Anyone here from Ontario that has driven to WDW?

[Donald - my hero]

I had a fairly bad anxiety before Covid, during the course of the pandemic I've developed a full out panic disorder and I'm not sure how well I would cope on a plane a) because I already hate flying b) being confined in a small space that close to strangers seems unfathomable.
I'm debating if we should just suck it up

Can't answer about the driving part since the last time I did that I was in high school (still have horrid memories of those trips, we did it every single year and coming home was long, boring and exhausting even as a kid). I'd like to comment on the mental portion of your post though and hope I'm not overstepping.

I'm very open about the fact that I deal with mental illness, it's even in my signature, but I have multiple diagnoses and one is GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) with extreme social anxiety to make things more exciting. You are smart to voice what you're feeling and acknowledging how that might play into your trip, from the planning stage right up to the actual holiday, and I applaud you for that! (here's where i might be overstepping, please forgive me if i am!) Had you been receiving any psychiatric treatment BC (Before Covid-19) or was the anxiety something that you were aware of? If not I would suggest that you reach out for some help before things get worse, trust me, anxiety is rarely something that will get better with time and you mentioned yourself that you've been experiencing panic attacks (my assumption by your wording) which, if they haven't already, will soon have you adapting your life to avoid things that you used to do. That's not something i would wish on anyone, it SUCKS! There are several avenues that opened up to us in Ontario in 2020 and continue to be accessible from within your home. All types of things ranging from video appointments with all kinds of professionals to online courses to work thru. Heck, there are even workbooks you can order and use to develop some practical techniques to use that will help you deal with your anxiety. This doesn't need to be a long drawn out relationship with someone but can be targeted specifically towards anxiety. Will this help in time for you to be able to fly to Florida in February? Possibly, depending on how bad things were before and what types of things caused anxiety and how bad things have actually gotten. In fact, it's a strong possibility if you are able to start working on it soon and give yourself some "tests" in situations that you've noticed panic creeping into. DO you have kids? If not, you could always resort to a small dose of something that has sedating qualities (thinking Benadryl here, just to make you sleepy and slightly more relaxed NOT promoting stronger prescription medications unless you & a doctor decide they are needed), take it before you get to the airport (gawd those TSA checkpoints freak me out!!) and then possibly another before you board the plane.

I'm going to stop here for now (almost time for my telehealth appointment with my psychiatrist ) to let you have the chance to tell me to shut up & mind my own business (i which case i will delete my post!) or ask me for some specific avenues you can use to access FREE help (The government has stepped up to the plate with this right now)

Side note - someone else mentioned weather - February is still winter and while we're used to driving in snow & ice, the further south you get the harder it will become because they don't even have the equipment to deal with it! I still remember the one year we spent 3 days stuck in Georgia because the roads were closed

 

[Juventus]

I only flew once, and have driven the past 5 march breaks (including last year where I was there for 9 days before pulling the plug and leaving the Thursday before the shutdown).

I love the driving: and it's so much cheaper as we are a family of five and stay offsite. We usually leave Windsor around 5:30 or so and always make it past Atlanta, stopping anywhere between Macon and Valdosta the first night.

We always leave Florida the last Saturday of the March break to give us 2 days to travel but have always made it home in one shot.

I drive at about 130km/h with very few breaks and reach the border in 17.5-18 hours each time.

But like I said, I love driving.

I go I75 the whole way and am told it's better for weather and there are more consistently spaced rest stops than other routes, but that is only from other's opinions.

 

[Disneylover99]

We’ve been driving down once or twice a years from the Toronto area for the past 5 years.

In the winter we take I75, on our summer trips we go through the mountains in Virginia. I love both routes. We typically leave by 5am and avoid city traffic and it’s usually smooth sailing to the border.

We stop at a Hampton Inn or Country Inn and Suites at about 3pm and then we relax, go for a swim, enjoy a nice dinner and leave by 7am the next day.

The drive and hotel are a big part of our enjoyment.

 

[pigletto]

Just wondering if anyone can share experiences of driving from Ontario (we are in a small town in south eastern ON) to Disney World, Google says 21 hours (not counting stops) We are hoping to go in February 2022 of course soooo many factors will play a part in determining whether we can go or not.

