Anyone from the Maritimes drive to Disney World?

Jo2019

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
My brother is trying to convince me to drive, but it is 30 hours! Is it that terrible? Wondering where people usually stop etc.
 
I know a few people who drive from the Halifax area, and I'm going to attempt it myself in March. We (3 adults who can all drive) are renting a van and driving to Miami for a cruise, then driving to Disney for a few days, then driving home. The plan is to drive straight through without stopping to sleep, switching out drivers and catching naps in the back. The uncertainty is with the weather in March of course. We don't have our route nailed down yet, but roughly we would take the Trans Canada to Houlton Me and drive mostly on the I95 with some deviation around Boston and New York. The reason we're trying this is because the flight prices are very high for this time of year, we're going to need extra luggage and that will drive our flight costs up, and it seemed a more direct way for us to get to all of our destinations. If we were doing only the cruise, or only Disney then I would have insisted on flying. Also I've always wanted to try it.

I'm sure there are others on this board who have done it, and I would love to hear about their experiences, and also their tips and tricks.
 
I know a few people who drive from the Halifax area, and I'm going to attempt it myself in March. We (3 adults who can all drive) are renting a van and driving to Miami for a cruise, then driving to Disney for a few days, then driving home. The plan is to drive straight through without stopping to sleep, switching out drivers and catching naps in the back. The uncertainty is with the weather in March of course. We don't have our route nailed down yet, but roughly we would take the Trans Canada to Houlton Me and drive mostly on the I95 with some deviation around Boston and New York. The reason we're trying this is because the flight prices are very high for this time of year, we're going to need extra luggage and that will drive our flight costs up, and it seemed a more direct way for us to get to all of our destinations. If we were doing only the cruise, or only Disney then I would have insisted on flying. Also I've always wanted to try it.

I'm sure there are others on this board who have done it, and I would love to hear about their experiences, and also their tips and tricks.

Thanks for the info. I am in Halifax too. Frustrated about the lack of direct flights to MCO. Plus last trip the airline ended up changing our itinerary drastically which was a pain.
 
Not from the maritimes but we do the drive to FL from Montreal every year (sometimes twice per year). We like driving straight-thru on the way down and taking our time on the way back (unless we go for only 1 week then we don't stop). NYC and Washington traffic are awful unless you drive through those at night and we're very happy we got a EZPass transponder for those. We simply ordered it from NY Tolls website. Cost was 20$usd and it came with 20$ in our account. We also have a Sunpass for FL tolls but you don't need it for Orlando unless you want to avoid most of I-4 (worst interstate in the USA imo). If you ever drive to Miami, it's a must since the FL turnpike is Sunpass only (no cash toll available).
 


I grew up driving down from NB every year with my family. The way down was always exciting and we would take our time, stopping usually twice overnight (around Connecticut and Georgia). The way home was not as exciting and we would drive straight through with my parents taking turns. I actually have very fond memories of the drives.

Now as a parent myself I much prefer to fly (being trapped in a car with my kids for 32 hours is my nightmare) YHZ has tons more direct options than anything we have here in NB so that’s where we fly out of.
 
I know a few people who drive from the Halifax area, and I'm going to attempt it myself in March. We (3 adults who can all drive) are renting a van and driving to Miami for a cruise, then driving to Disney for a few days, then driving home. The plan is to drive straight through without stopping to sleep, switching out drivers and catching naps in the back. The uncertainty is with the weather in March of course. We don't have our route nailed down yet, but roughly we would take the Trans Canada to Houlton Me and drive mostly on the I95 with some deviation around Boston and New York. The reason we're trying this is because the flight prices are very high for this time of year, we're going to need extra luggage and that will drive our flight costs up, and it seemed a more direct way for us to get to all of our destinations. If we were doing only the cruise, or only Disney then I would have insisted on flying. Also I've always wanted to try it.

I'm sure there are others on this board who have done it, and I would love to hear about their experiences, and also their tips and tricks.

