Best route - Chicago to Orlando

[irish dancer]

Shouldn't be, unless it's right before or right after an Atlanta Braves game.

Thanks, just checked their schedule and they have an away game on our Saturday down but a home game at 4:05p on our Saturday home. Should we try to be out of the area long before the game or wait until later?

We went through Atlanta at about 4am on a Saturday morning on the way down and it was just fine. It was a completely different story coming back. We got to Atlanta at approx. 4pm (again on a Saturday) and it was a nightmare. It took us approx. 2 hours to get from abt 10 miles south of Atlanta to downtown. Believe it or not, once we got to the downtown area it cleared up considerably.

Ugh, that would so totally stink. The drive home is bad enough the last thing I want to do is sit in traffic for hours. Was this during baseball season? Could it have been from a baseball game?

 

[Suzanne033]

Ugh, that would so totally stink. The drive home is bad enough the last thing I want to do is sit in traffic for hours. Was this during baseball season? Could it have been from a baseball game?

By the time we go to Turner Field the traffic was moving smoothly. The major issue was construction on I75. (Summer time is always bad for construction.)

 

[HHSTigerFan]

Best way we have ever did it from the Joliet area is leaving at 2:00AM, by 7:00 we are into Kentucky and shortly there after stop for breakfast about 30miles south of Paducah, north of Atlanta for lunch and into the Gainesville or Ocala areas for dinner and hotel...

 

[MrMarv]

That's pretty awesome as well; missing Atlanta traffic is the key in both directions.

 

[Danibelle]

And the thing about GA speed traps is that there isn't a set fine like in IL - it could run in the hundreds. Also if you are 15 mph or more over there is an extra $200 tacked on by the state. Turner County uses Laser guns so a radar detector doesn't help.

That extra $200 is the Super Speeder law. If you are going over 75 on 2 lane roads, or over 85 on all other roads, you can incur the $200 plus the regular fine. They are enforcing this on 75 and also on 95.

 

[2dogmom]

Best way we have ever did it from the Joliet area is leaving at 2:00AM, by 7:00 we are into Kentucky and shortly there after stop for breakfast about 30miles south of Paducah, north of Atlanta for lunch and into the Gainesville or Ocala areas for dinner and hotel...

Oh good, that was what I was planning on doing. It makes it sound doable!

 

[smidgy]

coming from 45 miles NW of chicago (elgin area) sometimes we take 65, some times 57.


either way, when we approach Nashville, we always take the 155Briley parkway bypass. and, even tho the GOPS tells you to go on 40 for a bit, we don't. we stay on 155 briley parkway. yes, it becomes a state route for a mile or so, and has a couple stoplights, but it's less confusing. and so much less stressful then going through downtown nashville.

we always try to make it past atlanta the first day. through the city or the bypass??? we change our mind all the time on this one!

when we enter GA< we stop at the first rest stop and grab the room saver coupon books.

we usually end up staying at an AMerica's best Value, in Perry, ga.. you can walk to a burger king. we are just there long enough for a cocktail in the room, a walk to burger king, and sleep.

there are places, though on the macon (475?) bypass. if you don't make perry. or planty places in all those ittle towns in south GA along 75. watch the speed traps!!!!

 

[smidgy]

My primary reason for suggesting that you spend the night south of Atlanta would be because their rush-hour traffic can be almost as gruesome as it is out here in LA.

If you spent the night in Chattanooga, you'd have to be out of your hotel & on the road extremely early in order to beat Atlanta's traffic.

If you spent the night in one of those suburbs, you could rise at 6AM, be on the road by 7AM, & arrive at WDW in the early afternoon, depending on how long and where you had breakfast, and a potty break/snack shop stop between suburban Atlanta & WDW.

The 355/I80/I57 route has gotten more votes than the I65 route on this board from what I recall, but it's been pretty close.

HTH.

this. hubby likes to get past atlanta, get as far south as possible the first day. the 2nd day, his back is aching, the kids are cranky (oh, yeah, we're empty nesters... the WIFE is cranky ) anyhoo, he likes to get to disney as soon as possible, check in, and get by that pool! so WHAT if the room isn't ready? we're in DISNEY!!!

 

[Bouncin-Tigger]

I might be solo on this one but we just go straight thru, our theory is why waste 2 days when we can do it overnight and get more time at wdw. It might be lil boring at times but is not bad at all. We leave at 4pm and at resort by 11 or noon.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I might be solo on this one but we just go straight thru, our theory is why waste 2 days when we can do it overnight and get more time at wdw. It might be lil boring at times but is not bad at all. We leave at 4pm and at resort by 11 or noon.

We do the same thing. We used to stop overnight but it was so much work to get everyone up and ready the next day that we decided to skip it last trip and it worked out just fine.

