Driving to Florida with small kids pointers?

[AmandaChan]

So yesterday my husband and I made the leap and we bought a van!! It's like luxury when you are used to cramming your entire family into a Chevy Aveo. I am so excited about taking road trips especially to WDW! I have made a post in the past about whether you would drive (13 hours) in a car with a 2.5 and a 4.5 year old and everyone replied either yes or no... I've always been all about flying but our last trip with our 13 month old was a nightmare. Not because of him, but because of all the RUDE people that you have to travel with. I won't get into details but there were 3-4 events that put the worst taste in my mouth for flying with kids. Especially after all of the horror stories with kids on planes and people acting like idiots I think I want to take my chances..


Now that I am excited for our little road trip sometime in the fall next year I have been thinking about it more and was wondering if anyone had any seasoned pointers for car trips with little kids?

Thanks.

[Itchy]

When my grand daughter was 18 mo we had a portable DVD player and a lot of her favorite toys. She was totally entertained.

Of course we had snacks and enter acted with her along the way...

Made 3 other trips with her and no issues at all as she is a joy to travel with.

Hope this helps...

[CuteAsMinnie]

Driving to WDW and other vacation spots are some of our most cherished family memories!

Three things saved us...

1) DVDs!!!!! Who cares if they watch hours of movies during the trip! It'll keep YOU sane!

2) Foood!!!! Make a special snack bag filled with all kinds of stuff! They'll love to close their eyes and grab a surprise!

3). The 'sucker' as DS called it! We were very adamant that the pacifier was for bedtime only. When he was 1 1/2 we traveled 10 hours by car. Not in his bed, no sucker. OMG!!! Bad move mom!!! We ALL were miserable! The next year we drove to WDW, 19 hours over 2 days. He sucked on that darn thing the whole ride there and not was he happy!!! And so were we!!!!

Enjoy !!!

[eandrsmom]

We are 12 hours away and have been driving since our kids were little. As previous posts have said, bring DVD's and lots of snacks. We typically leave home around 5:00 am and take several breaks throughout the trip. We usually stop for a sit down dinner right off the highway, just to keep everyone from going stir crazy. I also go to a dollar store before we leave and get Disney coloring books, crayons, and little toys to keep them entertained. I hand them out a little at a time whenever they get bored. Since we have been driving the last several years instead of flying, they now know what to expect. Even my DD5 knows that it takes a REALLY long time to drive to Disney. I think you'll love having your car there.

[AmandaChan]

We are 12 hours away and have been driving since our kids were little. As previous posts have said, bring DVD's and lots of snacks. We typically leave home around 5:00 am and take several breaks throughout the trip. We usually stop for a sit down dinner right off the highway, just to keep everyone from going stir crazy. I also go to a dollar store before we leave and get Disney coloring books, crayons, and little toys to keep them entertained. I hand them out a little at a time whenever they get bored. Since we have been driving the last several years instead of flying, they now know what to expect. Even my DD5 knows that it takes a REALLY long time to drive to Disney. I think you'll love having your car there.

Thanks! So you leave at 5 am? We were thinking about leaving at 8 pm ish and hoping the kids would maybe sleep a long time in the car? Have you tried that before?

[Strmchsr]

Thanks! So you leave at 5 am? We were thinking about leaving at 8 pm ish and hoping the kids would maybe sleep a long time in the car? Have you tried that before?

That's the way I did it when my boys were young. I would get in bed around 5 or 6 pm while DW stayed up with the boys. I'd get up 9 or 10 pm and they'd be in the van ready to go and we drove overnight while DW and the boys slept. I LOVED it. No fussing. No potty breaks. No traffic. And no danger of me falling asleep on the road since I had gotten a nap. We're only 7 1/2 hours away which is why we left later at night. For you being further away you might want to leave earlier, let them watch a movie or two, then bed down. But, driving overnight, for me, is the only way to do the drive with young kids. Once they get older then DVDs, food, and other things become good distractions and you can drive during the day.

[vamaggie]

Thanks! So you leave at 5 am? We were thinking about leaving at 8 pm ish and hoping the kids would maybe sleep a long time in the car? Have you tried that before?

If you plan to leave at night, make sure that your kids WILL sleep in the car-don't just hope it will happen. Our oldest would fall asleep in the car for both naps and at nighttime. My youngest really would not ever sleep in the car even if it was around nap or bed time. Even when it was REALLLLLLLY late, she only slept maybe 2 or so hours then would wake up and not fall back asleep easily. Made for a VERY cranky next day for all of us.

