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

[macraven]

We're back home from an overnighter at Fort Wilderness' "Old Faithful Club."

For those new to this site, I'm the founder but since we moved to FL seven months ago, we no longer qualify to make posts on this site!

In any event: WDW Speedway (World Drive) gas (regular) was $2.65 today. FL average: $2.74. Nat'l average: $2.85.

All the best!

What??

You are the one that created this thread and kept it alive all these years.
Of course you have all rights to continue posting and sharing.....

Just because your travels are not as far anymore, doesn't mean you still aren't the king of the thread.....

You still "QUALIFY" as far as I am concerned.

 

[macraven]

If you travel on I 75 and don't use the first gas stations just off the highway exits, you will find gas north of Atlanta at $2.45.
Need to go about a mile or 2 to reach the BP stations for the lower rates for gas.

Filled up my tank at $2.45 on Wednesday.

 

[pmdeve]

We are driving to Boardwalk from NJ next month. On are typical trip we drive to NC/SC on day one and then go to Disney on day two. We were thinking of taking our time and making two stops along the way. Any suggestions where to stop?

 

[amcnj]

We're back home from an overnighter at Fort Wilderness' "Old Faithful Club."

For those new to this site, I'm the founder but since we moved to FL seven months ago, we no longer qualify to make posts on this site!

In any event: WDW Speedway (World Drive) gas (regular) was $2.65 today. FL average: $2.74. Nat'l average: $2.85.

All the best!

Sorry, rules are rules. If you want to keep posting here, you will have to start taking the really long way from your new house to WDW!

 

[justreading]

We are driving to Boardwalk from NJ next month. On are typical trip we drive to NC/SC on day one and then go to Disney on day two. We were thinking of taking our time and making two stops along the way. Any suggestions where to stop?

Which route are you planning to drive? I'm also in NJ and for the past several years I switched from driving Rt 95 and now I drive Rt 81 (78-81-77-26-95) down. On paper it adds a little more time to the trip but in reality Rt 95 takes longer than any mapping software predicts due to traffic. And Rt 81 is a much more pleasant drive! Either way (95 or 81) I try to make my 2nd night stay in Palm Coast, Fl. From there you have about 1.5 - 2 hour drive to get to Disney. I would recommend the beginning of NC for your first night's stop (Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids, etc.) or a little bit further if you think you can make it. The first day's drive is always the hardest due to all the cities you pass thru. The second day is all highway so you can more miles in less time. Have fun!

 

[amcnj]

We are driving to Boardwalk from NJ next month. On are typical trip we drive to NC/SC on day one and then go to Disney on day two. We were thinking of taking our time and making two stops along the way. Any suggestions where to stop?

Are you looking for stops with things to do and see and spend some at each of the two stops? Places like say St Augustine Fl?

 

[pmdeve]

Which route are you planning to drive? I'm also in NJ and for the past several years I switched from driving Rt 95 and now I drive Rt 81 (78-81-77-26-95) down. On paper it adds a little more time to the trip but in reality Rt 95 takes longer than any mapping software predicts due to traffic. And Rt 81 is a much more pleasant drive! Either way (95 or 81) I try to make my 2nd night stay in Palm Coast, Fl. From there you have about 1.5 - 2 hour drive to get to Disney. I would recommend the beginning of NC for your first night's stop (Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids, etc.) or a little bit further if you think you can make it. The first day's drive is always the hardest due to all the cities you pass thru. The second day is all highway so you can more miles in less time. Have fun!

Thanks. we use to drive the 81 route before. I think its time to try it again. Thank you.

 

[pmdeve]

Are you looking for stops with things to do and see and spend some at each of the two stops? Places like say St Augustine Fl?

We would like to sleep two nights on the way down, but we are thinking about spending some time at places like St. Augustine, maybe Charleston on the way home. Where would you suggest?

 

[amcnj]

We would like to sleep two nights on the way down, but we are thinking about spending some time at places like St. Augustine, maybe Charleston on the way home. Where would you suggest?

Hopefully others can chime in with better information than I have. I am a straight through driver, leaving early morning and arriving in the Orlando area that evening. I was in St Augustine many, many, many years ago. Aside from St Augustine and Charleston, which you mentioned, others have previously stated they stopped in Savannah. There are also many beach towns along the way, and cities like Baltimore, Richmond and DC.

 

[dvczerfs]

Sorry,can't help much either with where to stop. We barely stop for gas and restroom breaks. Lol

 

[deedeew80]

Wanted to share this about road closures in North Jersey! Beware! Major traffic for the next 2 years!!!

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2018/07/start_date_set_for_the_summer_of_hell_project_that.html

 

[dvczerfs]

Which route are you planning to drive? I'm also in NJ and for the past several years I switched from driving Rt 95 and now I drive Rt 81 (78-81-77-26-95) down. On paper it adds a little more time to the trip but in reality Rt 95 takes longer than any mapping software predicts due to traffic. And Rt 81 is a much more pleasant drive! Either way (95 or 81) I try to make my 2nd night stay in Palm Coast, Fl. From there you have about 1.5 - 2 hour drive to get to Disney. I would recommend the beginning of NC for your first night's stop (Rocky Mount, Roanoke Rapids, etc.) or a little bit further if you think you can make it. The first day's drive is always the hardest due to all the cities you pass thru. The second day is all highway so you can more miles in less time. Have fun!

