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

[zebrastreyepz]

Ahh, this thread is a new discovery for me!

We have driven round trip from NYC in 2015, 2016, and 2017 in late June/early July. Me, my wife, and our triplets (6 years old in '15).

First two trips in a 2009 Toyota Sienna, last year's in a '17 Honda Odyssey. As far as gas goes, roughly 3.5 tanks each way.

We usually leave around 4AM and have been fortunate to not run into heavy traffic anywhere except in 2015 due to a stalled vehicle on I-95 near Richmond that for some reason didn't pull off to the shoulder.

To our surprise, the kids have always been fantastic in the car on these trips.

The first two years we stopped in Santee, SC overnight. Last year we went all the way to Savannah, GA. We have stayed overnights at Hampton Inn which I think has become my favorite reasonably priced national chain.

For our return trips, we've gone straight through. I kind of hate it, but at the same time it's kind of nice just being back home and having an extra day to decompress instead of spending 6 hours in the car...and my wife really likes getting home in one shot, as exhausting as that drive is.

We stop on the way down and come home straight through, too!

 

[BC1836]

Just heard on WESH (Orlando TV station) that there will be a major enforcement of all driving-related laws on I-95 this weekend.
All of I-95!

All the best!

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Well, I keep checking every day and finally got a Ford Explorer for 11 nights for under $460 for our June trip. My goal was under $500. I'm going to keep checking up until we leave, too, because that under $200 rate I got last December was amazing.

Love Costco for my rental cars!

In 7 weeks, we arrive!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Well our drive down from MA was pretty uneventful last Friday. An accident on 95 in CT slowed us down about 15-20 min. The trip was smooth sailing, until I got sick the next day.
I ended up getting the flu. I flew home mid week. It was the worst vacation of my life, well not really a vacation at all. I was so depressed.
But we’ll be back in July. I just really needed the warm FL sun this trip.
Safe travels to all.

 

[BC1836]

As construction continues on I-4 so do additional problems. A wrong-way driver on I-4 yesterday in Sanford resulted in a fatality.

Be safe.

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

Large brush fire, which started yesterday, off I-4 near MM 62 nearly contained.

All the best!

 

[deedeew80]

Hi everyone! Joining in on driving the Disney. Everyone thinks we are crazy of course! Lol! I’m not looking forward to it but my husband refuses to fly. Anyway. We check in to All Star Music on Saturday, November 24. We plan on leaving early Friday morning (the 23rd and day after Thanksgiving) like hopefully 4am, if not earlier. I’m afraid my kids won’t go back to sleep once we wake them. They are 8 & 6. But hopefully they will. We plan on driving as far as we can before we stop. I don’t want to spend too much time driving on Saturday because we plan on going right to the parks!! But we will see how it goes I guess. Any tips on the drive, where a good place to stop is, are we crazy for trying to drive as far as we can? Thanks! Forgot to say we are driving from NJ, right outside of Philadelphia.

 

[Cheerio]

Hi everyone! Joining in on driving the Disney. Everyone thinks we are crazy of course! Lol! I’m not looking forward to it but my husband refuses to fly. Anyway. We check in to All Star Music on Saturday, November 24. We plan on leaving early Friday morning (the 23rd and day after Thanksgiving) like hopefully 4am, if not earlier. I’m afraid my kids won’t go back to sleep once we wake them. They are 8 & 6. But hopefully they will. We plan on driving as far as we can before we stop. I don’t want to spend too much time driving on Saturday because we plan on going right to the parks!! But we will see how it goes I guess. Any tips on the drive, where a good place to stop is, are we crazy for trying to drive as far as we can? Thanks!

Where are you driving from?

 

[deedeew80]

Where are you driving from?

NJ, outside of Philadelphia.

