We did this drive a few summers ago from the Lehigh Valley. We left at 4:50 pm, and arrived at our resort at 10:10 am the next morning. It was an easy drive down at night with almost no traffic. The miles on 95 count down, so it was like a game in the middle of the night for me to get to the nest state. I drank cokes and coffee and ate snickers and milky ways to help me get by. The excitement kept me awake. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, so we actually headed into MK until late that afternoon! Be safe and have fun!We are headed down for an 8/3 check in. Thinking of leaving on Friday 8/2 around 8:00 pm and going straight through. Staying at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista.
Wife, Me, Son (14), Son (11), Daughter (10).
Any driving tips?
Sanity Keeping Suggestions?
KCCO!
Driving to WDW from Jersey, used to be a yearly thing. (and I actually enjoyed it!) We have stayed at the very same Embassy Suites several times and loved it! (ask for a Lanai room on 2nd or 3rd floor) We used to leave early am (between 5-6am) to try to beat the rush hour around Washington DC. We used to stop at J&R every trip, then stop at a Cracker Barrel along the way. Bring Disney DVDs, saving your family's fav movie for when you hit the Georgia/Florida border. If you don't want to stop for meals, plan a *car picnic* (which we did alot and I swear, the car smells like an Italian Deli by the time you reach Orlando LOL) Have a wonderful trip... and be safe!We are headed down for an 8/3 check in. Thinking of leaving on Friday 8/2 around 8:00 pm and going straight through. Staying at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista.
Wife, Me, Son (14), Son (11), Daughter (10).
Any driving tips?
Sanity Keeping Suggestions?
KCCO!
We're leaving from Williamsport at around 5PM on Wednesday. Since my wife sleeps a lot when riding, our plan is for her to take over sometime in the middle of the night for a few hours, so I can nap. Then, breakfast around Savannah, GA, and I take it the rest of the way.
We've never done it before, so we'll see how it works out.
Driving to WDW from Jersey, used to be a yearly thing. (and I actually enjoyed it!) We have stayed at the very same Embassy Suites several times and loved it! (ask for a Lanai room on 2nd or 3rd floor) We used to leave early am (between 5-6am) to try to beat the rush hour around Washington DC. We used to stop at J&R every trip, then stop at a Cracker Barrel along the way. Bring Disney DVDs, saving your family's fav movie for when you hit the Georgia/Florida border. If you don't want to stop for meals, plan a *car picnic* (which we did alot and I swear, the car smells like an Italian Deli by the time you reach Orlando LOL) Have a wonderful trip... and be safe!
Absolutely perfect!!!!! Have fun!!!!Thanks for the Room request info. And I've been trying to define a smell for the van, Italian Deli Is Perfect! Movies so far will be "42" and Lion King. I will be listening to Van Halen.
Thanks,
Ed
Hi!We are headed down for an 8/3 check in. Thinking of leaving on Friday 8/2 around 8:00 pm and going straight through. Staying at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista.
Wife, Me, Son (14), Son (11), Daughter (10).
Any driving tips?
Sanity Keeping Suggestions?
KCCO!
Hi!
The last time we drove down from Northern Maryland we took all of our Harry Potter Audio books along (even though we have listened to them countless times). Jim Dale reading the books to us was WONDERFUL. We were entertained the entire time. Even the grandparents started enjoy Harry's adventures.
About an hour before we arrived, my husband put in a CD of the music from Pirates of the Caribbean---great music to listen to as we were watching for signs.
We also had lots of snacks and soda to keep awake.
Another suggestion is that when you stop for gas---everyone gets out to stretch their legs and use the restroom. There were 7 of us---one stop is better than stopping many times.
If anybody suffers from leg cramps, have a bottles of water handy---it helps.
Try to keep all of your luggage in the trunk of your car or back of your van. The more room to move around the better. My mom is a notorious over packer so things were a little crowded in the last row of seats in the back of the SUV.
Oh, and do stop at the Florida Welcome Center---my children love it just because they get the little cup of orange juice. In fact, my son took his first steps at the Florida Welcome Center.
Have a good time and stay safe.
We did this drive a few summers ago from the Lehigh Valley. We left at 4:50 pm, and arrived at our resort at 10:10 am the next morning. It was an easy drive down at night with almost no traffic. The miles on 95 count down, so it was like a game in the middle of the night for me to get to the nest state. I drank cokes and coffee and ate snickers and milky ways to help me get by. The excitement kept me awake. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived, so we actually headed into MK until late that afternoon! Be safe and have fun!
Yes I was. It was a completely unplanned trip. We returned from WDW about 2 weeks before and had hoped to see the Shuttle Atlantis launch the last time. We stayed as long as we could, but eventually had to leave. It launched the next day. So my wife raised the idea of going down to see it land (our APs still had another week before they expired). So i drove on pure adrenaline. It was exciting. We did get to see the shuttle land!! Amazing last minute trip!!!!17.5 hours is pretty good from Lehigh. Were you the only driver?
Yes I was. It was a completely unplanned trip. We returned from WDW about 2 weeks before and had hoped to see the Shuttle Atlantis launch the last time. We stayed as long as we could, but eventually had to leave. It launched the next day. So my wife raised the idea of going down to see it land (our APs still had another week before they expired). So i drove on pure adrenaline. It was exciting. We did get to see the shuttle land!! Amazing last minute trip!!!!
PS You can cruise on an empty I 95 all night long!!!
That's pretty cool but I don't think I could do the up and back two weeks apart.
I like the random I-95 construction shut down detours like the one that had us detour thru a rough area in Baltimore county in the middle of the night.
I would almost rather that detour than the one we got stuck with. We had to travel down during a hurricane which caught up with us near Petersburg, VA. We were told by relatives back in PA that 95 was shut in NC so we ended up going the long way through NC (all the way around the west side(?) entering SC via Charlotte). By that point I was ready to bail on the rest of the family and catch a flight, probably because they woke me up at 2:30 AM to drive. All the soda in the world didn't make that long, rainy boring drive worth it.
I don't blame you. The distance from 95 to Charlotte is a hike and to have to make that difference up to get back on track would make anyone grumpy.
Well, I was entertaining myself thinking of evil things to do to my husband and BIL who were snoring away, especially my husband who was responsible for my having to get up. I'm getting my revenge this year making him get up at 4 AM to start driving. That should teach him.
My wife thinks it's funny to turn the heated seat on for me. I guess I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, because I'm always about to catch fire by the time I realize what she's done.
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