Staying in Jacksonville on the way

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

Eveyone on the DIS was so helpful helping me narrow my search for a hotel in Savannah last year, that I am seeking your help again this year we leave in 2 weeks...on a Friday....and month end at work for me....if i work a whole day, we will stay again in Savannah....the half way point for us....but if I am able to get off at noon, we are thinking about driving on into Jacksonville, which puts us 2 hours from Disney the next morning any thoughts/suggestions on where to stay in Jacksonville....easy access to/from interstate in Jacksonville? <we are coming from SC>

 

[Smile&Nod]

Not sure what your budget is but we stayed once at an Embassy Suites on the south side of Jacksonville - at the time my youngest DD was about 4 1/2 - fast forward to when she was 9 and planning a trip and I asked her what she remembered from the time before and she talked about the indoor pool at the hotel - that was at the Embassy Suites - not Disney! had to laugh.

That particular Embassy Suites is less than 1/2 mile off 95 south!

 

[sallysue66]

We have not stayed at any of the hotels but always stop at Exit 363 in Jacksonville. There are several hotels there and the area is good. We stop there because there is a Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Arby's all close together so everyone can get what they want. There's even a Panera Bread. It's a big retail center with a Wal-Mart and lots of other restaurants & shops and it's all right off the exit. Plus, most everything there has been built in the last 5 years or so, so it's a really clean area.

 

[DarleneW]

We drove from NJ to Orlando in February and stopped in Jacksonville at a Holiday Inn Express. It was in a nice area with other large hotels very close the I95 and you can get free breakfast. We had a leisurely breakfast and arrived at Disney around 10:00 a.m. I asked for their AAA discount and the room cost $85. We plan on driving again in November and we will definitely stay there again. I have an app for my Iphone called iExit which was free and as we drive I can check what is at each exit which is how I found the Holiday Inn Express. My daughter and son-in-law had driven down in December and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in St. Augustine and when I checked their price I think it was around $120. Definitely staying in Jacksonville next time.

 

[DVC96]

We often drive from VA to St. Augustine and stay at a Courtyard just off of 95 near the outlets. There's Dunkin' Donuts and a Cracker Barrel for the morning, too.

 

[mom2t]

We stayed at a Wingate Inn right on the Interstate just south of Jacksonville. Great breakfast included with waffle maker.

 

[saucymb]

If you can make it about 20 miles south of Jax, try staying at St. Augustine. We did that 2 weeks ago. We stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott, right next to the outlet mall (the one with the Disney outlet). $80 for the night, and that included a decent breakfast. Check out is noon, so we drove to the beach for a couple of hours and returned for a quick shower before we checked out and drove the 2 hours to Orlando. Vilano Beach has public access, just 10 minutes from the hotel, and you can drive right on the beach.

The hotel was clean, fresh, nice. It was built in 2008, so it's still pretty new.

Good luck!

 

[TinkTock]

I don't know about Jacksonville hotels, but if you're driving through the city, the Metro Diner is great for breakfast.

 

[Jedana]

Places to not stay in Jacksonville:
Anywhere off I-95 and Baymeadows
Anywhere off I-295 and Park or Blanding
Both neighborhoods have had numerous problems at the hotels. Things like kids being found alone in parking lots, people cooking meth at the hotels, etc.



Places that are ok:
Off 9A around Baymeadows. More of a business area.
Near World Golf Village off of I-95.
St Augustine--tourist city!

Seconding the Metro Diner! They have multiple locations now.

 

[Golf4food]

If you want to be right on I95 for quick stop and then go in the morning I'd look near the airport - there's a new town center with lots of food options - or at JTB (J. Turner Butler Blvd.) and 95 on the Southside (aka Southpoint) - lots of restaurants, just minuts up the street to the St. Johns Town Center or Tinsletown for shopping/dining/entertainment. Nicer places downtown if you want to spend the dough (Omni, etc.)

 

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

Thanks so much for all the info!

 

[mmcxiiad]

we like the homewood suites, just south of jacksonville. it is less then a mile off i95. It is pretty close to the embassy suites, but the rooms are far more spacious. They should be about the same price.

they have a full kitchen in the room. The kids also love the fresh (free) waffles they serve for breakfast.

One recommendation, stay on the south side of Jacksonville. Then when you wake up and finish the drive you are going the opposite way from the commuting drive.

