If you drive to WDW, how long does it take you?
We are in MD and drive to ME every years (a 12 hr trip). We are trying to decide if it's worth driving the 14-15hrs to WDW. Or pay $1,000 in airline tickets for DH and I and our 2 kids.
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If you drive to WDW, how long does it take you?
We are in MD and drive to ME every years (a 12 hr trip). We are trying to decide if it's worth driving the 14-15hrs to WDW. Or pay $1,000 in airline tickets for DH and I and our 2 kids.
We drive from Toronto with our two sons almost every time we visit WDW. It's about a 20 hour trip, we do it with one overnight stop. We've been doing the drive since our youngest was 6mos old.
It's a fraction of the airfare, and we enjoy the freedom that having our car down at Disney provides. We enjoy the drive, and it becomes part of our holiday. :thumbsup:
We drive from NJ. Last trip we drove straight through, takes about 18 hours with stops.
We, too, think of it as part of the vaction. And it costs typically half of the cost of airfare.
We drive straight through from Columbus, Ohio. Depending on traffic (and how many stops we make), it's about a 15-16 hour drive. We try to leave around 4am, so that puts us in WDW right about 8pm. We go the coastal route (I-77 to I-26 to I-95 to I-4) and love the fact that the major cities are very easy to get through (compated to Atlanta going I-75). We budget around $350 round trip, and that covers food, fuel, and tolls.
We are driving for the first time this year because of airline prices and it is supposed to take us 17-18 hours from Philadelphia. It's going to me my wife, brother-in-law, & wife's cousin and we plan to leave Friday night in July and drive straight through and arrive on Saturday. Shouldn't be too bad with 4 people who can drive, or at least I hope not.
It's a little better than 20 hours from my place.
With the exception of one trip we have driven every time; we love the journey. In our younger years we would drive hard to get there as fast as possible, nowadays we take our time, stop and see the sights on the way. I think last time it took us three days to get there.
Our trips were with 3 children (all adults now), and we always had things (gameboys, books, tv's, nyquil, etc.) to keep them occupied for the trip. Of course, our kids were always good travelers, so we never had any painful journeys.
We were going to fly for our September trip, until I priced airfare. :(
I can rent a car and fuel it for one-third the cost to fly 3 of us.
Our oldest will be 3 and he's terrific in the car. Our youngest will be 1.5yrs and he screams just during a 4 hour ride to VA!
We drive every year from TN. It's a 10 hour drive. We pack pillow pets, blankets, movies, games,snacks, and coloring books for the kids.
We have driven the 2 times we have gone. We leave the day before around 4pm and arrive by the next morning. The trip is approx. 21 hours from Massachusetts.
Survival Items:
DVD Player with Disney DVD's of course
Plenty of Snacks and Drinks
Pillows
Favorite Stuffed Animal
Dramamine for those that can get Car Sick
Leaving at 4, the kids are usually asleep at 9:30-10:00 and sleep through the night. This way, it doesn't seem like lots of driving for the kids.
:car:
Because I live in Eastern NC - I've never flown down....always driven. But because we don't like to be completely exhausted when we arrive, we break the 11 hr drive up and spend the night at a hotel in Brunswick, GA.
We then get up bright and early the next morning to make the 4 hr drive in to WDW.
We always drive. It's 12 hours for us. We've been driving, not only to WDW, but pretty much everywhere we go since my kids were babies. I guess we've been really lucky with them because they have always been excellent travelers!!!
We drive because we like the freedom it gives us. We can decide at the last moment to leave a day or so earlier if DH is not busy at work. We can also decide, which we always do, to stay on vacation for another night if we are having fun. We also like to have our own car while on vacation. As much as we love Disney transportation we like to know our car is in the parking lot should we need it for something. And I also like to be able to pack whatever I want. I am an overpacker and I don't even know how I'd manage to pack us for a flight! It just works for us, and like someone else mentioned, we can still drive for a fraction of what it would cost us to fly.
We drive from east TN. It's about 9-10 hrs and like the rest have said, the freedom you have to go where and when you want to makes up for the long drive. I see and hear people all the time trying to rush through their last day at Disney trying to do this and thatand then trying to make sure they don't miss their flight. The price to fly isn't worth it IMO.