 

[LHARPSTER]

Im gonna keep my eye on this post. We are coming from Lake Geneva area here in WI and Im trying to find the best way too. Do you guys ever take bypasses around the major cities or stay on the main route?

 

[peppermintpea]

I might be solo on this one but we just go straight thru, our theory is why waste 2 days when we can do it overnight and get more time at wdw. It might be lil boring at times but is not bad at all. We leave at 4pm and at resort by 11 or noon.

Nope...we are totally doing this on our June trip! no wasting good WDW time in a non WDW hotel! We will rotate drivers...stop for breaks and eats!

 

[cruisingkat]

Im gonna keep my eye on this post. We are coming from Lake Geneva area here in WI and Im trying to find the best way too. Do you guys ever take bypasses around the major cities or stay on the main route?

The only bypass that we take is 475 around Macon. I75 veers east goes into Macon and then veers west again and adds extra miles- I475 goes straight down and rejoins I75 south of Macon.
We do not go around Atlanta - that adds on way too many miles and time and that road around is just as congested as I75 through Atlanta. If there are two or more people in the car, you can go in the HOV lane which usually moves a little better during rush hours.

 

[theclarks53158]

So excited about this...we are coming from Kenosha, WI - and are planning to drive through this time. Last time we stopped around Atalanta but that was a pain. We are also planning on leaving Sat mid afternoon and reach Disney the next afternoon. Figure the kids would sleep for 12 hours of the drive overnight. There is no better feeling in the WORLD, then getting out of the car after that drive at your resort and hitting the pool! I too would like to fly but too much money! I hoping that the gas prices don't go sky high around labor day that when we are going. Thanks for everyone's advise.

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

Thanks for all the info in this thread. We're leaving tomorrow mid-morning. For all the travelers with young ones, I found this place for our first stop south of Indianapolis. 2 miles off the expressway

It's a playground inside the Columbus Commons in Columbus, IN . I'd post a link, but it won't let me

 

[smidgy]

Im gonna keep my eye on this post. We are coming from Lake Geneva area here in WI and Im trying to find the best way too. Do you guys ever take bypasses around the major cities or stay on the main route?

bypass chicago, take 53, to 355 to 80 to 57 (if going thru illinois) or 53 to 290 to 294 to 80 if going through indianan.

we lately have bee bypasing nashville. we like the 155 briley parkway. (whether you approach nashville from 24 (the illinois route ) OR 65 (the indiana route).

yes, you end up hitting a couple stop lights, but it is mostly an interstae, (you go past oprey land) and is much less "harried" then through downtown Nashville.

the atlanta bypass? we keep changing our minds about that one.. the one thing to remember, most of the truck HAVEW to take the bypass, so there are tons of trucks on it, as oppsed to going straight through.

of course, take 475 around macon, ga.

 

[hearts8701]

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says southbound I-75 has been closed just across the Tennessee line because of a sinkhole that developed in northern Tennessee. The closure will force thousands of southbound travelers to take a 26 mile detour to get around the site
http://wkyufm.org/post/i-75-southbound-closed-near-ky-tn-border

 

[LadyBeBop]

Thanks for all the info in this thread. We're leaving tomorrow mid-morning. For all the travelers with young ones, I found this place for our first stop south of Indianapolis. 2 miles off the expressway

It's a playground inside the Columbus Commons in Columbus, IN . I'd post a link, but it won't let me

Here we go.

http://www.thecommonscolumbus.com/thecommons/

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says southbound I-75 has been closed just across the Tennessee line because of a sinkhole that developed in northern Tennessee. The closure will force thousands of southbound travelers to take a 26 mile detour to get around the site
http://wkyufm.org/post/i-75-southbound-closed-near-ky-tn-border

That portion has been open and closed for the better part of two months now. Right now, it is closed (scheduled to reopen on Monday). Even when it's open, it's down to one lane both ways, so it could be backed up for miles. This is supposed to continue until August.

It affects me, since I come down from Cincinnati. However, for those coming from Chicago or Wisconsin, you'd probably be taking I-57 or 65. it should only affect you if you decide to go through Cincinnati.

 

[SpecialK]

bypass chicago, take 53, to 355 to 80 to 57 (if going thru illinois) or 53 to 290 to 294 to 80 if going through indianan.

Why not take 355 to 80 to 65? Seems like it would be more direct and keep you away from 290 as well.

 

[cruisingkat]

Only two weeks until our trip - but we won't be going directly to Disney. Our trip to Disney will be over 2000 miles down and over 1000 miles back as we have to go to Houston first for our grandson's graduation and eagle scout ceremony. Then on to Disney from there. Much more economical to combine the trips, we save one leg gas and hotel by doing a triangle trip.