Likely shave some time off by going through St. Stephen/Calais, Me and then to Bangor.
 
Drove it twice. 1993, 2006.
DW finds the drive too long.
We drove to Manchester NH in 2008, 2009, 2015 and flew Southwest. Exchange was much better so flights were pretty cheap.
We have family near Boston so we stayed there first night. I'd rather drive a longer first day to shorten trip on last day.
In laws drive down and stay for Jan-early April. they drive to Danbury, Conn first night, North Carolina for second night.
They like going route 81 and 84 around Philly, New York and Washington. we got stuck on the Washington beltway in 2006 for about an hour.
Hoping to do snowbird sometime.
 


Likely shave some time off by going through St. Stephen/Calais, Me and then to Bangor.
Even in the winter? Google maps says it takes 5 minutes more time but is 55km longer to go via Houlton and people say it's a more reliable road. We're planning to go through that section on a Thursday late morning/early afternoon if that matters.
 
we're very happy we got a EZPass transponder for those. We simply ordered it from NY Tolls website. Cost was 20$usd and it came with 20$ in our account. We also have a Sunpass for FL tolls but you don't need it for Orlando unless you want to avoid most of I-4 (worst interstate in the USA imo). If you ever drive to Miami, it's a must since the FL turnpike is Sunpass only (no cash toll available).
Thanks for this information as we're going to Miami first then Orlando. I'm going to get both of these for sure.
 
Even in the winter? Google maps says it takes 5 minutes more time but is 55km longer to go via Houlton and people say it's a more reliable road. We're planning to go through that section on a Thursday late morning/early afternoon if that matters.

I've driven both (not to WDW, but in the winter) and I would do Houlton.
 
Even in the winter? Google maps says it takes 5 minutes more time but is 55km longer to go via Houlton and people say it's a more reliable road. We're planning to go through that section on a Thursday late morning/early afternoon if that matters.
Yeah, I am less than 1.5 hours from Calais and frequently take that route to Bangor. It is not a freeway and is windy up and down a mountain with Transport traffic. Maybe not the best choice during the winter.
 
I am from Saint John, NB and we just drove down last month over Christmas and New Years. That is the 4th time we have done the drive.
Our stops vary each time. We sometimes pick places to have a quick visit.

Last month we stopped for a night just outside of Boston. Then the next morning drove to Newark, NJ because we wanted a day in Manhattan. We took the train in and went to see Frozen on Broadway. Then the following day we did a big drive day and stopped in Richmond, GA just outside of Savannah.
On the drive home we stretched it a bit too. The first day was a long day because we drove from Orlando - Richmond, VA. We did this so the next morning was a short drive to NYC because we then stayed in Manhattan for 2 nights so we could spend a couple of days there and went to Hamilton and the Book of Mormon. Then we drove from there to Saint John on our last driving day.

Previous trips we haven't stopped as long.

April 2017 we stopped on the first night in Portland (because we worked half a day). The next stop was Myrtle Beach (we spent a bit of time there in the morning). Then went straight to Orlando from there.
On the drive home I forget where our first stop was. But I know we took the inland route through the mountains and stopped in Bethlehem, PA.

Oct 2016 was similar we stopped in Newark and went into NYC and saw cats. And stopped in Georgia near Savannah then Orlando.
On the way home we took the inland mountain way and stopped I think in VA and PA.

Our first drive was over Christmas/NYE 2014. Our first stop was Chambersberg, PA. The next day we drove to again Richmond Hill, GA (stopped for an hour or 2 in DC to see the white house, etc) then Orlando.
On the way home we stopped in Sterling, VA then Haverhill, MA then home.
 
Even in the winter? Google maps says it takes 5 minutes more time but is 55km longer to go via Houlton and people say it's a more reliable road. We're planning to go through that section on a Thursday late morning/early afternoon if that matters.

I've only ever taken the airline from Calais to Bangor when heading that way and 2 of our trips were December and one April and we haven't had any issues.
 
