So Who Is Driving To Disney!

[traviesojmt]

We are driving this Aug. from Massachusetts. We are taking two days to make this trip. We have driven from Ky to Disney straight through several times. With the amazing invention of the DVD in the car, our kids could care less how far we drive. I have no idea how our parents took us anywhere, with no tv to watch in the car and all.

 

[Evil Queen]

Driving from S. Florida, about 3-4 hours depending how many times the kids need to stop. We normally just talk and sing together. Short trip, that's enough to keep us "occupied".

 

[TLC371]

We always drive. We are in Virginia Beach, VA. Sometimes we'll do the trip in one day, sometimes we'll drive down to Georgia, stay the night, and go the next day. Just depends. We love driving!

 

[MickysTheMan]

We usually fly but have decided to drive this time. We're in IL, so it's a 23 hour drive for us. We have three kids, so I'm sure we'll have the TV, DVDs, and Playstation 2 all going at the same time.

 

[Pixiedust34]

We drove from MD last August and we are driving again in August 2007.

 

[WeLoveThePoly]

We live just north of Indianapolis and it takes us 16 hours to drive to WDW.
We drove in 2000, 2001, and 2002; we flew in 2003 & 2004.

We have tickets on Delta in October but if something should happen with them we will drive down.

Debbie

 

[jjbescher]

Just me and DW, but we normally drive. If we go in a group we will drive. From NC it is about 8.5 to 10 hrs depending on traffic. This trip we are breaking it up. We are going to stop at HH in SC both ways. It will make the legs only about 44.5 to 5 hrs each.

I also like to have my own car, even though Disney Transportation is nice, I like to have the ability to go from park to park or get back to the room that much quicker.

jon

 

[damom2daboyz]

... leaving in the morning about 8:30am, driving straight thru, should take 14 hours, depending how often I have to stop with my Dad. In October I will be flying though; I really hate to drive but my Dad hasn't been to WDW in 15 years and this will probably be the last chance he has to go...so...we are joining numerous other guests on a quest for the mouse!

 

[Jenn0800]

Me and my FH are driving down for our Honeymoon in December. We are in Central NJ. I am meeting the rest of my family that is flying down on Sunday 12/3. Any advice as to when to leave so that we can stop only once to sleep on the way down and make it to Disney Sunday without being exhausted. This is my first time driving down since I was a kid. Any suggestions would be great!

 

[newnana]

We drive from Gaffney, SC to WDW every year. It takes us about 9 hours, thats with a long lunch stop and a few potty breaks. We live 1 hour away from either Charlotte or Greenville airports, by the time we drive 1 hour, wait in the airport at least 11/2 hours, fly 1 hour, get baggage and rent car 1 hour, drive to resort or rental 1 hour (we get lost alot) , it doesn't make sense for us to fly. Just hop in the family queen truckster and off we go!

 

[emole123]

Me and my FH are driving down for our Honeymoon in December. We are in Central NJ. I am meeting the rest of my family that is flying down on Sunday 12/3. Any advice as to when to leave so that we can stop only once to sleep on the way down and make it to Disney Sunday without being exhausted. This is my first time driving down since I was a kid. Any suggestions would be great!

We drove down twice from Northern NJ last summer. Both times we did this with one stop. The first was a trip with only my gf, and we left at like 8 in the morning and drove to SC (we have family there). We left at like 3 or 4 in the morning the next night/day and drove straight to the resort and got there at like 11. That was a rought stretch going from 3 till the sun came up, Georgia felt even LONGER then usual.

The 2nd trip we left NJ at like 2am, we went with a big group, so we would get a head start. We drove straight through to the GA/FL boarder, stopped for the night and got a decent night sleep, got up the next morning and had a pretty short trip to DISNEY...

I would suggest the 2nd version...depending upon where exactly in NJ you are leaving from, I would leave early in the morning (like 2 or 3) and try to push it to the GA/FL boarder. I think we stopped at Brunswick. That way you dont have much longer the following morning.

