your thoughts in touring parks for full day before driving home

[Zippa D Doodah]

Our next trip will include several "firsts" -first time driving, first time taking my Mom with us (free babysitting for the kids -yay), first time with UPH. We check out on Saturday morning. We will have about a 10 hour drive home. Since we have UPHs we have the option of going to a park(s) before we head home. We don't necessarily have to be home on Saturday night, but don't want to be too pooped to drive any at all.
I am leaning toward playing at MK (our fave) until around 1pm and then heading home, stopping if necessary. What has been your experience, or what would be your advice?

Thanks!
David

 

[solotraveler]

I think that would work out just fine, if you were considering stopping halfway on your way home.

As long as you get a good nights rest the night before, you should be fine driving at least 5 hours or so before stopping for dinner or the night. With a 10 hour trip, you COULD make it all the way home, but I don't know if I would push it after 4 hours in the parks and a long vacation.

There is also the option of spending all day at the parks on Saturday, finding someplace really cheap offsite for Saturday night and then make the entire trip home on Sunday.

Either way.. USE THOSE UPH's!!

Solotraveler

 

[WDWisTheBest]

The advice I would give would be to consider stopping Saturday night around Brunswick or Savannah, GA.

Coming off the emotional high of visiting the theme park on Saturday until 1pm or so and then getting into the car to head back home, you know that you may be tired. Stopping around 5 to 7 pm seems reasonable. Safety first on the way home would be a good recommendation.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We always stay in the parks until about 1:30 or 2PM. We head west, so we gain an hour. We always wind up driving until about 9PM CT. Then we check into a hotel, sleep until about 7 or so and then head home the rest of the way. We get home about 2PM CT.

We only went home right away in the morning one time, and we were so pooped out from the day before, we didn't want to go to the parks at all. We drove all the way home and got home about 10PM CT.

 

[Mortlives]

If there's more than one driver, I think you could do it in one shot, just switch off and nap, so no one gets into a fatigue accident.

Ciao,
Mort.