 

[amcnj]

Hi everyone! Joining in on driving the Disney. Everyone thinks we are crazy of course! Lol! I’m not looking forward to it but my husband refuses to fly. Anyway. We check in to All Star Music on Saturday, November 24. We plan on leaving early Friday morning (the 23rd and day after Thanksgiving) like hopefully 4am, if not earlier. I’m afraid my kids won’t go back to sleep once we wake them. They are 8 & 6. But hopefully they will. We plan on driving as far as we can before we stop. I don’t want to spend too much time driving on Saturday because we plan on going right to the parks!! But we will see how it goes I guess. Any tips on the drive, where a good place to stop is, are we crazy for trying to drive as far as we can? Thanks! Forgot to say we are driving from NJ, right outside of Philadelphia.

I am an hour and ten minutes from the DE Memorial bridge. Typically leave around 2:30 am, and arrive in the Orlando area around 7:30 PM. Most times we stayed offsite that first night, along Route 4, within a hour of WDW. This allows a full night’s sleep, breakfast at the hotel, and a really short drive to WDW. Some trips before we left the hotel we received a text that our WDW hotel was ready and could immediately head to the room.

Sometimes it took the kids a while to fall back asleep, but even then often by the time they awoke we were in NC or SC.

 

[deedeew80]

I am an hour and ten minutes from the DE Memorial bridge. Typically leave around 2:30 am, and arrive in the Orlando area around 7:30 PM. Most times we stayed offsite that first night, along Route 4, within a hour of WDW. This allows a full night’s sleep, breakfast at the hotel, and a really short drive to WDW. Some trips before we left the hotel we received a text that our WDW hotel was ready and could immediately head to the room.

Sometimes it took the kids a while to fall back asleep, but even then often by the time they awoke we were in NC or SC.

Wow! That is great timing!!! Going to bed early Thanksgiving night will be difficult, but we will have to do it so we can wake up in the middle of the night and head out. I’m about 30 mins North from the DE Memorial bridge.

 

[amcnj]

Wow! That is great timing!!! Going to bed early Thanksgiving night will be difficult, but we will have to do it so we can wake up in the middle of the night and head out. I’m about 30 mins North from the DE Memorial bridge.

I would say our arrival time range has been from 5:30-8:30 pm, depending on stops, traffic, weather, etc. I pass DC around 5:30 AM, missing the traffic in that area. If all goes smoothly it is something like 14 or 15 hours of actual driving time. And you should have about thirty minutes less travel time than I do.

But, I also admit to having a heavy foot!

 

[Cheerio]

We have stayed in Daytona Beach, it's about an hour away from DW and as a bonus you are on the beach.

 

[BC1836]

Are you a survivor? Last night on one of the local (Orlando) TV news stations, a reporter said that anyone who drives on I-4 is a "survivor!" It's getting that bad. Secondary roads are also under construction, making the drive from I-95 to the various WDW exits a challenge, to say the least.

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

They're back! Florida's love bugs await your vehicle's arrival.
Here's what Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel stated a few days ago: "You do want to get them off your car as soon as possible, though. (Damp dry-cleaner sheets work well.) If left to decompose, their larvae and guts turn more acidic and can eat through your clear coat or paint. Think of it as revenge from the grave."

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

Just back from an AKL stay, and we used our Sunpass for the first time to get to and from WDW!

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

WDW Speedway: $2.58 (regular) via Gas Buddy; however, this seems to be too low.

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

Since the beginning of the year, what has been worse: driving on I-95 in northern VA or I-4?

All the best!

 

[dvczerfs]

Since the beginning of the year, what has been worse: driving on I-95 in northern VA or I-4?

All the best!

Geez, your all by yourself over here BC.
March trip was a breeze. Didn’t go on I95 in Virginia and I was on I4 at 4:30am on a Saturday morning, basically had all 2 1/2, trying to make it 3 lanes to myself.
Looks like the shenanigans are over at Whispering but the weather shenanigans are starting early this year.

 

[Monykalyn]

Anyone who's living along I-95 savanahh to Jacksonville FL- we are stopping in Macon tonight (Thursday). Hubs is determined to drive over to coast and south to Jacksonville (started in MO). We are meeting family in Jacksonville Friday, before heading to Orlando Friday night

My question- ok idea or not considering the storms/flooding happening?

Ugh he didn't tell me he planned to do that until tonight!