"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (Part V)

Just returned from Chicago to wdw and back.

Left Saturday 11/12 at 6am via 294 to 94 to 65 to 24 Stopped at embassy suites in Chattanooga overnight.

Left Chattanooga Sunday around 7:45am and except for the kids deciding to blow out diapers twice, and a accident right before the turnpike, we arrived around 5:30pm.

On the way home i24 was shut down due to road construction so there was bypass on 65.

65 in Indiana has a bunch of construction spots but there was no slow downs.

Kentucky bridge now costs $2.00 (went in on 12/16 right after our last trip) which you can use your iPass for.

Epass sticker for Florida turnpike worked great. The sticker is free and you can open an account with only $10.
 
Did anyone make the drive to or from (or both) WDW during the Thanksgiving days?

All the best! :thumbsup2
 
No, not around Thanksgiving. I did it earlier in the month. I used the inland route (81/77/26) going down and Rt 95 coming home to NJ. I stopped near Quantico on sunday night to avoid the DC/Baltimore traffic on Veterans weekend. Sailed thru that area on Monday without any troubles.
 


Just returned from Chicago to wdw and back.

Left Saturday 11/12 at 6am via 294 to 94 to 65 to 24 Stopped at embassy suites in Chattanooga overnight.

Left Chattanooga Sunday around 7:45am and except for the kids deciding to blow out diapers twice, and a accident right before the turnpike, we arrived around 5:30pm.

On the way home i24 was shut down due to road construction so there was bypass on 65.

65 in Indiana has a bunch of construction spots but there was no slow downs.

Kentucky bridge now costs $2.00 (went in on 12/16 right after our last trip) which you can use your iPass for.

Epass sticker for Florida turnpike worked great. The sticker is free and you can open an account with only $10.
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I'm leaving December 15 from Kansas City but the mileage should be about the same. I'm driving either by myself or with my 23 year old step son, who doesn't drive. I drove last May at left at 8 AM and made it to the Smoky Mountains, just short of Chattanooga, about 6 PM. This time, I'll leave at 6 AM and hope to make it to Macon, Ga, even after the time change. Assuming that the weather is good and no major road accidents, is this doable? I'd really like to leave a short driving day to get to Disneyworld by 3, at the latest.
 
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I'm leaving December 15 from Kansas City but the mileage should be about the same. I'm driving either by myself or with my 23 year old step son, who doesn't drive. I drove last May at left at 8 AM and made it to the Smoky Mountains, just short of Chattanooga, about 6 PM. This time, I'll leave at 6 AM and hope to make it to Macon, Ga, even after the time change. Assuming that the weather is good and no major road accidents, is this doable? I'd really like to leave a short driving day to get to Disneyworld by 3, at the latest.

That's a long day in the car (13hr just straight drive time, so more like 15 hours.

I would look for something in Byron, ga as it will be on the Macon bypass (475)
 
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I'm leaving December 15 from Kansas City but the mileage should be about the same. I'm driving either by myself or with my 23 year old step son, who doesn't drive. I drove last May at left at 8 AM and made it to the Smoky Mountains, just short of Chattanooga, about 6 PM. This time, I'll leave at 6 AM and hope to make it to Macon, Ga, even after the time change. Assuming that the weather is good and no major road accidents, is this doable? I'd really like to leave a short driving day to get to Disneyworld by 3, at the latest.
We do the drive from Omaha down, so we probably take the same route as you will. We left around 2 hours earlier than you last June and made it to Macon around 9pm. That was with 2 younger kids and a wife with a bladder the size of a pea, so you're probably better off. The one thing I will say is that you will hit traffic in Chattanooga starting around 3:30pm (local time) on a Friday afternoon, so either get through there before then or it will slow you down considerably. We planned our departure time around avoiding KC, Saint Louis, and Atlanta rush hours, but there was no avoiding Chattanooga. It wasn't the worst traffic in the world, but after driving 12 hours, it's brutal sitting in evening traffic. Good luck! :D
 


I might be able to leave by 5 AM, but being the only driver, in order to drive 16-17 hours practically straight, I need 7-8 hours sleep and many caffeinated drinks along the way. Other than making 3-4 stops for gas/bathroom stops, I'll be driving non stop. Thanks for the recommendation about Chattanooga. How would the Atlanta area be for traffic about 7 PM? I had no problems driving through Atlanta the Saturday morning of last Memorial Day weekend but coming back on a Saturday afternoon, it was stop and go and several construction zones.
 
