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

[patclairesmom]

Originally Posted by pwdebbie

OT but some of you might just understand.

My dad, 82, was complaining about how his GPS keeps taking his "via" all the time instead of where he wants to go. I asked him if he ever "stopped" his trips and started new ones. Nope, not since he got it in 2006. So I showed him on mine how to go in and clear the trip information and start new trips. He still didn't get it, so he gave his GPS to me for me to clear. Ok, I go into the trip data and I exclaim quite loudly in shock, "113 miles per hour? When did you drive 113 miles per hour?" Boy, that go my mother going, "I'll tell you when he drove 113 miles an hour . . . " Then dad jumping in with, "I never drove that fast, that thing is wrong . . . " Well, it was all downhill from there. Talk about opening a can of worms! (Mom's going to call me when dad isn't home and tell me the story.)

So, what's the highest speed you've recorded on your GPS? Dh got up to 88 mph on either 77 or 26 once. I doubt I've ever reached 80.

Your father sounds like my 86 year old father. Loves to drive and drive fast. He can't stand to be behind anyone, so he's constantly switching lanes so he doesn't have to fool with his cruise control. It must be the generation when there weren't too many cars on the road so you could go as fast as you want.

[chipper10]

Hi, everyone!
We are planning on driving to Disney in May. We will have our 6 year old and just turned 2 year old sons with us. Does anyone have any tips for driving with little ones? DS2 will just barely be 2, so I don't even know what to pack so that he will be entertained on the drive.
We will be driving from St. Louis to WDW. I would like to get to Gainesville before we stop for the night. (Well, ideally I would like to make it to Disney World in a day, but I just don't see that happening with the kiddos.) We will leave the house around 3am and DH and I will take turn driving.
Thanks for any advice!

[NJRRK]

Originally Posted by WellingtonR

Btw.....does anyone know where we can stop in each one of those states asking that route to pick up state refrigerator magnets? We need Delaware, Virginia, north and south Carolina, and Georgia.

The welcome centers usually have state magnets. The route you're taking won't take you through Delaware though.

[APB513]

We are driving from Michigan to WDW next month

I checked Mapquest and it gives two routes:

1). I 75 S to Florida's Turnpike S (18 hrs 21 mins / 1159.85 miles)
2). I 75 S to US 27 S 18 hrs 42 mins / 1160.35 miles

What are the pros and cons of taking each route?

Thanks!

[Allieran3]

Got a late start, left Pa at 11, in Virginia with about 340 miles till we stop for the night.

[loveysbydesign]

Originally Posted by Disneyholic

Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody!!!!

2013 DH & I will be spending Thanksgiving on the Disney Fantasy for my 60th Birthday which actually falls right on Thanksgiving. Yay!!!!!

Be sure to let us know how it was! We are planning to be on the Fantasy in 2014 for Thanksgiving, once they finally release the dates! And Happy Birthday!

[Disneyholic]

Originally Posted by loveysbydesign

Be sure to let us know how it was! We are planning to be on the Fantasy in 2014 for Thanksgiving, once they finally release the dates! And Happy Birthday!

Thanks for the Birthday wishes.

I sure will get back on how it went. I'm sure this thread will still be going since it has come this far along already.

We will be driving down in April 2013 for DHs Birthday, staying at AKLV 1 bedroom Concierge at Jambo for 3 nights and then going on a 3 night DCL cruise on the Dream followed by 1 night at BLT studio with a MK view. We will be driving for both this trip & the November trip. The April trip we were originally going to leave on Saturday night after I finish work and get to WDW by Sunday. I couldn't get Sunday at AKLV so now I am thinking of either leaving Sunday morning or still getting on the road Saturday & stopping at hotels on the way down. DH & I aren't getting any younger and it is getting harder to drive straight through. The stops at rest stops are getting longer and it would be easier to sleep on a bed in a hotel than in the car with the seats laid back. Since we will have a washer & dryer at the Villa we can wash stuff the last night before the cruise while we are relaxing. That way we wouldn't need to pack so much. What we wear at the parks will be the same stuff we will wear on the cruise. We won't need dressy clothes, so that will make it easier to pack, too.

[Allieran3]

5 hours to go.

[StuffedwFluff]

I am planning on driving 2350 miles in May, from Utah to WdW. It will be me, dh, ds 5, dd 4, ds 2, and the two in-laws. I've done this drive as a child several times and I loved it, but now that I'm the parent I'm kind of stressing out. My husband and I have driven to california and new mexico several times, but never across the country.
I'm nervous about being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. (My dear sweet husband and his father know nothing about fixing cars.) I'm at the point of packing a tent and sleeping bags just in case. I'm driving myself crazy! Please calm my fears about our first three day drive across the country!
Also, any route ideas would be great! I can't decide between the north or south route.