We drive down, too, from just west of Nashville. I'd rather have the short flight with a three year old and baby, but it's twice as expensive as driving, and I'd rather have that money for souvenirs.
We're changing the drive up a bit this year. Leaving two days early, driving halfway, spending the day at PCB, driving another 3ish hours, spending the night, driving to Clearwater, spending the day, then heading to WDW to check in that night.
Driving gives us the freedom to spends those two days at the beach, plus head to IOA for a day in he middle of our trip. We're hoping that by doing most of our traveling at night, the kids will sleep most of the trip.
While it is not MY preferred method to arrive there -- we drove to FL in December for our family's first time (I have driven as a teenager with my mom, dad and siblings and it was not fun that I remember).
We live near Pittsburgh and we left home at 4 pm Christmas day and arrived in Daytona (our destination) the next morning around 11 (we stopped in SC for a brief nap and again right outside FL for breakfast). We traveled with a 9 and 3 year old. The 3 yo fell asleep around 9 and slept until the next morning (THANK YOU BIG MAN ABOVE) as he is not a good traveller. The 9 yo had plenty to keep him busy.....dvd player, DS, books, new iPod, and he also slept -- just not as long. DH and I shared driving duties and when he decided in SC he was still too tired to drive I drove while he continued to sleep.
If you go at this trip with a strategy you WILL make it and it won't be a terrible drive/trip. I think knowing that your little one is not a very good traveller is what you obviously need to plan for. I'm not sure how/what time of day you travel to VA, but leaving at night was our saving grace! We left Daytona at noon and it was a rough several hours until night time with our 3yo on the way back.....he got REALLY punchy and was a little ugly until he finally fell asleep! We arrived home the next morning at 5 a.m. and everyone was happy to be in their own beds after the return trip.
I suggest making a plan, prepare for the worst, expect the worst (and I mean travelling with a not so gung ho traveller) and when (hopefully) it turns out no so bad you will have a very nice trip!
One more thing......if the 1.5 yo is not totally potty trained I suggest taking your potty chair with you.......that is something we did on car trips when DS#2 was in that time period.
We always drive because DH hates to fly (fear). From Cincinnati, OH to WDW, it takes us 13-14 hours. We don't have kids and we always drive straight through.
There's always a balance between flying or driving. If you save $300 but spend lose 3 days in traveling time is that worth it? Maybe, maybe not depending upon things like your job or employment situation, fears of flying, etc.
One thing to keep in mind, is that the cost of driving is not just the cost of gas. Most studies that I've seen peg the actual cost of driving (includes gas, oil changes, wear & tear, new tires every XX,000 miles, new wiper blades and everything else) at about 50 cents per mile. That's an average of course, not applicable to all driving situations, but it can be a useful rule of thumb when weighing the choice between driving or flying.
We are in MoCo and drive to WDW 4-5 times a year. It is 900 miles door to door, we stop for gas/bathrooms/food twice and set the cruise control at 10 over the speed limit. Unless there is DC traffic (always clear past Fredricksburg) it regularly takes 12.5 hours. We started doing this with a 6mo old and 5 yr old (they are now 20 & 24). We like the flexibility and it is certainly cheaper. Hope this helps
We always drive, but we only live 5 hours away by car, so it's a no-brainer for us. It's convenient because we can take food and drinks with us( for snacks and breakfasts in our resort room), and all the luggage we want. We should go more often than we do.
We are in Northern IL, so it's about a 21 hour drive for us. We have driven 3, maybe 4 times. It really depends on air prices and how much time we have. If we drive, we need the entire week.
We don't drive straight through. We usually leave Sat morning and drive 12 hours then stop for the night. We get there Sunday evening. Sometimes we've left Fri night to get there Sunday morning, but if we do that then we have to pay for 2 hotel stays on the way down.
I really prefer to fly but the drive isn't too bad if it's spring, summer, or fall. I would not drive in winter because it can get pretty treacherous where we live and then down through Tennessee with ice storms, etc.
If we drove, my family would have to stop at night. Unless we started at like 3am. I can't sleep well in a car.
I envy people who can just drive thru the night.