I had a fairly bad anxiety before Covid, during the course of the pandemic I've developed a full out panic disorder and I'm not sure how well I would cope on a plane a) because I already hate flying b) being confined in a small space that close to strangers seems unfathomable.
I'm debating if we should just suck it up and plan to drive or if that's a time waster.

I also have diagnosed panic disorder that is almost entirely managed in all situations. That us until I feel confined .. like I couldn’t escape if I needed to. Where this comes up specifically is rides with locking restraints , and planes. But I LOVE to travel so I was pretty determined that I would keep trying to fly. You would know that the hallmark of panic disorder is that your world gets smaller and smaller as you try to avoid situations that may cause a panic attack. So specifically in the case of flying I wanted to try to keep doing it.

My doctor prescribes me something that I take before I even get to the airport , one before I board, and maybe one mid air depending on how I’m feeling. It does me a world of good , and I stay alert . It just makes sure my fight or flight response doesn’t take over. I still worry but I can’t work myself up to panic if that makes sense. This may be an option for you, or anyone else reading.

I don’t advocate it for every situation but it really helps me specifically with flying. I keep one in my pocket for the restraint panic and I’ve never had to use it. Just knowing it’s there and could work quickly if we were stuck is good enough. These medications aren’t for every day long term use, but for me I only use them once or twice a year for this purpose.

 

[DisneyMama811]

Can't answer about the driving part since the last time I did that I was in high school (still have horrid memories of those trips, we did it every single year and coming home was long, boring and exhausting even as a kid). I'd like to comment on the mental portion of your post though and hope I'm not overstepping.

I'm very open about the fact that I deal with mental illness, it's even in my signature, but I have multiple diagnoses and one is GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) with extreme social anxiety to make things more exciting. You are smart to voice what you're feeling and acknowledging how that might play into your trip, from the planning stage right up to the actual holiday, and I applaud you for that! (here's where i might be overstepping, please forgive me if i am!) Had you been receiving any psychiatric treatment BC (Before Covid-19) or was the anxiety something that you were aware of? If not I would suggest that you reach out for some help before things get worse, trust me, anxiety is rarely something that will get better with time and you mentioned yourself that you've been experiencing panic attacks (my assumption by your wording) which, if they haven't already, will soon have you adapting your life to avoid things that you used to do. That's not something i would wish on anyone, it SUCKS! There are several avenues that opened up to us in Ontario in 2020 and continue to be accessible from within your home. All types of things ranging from video appointments with all kinds of professionals to online courses to work thru. Heck, there are even workbooks you can order and use to develop some practical techniques to use that will help you deal with your anxiety. This doesn't need to be a long drawn out relationship with someone but can be targeted specifically towards anxiety. Will this help in time for you to be able to fly to Florida in February? Possibly, depending on how bad things were before and what types of things caused anxiety and how bad things have actually gotten. In fact, it's a strong possibility if you are able to start working on it soon and give yourself some "tests" in situations that you've noticed panic creeping into. DO you have kids? If not, you could always resort to a small dose of something that has sedating qualities (thinking Benadryl here, just to make you sleepy and slightly more relaxed NOT promoting stronger prescription medications unless you & a doctor decide they are needed), take it before you get to the airport (gawd those TSA checkpoints freak me out!!) and then possibly another before you board the plane.

I'm going to stop here for now (almost time for my telehealth appointment with my psychiatrist ) to let you have the chance to tell me to shut up & mind my own business (i which case i will delete my post!) or ask me for some specific avenues you can use to access FREE help (The government has stepped up to the plate with this right now)

Side note - someone else mentioned weather - February is still winter and while we're used to driving in snow & ice, the further south you get the harder it will become because they don't even have the equipment to deal with it! I still remember the one year we spent 3 days stuck in Georgia because the roads were closed

Hi
I've struggled with anxiety for years and years (I was diagnosed last year with purely obsessional OCD which I didn't know was a thing) I also have persistent depressive disorder (that's fun) covid has made the anxiety worse, I work in healthcare and having it in our faces 24/7 doesn't help!! I actually have an amazing therapist...who just told me she's retiring in 2 months, so we are in the process of finding a new one I do have a prescription sedative I could probably take for the plane if we fly to calm down but still be alert enough to help DH with the kids. Thank you for reaching out to a stranger on the internet with so much helpful advice.

