Driving to Disney from NJ

[Bri1121]

Ok so we are driving for the first time. We are leaving from North Jersey and giving ourself one day plus a few hours the next morning. Anyone do this route before.

We have drove to Hilton Head SC a few times and have done it in a day. But we know we are going to need to stop for the night. We are hoping to stop at the end of Georgia. To only have a few hours into Disney in the am.

We have two smallish kids- 6 and 3. They have done great before. But we usually leave at 3-4 am to get to Hilton Head. But we are exhausted that night. Since we are just lounging at the beach/pool all day we usually do fine. But Disney is not so relaxing!! So dh wants to leave later to get some more sleep in. I am worried about traffic leaving later though?

Anyone have tips from coming down the east coast?

Thx!!!

 

[FireChiefGoofy]

DW and I drive every year from northern Delaware. We usually leave around 3:30 AM and drive until we reach Palm Coast, FL (about 14 hours). We do not have kids and this leaves us with about an hour and a half drive to WDW in the morning. A word of warning, the traffic at the DE/MD state line is terrible due to construction of new hi-speed EZ Pass lanes.

 

[Bri1121]

How sad about that bus crash.

And oh no about that easy pass construction? Are they doing it overnight? I remember when I was in labor with my son waiting for my mom to come down the nj turnpike. She was at exit 11 we were at 4. It was 1 am so who thought there would be traffic? Yea well they decided to make it one lane for some construction and she sat in traffic! Not cool!!

Goolge maps puts our trip at about 19 hours. I would say add about 4 hours for stops and eating? Good? We will pack breakfast and lunch for the first day. Just stop at a restaurant for dinner. And of course some potty and stretching leg breaks. If we leave at 3/4 am we should stop for dinner towards the end of South Carolina? And then hopefully get in another few hours before calling it a night.

Should we make a reservation or wing it?

 

[Bri1121]

Almost exactly what I used to do; leave at 3-4AM from Suffolk, stop exit 109 (first exit in Georgia) around 6-7PM, then leave 6AM the following morning and get to WDW around 11 or 12.

We didn't stop often (was before kids) but we never hit traffic around any of the major cities. Even driving through Daytona during the Daytona 500 in Feb wasn't an issue, since most of the traffic was from the opposite direction.

You are lucky to have never hit traffic!! The last time going to HHI we hit some in South Carolina. But have been lucky around DC.

I hope to make further into Georgia but we will have to see how it goes. We have done trips with kids before like this, with younger kids, but I am so anxious about this one!!

 

[flavious27]

How sad about that bus crash.

And oh no about that easy pass construction? Are they doing it overnight? I remember when I was in labor with my son waiting for my mom to come down the nj turnpike. She was at exit 11 we were at 4. It was 1 am so who thought there would be traffic? Yea well they decided to make it one lane for some construction and she sat in traffic! Not cool!!

Goolge maps puts our trip at about 19 hours. I would say add about 4 hours for stops and eating? Good? We will pack breakfast and lunch for the first day. Just stop at a restaurant for dinner. And of course some potty and stretching leg breaks. If we leave at 3/4 am we should stop for dinner towards the end of South Carolina? And then hopefully get in another few hours before calling it a night.

Should we make a reservation or wing it?

You moved from mt laurel/cherry hill to north jersey?

 

[Bri1121]

You moved from mt laurel/cherry hill to north jersey?

Yes, we use to live in Cherry Hill.

I found this calculator on AAA that estimates your gas for your trip. I definitely over estimated so I am happy!!

 

[flavious27]

DW and I drive every year from northern Delaware. We usually leave around 3:30 AM and drive until we reach Palm Coast, FL (about 14 hours). We do not have kids and this leaves us with about an hour and a half drive to WDW in the morning. A word of warning, the traffic at the DE/MD state line is terrible due to construction of new hi-speed EZ Pass lanes.

Which is why you get around it and pickup 95 in elkton

We drove down to the candelwood suites off i4 in Altamonte Springs, it was like 30 minutes from the gate in the morning.

 

[slappy magoo]

I know the OP wasn't too keen on driving through the night. But I'd humbly suggest, IF at least one of you is able to take the day off and get a significant amount of rest the day of the drive, driving through the night has some major advantages. What I hope to do the next trip is to take some serious naps the day of, leave the house no later than 9, drive most of the night while at least our then-oldest is sleeping, and be around Savannah by early afternoon. Then get a hotel for the night, crash early, get up and go early and be at WDW before noon.

 

[brisem]

We usually drive straight thru from Mass. with 3 kids. It's about 22 hrs.
We try to leave around 4p, that way we hit DC around midnight. and we in southern NC or SC by am rush time.

