"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (IV)

[mmwelch]

Leaving two weeks from today can't wait! From Western NY I86/79/19/77/26/95/4. Wow a mouthful, stopping two nights. One night in Rock Hill and one night in jacksonville to go to beach and St Augustine, then the mouse for a week

 

[dvczerfs]

Thanks for the input! We hit the road in the morning. This is our third trip this year, and I think we will just go the same way.

We're leaving early Saturday morning and using the bonus points on our grocery store discount card for gas. That will save us close to $2 a gallon. It won't get us all the way to Orlando, but it's a nice start.

that's ok, I didn't want to go.......

have a safe trip!!!!

 

[glen65]

Thanks dvczerfs

 

[joyride]

Going through Charleston is not necessary when taking the 79/77 route. Take 79 to route 19 .... it is a 4 lane road. About the same amount of time as going to Charleston, but saves quite a few miles. Then hop on 77 in Beckley. Also, you can stop at the New River Gorge National Park for a change of scenery. Just don't go that way the weekend in October when they have "Bridge Day". The road is closed then for all the bungee jumpers.

I would recommend this route also, takes about an hour off the trip and it's a pretty nice drive. Just slow down going through Summerville...

 

[Coconuts]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[BC1836]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

You've got an hour's lead on us for your drive.

Link up on 295 and cross the DE Memorial Bridge; stay on I-95 until I-4 in FL. Give yourself about 15-17 hours of driving (including gas stops and bathroom breaks) time. Of course, everything depends on missing rush hour traffic around DC, and that includes northern VA and southern MD. Avoid this area at rush hour at all costs. Even in off hours, construction projects in this area can make the drive unpleasant.

If you can do a "straight-through" drive, begin in or around the midnight hour, whatever works best for your alertness ability.

All the best.

 

[pilferk]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

1) We're in CT, so your mileage may literally vary. We leave about 1 PM, which gets us into DC just after rush hour (7 to 8 PM, depending on gas/food stops). If I were you, I'd probably leave around dinner time or just after.

2) I've done both...though we've started to make the stops overnight as the kids have gotten older. They don't sleep as well in the car as they used to, and nothing is worse than cranky kids on a road trip. We typically stop in Roanoke Rapids, NC...or around there. You might be able to make a little further run, given you're about 3 to 4 hours south of our starting point. Roanoake Rapids, or just a bit further, is roughly 9 to 10 hours for me..which is about the half way point. I know the hotel we typically use has a Walmart across the street and a Cracker Barrell more or less in front of it. Comfort Inn and Suites, maybe? All I know is the room sleeps 5, easily.

3) I'm a firm believer in 95 to I4, once you're in Southern Jersey. It's not scenic, but it's quick. Our full route is CT-8, to 84, to 684, to 287, to the Garden State, to 95 (and the various X-95s offshoots) to I-4. That ends us around NYC during rush hour (which is almost as insane as DC rush hour).

4) Portable DVD player...at least for us. My daughter also swears by her Ipod touch, so she can put the headphones on when her brother starts to get on her nerves.

 

[dvczerfs]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

we are north of you and live minutes from i78 so we go 78/81/77/26/95/4.

we leave 2:30am and im in the hills of Virginia by 6am.we drive straight thru but I also must mention I am in sales and I drive aprox. 40k a year so driving for me is no big deal. I pull into okw at 6:30pm or so.

our dd was 9 months old her first trip and had 24 more in by the time she was 19. we had a tv/vcr back then I would put it in the car and that kept her interested.(barnie ) as she got older, books,ipod and sleep.(now she just stays there )

have a safe trip!!

 

[glen65]

Leaving for the ride straight through the night in about 15 minutes.

 

[nono]

Leaving for the ride straight through the night in about 15 minutes.

Hope it is going well!

 

[chini1091]

Hi all,
Looking for suggestions on a good hotel stopover on the way back to NJ around the carolinas border. Someplace nice north of Florence SC.

 

[BC1836]

Hi all,
Looking for suggestions on a good hotel stopover on the way back to NJ around the carolinas border. Someplace nice north of Florence SC.

