To drive from NJ or not to drive…

[imnotsancho]

There are times when it's not skill, it's conditions and right now there is a situation on 1-95 in Virginia near exit 136 between Fredericksburg and Potomac Mills as a general area.

6 Tractor Trailers involved in an accident. There are miles of cars stranded and stopped. Some have been in their cars almost 24 hours. Many have run out of gas, have no food or water and have children and pets in their cars.

Emergency Services have been trying to bring blankets, food and water. It's not moving. I understand VDot is doing the best they can to get it cleared.

It could be me. I'm local and often drive that stretch of road. I've lived in this area on and off for 45 years and I've seen backups and ice and snow and have sat in traffic, but nothing quite like this. I used to talk about the Nov 11th storm in the 80ties where I was out stranded in a snow storm and resulting stopped traffic, but this beats that one.

If you drive, keep your gas tank full or your battery charged up. Carry emergency equipment such as food and water, and blankets. Keep a phone charger in your car. And feel free to add to this list. I would need to have medication as well.

I'll be driving south later this month, but will be watching weather closely. Oh yeah....watch the weather forecasts closely, both where you are and where you are travelling to and through.

edit: almost forgot, day before - 61 degrees at my house and green grass. This morning 16 degrees and 10-12 inches of snow. Haven't seen accumulated snow that didn't melt in a day in 3-4 years.

Yeah this is what worries us and why I’m asking if it’s crazy to drive in February. I remember watching news of icy roads and 6” of snow in GA and all of the cars skidding out, dying and/or being stranded… VA seems scary right now and I hope it clears soon.

 

[MrKnight]

Obviously everyone is different but just looking for opinions. Family of 3 here decided that we want to get away. We’ve been pushing off a Disney trip since October and just feel like we should go end of February to celebrate our daughter’s birthday as she can get vaxxed next week.

We are staying at French Quarter and we are considering driving from NJ to Orlando. The main reasons for this are the cancellations of flights (airline staffing issues) and COVID concerns with busses.

Its a 16 hr drive in February going from north to south. Is this just crazy or would other people do this?

IMHO I would not recommend driving especially this time of year with the risk of snowstorms and winter weather.. Flying is of course the fastest/most efficient method, however, if you prefer not to fly, another alternative is the Auto Train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL.. The Auto Train is an overnight train ride, you sleep in a passenger car while your vehicle is transported in a cargo car, this is a great option for those who prefer not to fly but also don't want to have to drive the entire distance along the east coast, it also saves you an overnight hotel stay..

 

[_19disnA]

I agree this time of year can be unpredictable with weather and might be fine in one direction, but then a storm makes roads impassable for the return trip. Places in the south that don't usually get snow/ice won't have the trucks/salt ready to use like they would in the north. Some people think they can drive through anything, but if the roads are blocked with traffic, you could sit for hours until it clears. Would much rather fly this time of year. Covid is the other variable and remains an issue regardless of what the travel weather is like.

 

[Judique]

IMHO I would not recommend driving especially this time of year with the risk of snowstorms and winter weather.. Flying is of course the fastest/most efficient method, however, if you prefer not to fly, another alternative is the Auto Train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL.. The Auto Train is an overnight train ride, you sleep in a passenger car while your vehicle is transported in a cargo car, this is a great option for those who prefer not to fly but also don't want to have to drive the entire distance along the east coast, it also saves you an overnight hotel stay..

Oh, I didn't mention it in my previous post but Autotrain had a problem also in Virginia.
They weren't too far from Lorton, but the snow which is very heavy snow, the kind that is good for Snowmen and snow balls, brought down branches which blocked the tracks and a tree actually got up under the train. I believe this happened yesterday.

The biggest complaint was no meals and stuck on the train. Someone complained they had Sprite and Doritos for dinner.

Train was supposed to arrive in the morning so it took substantial time for it to come in.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Yeah this is what worries us and why I’m asking if it’s crazy to drive in February. I remember watching news of icy roads and 6” of snow in GA and all of the cars skidding out, dying and/or being stranded… VA seems scary right now and I hope it clears soon.

