On
May 21, 2012
Alisha from NJ
Asked
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Hi Moms Panel!! I was hoping someone may have some advice for driving from NJ to WDW, We are going in Aug. I have 2 DDs (5 & 2), they get ansy after about 2hrs in the car. Our initial plan is to stop every 3hrs and try and drive straight thru. Thanks!”
Hi, Alisha! We drive nearly all of our trips from Southern New Jersey to Orlando. For the most part, we can do it by driving straight through, with kids, without anyone getting dumped out of the car on the side of the road for annoying the driver!
For our family, the best way to do it is to leave in the evening, which doesn't work for everyone, but if you can do it, it's much easier. We leave around six in the evening, and stop to grab dinner for the girls. They'll eat a fun dinner, then we let them watch a DVD (portable DVD player or laptop computer is a lifesaver!). By the time they are getting bored, they're getting tired, and they can sleep through the night in the back of the car. I always bring pillows from home and their favorite blanket, so they're comfortable, and I let them travel in either comfy sweats or stretchy shorts. If there are two drivers, you can pull four hour shifts, so everyone gets some decent sleep, and by the time the kids are waking up in the morning, you should be more than half way there!
I schedule 30 minute breaks every three hours while the kids are awake, even if we just wander around a store or let them run around a rest stop for a little while. If they're content, I don't even stop.
Hit the dollar store before you go - or the dollar bins at Target - and pick up a few brand new things like coloring books, storybooks, toys, etc. Hand them out one at a time as the kids get bored. I let mine each pack a backpack of things they want to take, too - stuffed animals, toys, books, etc.
You can do this!