Driving to WDW from MS

[aidensmama]

We are driving to WDW at the end of April. The plan is to leave around noon and drive until we simply can't go any further (or my 5 yo decides he can't ride anymore). We live in MS (only about 9 hours based on google maps) -- only a few turns: 98E to I10E then I75S to the FL Turnpike. I want to know where the best exits for hotel options and eating are in Tallahassee, Lake City (near where we turn onto I-75), Gainesville and if by some miracle we make it Ocala? Any advice on good and bad stops would be much appreciated.

 

[Lucky]

Exit 199 in Tallahassee is probably the best one on the route. It has just about everything, including a Chuck E Cheese if your 5 year old is into that. Also Krispy Kreme. Plenty of hotels.

Lake City is quite a bit smaller of course.

 

[Tuvalu]

Lake City has numerous hotel and food options off the I-75 exit. Gainesville has three exits, but only one has hotel choices. And only the SR 200 exit in Ocala has hotels and food..if you miss it, you might as well continue on to Orlando!

 

[JohnD]

Exit 199 in Tallahassee is probably the best one on the route. It has just about everything, including a Chuck E Cheese if your 5 year old is into that. Also Krispy Kreme. Plenty of hotels.

Lake City is quite a bit smaller of course.

Regarding Tallahassee, I'd say that Exit 203 (US-319-Capital Circle/SR 61-Thomasville Rd.) is better. First there is a AAA nearby, in the same shopping center as Bonefish Grill. Other eating options near the exit are Five Guys burgers, Sonnys BBQ, Applebees, Panera Bread Company, Outback Steakhouse,, TGIFridays, Ted's Montana Grill, Texas Roadhouse Grill, Chick Fil A, to name a few. Hotels on either side of the Interstate.

But Exit 199 (US 27-Monroe St.) also has eating options. Cracker Barrel, Longhorn Steakhouse, Shoney's, Denny's, etc. And it's share of hotels. If you want to be more adventurous, continue driving south and you'll be right at the State Capitol.

 

[Lucky]

If you want to be more adventurous, continue driving south and you'll be right at the State Capitol.

And if you really want to be adventurous you can stay at the Days Inn next to the prison.

 

[SuprDav]

I live in West Alabama and we have done similar trips to WDW in the past. We have stayed at HI Express on different occasions near Tallahassee. I found it best (on our most recent trip) to go ahead and drive all the way to or near Orlando and spend the night off property, then make the short drive to Disney the next morning. There are just so many more restaurant options around Orlando. Out on I-10 it's hard to find a decent meal.The real plus of doing most of the driving the 1st day is how much more time you get for WDW on your first day there. Good luck!

 

[aidensmama]

Thank you all for the options in Tallahassee (I will do my best to avoid the prison tour ). SuprDav - I am really wanting to drive as far as possible so I will look at some options closer to Orlando - my plan is to let my DH sleep as long as he wants that morning and do most of the packing myself (Sending DS to Grandparents for the morning!).

Since you all did such an awesome job on my first question here is my second: We are not going to tell DS where we are going and just let him "figure it out" along the way (we are going to say something like "going to see some family you've never met"). How far out until we start seeing lots of Disney signs that will clue him?

 

[SuprDav]

I don't recall alot of signs that are offical Disney World billboards at all until you get REALLY close. If I remember correctly once you get on I-75 South there are ticket outlet signs every few miles for WDW and Universal. Also there are several "other" billboards advertising a place that families wouldn't be advised to stop at. My last trip there was May '11 so things might have changed.

 

[aidensmama]

Maybe he'll be distracted and/or bored by that point and not paying much attention (Yeah, right!). He'll figure it out as soon as we pass the first billboard.

Thanks!

 

[JohnD]

Thank you all for the options in Tallahassee (I will do my best to avoid the prison tour ). SuprDav - I am really wanting to drive as far as possible so I will look at some options closer to Orlando - my plan is to let my DH sleep as long as he wants that morning and do most of the packing myself (Sending DS to Grandparents for the morning!).

Since you all did such an awesome job on my first question here is my second: We are not going to tell DS where we are going and just let him "figure it out" along the way (we are going to say something like "going to see some family you've never met"). How far out until we start seeing lots of Disney signs that will clue him?

It's a four hour drive alone from Tallahassee. BTW, obviously you'll be picking up the Florida Turnpike from I-75 south of Ocala. I recommend that, instead of taking the turnpike all the way to I-4, take the SR-429 connector west of WDW to the Western Way exit. You'll enter WDW from the west and avoid all the traffic on I-4. Total toll is only $4.50 ($3.50 on the turnpike. $1.50 on the connector)

As for Disney signs, to my recollection there are no billboards at least as far as SR-429. But you'll see a standard green directional sign to "Disney World" for the SR-429 exit from the Florida Turnpike. Then once you take the Western Way exit, you'll see this sign almost immediately. (Obviously, I arrived at night)

 

[KTaylor]

We typically stay in Lake City when we drive from Louisiana, but this year with 3 kids under 12 we are leaving at 3am and making the 14 hour drive straight while they sleep most of the time.

 

[nolatron]

There's a Holiday Inn Express about 5 miles before Tallahassee right off I-10 (Exit for Quincy) we stayed at one trip going there and coming back. Pretty nice with a free little breakfast.

http://goo.gl/maps/6NDl5

 

[aidensmama]

JohnD - Thank you for the tip on taking SR-429. I will definately put that in my notes.

KTaylor - I would love to get to Lake City on day 1 (hoping my 5 yo takes a nap that day as we start heading out). Any recommendations on a good hotel at the Lake City exit? (or anywhere we should definately avoid). Did you book ahead of time or just "wing it" -- I am hoping to wing it that way we can travel as far as possible.

Good Luck on your straight through drive!

 

[JohnD]

JohnD - Thank you for the tip on taking SR-429. I will definately put that in my notes.

I actually enjoy driving through WDW. You know you're immersed in "The World" immediately because even directional and speed limit signs have some whimsy to them. Directional signs are purple with huge arrows. Speed limit, stop signs, etc., have blue posts with yellow stripes on them. But watch out for all of the Disney buses.