 

[Sinclare]

My son and I drove down last June from Kentucky (central) last year and plan on doing it again this year. I work from 5AM to 2PM so I got off work at 2 and we drove until we hit the Florida line. At that point it was early morning and I kicked back and slept in the truck till sunrise. I like the fact that all the Florida rest stops have 24 hour guards now.

 

[zipuzee]

We've always driven to WDW. From New Orleans, it takes 10-12 hours depending on the ever present construction!

 

[mapmakerj]

We will be driving down for the 2nd time this Oct. We live in NE WI and the total drive is about 24 hrs. We drive about 15 hrs to GA and then do the other 9 to Orlando the next day. The last time our DS was almost 5 and he was an excellent passenger. This time he will be almost 7 so, knowing my luck, he will be a pain the whole way down!

 

[disneyagain]

We live in upstate NY and the plan is to drive down, unless we get a really good airfare. It's about an 18 hr drive. My sister and I did it 2.5 years ago with 5 kids (what were we thinking) Actually it was great. 2 sets of cousins is actually easier than just your own. We drove to Savannah on day 1 (leaving 12/26 at 3:00 am and arrived in Savannah around 7:00pm...we got delayed approx 1.5 -2 hours for car accidents up ahead of us on I95. Then the next morning we got up ate the free continental breakfast at the hotel at 6:00 am and were at the McDonalds outside DTD around 11:15 for lunch before we checked in at the Dolphin and were at MGM by 12:30.

We drove straight through coming back (New Years Day) leaving at 4:00 am, arriving home around 10:00 pm. There was no traffic on the roads that day.

 

[Corey127]

im driving from NJ, near philadelphia...people keep argueing with me that it takes 20 hours to orlando, when I drove to daytona last may and it only took 15 and orlando is another hour away! grrr


i think my boyfriend will do most of the driving and we plan to stop at my bf's brother's house in south carolina for the night.....but we *MIGHT* drive straight thru on the way back....

im going to get one of the Harry Potter books on audio cd..i heard they are really great and that will take up about 4-6 hours...other than that i'll have to listen to my bf's loud metallica cds.....ugh

 

[TammySB]

We drive, or should I say I drive us It takes us 17 hrs. and I drive us straight there and straight back. My DD 14 probably slept 12 hours(dont ask me how) But I love to drive, my husband doesnt mind at all, except the one time he decided to take a nap, and I missed a turn and we ended up in Gulf Shores. But now we can say weve been there Hope everyone has a safe drive!!

 

[hematite153]

im driving from NJ, near philadelphia...people keep argueing with me that it takes 20 hours to orlando, when I drove to daytona last may and it only took 15 and orlando is another hour away! grrr

I think your time estimates are accurate. We've driven down from Ottawa to Orlando twice and can do it in 23-25 hours (depending on traffic, weather, etc.). It takes us 8 hours to get to Philadelphia and our trip to Orlando passes pretty close-by so you should be able to make Orlando in 16 hours.

As for techniques and driving plans.... We've tried the 1.5 day version and the 4 day version where the trip is a vacation itself. Both can be good but some advice for those trying to drive 16+ hours in a day: leave early, plan your departure time to avoid rush hours (in the cities you pass as well as near home); start well rested; be prepared to stop for a nap, or for the night, if you get tired; get food and stretch fully when you stop for the bathroom.

That said, we've decided to fly this summer.

 

[DMville]

We'll be driving from the Chicago area. nice to hear the actual drving times from certain cities (Louisville, Indy) on here as a point of reference. 1, 5 and 7 yo in the car. Gonna be an adventure.

For the Louisville person earlier in the thread, would you advise against going thru Louisville altogether on Derby weekend or even Monday?

Thanks

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

We are doing a very budget-minded trip this time so we are driving. We've never driven with the girls for more than 6 hours so this trip should be interesting. We figure it will be about 17 hours or so; we're from Columbus. (Anyone from Columbus that has any driving tips, I would love to hear them!)
We plan on leaving at 5 am Friday and driving for 10 hours of the trip. Not sure where we'll end up but we are going to the AAA office tomorrow for a trip-tic.