Thing is you simply have no way to know if you'll be in the clear, or not. Odds are you'll be in the clear. We don't get frequent snows. Suppose it's a case of how lucky do you feel? Or how big a gambler you are

 

[goofyernmost]

Yeah this is what worries us and why I’m asking if it’s crazy to drive in February. I remember watching news of icy roads and 6” of snow in GA and all of the cars skidding out, dying and/or being stranded… VA seems scary right now and I hope it clears soon.

Although, it seems to happen more often over the last 20 years it still isn't common. Back in the day when we didn't have the constant storm possibilities monitored by satellites and computers we used to make that trip, always in February. I do remember a bad storm in 1980 but that was a unusual thing. Now that I think back on it, I don't remember every having anything but warmth and sunshine on any trip to WDW. It was the other odd trips like to Myrtle Beach, for example when I ran into bad weather in Feb. and March. Still an oddity. Just watch the weather closely it is pretty accurate now. If major storms are in the area, even air travel can be iffy. I've lived down here in NC now for 11 years and can remember only twice when a storm caused that much havoc on I-95. This recent one and back a few years ago when there was flooding around Lumberton, NC. (Hurricane related)

 

[imnotsancho]

Thing is you simply have no way to know if you'll be in the clear, or not. Odds are you'll be in the clear. We don't get frequent snows. Suppose it's a case of how lucky do you feel? Or how big a gambler you are

Our luck is not great. Otherwise we'd most likely be flying. Our last time flying to Florida was on Thanksgiving day a few years ago... It was delayed multiple hours and we ended up missing Thanksgiving dinner. So with the issues at the airports now, we have no doubt in our mind our flight would be delayed or canceled.

COVID is a concern as well since there are a lot more "what if"s flying rather than driving, so that's why we're really talking ourselves into driving.

 

[imnotsancho]

Although, it seems to happen more often over the last 20 years it still isn't common. Back in the day when we didn't have the constant storm possibilities monitored by satellites and computers we used to make that trip, always in February. I do remember a bad storm in 1980 but that was a unusual thing. Now that I think back on it, I don't remember every having anything but warmth and sunshine on any trip to WDW. It was the other odd trips like to Myrtle Beach, for example when I ran into bad weather in Feb. and March. Still an oddity. Just watch the weather closely it is pretty accurate now. If major storms are in the area, even air travel can be iffy. I've lived down here in NC now for 11 years and can remember only twice when a storm caused that much havoc on I-95. This recent one and back a few years ago when there was flooding around Lumberton, NC. (Hurricane related)

I used to work for a production company that recorded dance competitions... We would work all up and down the east coast from like January to March or so and I only remember having a competition canceled once in March in Greensboro. It snowed a few inches. This was close to 20 years ago though and like you said, bad weather seems more often now. But does a bad storm in the south happen more than once a year? I'm leaning towards no... But decisions are hard.... Haha

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Our luck is not great. Otherwise we'd most likely be flying. Our last time flying to Florida was on Thanksgiving day a few years ago... It was delayed multiple hours and we ended up missing Thanksgiving dinner. So with the issues at the airports now, we have no doubt in our mind our flight would be delayed or canceled.

COVID is a concern as well since there are a lot more "what if"s flying rather than driving, so that's why we're really talking ourselves into driving.

You may want to look in to a service called Cranky Concierge. I use them when I have a flight that I absolutely need to reach my destination. Knock on wood, so far I've never need to use their services but it's nice to know they are monitoring things for me.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I used to work for a production company that recorded dance competitions... We would work all up and down the east coast from like January to March or so and I only remember having a competition canceled once in March in Greensboro. It snowed a few inches. This was close to 20 years ago though and like you said, bad weather seems more often now. But does a bad storm in the south happen more than once a year? I'm leaning towards no... But decisions are hard.... Haha

Yeah, we can get more than one snow fall a year. Talking about another one in 2 days actually. Plus, looks like you'll have to go through the mountains in some form or fashion. That's where things get the diciest. This past snow was a good example of that. I live on a mountain, we got 3, 4 inches of snow, had trees falling due to the weight and the wind. Road leaving the mountain was shut down for a few hours Monday. Drive 2 miles down the mountain to town, nada. Rain only, not a single snow flake. It was really freaky to look back up on the mountain and see it white topped, clear rain/snow line.
If it was any month other than Jan/Feb I'd say go for it. Those are the worse 2 for weather issues.
Though the biggest blizzard on record was in March, but it was even more an anomaly.
You're doing the research so that's good, just some more food for thought.