Just to give you an est of time Taking 95

Del and MD take about 2-2.5 hrs
Vir is about 3hrs
NC is about 3hrs
SC is about 3.5hrs
GA 1.5hrs
fla to Dis is about 3 hrs

 

[Pooh'sBuddy]

After reading through this thread, I feel compelled to ask about a long haul driving scenario. We live approximately 19 hours of driving away from the World, and I've been toying with the idea of driving.

How do y'all feel after that much driving? Are you ready for all the excitement of being there, or are you pretty much spent? And then after a great vacation, are you ready to drive all the way back?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[WDWmazprty]

After reading through this thread, I feel compelled to ask about a long haul driving scenario. We live approximately 19 hours of driving away from the World, and I've been toying with the idea of driving.

How do y'all feel after that much driving? Are you ready for all the excitement of being there, or are you pretty much spent? And then after a great vacation, are you ready to drive all the way back?

Thanks for any advice.

Its a long drive, and yes, you're exhausted. Thats why you want to have a day to rest. We usually drove to Fl, got a cheapy hotel in Kissimmee so we could at least get a full nights sleep. Then the next morning head over to check in to the resort early; we left our bags and headed straight to the parks ready to go!

If not, then use your first day of arrival as a rest day at the resort.:wave:

 

[stratman50th]

After reading through this thread, I feel compelled to ask about a long haul driving scenario. We live approximately 19 hours of driving away from the World, and I've been toying with the idea of driving.

How do y'all feel after that much driving? Are you ready for all the excitement of being there, or are you pretty much spent? And then after a great vacation, are you ready to drive all the way back?

Thanks for any advice.

Total trip for me is about 15 hours, so not as bad as yours. I push pretty hard on day 1. About 13 hours or so. I crash when we stop and sleep till I wake up naturally the next morning, but usually about 8:00 or so. I don't rush, maybe hit the grocery store, then a leisurely 2-3 hour drive. That way we're at the resort before, or right around noon. Nothing about the second travel day/first day on property is rushed. We wear park clothes, but have a pool bag packed. Check in and get all our stuff. The room normally isn't ready, so we head out to the pool area for lunch and options discussion. We always have park hopper passes so we aren't pressed to get there as soon as we pull up. Late EMH normally dictates which park we go to on day one, which incidentally for us is always a Saturday. In a nutshell, day 1 for us on property is normally laid back and relaxing, be it an afternoon at poolside, or off to a park for counter service dinner.
Going home is kind of the same in reverse. Our last day on property is typically a catch up day. It's the park or parks where we have re-do's, and just kind of an easy day. Laundry if necessary, maybe more pool, as much pre packing as possible. Normal to bed for mom and dad, my daughter and her friend might close a park, or the pool. We're up around 7:00 the next morning and on the road by 8:00. Maybe an 8 to 10 hour day on the road, stopping before dinner. Day 2 home is normally longer on the road than coming down, but we still get in at a reasonable hour, say 3:00 or so.
That we've found to be enough compromise all the way around that you aren't too exhausted to enjoy your vacation, and you can still function in what remains of the day you arrive home.

 

[Pooh'sBuddy]

Total trip for me is about 15 hours, so not as bad as yours. I push pretty hard on day 1. About 13 hours or so. I crash when we stop and sleep till I wake up naturally the next morning, but usually about 8:00 or so. I don't rush, maybe hit the grocery store, then a leisurely 2-3 hour drive. That way we're at the resort before, or right around noon. Nothing about the second travel day/first day on property is rushed. We wear park clothes, but have a pool bag packed. Check in and get all our stuff. The room normally isn't ready, so we head out to the pool area for lunch and options discussion. We always have park hopper passes so we aren't pressed to get there as soon as we pull up. Late EMH normally dictates which park we go to on day one, which incidentally for us is always a Saturday. In a nutshell, day 1 for us on property is normally laid back and relaxing, be it an afternoon at poolside, or off to a park for counter service dinner.
Going home is kind of the same in reverse. Our last day on property is typically a catch up day. It's the park or parks where we have re-do's, and just kind of an easy day. Laundry if necessary, maybe more pool, as much pre packing as possible. Normal to bed for mom and dad, my daughter and her friend might close a park, or the pool. We're up around 7:00 the next morning and on the road by 8:00. Maybe an 8 to 10 hour day on the road, stopping before dinner. Day 2 home is normally longer on the road than coming down, but we still get in at a reasonable hour, say 3:00 or so.
That we've found to be enough compromise all the way around that you aren't too exhausted to enjoy your vacation, and you can still function in what remains of the day you arrive home.