Here is my, "point to point" breakdown. Google, map quest and all the other ones have me at all most 18 hours. These time include bathroom and gas stops. This is about ten year old and I out run this by 30 to 45 minutes.
Home, is just over the Nj, Pa boarder on I78. I drive Florida now in the middle of the night so my time is a bit faster due to lack of traffic. Check it out, see how it compares to your drive.

 

[dvczerfs]

Wanted to share this about road closures in North Jersey! Beware! Major traffic for the next 2 years!!!

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2018/07/start_date_set_for_the_summer_of_hell_project_that.html

Oooohh, this is not going to be pretty at all. We were just talking about this at work this weekend.
My dw has to go into the city about once a month for work, not for at least two years now. Lol

 

[Summer2018]

We had no issues with I4 traffic at all coming or going.

However, we had a very traumatic trip driving through VA. Our luggage rack careened off our car into traffic and was run over by a box truck. It was a nightmare. We lost a lot of our belongings, but thank God, nobody was injured. I think this was our last drive down from CT.

 

[dvczerfs]

We had no issues with I4 traffic at all coming or going.

However, we had a very traumatic trip driving through VA. Our luggage rack careened off our car into traffic and was run over by a box truck. It was a nightmare. We lost a lot of our belongings, but thank God, nobody was injured. I think this was our last drive down from CT.

Wow. I only ever used one once. It made me nervous up on the roof for some reason. With getting a one bedroom and having a washer the last 20 years, we just don't take that much with us anymore.
I understand how some families need them. Growing up the suitcases were used as seats in the station wagon.

 

[Summer2018]

Wow. I only ever used one once. It made me nervous up on the roof for some reason. With getting a one bedroom and having a washer the last 20 years, we just don't take that much with us anymore.
I understand how some families need them. Growing up the suitcases were used as seats in the station wagon.

We normally fit everything with room leftover in our SUV, but DD brought a friend who had a gigantic suitcase and huge bag of snacks. Her things put us over the edge.

We've been driving to Florida since our honeymoon in 1993, and we've never had any issues. I just want to close this particular chapter and go back to flying.

Safe travels to all of you in your future trips to WDW!

 

[deedeew80]

Anyone driving from the Northeast have any ideas of how much time it takes to get through each state? We are driving from south Jersey. Just curious of the times per each state. Thanks!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We normally fit everything with room leftover in our SUV, but DD brought a friend who had a gigantic suitcase and huge bag of snacks. Her things put us over the edge.

We've been driving to Florida since our honeymoon in 1993, and we've never had any issues. I just want to close this particular chapter and go back to flying.

Safe travels to all of you in your future trips to WDW!

Well if you’ve never had to use a luggage rack before then maybe you can go back to driving. If You won’t need to have the rack anymore.

 

[MikeF;NJ]

Anyone driving from the Northeast have any ideas of how much time it takes to get through each state? We are driving from south Jersey. Just curious of the times per each state. Thanks!

Back when I was a teen, we used to drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Naples, FL round-trip twice a year. Take these times with a grain of salt, because I think some of them are quicker now, but I haven't made this drive in years (decades).
(Pretty much all I-95 from NJ to FL.)
Elizabeth, NJ to the NJ/DE border -- about 2 hours (100 miles down the turnpike.)
DE - MD, about 15 - 20 minutes
MD - VA, about 2 hours, we took the eastern side of the beltway around DC. I've since driven the western side once, but the eastern side still seems quicker to me.
VA - NC, about 3 hours - this is before the 295 beltway around the Richmond - Petersburg area, so that may be a quicker route, but I have no experience here.
NC - SC, about 3 hours.
SC - GA, about 3 hours.
GA - FL, about 2 hours.
FL - Naples, about 6 3/4 hours. We used to get off I4 at state route 27, which is about 30 minutes past Disney. If I had to guess, I'd say 3 to 3 1/2 hours from the FL border to Disney, but that's just a guess.

From what I've read elsewhere, the trip can be made about an hour or so faster now then what I have above. The last two trips I made, I cut the driving at the DC area and took the Auto Train, so I have no recent experience with anything between the DC area and Sanford, FL.

Hope this helps.

 

[BC1836]

Back when I was a teen, we used to drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Naples, FL round-trip twice a year. Take these times with a grain of salt, because I think some of them are quicker now, but I haven't made this drive in years (decades).
(Pretty much all I-95 from NJ to FL.)
Elizabeth, NJ to the NJ/DE border -- about 2 hours (100 miles down the turnpike.)
DE - MD, about 15 - 20 minutes
MD - VA, about 2 hours, we took the eastern side of the beltway around DC. I've since driven the western side once, but the eastern side still seems quicker to me.
VA - NC, about 3 hours - this is before the 295 beltway around the Richmond - Petersburg area, so that may be a quicker route, but I have no experience here.
NC - SC, about 3 hours.
SC - GA, about 3 hours.
GA - FL, about 2 hours.
FL - Naples, about 6 3/4 hours. We used to get off I4 at state route 27, which is about 30 minutes past Disney. If I had to guess, I'd say 3 to 3 1/2 hours from the FL border to Disney, but that's just a guess.

From what I've read elsewhere, the trip can be made about an hour or so faster now then what I have above. The last two trips I made, I cut the driving at the DC area and took the Auto Train, so I have no recent experience with anything between the DC area and Sanford, FL.

Hope this helps.

As one who has done the drive from NJ to WDW 46 times from 2002-2017, MikeF;NJ's times are quite similar to ours.

Remember to avoid metro areas (especially southern MD and northern VA) at rush hour.

All the best!