How do you plan a road trip to WDW?

[caryrae]

My wife and I have wanted to drive to WDW at some point . I like driving and seeing places we haven't before. We live in Minnesota and wouldn't mind driving that part of the country. I have been on road trips with my family a few times but never planned one out. It would be about 1550 miles, how do people who have driven to WDW plan the driving? Like how do you decide how far you will drive per day, do you plan places to stay on the way down or just find someplace when you feel like stopping to sleep? I don't think we would do a lot of site seeing along the way unless we see something along the route. It would just be us two, no kids.

[DVC2004]

We've done the drive from Chicago a couple times. We usually don't reserve a hotel, just drive until we get tired then hit a hotel. This works fine, however, unless it's a peak vacation time like Spring Break. That is when sometimes many of these roadside hotels are sold out. I know once on the way back we built in a stop at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. We spent a few hours there and then continued on our way. Another time we drove to Key West and planned a stop at Disney for the day and went to Epcot, then left in the evening and drove a few hours then stopped at hotel for the night.

[caryrae]

How many days did you take to drive? I would guess from where I live it would be a few hundred more miles then from Chicago to WDW.

[PETE FROM NYC]

We drove the last 2 Septembers. Now that DW and I are both retired, we can take our time. I am the sole driver, and I don't try to kill myself.
Trip #1.
It was a trip with multiple stops. First stop was Kings Dominion in Virginia, then on to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, a day in each.The we were finally on our way to WDW.If memory serves, we overnighted in NC, staying at a Best Western, because we belong to their club.The final day of driving, I decided to push myslf a bit and arrived in the WDW area a day sooner than our ressie. That night we stayed in Knights Inn on 92 right outside WDW for under $40. Then Pop for 9 nights. After leaving WDW we went to another Best Western, in Kissimee, for 4 nights, and then visited Sea World, Universal, and Busch Gardens. After that, a nice leisurely ride back home.
That trip we wound up buying into DVC.
Trip #2.
We drove straight to WDW in 2 1/2 days of driving.
We are planning another drive down September 2012.

[Dulcee]

Growing up in NJ we'd drive every year (mostly because at the time I was terrified of flying).

As a family of four we'd do about 750 miles the first day. That's a long day of driving, about 13 hours, all interstate. We never planned stops in between so I can't speak to sight seeing on the road but for most of the trips we drove that first day until we hit the Georgia line. We'd find a decent interstate town with a couple fast food choices and a holiday inn and crash for the night. We only started booking a hotel room in advance when we traveled with the dog (its a lot harder to find a hotel that will take a dog then cranky kids). The next day we'd do about another 300 miles or 6ish hours to WDW. We'd either get a hotel room outside of WDW or, in later trips, we'd check into our resort but have our "package" start the next day.

Push to do the bulk of the driving early in the trip. We'd get up at 1 or 2 in the morning to start that part of driving. Once you hit daylight its kind of like a resurgence of energy and you forget about the hours in the dark.

With two adults and 3 - 4 days of driving (and a very reliable car!) I'd say go for it. We always enjoyed the drive, at least the way there.

One thing I'd warn on is to plan a little more time for the trip home. We always found it harder to "push" on the ride home then when we had the lure of WDW to keep us going. The trip home is a good place to plan a stop in more interesting places on occasion, if you can afford the extra time.

[Jillirose]

We have driven many times. We always get up early and drive about 4 hours and stop for breakfast and stretch. After lunch we drive another 3-4 and then dinner/ relax/swim.we plan two long days with the last one shorter. Books on tape really help!

[spoiledraf]

From NE Ohio it's about 1050 Miles. I'm a UPS man and used to driving 10-11 hours a day. The times we drove we left when I got off work Friday evening around 7 and didn't stop til we parked in the Boardwalk lot for lunch 17 hours later. My wife will drive a few hours over night and I finish up into Disney. We'll walk around the Epcot resorts for a few hours and then stay off site that nite and go to bed around 6-7 to make up for lost sleep. We're up before 7, checked in at BC by 8 and in the parks by 9! It's not for everybody but it works for us. Hmmmm... in fact, four weeks from right now, we should be somewhere in West Virginia on our way to lunch at the ESPN Club!!! Home Run Hot Dog and Fries! Can't Wait!

