Driving question for the AL folks

[bavaria]

Well, it looks like I'll be back to the SE US states again later this year! :bluebloun I'll be in the Gulf Coast region about 3x if not more, so of course the brain is already thinking ahead to how I can add on a side visit to see the mouse.

This time, I am thinking of :coolcar: from Mobile to WDW. It looks like it's about 7 hours and since there are no nonstop flights that I can see from MOB-MCO, I would like to consider the drive.

Any thoughts/hints/tips? Do those of you who make the drive do it in one trip? if not, do you have a midway point for stopping? any special sights to see along the way? I really enjoyed getting to know other parts of the south, so I think that this may be an interesting trip.......

[KNWVIKING]

If ya drive to jersey first I can give you a few tips. Actually, the only tip I could offer is "don't fall asleep".

[bavaria]

oooh does that mean that you'll help me get to WDW after my trip to NJ in May???!!!

[KNWVIKING]

Sure. Which bridge ya wanna take to get off this pile of sand ?

[lllovell]

You are a better traveler than I if you can stand to stop on the way to WDW!!!

I don't know much about the way from Alabama, but I know we have a lot of Gulf Coast residents here that I am sure can help!

Good luck with your plans Bavaria!

Laura

[nono]

And, Bavaria, you can also take a boat to get off this pile of sand...(NJ). May is a great time to do that! Good luck with your AL plans too! :coolcar:

[Rozzie]

wowser! A Gulf Coast question! From Mobile it will be about 8 hours, depending on what time of day you are leaving. The 1-10 bridge, to my best knowledge, will still be out, to 1 lane from good ole' Ivan, and it can add a hour to your trip if you hit it at a bad time. Last time we hit it at 4pm and it was only 20 min., much better that what it has been.
We take I-10 over to (all the way over...long stretch) to I-75, after Tally, (turn off is right before Lake City). Then on down south to Florida Turnpike, then I-4, then of course, until you see the purple signs. The new element is the much anticipated "Western Way" which we are going to try in mmnn...28 days? I will report if we find it.
Stopping? We always stop in Tally (Tallahassee) for Gas, this one truck stop has great coffee bar, nothing like truck stop coffee to give ya' a boost. This last trip, we ran into horrible weather, and stopped in Ocala about 11pm local time and stayed the night. WDW was a easy 45 min drive after that the next morning.
Intresting things to see? uhh....interstate signs? LOL, just kidding. The big OJ center, uh...Plant City? is neat to stop, and they give away free OJ samples. The Oranges are out of this world.

Let me know if I can help in anyway, maybe Kristy and Erin can chime in with some better advice.

Have a safe and fun trip! :coolcar:

[Rozzie]

oops duplicate post!

[ErinC]

Yeah, just like Rozzie said, except, we found a short cut off of the turnpike that leads into the back of Downtown Disney. SR535. That way you don't even have to see I4. I'll have to check with DH on the exit number off of the turnpike. Although, if you are not used to going that way you might get lost. Delta was flying one or two non-stops each day out of Mobile to MCO. You might check Pensacola airport also. That would only be a short drive, and typically it's cheaper than flying out of Mobile. Since you are traveling alone, I would do the flight. It's not cost effective for us to fly with a family of 5, but with one person it would be the way to go. Please let us know when you will be in the area. We can all get together for lunch!

[bavaria]

Thanks ladies! I knew that you'd help me out!!! I'll probably be your way sometime late this year and early 2007 by the looks of things (but my schedule always changes.....) I really enjoyed my last two visits to Alabama, but never been to the gulf coast area yet, so I am hoping to see that part of the state this time around!!!!

[Rozzie]

good to know Erin about the shortcut! Let me know if you can what exit #...

Bavaria--I thought about flying option for you this morning and was going to post also that a better bet is flying out of Pensacola, nonstop. They took away the early bird (still mourning that one, nothing like making park opening!) but there are 3 or 4. Delta#6342 leaves around 9am ish, and I usually get a seat for around $250, round trip. Pricey, but Pensacola is not known for discount fares. With gas prices the way it is, geepers, for one person I agree!

Let the "gulf coast" group (Erin, Kristy, and I and whoever else) know when you are down, that would be fun to do lunch!!!

[Simba's Mom]

I hope to be able to contribute to this thread in a few years (Gee, will it still be around?) DH and I want to move to Alabama when he retires, and the main thing I like is that it's within driving distance of WDW. I'll be so glad to give up this searching for reasonable airfares, the hassle of airports, yech! What I'd be very interested in knowing is if anyone here lives in another part of Alabama besides Mobile-where and do you/could you drive there in a day?

[bavaria]

Simba's Mom, I don't live there, but I did travel around Birmingham and Northern AL. I would think that it's a pretty long drive from tehre if it's 7-8 hours from Mobile. I really liked the area around Birmingham, though. (of course, I was checking out to see if I could get to WDW from Birmingham while I was there last year....)

And I'm definitely looking forward to meeting the Gulf Coast ladies later this year! :bouncingg

[Rozzie]

I hope to be able to contribute to this thread in a few years (Gee, will it still be around?) DH and I want to move to Alabama when he retires, and the main thing I like is that it's within driving distance of WDW. I'll be so glad to give up this searching for reasonable airfares, the hassle of airports, yech! What I'd be very interested in knowing is if anyone here lives in another part of Alabama besides Mobile-where and do you/could you drive there in a day?

