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

[nono]

Thank you. No one had answered.
Google maps had estimated 9 hours but that is without any stops. Thank you for the leaving early advice too. I was thinking 7 but wasn't thinking about D.C. travel.

Yeah, it took us maybe 3 trips to figure out our stops strategy. Now it's basically ritualistic! ha! But, that's probably shaved about 30-45 min off travel time in each direction.

 

[sparkellyy]

First time driving this year from Rhode island!

My question is regarding tolls. How much should we expect in Florida? Is it worth getting a sunpass?

Thanks

 

[The Druggist]

I don't know about coming down the eastern seaboard route, but heading down I75 and I4 we hit about 3 tolls. Less than $10.

 

[Uncranky Donald]

As for South of the Border, I think that has a reputation and tourists feel they must stop there just to say they did. We did it once. I would never go back but I know people who visit it every trip.

*raises hand* Right here! Lol!! Wouldn't be an I-95 trip if I didn't. My grandparents took my father and uncle when they were children on their way to Florida so I must carry on the tradition...and bring home obnoxiously mass amounts of fireworks, taking orders from family members at 12am..I think its an Italian American thing...cuz ya know we also sometimes used to get them off the back of a truck if we ran out by the 4th

 

[Uncranky Donald]

First time driving this year from Rhode island!

My question is regarding tolls. How much should we expect in Florida? Is it worth getting a sunpass?

Thanks

Its been a year and a half since my last drive from CT to Disney, but Ive made the trip half a dozen time, and twice farther on to Miami and the tolls were never enough to justify a Sunpass. I have an EasyPass which gets us through the tri-state which is where the biggest toll hits are(which Im sure you know), other than that I can't say I remember any big hits. I would set aside maybe $25 for tolls, I think last trip me and my 2 friends brought our collective change jars and barely touched them,just pinched out all the quarters

 

[BC1836]

First time driving this year from Rhode island!

My question is regarding tolls. How much should we expect in Florida? Is it worth getting a sunpass?

Thanks

Our route from the Jersey shore involves three tolls heading south on I-95: The Delaware Memorial Bridge ($4), Delaware Turnpike ($4) and Baltimore's Ft. McHenry Harbor Tunnel ($4). No other tolls for us. We turn from I-95 to I-4, which takes us to WDW in Lake Buena Vista.

Other drivers prefer toll roads in FL to avoid some of the I-4 congestion. We've never used them. At least not yet.

All the best.

 

[disneysteve]

Other drivers prefer toll roads in FL to avoid some of the I-4 congestion.

Yep. Especially since the major construction started on I-4, we've started using 417. I think I answered earlier that the tolls on 417 come to about $8. We did get SunPass when we started going that way. You can get it at the Florida welcome center from a vending machine.

 

[sparkellyy]

Thanks so much for everyone's replies!

 

[macraven]

are the welcome centers in florida opened on Sundays?

i'm driving down from Northern Georgia this weekend and thought i would buy the Sunpass at the welcome center.

my orignal plans were to use I-4 to the disney exit.

 

[The Druggist]

are the welcome centers in florida opened on Sundays?

i'm driving down from Northern Georgia this weekend and thought i would buy the Sunpass at the welcome center.

my orignal plans were to use I-4 to the disney exit.

Yep! We always leave from home on Saturdays, stay in Valdosta GA Saturday night, and drive the rest of the way Sunday. And we always stop at the Forida welcome center for a family pic and some orange juice!

 

[macraven]

 

[happily single]

First time driving this year from Rhode island!

My question is regarding tolls. How much should we expect in Florida? Is it worth getting a sunpass?

Thanks

Most of our tolls were in New York (and maybe New Jersey). I can't remember exactly, but at least $50 each way, including FLorida, although I think Florida was relatively cheap. Sorry I don't have more to offer!

 

[AaronInWI]

Ugh, I'm looking at weather forecasts for next weekend (which I know can be largely unreliable this far out), and I am not liking what I am seeing for our drive down.

Our plan was to leave Wisconsin on Saturday morning around 4:00 am, and stop for the night ~10 hours away in Manchester, TN. (Then on to Valdosta, GA on Sunday and on to Orlando on Monday.) We have two ways we can get there -- through Indiana and Kentucky, or through Illinois. I picked the major cities I'd be passing through on both routes, and Saturday morning/afternoon shows rain/snow/wintry mix in Indianapolis, Louisville, and Campaign, IL. Not ideal. Same for Sunday, which was our Plan B departure day (stopping in Morrow, GA on Sunday and Orlando on Monday). So now we're looking at the possibility of leaving Friday late morning/early afternoon. (I'm very fortunate to have a great boss who'll let me take an extra day at the last minute on top of the two weeks I'm already taking off.) We'd probably stop around Mt Vernon, IL Friday night, where we should be past all of the garbage weather when we leave on Saturday. Then the dilemma is, do we drive just four hours to Manchester on Saturday, putting us back on our planned timeline? Do we drive the extra six hours to Valdosta? And if we do that, do we spend an extra day there? Or drive to Orlando on Sunday, and spend and extra day there?

