OT : Driving from Atlanta

[Pka]

Hi all !

We are at the very early stages of our travel plans (might not even go to WDW after all..), but at the moment it seems that we could get cheap flights to Atlanta, instead of Orlando (well actually it's a combination, we would arrive to Atlanta and leave back home from Orlando).

So that would mean driving down to Orlando from Atlanta and we don't mind that at all, that would give us a chance to see other kind of US :)

We are planning on arriving to Atlanta on Jan 1 09 and getting down to WDW maybe on Jan 4, so we could hit the parks first thing on Monday.

Now, the question after long introduction :) I would like to have ideas for our roadtrip from Atlanta to Orlando. Where to stay, where to stop, what special places to see etc.

Our group will be 4 adults + 1 child, our son, 9 yrs old. The other 2 adults are my inlaws, they are in they mid 60's.

Thanks in advance :)

-Pete

[SamG]

First, that trip (Atlanta to Orlando) is only about 6 hours. I would think it would be hard to stretch that into taking 2-3 days. If you really want to, you could waste a day in Atlanta (Coke Museum, Underground (shopping), CNN Tour (if they still do that), etc).

[Pka]

Hi !

Thanks for the reply ! I do know that it's only about 6-7 hours trip, but on the other hand we don't want to arrive Orlando too early since I think that the crowds will be a lot smaller starting from Jan 5.

And we wouldn't mind seeing something else too. How about a detour to New Orleans or something like that ?

-Pete

[Main Street Jim]

Historic St. Augustine, Florida could a nice little side trip as well. It's right off of Interstate 95, and only about two hours northeast of Orlando.

[Flower]

Atlanta to New Orleans is about 7 hours and then New Orleans to Orlando is 10 hours. That seems like a lot of travel in a few short days when you add in the flight; Also, does the car rental company charge an extra fee for dropping off an picking up a vehicle in different locations?

Have you considered flying into Atlanta and then taking a flight from Atlanta to Orlando?

And as Jim said - St Augustine is beautiful, in addition to the historical aspect, there are also several outlet malls there! There is also Cape Canaveral with NASA, and any beach along the coast is a wonderful way to spend a few days before arriving in WDW.

[Sunshine1010]

Hhhmmmm.....something to do from there to Orlando?

Without a doubt - St. Augustine. Drive down the road that parallel's the coast (can't remember the name of it).

Then....Make a stop at Daytona Beach. Drive on the beach for miles. It's really cool. You can probably get a hotel room there ON THE OCEAN for a cheap price during that time of year. You can stay for one night.

[Tygger7]

I'll echo the other comments....visiting the space center would be a great way to spend a day, and even if you go as far south as the Tampa area, which is about 8 hours from Atlanta, you're still only 2 hours from WDW.

And, I know Jan. seems like a long way off, but in terms of Disney, it's just around the corner. I get nervous trying to book anything in less than 6 months...but then again, I'm a bit of an obsessive planner. :D

[murphy1]

Hi! I live in Atlanta area. The GA Aquarium and World of Coke and Piedmont Park are all nice and right near each other. There are many places along the way to eat like Cracker Barrel and Steak n Shake, and of course Stuckey's is always a great Southern experience! Just kidding on that one. You will pretty much be driving through rural farm land the whole time. If you want a place to stay halfway, there is a nice new Hampton Inn in Lake City right after you go past the Florida line, then you'll have about three more hours to get to Mickey Mouse. Ocala, FL is about 6 hours from where I live and they have a beautiful National Forest and Silver Springs attraction. Another place if you need somewhere with groceries, lots of eating options is Gainesville, FL (where University of FL), we stay at the the Cabot Lodge which is right off the interstate, very safe, that will take about a five hour drive. I think there is a Children's Museum there and it's a good break and you'll only have about a 1.45 hour drive to Mickey. I grew up in Tampa, FL so I am always on I-75.

[wdwfansince75]

For aviation nuts, Pensacola, FL, the cradle of Naval Aviation, is about 5 hours from Atlanta, and about 5 or 6 hours from Orlando. The Naval Air Museum has over 150 restored historical Naval aircraft. It is also very convenient to Pensacola Beach, and Panama City.

Or if you want a unique experience, Biltmore Estate, just outside of Asheville, NC, is only about 4 hours from Atlanta, and about 9 hours from Orlando. The christmas decorations at Biltmore are incredible, and are still up until Jan 4.

Both of these side excursions are convenient to interstate highways...Use I-85 and I-65 to Pensacola, then I-10 and !-75 to Orlando. For Asheville, you can travel on I-85 and I-26, and then I-26, I-77, I-95, and I-4 to get to Orlando. Oh, and there are plenty of Cracker Barrel resturants along either route.