Ten years ago this very week, (see page one, post #1), yours truly started this thread. Well, after 46 round-trip drives to WDW, our 47th drive was a one way: We have moved from the NJ Shore to Florida, one hour away from WDW.

We hope that all of you will keep this thread active. We will try, but our limited drive distance makes us "ineligible" to be a part of it. How's that for irony!

All the best! :thumbsup2
 
We left work today at 1:00pm (west Michigan). Made it to the south of Nashville around 9:00pm. Hopefully heading out early tomorrow to finish the drive, at least hopefully get near Disney. South of Gainesville would be great.
 
Ten years ago this very week, (see page one, post #1), yours truly started this thread. Well, after 46 round-trip drives to WDW, our 47th drive was a one way: We have moved from the NJ Shore to Florida, one hour away from WDW.

We hope that all of you will keep this thread active. We will try, but our limited drive distance makes us "ineligible" to be a part of it. How's that for irony!

All the best! :thumbsup2
Enjoy your new home. Thank you for your input on my drive to WDW this past year.
 
Ten years ago this very week, (see page one, post #1), yours truly started this thread. Well, after 46 round-trip drives to WDW, our 47th drive was a one way: We have moved from the NJ Shore to Florida, one hour away from WDW.

We hope that all of you will keep this thread active. We will try, but our limited drive distance makes us "ineligible" to be a part of it. How's that for irony!

All the best! :thumbsup2
You will have to let the fine people on this thread know when the BC1836 free Bed and Breakfast is open. Lol
Congrats Bill !!! See ya 29 months!
 
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Ten years ago this very week, (see page one, post #1), yours truly started this thread. Well, after 46 round-trip drives to WDW, our 47th drive was a one way: We have moved from the NJ Shore to Florida, one hour away from WDW.

We hope that all of you will keep this thread active. We will try, but our limited drive distance makes us "ineligible" to be a part of it. How's that for irony!

All the best! :thumbsup2

And you never took my ferry route! :tilt:
 
Did anyone make the drive to or from (or both) WDW during the Thanksgiving days?

All the best! :thumbsup2
Congrats on your move!

We drove from Springfield MO to WDW and back the week of Thanksgiving.
Across bottom of MO to 24 (Paducah) to 75-left on Friday the 17th around 3pm. Made it to Smyrna before stopping. reversed the route on way back but made it ~9hours before we stopped. Traffic coming out of Florida on the 24th was awful (we left around 3pm)-expected I guess for holiday traffic though.

Did a one way in August to take kid down for her Disney college internship (flew home) and going to do a one way in January (WDW to home, flying down). It is a looooonnng drive but went surprisingly well!
 
We leave WDW tomorrow to go back home in Arkansas via New Orleans. It's about 650 miles to New Orleans and then about 450 back to Arkansas. There are other routes about 100 miles less, but we have friends in New Orleans who board our dog. I'll drive an extra 100 miles to save hundreds and hundreds of dollars in boarding fees.

It's a fairly easy drive as we really don't run into traffic anyplace. The WDW to New Orleans is all freeway. The New Orleans to Arkansas is about half back roads with little traffic.
 
Ten years ago this very week, (see page one, post #1), yours truly started this thread. Well, after 46 round-trip drives to WDW, our 47th drive was a one way: We have moved from the NJ Shore to Florida, one hour away from WDW.

We hope that all of you will keep this thread active. We will try, but our limited drive distance makes us "ineligible" to be a part of it. How's that for irony!

All the best! :thumbsup2
 
Thank you for everything! Hope to see youin the World (or maybe at the movies :goodvibes )
 
I'm making a solo trip from NJ 1/2 looking to stay over night 100 miles south Savannah Ga. Any suggestions for a cheap clean hotel?
 
I'm making a solo trip from NJ 1/2 looking to stay over night 100 miles south Savannah Ga. Any suggestions for a cheap clean hotel?

Look at the Brunswick area (I think this covers two exits on I95). There are many hotels to choose from right off the Interstate.
 

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