Of course, the weather forecast could change completely in the next 7 days, and all of this could be moot. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all of the bad weather is taken out of the forecast by then.)

 

[nono]

We'd probably stop around Mt Vernon, IL Friday night, where we should be past all of the garbage weather when we leave on Saturday. Then the dilemma is, do we drive just four hours to Manchester on Saturday, putting us back on our planned timeline? Do we drive the extra six hours to Valdosta? And if we do that, do we spend an extra day there? Or drive to Orlando on Sunday, and spend and extra day there?

Of course, the weather forecast could change completely in the next 7 days, and all of this could be moot. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all of the bad weather is taken out of the forecast by then.)

Extra day in Orlando, hang out at a hotel you've never been... Lots of fun!

 

[The Druggist]

Extra day in Orlando, hang out at a hotel you've never been... Lots of fun!

I second this. There's more to Orlando than just WDW. Can't say that I've ever done anything besides WDW or Universal, but at least you won't be hanging around in 20 degree weather.

 

[sparkellyy]

Most of our tolls were in New York (and maybe New Jersey). I can't remember exactly, but at least $50 each way, including FLorida, although I think Florida was relatively cheap. Sorry I don't have more to offer!

Wow that's a lot more than I would've thought. Thank you so much!!

 

[edbo77]

Wow that's a lot more than I would've thought. Thank you so much!!

No tolls south of VA (if you choose to use HOV lanes there). Tolls on way home are more expensive due to GW bridge coming back....it's free to drive into New Jersey, but you have to pay to get out.

 

[Hopefully]

Any suggestions where to stop in October driving north on I95 from Disney? Our final destination is MA, but we are planning a few nights with our Grandkids in Annapolis on the way up. So I am thinking of stopping one night halfway between Disney and Annapolis. We will probably hit the road around 1 -2 PM to start the trip which is why I am thinking of a halfway point. A Courtyard near I95 would be ideal as we are Marriott Rewards members and could potentially use points.
Thanks for all suggesetions.

 

[bjschil]

Ugh, I'm looking at weather forecasts for next weekend (which I know can be largely unreliable this far out), and I am not liking what I am seeing for our drive down.

Our plan was to leave Wisconsin on Saturday morning around 4:00 am, and stop for the night ~10 hours away in Manchester, TN. (Then on to Valdosta, GA on Sunday and on to Orlando on Monday.) We have two ways we can get there -- through Indiana and Kentucky, or through Illinois. I picked the major cities I'd be passing through on both routes, and Saturday morning/afternoon shows rain/snow/wintry mix in Indianapolis, Louisville, and Campaign, IL. Not ideal. Same for Sunday, which was our Plan B departure day (stopping in Morrow, GA on Sunday and Orlando on Monday). So now we're looking at the possibility of leaving Friday late morning/early afternoon. (I'm very fortunate to have a great boss who'll let me take an extra day at the last minute on top of the two weeks I'm already taking off.) We'd probably stop around Mt Vernon, IL Friday night, where we should be past all of the garbage weather when we leave on Saturday. Then the dilemma is, do we drive just four hours to Manchester on Saturday, putting us back on our planned timeline? Do we drive the extra six hours to Valdosta? And if we do that, do we spend an extra day there? Or drive to Orlando on Sunday, and spend and extra day there?

Of course, the weather forecast could change completely in the next 7 days, and all of this could be moot. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all of the bad weather is taken out of the forecast by then.)

Aaron, we travelled from SW Wisconsin to DW on December 27, and back home on the 14th. We did take the alternate route, both times avoiding Atlanta. Although it was longer by about 1 1/2 hours, the drive through Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Dothan, and then down to I 10 was such a stress free ride, esp. pulling fifth wheels. We felt we avoided any ice/sleet and snow, which can sometimes accompany the I24'route, and also the route on I 75 to Atlanta. I would take your normal planned arrival day, and be rested up for all Disney has to offer. On the other hand, who wouldn't like an extra day at Disney. Safe travels. Have a great trip.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Any suggestions where to stop in October driving north on I95 from Disney? Our final destination is MA, but we are planning a few nights with our Grandkids in Annapolis on the way up. So I am thinking of stopping one night halfway between Disney and Annapolis. We will probably hit the road around 1 -2 PM to start the trip which is why I am thinking of a halfway point. A Courtyard near I95 would be ideal as we are Marriott Rewards members and could potentially use points.
Thanks for all suggesetions.

We are also from MA but usually stop on the way home in VA. On the way down we seem to always end up in Fayetteville NC.
I'm sure someone will come and give some good suggestions for you.