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

[LadyBeBop]

Thanks for the response. I’ve been obsessing over this decision all day.
Nashville seems like the best stop for us on way down. It’s 8 hours exactly. If we pushed we’d want to stay in Atlanta which is another 4 hours, so not ideal.
I love the idea of getting to Orlando Hyatt night before check in to leisurely start day. I just don’t know if we can handle 10 hr drive after an 8. The 3 and 4 yr old should be fine with movies, tablets and games, But I’m sure baby will get pretty mad. She’ll deal with it though, and pulling over to eat should be easy because my wife still nurses her.

Option 1- Day 1. SE Iowa to Nashville. 8 hours.
Day 2. Nashville to Valdosta, GA. 7 hours. Day 3. Valdosta GA to Polynesian. 3 hours.

Option 2 - Day 1. SE Iowa to Nashville. 8 hours. Day 2. Nashville to Orlando Hyatt. 10 hours. we thought stopping in Atlanta for kids to play around lunch. Driving 3 hours to a chic filet for dinner. Drive 3 hours and arrive pretty late into Orlando.

both Hyatt’s would be free with points. Would need to rent room in valdosta.

Please save me from my indecisiveness!!!

Why isn't Chattanooga an option? Halfway between Nashville and Atlanta. Seems like ten hours both days.

 

[Ryan Mendoza]

Why isn't Chattanooga an option? Halfway between Nashville and Atlanta. Seems like ten hours both days.

All my hotel points are with Hyatt. Hyatt is only in Nashville, Atlanta, and Orlando for the trip down.

 

[TheHamm]

Why isn't Chattanooga an option? Halfway between Nashville and Atlanta. Seems like ten hours both days.

All my hotel points are with Hyatt. Hyatt is only in Nashville, Atlanta, and Orlando for the trip down.

I would echo LadyBeBop. You were willing to pay cash for the room in Valdosta. If you do Chattanooga as your only stop the difference between TN on points and GA cash is that you save your points but slog through longer drives.

 

[LBHouse]

I would echo LadyBeBop. You were willing to pay cash for the room in Valdosta. If you do Chattanooga as your only stop the difference between TN on points and GA cash is that you save your points but slog through longer drives.

We have the same issue. I have hundred of room nights available for Hyatt and really prefer to use them up. Plus, the rooms have extra sleeping space and that works great for my family size.

Atlanta doesnt work because traffic in the morning is insane.

does anyone here arrive at Disney after a long drive? I mean late at night and check in to your resort? We have always gotten close and stayed offsite so we could wake up the next day with a short drive and be at the pool by lunch time. does it feel like a wasted day if you get in after dark?

 

[TheHamm]

We have the same issue. I have hundred of room nights available for Hyatt and really prefer to use them up. Plus, the rooms have extra sleeping space and that works great for my family size.

Atlanta doesnt work because traffic in the morning is insane.

does anyone here arrive at Disney after a long drive? I mean late at night and check in to your resort? We have always gotten close and stayed offsite so we could wake up the next day with a short drive and be at the pool by lunch time. does it feel like a wasted day if you get in after dark?

I would always prefer to avoid Atlanta traffic. I also prefer to get to Disney sooner, so if the decision was cash room on the first night and not using points vs. cash room and not using points and being there sooner I would go with the later option even if it means ATL traffic, which I do not think is a foregone conclusion.

I did not feel our day was wasted after a midnight or 1am arrival. The kids had fallen asleep in the car so it was just DH and I who were sleepy. We did not fully unpack when we got there, just went to bed. I dislike having to repack the car or get the kids out of the hotel so avoiding this process is worth a slightly slower sleepy morning. We woke up, had some food and hit the AK tapstiles by 10am. While different than my preferred rope drop arrival, we still had a great time and it felt more vacation like than waking up for more driving.

 

[bluezy]

We have the same issue. I have hundred of room nights available for Hyatt and really prefer to use them up. Plus, the rooms have extra sleeping space and that works great for my family size.

Atlanta doesnt work because traffic in the morning is insane.

does anyone here arrive at Disney after a long drive? I mean late at night and check in to your resort? We have always gotten close and stayed offsite so we could wake up the next day with a short drive and be at the pool by lunch time. does it feel like a wasted day if you get in after dark?

