Need advice on driving to Disney

[katzctkpt]

Have you thought about flying out of DC if the airfare is decently priced? My sister n law got round trip tickets for the month of June for a party of 2 for around 280.00 total. I know you'd still have to drive but by the time you factor your gas and hotel stays going all the way down driving 9 hours to dc may be a better option.

[disneyjo-91]

We have been driving to disney for past 18 years. We avoid I-95 until South Carolina. We live in CT. We take 84-w to 81s to 77 to 26 then switch over to 95. We usually stop in Moorseville North Carolina- but have driven straight thru too. We take this route because it avoids all traffic and tolls. it is more miles but no traffic and NO tolls - makes the trip actually quicker. To keep the kids busy we always pack backpacks with things they have NEVER seen. we buy used gameboy games, movies, and yes and know books.. actual books snacks coloring books (now too old for them
this trick keeps them quiet for hours! We once made the trip straigh thru in 18 hours! let me know if you want more info

[GrumpySue]

Totally agree that Cracker Barrels are the best place to stop. Great food, quick service, clean bathrooms and lots of snacks. Plus they are at almost every exit it seems. We once drove down overnight fron New York, my husband and I took turns (one drove/one slept) - we left at 7:00 pm and only stopped for gas/bathroom breaks and pulled into Port Orleans Resort at 10:30 the next morning. It was a nice ride, there is hardly anyone on the roads at night and you can just cruise. But keep your eyes peeled for wildlife (deer, etc.) Saw a few on the sides of the road. I would suggest having an AAA membership, just in case. Those roads down south are dark and deserted at night, heaven forbid you have a breakdown.

[elmjimmlm]

To keep the kids busy we always pack backpacks with things they have NEVER seen. we buy used gameboy games, movies, and yes and know books.. actual books snacks coloring books (now too old for them
this trick keeps them quiet for hours!

We also do this... We try to bring movies they haven't seen or get a few from Netflix and mail them back from our resort... We also buy them a new game to play....It helps sooooo much...

[BashfulMom]

That sounds like fun! I can't wait for our trip. I am now planning things like what food and drink will be easy and good for the car, if we should get a cooler that attaches to the car, what types of games, etc. Thanks for all the advice. We will have to take a picture also!

My DH & I purchased a cooler with a car charger. We don't have to worry about stopping for Ice and it keeps our drinks nice. We initially purchased it when our DS was a baby to keep his formula cold. They are very handy to have.

[yjgirl32]

We too are planning a trip in Oct- it will be DH, DS7, my dmom67 and myself. We are hoping to drive straight thru- leaving on Thursday around noon and seeing how bad of a toll it takes on our bodies- or we will stop for the night and get into Orlando by Friday night. I had gotten an idea from someone to wrap a gift for evey state you go thru- I am going to purchase cheap ds games and psp games and hopefully a new movie or two for my ds to open. We too have a cooler with a car charger for our drinks and snacks. I hope everyone has a safe and magical trip. Thanks for all your help.

[magicjasb]

Thanks for all of the ideas. We can't wait to get in the car. We are thinking of leaving about 4 pm and driving straight through. A cooler with a charger sounds great. How much extra is it too avoid 95? Where would it meet back up?

[PittFan]

We've driven from Pittsburgh numerous times and have tried alternate routes, but we prefer to take 95. Traveling in the middle of the night you will certainly be able to find fuel, oil or rest stops when needed on 95. We ran into problems with that on other routes. A good place to stop is SOUTH OF THE BORDER in South Carolina, believe me you can't miss it !!!!

[snowwhite1970]

If you can do Science Enrichment, you can drive to Disney!

[septembergirl]

And if you are not, consider joining. We joined in advance of one long trip with the kids....You only need them once to make it worth every penny you pay....you will save dollars for every penny of dues. We have remained members ever since...and we are still ahead.

I keep seeing this advice about AAA. What advantages might there be to joining before driving to Disney?

[kemps@wdw]

WE usually travel 14 hrs by car, so depending on the ages of your kids, I suggest lots of electronics and travel games. Dvd players, laptops (for games/videos), Ipods, Iphones, cell phones, and don't forget the WDW books. (if your kids are big readers like mine). There are numerous WDW books out there, that will give them an opportunity to brush up on their WDW game plan, and learn alot about the behind-the-scenes things they might not have known. And you can find a large assortment of travel games at most discount stores. (and DON'T forget the car chargers for the electronics)

[Mousemates]

don't worry about the naysayers...the long drive down in the car will be a great time of bonding for you and your family...and given that a good portion of the drive will be overnight...the kids will sleep through enough of it to keep them relatively happy (i.e. they will wake up that next morning someplace totally new) and being asleep will keep the bathroom stops to a minimum (that is a key to making the most of the overnight hours).

As a hardcore vacation driver (I actually prefer the long overnight drive over flying- I find it relaxing and good way to immediately unwind and completely detach from my work) who has done straight through drives from Knoxville, Tn to places as far away as Burley, Idaho, Santa Fe, NM and Grand Junction Colorado--I offer the following overnight tips.

1. If the driver gets sleepy, don't try to gut it out...that is dangerous...simply pull into a rest area and take a thirty minute power nap...it will do wonders for you and kind of reset your biological clock. For me the worst time to get drowsy is just before daylight (say from 3:30 AM to 5:30) AM.

