Road Trip Advice

[DVCkidsMOM]

The only tip we've used with littles that I don't already see above is our rest-stop rule:
Stop at highway rest-stops to use the restroom and run around. We would make up games around unoccupied picnic tables - run two circles around that table and see if you can beat me back here kind of thing. Eating was done while sitting in the car - we didn't stop to get out and sit some more, because we also had a very active child. The run around for a minute at each stop saved us. YMMV

P.S. about a potty chair in the vehicle. We did that and it worked really well for us. We put a piece of puppy pad inside a plastic bag to line the potty chair. The puppy pad absorbed liquid so that we could just toss the bag at the next trash can and reline the potty chair with a new bag and puppy pad. Use caution regarding pieces of puppy pad - be sure not to inhale the absorbent gel material - this is an only-adults-handle hack.

 

[person]

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

Hi there; the I-95 is quite a well worn route...

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

We drive from Oklahoma. About 22 hours. When my kids were younger, I used to go to the dollar tree and target bins and get a bunch of cheap Disney toys. I’d make up a bag for each of them. Then as they’d get restless on the trip, I’d pull something new out of the bag.

 

[DodgerGirl]

One piece of advice I can give you is that Disney has a series of books on CD that have a huge variety of titles from Onward to Soul and are great for your kids to listen to if they use a portable CD player. And another thing you can try and this is something my mother does for me when we go on road trips and this can be helpful to your kids adjusting to sleeping in a strange bed or hotel is before you stop at your hotel if there is a Target or Walmart you could go there and buy your kids a special bedtime buddy and after you checked into your room and get settled in present your child's new bedtime buddy to your child and believe me your children won't feel lonesome during your trip. And a good choice for a hotel/travel bedtime buddy are the large characters that are made by Jay Franco called Pillow Buddies and come in a variety of characters ranging from Yoda from Star Wars Groot Spider-Man Black Panther Iron Man Mickey And Minnie Mouse and even there's some Disney Princess ones as well and the Pillow Buddies are reasonably priced as well. As for other activities your kids could do is you can also set them up with portable gaming devices such as Nintendo DS's or Nintendo Switch as well
Have a great trip this summer and hope this advice helps you a lot

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

We've done the trip from NJ to FL at least 10 times with kids (we now prefer to take the autotrain at least one way). There's a great thread here, with lots of travelers from NJ posting advice: https://www.disboards.com/threads/for-2-000-mile-round-trip-drivers-only-part-v.3351891/unread

My kids love lego and duplo so I bought base plates for them and glued them to dollar store cookie trays. Each child had a freezer bag of lego or duplo to occupy them and we would get a new surprise minifigure or small (like $10) lego kit to occupy them.

We make sure the kids are well hydrated the few days before the trip but the day of the trip we only give them juice or water about 30-60 minutes before we are planning on stopping for a break and we only give small juice boxes or tiny bottles of water. Free access to drinks led to way too many stops. We also only choose low salt snacks that are high protein. We avoid sugary treats until right before we get to the hotel. Our kids often got their second wind when we get to the hotel (regardless of the time!) so be prepared for that. A few years ago my husband got food poisoning from eating at a random Wendy's in Virginia on our way home, now we no longer eat on the road at random places except to stop for coffee/tea. We pick up hoagies the night before (dry) and pack them in a small soft sided cooler with paper plates. I put the toppings on and we pack a picnic blanket to have a break at a rest stop. I also pack small cereal cups, bananas, bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, bars, etc. This website is great to help you plan where to stop for breaks: https://www.i95exitguide.com/rest-areas/

My biggest piece of advice- do not wait to book a hotel! Yes, it stinks when you are making great time and have to stop because you already booked a hotel but, we've experienced the flipside- driving then deciding where to stop and not being able to find a hotel anywhere. About 12 years ago when my daughter was 1 we decided to book a hotel on the way down but could not find anything for miles- there was a softball tournament and every hotel for several exits was booked!

