Driving from Philly to Boardwalk

[Juicy1122]

So we are planning to drive to Disney this summer. There are four of us and airfare isn't looking like a cheaper option anymore!

We are driving from the suburbs of Philadelphia to the Boardwalk . Mapquest says it should take about 17 hours

Does anyone who has done this before have any suggestions? We will be four adults. Is there anything to see or do along the way?

We are planning on leaving late Friday night and our check-in is Sunday. I am not sure if we should try to take turns and drive all the way or stop somewhere along the way to sleep. I might move our check-in day to saturday if we can make it to disney by then or just stay somewhere a couple hours out and drive in early Sunday morning.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks so much!

[disneymommom]

We usually drive from the Boardwalk or Beach Club Resort home to the AC area. If we leave the hotel about 8:30 a.m. we are in bed by 1 a.m. It is about 16 hours from Disney to our house near AC. It is not a bad drive right down I-4 to I-95 and home. Good luck.

[faline]

If your drive time is 17 hours and you have four drivers, it's really doable in one day. We used to drive from the Boston area to the Cincinnati area on a regular basis and often did the drive in one day - leaving as early in the morning as possible and arriving later in the evening and we only had two drivers.

You should definitely switch off drivers to keep everyone fresh.

We've done the drive to Disney from the Boston area and that's quite a bit longer. There's not much to see along the route you're taking unless you take a detour or two - mostly just lots of highway.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I drive from NJ, near NYC... I take 95 all the way down, then cut across I-4... The drive should take about 17 hours for me as well, but I have done it in 14... I also stop over night... Usually the travelers and myself and a friend... But I do all the driving... I'll stop at Manning, SC overnight, then pick up bright and early the next day... Here is how I plan my drive:

I leave around 8:0AM.. I fill up my gas tank before leaving my town... I head straight down 95, hoping and praying I do not run into the Beltway/Washington DC traffic... I get to the DC area by 11:30AM (pending traffic conditions)... I stop for gas and lunch, usually an Exxon in Virginia, I forget the town... My friend and I usually bring blimpies and we load up on bottles of water or green tea... I will fill up the tank with gas, we'll use the rest room in the gas station minimart, the I will park my car by the minimart so we can eat lunch... We are usually on the road about 5 hours or 6 hours by now... I'll drive straight through to the Welcome Center in North Carolina... We'll stretch our legs, use the restroom, and call home to let our families know we are alright and the trip is going smoothly... I won't stop again until South of the Border... There I will fill up the tank with gas, and we'll walk around a little in the tourist trap just to stretch our legs again.... We'll get back on the road and I won't stop until Exit 119 in Manning, SC... We normally stay at the Ramada Limited, but if they are full (and they usually aren't) we'll go across the street... I forget the name but I think it is Best Western... Normally I bring a large regular blimpie and my friend brings a large tuna blimpie... We'll have the other half of the sandwich left over from lunch, so we'll eat that for dinnr... there is a Wendy's right next to the Ramada, walking distance.. So we may go get from fries or a soda... Mapquest says the Ramada should be 12 hours from me, but I tend to get there in 10.. So, by now, the time is usually 6:30 or 7:00 PM before we get settled in... We'll call home, I'll text with my friends in Florida updating them on the drive, and my friend and I would watch TV... usually there is a college football game on since we'll make this trip in October and always on a Saturday... He'll read whatever book he brought with him... I'll go over the itinerary for the vacation, run the mileage and times in my head again, do some writing, and read a bit.. By 10PM we are out like lights...

We'll get up around 6:00AM the next morning, shower, and hit up the continental breakfast Ramada provides for its guests... Best Western does as well... We'll eat some yogurt, usually a bagel, I'll drink a few cups of coffee since I am doing all the driving... I'll then check out and before we leave, we'll fill up the cooler with new ice after pouring out the water from the melted ice from the day before... I'm back on the road before 8:00AM... One time, we wanted McDonald's for breakfast... There was a sign for McDonald's on the highway right by the Ramada saying McDonald's Straight Ahead.. I wound up in the middle of the town of Manning... There was no McDonald's by the hotel... I'll add another little note here... The people of Manning are extremely nice... Very friendly people... They knew right away we were from the NY area... I'll love to visit the town again just for breakfast and to talk to some of the locals... very pleasant!!!

OK, so again, I'm back on the road by 8:00AM.. and by then I'm looking for a gas station... I'll fill up before Georgia... I figure 2 hours to Georgia (usually takes me only 90 minutes), then 90 minutes through Georgia (again, usually less than that, I can get through Georgia in an hour.. shhhh).. Then I hit Florida.. I'll fill up one last time in gas, usually in Jacksonville, then we'll have lunch... I'm in WDW by 1:00PM...

