You know your on a WDW road trip when...

[sbkline]

This thread is to discuss the classic sites that make a road trip to "the World" memorable.

For me, coming down from Central Illinois, one of the things that is a classic part of a trip to WDW is the site of a Waffle House at nearly every exit past Kentucky. We only have one or two in Illinois, so it isn't something that I see very often. But once you hit that first Waffle House at exit 86 on I-24 through Kentucky, you know you're on your way. :lol:

Another site, although we would never ever stop in and visit this den of iniquity, is Cafe Risque in Georgia. You see signs for that place about 50 miles out, and once you get past that first billboard, you see them frequently until you pass the exit.

Then, there are the beautiful sites of the mountains as you head towards Chattanooga.

So what about everyone else. What sites do you associate with a road trip to WDW?

 

[SarahBella82]

The ride from my sister's house in Mt. Dora to Disney: signs for 535, crossing the speed humps when entering the property on back roads (by WDW Construction, or something like that...).

 

[Simba1]

whenever we pull out of a parking lot, we say: "driver all clear" and then driver honks the horn twice. good times.

 

[brisem]

The Garden State Parkway in NJ--all the tolls
South of the Border Signs
JR's Signs
Passing Exit 11 in NC (exit we use for Myrtle Beach)
Traffic in Jacksonville
Daytona Speedway

 

[Senderella]

"We Bare All"

:ROFLOL: That's the one! We always laugh because with every sign, the next one ups the ante a bit. "Free showers" then the next one "Free showers and Buffet" and so on. That's how we know we're getting close too. That's about when I start making sure I've got all the mapquest print out stuff and I'm ready to go to "navigate".

 

[whitnaaay]

whenever we pull out of a parking lot, we say: "driver all clear" and then driver honks the horn twice. good times.

too funny!

 

[Kadee]

We start our trip just north of Montgomery and know exactly what you are talking about. The longest stretch for me is I-10. I-75 doesn't seem that long for us either. I think there is more to look at on that stretch than on I-10.

I agree about the truckstop place:hurl: . I wish I didn't have to see all those billboards along the way. I can't wait til we pass it!

We are about 15 minutes from I-10, so we start off on the longest stretch. It is definitely the worst part of the drive.....well, ok....those billboards Pinkrose mentioned are the worse. We know we are close when we stop at The Villages to visit with my mother-in-law.

Oh...and we stop at the same "potty breaks" too!

Leaving Alabama for Disney on April 15th! YIPPIE!!!

 

[WTBAD]

I know we're on the road to WDW when:

1. We pull out on to I-10 & can't see out the back window becasue of the luggage.
2. We go thru the tunnel in Mobile.
3. We pass Hwy 87 in Florida instead of turning for Navarre Beach & Destin.
4. We turn off I-10 on to I-75 a head south.
5. WE get to Wildwood & see the sings for the Turnpike.
6. And last when we see the exit for Hwy 429 & know we're less than 20 minutes from PC.

 

[Mr Wizard]

Ah, it just wouldn't be a Disney road trip without:
-Entering into "fender to fender combat" with the commuters on the narrow lanes of 295 (to avoid the D.C. beltway)
-Wondering just what the heck the tie up can be on 95 in Virginia (and you think construction on 95 in Orlando has been never ending)
-The beautiful sight of falling gas prices
-South of the Border billboards
-After getting gas and hitting the bathroom, getting back in the car and saying to my wife "I think we have stopped here before, haven't we?"(and as many times as we have been up and down 95, I'm usually right)
-Playing "Tourist Trap" by Rev. Billy C. Wirtz at the very second that you go over that little nondescript bridge and cross the Fla. state line (Note: Rev. Billy has a great radio show on Friday at 10PM on WFIT.org, he doesn't play any of his music, but if you like R&B and Rock and Roll it's the best. I record his shows and listen to them on the way down the road)
-Finally exiting onto I 4 and knowing the magic is now just 60 min. away!

 

[sbkline]

I thought of another site I love seeing, especially at night time. Going through Tennessee, coming up to Chattanooga and there is a big fireworks store off to the left, which says "Fireworks" accross the roof. It is lit up at night and is really cool looking so see.

 

[JustPlainBill]

When on a very early Saturday morning just as the sun begins to rise in the east, I turn around in the driver's seat of our van, just as I'm about to back out of the driveway, and look back into the sleepy eyes of my 2 little daughters who are wondering what is going on and I tell them that their dreams are about to come true, they are going to Disney World for the first time in their lives and I hear them scream. Then I will know that we're really on our way, I will be on a cloud all the way down. The second indicator for me is when I see the first palm tree.