Not to slight my friends in a lighter shade of blue, there is also an Air Museum at Warner Robins, GA, just below Macon, GA, off of the direct route from Atlanta to Orlando. Macon is a also a tourist attraction in its own right. Macon and Warner Robins is the option with t he least travel.

What ever you choose to do, Intercot is a good source for helpful hints....

[Lynn J Mc]

Don't forget Savannah, GA also. Great place to visit for the day. River Street. Paula Deen's if you are in to the Food Network. City Market. Then you could go on down 95 to St. Augustine which is beautiful and then stop off in Daytona.

[dnickels]

I love that idea of spending a day in Atlanta then heading over to Savannah. Since you're not in a hurry from there drive down the coast for a day or two (St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral) then turn west and go to Disney!

[Pka]

Hi again

Great stuff people, great stuff indeed :) Lots of ideas. Originally, I thought that we would spent the first night close to the airport (our plane would arrive pretty late), then spend the next day in Atlanta, and then drive to Savannah, somebody mentioned that on Tripadvisor where I asked pretty much the same question.

And from there we could drive to St. Augistine and spend the night there.

So if would stay the first night on Atlanta, second one on Savannah, and third on St. Augistine or Daytona Beach, that would pretty much cover it :) We could even visit Cape Canaveral on that last day before heading "home" to WDW :)

How does that sound guys ?

-Pete

[Artsake]

I live in Flowery Branch, GA which is 50 miles or so Northeast of downtown Atlanta. We drive to Disney twice a year and I'll be honest when I say that there is nothing great to see on the drive from Atlanta to Orlando. In order to see cool things you definitely need to go a different route than straight from Atlanta to Orlando.

Your idea of Atlanta to Savannah and then down the Atlantic coast of Florida is good. Granted it is not a direct route but that is probably your best bet from a purely cool places to see stand point.

Have a great trip.

[joonyer]

I live about 90 minutes south of Atlanta on I-75. I would also suggest visiting Savannah if you want to kill a couple of days between Atlanta and Orlando. It's a beautiful old city full of lots of interesting history, architecture, Civil war forts, shopping at the River Street district and lots of great restaurants & seafood. There's lots of downtown hotels so everything there is in walking distance, and it's so pretty to boot. Go to Lady & Sons (Paula Dean's place) if you possibly can. You can also drive out to Tybee Island if you want a little beach time.

From Savannah heading south on I-95, you'll go through Jax and you can hit St. Augustine also. And if you are a little adventurous you can stop and take the ferry (no cars) from St. Marys, GA over to Cumberland Island. You go right past there on I-95 heading south. It's a fabulous place to visit, but it's all hiking on the island, so don't forget to pack a lunch. If you think you might want to go, be sure to get reservations for the ferry. Just google it and you'll find the info.
The ruins of the Dungeness (Carnegie) mansion ruins are worth the trip over there. Beautiful beaches too and wild horses roam the Island.

However. you can easily fill several days just touring in Savannah. That's what I would do if I were you. We visit Savannah several times a year. It's a great little vacation in itself.

[wdw_bound]

I was about to suggest the Atl-Savannah-St. Augustine route myself. One suggestion I would make is to go ahead and book your hotel rooms now as there are major football games going on around that time in Atl and throughout Florida. They shouldn't impact your trip too much, but better safe than sorry...

We love visiting Centennial Park (left over from '96 Olympics), and you can tour CNN (just get tickets online in advance). The aquarium is nice (I'm not a big aquarium fan, but I do like this one), but honestly, I'd go for more unique experiences that you wouldn't get at home. The Westin on Peachtree Plaza has a revolving restaurant and bar with some gorgeous views.

In Savannah, try to stay on or near River Street. It's kind of hokey, but we like eating at the Pirate's House in Savannah. Food is good, setting is cool, and the bar was featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. A carriage tour would be a neat way to see the sights.

St. Augustine is a neat little town, but it actually sits a good way off the interstate, so try for a downtown hotel. It is a neat place to walk around - be sure to visit the Fountain of Youth (but be warned, the water is very smelly, so take a sip of it at your own risk).

From St. Augustine, I'd drive down the A-1 (coastal road) to get to Daytona, and then get on I-4 (interstate) to get to WDW. The coastal road is slower/longer, but quite scenic.

Have a great trip!

[iheartdisney]

Yes, Savannah is wonderful (I used to live there) and if you choose to go that route I think a visit to Daytona Beach on your way to Orlando is a must. The weather should be ok for a nice walk on the beach, at least.

Have fun!