"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (IV)

[BC1836]

It's always good to read the news from the "regulars." Of course, the questions and info that newcomers provide to this thread are always interesting and helpful. We all benefit from our shared driving experiences.

Regular gas prices near us remain stable: between $3.49 and $3.53.

Now then...our [slow] countdown to drive #33 continues.

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

It's always good to read the news from the "regulars." Of course, the questions and info that newcomers provide to this thread are always interesting and helpful. We all benefit from our shared driving experiences.

Regular gas prices near us remain stable: between $3.49 and $3.53.

Now then...our [slow] countdown to drive #33 continues.

All the best.

hi bc!! staying in the roy o suite again this trip?

 

[pwdebbie]

Hi neighbor--so funny to find a DISer so close to me! Thanks for the response--it gives me a good idea time wise of where we can expect to be on the road. I don't think we'll make it past Columbia, but we'll see. I just know that I will not be the driver between midnight and 5:00 am! How much longer is the drive the next morning after Orangeburg? Also, do you reserve your hotel ahead of time or just book it when you get tired?

We have about six more hours after Orangeburg. We don't make reservatons in advance but we do pick up the lodging coupon books at the state welcome center and then request the advertised price. People on here do suggest making reservations in advance and then if you think you can travel farther or aren't going to make it that far, cancel by 6:00. We have traveled in the spring and fall and have always found a room. Dh's goal is to always make it past Columbia.

 

[pwdebbie]

1DISNEYCHIC!!!
here you go...... here is a mile and time breakdown from point to point going 81/77/26/95/4.
its something I posted a while back.

Have you done 417 instead of I-4? Someone suggested I try that on our trip home last time and by gosh golly geewhilickers, what a great road! Yes, there are tolls but there were no nutso drivers. Other than having to pull off and pay tolls several times, the lanes didn't change, there weren't a bunch of exits and entries all over the place, all lanes were 417 instead of being on I-4 and suddenly realizing that your lane was about to become some other road. If we ever go again, I will be doing 417. (And this is strange because on our first trip, we took 417 in the dark in the rain and it was the scariest road we'd ever been on, traffic was crazy, all those tolls were terrible, and we nearly got creamed at the exit thanks to our gps giving crazy directions. I felt like 417 on a Friday morning in April was a totally different road from 417 at 5:00 p.m. in October.) I'll pay the tolls gladly if I don't have to ever take I-4 through Orlando again.

 

[BC1836]

hi bc!! staying in the roy o suite again this trip?

Howdy!

Only the Mouse knows for sure.

All the best.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Have you done 417 instead of I-4? Someone suggested I try that on our trip home last time and by gosh golly geewhilickers, what a great road! Yes, there are tolls but there were no nutso drivers. Other than having to pull off and pay tolls several times, the lanes didn't change, there weren't a bunch of exits and entries all over the place, all lanes were 417 instead of being on I-4 and suddenly realizing that your lane was about to become some other road. If we ever go again, I will be doing 417. (And this is strange because on our first trip, we took 417 in the dark in the rain and it was the scariest road we'd ever been on, traffic was crazy, all those tolls were terrible, and we nearly got creamed at the exit thanks to our gps giving crazy directions. I felt like 417 on a Friday morning in April was a totally different road from 417 at 5:00 p.m. in October.) I'll pay the tolls gladly if I don't have to ever take I-4 through Orlando again.

i've seen 417 before. Do you get on 417 around Sanford FL?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dvczerfs]

Have you done 417 instead of I-4? Someone suggested I try that on our trip home last time and by gosh golly geewhilickers, what a great road! Yes, there are tolls but there were no nutso drivers. Other than having to pull off and pay tolls several times, the lanes didn't change, there weren't a bunch of exits and entries all over the place, all lanes were 417 instead of being on I-4 and suddenly realizing that your lane was about to become some other road. If we ever go again, I will be doing 417. (And this is strange because on our first trip, we took 417 in the dark in the rain and it was the scariest road we'd ever been on, traffic was crazy, all those tolls were terrible, and we nearly got creamed at the exit thanks to our gps giving crazy directions. I felt like 417 on a Friday morning in April was a totally different road from 417 at 5:00 p.m. in October.) I'll pay the tolls gladly if I don't have to ever take I-4 through Orlando again.

no I haven't. knock on wood, I have never had a problem on i4.im one of the nutso's!!!!! on the way home, we leave in the wee hours of the morning and there is no traffic at all. on the way down, I use a traffic cam ap and also a friend of mine ( drives a fl. state car with lights on it) fills me on a lot of the time. i also used an ap on my phone before and so far, so good.
i have more problems getting out of the Lehigh valley anymore then any where else.

Howdy!

Only the Mouse knows for sure.

