Talk to me about the drive from Ontario

[archdandy]

Okay, so we are going to be driving from about 1.5 north of Toronto to Disney World in August and this will be our first time driving. I need to know ALL of your planning tips and tricks and advice. I feel like it's a huge undertaking and will require tons of planning. Where should we stop for rest stops? Where is a good place to get some food? Best route to take? We are two adults planning on driving straight through. Has anyone done this before, any tips on keeping yourself awake enough to drive? Obviously we would take turns and nap in between. And if we need to we will stop but I'd rather drive straight through. Google maps says its 20 hours of driving but I assume it will a bit longer with stops and traffic and what not. I'm also thinking of maybe stopping at a Walmart or Target before we arrive in Disney and possibly the Disney outlet store as well. Any tips for those idea's? Is there a good Walmart or Target to stop at on the way? I feel really lost with planning this. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Disneyhabs]

Wat route will you be driving on the way? I am heading down Aug 29th driving I75. we have driven this route dozens of times. We leave after dinner and drive through the night. We then stop at the GA welcome centre for breakfast and a rest. We take an electric cooler for drinks and milk for the drive. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[nat1234]

I did the trip this past September from Hamilton with my two daughters, also drivers. This was the second time I have driven down. We didn't drive straight through but we did it in a day and a half. It really isn't a bad drive, just a little monotonous. Really pretty through the mountains though. I would suggest getting amembership to CAA if you don't already have one. They will make a trip tic (not sure of spelling) which is a map of your trip. It wil include where there is construction going on and where traffic could be heavier. I'm pretty sure mine even mentioned where speed limits were strictly enforced. I also used my GPS in the car. As you cross into each state they have information stops that offer washrooms and vending machines and they are clean! There are also have rest stops every few miles, also clean. I tried to make sure I was through the mountains in the daylight. They have some pretty steep drops whuch I want to know were there since I was not driving somewhere I was familiar with. There is a whole forum dedicated to traveling to Disney on the main boards. There will definitely be people who can give great tips and advice on driving down. Check there. Look on it as an adventure and you'll be okay. Have fun.

 

[rjan67]

We drive down frequently, often straight through. We take the I75 route and leave from southwestern Ontario. We have made it down in as little as 18 1/2 hours to 21 hours depending on stops etc. We honestly don't stop that often. Just meal breaks and gas. Bring things to do in the car and snacks you like. To stay awake, we bring caffienated drinks or stop for coffee, small packs of nuts and sunflower seeds (dill pickle flavour) are a must! Something about cracking them and spitting them out helps keep us awake, I have no reason why and music that you can sing too! A Gps is a must as far as I'm concerned, that way when you need to stop you can see your options, as well as helping with any planned detours. Sometimes we break at a Target or some place we can walk around and pick up things for our trip. If you need to sleep while the other drives, be sure that the other person wakes you up if they feel sleepy and if it's too much PULL OVER and get some rest - even if it's a rest stop for 1 hour. Otherwise get a hotel room for 4-5 hours sleep and go again, it isn't worth it. There is some type of Florida adrenaline that keeps you going - at least it does for us, especially at March break. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on the way back! Good luck and drive safe!

 

[archdandy]

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely check out the main board for travelling to Disney. Do a lot of Canadians post in there? It's comforting to know that so many drive straight through. I think if we did this we would need to sleep for a while when we actually arrive. Hopefully not too long, but at least 4-5 hours. I can imagine that the drive back is much worse with nothing to look forward to As for the route, I've been thinking about doing the I175 since it seems to be the most travelled as far as people I've talked to online. I've heard that the book 'Along Interstate 75' is a good read and might be worth it to bring along. Have you guys read it? I'm going to look into our warranty with our car to see if they offer anything like the trip tic that CAA offers. They offer a lot of the same types of services so maybe they will! I'm going to definitely bring our GPS plus a printed off set of instructions as well. I wasn't really planning on making stops for food, just bringing a small cooler and eating in the car. Do you guys recommend stopping? I'm just worried that if we stop and eat we will get too tired while we rest and not want to make the rest of the drive

 

[Tower]

