Is there anyone who has said they would NOT drive to WDW again?

[melk]

Just wondering, we have always flown to WDW but am considering driving (no trip planned yet) next time. Anyone driven with their kids and said "Never again!" Such a long ride just kind of scares me and would like to hear other's input. Thanks!

[papagooch]

I drive every year. I'm about at your halfway point though.
I leave Va. at about 4am and we are checked into a hotel
before dinner time. I also drive my wife and kids to Cape Cod
every year to visit her Dad. Give me the drive to WDW anytime.
Getting through NYC and Conn is a nightmare of traffic. If you
plan your breaks and if your kids are good at travelling you probably
have a solid 24 hour drive ahead of you. Stop overnight somewhere
that has a pool and a playground for the kids to get some energy out.
Don't forget to bring games and stuff to keep everyone occupied.
Theres also a site called the I-95 Exit information Online I'll try to
include a link but it may not work.This site will give you lots of useful
info. Good luck!

I-95 Exit Info Station (http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm)

[Esmerelda]

We live in Ohio and I would never drive that far from here again. The last time we did it was 4 years ago. We were so tired and grumpy by the time we arrived, it took us until the second day or so just to feel normal again. To me that puts a big dent in the vacation and then to think about having to do it again to get back home... :(

If there is a plane that will get me there....I'm on it!

Car rides to Orlando...never again for this old broad

;)

[Barb D]

We've driven four times (about 17 hours) and flown once. We'll drive from now on. Flying was quicker, but driving was less hassle and a LOT less money. Even at $100 RT, it added up to $500 extra dollars for the 5 of us. Plus, we rented a van which cost another $200+. OK, by the time we take out gas and a motel room we don't save the whole $700 by driving, but a good bit of it. And with flying I ended up just as exhausted (or even more so) after lugging luggage all over the airport, getting up at 4AM to get the airport early enough, etc.

My older kids (10yo and 8yo) are good travelers. We listen to books on tape all the time (not just when we're traveling) and it really helps pass the time in the car. My little one has not been on a really long rode trip since she was 5mo, but I'm hoping she'll be just as good.

BTW, we're currently listening to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which I've just heard is being made into a mini-series by Disney/ABC. It will be on TV next September.

[stevec999]

We always drive when going to FL. It is about 16 hours from Columbus, Ohio. We leave after work on friday and cover 5-6 hours. We get up on Saturday morning and drive the last 10 hours.

We always just relax and hang out by the pool on Saturday and are ready to go on Sunday. I have done this so many times it is just natural and part of the trip.

We will be taking our next trip in 3 days and will arive at the Dolphin on Saturday for a week at WDW.

Steve

[SNOWBOARDER]

Nope....wouldn't do it for a million bucks! O.K....maybe for a milllion......

[hellokitty]

Since I can find $112 tickets when I am patient I will NEVER drive, it would take 20 hrs.
and I would waste two full days (actually 4 days) driving.....my time is worth more
than that so it is worth paying for airline tickets. ...the four of us go for $448 total
It is worth every penny!!!!!!!! I myself could not stand being in the car for that long
and still enjoy disney....

I look at it this way: Figures based on RT from Dallas, Texas

I would spend $200 in gas (drive is 2200 miles rt)
I would spend $200 for two nights in hotel (one there/one back)
I would spend $200 for 2 breakfast, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and possibly more if we snack alot (this is $20 a meal)

It is costing me $448 to fly and $157 to rent a car for the week. (National rent a car w/ disney club discount)

Total driving about $600 give or take a few dollars
and $605 exact for flying and car rental...

THAT SAYS IT ALL!!!!

[leelee1971]

We drove twice - 18.5 hours - when my son was 20 months, and then again when he was 3 1/2. We don't like to fly, so that's out of the question. We haven't had any problems. We stop for potty breaks and for food breaks. I make sure I have enough toys/snacks to occupy him.

We've never had a problem!!!

[addicted_to_WDW]

We've only driven once. I think it took 15 or 16 hours. The drive itself was pretty pleasant, however we were tired the first couple of days we were there and the first couple of days we were home.

I'd drive again, but I prefer flying.

[sha_lyn]

We are only 7 hrs away so it isn't a big deal. DH's family is 14 hrs away and we drive it every yr (only flew once for a wedding that was in the middle of the school yr. We didn't want to take the extra time ). A few tips..... We first tried to drive at night and let the kids sleep. Big mistake for our family but some would do it no other way. We find 8 hrs on the road is enough for us. We always break the trip up into 2 days. We have a mini van and carry our electric cooler and 9in TV/VCR with us. We did tthe VCR/ Video games for the first time this yr. We only had one of those very small TV's before. I think next yr we might be able to do it in one day since the kids will be older.

[Planogirl]

I drove it once with just me and DS, and I said never again to that! If DH goes and shares the driving (and we keep each other company), I would do it again though. It's just too much for one driver IMO.

[cboudre1]

We drove when my DS was 4 and I said NEVER AGAIN. After September 11, I thought about whether I could drive. It has been 10 years and I decided that I can't drive. We are going to fly Southwest. 10 years wasn't enough time to forget the horror of a 24 hour drive.