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

i've seen 417 before. Do you get on 417 around Sanford FL?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

yes maam. it will swing you on the east side of Orlando. by passing i4 through Orlando.
i generally don't use any of the by passes. i don't hit the major cities at rush hour.
i was just talking to my friend who drives that a lot for work and he said if you don't hit it at rush hour and there is no wreck, you will be good.he also pulls his boat and trailer through that way.

i just start having dw look at the aps as we hit i4 and we go from there. they also have the amber alert signs going with miles and times. keep in mind they assume you are driving the speed limit.

 

[PapaPiper]

i don't take 81/77 in the winter. been there done that. spent the night at whites truck stop in the 80s because it may not be snowing on the bottom of the mountain but when you start climbing the mountains????? ( google maps don't tell you that. )

Another Lehigh Valley family here. You just about had me convinced that 81/77 was the right way to go for our trip in January when I saw this. If you don't recommend this route in the winter, how do you go? Just take 95 after all?

Isn't winter weather a risk no matter which route I take?

 

[dvczerfs]

Another Lehigh Valley family here. You just about had me convinced that 81/77 was the right way to go for our trip in January when I saw this. If you don't recommend this route in the winter, how do you go? Just take 95 after all?

Isn't winter weather a risk no matter which route I take?

long story short....... about 25 years ago we spent some time in a truck stop in the mountains on i81 because of a snow storm. it wasn't snowing on either side of the mountain but had about a foot on top of that mountain. ice and fog are a real problem up there at that time of year also.
i go i78/i81/i66/17/i95/i4 in the winter months. not as many mountains. possibility for more traffic but we leave around 12:30am so i am well past Richmond va before rush hour gets going. gets me to the world in 15 1/2 -16 hours.

 

[dvczerfs]

good evening drivers!!!! all the fp+ are made and redone. I like how you cant just make one. if you don't pick three, they pick them for you. I have about five fps for seven dwarfs mine.
took some time to do 10 days, confirm then go back and try to get the time you were looking for. all in all, it worked out pretty good for us. before fp+, we really didn't use fps to often but now that I don't have to kill myself to get a stupid ticket in a machine, what the hay.
I still remember the story briana told me one night. a boy around 12 walked up to the fp machine and had his hand in the back of a open machine trying to force fps out. she didn't know if someone slammed the door or if the machine did it but some how just about lopped off his finger.

hope everyone had a great weekend. back to the grind tomorrow. on Wednesday I get to say "seven more weeks".

 

[ddluvsdisney]

good evening drivers!!!! all the fp+ are made and redone. I like how you cant just make one. if you don't pick three, they pick them for you. I have about five fps for seven dwarfs mine. took some time to do 10 days, confirm then go back and try to get the time you were looking for. all in all, it worked out pretty good for us. before fp+, we really didn't use fps to often but now that I don't have to kill myself to get a stupid ticket in a machine, what the hay. I still remember the story briana told me one night. a boy around 12 walked up to the fp machine and had his hand in the back of a open machine trying to force fps out. she didn't know if someone slammed the door or if the machine did it but some how just about lopped off his finger. hope everyone had a great weekend. back to the grind tomorrow. on Wednesday I get to say "seven more weeks".

I wish I could get just one FP for mine train for my whole family. I can only get one at a time now bc it's so flipping busy!!
I got one for my DS for Friday night. The rest of us will do Splash. There are aspects of FP+ I like and this isn't one of them!! I'm not an uber planner anymore. I don't like having to plan a month ahead what rides I'm gonna do. Yes, I used to be like that but I don't need to be anymore. Heck we decided to go to EP yesterday morning for dinner. I got an ADR for San Angel Inn and FP for TT, SSE and MS. It was dead there yesterday afternoon! Standby for TT was only 30 min. At 3:45, and we parked in the row right after handicapped pkg.!!!! It was awesome.
You're trip is coming fast!! And I'll be the jealous one.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dvczerfs]

I wish I could get just one FP for mine train for my whole family. I can only get one at a time now bc it's so flipping busy!!
I got one for my DS for Friday night. The rest of us will do Splash. There are aspects of FP+ I like and this isn't one of them!! I'm not an uber planner anymore. I don't like having to plan a month ahead what rides I'm gonna do. Yes, I used to be like that but I don't need to be anymore. Heck we decided to go to EP yesterday morning for dinner. I got an ADR for San Angel Inn and FP for TT, SSE and MS. It was dead there yesterday afternoon! Standby for TT was only 30 min. At 3:45, and we parked in the row right after handicapped pkg.!!!! It was awesome.
You're trip is coming fast!! And I'll be the jealous one.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