The panic has definitely had me avoiding things I hadn't before, mostly covid related, DH and I are very into medical dramas (Grey's Anatomy, New Amsterdam, 911 that type of thing) and I haven't been able to watch any of them this season because they trigger me too much... went grocery shopping (rather than ordering online) yesterday for the first time in a year.

 

[mort1331]

So we are a little different,,,we do drive straight thru. Yes we have 2 drivers, but I do 80% of the driving. Last year when we were down during the closing, I did drive back the whole time since DW did not want to drive at all.
Now we are a driving family, we have flown a couple of times, but we drive to the east coast where my family is and everywhere else. I have driven to Vancouver a couple of times, but not with family,,solo.
We have used both routes, both ways, it just depends on which way the wind is blowing for me that morning we leave. Not much help here, since again we have left right after school, late at night, early in the am, and all times.
If you havent guess we are a very flex family, but we like getting to our destination quick and relax when we are there.
One of these times we will stop and enjoy the sights along the way,,just not yet.
Last trip out east it took us 9 days to reach Halifax,,,,so we do stop sometimes.

 

[DisneyMama811]

So we are a little different,,,we do drive straight thru. Yes we have 2 drivers, but I do 80% of the driving. Last year when we were down during the closing, I did drive back the whole time since DW did not want to drive at all.
Now we are a driving family, we have flown a couple of times, but we drive to the east coast where my family is and everywhere else. I have driven to Vancouver a couple of times, but not with family,,solo.
We have used both routes, both ways, it just depends on which way the wind is blowing for me that morning we leave. Not much help here, since again we have left right after school, late at night, early in the am, and all times.
If you havent guess we are a very flex family, but we like getting to our destination quick and relax when we are there.
One of these times we will stop and enjoy the sights along the way,,just not yet.
Last trip out east it took us 9 days to reach Halifax,,,,so we do stop sometimes.

I'm in love with Halifax, when we went down East in 2018 we had 2 days set aside for Halifax and we loved it so much we stayed there for 4 days instead. the whole east coast is gorgeous

 

[Rileygirl]

Cape Breton in Nova Scotia is also amazing! Do the drive around, it can be done in a day, but I recommend stopping for one night at the Celtic lodge!

just jumping on to say, I did get a prescription for flying a long time ago. And every time I fly, it’s in my purse. I have never ended up taking it, (except once, when I was flying by myself, with hilarious results) but anyways, just knowing it’s there was a tremendous comfort to me. I honestly should chuck them, they are years expired. But it’s my safety blanket and now I am sentimental about them!

also want to say how great dis posters are! Such great and thoughtful information on this thread. Thanks!

 

[starvenger]

We've driven down from KW (southwester ontario). We went through Erie PA and down, stayed in Charlotte overnight. We left at 5am and drove to around 6pm the first day, leaving us about 8 hrs the next day. It was a great drive, although it was Aug, not Feb. The Virginia mountains wouldn't be as easy in the winter.

Anyway, we made the drive part of the trip. I had binders for the kids with activities (license plate games, word games, etc) and had little gifts/treats planned for every 4 hrs or so. A toy and a snack for my little one, magazines and a snack for the older ones, a new dvd (we have an in car dvd player) of a movie they hadn't seen, mad libs books, etc. We stopped every 4 hrs or so to stretch legs/ use the bathroom and switch drivers. My kids still talk about the drive (it was 4 years ago), it was fun for them.

I did this drive down about 3 years ago (the trip report is in my sig), but we drove back up along I75. Wouldn't mind driving again, although I don't think I'll be doing it in the near future.

 

[DisneyMama811]

Cape Breton in Nova Scotia is also amazing! Do the drive around, it can be done in a day, but I recommend stopping for one night at the Celtic lodge!

just jumping on to say, I did get a prescription for flying a long time ago. And every time I fly, it’s in my purse. I have never ended up taking it, (except once, when I was flying by myself, with hilarious results) but anyways, just knowing it’s there was a tremendous comfort to me. I honestly should chuck them, they are years expired. But it’s my safety blanket and now I am sentimental about them!

also want to say how great dis posters are! Such great and thoughtful information on this thread. Thanks!

we did the Cabot Trail, it was beautiful but it was also incredibly foggy the day we drove it so I don't feel we got the full effect. we will definitely go back one day

 

[bankr63]

For a February trip, you would want to keep your driving options open a bit. Watch the weather, and set your final route based on that. If there's a big storm rolling in, delay a bit or get the jump on it and pay for an extra night in the South. Don't worry if you delay, you'd probably be losing time if you were flying too. Weather is one thing that can push me over towards to coast (Washington) sooner. The Appalachians can make a bit of a weather break depending on which way the weather is moving. Also be prepared to pull over if things change.

