Driving from Delaware to WDW-- where to stop

[mkmomto2]

Hello,

My husband and I are going to WDW for spring break this year. We are driving down from Lewes, DE and according to google maps, it will take around 14 hours. I'm trying to determine whether it would be better to stop somewhere along the way or drive to Orlando and stay in a hotel outside of the world Saturday, March 26th. Our reservations at Port Orleans are for the 27th. I have a lunch reservation at Liberty Tree on the 27th. Do you think that is pushing it? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[cyndiloveswalt]

We are also in Delaware and have driven many times. We always stop somewhere in Georgia for 5-6 hours of sleep. I don't like to have too much driving left on the second day so we end up with about 4 hours left if we stop in Georgia. We leave around 3 in the afternoon and usually stop around 2-3 am and then sleep until around 8, puts at the resort for lunch. We do get up early on our departure day and drive straight thru, get home around midnight.

 

[Pea's Mom]

Hi Neighbors! We are in Milton, DE and we usually stop near Savannah, GA for the night. We've experimented stopping further North or South, but found that the 4 hrs or so of driving on arrival day left us pretty fresh and ready to hit the World running.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. The Savannah exits are great, we like Pooler GA. The drive to WDW is a couple hours. We like to leave at 9 or after and get to the resort around 2. That way we don't start the vacation tired but well rested and ready to go.

 

[bluezy]

Add us to the list of Savannah, GA fans. We are a little further north than you (by about an hour). We usually leave home around 5 a.m. and get to Savannah around 7:00ish. We stop for a leisurely lunch and several bathroom/stretch stops throughout the day. We spend the night there and then head out by about 7:30 a.m. and we're usually at our resort by noon. We could get to our resort earlier but we always make a stop at the Florida Welcome Center and then again at a Walmart to pick up a few breakfast foods for the room.

 

[mkmomto2]

It looks like you all recommend stopping in Georgia. I think I will cancel my Liberty Tree reservations as 11:35 is too ambitious I think. I am taking my husband, who is NOT a Disney fanatic like me and I want it to be a nice relaxing trip so that maybe there will be more in the future. The last time we went was a family reunion with lots of people, little kids, etc. so I want him to see that there are different types of trips to WDW. Do any of you have a particular hotel that you could recommend in Georgia?
BTW- Hi Delaware neighbors!

 

[Denise123]

Starting west of Dover. Stop at Brunswick, Georgia. That leaves about 4 hrs. the next day to Disney.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Ours is a 18 hour drive from northeast Ohio and we usually make Kingland Georgia but we've been going the extra few miles to the Florida Welcome a Center, ( they have armed security there overnight ) beautiful facility...we catch about 2-3 hours of rest and push on to WDW....we have been getting a value resort for that late arrival day ( usually cheaper than what we used to stay at on way down and just take a small overnight bag in plus our swim suits...

Next day we're up and out headed to the grocery store for our weeks supplies and drinks before checking into our deluxe weeks resort.....been working out super this way..

 

[LadyBeBop]

It looks like you all recommend stopping in Georgia. I think I will cancel my Liberty Tree reservations as 11:35 is too ambitious I think. I am taking my husband, who is NOT a Disney fanatic like me and I want it to be a nice relaxing trip so that maybe there will be more in the future. The last time we went was a family reunion with lots of people, little kids, etc. so I want him to see that there are different types of trips to WDW.

11:30 at Liberty Tree is a little ambitious, if you stop in the Savannah area. However, not if you stop in Florida.
Sounds like you travel the same distance as us. We are also 13 hours to WDW, but down I-75. We stop about 2 1/2 hours north of Orlando in Northern Florida. In your case, 2 1/2 hours from WDW would put you around Jacksonville. I'd find a nice motel in the Jacksonville area, leave about 6:30 to 7 in the morning, and you'll be checking in at Port Orleans by 9:30 - 10:00 at the latest. Drop off your bags at the front desk, catch a bus, and you'll be walking into the MK by 11.
That's what we did on our last trip.

 

[amcnj]

Hi. I am in southern NJ about an hour and ten minutes from the DE Memorial Bridge. I leave early morning (2:30 AM ) and arrive in the Orlando area around 6:30 PM. This leaves a very short morning trip, so you would easily make your 11:35 AM reservation.