Best route from Birmingham to Disney

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Some how I've be come my friends Disney expert.

Friends of ours are going to Disneyworld in July and are driving from Oklahoma to Birmingham to visit family and then drive on to Disneyworld.

I know many of you have driven thru Birmingham on your way to Disney. So what's the best/fastest route?

Google maps takes them thru Atlanta and I've heard nothing but horror stories about driving thru Atlanta.

Whatcha think?

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

We prefer driving through Atlanta. We also time it to get through Atlanta after 7pm

 

We've also gone through about 10 am or 2pm

 

Any of those times are not too bad.

 

We go directly through downtown, and don't take the bypass. You lose the semi trucks through downtown as they have to take the bypass.

 

We then stop in South Georgia for the night, and finish the drive to Disney in the morning.

 

Bob prefers going south through Montgomery, then 231 to I-10.

 

Another route is going through Auburn, Columbus, GA, and then picking up I-75 in South Georgia.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Thanks Carol. I'll pass on the info.

How's the traffic on I-75 south from Atlanta to Orlando?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

If I take the route through Birmingham I follow the same route Bob takes. 65 to Montgomery, 231 through Dothan down to 10. East on 10 to 75 south

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

If I take the route through Birmingham I follow the same route Bob takes. 65 to Montgomery, 231 through Dothan down to 10. East on 10 to 75 south

Is that your preferred route?

Is it faster than going thru Atlanta or just easier?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

If I take the route through Birmingham I follow the same route Bob takes. 65 to Montgomery, 231 through Dothan down to 10. East on 10 to 75 south

Is that your preferred route?

Is it faster than going thru Atlanta or just easier?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

If I take the route through Birmingham I follow the same route Bob takes. 65 to Montgomery, 231 through Dothan down to 10. East on 10 to 75 south

Is that your preferred route?

Is it faster than going thru Atlanta or just easier?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I think the gloat wants to know also. Lol.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Thanks Carol. I'll pass on the info.

How's the traffic on I-75 south from Atlanta to Orlando?

Once you get past Atlanta, it's easy all the way to the Turnpike.

 

They have finished the 3-lane construction project all the way to the Georgia line. Easy sailing all the way.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Why would anyone driving from Birmingham to Orlando go anywhere near Atlanta?

 

That makes no sense.  Atlanta is actually a little north of Birmingham.

 

You definitely want to take 231 to 10.  That's a much easier and more pleasant drive.  75 is awful in Georgia.

 

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Sorry, we do. We've tried the 231 route before, and the constant stop and go through all the little towns, drives us crazy. For us, a few miles out of the way to stay on interstate is worth it :)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Sorry, we do. We've tried the 231 route before, and the constant stop and go through all the little towns, drives us crazy. For us, a few miles out of the way to stay on interstate is worth it :)

 

You're not from Birmingham.  You're north of Atlanta and well east of Birmingham.  Atlanta is between you and Orlando.  You don't have an easy way to avoid Atlanta.

 

Folks driving from Birmingham do-they just need to head south to 10 and do their easterly driving on 10.

 

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

We do drive through Birmingham though. The little roads between Huntsville and Atlanta aren't any better either, so for us, it's I-65 to B'ham, I-20 to Atlanta, then I-75 South.

 

We are on the far west side of Huntsville, so going to I- 65 makes sense.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We do drive through Birmingham though. The little roads between Huntsville and Atlanta aren't any better either, so for us, it's I-65 to B'ham, I-20 to Atlanta, then I-75 South.

 

We are on the far west side of Huntsville, so going to I- 65 makes sense.

 

Oh gotcha- I didn't know you were that far to the west.

 

My thinking is skewed because I'm only familiar with driving to and from Auburn, and I cut over to and from 75 far south of Atlanta.

 

TCD

[lklasing 16]

Both times we've driven from Birmingham, we wound up going to WDW through Montgomery, Dothan, then on to I-10, etc. But on the way back, we went through Atlanta.  Both times, we decided that Atlanta is better - fewer stops and starts and therefore overall faster.  But, there is an element of risk depending on what's happening in Atlanta when you happen to pass through.  We were lucky both times.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Both times we've driven from Birmingham, we wound up going to WDW through Montgomery, Dothan, then on to I-10, etc. But on the way back, we went through Atlanta.  Both times, we decided that Atlanta is better - fewer stops and starts and therefore overall faster.  But, there is an element of risk depending on what's happening in Atlanta when you happen to pass through.  We were lucky both times.

Ot sounds like driving thru any big city.

If I'm driving thru Dallas heading south I know several ways around it that are longer (distance) but would save me time during rush hour or if there is an accident. But if the highways are clear it's faster just to go right thru downtown.

Thanks.

[geoffdaddy 33]

We prefer driving through Atlanta. We also time it to get through Atlanta after 7pm

 

We've also gone through about 10 am or 2pm

 

Any of those times are not too bad.

 

We go directly through downtown, and don't take the bypass. You lose the semi trucks through downtown as they have to take the bypass.

 

We then stop in South Georgia for the night, and finish the drive to Disney in the morning.

 

Bob prefers going south through Montgomery, then 231 to I-10.

 

Another route is going through Auburn, Columbus, GA, and then picking up I-75 in South Georgia.

We're from the same place as Carol on the west side of Huntsville. There are a variety of different ways from here to Orlando, and they are all about six of one, half dozen of the other...there's no silver bullet unfortunately. There is no direct way to Atlanta from here, so you either must go to Chattanooga and down to Atlanta, down to Birmingham to Atlanta, or backroads to Adairsville north Atlanta on I-75. The Chattanooga way is 662 miles (est 10:04), Bham/I-20 is the longest, 689 miles (9:56), via Adairsville is the shortest overall, all backroads until an hour north of Atlanta, 622 miles (9:42). Dothan is 654 miles (10:05).

The numbers are the Google estimates. I would say that the shortest carries the greatest risk timewise, as it's all 2 lane windy backroads between Scottsboro, AL and Adairsville, GA. You get behind a logging truck or slow moving farm equipment good luck finding a passing point. Chattanooga way is the prettiest overall way to go, and on Hwy 72 although it has a few lights, it's all four-lane til I-24 and there's very little traffic. Lots of mountainy areas that way. I-20 way I've only been to Atlanta one time so I can't really comment, but between Birmingham and Chattanooga in general I prefer Chattanooga. Atlanta in general should be avoided at all costs if you are likely to be 1 hour +/- rush hour going through there. We made the mistake of going through Atlanta last time and it took a solid 2 hours to get from one end to the other. We would have been better off to go via Dothan on that trip. I prefer the Dothan way usually because Dothan provides a good stopover point midway for us because of my parents house there. Protip: If you do take the Montgomery route, make sure you take I-85-Taylor Rd-231S. If you take the southern bypass in Montgomery there are a zillion lights.