A couple of years ago we hit some pretty good unforecast snow going down in PA. We pulled over for the night in our favorite spot at Hazelton as things were deteriorating pretty quick. Woke up to a sunny morning and several inches of fresh snow on the ground. There were tractor-trailers littering the ditches for the first while; so we made the right decision. But the weather moves on quickly, and the areas that do get weather (NY, PA) know how to handle it. The interstate was clean and clear by 6:30am. Yes, it gets worse if snow hits further south, but those are pretty rare events. I remember that storm that shut down GA a few years back. It also closed many airports and disrupted air traffic for almost a week. Several teachers at DW's school were late returning to school (flying in). As long as you are sensible, you are in control. Don't push beyond your comfort zone if things get bad - make it an opportunity to discover something new.

If you like the route I provided earlier, I'll mention a couple of extra tips. Charlotte downtown traffic can be pretty heavy any time of day. Take the 485 bypass down the west side of the city (follow signs for the Douglas International airport); should save a few minutes. And unless things have changed, avoid the never ending construction in downtown Jacksonville FL by using the 295 Jax Beaches and 9B bypass down the East side back onto I-95. For several years I have gone straight through on I-95 thinking construction *must* finally be finished, only to take the bypass on the home trip. Reasons to never pay construction workers by the hour - I'm surprised the state isn't bankrupt on this one project. (P.S. that's a fish for anyone who has been through there more recently to tell me that the construction is finally done!) Oh, and with I-4 under massive construction through Orlando (twinning with toll lanes), I strongly recommend taking the 417 tollway around the city. Drops you at Disney's doorstep. You can order a SunPass or CFX pass in advance and have it mounted on your car and ready to go so no cash required and discounted toll rates. We have used SunPass for years, but my new truck will get a CFX pass this time as it works throughout the US.

ETA: another thought. Do you REALLY like to drive? It helps a lot. DW and I love road trips and seeing the great vistas of our country and our southern neighbors. We also like stopping and finding out of the way treasures. If you aren't comfortable on the road, then flying, although more expensive will get you there sooner. If you dislike both equally then fly - it's like ripping off the bandage; it's over quicker. If you find the journey as much fun as the destination then hit the road! Anxiety or not, step back and think hard about how both options will make you feel.

However you get there, I wish you the most magical trip!

 

[pixie_mtl]

The drive from Ottawa is about 21 hours. I've done the drive alone with stops in rest areas and a few times with another driver. Like many have pointed out, getting there seems to go fast because you're eager to get there. It's the return journey that can be dreadful lol Having another driver helps but it's best to plan a night at a hotel on the journey there and back.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We've driven a bunch of times. Dh would go to bed the night before around 8-9pm and sleep until around 2am then we would leave. While he slept I packed the car and got everything ready. We live about an hour from the border and as soon as we crossed over I would sleep as long as possible. So we would drive from 2am until around 9pm and get to Georgia. We would then only have approx 5 hours to drive so would usually get to WDW for a late lunch. We always packed a cooler with lots of food and drinks so we only stopped for gas and for dinner. I didn't mind taking those road trips once in a while but now there is no way in heck I would drive down there. For one DH drives like I have nine lives which I can no longer tolerate. Second I am all about having more vacation days rather than less and driving takes up too much time. The last two times we drove we had two weeks vacations.....I can no longer be away from my business for that long.

 

[DVCanadian]

We’ve driven from Ottawa 3 times. You should be crossing at Watertown. Avoiding Washington is one option, the other is timing it so you go through on a weekend or other non rush hour. We went through Washington each time without delays.

we drive about 16 hours the first day, stay in a hotel in Fayetteville NC, and that sets up a 6-8 drive to arrive for check-in.
Your first day drive would be a bit shorter.

onthe way back we stop at same hotel in Fayetteville, NC, then stay overnight in Washington near tysons corners to do some shopping and then about an 8-10 drive home.