I don't count the time we stay over night as being on the road...

There is a decent website I-95 Exit Guide.. www.i95exitguide.com that lists the hotels at each exit in each state on the 95 corridor.. They give you rest stops and gas stations as well, including the price of a gallon of gas at these stations... You can calculate your mileage on the site as well as find restaurants, malls, and other city information...

[Ian]

We are driving from the suburbs of Philadelphia to the Boardwalk . Mapquest says it should take about 17 hours.

We did this exact same drive last May (Philly burbs to Boardwalk) and I'd say that, unless you're really interested in taking it slow and sightseeing along the way, that you'd be just as well to leave on Saturday morning vs. Friday night. Friday night traffic getting out of Philly during the summer is brutal because of all the traffic heading to the Delaware and MD beaches. It can take you four or five hours just to get to Baltimore!

And really, if you leave early enough on Saturday, you should be able to get a solid 14 hours of driving in (say 8AM to 10PM) without really taxing the kids. That way you wake up Sunday morning and you've got maybe three hours to go and you're in WDW. Best of all, you won't really be all road weary when you get there.

If your kids are young, make sure you bring lots for them to do. Our kids (we have four ranging in age from 18 months to 9) bring iPods, iPads, DS, tons of videos to watch, snacks, drinks (although watch the drinks to avoid too many bathroom stops!), and we normally try to play a few road trip games, as well. Currently, we're playing a game we call "50 Plates From 50 States" where we're trying to get pictures of license plates of cars from all 50 states. Keeps the kids entertained for hours!

[Juicy1122]

Thank you everyone for all of your help!!

[statrai]

My wife and I drove down at the end of August leaving Friday afternoon. It took 19 hours driving , Outside of Fredricksburgh VA there is major traffic on Friday night, This part of the highway has a HOV lane which we did not take, but it merges back and there is even more traffic. We spent over 2 hours hours in traffic. We left Trenton at 12:30 pm and got to Fredricksburg VA out first stop at 6:50 pm. Should have been there at 4:30 . Next stop Kenley NC in 3 hours. Florence SC in 3 hours. Savanah GA in 3 Hours.
Jacksonville FL 2 1/2 hours. Disney 2 1/2 hours by 10 am Saturday

[Ian]

Outside of Fredricksburgh VA there is major traffic on Friday night, This part of the highway has a HOV lane which we did not take, but it merges back and there is even more traffic. We spent over 2 hours hours in traffic.

Yeah, that entire stretch basically from Philadelphia through Richmond is a traffic nightmare on Friday nights.

It starts at like 3PM, too, so you can't even sneak through by leaving work a couple hours early or something. You have to be out of Philly no later than like 10AM in order to miss the bulk of the traffic (and even that's no guarantee).

[PETE FROM NYC]

We drove twice, 9/09, and 9/10.
I am the sole driver and I have several health issues.
Trip #1: We did a 2 day stop over in Virginia for Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. Then back to 95, and straight on through to WDW. We got to WDW area a day before our ressie, so we overnighted at Knights Inn on 192 for less than $40. Next morning we did the $4 breakfast buffet at Sizzler. The trip back home took 2 1/2 days of easy driving.
Trip #2: No side trips this time, still took 2 1/2 days of driving each way.
Neither trip did we hit any DC traffic.

[diz_girl]

Friday night traffic getting out of Philly during the summer is brutal because of all the traffic heading to the Delaware and MD beaches. It can take you four or five hours just to get to Baltimore!
...
And really, if you leave early enough on Saturday, you should be able to get a solid 14 hours of driving in (say 8AM to 10PM) without really taxing the kids.

Just to elaborate on Ian's point about leaving early enough, if you leave too late on a Saturday morning, then I-95 in Delaware is rough then because of the DE/MD beaches. Rentals turn over on Saturdays and by Noon the traffic is getting bad. So leave home NLT 8 a.m. (but 7 a.m. is preferable) and you should be OK.

BTW - There is a $4 toll at the DE/MD border. There is a way to avoid it.
Just get off at DE exit 1B (route 896) and get on route 896)
Make a left at the third (I think) light (route 4- Christina Pkwy) - there are two left turn lanes at this light, with a TGIFriday's at the far left corner, along with some hotels, and the Univ of Delaware stadium and athletic complex at the far right corner. You then go past the old Chrysler plant (now reduced to rubble and belongs to U of D) and go over a small bridge over railroad tracks.
Make a left at the first light (route 279/route2) - if you go straight then you'll enter a shopping center with an Acme, Home Depot, Applebees, Walgreens, and a good pizza place, Amalfi.
Go on 279 through about five lights or so and the entrance to I-95 South is on your right. There is a big Wawa on this road if you want to make a pit stop.
You're entering at Exit 109, so to avoid the tolls northbound, just get off at exit 109B and reverse the directions.

