While a lot of the AllEars YouTube team lives in Orlando, some of us work remotely and live in other states!
I personally live in Georgia, about 40 minutes outside of Atlanta, which means my drive to Disney World is usually about 7 hours long. Not terrible, that’s for sure (I’m really thankful I don’t have to fly like Fry does, I avoid that all I can!), but I will say that I’ve learned a few things from taking multiple road trips down to Orlando to head to Disney World (both for work and for leisure) and these are a few things I’ll NEVER do again.
Not Doing EVERYTHING Before I Leave
This means before I leave the house I need to make sure I do the following to avoid any unnecessary stops or turning around:
- Use the restroom
- Eat SOMETHING (preferably something hearty/filling)
- Triple check my packing
BUT it also means that before I leave my area of town, if my tank isn’t 100% full (which is like, never), I need to fill up on gas BEFORE I get on the highway. While this does technically still count as a stop, I don’t count it since I’m only about 5 minutes away from home and haven’t really started the bulk of the trip yet (I’ll explain why that’s important for me in a second).
Making Sure EVERYONE Uses The Restroom When You Stop
Now this doesn’t come from my personal experience as an adult, but more when I was a kid. I’m sure those of you who went on road trips as kids or have taken them WITH your kids knows this struggle, but when you stop, it’s vital you make sure EVERYONE goes to the restroom no matter what.
I know, I know, I was one of those kids who would say, “But I don’t have to!” and then 20 minutes later I’d be requesting to stop again. I genuinely didn’t have to go at the time though, which is exactly why I’m saying that you should make everyone go when you stop to avoid this exact situation.
Making Multiple Stops
This is really only possible because I’m traveling on my own 95% of the time, so I’ve gotten what I need to do down to a T. However, sometimes I think I can deviate and then I add half an hour to my trip and regret everything.
Remember when I said I grab gas right before I start the drive? That’s because my gas mileage usually gets me halfway through the trip, so I only have to stop for gas once. BUT when I stop, I make sure I do everything — I grab something to eat, get gas, and use the restroom all in one trip. That way I’m only stopping once and don’t have to pull off more often and add more time to my trip.
Forget to Bring Snacks
Snacks are essential for all Disney World trips, but especially when driving! The one time I forgot to bring snacks was a trip I’ll certainly never forget.
Because just like in Disney World, every time I was hungry, I wanted/needed to stop and grab something. I tried to be smart and grab more filling meals each time (which was only twice, but that’s still once more than I wanted), but not only was I adding time to my trip, but it was also costing more money than I wanted to spend! So take it from me — always bring snacks.
Didn’t Allow For An Hour of Leeway Time
Atlanta traffic is NO JOKE, friends. I’m used to it in a way since I grew up here, but that doesn’t make it any more bearable. On my last trip I learned that I need to allow for an hour of leeway time EVERY SINGLE TIME.
On my way back from Disney World, I thought I had allowed enough time to get home in time to start work at 5. Imagine my surprise when I look down to see there’s a 45 MINUTE SLOWDOWN 5 hours ahead of me. Thinking it would go down as I drove, I wasn’t concerned until I was an hour out from the slowdown that still hadn’t gone down. I rerouted to a slightly longer route to get around it, but long story short, my 6.5-7 hour drive turned into an 8.5-9 hour drive…and I was a little late hopping on to work (but the team is very kind and understood).
Waiting To Pack Until The Last Minute
Usually I’m VERY prepared…until I’m not. My second to last trip, I made the mistake of packing late at night since I had an event that evening and wasn’t able to pack immediately after working. That meant I was packing at midnight, and that’s how I proceeded to forget my ID AND my second outfit’s shirt at home.
Yeah, not fun. Please don’t make the same mistake I did — even if it means you have to pack 2-3 days in ADVANCE of leaving, it’s better than waiting until you’re sleep-deprived and want to just go to bed and therefore forget important things at home.
Wanna know how that ID-less Disney World trip went? Read about it here!
We here at AllEars are always here to help you plan for your next trip, and I PERSONALLY am here to tell you all about my personal failures to make sure you don’t run into the same issues I created for myself, so stay tuned to AllEars!
Here’s why we REFUSE to buy ponchos in Disney World!
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What’s the number one lesson you’ve learned driving to Disney World? Tell us in the comments!
Atlanta’s traffic can make the strongest person drop into a fetal position and cry for their Mommy. That’s why I avoid going through Georgia altogether. Not that it’s a bad state by any means. But on one of my pilgrimages home from the most magical places in the world, I detoured through a tiny town in GA. I was pulled over by a sheriff in an unmarked police truck for passing a tractor and a break-neck speed of 45 mph. I should have known better when I realized there wasn’t a traffic light in the town.
Those are great tips for not having to hear the father figure in your head say “Don’t make me turn this car around”, only to know that you did leave your ID on the dresser by the snacks that you purchased specifically for this trip.
That’s so true, John, Atlanta traffic is AWFUL. I’ve been here all my life and yet I never seem to get used to it!
i hope you get to stay for more than a day. that is a long trip to work, but all good advice. and dont forget that id. i have gone back several times for ids or phones that were left behind. 7 hours gets to my limit for flying vs. driving.
Thank you for reading, Fred! My trips are usually just 1-2 days long in the hotter months, and sometimes a little longer in the cooler months since I don’t like being away from home for too long! The longest I’ve driven is about 10 hours in a day, and THAT was definitely my limit!