We drive (a little over 1,000 miles one way) but we've always arrived at Disney late in the morning (around 10-11:00 a.m. -- after about a 2-4 hour drive that morning depending on where we stopped the night before). However, our son and his family (including a 2 year old child) drove down a few months ago and did arrive late at night (10:00, I believe...maybe a little earlier). Their original plan was to get to a point about 2 hours away the night before -- arriving at that destination by about 8:30-9:00 p.m. But they had no traffic and made great time driving that day and decided they just wanted to push straight through and stay at Disney that night if there was a room available at one of the Value resorts. They checked online (at Orbitz or Priceline or something like that) around 5:00 or so and found a room at ASMovies for a price they were willing to pay and booked it. They were booked at ASMo for the rest of their stay as well. They got to the resort and only took their overnight bags into the room knowing they would have to change rooms the next morning. They spent a little bit of time walking around the resort that night and grabbed a late night snack at the food court before turning in for the night. They didn't plan to go to a park until mid-afternoon the next day (because they originally planned to arrive around 10:00 that morning) so they slept in and waited until they got their "room ready" text for their new room before heading out. At that point they moved their overnight bags to the new room, unloaded the car, and headed out to the parks a little earlier than they had planned to. They were really happy they ended up staying at Disney the night before their package started and said they would seriously consider doing that again on the next trip if it worked out logistically. They felt the convenience was worth the higher cost of staying at Disney rather than staying somewhere close by and having to pack up and drive in the morning.

 

[LBHouse]

We drive (a little over 1,000 miles one way) but we've always arrived at Disney late in the morning (around 10-11:00 a.m. -- after about a 2-4 hour drive that morning depending on where we stopped the night before). However, our son and his family (including a 2 year old child) drove down a few months ago and did arrive late at night (10:00, I believe...maybe a little earlier). Their original plan was to get to a point about 2 hours away the night before -- arriving at that destination by about 8:30-9:00 p.m. But they had no traffic and made great time driving that day and decided they just wanted to push straight through and stay at Disney that night if there was a room available at one of the Value resorts. They checked online (at Orbitz or Priceline or something like that) around 5:00 or so and found a room at ASMovies for a price they were willing to pay and booked it. They were booked at ASMo for the rest of their stay as well. They got to the resort and only took their overnight bags into the room knowing they would have to change rooms the next morning. They spent a little bit of time walking around the resort that night and grabbed a late night snack at the food court before turning in for the night. They didn't plan to go to a park until mid-afternoon the next day (because they originally planned to arrive around 10:00 that morning) so they slept in and waited until they got their "room ready" text for their new room before heading out. At that point they moved their overnight bags to the new room, unloaded the car, and headed out to the parks a little earlier than they had planned to. They were really happy they ended up staying at Disney the night before their package started and said they would seriously consider doing that again on the next trip if it worked out logistically. They felt the convenience was worth the higher cost of staying at Disney rather than staying somewhere close by and having to pack up and drive in the morning.

This is our last driving trip for awhile(Hawaii for two weeks next winter). I think next time we go though, we are going to try a late night arrival to Disney and only stop once on our way down

 

[ninafeliz]

We left NW PA around 8:30 this AM and are now on 26E in SC, 1:40 from the Embassy Suites we booked just off I95 in Savannah. We stayed there in June and liked it, so we made it our goal and I booked it once we realized we would be able to get there (barring any last minute problems). It’s 40 degrees and has been raining pretty good off and on, and occasionally down to 34- not much different from home!

 

[pwdebbie]

We left NW PA around 8:30 this AM and are now on 26E in SC, 1:40 from the Embassy Suites we booked just off I95 in Savannah. We stayed there in June and liked it, so we made it our goal and I booked it once we realized we would be able to get there (barring any last minute problems). It’s 40 degrees and has been raining pretty good off and on, and occasionally down to 34- not much different from home!

Your are less than five miles from my dd's house in Pooler.

