Anyone drive down from NJ?

[andrew&ryansmommy]

Wondering if there are any fellow New Jerseyans, or surrounding areas, that have driven down with young children. What time did you find was best to leave to avoid traffic, especially around DC area? We are planning to have to stop over night both ways so my husband and I can get decent sleep, and not risk falling asleep. My boys will be 1 and 3 when we leave. Looking for any good tips or advice..btw, my husband and I have driven down a couple times, but this was before we were married, and no kids! Biggest worry is that we will get a bad snow storm when its time to go (11/30-12/7)

[goofyfan4466]

where in nj. are you driving from ? we are in pa , right across from trenton. we leave between 12:00 am - 1:00 am.we drive to savannah , ga.,about 12-13 hours.the best advice is to have a tv in the back seat with dvd's or tapes of all there favorite shows. this worked out great for my twin daughters.we would stop whenever was needed.if you want more info. please pm me. i am at work , so i can't be on here long.have a good trip.

[missymouseworld]

We are from the Central NJ area and drive down to Disney. We plan on leaving NJ at about 1am to avoid the DC rush hour. We have been driving since our kids were young and the DVD player, handheld video games, coloring books, playdoh, ipods, and little snacks are a must. We usually plan to stop at the end of SC or GA the first day. The next morning it is a shorter trip to Disney.

[Scar]

Assuming central NJ, If you don't leave by 3:00AM, wait until after 8:00AM. But leave before 11:00AM or wait untill after 6:00PM. Adjust the time by 1 hour if you are in north (earlier) or south (later) NJ.

I like the idea of leaving 12-1:00AM if at least 1 of the drivers can deal with the odd time sleep wise.

[andrew&ryansmommy]

Thanks for all the replies! And yes, we are in central NJ, Monmouth/Middlesex area. We are trying to decide if leaving around midnight is the right option for us..I do not sleep in cars, so this could be a problem! We have plenty of time to decide, but appreciate all the responses!

[diz_girl]

Sorry that this post is a bit long, but whenever on Intercot someone asks about driving from NJ, I can't help myself. So here it is.

I'd advise against driving in the early morning hours, especially since you are parents to young children are are probably sleep-deprived to start with. I can't sleep in the car either, so do you really want to show up at WDW exhausted? Probably not.

I'm not too far from you (Monmouth County) and I've had three car trips to WDW in the past five years, so my advice is pretty sound. Our last trip was from 11/29-12/7/08, when DS was 17 months, so we also know what it's like to drive that time of year with a small child. A Thanksgiving snowstorm is pretty unusual, but it's good that you're driving because you can leave early if a storm is coming. Changing a flight for an impending snowstorm is a bit more difficult. I'm not sure if you are leaving on 11/30 or arriving at WDW on 11/30, but I'd actually advise against driving on I-95 on Thanksgiving weekend. Traffic wasn't bad in NJ, DE, MD and most of VA, but the traffic was terrible in the Carolinas and GA and only got better when we entered FL. Traveling on I-95 south of NJ is fine on non-holiday weekends.

If you're leaving during the week, then leave home around 9 a.m. You shouldn't have much traffic over the Delaware Memorial bridge (off course, listen to NJ 101.5). You'll probably get to Elkton, MD around 11-11:30 a.m and can stop for dinner at the Cracker Barrel there. There is also a Waffle House and a couple of fast-food places, as well as a gas station. I like to make my pit-stops at Cracker Barrels. There is a decent-sized and well-kept baby changing area in both the men's and women's rooms and you can get snacks and beverages (and pretty much everything on the menu) to go. Plus, the porch is nice to be on to stretch your legs and it's under cover. Also, there are plenty of Cracker Barrels all the way down the coast.

Although many people people stop at the Chesapeake House or Maryland House in MD, beware of the panhandlers that will approach you by your car and give you a sob story that they have to get to DE/NJ/PA/NY because their mother/father/sister/brother is dying of cancer and they have $X (usually under $5) to get there.

Anyway, once you get back on the road (hopefully by about 12:30 p.m.), you will miss the Baltimore and D.C. rush hours and your kids may zonk out in the car for their nap. Here's the next catch, try not to stop between Baltimore and D.C., as any advertised services seem to be several miles down the road and your short stop is now a long one. You should be in VA by 2 p.m and Richmond around 3:30 p.m. The Springfield, Va and Petersburg, VA areas are good for pit stops. You can be in Rocky Mount, NC for dinner. They have most of your standard chain restaurants. If you want ribs, then there are some places in Wilson, NC, which is about 10 miles further south from Rocky Mount. Then you can drive a little more and stop in Florence, SC for the night. There are plenty of places to stay. Pack an overnight bag that has everything that you need for the one night, and maybe a pack 'n play too if you're taking one, at the top of your luggage so you don't have to unload your entire car. Of course, try to stay at a place that has a complimentary continental breakfast so that you can get on your way quickly.

Once you're up the next morning, try to get on the road by 8 or 9 a.m. It's another 7 hours to WDW, without stops. It's pretty smooth sailing the rest of the way. Try to stop every 2-3 hours to let the kids let off some steam and to stretch your legs, which is about every time you enter the next state. Also, as for restaurants, in addition to the Cracker Barrels, there are a few Golden Corral buffets along I-95 in the south. They are a quick and not expensive option and the food is good.

