Drive from NJ to Disney (Dayton, National Park: car rental, coupons, hotels)

[clevedark]

My parents do the drive from Miami all the time and they do the same thing--drive the most on the first day, and then make the second day shorter.

[ez2do4now]

Done it once, will never do it again. We drove from NY to Orlando with young kids. Departed on a Friday 6pm after dinner to time the kids evening sleep. Drove 11 straight hours to the border of SC and had to stop for an hour nap. After driving for only one more hour, my brain and senses gave up due to lack of sleep and lack of energy. Stopped for breakfast at one of the chains down south and had grits for the first time. It was Saturday 3pm by the time we arrived in Orlando. 21 hours.

On the return, we intentionally left at 11am for a 9hr drive to stop in GA for the night (the Sleep Inn was more than adequate). After breakfast, we drove straight back but traffic through VA was bad.

If you decide to drive, make sure to try to gas up with the same gasoline brand if possible. I fed my car any type of gas, ie: Sunoco, Mobil, Hess, etc, for fear of running empty. A few days later, my exhaust released heavy thick dark smoke and my car would not start. Dealer service asked me what kind of gas I was using because my engine was filthy. Car was only 1 year old.

[mumra]

We drove to FL once in Feb 91 I think and once is enough. To make it more interesting it even snowed driving thru SC/GA enough so that we had to stop and hit a motel in GA. However, we frequently drive to Myrtle Beach and it’s not that bad but every year it gets more and more difficult. To help we try and leave early in the morning 3/4am.
6 hours will get you around Richmond
10 hrs to South Carolina and that’s moving at a fast rate.
Try passing thru DC during non rush hour times you will thank me for this.
You will see countless billboards advertising "South of the Border" don't get sucked in it’s nothing special kind of dirty IMO. Other than that there is really not much that I95 offers.

[mike0421]

After you clear Washington D.C., and begin the drudgery into Southern Virginia, you begin to feel like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. At this point, you aren't even half way to Disney land. (The generally accepted half point is Lumberton NC, for Disney world, assuming Trenton, or the center of NJ, as the origin) Desertsun41 mentions Savannah GA. That was the last time I drove the I-95 corridor, 8 years ago. On the way back, I began to hit D.C. traffic in Ashland Virginia, I kid you not. After that trip back from Savannah, I promised never to do it again, and I've kept that promise.

The last time I did the full Florida route was 1995, and I was much younger then, and the fatigue was still debilitating. I can't sleep in a car, and I remember the last 50 miles back, driving to Atlantic City, as a passenger. I was so tired that I was speaking, and my words weren't immediately registering with my brain. I've never felt that bad again, except maybe a 19 hour flight from New Zealand to Los Angeles.

[lovingdisney]

My husband and I drove to Disney a few years ago. It was only the two of us, so it wasn't bad. We left on a Friday morning, didn't stop til we reached Georgia. We arrived in Orlando on Saturday to meet my daughter and her family, they took the plane.
Two years ago, my son and his wife, along with their 3 kids, ages at the time 10, 7, and 3 drove to Disney. He has a large SUV with the third seat. The kids had their games to play, along with the video player, so they watched movies. I remember going, he drove as far as he could, then stopped at a motel. On the way home, he went back to Disney World and left for home from there, about 6 pm. No motels, slept at a rest stop for a few hours, the kids were exhausted from the day in the park, so they slept. I think he arrived home Monday night about 10 or 11 pm.
They did stop for bathroom breaks and eating going and coming. (I should have said he left for Florida on Thursday night as soon as he came home from work)

That trip my husband and I took the plane, along with the rest of our family, we were supposed to get a 12 pm flight, it was delayed and didn't leave til 6:45 pm. This was my first plane trip, so I really hated it. I wished I had gone with my son.

hope this helps. As for me, I'd rather drive or take the train.
We also did Amtrak-Auto train and passenger. Auto-train is rather expensive, but you have your own car and its all packed.
Passenger train, expensive if you get a room, but you get meals and you're treated really nice. There are some interesting things to see along the way. We did meet quite a few families with children on the train.

[Calico696]

Drove from FL to NJ once 22 hours....... never again. Drove from NJ to New Orleans and back to NJ once 24 hours each way..... never again. Don't have any kids, can't imagine doing it with kids..... 5-6 hours in a car is my limit anymore.

[DeeCee1967]

I'm going to be the odd one out here and say that the drive to Florida really isn't so bad. We have 3 year old twins and have done the drive from NJ to the Florida Keys at least 3 times since they were born. We always drive through to Savannah on day one (it takes us about 12-13 hours with stops). I'd recommend driving more than 6 hours on the first day. I'd get the bulk of my driving out of the way on day one. Also, when you come to Richmond, VA and Jacksonville, FL, think about looping around them - although it'll add a few miles to your trip, you'll hit much less traffic (from our experience). Good luck and have fun!

[DeeCee1967]

I forgot to say to make sure to avoid DC during rush hour - it's brutal.

[Summering]

Ok please plan on this as we drove it many times.........
Get in ten hours at the least per day of driving. It will take you 20 hrs to the border. Then another few to Disney.....This is all depending on traffic. Once we were stuck for 5 hours parked, and stopped by Washington, DC. Then your time frame would really be off.......
Have a DVD set up for them to watch, that will help.......tremendously
Lots of drinks and snacks.
They have the tins with the travel games in them now. What signs did you pass ...etc....The kids love those games.
Right now Direct Air has a 140 round trip to Sanford, from a lot of locations........expires though on the 25th, so sometime tonight. I'd check with Spirit, Alligiant is great into Sanford, if you want to have a relaxing trip.
Other then that...........Do try for the ten hours each day and you would at least be there by the second night. ( I drove from NJ to Disney )
No the kids don't like it.........So try for some stops to let them walk and run about.
No matter what.....They love Disney and will always, always, remember the trip......
Have fun!!

[Summering]

To avoid DC we now take 22 to 81 South and get on 17 down the way and over onto 95.
Great, great......it avoids all of the beltways. Yes a tiny bit out of the way. But then there is no worry of the beltway rush hours, nor the parking lot delays.......
After we get off of 17 we get down to about Rocky Mt. or a few towns after Rocky Mt. and then stay over.....We have rarely made it into Georgia at all on thosse trips. Almost, but not quite.
I think the trip is a bit longer then the poster expects......
Disney is worth the trip. It is just not easy with little ones who don't like to sit still..........and its a long time for them to do so. Little sweeties!