We drive every time! We are coming from Toronto- so it's about 22-24 hours depending on traffic. We know the good ol' I-75 really well now and wouldn't even consider flying. Getting there is half the fun for us!! Of course, the trip home is never as fun... :mickey:
Up to this point we have drove @ 12 to 13 hours. We usually come back all in one day; but in recent trips have broken up the trip into 1 1/2 days. If we get to go in October of this year we plan to fly for the first time. Changing things up a little. :blush:
We are just north of Charlotte, NC, so it's roughly 8 hours from here. Since we don't want to be completely exhausted when we get there, we head out the day before our check-in, drive 4 or so hours and stay in Savannah, GA. We get up the next morning and then drive the last leg of 4 hours or so and are fresh and ready to hit the parks when we get there. Now, on the way home, we drive straight through! This June will be my DS's first trip and he will be 23 months old! He's not the best car rider, so it should be interesting! ;)
We've driven - ~25 hours each way. We like having our own vehicle and the freedom to pack whatever we like. We've also had the luxury of time on our side. As our children get older and can't miss as much school, we'll probably have to start flying.
WE have driven down for every trip except one...we flew in for our 25th anniversary...the drive form here is about 10 and 1/2 hours....driving roughly five to seven mph over the posted speed limit.
For our family the drive is no longer any big deal (I guess once you've driven from East Tenn straight through to Montana and Idaho a few times, ten to twelve hours to WDW just doesn't seem all that daunting). We leave the night before and plan things out to arrive around 7:30-8:00 in the morning. About half the time our room will be available. We usually go to a water park on arrival day, where I (DD) will ride a few slides and then take a snooze by the wave pool or on a tube in the lazy river. It works well for us.
We have flown for most of our trips. We were in MI during the earlier years and it was just me and my DD and flights were cheap then.
In 2010, we flew in May. Again, cheap rates for us. But we drove in Dec and I loved it. I like being able to bring whatever I like regardless of space. It made more sense for us to drive then too because we did have to pack for winter gear (it was needed too) and then I like to bring breakfast items, snacks and bottled water and sodas. It was a nice trip and will miss doing it that way once we head back North!
We have driven from NJ before so we probably had an additional 3 hours more driving time than you. We didn't mind driving. My only problem with us driving is that we loose 4 days of park time. If time wasn't an issue we would probably drive much more because not only would we save on airfare but we would also save car rental fees.
We have flown every trip from Minnesota but this year my Parents are taking my Wife and I and they want to drive, which is something like 1,600 miles. I am excited about it, it's been a while since I've been on a road trip and I haven't driven that part of the country before. We are planning 3 days drive down and 4 days drive back to maybe see some sites on the way. 67 days to go.
We drive every time. All 22 miles of it. Takes about 45 minutes. :D
Before you start throwing rotten vegetables at me, let me add that we used to live in MD also, and always drove to WDW. Before we got into RVing, we'd stop at a hotel around Savannah for the night. With the RV, we'd stop at a campground in the same area.
For us, the drive was no big thing, except for the area around Springfield, VA through the area where several interstates intertwine - - we called it "The Mixing Bowl" - - which was a major pain, especially when pulling a 36' trailer! After that, it was always smooth sailing.
We flew our 1st 4 trips, but we've been driving now for years! The airfare is double what we used to pay & I just can't justify that huge expense! It's about a 14 hour drive for us, we try to do more than half way the first day, stop over night & arrive early the next afternoon refreshed & ready to go! Driving does afford you the advantage of bringing what ever you want with you! DS's are better car riders than I am! :D I'm the one that gets bored & just wants to be there! :blush:
We are in MD as well! We've driven down twice to Disney. Broke it up into 2 days, stopped at Santee, SC for an overnight in a hotel. We were travelling with my DS2 (at the time), my mom and DH. Admittedly that was about 13 years ago now. Recall the trip was about 16 hours one-way for us.
We have since given up on driving down and now fly OR take Auto-Train down. We're doing that in June ourselves. Drive to Lorton, load up an over-sized SUV that stays packed. Get comfortable on the train. Leaves at 4pm and arrives at Orlando at 9am the next day. Disney is about 20 minutes (??) from there.