All of the well-known hotels/motels are about the same. Just check to see which ones offer "free" breakfasts, like Holiday Inn Express.

All the best.

 

[oneprincessjo]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

1. We are in the suburbs a little bit outside of Philly. We have left at different times. Before kids we left around 3-5 am, not too bad, we usually got through DC before morning rush hour. The first trip after my daughter was born we left around midnight, that was good too. But the best experience we had was the last trip when we left right before my daughters bedtime at 7pm.

2. We always stop for the day/night at exit 3 in Georgia. The last exit before the Florida border. The last time we arrived there around 8ish am, we grabbed breakfast at the Cracker Barrel and we checked into the Hampton next door right after with no issues. We slept for a few hours, grabbed dinner and went to bed by 7 I think (it was very early, which caused us to be up by 4am the next morning). We would typically hop in the car as soon as we wake up but with a toddler we needed to make sure her belly was full and she was happy, so we had to wait till the breakfast bar was open. No biggie.. By the time we hit the road we were in Disney World by 11am, but since we spent all day at the Hampton the day before everyone was refreshed and ready to go.

3. We take 95 all the way down. Just leave at an odd time so you won't be driving through DC during morning or evening rush hour. For us Jacksonville an I-4 are the worst parts of the drive.

4. Lots of snacks and bottled water (I usually get the to go powders to flavor our water with ice tea, fruit punch, etc). How old are the kids? For my daughter who will be 2 1/2 our next trip I plan on bringing a DVD player that straps to the head rest, a few favorite toys, magna doodle, crayons and coloring books (a tray that straps to her carseat so she can use the coloring books and so I can put some snacks down for her), leap pad, glow sticks. Whatever I do end up bringing will mostly be toys she hasn't seen before, this way during the rough times I can pull out a new toy that will peak her interest. There are a ton of great activities for all ages on Pinterest.

Good luck. We LOVE the drive!!! January can't come soon enough!!

 

[Coconuts]

Wow! So many great suggestions from everyone ad thanks!

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[Coconuts]

Hi all,
Looking for suggestions on a good hotel stopover on the way back to NJ around the carolinas border. Someplace nice north of Florence SC.

A few years back on the way to Hilton Head we stopped overnight at the town of Lumberton, NC, right before the SC border. Sorry but don't remember the hotel but it was nice and there were tons of hotels/motels there to stay at.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[nono]

Wow! So many great suggestions from everyone ad thanks!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Two more:

For your little one -- put a small piece of luggage under his/her feet as a footrest. Makes the ride more comfortable.

Bring two pieces of rope and lay them out at the rest areas. Have races. Not just the kids.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

A few years back on the way to Hilton Head we stopped overnight at the town of Lumberton, NC, right before the SC border. Sorry but don't remember the hotel but it was nice and there were tons of hotels/motels there to stay at.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

We've stayed in Lumberton, I liked the room there a bit better then the Florence. When we got off the exit it was the second hotel on the left, I have to check for he receipt, it was only $80 the night instead of he $100 we paid in Florence and he bed was amazing for a tired aching back. Breakfast was wonderful.
I just can't remember was it a Hampton? It slept more then 4 with the sofa bed.

 

[amcnj]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

If I could stay up all night I would drive overnight. But as my current situation makes me an early riser instead, I have found I am able to get a few hours sleep and leave at 2:30 AM and feel fine. By the time everyone else wakes up we are usually already in North Carolina or close to it. I drive straight through on 95, arriving in the WDW area around 6:30 PM on average, depending on stops, weather, traffic, etc. This also means I am going by DC around 5:30 AM so have no issues there. Aside from letting everyone sleep through the first leg of the trip, car entertainment systems/portable dvd players/mp3 players come in handy. Also it doesn't hurt to have a couple places to look forward to along the way to break it up. Even though South of the Border is a might cheesy, that has become a stop that I would be chastised for passing by!

 

[sharadoc]

Ok newbie to this thread here! Since airfare has been super crazy we are considering driving for the first time to WDW. We are from South Jersey, just outside Philadelphia.

