Best Route Driving from NJ to WDW

deedeew80

Dreaming of My Prince
Joined
May 28, 2004
Hi all! We are headed to WDW Nov 24-30. and we are driving! Our plan is to leave on Friday Nov 23 (the day after Thanksgiving) at 3am. We will drive all day Friday, arriving in the Disney area that evening. Spend the night at a hotel, get a good night sleep, wake up and check in to our Disney resort (I know, it won't be ready in the morning) and head to the parks! Anyway. I'm thinking we will "hopefully" miss any crazy traffic in VA/DC area since we are leaving in the middle of the night. I plan on taking 95 all the way down. (It's the only way I know! Lol!), but I keep hearing how crazy I4 is in FL. Is there an alternate route to avoid the craziness or should we just stick it out? Thanks for any suggestions!
 
Hi all! We are headed to WDW Nov 24-30. and we are driving! Our plan is to leave on Friday Nov 23 (the day after Thanksgiving) at 3am. We will drive all day Friday, arriving in the Disney area that evening. Spend the night at a hotel, get a good night sleep, wake up and check in to our Disney resort (I know, it won't be ready in the morning) and head to the parks! Anyway. I'm thinking we will "hopefully" miss any crazy traffic in VA/DC area since we are leaving in the middle of the night. I plan on taking 95 all the way down. (It's the only way I know! Lol!), but I keep hearing how crazy I4 is in FL. Is there an alternate route to avoid the craziness or should we just stick it out? Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi. I also drive around the same hours you are proposing. I am a little over an hour from the DE Memorial Bridge, leave around 2:30 AM, am passing DC 5:30 AM, and in the Orlando area 6:30-8:30 PM. So if someone can comment on how I4 is currently at say 6-9 PM on a weekday (specifically a Friday, and in this case Black Friday) that would help you out.

I have read that others take 417 or 528 to avoid much of I4. Both are toll roads. Check them out on a map, and some other posts on this site talk about these routes too. 528 runs east/west and connects to 95. 417 crosses I4 around Sanford FL, and is a wider loop parallel road to I4.
 
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Hi. I also drive around the same hours you are proposing. I am a little over an hour from the DE Memorial Bridge, leave around 2:30 AM, am passing DC 5:30 AM, and in the Orlando area 6:30-8:30 PM. So if someone can comment on how I4 is currently at say 6-9 PM on a weekday (specifically a Friday, and in this case Black Friday) that would help you out.

I have read that others take 417 or 528 to avoid much of I4. Both are toll roads. Check them out on a map, and some other posts on this site talk about these routes too. 528 runs east/west and connects to 95. 417 crosses I4 around Sanford FL, and is a wider loop parallel road to I4.

Hi! I am about 25-30 minutes from the DE memorial bridge! I’m hoping since it’s not usually a work day traffic will be limited, however, it being a holiday has me a little worried. I have family that lives in the Orlando area and I plan on asking them as well what they think I should do about I4. Thank you!
 
but I keep hearing how crazy I4 is in FL. Is there an alternate route to avoid the craziness or should we just stick it out? Thanks for any suggestions!

We opt to pay the tolls on 417 to avoid the traffic through Orlando. Especially now with all of the I-4 construction. It will add a few extra miles and probably a few more minutes but much less traffic. Depending on where in WDW you are heading there are a couple of exits off 417 to take. Make sure you have some quarters as a couple of them have an unmanned toll at the exit.
 


Hi all! We are headed to WDW Nov 24-30. and we are driving! Our plan is to leave on Friday Nov 23 (the day after Thanksgiving) at 3am. We will drive all day Friday, arriving in the Disney area that evening. Spend the night at a hotel, get a good night sleep, wake up and check in to our Disney resort (I know, it won't be ready in the morning) and head to the parks! Anyway. I'm thinking we will "hopefully" miss any crazy traffic in VA/DC area since we are leaving in the middle of the night. I plan on taking 95 all the way down. (It's the only way I know! Lol!), but I keep hearing how crazy I4 is in FL. Is there an alternate route to avoid the craziness or should we just stick it out? Thanks for any suggestions!

Driving on I-4 is no crazier than driving on any road in NJ! Lol.

I live in the Morristown, NJ area and it takes us 6 hours to drive to Richmond, Va. Once you get pass Richmond it’s smooth sailing all the way down to wdw.
 
I have made the drive twice. I am about 45 min northwest of Philly. We used the Waze app and it helped take us around some ugly traffic jams that occured on 95. DC/Virginia and the Philly area are the worse for traffic so leaving when you are is smart. The trip down is always ok, the trip back is rough because you have nothing to really look forward to :( We are flying this time because I can't handle my kids fighting the whole drive down. If it was just me and my husband, I would totally do it again.
 
I have made the drive twice. I am about 45 min northwest of Philly. We used the Waze app and it helped take us around some ugly traffic jams that occured on 95. DC/Virginia and the Philly area are the worse for traffic so leaving when you are is smart. The trip down is always ok, the trip back is rough because you have nothing to really look forward to :( We are flying this time because I can't handle my kids fighting the whole drive down. If it was just me and my husband, I would totally do it again.
Thanks! I’m not looking forward to the drive with my two kids! Hopefully they will behave!!! Lol!
 


Thanks! I’m not looking forward to the drive with my two kids! Hopefully they will behave!!! Lol!

The early morning departure will help somewhat. Hopefully a good portion of the drive will be done while passengers are still asleep!
 
Thanks! I’m not looking forward to the drive with my two kids! Hopefully they will behave!!! Lol!

I feel like you need to make the drive at least once. And then you know what you prefer. The 2nd time I did it, it was with my parents and sister and we had 2 cars so we were able to split up my kids, which helped a whole lot. Leaving early in the morning will help you as well. Good luck and let us know how it goes :)
 
I feel like you need to make the drive at least once. And then you know what you prefer. The 2nd time I did it, it was with my parents and sister and we had 2 cars so we were able to split up my kids, which helped a whole lot. Leaving early in the morning will help you as well. Good luck and let us know how it goes :)
I did drive once, a long time ago, I think it was in 2007. Worst thing ever. My then boyfriend (now hubby) and I drove in one car with my little brothers. My parents drove in another car. It was just bad planning. We didn’t leave until 9-10am and drove all the way to St Augustine, FL, arriving around 2am. Our entire drive down it rained and rained heavily! It was horrible. I swore I would never drive again! Lol! But here we are! Flying just isn’t in the budget if we want to go to Disney! This time I’m planning! Lol! Leaving in the middle of the night. Having lots of activities for the kids. Snacks. Letting the kids run around a bit when we have to stop. My kids are 8 & 6 they get along fairly well, but definitely have their moments! Fingers crossed!
 
If you live fairly close to 78, you can take 78 to 81 to 77 with almost no traffic. It's an incredibly boring ride on 81, but avoiding Baltimore, DC, and Richmond is worth it. You will then pick up 95 in South Carolina. From The Poconos it's between 17-18 hours if this helps.
 
Use Google maps on your phone. It will route you off I4 if traffic dictates. Get a sunpass, decal version if you'll only use it on one car, in case you use a toll road. It's possible E-ZPass will be working by then.
 

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