 

[mco65]

It is a long drive but i know folks who have done it. Personally, i would drive. I wont be flying again for a long time. I have done my share and prefer to drive nowadays.

 

[sam_gordon]

If it was any month other than Jan/Feb I'd say go for it. Those are the worse 2 for weather issues.

This. Or be willing to cancel the trip last minute. Maybe just because I'm old, but I don't like planning potential driving trips in Jan/Feb without backups or cancel options.

 

[Smile&NodVB]

Consider driving south - the anticipation of the vacation will make it go smoothly, then take the Auto Train north - then you just have a short car ride - I take the auto train both ways personally - in general, going north in the winter is the cheaper leg.

 

[trishie30]

We live in NJ too and have driven with our kids since our oldest was 5 weeks old (and she is now 17). My family doesn't like to fly so driving is normally our choice and we actually like it. Depending on where in NJ you're starting from, investigate both 95 and 81 (which you could pick up either in PA or you could take 95 down to the Beltway, then go west and pick it up in VA). 81 is a longer route but we like it better (not as crazy, a prettier drive, just less stressful). A few tips from our experience over the years...we have what we call the "toy bag" which is a duffel of travel-friendly toys that they can only play with on drives. The toys have evolved over the years, but I can tell you that's one thing my kids love, seeing what's new in the toy bag. We rely heavily on movies (get a portable DVD player if you don't have one in the car) and books on tape. When the girls were younger we would do a lot of car bingo, I Spy, Going on a Picnic, etc. We share the driving and go for about two to three hours before we stop for everyone to use the bathroom, grab a snack, top off the gas, etc. The girls bring their pillows, a blanket, their phones, books, anything that will make them happy and comfortable on the drive. When we were younger we would go straight through, but now we tend to stop in Savannah or northern Florida (we try to not be more than about three to four hours out from Disney when we stop). If we're taking 95, we leave NJ at either 2:00 am or 5:00 am but not between, as leaving between 2 and 5 would put us at the Beltway at rush hour and you just don't want that. If we're taking 81, we go west on the PA Turnpike and we try to leave by 2:00 am because the 81 route adds a couple of hours overall to the trip. As others mentioned, watch the weather and the traffic and make judgments based on them. We like Waze for traffic and Accuweather for weather.

As others also mentioned, what's really going to make a difference is how you and your daughter handle a long car ride. My kids have grown up with it so it's no big deal for them, but if anyone gets antsy after a couple of hours in the car then this is not your way to travel. Try a couple of day tris and see how everyone does and then make a decision.

Also consider the Auto Train. You pick it up in Lorton, VA, just south of the Beltway, and it takes you overnight to Sanford, FL, which is about 45 minutes from Disney. You can get a room (which we have done and I definitely recommend), and the ride is comfortable. You could also take it just one direction if you wanted.

The drive is definitely doable, but just like if you were driving, you need to prep for it and go into it with the expectation that there may be delays, accidents, etc. But it can be really fun too.

 

[LizzieandLuke]

I don’t mind long road trips but I also value my comfort. We start early but plan it out so that we stop around dinner time. Then check into a decent hotel, have a nice meal somewhere then maybe a swim or watch a movie in the room. Start vacation on day one.


We do the same thing! We don't mind the drive, but take it in 2 days.