[cruisingkat]

Back home from our 4th drive to Disney with a side to spend Thanksgiving with the grandkids in TX. Car unpacked and now to put away the Disney ornaments, the wine from F&W, and all the other goodies we got.
Will be home for one week and then drive back down to Disney for the MVMCP and Candlelight Processional - our 5th drive down this year.
Oh by the way - looked at our top speed on the GPS - 103 - not the record though - our old one had 111.

[LadyBeBop]

Originally Posted by StuffedwFluff

I'm nervous about being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. (My dear sweet husband and his father know nothing about fixing cars.) I'm at the point of packing a tent and sleeping bags just in case. I'm driving myself crazy! Please calm my fears about our first three day drive across the country!

I looked at your routes on Mapquest, and it looks like it's going to be three long days. About 12 hours each day. One car or two? If one car with four drivers, it's doable. But I'd like a day or two extra to possibly do some sightseeing along the way. After all, you're be passing by such landmarks as...Graceland (southern route), Gateway Arch (northern route) and Lookout Mountain (northern route)

I wouldn't worry too much about cell phone coverage. Assuming you have good cell phone coverage and not Willie's Bargain Basement coverage, you'll be fine on interstate, and I think you'll be OK off the interstate as well.

Also, any route ideas would be great! I can't decide between the north or south route.

Southern route is shorter, but it takes you off the interstate more. Northern route is more interstate (only about 50 miles off interstate vs. about 900 miles off interstate on the southern route). I may take one route down and one route home. If you're really worried about being in the middle of nowhere, I'd take the northern route. At least you'll be on interstate for over 95% of the trip.

[BC1836]

Originally Posted by cruisingkat

Back home from our 4th drive to Disney with a side to spend Thanksgiving with the grandkids in TX. Car unpacked and now to put away the Disney ornaments, the wine from F&W, and all the other goodies we got.
Will be home for one week and then drive back down to Disney for the MVMCP and Candlelight Processional - our 5th drive down this year.
Oh by the way - looked at our top speed on the GPS - 103 - not the record though - our old one had 111.

Your 4th WDW drive is updated in this thread's all-time records [see post #1 on Page #1]


All-Time "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" Records (updated 11/27/12)

Most Total Drives: 53 (since '73): dvczerfs

Most Drives in One Decade/10-Year Period: 26 (2003-2012): bc1836

Most Drives in One Calendar Year: 4 (four times: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011): bc1836; (two times: 2009 & 2012): cruisingkat

Most Drives in One 12-Month Period: 5 (12/08-12/09): cruisingkat; (12/09-12/10): bc1836

Most "Non-Stop" Drives: 12 (2008-2012): bc1836

Shortest Time Between Drives: 19 days (2009): cruisingkat

Most passengers in one vehicle: 10 (2010: 2 adults, 8 kids; 1999 Chevy Express Van): birdslightyear (aka just*the*ten*of*us)

Longest Drive (one way): 2,020 miles (2011): Shir Khan (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)

Second Longest Drive (one way): 1,953 miles (2011): peigirl (Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada)

[StuffedwFluff]

Thank you LadyBeBop! I was thinking of doing two routes, one north (the shorter one to get there faster) and south on the way home. There will be four drivers in one car, so I think we'll be fine hours wise. My husband and Father in law love driving the entire way to California (10 hours). We're hoping to do 15-16 hours the first two days (starting at the butt crack of dawn so the kids can sleep in the car) and about four or five hours the last day.
Thank you for all of your great information!

[wmcyip]

Our (with dh and ds(4)) first drive scheduled for 12/1 but will be at SW before landing WDW on 12/5

Will take it slow spanning 2 days, will overnight in NC

Can't wait but nervous at the same time

And will expect many pee pee stops, lol

[Allieran3]

Originally Posted by wmcyip

Our (with dh and ds(4)) first drive scheduled for 12/1 but will be at SW before landing WDW on 12/5

Will take it slow spanning 2 days, will overnight in NC

Can't wait but nervous at the same time

And will expect many pee pee stops, lol

We also took it slow, stopping in SC overnight. I could not drive straight thru. We did 8.5 hrs the first night and 7.5 the second day and arrived at Pop around 4:30pm yesterday!