the only bad part..... so is the summer. I recall last summer there were a lot of times briana would text me and say the mk was dead. I guess the summer is getting to be the time to go.
we are hoping for a move at 55. (6 more years) may have to throw the inlaws out of the house in Bradenton. hopefully they stick around for a while yet, we wouldn't know what to do with it till we are 55. they are both getting up in age and not sure how much longer they can take the trip. this year they are leaving the end of September and coming home in may. we have been looking in the leesburg area at condos. I think we are just going to keep the place in Bradenton and see how things fall out. ill end up with two places an hour away from each other. I don't see us selling our dvc, we still like the experience of staying on property as long as we can afford it. we have three properties and all rented to family. I don't want to be a land lord in my retiree years. I bought cheap so hopefully I can make a little money selling them later. briana has expressed an interested in our house so I would make her a deal she cant refuse. im already got my layout for our summer apartment in the basement for when we come back north in the summer months. I know what she is thinking, good, the grounds keeper, repair man, painter will come back every summer to keep the place well maintained.

 

[BC1836]

the only bad part..... so is the summer. I recall last summer there were a lot of times briana would text me and say the mk was dead. I guess the summer is getting to be the time to go.

By mid-August, many FL public school districts are back in session. Some districts start on August 11 and some start a week later. Perhaps it's the back-to-school move (to say nothing of college students heading back) which helps keep the crowds a bit under control in the late summer at WDW. We'll see for ourselves next month.

A four cent drop in regular gas prices around these parts in the last week.

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

the only bad part..... so is the summer. I recall last summer there were a lot of times briana would text me and say the mk was dead. I guess the summer is getting to be the time to go.

By mid-August, many FL public school districts are back in session. Some districts start on August 11 and some start a week later. Perhaps it's the back-to-school move (to say nothing of college students heading back) which helps keep the crowds a bit under control in the late summer at WDW. We'll see for ourselves next month.

A four cent drop in regular gas prices around these parts in the last week.

All the best.

last I looked today, gas was trading 3 cents higher. last I seen it was $2.97 not sure of the ending and I don't feel like going to get my phone.

bc, don't you have a Honda? briana is looking at the crv's.

 

[BC1836]

bc, don't you have a Honda? briana is looking at the crv's.

Indeed, a leased (15,000 miles per year) 2013, which followed a previously leased CR-V, which followed a purchased one. Three in a row with no major problems.

Easy to drive with lots of luggage space and 30+ mpg highway, sometimes reaching almost 35 mpg. Three full tanks take us to WDW.

All the best.

 

[dvczerfs]

Indeed, a leased (15,000 miles per year) 2013, which followed a previously leased CR-V, which followed a purchased one. Three in a row with no major problems.

Easy to drive with lots of luggage space and 30+ mpg highway, sometimes reaching almost 35 mpg. Three full tanks take us to WDW.

All the best.

she has a chevy and tired of making appointments for it.

heads up!!!! looks like you got some weather coming your way!!!

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

she has a chevy and tired of making appointments for it.

heads up!!!! looks like you got some weather coming your way!!!

We have more then that to count down this year, until the end of Oct. Our trip last year was Sept, this will be Oct so we can get a second birthday trip on AP next year. Flying as it's a gals trip. Unless ds decides to drive I diverse to a pilot. That storm last night hit the Pocono area hard in parts. Lots of property dmg claims to take care of this summer.

 

[dvczerfs]

Hi ladygoldenhair!!! I couldn't wait that long. Lol.
I was in the strouds and sailorsburg on Monday, trees,power lines down and other areas two blocks away look like it didn't even rain. A few of my clients didn't have power yet.
I guess they are looking at more today again.
Hope you missed the storms Bc.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

the only bad part..... so is the summer. I recall last summer there were a lot of times briana would text me and say the mk was dead. I guess the summer is getting to be the time to go. we are hoping for a move at 55. (6 more years) may have to throw the inlaws out of the house in Bradenton. hopefully they stick around for a while yet, we wouldn't know what to do with it till we are 55. they are both getting up in age and not sure how much longer they can take the trip. this year they are leaving the end of September and coming home in may. we have been looking in the leesburg area at condos. I think we are just going to keep the place in Bradenton and see how things fall out. ill end up with two places an hour away from each other. I don't see us selling our dvc, we still like the experience of staying on property as long as we can afford it. we have three properties and all rented to family. I don't want to be a land lord in my retiree years. I bought cheap so hopefully I can make a little money selling them later. briana has expressed an interested in our house so I would make her a deal she cant refuse. im already got my layout for our summer apartment in the basement for when we come back north in the summer months. I know what she is thinking, good, the grounds keeper, repair man, painter will come back every summer to keep the place well maintained.

She's not dumb! Lol
We'll be just ahead of you with the move. 5 more years and DS will be graduating H.S. Where abouts is Leesburg? It sounds familiar like I've seen it on the map.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards