If you haven’t checked out parts one and two of my road trip from Chicago to Disney, make sure to do that first.

Where did we leave off?

In day one, we departed Chicago at 3am (yes, that’s crazy early, but you’ll thank me later) and stopped for the night in Macon, Georgia.  The benefit here is that you won’t be exhausted.  Yes, you woke up before sunrise, but you’re going to reach your destination for the day before dinner.  This leaves you time to let the kids run around the hotel (I recommend the Residence Inn in Macon, GA), get dinner (we order from Cheddars and eat it back in our room), and go swimming at the hotel.

On day 2, you can wake up and get a complimentary breakfast before hitting the road.  There’s really no rush to get going, but the excitement of reaching your destination will probably have you waking up early and eager to hit the road.  Side note:  If you have a reallllly early riser (5am like my daughter shown above), the Kroger located at the same exit as the Residence Inn opens at 6am if you need some place to get away while the others sleep a bit more.

The key to driving more on day one is that day two is much shorter.  Fill up with gas in Macon and hit the road!  With stops, it should take you about 6 hours.  You can make the drive from Macon to Disney in one shot, but I like to make one pit stop.

 

Sweet Southern Comfort–Macon to Gainesville

This drive is easy!  The excitement of getting closer to Disney will keep everyone on their best behavior.  Pop in a Disney movie and your kids will be in heaven.  The Florida Welcome Center (beware, there’s a fake one just before the real one) is a nice stop to stretch your legs and get a complementary glass of either orange or grapefruit juice.  We also occasionally stop at the Starbucks in Gainesville.  

 

I Think I Can, I Think I Can- Gainesville to Walt Disney World

You’re almost there!  I like to make one last stop somewhere between Gainesville and the Turnpike.  Think about your kids and their nap schedule.  The last two trips I’ve made, my oldest has struggled to take a nap on this portion of the drive.  You don’t want to wait too long to stop because your kids need to take a nap to rest up for their big arrival.  When you do stop, try to stick to the major towns (Gainesville, Ocala).  We stopped at Micanopy last time and the first gas station we stopped at was half shut down and then the second one was really shady.  After you stop, gear up because you’re almost there.  The Turnpike is super convenient and does have a few stops if you absolutely need it.  Before you know it, you’ll see the signs for the Western Way exit (which I must say is such a time saver; I totally remember having to drive all the way to I-4 to back track to Disney!) and you’ll be seeing this beautiful sight!