I would appreciate some advice on the following points:

1. What time do you leave? Middle of the night? Bedtime?

2. Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight?

3. Is I95 the best route and if so, is there any special info I need to be aware of, like navigating around DC?

4. Any special tips for keeping my family from going crazy?

Thanks in advance for the input!

Hi. Our kids were old enough on their first to understand that it was driving or nothing, so we don't work around their "schedule" but work around making the drivers as comfortable, awake and alert as possible for maximum safety. We make sure they understand how long it takes. Before our first trip we actually went through a whole day at home saying things like "this is when we would be stopping for breakfast", "this is when we'd be in North Carolina", etc. etc. so they had some real world understanding of time in the van. We also used time in terms of movies - it will take us 6 or 7 movies the first day.

So, to answer your questions:

1. We leave at 9 am, gets us to DC around 11:30 - noon, no traffic issues anywhere. We drive until 10-11 pm, usually Savannah GA area. There are some great hotels there.

2. We stay in a hotel with free breakfast (we like Country Inn and Suites), get up around 7-7:30, have breakfast and are on the road again at 9 am. Gets us into WDW around 2-3 pm, just in time to check in, plenty of time to unload and hit a park.

3. We always use 95, but DO NOT take 495 west at DC. If you stay on 95, it is also 495 east (I believe). That works best and is the most direct route. We liked 295 at Richmond and have used 295 around Jacksonville. Both of these are calmer but take a little more time. If you're okay with giant highways (especially in Jacksonville), then stay on 95

We LOVE 417 in Florida, which you pick up off I-4 n Sanford FL and take all the way to WDW. It takes about $7.00 in tolls and is a rural kind of highway. You completely avoid the center of Orlando, which is usually crazy with local vs. vacation drivers, there's always an accident and at least one or two complete stop backups on there, no matter what time of day, even midnight or later. If you decide to do 417, DO NOT listen to your GPS when you turn off, or it will constantly try to get you back onto I-4. Eventually it gives in and actually does direct you on 417, but it takes about a half hour for it to finally "accept" the fact that you didn't make a wrong turn.

4. We have a 5 disk DVD player in the van that is constantly full and playing. We bought a Virgin mobile wi-fi hotspot ($50 for the month of service, no contract) that can handle 5 devices, so kids can also be on phone Wi-Fi, computer Wi-Fi, and Nook. DS likes driving so never complains, DD can get cranky but usually has books and some crafty things to supplement electronics, and she can doze on and off the whole way.

DS gets the middle seat and we put the other middle seat down in the floor. That open space has the cooler and snacks that everyone can access. DD gets the big back seat and sits in the middle with the lap belt so she can lay down and still be buckled in.

We don't overdo eating on the road - no fast food, no heavy meals. We like to bring hardboiled eggs, nuts, pretzels (various flavors), M&Ms, juice, water and cheese sticks. Gives us enough protein and snacky stuff.

I try to investigate good restaurants, not chains, on the road. We really don't like Cracker Barrel and God forbid, Waffle House

Always stop at the Florida Visitor Center right over the border. Free Orange and Grapefruit juice, really nice bathrooms, plus you can go grab a TON of free brochures about Disney and Central Florida that the kids can read to get psyched up about Disney World.

We have some Disney music CDs that I play when we get close, and we always sing the "Celebrate You" song when we go under the big gate - well actually DD sings it and we all have to do the "Oh-Oh" part and raise the roof

The key to a good drive - set expectations, don't "lament" that it's not the most perfect way to get there, and enjoy the family time together. We like to listen to music and actually TALK. We'll play some road games but don't get too hung up on having to constantly entertain the kids too.

 

[sharadoc]

We've stayed in Lumberton, I liked the room there a bit better then the Florence. When we got off the exit it was the second hotel on the left, I have to check for he receipt, it was only $80 the night instead of he $100 we paid in Florence and he bed was amazing for a tired aching back. Breakfast was wonderful.
I just can't remember was it a Hampton? It slept more then 4 with the sofa bed.

Neon central along 95. We like it there for the way home too.