I have lived all over the state, LOL, which part are you intrested in? I have lived in Birmingham: really pretty city, hills, small mts, lots of natural areas with creeks and rivers. Lots to do, lots to see, very cosmo city. It's not called "little Atlanta" for nothing! I lived in the eastern part of state in Auburn while in school---flat, quiet, very southern charming small towns. Auburn isn't really quiet anymore. Montgomery is really changing it's face, it has a Shakespeare Festival that has national exposure for plays. Been there for quite a long time.
I live in Daphne, Al, outside of Mobile. Love this area, close to beach, yet away from traffic galore (I grew up in Foley, and it is one big traffic congestion now) and doesn't have the crime problems Mobile has.

Driving to WDW: Mobile 8 hours (give/take)
Birmingham 12 hours (give/take--maybe Lisa knows a better way
than I am thinking of. All I know I am 4 hours to Bham, and just
adding to my time.


let me know if I can help in any way! You can't really beat the Gulf Coast for quality of life. However, I so will be singing a different tune during storm season.:hammer:

[Pooh for Presid]

Hi, I think that I can help. I was born and raised in Mobile and have lived in Birmingham for the last ten years.

The drive from Mobile is very easy in a day eventhough you lose an hour when you enter eastern time zone. The I-10 bridge being out over Pensacola Bay does make it longer. Do not hit Pensacola anywhere close to rush hour. Delta as of Aug 04 still had one of its commuter airlines flying a couple of direct flights a day. It seems that you have looked and it no longer exists. I would agree that if it is you alone I would look into flying out of Pensacola. You do not have to go over the bridge that is out in Pensacola, you get off the interstate before the bridge when going to the airport.

As far as Birmingham, when I saw a poster say twelve hours (and I do not mean to offend) my first thought was maybe if you are walking. The quickest way is HWY 280 South out of Birmingham (through Auburn) until you reach Plains Ga (I think). Anyway just cut over to I-75 about 15 -25 miles north of the Fla/Ga line and take it (I-75) to Ocala and then the toll road the rest of the way. That drive can be made in less than eight hours. Now you have to be motivated and keep the stops to a minumum. We always leave at about 6:00AM to miss morning rush and end up having a late lunch in Gainesville (remember you lose and hour at the Ga line) and still make Orlando well before night fall.

If there is anything else I can answer please ask, I hope this helps. Welcome to L.A. (Lower Alabama).

[Simba's Mom]

We love nature (we're birders) so we were looking at Gadsden or Guntersville, which are probably too far. At one time, DH was sure he liked Auburn. There's a golf course there he liked (he's a golfer and got attracted to Alabama while golfing the RTJ Trail). But maybe now we may be looking at Eufaula. Also, everyone I know who's lived in Birmingham liked it, and it does sound very pretty. Thanks so much for everyone's help.

[ErinC]

The biggest benefit to the B'ham area is that Southwest flys out of B'ham. You can get some pretty good flight prices from there. It always agravates me that people in NY can get to WDW cheaper than I can! Mobile and Pensacola are not real competitive when it comes to flights.

[ErinC]

We love nature (we're birders) so we were looking at Gadsden or Guntersville, which are probably too far. At one time, DH was sure he liked Auburn. There's a golf course there he liked (he's a golfer and got attracted to Alabama while golfing the RTJ Trail). But maybe now we may be looking at Eufaula. Also, everyone I know who's lived in Birmingham liked it, and it does sound very pretty. Thanks so much for everyone's help.

We must have been typing at the same time. Be sure and drag DH down here to Baldwin county and check out our courses before you make your final decision. I believe that the Lakewood course (owned by Marriott), across from the Grand Hotel, is now included on the RTJ trail, if I'm not mistaken. Our area is the fastest growing area in Alabama for the last several years.

[bavaria]

Ah, I know the RTJ trail well.... ;) There are some very beautiful parts to your state....

Oh, and WELCOME POOH!!! (Not to go too far off topic, but do you remember the 'Pooh in '72' campaign at Disneyland in 1972???)

I think that I may still consider driving, as I like to see new areas of the world, and fly enough it seems! Thanks everyoen for yoru input!

[Rozzie]

We love nature (we're birders) so we were looking at Gadsden or Guntersville, which are probably too far. At one time, DH was sure he liked Auburn. There's a golf course there he liked (he's a golfer and got attracted to Alabama while golfing the RTJ Trail). But maybe now we may be looking at Eufaula. Also, everyone I know who's lived in Birmingham liked it, and it does sound very pretty. Thanks so much for everyone's help.

Guntersville is a beautiful part of the state. My parents kept their boat up their for a long time. Gosh, it is a little slice of heaven!!

sorry for saying a 12 hour trip from bham, like I explained, never driven it, and was just adding time it takes from Bham to Mobile. 280 make a lot more sense!!
Pensacola definately has direct flights still, I sure wish Mobile did! Oh, can't have it all!!!:)

have a great drive Bavaria! We are headed down May 17, when are you headed down? Maybe we'll pass each other! We'll be the ones in the silver SUV playing Aerosmith and Buffet CDs all the way down, and singing to top of our lungs. :sing: