Those driving from NJ

[deedeew80]

Hi all! We are driving to WDW the end of August next year. We will be coming from NJ, right across from Philadelphia. How do you do the drive? Where is the best place to stop to spend the night? What time is a good time to leave? I have heard people leaving in the middle of the night or waiting until late afternoon. We plan on leaving on a Sunday, spending the night somewhere, arriving in Florida on Monday at some point and spending the night somewhere close to Disney. We would check in on Tuesday. Unless we should just try to make it all the way to Florida. I just don't want to be exhausted the day we check in because we want to head straight to the parks! Any other tips on driving with two kids? They will be 8 & 6 at the time. TIA!

 

[nj disney family]

We live in the same area. We do 95 most of the way, (495 around Washington, 295 in North Carolina, and 295 around Jacksonville), until I-4. I like to leave no later then 4 am to get through Baltimore/Washington early. We don't like to arrive in Florida exhausted so, we usually stop in Darien, Ga for the night. For the kids, we bring a portable DVD player, coloring books, games, and plenty of snacks.

 

[deedeew80]

We live in the same area. We do 95 most of the way, (495 around Washington, 295 in North Carolina, and 295 around Jacksonville), until I-4. I like to leave no later then 4 am to get through Baltimore/Washington early. We don't like to arrive in Florida exhausted so, we usually stop in Darien, Ga for the night. For the kids, we bring a portable DVD player, coloring books, games, and plenty of snacks.

Thanks! Are they any hotels you recommend in Darien, GA? How far from there to Disney? I really would hate to have to spend the night twice before reaching our destination but I don't want us all to be exhausted when we get there either!

 

[nj disney family]

We just do the Day's Inn, because they have the free breakfast. There are a bunch of chain hotels and fast food places right off the exit. It's about a 4 hour drive from there. We usually do the same as what you want to do. After we leave Darien, we stop at the 1st Florida rest stop and grab some travel books. There are coupons for hotels close to Disney property. We liked the clarion Lake Buena Vista. They have a heated pool with a splash area, and a fenced in playground you can get into with your room key. We have dinner, then early bed time. Check into our Disney hotel by 7 am, then off to the parks.

 

[EvilDrPorkchop21]

We leave from the Newark area and just drive straight through. We typically leave at night to blast through Baltimore/DC.

 

[Monorail_Man_NJ]

I usually leave NJ late morning and stop around Florence SC. Then get up early and get to Disney by 4-6pm.

 

[deedeew80]

We just do the Day's Inn, because they have the free breakfast. There are a bunch of chain hotels and fast food places right off the exit. It's about a 4 hour drive from there. We usually do the same as what you want to do. After we leave Darien, we stop at the 1st Florida rest stop and grab some travel books. There are coupons for hotels close to Disney property. We liked the clarion Lake Buena Vista. They have a heated pool with a splash area, and a fenced in playground you can get into with your room key. We have dinner, then early bed time. Check into our Disney hotel by 7 am, then off to the parks.

That sounds very doable for us! Thanks so much for all the help!!

 

[ncc1701]

We live in the same area. We do 95 most of the way, (495 around Washington, 295 in North Carolina, and 295 around Jacksonville), until I-4. I like to leave no later then 4 am to get through Baltimore/Washington early. We don't like to arrive in Florida exhausted so, we usually stop in Darien, Ga for the night. For the kids, we bring a portable DVD player, coloring books, games, and plenty of snacks.

We haven't driven in a while but when we did we left around 6:00- 7:00 am and used 495 around DC and depending on traffic/day of the week have used the others. We stopped around Walterboro SC.getting there around dinner time & got up early AM to get to WDW. We live in the same area.

 

[NH-to-FL]

On our drive south we had stopped in NJ near Bordentown to visit family. I am not a long distance driver so we split the remaining drive south into two relatively equal segments. We left NJ just before 9am to avoid the local commute traffic. Got onto I-295 and headed south. We took the western loop of 495 around DC. Hit traffic south of DC and again through Richmond. We stopped at the Best Western in Lumberton, NC. Nice place with plenty of food & fuel close by. Including a Walmart super center right next door. We had a restful evening and good nights sleep. We got up, enjoyed a free breakfast, and did another uneventful 8 hours, plus a couple of short rest stops along the way. We arrived at our place in Davenport about 5:30pm. Certainly not the fastest trip but we were not exhausted when we arrived.

 

[dclpluto]

I drove three times to wdw. It's been about 20 years ago. Before gps or before I had one. All I knew was 95 south and haul *** until you see I-4 I believe it is.

 

[TamaraQT]

My advice is to keep an eye on airline tickets....PHL to MCO....if you don't need to check in until tuesday then tuesday flights can be CHEAP. My cousin flew from PHL to MCO on Tuesday and returned the following Tuesday. Only $29 each way and it only took 2 hours 20 minutes.....just an option to consider. A year away is too far out to not look at the option of flying for only 4 people.

 

[Dis703]

My advice is to keep an eye on airline tickets....PHL to MCO....if you don't need to check in until tuesday then tuesday flights can be CHEAP. My cousin flew from PHL to MCO on Tuesday and returned the following Tuesday. Only $29 each way and it only took 2 hours 20 minutes.....just an option to consider. A year away is too far out to not look at the option of flying for only 4 people.

We are also in NJ and did the drive for our first family trip a few years ago (did it a lot as a child). Now we fly because we find such incredibly cheap flights it's barely more than the cost of gas and the room half way down. Frontier out of Philly we've managed for as little as $50RT and the highest has been $100RT.