We did the drive last November. I took a nap in the Thursday afternoon prior to leaving. Packed up the van and left the house at 7:30PM. Went via Buffalo and I 90/79/77 etc.
First stop was Morgantown, PA after 5 hours of driving for gas/potty breaks. Our kids, 12, 10 and 6, slept to the gas station and again after that break. Stopped in Charlotte, NC for breakfast as Mimi's Cafe (north of the city). Did this mainly to avoid rush hour that was starting at the time. By the time we got going again, rush hour was basically over.
BTW I drove thru until we got to the end of US19 at I77. DW took over and drove to the restaurant and again for a while into South Carolina. Stopped in Georgia at a rest stop for a picnic lunch and threw a football around with the older pair to stretch everybody's legs. (Ok, MY legs needed it!)
Stopped in Jacksonville at Walmart for gas (try to do it in GA as FL gas is more expensive) and also groceries as we rented my brother's house while there. (He's in Kissimmee and has a nice rental home with pool/lanai). The kids slept thru the night on the drive south, and we bought a DVD player and brought DVD's (with headphones) for the kids to watch in the daytime drive. Did get a few 'Are We There Yet?" but it was totally bearable.
Got to Kissimmee around 9:30PM, all 3 kids went for a swim while DW and I unpacked. Slept soundly thru the night and we were rarin' to start our Saturday!
Left again around noonish and drove to north of Charlotte, NC for a night there. Got up early enough to drive home next day with no real impact on sleep patterns. Rested well on the Sat night and woke up Sunday ready again to get the kids geared up for school next day.

One note, we went during school, but timed it to include a PA day so they missed a little less learning. They're all doing well.

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Just to give another perspective...

We have driven a few times and have done both I75 and I77/I79 route. If you were going in the winter I would suggest you take I75 but you are traveling in the summer, so the other route is amazing. Very scenic and beautiful. We always stop one night, we are about the same distance from Toronto and begin our drive at 3am, gets us to the border at around 6. This gives you a chance for one more Timmes before you cross. We will drive to Rock Hill, SC. Gets us there for dinner, we always stay at the Hampton Inn, very clean and free breakfast, we also like the area around the hotel, lots of choice for food and stores to shop. This leaves about 8 hrs to Disney. This way you are rested and ready to hit the parks that night or go out for a nice dinner.

Feel free to ask any questions, we have made notes as to which exits are very good and which to avoid that we have stopped at.

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely check out the main board for travelling to Disney. Do a lot of Canadians post in there? It's comforting to know that so many drive straight through. I think if we did this we would need to sleep for a while when we actually arrive. Hopefully not too long, but at least 4-5 hours. I can imagine that the drive back is much worse with nothing to look forward to As for the route, I've been thinking about doing the I175 since it seems to be the most travelled as far as people I've talked to online. I've heard that the book 'Along Interstate 75' is a good read and might be worth it to bring along. Have you guys read it? I'm going to look into our warranty with our car to see if they offer anything like the trip tic that CAA offers. They offer a lot of the same types of services so maybe they will! I'm going to definitely bring our GPS plus a printed off set of instructions as well. I wasn't really planning on making stops for food, just bringing a small cooler and eating in the car. Do you guys recommend stopping? I'm just worried that if we stop and eat we will get too tired while we rest and not want to make the rest of the drive

If you are taking I-75, you need Dave Hunter's book. It tells you absolutely everything you need to know, and makes the miles fly by. The other route is more scenic, true, but there are many more rest/food options along I-75.
Word of caution: the American speed limits are NOT suggestions, the way they are here. You'll see more cops through six hours of Ohio than you will in Ontario in a month. (And if you go the other way...well, just Google Summersville WV and be careful.)

 

[Skjhjb]

When we went in 2012, we drove I95.

This time we are taking I75, and I bought the much talked about Along I75 book. Looking forward to the drive - it is part of the fun for us.

Now the debate is what time to leave!

The original plan was to leave about 4am on the Sunday morning, and barring any unforeseen events, hitting the border of Georgia before calling it a day.

But I've had a thought.....

Middle DD is in her school production of Suessical, last performance is the Saturday night before we leave. Now, I wondered if DH should skip the play and nap (the man can sleep anytime, anywhere), and then when we get home from the play, get everybody showered and the van packed and hit the road by midnight. The kids will sleep most of the way anyway, and with gps I can take over driving if DH gets tired. We'd still stop for the night somewhere at some point.

My thought is that then we will hit Orlando possibly by noon on the Monday, instead of 4 or 5 like originally planned.

Anybody done this?

 

[Disneyhabs]

If you are taking I-75, you need Dave Hunter's book. It tells you absolutely everything you need to know, and makes the miles fly by. The other route is more scenic, true, but there are many more rest/food options along I-75.
Word of caution: the American speed limits are NOT suggestions, the way they are here. You'll see more cops through six hours of Ohio than you will in Ontario in a month. (And if you go the other way...well, just Google Summersville WV and be careful.)

^this. Along the I75 is a great book. We have driven this route over 20 times and I still buy his book. A couple friends got some nice coupons in Summersville last summer from the local boys in blue.

Our routine is this:
I sleep for a few hours through the day get up and pack the car order dinner and get the kids ready. we then leave about 6 or 7 pm and drive through the nIght. We arrive at the GA welcome centre for About 6 or 7am. WE have some breakfast i relax for an hour or so then lad everyone up and head out. we hit the Macon bypass rest area and do lunch there. we stop around 3 in the afternoon in Valdosta and stay the night. We book at the Country INN and suites as it has an indoor pool etc so the kids love tT. We then get up and hit the road By 8 am the next day and arrive at Disney by Noon.

