Tell me about driving from Long Island

[Aliceacc]

How many days do you spend?

Where do you overnight?

Is everyone exhausted for days???

I just looked at the autotrain, and it's over $1300-- and that's after driving to VA, so it's out.

Just keeping the options open...

 

[disneywlf]

While I have never driven from Long Island (Central Nassau) to WDW, I know many people who have driven to WDW or other points in Florida. Depending upon the traffic, your origin on Long Island, and the number of stops you make, it will take you anywhere from 18-24 hours to drive to Walt Disney World. If you stop for the night, North or South Carolina are best as they are halfway between NY and FL. From what I heard, the long stretches of I-95 can get dull, but there are interesting places to stop, such as Williamsburg, VA and Savannah, GA. In NJ, DE, and MD there are service areas with fuel, food, and good facilities to help you take a break if needed. Getting from Long Island to WDW: take a highway that will hook you up with the Verrazano Bridge (I-278) and take it to Staten Island. You will pass through Staten Island on the Staten Island Expressway (I-278) and cross into NJ via the Goethals Bridge (I-278). Exit south onto the NJ Turnpike and take it to the Delaware Memorial Bridge into DE where you will hook up with I-95 south. Then, you will take I-95 south through DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL to I-4 west towards Tampa. Finally,
take I-4 for about 70 miles and watch for the exit for the appropriate Orlando and/or Disney
destination. Also, gas up in NJ, VA, and GA if possible as gas prices are lower. I am glad that you
are road tripping and I hope that you have a magical vacation!

 

[Goofygirl17]

I don't know about driving from LI but we drove last summer from the New Haven, CT area. It took a total of 21 hours on the road. We took 3 days to do it though- stopping in MD the first night (to visit friends) and then stopping in Savannah the second night.

Not a bad drive at all after you get through VA. The driving atmosphere down south is a lot more relaxed even when there is traffic.

 

[wdwfan1]

We did it years ago. We made one stop in Georgia ( I think ). We did not like it so we never did it again. That being said, a lot of people do it and they seem okay with it.

Good luck.

 

[VanniGirl]

When we drive we usually stop in South Carolina, Santee is one area we have stopped in. A bit more that half way, but the drive to WDW the 2nd day is alot shorter

 

[DopeysMom]

Double Post...

 

[DopeysMom]

It's not too bad..we did it 2 years ago with a caravan (2 cars always within an hour of each other, usually closer) Our car had 6yo and a 9yo, the other had an 8mo old, so they had to stop more for diaper changes, etc. We drove straight through to Raleigh, NC and stayed with some family. We then spend 3/4 day in Raleigh and took in the sights in order to give us a break from the car. After dinner we hit the road and made it to Orlando by breakfast. We took it easy on our first day in the parks, so we weren't too tired.
This year, when we were planning, I looked into the auto train, and also used a gas calculator (that was when prices were $3.50/gal) and decided that if we found "cheap" airfare, we would book it because the TIME and AGGRAVATION saved would be well worth the extra $200 or so in cost vs. driving. Boy am I glad now that I found decent airfare, the cost of gas is killing me (we leave on Monday). Your right, the auto train is just too much..but did you consider taking the LIRR into Penn and taking Amtrak to Orlando (coach)?

PS...the trip home was more exhausting then the one down. We didn't stop, except for a quick nap in a parking lot somewhere along 95.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

Let's see, all five flying on Southwest, August 23rd to the 30th, 2011.

$907

Total driving time: from Huntington 40 minutes

Overnight, at the Beach Club!

Exhausted? No. Why would we be tired from a 2 and a half hour nonstop flight?

Driving would be about two thousand, two hundred, eighty miles round trip.

HMM...over $300 in gas alone at 25 mpg.