of bedtime. one trip that it did not work out girls were just not ready for sleep when we were. and I have said to others look at either special markers with the special paper or colored pencils instead of crayons. most of my grandkids loved the special marker where used on special pages where colors come out but do not color clothes or seats. stay away from anything that melts easy but have a supply of snacks handy. have a change of clothes easy to get to for everyone, adults included. that way if needed you do not have to unpack have the car to get to what needed. if your carseats have removeable covers try to find an extra one to fit each seat in case of carsickness or spills or leaks. I would try for a longer type ride before your trip and be prepared that they might not want to get back in seats after first night.

 

[FGT770]

As has been mentioned, the Pooler, GA exit off 1-95 is where you want to stop for the night. We stayed at the Embassy Suites for 1 night and enjoyed the breakfast, which was included with the room rate, the next morning. If you need to purchase any bulk items there is a Sam’s Club( if you are a member) at that exit.

 

[pwdebbie]

If you live in northern NJ you might want to take "the inland route." You can avoid 95 around DC and the summer beach traffic. Check out this thread with lots of tips from veteran road trippers. https://www.disboards.com/threads/for-2-000-mile-round-trip-drivers-only-part-v.3351891/