Toronto to WDW - Driving

[M_T]

Hello

Which way would be the "best" to drive to WDW in July?
There is only 1 hour difference between I77 through Buffalo and I75 via Detroit (as per google maps).
I'm looking more for which would have less traffic/construction.
Also are most I series highways 70mph?
thanks
mark

 

[dvc deernut]

Hello

Which way would be the "best" to drive to WDW in July?
There is only 1 hour difference between I77 through Buffalo and I75 via Detroit (as per google maps).
I'm looking more for which would have less traffic/construction.
Also are most I series highways 70mph?
thanks
mark

We usually fly out of Buffalo now But we used to drive from here in niagara on the lake almost every year. Personally i wouldnt rely on google times. From our house it took me 20 hours of actual driving down I 90 to I 79 to 219 thru Beckley, then i think it is the 77 thru Charlotte, down to i think its Columbia, then across to the I 95 and straight down to the 4 and across to wdw. Even thou it says 70mph most people do 80mph, watch the trucks see what speed they are doing. Once you get on the 219 thru SUMMERVILLE, go exactly or even a couple mph under the speed limit. Its a well known speed trap looking for Canadians and the local Sherriff will stop you for 1 MPH over. Going into Forida on the 95 they usually have speed traps set up at the state border. We find it more senic going that way thru the MTNs than down the 75.

 

[twokids0204]

Hello

Which way would be the "best" to drive to WDW in July?
There is only 1 hour difference between I77 through Buffalo and I75 via Detroit (as per google maps).
I'm looking more for which would have less traffic/construction.
Also are most I series highways 70mph?
thanks
mark

First of all to the DISBoards.

I-75 is the easiest route, there is a lot more small town, rest areas to stop over night. But it is definitely longer, and it really feels it especially driving through Georgia.

I-77/I-79 route through Buffalo is shorter (and I personally prefer it), and more direct. It's also quite mountainy at spots. With rough winter weather, I would avoid this route. There are not as many places to stop as I-75, but you will likely only stop 1 or 2 nights, so you will definitely find somewhere.

Traffic: Cincinnati and Atlanta are bottlenecks down 1-75, Pittsburgh and Charlotte NC on I-77.

Construction: Any given day both routes may have lane closures. Not enough difference to really influence the trip.

As for speed limit... both routes have ups and downs. It's NOT always 70 on either.
I-75 you HAVE to watch your speed through Georgia (about 500 miles).
I-79 / I-77 there is a stretch of about 100 miles that connects I-79 to I-77, it is HWY 19, speed limit drops there, and you really have to watch it there as well.

I would make my choice based on time of year and weather.
Good Weather = I-79 / I-77
Poor Weather = I-75
In either case, drive with care and caution, and be safe.

 

[MamaLema]

We drive straight through and our experience has been from Toronto:

I-75 - 26 hours
I77/79 - 22 hours

No contest for us. I will not be driving through the I-75, however it is a smoother ride. The I77/79 has some beautiful scenery, but as other posters stated, the time of year you go will make a big difference.

 

[Reese]

We love the 1/75. We found it really only took us an hour longer than the I/77 route. The 75 has a lot of clean rest stops and the roads are great. We just returned two weeks ago and there was some construction in Georgia but that we really about it. When it's just our family we find the I/75 takes us about 23 hrs (when we have others travelling with us it always seems to take an extra 2 hours).

 

[M_T]

Thank you all for the info
and the tip on Summerville.


mt

 

[dancin Disney style]

MT...you didn't say where you will be starting out from. The difference in the drive, from the GTA, is about 3 hours. If you are in the GTA you need to add 3 hours to drive over to the Detroit area to catch the I75. If you are over in that area to start with it makes more sense to drive the I75 route.

We drive from Oakville and use the 77/79 route. We usually take about 23 driving hours. We did it once in about 20.5 hours. We never stop for meals we pack a cooler and only stop at a rest area to get out and eat. Occasionally, we have stopped to get dinner but it's only a McD's type of meal, so a really short stop. Othere than that we only stop for gas and washroom breaks. Some how my DH can drive almost non stop. I might drive for about 3 hours each way. Also, we like to start out on day 1 at about 2 or 3 am and then drive until about 9pm. That way we only have a couple of hours to go on day 2 and we usually are at our WDW resort for lunch.

 

[csm101]

I've done the route 4 times...take the I77 route. faster nice rest stops. I've never had a problem with the police and i drive a black dodge charger that screams pull me over. good luck and happy vacation.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I always drive down using Interstate 75.

 

[M_T]

My family and I always drive down using Interstate 75.

May I ask why I75 ? I just looking for personal opinion.
Seems a lot of people recommend I77 if the weather is nice.

Thanks
mt

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

May I ask why I75 ? I just looking for personal opinion.
Seems a lot of people recommend I77 if the weather is nice.

Thanks
mt

We think it's the fastest and most direct route, there are a lot of exits in each state to stop off at and having the Along Interstate 75 book also makes it easier.

 

[OntFamily]

We think it's the fastest and most direct route, there are a lot of exits in each state to stop off at and having the Along Interstate 75 book also makes it easier.

How much of this route have you personally driven?


Both routes are good, dependent on the starting point. Most people posting on this site have found GTA residents will have the fastest trip using I-77/79, while those closer to Windosr will find I-75 faster.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

How much of this route have you personally driven?


Both routes are good, dependent on the starting point. Most people posting on this site have found GTA residents will have the fastest trip using I-77/79, while those closer to Windosr will find I-75 faster.

Well if your asking if we split up the driving so we can take breaks yes we do.

 

[M_T]

We think it's the fastest and most direct route, there are a lot of exits in each state to stop off at and having the Along Interstate 75 book also makes it easier.

Thank you for the reply

and again thanks to all.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thank you for the reply

and again thanks to all.

You're welcome.

 

[Reese]

Well if your asking if we split up the driving so we can take breaks yes we do.

DH and I alternate driving every couple of hours. It works out well because he's a morning person and I'm a night hawk. We allow each other a max of 3-4 hours during our most awake time (his is 5 in the morning mine is 11 at night) and than that we switch off every two hours. The kids are the co-pilots so we can take turns sleeping. The oldest two have had a crash course on navigation with the "Along the I-75" book and can read it better than DH. I find that book priceless. We had to find an open walmart at three in the morning for a broken wiper blade in the rain. Would have been lost without it.

 

[bdoyledimou]

I always take the i-77 .. it just seems the i-75 takes us WAY to far to the west...

i-77 is pretty much due south once you hit PA.

Never had issues/problems with rest stops or gas stations/police either..

Mind there are some stretches through the mountains which can be disconcerting in the late night, but it's all good.

 

[Familyof4lovesDW]

The speed limit on 75 in Ohio is 65 not 70 as it is in all of the other states on the way down. It is 55 in construction zones. There is construction on 75 before you get to cincinnati. As a pp said Georgia is the state that never ends lol. Have a nice trip.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

As a pp said Georgia is the state that never ends lol. Have a nice trip.

I actually think it's the fastest state to drive through because a lot of their exits are very close together, plus I like seeing a lot of the bilboards on the side of the Interstate.

 

[Reese]

Mind there are some stretches through the mountains which can be disconcerting in the late night, but it's all good.

Everyone was sleeping when I was driving through the mountains. I told them about the runaway truck hills and they thought I was nuts (too much driving). They teased me about it until the way home when I made sure they were all awake to see them.