 

[RatherDrive]

From just east of Toronto we take about 20 hours to drive down via I77/79 route. We have done the drive every year since 2004 when our youngest was 6 months. Done both the I75 and the I77/79 route and prefer the I77/79. It is a quicker and shorter route, shorter by about an hour and roughly 100 kms for us. Really it all depends on the time of year, spring, summer and fall we would do the I77/79 and only do the I75 in the winter months.

Usually we leave early in the morning and put in a 14 hour drive the first day, stop for the night and let the kids swim in the hotel pool to blow off some steam. Usually this puts us around Columbia SC. Then up by 6am and on the road by 7am. This puts us in WDW by early afternoon. We do stop briefly but only for gas and food. We have a portable DVD system for the car and play it over the car's stereo system, that way the driver, me, can enjoy listening to the movies. Now that the kids are older they have their own tablets so they watch their own movies and play games on them. Last time we figured out it cost us $600 return in gas food and lodging for the drive.

We have thought about driving right through but honestly it would mean that we would be exhausted by the time we got down there. This would be a waste of the day, so why not stop and then arrive later in the day rested?

Love the CAA TripTiks and the highlighted maps they give you.

 

[shpirks]

From just east of Toronto we take about 20 hours to drive down via I77/79 route. We have done the drive every year since 2004 when our youngest was 6 months. Done both the I75 and the I77/79 route and prefer the I77/79. It is a quicker and shorter route, shorter by about an hour and roughly 100 kms for us. Really it all depends on the time of year, spring, summer and fall we would do the I77/79 and only do the I75 in the winter months. Usually we leave early in the morning and put in a 14 hour drive the first day, stop for the night and let the kids swim in the hotel pool to blow off some steam. Usually this puts us around Columbia SC. Then up by 6am and on the road by 7am. This puts us in WDW by early afternoon. We do stop briefly but only for gas and food. We have a portable DVD system for the car and play it over the car's stereo system, that way the driver, me, can enjoy listening to the movies. Now that the kids are older they have their own tablets so they watch their own movies and play games on them. Last time we figured out it cost us $600 return in gas food and lodging for the drive. We have thought about driving right through but honestly it would mean that we would be exhausted by the time we got down there. This would be a waste of the day, so why not stop and then arrive later in the day rested? Love the CAA TripTiks and the highlighted maps they give you.

We are leaving in a few weeks from Niagara Falls and my daughter will be 5 1/2 months old ANSI was wondering how your drive was and if you have any tips for driving with an infant?

 

[bankr63]

We take 81 South from Ottawa, so our route is quite different. But I would suggest that if you think you might need a sleep stop, remember that every state welcome centre has hotel discount books, usually 2 or 3. Pick them all up. Then if you are tired, look for walk-in rates at a hotel a little farther down the road. They all have pretty good maps of the major interstates with nearby hotels.

If you have CAA, review the hotel ratings in the CAA guide book. Also know the chains you like. We usually pick an exit with 2 or 3 good options. The walk-in rooms aren't always available, but if not, make sure you ask for the CAA rate. This past trip we did 2 sleep stops each way. We only got 1 walk-in rate at a Hampton Inn in PA for about $65, and it was our nicest room of the trip. The other 3 were all at CAA rate at HI Express or Fairfield, which probably saved us $50 overall on the rooms over the standard rate.

 

[Disneylover99]

Great thread and great info.! Thanks archdandy for getting this started.

We will be driving down the middle of August with a 10 and 7 year old. I was just wondering.....Do any of you prebook your hotels along the way? Are hotel rooms plentiful? Have you been turned away at the front desk because there are no rooms available?

 

[Skjhjb]

Great thread and great info.! Thanks archdandy for getting this started. We will be driving down the middle of August with a 10 and 7 year old. I was just wondering.....Do any of you prebook your hotels along the way? Are hotel rooms plentiful? Have you been turned away at the front desk because there are no rooms available?

The only room we have prebook end is the one for our off site night the day of arrival in Orlando. We will spend some time relaxing, go for dinner and get up early next morning so we can get checked in at Disney and off to rope drop for first day.

We had great luck last time getting a room when we needed to. But we are also a family of 5, so we need a suite style room instead of just two beds...

 

[RatherDrive]

We are leaving in a few weeks from Niagara Falls and my daughter will be 5 1/2 months old ANSI was wondering how your drive was and if you have any tips for driving with an infant?

Our kids have always travelled well, in fact our oldest asked us to drive this summer since he does not like travelling through Orlando airport at all. When our youngest was six months on our first drive I think we were lucky. He was able to entertain himself and he did sleep for most of the trip. His brother was able to help out and keep him occupied. We did have a lot of toys for him, the kind that we could pin up so they were always at hand. My DW read to the boys and kept talking to them. Her back was sore by the end of the trip due to her turning around all the time. We did have way to many toys and stuff for him but having more meant that he had lots to keep him entertained.