When we did drive we attempted to start late with the idea being have the kids sleep a chunk of the night and we'd stop at a hotel in NC or SC (always a Hilton brand like Hampton Inn) and get 6 or 7 hours and back on the road again. We hit crazy night time road work all down 95 through VA, one of the boys wouldn't sleep and cried much of the way and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and had to have DH take over. I don't know how people drive straight through. I can't sleep in a moving car. I can get extremely tired to the point my eyes are rolling back in my head but can't cross that line into actual sleep and I'd be miserable if I tried to just stay up all night. So the stop is necessary for me. My father always drove straight through coming to and from NJ/FL though so some people don't have any trouble.

 

[deedeew80]

My advice is to keep an eye on airline tickets....PHL to MCO....if you don't need to check in until tuesday then tuesday flights can be CHEAP. My cousin flew from PHL to MCO on Tuesday and returned the following Tuesday. Only $29 each way and it only took 2 hours 20 minutes.....just an option to consider. A year away is too far out to not look at the option of flying for only 4 people.

We are also in NJ and did the drive for our first family trip a few years ago (did it a lot as a child). Now we fly because we find such incredibly cheap flights it's barely more than the cost of gas and the room half way down. Frontier out of Philly we've managed for as little as $50RT and the highest has been $100RT.

When we did drive we attempted to start late with the idea being have the kids sleep a chunk of the night and we'd stop at a hotel in NC or SC (always a Hilton brand like Hampton Inn) and get 6 or 7 hours and back on the road again. We hit crazy night time road work all down 95 through VA, one of the boys wouldn't sleep and cried much of the way and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and had to have DH take over. I don't know how people drive straight through. I can't sleep in a moving car. I can get extremely tired to the point my eyes are rolling back in my head but can't cross that line into actual sleep and I'd be miserable if I tried to just stay up all night. So the stop is necessary for me. My father always drove straight through coming to and from NJ/FL though so some people don't have any trouble.

Trust me, I'd much rather fly! It's my husband, he absolutely hates flying! When we went in 2015 we planned on driving and I finally convinced him to fly. Hoping to do the same this time but he swears he won't change his mind this time! So we'll see! Keeping my fingers crossed!! I plan on making it a two day drive so we won't be as tired and also hoping that will help in convincing hubby! Lol!

 

[Newsies]

Hi there! I drive from NJ as well, I'm just one or two hours north of you!

We stop in Kingsland, GA, which is just shy of 5 minutes from the Florida border. We typically arrive there at 6 or 7 in the evening. We LOVE the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kingsland! It's so clean, has a lovely little continental breakfast, and all of the rooms were very recently remodeled with fancy internet TVs. We make the reservation in advance because we love it so much and don't want to risk not staying there the night before! When you wake up, you only have about 3 hours to go until Disney World

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Dumbo7]

Just checked I July of next year on American and its 217.00 per person to fly to Orlando. Hotel nights will cost minimum $100.00 a night. You'll probably need to fill your tank 2-3 times each way. So that will be about $300.00. Unless you're a big fan of family bonding. I'd try to fly. I drive this for business and once with little kids. Never again!

 

[deedeew80]

Hi there! I drive from NJ as well, I'm just one or two hours north of you!

We stop in Kingsland, GA, which is just shy of 5 minutes from the Florida border. We typically arrive there at 6 or 7 in the evening. We LOVE the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kingsland! It's so clean, has a lovely little continental breakfast, and all of the rooms were very recently remodeled with fancy internet TVs. We make the reservation in advance because we love it so much and don't want to risk not staying there the night before! When you wake up, you only have about 3 hours to go until Disney World

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the hotel advice! What time do you typically leave from NJ?

Just checked I July of next year on American and its 217.00 per person to fly to Orlando. Hotel nights will cost minimum $100.00 a night. You'll probably need to fill your tank 2-3 times each way. So that will be about $300.00. Unless you're a big fan of family bonding. I'd try to fly. I drive this for business and once with little kids. Never again!

I definitely do NOT want to drive!! The money isn't really the issue, it's the husband! He is scared to death of flying! Hates it! But I convinced him to fly last time so I'm hoping to do the same this time!!

 

[prprincess]

I'm from South Jersey. We no longer drive down, but when we used to, we used to sleep all day and then leave around 8pm in the evening. That way our kids would fall asleep at their usual bedtime, and like a previous poster said, we'd breeze through the DC area. We'd switch drivers in the middle of the night and arrive in FL at about lunchtime. We'd be tired, but would still have most of the day to rest up and chill out by the resort pool.

 

[Dumbo7]

Thanks for the hotel advice! What time do you typically leave from NJ?

Oh gee!! Hugs. I used to not like flying. I love it now. We take really early flights so we're usually one of the first flights out so we don't get messed up by delays. I'll be hoping in the year he changes his mind.

I definitely do NOT want to drive!! The money isn't really the issue, it's the husband! He is scared to death of flying! Hates it! But I convinced him to fly last time so I'm hoping to do the same this time!!

 

[deedeew80]

When we went in 2015 family and friends worked hard at changing his mind! He finally said if I could find airfare under $750 he would fly! Well I found roundtrip airfare for the 4 of us for $600!! Lol! So we flew and he hated it! I'm hoping to find cheap this time just so I have it as a bargaining chip!! Haha!

 

[honeymo78]

We drove from South Jersey when I was a kid, then switched to flying for years. Now we are back to driving. My mom loves driving and hates flying and as long as she's paying I'll let her drive. In the past we have stopped in Florence, SC or just an exit or two before Georgia/FL border. Now, we leave late afternoon/early evening and drive straight through with 3 adults. Everyone gets a nap, not that we'd sleep much if we stopped, and my mom gets to drive as much as she wants.