Also, learn how to check for bedbugs, we saw them on our mattress check at a highly rated hotel we stayed at along I-95 in SC several times.

 

[Skywalker3]

When I used to drive to visit and take care of my dad, It was about a 6-7 hour trip each time. Did this a lot over a couple years, with either just my DS, and sometimes both DS and DD...Also, we always drive to Disney, from Tennessee, and it's about an 10-12 hour trip, depending on stops, and have been doing this regularly since they were young.
Road trip advice: bring DVD player or something similar. And have a good supply DVDs, or whatever they'll be watching. When they got older, we did a lot of car games, lots of travel bingo, alphabet game on road signs/billboards, and we have a book w all the state capitals, flower, etc. and play that, plus trivia, etc But since yours are quite younger, may not work as well, or maybe if the youngest is sleeping, occupy the older one that way. So agree on lots of colors, books, stickers, etc.....as long as they don't get car sick. (ours did, especially DD, so we always pack extra clothes, towel we can throw out, wipes, and lots of garbage bags......)
We learned some things the hard way. MAKE your kids try and go to the bathroom whenever and wherever you stop. Several times one would say they don't have to go, then 30 mins down the road, guess what......and now we're in the middle of Atlanta rush hour traffic, or no bathrooms for 60 miles.....Everyone has to go or try to go when we all stop
Also, It is wonderful to have the kids nap in the car. when I travelled alone w my DS, I loved when he'd fall asleep and wake up near the destination.....but when you do stop, they are ready to be out of the car. It's nice to stop at a rest area, and let them run around in a safe place.
ALso another lesson learned the hard way....if you let them sleep late at night or extra long time....when they get to the hotel on the way, they are READY TO PLAY! I still remember the time we let them doze a few hours before we stopped around midnight, and man they were wide awake after that.....
We try to go as far was we can the first day, either southern GA, or into FL, We often pack one meal, or stop for fast food before hitting the road, then only have to stop for one other usually.

 

[person]

We've done the trip from NJ to FL at least 10 times with kids (we now prefer to take the autotrain at least one way). There's a great thread here, with lots of travelers from NJ posting advice: https://www.disboards.com/threads/for-2-000-mile-round-trip-drivers-only-part-v.3351891/unread

My kids love lego and duplo so I bought base plates for them and glued them to dollar store cookie trays. Each child had a freezer bag of lego or duplo to occupy them and we would get a new surprise minifigure or small (like $10) lego kit to occupy them.

We make sure the kids are well hydrated the few days before the trip but the day of the trip we only give them juice or water about 30-60 minutes before we are planning on stopping for a break and we only give small juice boxes or tiny bottles of water. Free access to drinks led to way too many stops. We also only choose low salt snacks that are high protein. We avoid sugary treats until right before we get to the hotel. Our kids often got their second wind when we get to the hotel (regardless of the time!) so be prepared for that. A few years ago my husband got food poisoning from eating at a random Wendy's in Virginia on our way home, now we no longer eat on the road at random places except to stop for coffee/tea. We pick up hoagies the night before (dry) and pack them in a small soft sided cooler with paper plates. I put the toppings on and we pack a picnic blanket to have a break at a rest stop. I also pack small cereal cups, bananas, bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, bars, etc. This website is great to help you plan where to stop for breaks: https://www.i95exitguide.com/rest-areas/

My biggest piece of advice- do not wait to book a hotel! Yes, it stinks when you are making great time and have to stop because you already booked a hotel but, we've experienced the flipside- driving then deciding where to stop and not being able to find a hotel anywhere. About 12 years ago when my daughter was 1 we decided to book a hotel on the way down but could not find anything for miles- there was a softball tournament and every hotel for several exits was booked!

Also, learn how to check for bedbugs, we saw them on our mattress check at a highly rated hotel we stayed at along I-95 in SC several times.

Oh, food poisoning is something to avoid....been there, done that...