We always drive when we go down, If you cross Houlton its 26 hrs of actual driving at 120kmh. The Air line is an option too, Its a lot better road today than when I ran it in a truck years ago, Im not sure if youd actually save any time on it, Im guessing itd be a wash. The route is fairly simple, I95 to to 495 in mass, tolls that far will cost you about $7, run 90 to 84 Hartford/NY. Now you'll have 2 options after you cross into NY state, you can either run the NY state Thruway , I87 into NJ and on into Allentown on 287 and 78 over to I81 in PA. This route keeps you out of the mountains in Penn. however it can have some traffic on it closer to NYC.
Theres a Cracker Barrel the exit before we normaly stop at for a late lunch. I check the time we're going to leave here and the weather through to Scranton Pa. If its 3pm or before our time or the forecast through the mountains is bad (it can be snow or ice sometimes but no worries they do plow and salt plus most ppl through here can actually drive in winter) Ill take the thruway. otherwise I stay on 84 and hit 81 in Scranton. once your on 81 (or on 78 past Allentown Also we usually call it a day anyplace after here) check out Hershey, its a great way to break up the drive and maybe get a chocolate bar or 2.. Now prepare your self for Maryland (watch your speed) and West Virginia, they take about 10 mins each to see, Now you have Virginia, the longest state of the entire drive. If your running a GPS be careful it may want to take you through some side roads when you leave Hershey, DONT DO IT, these will run you into Washington DC area and you can literally sit for hrs in DC traffic. Your looking for I64 that will run over to Richmond, once your on 64 and almost to Richmond keep an eye out for the "Veterans Memorial Highway" this will avoid most of Richmond, has little traffic and will drop you right on the I95 south. We normally stop somewhere before the South Carolina border for the night. The next bypass youll take will be in Jacksonville Florida, there are actually 2, one east and one west of the city, either one is fine. After this its a straight shot to Daytona and the exit for the infamous I4 (known locally as the Die 4),Id actually run the toll road around Orlando if I were you but thats your choice. There are lots of people who claim they just stay on the 95 all the way down, I will say this, Ive run the 95 and if you can do it faster than going down 81 you were EXTREMELY lucky or your watch stopped for 6 hrs. If you have any Questions dont be scared to ask
 
Now you'll have 2 options after you cross into NY state, you can either run the NY state Thruway , I87 into NJ and on into Allentown on 287 and 78 over to I81 in PA. This route keeps you out of the mountains in Penn. however it can have some traffic on it closer to NYC.
Theres a Cracker Barrel the exit before we normaly stop at for a late lunch. I check the time we're going to leave here and the weather through to Scranton Pa. If its 3pm or before our time or the forecast through the mountains is bad (it can be snow or ice sometimes but no worries they do plow and salt plus most ppl through here can actually drive in winter) Ill take the thruway. otherwise I stay on 84 and hit 81 in Scranton. once your on 81 (or on 78 past Allentown Also we usually call it a day anyplace after here) check out Hershey, its a great way to break up the drive and maybe get a chocolate bar or 2..
momdad4kids, thanks for the detailed description. I just picked up my TripTik from CAA and they mapped it out for us to take the 84/81 route through Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hagerstown, then for a short drive on the 66 just south of Winchester Va, to the 17 at Marshall Va, and back to the 95 near Fredericksburg Va. I thought it was quite a bit out of the way around NY/NJ but it is quite similar to the route you described above. It also has us diverting east around Richmond Va, and east around Jacksonville Fl. If the weather is fine we are planning to be at the NY/Conn border about 8pm on a Thursday, and our plan is to switch between two drivers and drive straight through to Savannah Ga, so this NY/NJ/Pa/Ma/Va section would take place roughly from 8pm-8am. Given your experience momdad4kids, does this seem reasonable for a trip in late Feb, reversing the route to come home in mid-March?
 