 

[Average Joes]

If you bring food over the border be careful on what you bring. My friend’s mom packed his lunch once while they were between homes. He crossed the border for work. It contained an orange. He lost his Nexus and he works there daily.

 

[DavidL]

We ALWAYS drive to Disney World. The fuel cost from London ON to Orlando and back is less than $350 Canadian. We LOVE stopping along the way to eat at restaurants that aren't in Canada, such as Waffle House. The road trip is as much a part of the trip as the Disney Parks.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

We ALWAYS drive to Disney World. The fuel cost from London ON to Orlando and back is less than $350 Canadian. We LOVE stopping along the way to eat at restaurants that aren't in Canada, such as Waffle House. The road trip is as much a part of the trip as the Disney Parks.

When we drive to Disney, we also always stop for a sit down dinner at a restaurant we don’t have in Canada and always Waffle House for breakfast. I can’t wait to go again, not one to wish time away but I just want the summer to get here and if border isn’t open by then, I hope we can at least have a date and be able to actually plan

 

[DavidL]

I am holding out hope for a March 2020 trip to Florida / Disney. The planning of the road trip, is what gets us through the long winters. I do try to book the hotel rooms well in advance so that we know that we've got a room along the way. As of today ( March 21 ) many of the major hotel websites won't allow booking for mid March 2020 just yet. They allow bookings for the first few days of March 2021, but not the middle of the month yet. 2 weeks from now we will be able to start making actual bookings, with the hopes of being able to travel.

We go from London, over to Sarnia and cross into the USA at Port Huron, just because we prefer that crossing to Detroit.

Our first night stay is usually in Kentucky. Our second night stay is south of Atlanta, and on the 3rd night we arrive in Orlando.

On the way home, on the first day we make sure that we are north of Atlanta to try avoid traffic. We typically arrive in Atlanta on a Saturday evening when the traffic isn't too bad. On the 2nd night we stop in Wapakoneta Ohio, the home of the Neil Armstrong Museum. On the 3rd day we are home...

We love the trip, seeing the hills of Tennessee, the city of Atlanta and stopping at the KFC museum in Kentucky.

 

[Donald - my hero]

OK i'm definitely going to be dating myself with this reference, just curious is anyone else remembers traveling to Florida before I-75 was completed and I-77 was the road of choice? If so, did any of you get excited about the chance to once again memorize the poem at Dutch Pantry so you could get a free sundae at the NEXT stop ??!! That and needing to stop at Stuckey's to get those disgusting Pecan log things? Oh so many memories of the trips down, first stop and then every single one after that my dad would hit the vending machines to get packages of cheese cracker & peanut butter sandwiches, watching for the billboards for South of the Border and begging to stop (every year being disappointed that the signs were more exciting that the actual place!)
I had to google the poem to get past the first verse because it's still stuck in my head after (gawd I'm old) close to 50 years at this point!!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

OK i'm definitely going to be dating myself with this reference, just curious is anyone else remembers traveling to Florida before I-75 was completed and I-77 was the road of choice? If so, did any of you get excited about the chance to once again memorize the poem at Dutch Pantry so you could get a free sundae at the NEXT stop ??!! That and needing to stop at Stuckey's to get those disgusting Pecan log things? Oh so many memories of the trips down, first stop and then every single one after that my dad would hit the vending machines to get packages of cheese cracker & peanut butter sandwiches, watching for the billboards for South of the Border and begging to stop (every year being disappointed that the signs were more exciting that the actual place!)
I had to google the poem to get past the first verse because it's still stuck in my head after (gawd I'm old) close to 50 years at this point!!

View attachment 564251

We drove to Florida every summer in the 90s (I’m 39 this year) but always i75 all the way down. My dad actually drove non stop both ways and I didn’t love the drive , I remember being 10-15 years old and found the drive BORING....
My dad didn’t want to make many stops, just wanted to get there. Also, we weren’t going to Disney, we had a second house in Clearwater and so my excitement wasn’t as high...haha. I didn’t start going to Disney til my first was 3 years old, now almost 12 and other than a couple of years we’ve gone annually. We first planned to go “just once” just to get it over with... haha. Anyway, I digress.
Your experience sounds so awesome, lovely memories