....we've ONLY driven to WDW from NJ. This coming August 25th...will be our 10th time since 2004
....once we learned the routine (best way to do it) it's been a breeze. We leave at between 5 and 6 am (on a Friday)....drive approx 12-13 hrs the first day....and stop in Brusnwick, Ga. for the night. After a good dinner...good night's sleep...and a great breakfast (Cracker Barrel most of the time....yum)...it's a 3 to 3.5 hr drive to WDW the next morning.
...we stay in a Hampton Inn at Brunswick for the over-night stop...it's always been a great place to stay...clean...comfortable...really friendly people running the place. There are some pretty good places to eat in the area...and have actually had breakfast at the Hampton a few times too (sometimes skipping the Cracker Barrel...right across the parking lot...
)...but the Hampton has a great breakfast offering (not just coffee and rolls).
....don't know where you're driving from in NJ....but our total drive time (over 2 days) is around 16 hrs. Last year we made Brunswick and a tad over 12 hrs (not a lot of traffic when hurricane Irene is coming up the coast...I guess).
....on the return trip...it's a one shot drive. Leave WDW at about 7:30 to 8 am
...and pull into the driveway at about midnight.
....some driving tips:
- Never drive thru Wash DC. Use the Beltway loop ("I-95 I-495 Richmond Washington DC")...around Washington.
- Driving thru Richmond is fine...it's the kind of city that...if you blink...you missed it. The I-295 by-pass...saves absolutely no time.
- Take I-95 thru Jacksonville......the I_295 by-pass...is a waste of time.
- If you're stopping for the night...get a "Traveler" 'magazine' at one of that States welcome centers / rest stops...and use a discount coupon if possible.
- Drink plenty of water if driving...dehydration...leads to fatigue.