Driving on Thanksgiving Day
About This Page: This is a discussion on Driving on Thanksgiving Day within the Getting There (and Back!): Your Journey to Walt Disney World, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; I am so excited we made it to single digits :cheer2: We are thinking of changing our driving plans. We ...
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I am so excited we made it to single digits :cheer2: We are thinking of changing our driving plans. We are supposed to leave Eastern NC on the 21st and stop half way and drive the rest on thanksgiving day to Disney. But We think it may be better to drive straight through on the 22nd Thanksgiving day but we worry about traffic on thanksgiving day.
if anyone has driven on thanksgiving day or if anyone has thoughts.
I haven't driven on Thanksgiving day to WDW but we drove home from WDW on Christmas Day & we forgot that a lot of gas stations outside of the "World" were closed. We ended up looking for truck stops to get gas. Same for food.
I haven't driven on Thanksgiving day to WDW but we drove home from WDW on Christmas Day & we forgot that a lot of gas stations outside of the "World" were closed. We ended up looking for truck stops to get gas. Same for food.
Oh man thanks so much, That is one thing that I didn't even think of!
Two years ago, we went to Disney over Thanksgiving week... We drove home the Sunday after Thanksgiving- BIG MISTAKE!. It was only a seven hour drive down and twelve hour drive back going miserably slow in stop and go traffic! I will NEVER EVER do that again... I don't think Thanksgiving is supposed to be as bad, but I do believe that is a very heavy travel day... but then again the day before Thanksgiving is a heavy travel day as well.... I would try to drive in the way late hours or the early wee morning hours to avoid the traffic...
We've driven on Thanksgiving a lot. Traffic has never been a problem, but finding places open to eat has been.
Cracker Barrel usually is open, and serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
I'd much rather travel on Thanksgiving than on the day before or the Sunday after.
__________________
Carolyn
Last edited by Carousel96; 11-13-2012 at 08:02 AM..
Cracker Barrel usually is open, and serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Lots of CB along 95; we actually were moving last year and ate T'Day dinner there. Good food and good price.
We wait to leave until the day after Thanksgiving, in part because some of the services, especially at more rural exits, may be closed. So you'll definitely be getting to know the truck stops if you decide to drive through. I don't think the traffic, if you're using 95, will be heavy enough to bother you. City areas and transportation hubs will be a bit busier though, and sadly, so will any exit that has a big store like WalMart.
We leave from near D.C. and split the trip into two days. I really am too old at this point to do that drive straight through thing!
__________________
Nik & his favorite guy Goofy at DHS Osborne Lights
Sandra in Northern VA
Last edited by yalibrarian; 11-12-2012 at 08:12 PM..
Its been a while since we drove anywhere on Thanksgiving but from past experience traffic is fairly light. The day before and day after are much worse.
You should be OK traffic wise especially since you're below Richmond (avoid bridge work along 95). The news stations always show 95N bumper to bumper then 95S practically empty the night before TG. Everytime we've gone at this time including last year we leave after work driving straight thru arriving 10A to 1P, with a rest stop nap. We never have had any problems finding food or gas open, but the hotels appear full based on the parking lots. Have a Great trip!
We have had good experiences driving down from NJ on Thanksgiving day and will be doing so again this year. The day after is tough. We try to get past Richmond fairly early and it is usually an enjoyable drive.
We have also done the Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving meal and have always found gas and fast food early in the day.
I know Golden Correls will be open Thanksgiving Day(we will be going there to take my mom out) but I don't know how well they will be along the freeway.
Good luck on Thanksgiving Day travels. In my neck of the woods on the other coast, Wednesday evening is awful and to be avoided.Thanksgiving is fine from midnight to ten-ish. Traffic picks up near noon as people head toward Grandma's house. Sunday is also nasty as everybody heads home and nobody is in a happy mood.
Over here, casinos are always open Thanksgiving and have pretty good food, if occasionally expensive. Truck stops too, of course because the work never stops.
I don't think you'll really need to worry about restaurants being open Thanksgiving day. DH and I noticed yesterday that a lot of places are posting they are going to be open and serving "Thanksgiving Dinner all day".
Gas - well, as long as you're following a decent highway, you should be okay for gas stations. I'd just make sure the other fluids in your car and your tires are all topped off!
About This Page: This is a discussion on Driving on Thanksgiving Day within the Getting There (and Back!): Your Journey to Walt Disney World, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; I am so excited we made it to single digits :cheer2: We are thinking of changing our driving plans. We ...
Linear Mode