As for sightseeing, there isn't much along the I-95 corridor that is quick. What's a really neat drive is actually to go down the DelMarVa penninsula (route 1 then route 13), over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and down the coast on route 17.

Whether or not you drive I-95 or route 17, if you are near Hardeeville, SC around lunch or dinner time, try the Cripple Crab in Hardeeville. It's just outside the main drag on route 17. It looks like a shack, but the food is good.

[TinaAndGlenn]

We have driven from Chicago many times, most recently last spring. We usually drive about 15 hours the first day, so 17 is doable. Be VERY careful in the state of Georgia!!! My husband got a ticket, which we paid when we got home $168-ouch! Then 1 month later, we got an additional $200 bill from GA saying he was a super-speeder! (He really was keeping up with traffic) This year we are flying!!!

[cuteduck223]

we're from the midwest, so we dont take those routes, but our drive is 18 hours. We typically start out after work on THURSDAY (fast food dinner in the car) drive through the night, and arrive in time to grab lunch then check in. We take a nap, then head to epcot around 5 (EMH til midnight) for dinner and plenty of fun.

[goofyfan4466]

So we are planning to drive to Disney this summer. There are four of us and airfare isn't looking like a cheaper option anymore!

We are driving from the suburbs of Philadelphia to the Boardwalk . Mapquest says it should take about 17 hours

Does anyone who has done this before have any suggestions? We will be four adults. Is there anything to see or do along the way?

We are planning on leaving late Friday night and our check-in is Sunday. I am not sure if we should try to take turns and drive all the way or stop somewhere along the way to sleep. I might move our check-in day to saturday if we can make it to disney by then or just stay somewhere a couple hours out and drive in early Sunday morning.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks so much!

hello bucks countian

we usually leave for the world friday night at midnight. i drive usually the whole way. i drive about 12 hours to savannah,ga. we sleep at a marriott just off i-95. we leave early sunday morning and arrive at disney about lunch time. now we stop whenever we need to and we pack drinks and food for the trip down. in savannah where we stay over there is a cracker barrel in the same parking lot. it is my wife,my twin girls and myself. when are you planning on going ? we are doing the drive to port canaveral for a 5 day cruise on the dream in july. if you need any other info. you can pm me or just post again. maybe we will see you on the road. have a good trip.

[barnaby]

On my 2 most recent trips, we drove down from NJ. First trip, we stopped overnight in Savannah,GA on the way down and Richmond, VA on the trip home.
Second trip we left NJ at 3AM on a Saturday morning and arrived in Orlando around 9PM. We stayed off site then checked in to our WDW resort the next morning. On the way home, we left WDW at 10AM and arrived home around 6AM the next morning. 18 hours seems to be our magic number, including lunch, dinner and rest room stops.
One of our trip traditions now is stopping at the Cracker Barrell in Florence, SC. We just seem to end up in the area for dinner. Last trip we got the same waiter both stops.
I definitely will be driving straight through on my next trip. If you don't mind the driving, it's the way to go.
As far as things to see, on the first trip we went over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and stopped at the gift shop/restaurant along the way. It takes you a little bit out of the way. We also stopped at South of the Border and the speedway in Daytona.

[Juicy1122]

hello bucks countian

we usually leave for the world friday night at midnight. i drive usually the whole way. i drive about 12 hours to savannah,ga. we sleep at a marriott just off i-95. we leave early sunday morning and arrive at disney about lunch time. now we stop whenever we need to and we pack drinks and food for the trip down. in savannah where we stay over there is a cracker barrel in the same parking lot. it is my wife,my twin girls and myself. when are you planning on going ? we are doing the drive to port canaveral for a 5 day cruise on the dream in july. if you need any other info. you can pm me or just post again. maybe we will see you on the road. have a good trip.

Thank you everyone so much!!

We are planning on leaving Friday night July 27th around 10 or 11pm and driving thru the night. We hope to check-in to the boardwalk sometime early evening on Sat. With everyones advice we think leaving late and driving thru the night will def help with shore traffic.

[Ian]

One of our trip traditions now is stopping at the Cracker Barrell in Florence, SC.

We ate there both directions on our May trip and once on our November trip!

We actually spent the night in Florence on the way home.

[barnaby]

We ate there both directions on our May trip and once on our November trip!

We actually spent the night in Florence on the way home.

We're probably about the same the distance from home to WDW. That Cracker Barrel is convenient because we always end up there around dinner time and its right off the exit.
It's about 9 hours from NJ and 8 from WDW.