 

[imnotsancho]

We live in NJ too and have driven with our kids since our oldest was 5 weeks old (and she is now 17). My family doesn't like to fly so driving is normally our choice and we actually like it. Depending on where in NJ you're starting from, investigate both 95 and 81 (which you could pick up either in PA or you could take 95 down to the Beltway, then go west and pick it up in VA). 81 is a longer route but we like it better (not as crazy, a prettier drive, just less stressful). A few tips from our experience over the years...we have what we call the "toy bag" which is a duffel of travel-friendly toys that they can only play with on drives. The toys have evolved over the years, but I can tell you that's one thing my kids love, seeing what's new in the toy bag. We rely heavily on movies (get a portable DVD player if you don't have one in the car) and books on tape. When the girls were younger we would do a lot of car bingo, I Spy, Going on a Picnic, etc. We share the driving and go for about two to three hours before we stop for everyone to use the bathroom, grab a snack, top off the gas, etc. The girls bring their pillows, a blanket, their phones, books, anything that will make them happy and comfortable on the drive. When we were younger we would go straight through, but now we tend to stop in Savannah or northern Florida (we try to not be more than about three to four hours out from Disney when we stop). If we're taking 95, we leave NJ at either 2:00 am or 5:00 am but not between, as leaving between 2 and 5 would put us at the Beltway at rush hour and you just don't want that. If we're taking 81, we go west on the PA Turnpike and we try to leave by 2:00 am because the 81 route adds a couple of hours overall to the trip. As others mentioned, watch the weather and the traffic and make judgments based on them. We like Waze for traffic and Accuweather for weather.

As others also mentioned, what's really going to make a difference is how you and your daughter handle a long car ride. My kids have grown up with it so it's no big deal for them, but if anyone gets antsy after a couple of hours in the car then this is not your way to travel. Try a couple of day tris and see how everyone does and then make a decision.

Also consider the Auto Train. You pick it up in Lorton, VA, just south of the Beltway, and it takes you overnight to Sanford, FL, which is about 45 minutes from Disney. You can get a room (which we have done and I definitely recommend), and the ride is comfortable. You could also take it just one direction if you wanted.

The drive is definitely doable, but just like if you were driving, you need to prep for it and go into it with the expectation that there may be delays, accidents, etc. But it can be really fun too.

This is great. Thank you! Up until Covid, we drove to Massachusetts a couple of times a year. A 4.5 hr drive is short compared to 16.5 hrs. The 4.5 hr drive would be more like 6 hrs though due to stops.

The auto train back is not a bad idea. I can’t wrap my head around taking it going there because I feel like the majority of the traffic would be from NJ to VA, but if I’m exhausted coming back, it may be a good idea. We are also planning on headed back on a Thursday, so we could potentially stop along the way and take our time.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I drove twice last year from NY (also a 16 hour drive)--once solo and the second time with my sister, BIL, and their 2-month old. Both times I split the driving into 3 days and it wasn't bad. It was really nice to have my own car at Disney and you get the added benefit of driving to parks and avoiding shared transportation.

I did hit an ice storm in MD when I drove solo in February and stayed a motel earlier than my intended overnight stop. It wasn't too bad, I just did a little more driving the second day.

I would say it just depends how you and your kids are with long car rides, and if you have some flexibilty in your schedule (for snowstorms, etc.)

 

[imnotsancho]

This. Or be willing to cancel the trip last minute. Maybe just because I'm old, but I don't like planning potential driving trips in Jan/Feb without backups or cancel options.

So yeah, In regards to this, I’m sure I could look it up elsewhere, but if we have another stay booked in April as backup, could we just cancel the hotel and transfer the tickets to April? It wouldn’t be the end of the world to postpone but not sure what the rules are for packages…

 

[imnotsancho]

If anyone has any 81 tips, they’d be appreciated. Says it’s currently an extra hour

 

[ttintagel]

When I was a kid, we would drive from New York, breaking the trip up with an overnight motel stay halfway. I’ve always flown as an adult because fewer driving days made for more park days on my limited vacation time.

That said, with both the state and the price of air travel the way it is right at this moment in time, I would probably choose to drive if I was going. I mean, you should do the math for your own family to see which option is more affordable, but I feel like right now driving would be safer and more enjoyable, for our family anyway.

I know parking is no longer free at Disney resorts, but that’s just one more reason to stay offsite in a much cheaper room.