momdad4kids, thanks for the detailed description. I just picked up my TripTik from CAA and they mapped it out for us to take the 84/81 route through Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hagerstown, then for a short drive on the 66 just south of Winchester Va, to the 17 at Marshall Va, and back to the 95 near Fredericksburg Va. I thought it was quite a bit out of the way around NY/NJ but it is quite similar to the route you described above. It also has us diverting east around Richmond Va, and east around Jacksonville Fl. If the weather is fine we are planning to be at the NY/Conn border about 8pm on a Thursday, and our plan is to switch between two drivers and drive straight through to Savannah Ga, so this NY/NJ/Pa/Ma/Va section would take place roughly from 8pm-8am. Given your experience momdad4kids, does this seem reasonable for a trip in late Feb, reversing the route to come home in mid-March?
If you are going that route you are hooking up to the standard route from Eastern Ontario. I would strongly suggest that you maintain on I-81 through to I-77 and down through Charlotte NC. I know that google maps shows it as 1 hour longer, but you will almost always save that much time avoiding traffic around DC as you swing back towards I-95. I-95 is very busy and congested; comparatively I-81 is a dream to drive - low volumes and no major metropolitan centers. This route is worth several points reduction in my blood pressure as well. We've driven all the routes south from Eastern Ontario, and the I-81 to I-77 is by far our favorite, we only avoid it if there is weather west of the Appalachians.

I do agree with the bypass for Jax, although I hear the construction on the main I-95 section through downtown is finally ending, and that construction on the East (Jax Beaches) bypass is underway. I have been told to use the West bypass this year to avoid headaches.
 
If you are going that route you are hooking up to the standard route from Eastern Ontario. I would strongly suggest that you maintain on I-81 through to I-77 and down through Charlotte NC.
Thanks for this! That route bypassing the major metropolitan centres adds 150km and 2 hours to my trip because for those from the Maritimes the bypassing starts before Boston. If the I-95 corridor was as clear as it looks on paper it would be 3452km and 32 hours, but with traffic being so heavy and the I-95 going right through Manhattan across the George Washington Bridge I don't think we're going to chance taking it. But we still have a couple of weeks to decide 8-)
 
Going to be doing the NB-Orlando run in early May; planning the 95 most of the way in US Northeast but cutting across top of NYC 287-78-81 through PA to go around Baltimore/Washington getting back on 95 via Rt 66 / 17 south of DC then 295 around Richmond; planning on two stops - Allentown, PA night one and somewhere between Lumberton SC - Florence NC night two (lots of hotels just off 95 in both locations). Did the drive in 2010 was stuck in awful traffic around Washington even taking the route "around" the core of the city - Baltimore traffic was touch and go as well so 78-81 is my choice this time.
 
Going to be doing the NB-Orlando run in early May; planning the 95 most of the way in US Northeast but cutting across top of NYC 287-78-81 through PA to go around Baltimore/Washington getting back on 95 via Rt 66 / 17 south of DC then 295 around Richmond; planning on two stops - Allentown, PA night one and somewhere between Lumberton SC - Florence NC night two (lots of hotels just off 95 in both locations). Did the drive in 2010 was stuck in awful traffic around Washington even taking the route "around" the core of the city - Baltimore traffic was touch and go as well so 78-81 is my choice this time.
This is the route (I -81 using 66/17 to I-95) that TripTik used to provide, and google maps often suggests. Having done this route 3* and the route carrying on along I-81 to I-77 more than 3* I will attest that the second route will actually save you time and a ton of stress. Lately google maps has actually started suggesting this route at times, probably around rush times when the I-95 areas are congested. The only place we have ever experienced congestion on the second route was through Charlotte, and that was probably a 15 minute delay. Highly recommend the alternate route.
 
We almost always take I-81 and then highway 15 at Harrisburg, PA then I-270 to get to I-95. But we are usually in Whashington, DC around midnight so no traffic. Last time we took I-77 on the way back because we were stopping at Roanoke for the night and we really liked that interstate.

Every time we drove past Charlotte, we hit traffic. It can be pretty bad at rush hour (was worst for us than Atlanta traffic).
 

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