 

[Senderella]

I thought of another site I love seeing, especially at night time. Going through Tennessee, coming up to Chattanooga and there is a big fireworks store off to the left, which says "Fireworks" accross the roof. It is lit up at night and is really cool looking so see.

I like passing through .. you know I'm not even sure where it is.. Alabama? Florida? Anyhow, it's a navy ship that's been docked. I love seeing those huge steel ships glowing at night the way they do.

 

[sambahat]

I know that I am on the way once I get south of Macon Georgia. The real excitment builds once we hit I-4 in Orlando.

The big chicken is located off of US 41, you can't see it from I-75. Its a local Atlanta landmark, such as go two miles past the big chicken, and its on the right.

On I-75 south (can't see it going north), just before exit 263, you'll pass over a bridge (can't remember the name of the overpass). While you are passing over the bridge, if you look to your right, you'll see the Big Chicken. You'll only see if for a few seconds, but you won't be able to miss it.

In case you are in the mood, there's a Krispy Kreme store off this exit. You'll have to travel north on US 41 and it will be on the right (before the Big Chicken). If you're lucky, the "Hot Now" sign will be on.

 

[DisneyChik17]

I like passing through .. you know I'm not even sure where it is.. Alabama? Florida? Anyhow, it's a navy ship that's been docked. I love seeing those huge steel ships glowing at night the way they do.

It's probably the USS Alabama. It's on the Causeway (right by the interstate).

 

[Senderella]

It's probably the USS Alabama. It's on the Causeway (right by the interstate).

That's the one! I thought that's what it was, but I wasn't 100% sure. Like I said, I love seeing those ships lit up at night. We have the Lexington here in Texas a couple hours away from me in Corpus so whenever I get the chance to see it at night, I take it. I'd never seen one other than the Lexington before we started driving to Florida.

 

[pintraderpayee]

From a school bus over the past 6 years, we look for the same sights.......

1. the state capitol in Baton Rouge (tallest of all 50)
2. strawberries for sale in Ponchatoula and Hammond
3. Wake any students who might be napping and have them all hold their breath as we go through the tunnel in Mobile and stay awake to see who can be the first to spot the USS Alabama
4. Making all our students change their watches in DeFuniak Springs, FL instead of a little later just because DeFuniak Springs is a cool name
5. Turning south on I-75
6. Showering at the same truck stop in Ocala (a memory making experience for anyone traveling with 20+ excited high school students)
7. meeting our travel agent at the same McDonald's near WDW to get our park hopper passes
8. Screaming when we see the purple Disney sign
9. Having all the kids on the bus say hello to the parking attendent at Transportation Center
10. Seeing our Red River Parish School Bus among all of the fancy tour buses


42 days until we are Orlando bound with 21 teens on a school bus for 930 miles of smiles:sohappy: :hammer:

 

[mgraef]

You guys are making me itch to get in the car and start driving. For me it is parking in the long term airport lot, walking with my son to the shuttle, boarding the plane in freezing temps and then hopping on the train then the Magic Express in Orlando.

I need to do the roadie - what is 2000 plus miles anyway?

mg

 

[TowerOfTerror]

I've read that the one in FL is open 24 hours, and i just wanted to know if it was true. I'd love to stop in at 3am one morning! Ron John is just the greatest!

Yep its open 24 hours a day. It is one of the nicer things in Cocoa Beach, the rest of the town is rather trashy. The Cocoa store is much larger than the one in LBI but it never will be "The Original." Ron Jon is undeniably the greatest surf store on the planet.

 

[AliceinWhoville]

Crossing over the Florida State Line and the 1st rest stop has fresh orange juice. And sounds dumb but the Florida clouds lol, 2 times we drove there they have distinct clouds or is the sky bluer then up north? lol

Since we do the driving in the middle of the nite we miss a bunch.

 

[unkadug]

Yep its open 24 hours a day. It is one of the nicer things in Cocoa Beach, the rest of the town is rather trashy. The Cocoa store is much larger than the one in LBI but it never will be "The Original." Ron Jon is undeniably the greatest surf store on the planet.

Is that the one on the beach?

I remember going there years ago. I was fascinated that there was no floor, only sand.

Is it still like that?

 

[clarkstallings]

As to the person who asked if any of us stop at the same gas stations each trip, I stop at the same station and try to use the same gas pump each time I go.