[another tink]

years ago when my grandsons were small, I went to the dollar store for toys, books, DVD's and wrapped them up. Then handed them out whenever they were restless. Worked like a charm. Can't do it now , their toys are too expensive now.

[joonyer]

We drove all over the country with our boys in our Dodge caravan when they were little. We didn't have the DVD player, but we had something else just as good; Books on Tape! (now called audio books). Some of them were hours long and the kids loved them. I can remember many episodes of "Hank the Cowdog". Very entertaining for the whole family and made the miles just seem to fly by.

[vamaggie]

We drove all over the country with our boys in our Dodge caravan when they were little. We didn't have the DVD player, but we had something else just as good; Books on Tape! (now called audio books). Some of them were hours long and the kids loved them. I can remember many episodes of "Hank the Cowdog". Very entertaining for the whole family and made the miles just seem to fly by.

We also did this when our kids were younger. Our local library had a good collection (they especially liked the "A to Z Mystery" series.) so we were able to borrow (vs buy) them. Also really good if your kids like the "hot books" (i.e. Harry Potter or the like) but are not at that reading level yet.

[Jeri]

We have driven to Disney many times with our kids. The 1st time our 2nd son was only 15 months and our oldest was 7. We have a 23 hr drive.
We always left at 4 pm, drove for about 2 hrs stopped got dinner (sit down in a restaurant) then went to a rest area, run around, go to the bathroom and get settled for the night.

Kids slept all night. We would drive the whole next day & stop to go to the bathroom,and stretch our legs often. By 4 pm we were on the border of Florida & Georgia. Get a hotel, next morning eat breakfast and finish our drive, with a stop at the Florida welcome center.

Tips:
1. DVD's lots of them, and make sure they are their favorite.
2. Pacifier, favorite blanket, stuffed animal. These will be life savers for sad little ones.
3. Snacks. I always put them in zip-lock bags, easier to get out and no worry about spilled bags. Also, bring small plastic cups to put their snack in so they can put it in the cup holder and don't spill as much.
4. Sippy cups. Doesn't matter if your child is older these make having a drink handy and not having to hand a cup or can back and forth. Plus, there are no worries about a spilled drink.
5. Take an extra few minutes to let them run off a bit of energy at bathroom breaks, it really doesn't add to much time to the trip.
6. Put a small blanket or towel in the side widows for the kids. It helps for at night when you have to stop for gas and they are sleeping. When you pull up to the brightly lit gas station it helps block some of the light.

I will come back if I think of more, which I might. We are driving down again in October for the 4th time and this time we will have a 2 yr old, 10 yr old and 16 yr old.

[eandrsmom]

We tried driving at night one time. Our kids did sleep at night. The problem for us was that the next morning, they were well rested, and we were exhausted. We'd rather get to Disney early in the evening, check-in, have a quick swim before bed, and all of us wake-up refreshed the next day. It's really whatever works best for your family.

[justice11]

we leave in 28 days with 2 vans withs 7 little kids, we are taking 6 kindle fires, 2 portable dvd players, both vans have tv's and lots of headphones (LOL). Watch out when you let the kids out to run around at a gas station or fast food place, because people with dogs do not clean up after them all the time. We have had the kids step in doggie dod doo on 2 trips, not a fun thing. We used to never drive and always fly, but prices out of St. Louis are crazy high. Have fun.

[RaLiErBe]

We did a trip from Michigan when our son was 2 1/2 and our daughter was 5 it was wonderful but you have to be prepared. Here is what I have to add to all of the very good suggestions above. We called it moms bag of tricks... I packed a bag of small toys and fun things that the kids had not seen or played with before trip. Whenever boredom or fussing started something came out of the bag that would entertain them for awhile. I got alot of things at the dollar store, nothing expensive. Mostly silly things (fake mustaches and a hand mirror, small etch a sketches, silly putty, etc.) I also sat in the back with them from time to time and read or drew whatever it was they asked for. Talk about the things you see out the window. Get a map and draw the path in one color and every time you stop add to the line with a second color to show how far you have come. I also have to agree with snacks and a DVD player. Be creative and have fun! After all you are going to Disney!!