But...whatever you decide...Hope you have a wonderful trip! :mickey:
Our one-way ticket for 3 adults, one child, and an oversized SUV was about $490 when we booked 4 weeks ago. Includes dinner, breakfast, snacks, and drinks. Plenty of room to spread out. And...no worries of breaking down at the beginning of your trip! We always drive back though taking the scenic and adding more stops on the way back.
for us its a five to six hour drive,depending on traffic.sometimes my dw & i drive down after see gets off work and stay in kissimee before checking in at POP.even on a short drive we find it fun to spot places that tell us we're getting closer. but there is a "curse "to living so close. you want to jump in the car all the time to go.when we have ap we do.:mickey:
We drove from Maryland as well ... about 13 hours, with a trailer. Now in a Tahoe pulling a 24' trailer getting 9-10mpg, the cost two and three years ago (at then gas prices) was about the same as three of us flying. However, we were taking DD's good friend, so it was cheaper! :mickey:
Driving in something getting 20+ m.p.g., family of 3, even, counting on getting even two rooms overnight each way, I'll wager it's still cheaper. And the drive isn't that bad.
(Of course, I commute up to 2 hours each way to work and back, so what would I know! :blush: )
We have flown, especially when we didn't have the leisure of an extra couple of days. I will not drive all the way in one shot. I'm not 20 anymore.
we drive..from illinois about 19 hours. We leave before dinner on Thursday night, have a dinner picnic in the car, and drive straight through. We usually arrive around lunchtime on Friday depending on how many stops to stretch, snack, etc. Our 3 yr old sleeps much of the trip.
Last time, we got an audiobook for each way--and found that to be a great way to stay alert--wanting to know what happens next. We plan to do this for any of our long distance trips in the future.
Coming back, we haven't found a good strategy yet.
We used to drive from St. Louis, and it is about 15 hours or so. That's if there is no construction, which can really hamper driving. I never minded the ride down, but the ride home was torture. We are the typical park commandos, and seven days of walking and staying up late, made the ride home rough. About four years ago, I have to admit, we switched to flying. So nice to get on that plane and be home 2 1/2 hours later. :mickey::mickey::mickey:
DH and I started driving down from NE PA about 4 or 5 years ago, and it has been wonderful!
We have driven straight through a couple times, but we like to start out around 5am, hit Savannah, GA, around 8 pm, relax and get a good night's sleep, then get back on the road around 6:30 am. There are plenty of stops along the way for coffee, meals, stretching, etc, too. We usually arrive in WDW around 10am after leaving Savannah (or a little later if we hit an outlet first for some goodies outside WDW).
This way we have a car on property, and it's a godsend. Getting to and from dinners at resorts is soooo short and simple! No bus hopping to get around! (Unless we stay on the monorail, then most of our resort dinners are there).
We've found that even when airfare was cheaper a few years ago, we could still drive, sleep and eat for about the same price as 2 airline tickets. Now.... we actually save money by driving. The drive is part of the fun, so we really enjoy it. I'll be getting a free room at Country Inn and Suites with points this time around, so we'll be saving even more!
Another good thing.... You can pack ANY WAY YOU WANT! We also don't have to pay to ship bigger items home since we can just pack it in the car. Another cost savings!!
We usually drive the 17 hours from N/e Ohio, leaving in the evening and arriving around noon the next day. No traffic at night it great. No sleep is not! We usually hit a Boardwalk area restaurant and spend the first night off site and check in by 8 the next morning to start our package.
The last time we flew was a fiasco. We took our kids and grandkids and it was a lot of money to blow our first day. We had reservations for a 9:15 flight arriving around 11:20. Not bad for the first day. Airtran changed the departure time twice and it ended up not being scheduled to leave until 12:30. Weget to the airport, no plane. Mechanical difficulty. Long story short, we got to the Beach Lcub at 7:45 that night with three very tired and whiny little chidren and an angry Papa who wasted a days visit.
In 62 days, we are taking the kids again. Driving!
So I got quite excited about the opportunity to use the train. Looked it up and it will cost our family of 4 like $1,700. I couldn't imagine traveling with my young kids without getting them a bed to sleep in. And since we are purchasing 3 tickets (youngest is under 2), it says we can't purchase the smallest room. What a bummer. It also says it cost almost $400 just to check our car each way.