 

[Belle2667]

We regularly drive from PA and stay the night in Jacksonville. We stay at the Courtyard on JT Butler Blvd on the south side of Jacksonville. Its easy on/off I-95.

We usually arrive around 7PM and walk to the Applebees at the beginning of the development. Very nice after an all-day drive. There's a Crackerbarrel in the backyard of the hotel for breakfast in the morning. (Breakfast used to be included when we first started stopping here, but that went away several years ago.)

If Courtyard doesn't appeal to you, there are several other hotels in the same complex (Jameson, LaQuinta and some others).

2 hours after breakfast, we are driving under the Mickey welcome sign!

 

[swilshire]

If you'll have at least a couple of hours either morning or evening to enjoy it, I would recommend Amelia Island. It is just a short drive off the Interstate. I've stayed a couple of times in a Residence Inn about a block from the beach. It was brand new when I first stayed there in 2010. A beach walk after your drive might be nice. There are a couple of good restaurants close by.

Sheila

 

[mmcxiiad]

We leave the night before we are going to check in, drive just on the other side of Jacksonville. The plan is to take a leisurely drive to WDW the day of checkin and do some of those hidden gems that are along the way.

But somewhere between plan and day of.... the next morning we wake up as early as possible and race there to spend as much time at Disney as we can.

After it is over we reminisce that, next time, we are going to take it slow. Well, maybe someday.

 

[travelitis]

I live in Jax, and you will be 2.5 hrs from the parks depending on where you stay and how fast you drive. If you want to make it into a Disney Parking in 2 hrs. from 95 & 295, you will need to do about 85. I suggest you stop south of 295. In the areas between downtown and there, it's hit and miss on the neighborhoods. (Baymeadows is nice.) I wouldn't stay off Emerson or University. I'd pass 295, especially if I were driving during rush hour the next morning. Blanding and 295 is a good area (Orange Park), but I doubt you'll be going that way.

Get gas in Jax before you continue. The prices between us and Disney along the highway are usually high. Disney Hess runs 3-5 cents less than our cheap gas, though.

Good pit stops are easy to find on 95, but not on Hwy 4. Here are our top picks.
Palm Coast - lots of stuff

Daytona McDonald's right before you get to hwy 4. When you exit the lot, turn
RIGHT instead of going back to 95. This will lead you to hwy 4 (about 2 or 3 miles?). This McDonald's is consistently clean, and hwy 4 doesn't have lots of options.

On 4 (believe it's 111B), after Deltona there is an exit with an A and a B. we take the one that has RaceTrac.

Before but near Orlando rest area - There's quite a bit of Orlando to get through, and this is the last easy restroom stop. We've learned to stop here even if no one thinks they need it, because if they don't, by the time we get through Orlando, someone is in need.

I drive Jax to Disney weekly and am heading there tomorrow. I will try to remember to make some additional notes to help people driving through.

 

[lucyem]

On our last trip in April we stopped in northern FL. After you go under the PGA sign you soon come to some outlets to your right. We got off that exit and there was a brand new Holiday Inn Express to the left of the highway (if you are traveling south). Indoor pool, super clean, breakfast. To the right of the highway is the outlets and there was a chinese restaurant owned by a family that was wonderful. It was late afternoon and the older daughter was helping serve customers. Sorry I cannot be more clear on an exit number. We never make advance reservations since we never know where we will be when since our drive is just a little further (from NH). Though it was a nice enough hotel and dinner that the next time we want to stop in that area we will go back. I cannot say that about most of our hotel experiences on 95.

 

[epsmith921]

Third vote for the southside area of Jacksonville. Lived there right after the St. John's town center was built. That area near JTB is good. Jacksonville's a bit tough with the areas and pockets. Also agree st Augustine is great. We used to go to the world golf village all the time and it's right off 95. Miss that quick drive to Disney for weekend trips!

 

[Straitlover]

If you can make it to St Augustine, I can recommend the Comfort Suites at the World Golf Village exit. We stayed there a few years ago. Not far from the historical area if you have time to drive around.

 

[epsmith921]

Forgot to say if you do decide to stay in the jacksonville area, specifically southside and St. John's town center, you can take 9A from 95 and be right there. It's really easy and still close to 95 . You skip downtown and cross the river at a different point but I found it to be a nice drive, and I did it every day to go to work near the airport.