Make sure that you fill-up your tank before you get to I-4 in FL. There is no exit on I-4 West for the first 20 miles or so, and the first exit has one station with very expensive gas. If you have three somewhat short stops (although the lunch and possibly dinner ones would be a bit longer), then you might get to WDW by about 4-5 p.m. depending on the length of your stops. The cheapest gas seems to be in south Jersey (Carney's Point vicinity), in-between D.C. and Richmond, and at the El-Cheapo gas station in Brunswick, GA area. It really is cheapo.

Have fun and enjoy! The Christmas decorations are beautiful.

[Lehman Family]

We're from South Central PA and have been driving down for our past few visits. We have been driving straight through and not stopping overnight. Our next trip we are planning on driving for most of a day and then stopping overnight, probably somewhere in Southern GA. I'm interested to see how your driving goes.

As far as keeping kids occupied, we purchased a minivan and made sure to get one with a built in DVD player specifically because we knew it would help for the trips to Disney. If you don't have a DVD player in your vehicle they do have some you can purchase that have two screens that fit over the backs of the driver and front passenger head rests. I don't beleive they're too expensive anymore and they're definitely worth the money on a long trip like this. We also take some snacks and drinks in a medium-size collapsable cooler and set it behind the driver and front passenger seat so we don't have to unpack to get to it. We also usually play road trip games like who can find the license plate from the farthest away or try to be the first person to find words for each letter of the alphabet.

My parents recently drove down leaving @7:30 or 7:45AM I beleive. They were able to reach one of the last exits in GA by late evening. They said it was a much more relaxed trip which is what we were hoping for. Unfortunately they didn't have children along so they probably won't have accounted for extra time to stop for potty breaks and the like.

[Joannelet]

We drive down from Ocean Cty. My son was 7 months when we first drove with a child. Then we went again when he was 1 yr old this past December.
We always stop on the way down. Usually in North or South Carolina the first day.
We leave before breakfast and stop in MD for breakfast.
We are usually in the car around 6am.
In Maryland around 9am.
In December we did 10 hours of driving the first day and then about 6 the next to get to Disney.
Bring lots of stuff for the kiddies to do in the car. If you don't have a dvd player bring kid cd's to sing along with, lots and lots of snacks for all of you.
I love driving down from NJ.
Enjoy

[NJGIRL]

We drove down October 2001 because I wouldn't get on a plane (we even already had the tickets) and my son was 3. It wasn't bad at all. We had a DVD player for him and lots of toys like an etch-a-sketch etc. He slept alot. We left at 7:00 in the morning and missed the traffic in Baltimore & DC (we are in South Jersey and takes us about 3 hours to get to DC). We stopped for the night in SC very close to the GA boarder. The next day we had about 4 more hours (if I remember correctly) to drive. I really enjoyed the drive and the only reason we have not done it again is because we lost too many day driving instead of flying.

[kathiep]

We driven each year for the last 5. Normally we leave Central NJ around 6am. We like to drive until we are almost at the Ga/Fl border because it leaves only about 3 hours the next day. Sure the first day is a long one but we are so it isn't too bad. We've also left around 1pm after a half day at work. This didn't work out too well as we hit evening rush hour through Virginia BUT we took the opportunity to stop for a nice sit down dinner and by the time we were done, it had reasonably cleared up. Be sure to have a DVD player. We normally be sure to have a new movie or two that the kids haven't seen before. I also go to the dollar store and stock up on new toys, crayons, etc that can occupy them when they get a little irritated. On our first trip, my little one was 16 months. We tried to make as few stops as possible with the reasoning that when we did stop, we'd stop for about half an hour or so and let everyone walk around. (if it was just DH & I - it would be a 5 minute bathroom break only!) I also made sure I had small pillows and blankets for the kids. That way, after dinner, pajamas went on and the got all bundled up and it helped encourage them to go to sleep. The best driving time for us was when they were asleep! Good luck and have fun! Remember the ride is part of the adventure.

[andrew&ryansmommy]

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I will probably wind up printing much of it out, bc I will probably forget it is here, when it's time to go. We recently purchased a minivan, with DVD player so I am hoping it will work well! My older son doesnt even know its there yet, so if we can hold out until December to use it, I think it will be a great surprise! He sees something on the ceiling, but doesnt understand what it is (we havent told him) and we dont plan on using it except for long car rides. I am definitely planning to stock up on snacks..I think my older son will be OK (as well as a 3 yr old can be)..I am just worried about the younger one. He's 5 months old now, and a great baby, but I have no idea what he'll be like when it's time for the trip! I am really excited, and driving will be full of memories..just hoping more good than bad!!

[bunkyg]

After lurking here for years I had to join just to add to this discussion.
After over 50 trips down to Fla I can add this possibility to you. Once you cross the Del Mem bridge follow 95 S to Del 1 south and follow the signs for US301. part of this is a bit congested before you leave Del. (and final Wawa stop) but when you hit the Md line its clear 4 lane sailing all the way to Washington. I usually follow 301/50 through Annopolis and stay on 50 to pick up the DC beltway and back on 95. Don't follow 301 south after annopolis it's very similar to rt 1 in jersey. You miss a lot of the traffic this way and it's $4.00 in tolls each way instead of the constant harrassment on 95