[AmandaChan]

ralierbe - awesome idea! i'm seriously loving these pointers! can't wait to start planning.

justice - i would have not thought of the dog poo at rest stops thank you!

eandrsmom - yeah i thought about that too. i used to be a nightshifter and i know that up all night exhaustion all too well. i told my husband i wish our MIL would come with us and help drive but i'm not sure she will or not. even though me and him switch off driving its not like we will be guaranteed sleep with two potentially fussy impatient kids... something to think about....i offered my BIL to take their 12 year old with us bc they might meet us up there but it's not like she can drive, she might be able to help entertain the kids.

vamaggie - great idea! my husband literally goes to the library almost every other day and constantly has new releases on hold to pick up, didn't think about getting books!

joonyer - yeah we got a dodge caravan 2010.. how did it hold up on a trip for you?

thanks everyone!

[BrerGnat]

My recommendation is to slowly work up to longer trips and gauge how your kids do. We found out the hard way that our sons are NOT good long road trip travelers. We sort of knew it ahead of time, but we ignored the signs and drove down to Florida last summer from VA. We drove to NC the summer prior and they did better than we expected, so we figured going to FL would be easy peasy. NOT!

My younger son had a meltdown of EPIC proportions on the ride back home. It was just too much "sit still" time for him. He essentially exploded, and we were only at the halfway point of our drive home. We still had another 8 hours to got the next day.

Needless to say, road trips in excess of 6 hours are now forbidden in our house.

I have one kid who cannot just sit and do nothing (watching a movie is "doing nothing" to him--he has to be doing something with his hands). I have another one who gets car sick when he tries to watch anything, so he just stares out the window. He also refuses to get out of the car for bathroom breaks so he just holds it. Yeah, we are not good road trippers. Flying is SO much less stressful for all of us, except maybe DH.

[DisnIse]

We have made the 18 hour trek twice a year since our twins needed their own seats on airlines.
It's not as bad as people say.... we've done it all in one shot as well as broken it up in varying combinations.
If you are going to break it up, definitely do the longer end on the first day. Once you cross the Florida line, everyone thinks "we're here!" and yet there is still a looong ride ahead.
DVDs are key. We bought the DVD travel game for Disney Scene It so we can play a game instead of just plugging in for that long of a time. It's a good break.
Definitely eat every meal at a place with a playground/kids play center. I hate McDonalds, generally, but letting the kids run and burn energy is always good. We always make the kids go to the bathroom and stretch at every gas stop as well.
We drive as late as possible into the night. I don't know if 5 hour energy only works because of the placebo effect or what, but we've had good luck. Audio books help a lot when it gets later, too.
If I were planning it for you, I'd leave after nap time.... watch a movie, stop for dinner. Watch another movie, then drive as late as possible into the night while they sleep. If you can get from 3pm until even midnight.... with a dinner break, you're still 2/3 of the way done almost.
Wake up (find a hotel with free breakfast, too!) and you're like 2 movies away!

[AmandaChan]

We have made the 18 hour trek twice a year since our twins needed their own seats on airlines.
It's not as bad as people say.... we've done it all in one shot as well as broken it up in varying combinations.
If you are going to break it up, definitely do the longer end on the first day. Once you cross the Florida line, everyone thinks "we're here!" and yet there is still a looong ride ahead.
DVDs are key. We bought the DVD travel game for Disney Scene It so we can play a game instead of just plugging in for that long of a time. It's a good break.
Definitely eat every meal at a place with a playground/kids play center. I hate McDonalds, generally, but letting the kids run and burn energy is always good. We always make the kids go to the bathroom and stretch at every gas stop as well.
We drive as late as possible into the night. I don't know if 5 hour energy only works because of the placebo effect or what, but we've had good luck. Audio books help a lot when it gets later, too.
If I were planning it for you, I'd leave after nap time.... watch a movie, stop for dinner. Watch another movie, then drive as late as possible into the night while they sleep. If you can get from 3pm until even midnight.... with a dinner break, you're still 2/3 of the way done almost.
Wake up (find a hotel with free breakfast, too!) and you're like 2 movies away!

thanks! the more i think about that type of plan the more it makes sense.... and my husband agrees.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

I don't know if 5 hour energy only works because of the placebo effect or what, but we've had good luck.

We've done some late night driving and five hour energy is always a great option. It doesn't make me jittery like late-night coffee drinking and it doesn't upset my stomach like constant coffee drinking.

Also, I love it because I can just drink half of it (2.5 hour energy!) to give me that final push in those last few hours.

That doesn't help with keeping the kid entertained but it sure can help mom and dad stay awake and less cranky and tired!

[MN_Dad]

DW bought neck pillows and the little tables with lips around the edge. They used these tables for snacks, coloring, and when playing. It's kept their things from falling to the floor.