[princessgirls]

Road trips can be fun, when your kids are at a good age for them. It is cheaper than flying.

We are AAA members so I let them book us something for a road trip. We usually like to go between 500-700 miles, and they've always been good. We like Hampton Inns, and in areas that have dining options.
That can be a fun part of the adventure.
Julie:mickey:

[caryrae]

Push to do the bulk of the driving early in the trip. We'd get up at 1 or 2 in the morning to start that part of driving. Once you hit daylight its kind of like a resurgence of energy and you forget about the hours in the dark.

With two adults and 3 - 4 days of driving (and a very reliable car!) I'd say go for it. We always enjoyed the drive, at least the way there.

One thing I'd warn on is to plan a little more time for the trip home. We always found it harder to "push" on the ride home then when we had the lure of WDW to keep us going. The trip home is a good place to plan a stop in more interesting places on occasion, if you can afford the extra time.

Some good tips there, Thanks. I am pushing to do it around our Anniversary next April 20th but not sure when spring breaks start.

We will have a good car, my wife has a 2010 Chevy Cobalt which gets pretty good mpg's. I like the tip about starting the trip early when it's still dark and driving more the 1st day when you still have energy. Makes sense since you would have still slept in our own bed (I'm to excited to sleep) and hadn't been driving for hundreds of miles yet.

I suppose it may be easier to drive to WDW because the excitement helps keep you going, then driving home

[DVC2004]

We drove two possibly three times. From northern IL it's about 21 hours to Orlando. However we stop and sleep the way there and the way back. We could never do that drive in one day, and I feel like it would take us a couple days of our time in FL to recover from that.

[steamboat willy]

Our "Road Trip" begins in 74 days, last week of September!:thumbsup:
Our drive is less than half yours caryrae. A little less the 600 miles from the Piedmont of NC and very do-able in 1 day. But still planning goes into this Road Trip!

I-85 South, I-77 South, I-26 East, I-95 South, I-4 West, 417 (Florida Greenway) straight to the Entrance of WDW and All-Star Music. :vacation:
Explorer is all packed, gassed up and ready to roll out in middle of the night.
This trip we're going to bed early - Yea Right!:funny: and get up 3:30 a.m., leaving driveway by 4:00 a.m. DW and GS will be back a sleep and give me several good hours of driving with minimal traffic before sunrise and "Are We There Yet"? We'll miss the Charlotte morning traffic.
A few stops at facilities that take care of ALL the needs.
(Gas - Food - Bathroom Breaks) and we're on the road again! :drive:
This schedule should get us at the front desk a little after NOON. On-Line check-in was completed last week! If room is ready, unpack vehicle - I like to get all the pain out of the way as soon as possible. Then its off to the pool. :swim:
If not, its straight to the POOL!
Later....its 5 year old GS's FIRST EVER monorail ride around The World, walk on the Poly Beach with a Dole Whip and Boo To You Fireworks :fworks:from the little hill towards TTC!

We Have Arrived! Drivings Done!:cool:

First stop tomorrow morning - The Magic Kingdom! :balloon:

P.S. - Grandson does not know that Pop Pop and Mimi are taking him
(Only Him) to Disney yet?

[caryrae]

That sounds like an awesome trip Steamboat.

[Tink#64]

We used to fly, but we've driven our last few trips & at first I planned everything out, now we take it as it comes. We're about 867 miles, or 14 & a half hours according to our driving directions, but I still don't like to drive straight thru! We have teens, they do great, it's me that just can't stand to sit in the car that length of time! We usually don't drive more than 9 - 10 hours a day, that's alot, usually turns into an additional hour each day including restroom stops, which we try to use mostly rest stops, easy off & on & not as much time wasted! Also know we're stopping for a meal during the day & possibly fuel. This year we did about 10 hours the first day, drove until we were tired & then watched the signs for a hotel when we were ready to stop, leaving only about 4+ for arrival day! One road trip we made ressies for the overnight stay, now I prefer not to do this as we've learned you never know what you're going to encounter, weather wise & driving conditions, you may want to stop sooner or go further! And we've never had a problem getting a room (for 4) even during our Spring Break week one year & all trips to WDW or Myrtle Beach. We've learned that we really enjoy our road trips! :thumbsup: