Those of you driving from Arkansas

[annie2871]

We just got back from WDW and I remember before I went that there were some others thinking about this drive later on, so here is our driving report

We left Searcy, which is about 45 mins ne from Little Rock and took 64 to West Memphis, mainly because we had heard that there was a lot of construction on 40 into Memphis. Out of Memphis we went to Birmingham and continued south through Alabama. We stoped at Dothan, AL for the night (took us 10 hrs from Searcy - 8 1/2 from Memphis). Got up the next morning and continued south until we hit I10, took I10 to I75 and then straight to Orlando. Took us 6 hrs from Dothan, AL, so 16 hrs total driving time, but know that we had two kids and probably stopped more than we should have. A friend of mine made this same trip in 14 hrs.

Coming home we went through Georgia and Tennesse and it took about the same time. The only good thing about Georgia was the gas was cheaper than anywhere else - $1.13 was what we paid in Georgia.

The drive wasn't bad at all.

 

[bandman]

Thanks for the scouting report. Was either route any more scenic than the other? Can't wait for our trip the last week of September.
Michael

 

[DISFANS3]

Thanks for Info, We are leaving from SW Mo in three weeks. Going thru Memphis, on 55 south thru Jackson, Hattiesburg, on to Mobile Al. Hope to make good time on this route???? CBR99 Allstar Movies Aug2001 Allstar Music Aug2001

 

[tonirea]

Thanks for the post. I just had to reply because I live in Searcy and it's such a small town compared to where we moved from less than 2 years ago (Hollywood, Florida). We have decided to fly in November for our Disney trip. DS (just turned 2) is not a great traveler and just didn't want the headache. We used to have just a 3-4 hour drive to Disney and had gotten really spoiled. I have to say that I'm more excited about this trip than any other. Well I take that back, I was really excited when I was a kid. It's a different excitement now that I've got my own little ones. We will definitely drive when the little guy get's older. My older DS has always been great in the car. We drove from South Florida when he was just 2 here to Searcy for vacation along with my in-laws and my niece and he was great (and hardly any naps). The last vacation we had to Branson which is only about 3 hours away, my 2 year old screamed for 1 hour straight. It was so awful. We kept having to pull over and it got to a point that he just wouldn't stop crying. I am thinking it's motion sickness because my DH get's very car sick if he's not driving. Anyway just thought I'd say a few (well more like a lot of) words.

Toni

 

[Deb & Bill]

The route through Jackson, Hattiesburg and Mobile is a good one. We've done that route as well as I-49 to Lafayette and on to I-10. Both take about the same amount of time for us from Shreveport. It takes us about 14 hours total. We did the entire trip in one day - left about midnight and arrived about 3 or 4 PM at AKL.

 

[annie2871]

I think the route going through Chattanooga was more scenic because you are going through the mountains and the route through Alabama was pretty much dull once you went through Montgomery, however, you got to see a lot more of Florida in the northern part and that was pretty.

 

[Candace]

I recently drove it from Northeast Arkanas, 50 miles north of Memphis. I have driven many times to Mobile by going through Memphis, to Jackson, to Hattiesburg, to Mobile. I have also gotten to Mobile by staying on I-55 from Memphis, to Jackson, to Hammond, La. Then you take I-12 East from Hammond which connects to I-10 East to Mobile. It takes the same amount of time, either way, since it may be longer in miles, but Jackson to Hammond is ALL interstate, unlike the Jackson to Hattiesburg route. It was 8 hours for us to Mobile, where we spent the night, and then 8 hours on to Orlando. We were not pushing really hard, stopping to eat and gas up several times. We drove through really hard rain in Florida going down and had to pull over about 3 times. We did the same route in reverse coming home. It was my first time to ever drive to Orlando, having gone to Disney for many years, but I will definitely do it again, since my kids are grown now.