Driving to WDW from NY

[Disneykidder]

We are going to WDW in February and are driving....yeech!!:hammer: (Actually, my hubby is driving there with 2 of the kiddies and I am flying and we are all driving back) Anyway, I am wondering where you have stopped at about the half way mark? Any fun things to go see along the way or way home? I have 3 boys: ages 8, almost 3 and 9 months.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[Laura]

I've made that drive about 30 times. Anything fun to see or do? Nope, not really. :lol: The highlight of the drive is getting to North Carolina and looking for South of the Border billboards.

 

[CaptainShortty]

We did the drive from NY to Florida and back when my sister and I were 10 and 8. My biggest suggestion is "Mom's bag of tricks". My mother had a bag of games, activity books, toys, etc. that we had never seen before and whenever we got bored she'd pull something out to keep us occupied for a while. That kept the pain of the trip at bay for us. Some places to stop on the way back:

- Kennedy Space Center
- Historic Savannah Georgia (if only to get some peaches and pecans!)
- South of the Border (a tacky tourist attraction but fun to stop and take a picture)
- Washington D.C.

Another option for you (or your husband going down) or both is to take the auto train. It runs from D.C. down to Florida and is a great alternative to having to do the entire 24 hour drive. Definitely check it out! Hope that helps!

 

[emcclay]

My best friend and I are making the drive from CT to WDW in March. We are for sure stopping at Lady and Sons in Savannah. Hopefully we will see Paula Deen! Haha.

 

[ShookieJones]

http://www.drivei95.com/

Try this - we used it one year.

 

[quakers05]

The wife and I do the trip usually twice a year from Philadelphia and have been doing it the last 10 years.

On the way down we usually stop in either Florence SC (about half way) at the new Holiday Inn Express or if we get an early enough start, we drive to Kingsland Georgia (last exit in Ga) and stay at the Comfort Suites.

On the trip back home we always stay at the Comfort Suites in Roanoke Rapids, NC.

Hope that helps!

 

[BiggerTigger]

We do this driver (almost) yearly. Our half way push down is around Florence, SC. For us this is a 15 hour trip for us. And this will give us about 7 hours until we hit Orlando the next day. (We live very near the Canadian Border.)
For our return trip, if we can reach Fredericksburg, VA, then we are not tying up much of the next day in travel. We do travel overnight on our trip out for lighter traffic.
Your hours may change based on where in NY your live.

 

[Mr Wizard]

You never know what sort of delays you may run into along the way so if you make reservations at a motel it may become a real chore to get there the first night. You might want to "wing it" and drive untill it's no fun anymore then stop. We have found the deal books that are given out for free at the rest stops have some really good prices. And you are usually in good shape if the add says "newly remoldeled" or "new building".

 

[Susan Savia]

We drive from Northern VA and we always stop over in Santee, SC and then on the next day we make a stop in Daytona Beach for a break.....walk around the beach for a few minutes then hop bacik in the car for the last hour. Oh, and don't forget to stop at the Florida Welcome Center for a nice break and free orange juice and info on the parks.

 

[mjmyers10]

We drive from Philly. Generally we leave around 3 am to get past DC by 6. This way you miss the rush hour traffic. I can usually get us onto Disney Property by 7 pm. The only traffic we normally hit is on I4 through Orlando. Bring snacks and sandwiches for the ride. Portable DVD players are a must too.

 

[breakin2]

We make this trip often. We generally try to go straight through, only stopping for meals. For the kids, we have a couple Nintendo DS's, an iPad with movies loaded on it, our laptop with a few movies on it, and for the adults - lots of good music. I don't mind the drive so much if I can rock out while doing it.

 

[piggy1116]

We make the drive every year from the Hudson Valley! We always drive to Hardeville,SC and stay at a Holiday Inn Express, then the next day we have about 5-6hours to disney.

 

[Disneykidder]

Good info everyone...thanks. We are on Long Island. My hubs is driving straight through to get there but we are thinking of stopping in DC on the way home since our 8 year old really wants to see some things there.

 

[epcot2004]

Take the Auto Train. Nothing to see on the drive down I-95.

 

[The Mom]

Just a warning for anyone driving. Once you cross the FL border and enter the Jacksonville area, only stop at the following exits after dark.
Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island.
Airport (but will be more expensive)
JTB Parkway (turn right) and any exits south of it.

Do not get gas at other exits unless you absolutely must, and do not leave your car! Some tourists did that at Lem Turner Road yesterday, and were kidnapped. They are OK, but lost money and possessions. Along with being terrified.

The city planners decided that one way to cut down on crime would be to raze buildings in the "bad" neighborhoods and disperse groups of criminals. This only caused pockets of crime to pop up all over town. And the predators know that tourists are easy prey. Many neighborhoods have gone from good to bad, and unless you are a local you may not be aware of them.

 

[dizzney]

We make the drive every year from the Hudson Valley! We always drive to Hardeville,SC and stay at a Holiday Inn Express, then the next day we have about 5-6hours to disney.

We've stayed here and at the Comfort Suties at the next exit a number of times, we live in Staten Island and leavea round 3am, with good traffic and bathroom stops we get here around 4 and the kids are done, dinner and sleep, usually at MK by 12 the next day.

How you do it depends on your husband, if he's driving alone he may not want to go (or be able to go) commando style. If thats the case, he should make a more leisurely drive and stop frequently, we find that Craker barrel restuarants are frequent and the kids and dad can relax and then go on.

good luck!

 

[PhilharMagician]

Still have not made the drive and I am not sure when I will. I have made the trip from the Albany area many times to the NC coast and that is about 11 hours for us and that puts me at my limit. I just cannot see spending 20+ hours in a vehicle and even worse yet is going home.