Great thread and great info.! Thanks archdandy for getting this started.

We will be driving down the middle of August with a 10 and 7 year old. I was just wondering.....Do any of you prebook your hotels along the way? Are hotel rooms plentiful? Have you been turned away at the front desk because there are no rooms available?

For the drive down we usually book a room since I know that I want to get there by a certain time. I know how many miles I want to travel each day so I can easily pick a sleep stop when mapping out the route. Our drive home is at a more leisurely pace so I don't have to as many miles each day. Therefore, we don't know where we are going to stop and we keep driving until we are tired and want to eat. In all of our travels, 10+ trips, I have only been turned away once and that was due to a BLue Grass festival in WV. There was nothing for 50 miles in any direction. This was on our drive home where we did not book a room. We just kept on going until we could find a room about an hour later.

 

[bankr63]

Therefore, we don't know where we are going to stop and we keep driving until we are tired and want to eat. In all of our travels, 10+ trips, I have only been turned away once and that was due to a BLue Grass festival in WV. There was nothing for 50 miles in any direction. This was on our drive home where we did not book a room. We just kept on going until we could find a room about an hour later.

That's how we did it on our trip this March break, we had a lot of time for the drive, but DW goes stir crazy in the car, so we stopped a lot (toured Hershey PA, drove Skyline Drive and visited Luray Caverns in VA among others). On the return trip last weekend it turned out there was a NASCAR event near Richmond VA where we thought we might stop, so we adjusted and stayed about an hour outside; no problem finding a room a bit further out. The last minute walk-in deals were great and when we fell back on the CAA/AAA rate it was still pretty good. Just be sure to pick hotel chains you trust.

 

[iluveeyore]

Anyone who decides to stop for the night, I always suggest to stop at the Welcome Center/rest stop when you enter the state you think you might stay in, and there are tons of booklets full of coupons and directions for most chain motels/hotels right off the interstate. We always take the I79/77/95 with the shortcut through Summersville on the 19 (do the speed limit for sure!). It is a beautiful drive, and tons of places to stop and rest/eat/get gas, etc. If you are both tired and don't want to get a room, we have stopped many times at a rest stop on the way down (usually SC or Georgia) and slept for a few hours - there is security, and they won't tell you to leave if it's just for a few hours. We usually stop after about 12-13 hours the first night (puts you in NC, bottom end usually), then we are fresh for the rest of the way into Disney. Enjoy your planning!

 

[Disneyhabs]

Great thread and great info.! Thanks archdandy for getting this started.

We will be driving down the middle of August with a 10 and 7 year old. I was just wondering.....Do any of you prebook your hotels along the way? Are hotel rooms plentiful? Have you been turned away at the front desk because there are no rooms available?

I always pre book our room in Valdosta GA. I travel and have been traveling with 4 kids for years. They are now 17 12 11 and 6 and they have been travelling by car to Disney since they were 5 months old.

 

[wdwgoofydaddy]

We have now done the drive 18 time return since 2009 from about 1hour north of Toronto to WDW. We tool I75 the first time and stopped in Macon because we did not think we could do it straight however when we stopped we still had energy and could have continued so we did it straight on the drive back home that same trip. We now never spend the night anywhere. We just drive straight through only stopping for gas and an 1 hour dinner and 1 hour breakfast break. Lunch is usually McDonalds and it is eaten in the car while I continue to drive.

We have tried many different routes throughout the years but always tend to revert back to I75. For first time drivers, I strongly recommend I75. There are always gas and service stations along the away and it is a really easy drive. A GPS is a MUST have on these trips.

We have also left home at various time (6am/12pm/2pm/5pm) it really depends on what our schedule is like. I prefer starting the trip just after lunch because that would generally get us into orlando early-mid day. just enough time to check, shower, and hit Downtown Disney.

We have even do the trip several time now with other families and had a rather large caravan going. Just note, if you are going to go with other families in other cars, add time to your schedule because it will take longer.

Below is a link to a great book on driving to Orland on I75 with kids

Kids Love I-75: A Family Travel Guide for Exploring the Best "Kid-Tested" Places Along I-75 - From Michigan to Florida(Kids Love Guide I-75) by George Zavatsky and Michele Zavatsky (Apr 2009)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=...ed+places+along+i+75+from+michigan+to+florida

Doing the overnight was always the toughest for me until i started to listen to interesting audiobooks. The audiobooks really kept me alert and awake. I would also try to buy a Subway sandwich at about 2:30 or 3:00 am to keep up my energy too. You can find several open 24 hrs along I75.

Hope this helps and happy driving.