2. If you and your spouse are both going to be driving...let the one who is the least tolerant of sleep deprivation drive the earlier shift, let the trooper drive the hardest hours, and then let the other driver take back over right after breakfast.

3. While coffee and highly caffeinated energy drinks will do the trick for a while...they can wear off suddenly and with an energy crash...so kind of be careful in how you dose yourself and keep a pretty steady inflow into your system. I find the little five hour energy shots (which are essentially a big dose of B vitamins I think) to be a more effective tool. One at about 11pm and another about 3 in the morning will keep my humming until those pre-dawn hours where I simply have to take a short nap or turn the wheel over to someone else.

4. Let the kids pull "driver guard duty" in shifts to keep your mind occupied...play disney alphabet games with them...tell your favorite childhood stories from your past...or simply talk...some of the most meaningful conversations I have had with my children have been in the late hours of the night when their mom or sibling are passed out in the seats around us.

5. Use a rental car if you can afford it...for the best rates either use the AAA discount on Hertz or better yet r try alamo (I would suggest booking a car early to make sure you can get the one you want...but then check out the last minute deals on Alamo--they come out about two weeks prior to travel dates and are often very inexpensive--you can then cancel the other car without any financial penalty)...the rental vehicle (which will be both new and unknown) adds a bit of excitement to the trip as the kids explore its nuances and options and adds the extra benefit of immediate replacement if something goes awry. (This once proved very important to us after an encounter with a deer in central Indiana at 1AM).

6. Keep your brain engaged...bring your favorite CDs, use a satellite radio or simply scan the AM channels for a program called something like CoasttoCoast AM hosted by George Norry...its a call in show on paranormal topics that usually is random enough and interesting enough to keep you awake. I think it usually airs from midnight to 5am which is good for an overnight drive.

Hope this helps and that you all have a great trip.

[Euby]

Thank you so much!!! We do have AAA. I can't wait to get in the car and drive!

Have you tried the online TripTik at AAA.com? It's a great tool! You can rearrange your route with just a click and drag and it re-calculates the time and distance. It also has construction updates.

Safe driving!

p.s. Is taking a an option?

[5togetherWDW]

As Jennifer_and_Chris said We do the same thing! We stop at the Florida welcome center, take pictures of the kids next to the sign, have some juice, grab some brochures... .


We too enjoy this stop, but often can't make it in time for the juice. You'll want to check their hours, as the reception area has been closing at 5pm. While their vending machines and bathrroms remain open, if you arrive later in the day -- you will not be able to get the juice or brochures.
From our experience -- if you arrive at 4:45, they are already putting away the free maps and litter bags. By 4:50 they're sending people out. Doors locked promptly at 5pm.

[jonahbear2006]

I know it is going to be difficult, but I am thinking if most of the driving is at night, they will sleep the majority of the trip. We drove to NC once to visit family, and drove straight. We also recently did 8 hours and they were great. We only had 4 kids at the time, but they were great. We will have two of us driving and figure one can sleep while the other is driving.

You may be pleasantly suprised. We always drive and we have 4 kids. From ill, it is an 18 hr drive and we do most of it at night and drive straight through. We never have a problem. We always arrive around 8-9 am. I do all the driving myself, my husband has highway hypnosis and sleep apnea, and I still get through the next day just fine. (anticipation i guess) My tip would be to buy a converter to plug into the lighter so that you can plug things into a busway and use video game chargers or laptop for movies. We dont pull these things out until the kids get restless in the early am. Just make sure you unplug it before you turn the car on, you can blow a fuse if you dont. The trip home is a bit rougher and we stop more frequently, since we are all exhausted, but with the memories to look back on, we have more idle conversation, instead. I dont think you will have as many issues then, as you do concerns at the present.

[FriendsofMickey]

I cannot help too much with your question on the routes. However, I wanted to give you a couple of suggestions. We drive from PA with our two children every year (though we do stop).
What we have learned: Pack a cooler with lunch meats, bread, and drinks. I highly suggest you not stop at a restaraunt. We once stopped at Eat N Park and it took us 2 - 2 1/2 hours (they were having a shortage in the kitchen). Oh how mad we were; however, what do you do? We had no idea it would take that long. The other reason, I say don't stop is all it does is get the kids out to sit again. We usually eat in the car and then let them walk around at the rest stops. This gets them much more stretch time.

If you have a DVD player in the car, plan some movies. A great educational DVD series is the Liberty kids DVD (Amazon). My girls love them and they could watch them without complaint for a long while. Also, they have learned a ton about the revolutionary war watching them. We actually do not let them watch anything for at least the first few hours in the car. THis way they do not get bored with them, once they are watching them.

My girls are better in the car then I am, so driving for us is not a problem. Good luck and have fun.

Lori Ann

[DisnIse]

We drive all the time with our three boys, and by all the time, I mean 2 times a year, so it's do-able. We've done an 18 hour drive in one shot, but we usually break it up.

All previous advice is great.

This past trip, I did try that 5 hour energy drink. It takes disgusting, but it really did help with that after-the-kids-are-asleep time.

We also signed up for XM radio, so we could listen to music, talk, sports, etc. for the whole ride.