Its a long drive, and yes, you're exhausted. Thats why you want to have a day to rest. We usually drove to Fl, got a cheapy hotel in Kissimmee so we could at least get a full nights sleep. Then the next morning head over to check in to the resort early; we left our bags and headed straight to the parks ready to go!

If not, then use your first day of arrival as a rest day at the resort.:wave:

Thank you! Not to hijack the thread, but you are all experts in this particular field and the perfect forum members to ask. It's a balancing act of how many days to take off work between travel time and being able to be in the parks.

 

[stratman50th]

I cheat. My wife works from home and we get a lot of laundry and shopping and stuff done the day before. She takes the dog to the kennel. I do all the car-get-ready stuff. Shamefully we still end up staying up packing till 1:00am! I normally take off a half day on Thursday (the day before). I'm back to work the day after we get home.

 

[brisem]

How do y'all feel after that much driving? Are you ready for all the excitement of being there, or are you pretty much spent? And then after a great vacation, are you ready to drive all the way back?

Thanks for any advice.

My wife and I take turns driving. It's tiring but for me, when you start seeing the exits for the World, a second wind comes over. We'll check in spend a few hours at MK and get some sleep.
The drive back is fun with the kids talking about everything that happens.
Usually we do get a hotel on the way back to break it up.

 

[Pooh'sBuddy]

My wife and I take turns driving. It's tiring but for me, when you start seeing the exits for the World, a second wind comes over. We'll check in spend a few hours at MK and get some sleep.
The drive back is fun with the kids talking about everything that happens.
Usually we do get a hotel on the way back to break it up.

Love it!! Thinking back to the days when I'd be up at all hours with the boys when they were infants, we can do it. Y'all have inspired me.

 

[steviej]

I don't have the time to read all the replys, but DON'T DO THE DRIVE, it is so long. I have done it from north jersey twice. the 2nd time i said never again. If I may ask and I don't intend to come off as rude, why are you driving? It'd probably be the same money to fly once you add in gas. The drive is long and miserable, virginia goes forever. I definitely wouldn't do it if I were you, just a helpful recommendation :wave:

 

[stratman50th]

The drive is long and miserable, virginia goes forever.

This cracked me up! :lol:

 

[ezralou]

We drive from MA and leave Thurs. PM. Stop in DE then go to SC. Splits up the driving but the downside is we get into WDW mid-afternoon (but relatively fresh). We rarely do parks the arrival day. I had wondered about taking 84 to 81 then cutting over to 95 at Richmond, VA or much later on in SC. How is 81 in terms of convenience for stopping? How much drive time does it add to avoid the major cities?
p.s. I find the drive down the second best part of the trip (the drive back not so much!)

 

[Plutoguy]

We live in Mount Laurel NJ and make the drive yearly. Here is the route we use:

295 south into Delaware onto 13 to route 1 back onto 13 all the way to the Chesapeak Bay Bridge, Then onto 58 to 95 11 miles before North Carolina. We stop off over night in mid South Carolina. We proceed back on 95 South to RT 4 west and always arrive at our hotel in DWD between the hours of 3:00 - 5:00 PM. THis includes rest room breaks breaks, gas stops, stops for eating lunch on the chesapeak bay bridge tunnel, stops because the DWF see something that she wants to look at and so on. We do however make it a point to be back on the road the next morning in South Carolina by 10:00 AM that includes a nice hotel breakfast and refule of the car. Keep in mind we stop in Fla Border to get some nice free OJ. We do not feel tired and felt the drive was broken up and had some fun along the way.

 

[hankhill]

I guess we are the strange ones

OK so we may be the contrarians on the boards here but we just drove last year on December 23rd for the first time and are planning on doing it again this year. We HAD A BALL! I cant say that the prospect of 15 hours is appealing but its not all that bad.

We told the kids to wake us when they were ready to roll and that commenced so that we were on the road at 5AM. Now as I get up to run at that time normally this was not too horrible for me. As to the particulars we live in Southeastern PA below Philly. We drove a Nissan pathfiner with four of us. I am the only guy.

We wanted to get below DC before the major rush and was able to do this by 730 am. We were standing in the Pop Century at 815Pm that evening after stopping for lunch (picnic we packed at the NC/SC border)and dinner (Chick Fil A outside of Jacksonville). We changed drivers each gas stop (about 280 miles) between me and the wife.

The kids (13 and 11) were AWESOME and we rarely heard a peep. So we hit some traffic in lower VA and a touch in GA but nothing really to speak of. It was more accident than volume related. Go into it with the attitude that this is the way you are getting to the Happiest Place on Earth and leave the attitude at home. Thats what I did.

Have fun. Its worth the savings and the added time with your kids.