We're Actually Going to Drive

I have driven to WDW from Montreal, Quebec three times and we are planning another drive in May 2013. The first two trips we had children riding with us (wife & I) that were teens. The more recent in July 2010 was just the two of us.

Because of worries (well founded ) of the kids' restlessness we stopped twice overnight on the way down on the first trip. For the second we had only our 15 year old (at the time) and only stopped once in North Carolina.

In 2010 (and what we are planning to repeat in 2013) we stopped every four hours to stretch out to make sure we stayed fresh and didn't get overly stiff. The drive (if all goes well) is a combined 24 hours. On occasion we switched drivers at these intervals as well. It would depend on what the next stop was (meal, snack or just a stretch) and how fresh we were.

If either of us were too strained to continue, we'd take a longer break. This is supposed to be a vacation and we wanted to arrive in shape to enjoy.

We tried as much as possible to start early in the day and avoid as much as possible night driving.

For trip #1 and #2 we left the after spending a day in the parks. That was a mistake. For #3 and the upcoming #4 we'll leave early the following day or go a short distance and stay at a roadside motel just after exiting the state of Florida on I95.

We have a 7.5 hour drive and I usually nap for a good 5 hours...

Poor hubby drives most of the time. We usually stop for P breaks and stop to eat at a restaurant for lunch. It all depends on what tim we want to arrive. I would say listen to your body, you know it better than anyone else, and stop when you feel like you need to.

Our drive is 16 hours. We try to do 12 the first day. We do stop about every two hours. We do stop for lunch and dinner as well. Most of our stops are proabably no longer than 5-10 minutes. Just long enough to get out and walk around a bit. We do not make reservations for our overnight stay as we never know how far we will get that first day.

my drive is only 7.5 (or actually a bit longer if I drive the speed limit ). I actually enjoy the drive...I play my Disney CDs in the car. I also do stop every couple of hours for no more than 5 mins, like Scrappy said, to stretch. I even bring my own lunch along in my cooler so I can graze as I ride down the road without a 30 min plus stop to eat.

I like driving as others said, to have lots of options for when I want to arrive/leave a park, shop at DDT, go to Mass at that gorgeous church off Vineland, and to pack food/drinks in my car for my park days. I have actually come back out to my car at Epcot to grab my lunch, taken it back in, and eaten it near the fountain while enjoying the view. And let's not forget the bringing home souveniers thing...which is why food is packed in coolers.

What route do you currently have? I checked from your house to WLV and I got:

1. 39 south to Bloomington
2. 74 east to Champaign
3. 57 south to the junction with 24 outside of Carbondale
4. 24 through a bit of Kentucky and all of Tennessee
5. Pick up 75 south in Chattanooga through Georgia
6. 75 to Florida's Turnpike to 429 and you're there!

Except for steps 1 & 2, I've driven this exact route in the not too distant past (summer 2011). All the roads are major interstates and in decent repair and I don't recall any major construction. The biggest challenge really is the length of the drive and going through Nashville and Atlanta. (Best strategy - slow down and just let the locals go around you.) I'd say listen to your body and stop when you need to stop. You don't need to push and as long as you're there by Saturday(ish) everything will be fine. I do think it would be wise to collect some easy yoga stretches that work for you and yes - we BOTH need to get back on the physical training wagon. I'd also suggest that you leave as early in the morning as you can stand - 3:30/4:00 am even. I've found that my body and brain are doing the boring quiet bits on autopilot and by the time it's 10:00 am I'm out of my home turf but awake, still fresh and paying attention.

What's the big deal? I drive there all the time. Oh wait, it is going to take more than an hour? Sorry, I am the wrong person to advise on this.

I drive from Jersey to around Florence, SC, about 11 hours or so ( including a stop or 2). That leaves me about a 6 hour ride to WDW. My rooms ready by then, I can nap, make my first dinner reservation, and maybe hit Downtown, before I retire for the evening. The next day starts the actual vacation.

We live north of Atlanta, and take the end part of your route every time we travel, and take I-75 through Tennessee a lot too. Once you're on 75, you shouldn't have a problem finding a decent hotel with the amenities you need. Just stick with companies you know and exits that look safe and well populated. My only advice would be to be careful if you decide to stop IN downtown Atlanta. Some areas are better than others, but the suburbs (north and south of the city) should be fine. It's only about 7-7.5 hours for us (again, it should be longer if we drove the speed limit, but who can control themselves when WDW is on the other end of the road?!), so you're still not too far away, even if you stop for the night north of Atlanta. Have fun and good luck!

You can do it! My husband and I made the 20+ hour drive (including gas stops) from Oklahoma in November...the day after Thanksgiving! Drove alllllll night and made it to DW around 4 or so the next day.

Kristen we drive down from PA 3 times a years now and I don't mind it it a bit. For us it's 95 all the way. If we leave on Friday at around noon, we go till about 9 pm stopping for dinner and a few rest stops, get a room at Hampton Inn for the night and pull into Disney between noon & 3pm on Saturday. It's around 16 hours on the road for us, give or take.