 

[justreading]

We left NW PA around 8:30 this AM and are now on 26E in SC, 1:40 from the Embassy Suites we booked just off I95 in Savannah. We stayed there in June and liked it, so we made it our goal and I booked it once we realized we would be able to get there (barring any last minute problems). It’s 40 degrees and has been raining pretty good off and on, and occasionally down to 34- not much different from home!

Would love a review of the Embassy Suites after you leave. I usually stop in Walterboro but Savannah isn't that much further.

 

[Ryan Mendoza]

These are all really helpful comments everyone. Thank you!

I think I’m going to stick to Iowa to Nashville for8 hr drive night 1. Then try driving all the way through Nashville to Orlando and stay in a Hyatt for free points and then check into Polynesian next day. Will be nice to relax that morning and not rush. If we can’t make it all the way I’ll pull over and get hotel room.

how is atlanta traffic on a Sunday evening? My wife has family in Atlanta and she wanted to stop and meet her downtown. Don’t want to tell her no but really want to because I’m scaredof the traffic.

 

[princessfionasmom]

We'll be making the drive down from MA in 18 days!! I can't wait!
I've lost track at how many times we've down it now but I think this will be #10.
We'll be there for President's week since that is MA schools winter break. Looking forward to ditching the cold for sunny warm FL!!!

Same here! We’re leaving the 14th, DD16 and her friend are taking that day off school so we’re hoping to leave by 9:30am. We are driving to Disneys Vero Beach Resort for 2 days then over to WDW. Hoping to get 10-12 hrs of driving in and see how far that gets us, grab a hotel along the way and finish the trip to Vero Saturday. Monday morning we’ll pack up and head over to WDW for the remainder of the week. Definitely looking forward to a little FL sun!!

 

[LBHouse]

These are all really helpful comments everyone. Thank you!

I think I’m going to stick to Iowa to Nashville for8 hr drive night 1. Then try driving all the way through Nashville to Orlando and stay in a Hyatt for free points and then check into Polynesian next day. Will be nice to relax that morning and not rush. If we can’t make it all the way I’ll pull over and get hotel room.

how is atlanta traffic on a Sunday evening? My wife has family in Atlanta and she wanted to stop and meet her downtown. Don’t want to tell her no but really want to because I’m scaredof the traffic.

Sunday should be ok. There is still lots of traffic, but should be moving. When are you going? We leave two week from today!

 

[Ryan Mendoza]

Sunday should be ok. There is still lots of traffic, but should be moving. When are you going? We leave two week from today!

Awesome!
We leave 3 weeks from Yesterday! Where are u staying? We’ve done AKL the last 3 trips and are splurging with poly this time. So excited!

 

[LBHouse]

Awesome!
We leave 3 weeks from Yesterday! Where are u staying? We’ve done AKL the last 3 trips and are splurging with poly this time. So excited!

We are at Polynesian for a few days, Moving to Old Key West for a week and then over to Riviera.

Spent a week at AKL Jambo in December. Its beautiful over there.

 

[Ryan Mendoza]

We are at Polynesian for a few days, Moving to Old Key West for a week and then over to Riviera.

Spent a week at AKL Jambo in December. Its beautiful over there.

Wow sounds like a nice long trip. Someday I’ll talk my wife into split stays. Have a great trip.

 

[BC1836]

WDW Speedway regular this morning: $2.38.

All the best!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Leaving in 4 days!! Can’t wait to get to sunny warm FL!!!
We’re leaving around 8pm driving straight thru. It all goes well should arrive around 3 pm Friday.

 

[princessfionasmom]

Leaving in 4 days!! Can’t wait to get to sunny warm FL!!!
We’re leaving around 8pm driving straight thru. It all goes well should arrive around 3 pm Friday.

Good luck!! We’re leaving from the south shore area of Boston Friday morning at 9am but heading to Vero Beach for a couple of days first then over to stay at Riviera. Not sure if we are going to drive striaight thru or stop at like 11 somewhere. Getting so excited for some warm sunny weather!!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Good luck!! We’re leaving from the south shore area of Boston Friday morning at 9am but heading to Vero Beach for a couple of days first then over to stay at Riviera. Not sure if we are going to drive striaight thru or stop at like 11 somewhere. Getting so excited for some warm sunny weather!!

Have a great trip!