[Desnik]

Yeah, I've said I will never drive to WDW again!! And, umm, every year I find myself in my car, driving, and driving!!!LOL:rolleyes: It's just hubby, myself and our almost 4yr old daughter. We leave at about 8am, drive till Manning,SC (we get there about 9pm, including potty breaks and gas, and food stops) We stay at the Holiday Inn Express for $59 incl. cont. bkft. We leave at 8am the next morning and arrive at WDW at 3pm. Dh will not fly and to tell you the truth, this time I don't want to fly either, so this Nov. we will be driving again. It really isn't that bad. We have a tv/vcr thing for our daughter and lots of toys, activities for her. She's really good in the car, we've been taking her on long drives since she was an infant. The ride back is the killer!! You don't have that anticipation of your trip to look foward to. So what I like to do(yeah you can call me crazy) is I always plan our trip so when we come home we have a day or two till a holiday like Thanksgiving, or my B-day, which this year is on Thanksgiving(11/22). We leave on the 10th and will arrive home on the 19th.

[ncbyrne]

We live in northern NJ. I always had a fear of flying, so we used to make the LOOONG drive to FL via Rt 95. A few years ago, we had an opportunity to go to WDW for a 5 day trip. We never drove straight thru, we always stopped for the night in NC. My DD convinced me to try flying (went to the Dr. for Xanax!). We flew. We took off at 7 a.m. and were in Orlando at 9:50 a.m.! What a difference! Less than 3 hours travel time as opposed to 2 days..... I'd never EVER waste all that valuable vacation time in the car again!

[Snow Shoe]

Been there, done that, and NEVER AGAIN! We did it back in 86' when the boys were 5 & 8 and they weren't bad by any means, but it was tough on them. It took about 28 hrs with a night stop over in Alabama. I decided upon coming back home that the next time we would fly. Well, we didn't make it back till 98' and we flew then. The boys were much older obviously and the trip was much more enjoyable for all. Since then, we have always flown and will continue to do so.

[skeezixspud]

... I suddenly win the lottery and we could both afford to quit our jobs. We have very limited leave time, so driving is just impossible from the Midwest; we are not about to waste 4 precious days staring at the dotted line down the Interstate. In fact, we not only fly down, we take a late flight, so as to eke another day of fun time out of the allotted days.

Remember, when calculating the price difference, include the lost pay or leave time from the extra days you add on for the drive. At my hourly rate, and especially at DH's, that would account for nearly double the price of the trip.

[Dr. Happy]

To be very honest, I really hate to waste so much of my vacation time driving when I can catch a flight that will get me to where I am going in a matter of hours.

The ride is too long, it seems to take forever, I have never experienced a "leisurely" ride anywhere involving such a distance, the kids get antsy, my wife falls asleep and snores... All this adds up to a less-than-pretty sight.

So I figure that spending the little extra money on flights is very cost effective and well worth it in the long run.

:cool:

[Redmic]

DH and I have done the drive 3 times (before we had kids). It is awful! The only way I would do it again would be if I were going for a month! A few hours on a plane and arriving relaxed vs. 24 hours in a car and arriving stressed and exhausted... it's an easy decision for me!

[C.Ann]

I am hoping to return to DW in December of '02 or January of '03 and at this point plan on driving even though I am 1,325 miles away from Orlando and will be traveling with my adult daughter (who sleeps all the way and provides absolutely NO company to me) and my 3 year old granddaughter..

Now - having said that, let me clarify that we will not be on a strict time frame and therefore will be able to take our time and not have to drive 10 to 12 hours a day.. When traveling with small children I would say you probably shouldn't drive if you can't space it out over a 3-day period for the distance that I have mentioned above.. The adults tend to get very cranky and it isn't really terribly comfortable for a child to be belted into a car seat for 12 hours at a stretch..

If the trip could be made in lets say 12 hours or so - with a fairly lengthy break after six hours -I would definitely say to drive.. With all of the hassles at the airports now you could be pretty darn close to DW before the plane ever arrives there.. 'Course this is strictly my opinion.. Do whatever you feel is best for you..

[georgiapeach60]

We have never done it but DH has already said he never will. It's flying or not going for us.

[kidzmom3]

We can barely stand the 1 1/2 hour drive from our MA home to our NH vacation place. But it is always a tempting thought (saving some money) for extra disney fun. My co-worker drives from MA every spring with his now DS11, DD18 and DW. They make it to VA for the first leg then to disney for the second. He loves it, and has encouraged me to try it. For now I say (with my 3 kids) No Way!

[Robinrs]

I'm relatively close, 6 1/2 hours, drove twice and swore NEVER AGAIN!

:rolleyes: Then came September 11th...

My son totally refuses to fly. He doesn't get teary or upset, he just gets sensible and logical. The fact that we waited 3-8 hours in the airport BEFORE this mess because of cancelled flights and mixups, imagine adding the new mandatory 2-3 hours to THAT! My flight is only 1 1/2 hours by plane and I've taken as much as a day to get to Orlando!

So when it comes to flying, to that I say NEVER AGAIN!

My son has NEVER said "Are we there yet?" and we drive 2 hours every other week to my parents house ever since he was born. We usually have great conversations and he always takes a nap along the way. Before we know it we're there. This year we're leaving on December 30th to spend the New Year there and his 9th birthday! Wooohooooo! :bounce:

[sha_lyn]

Robinrs..I decided even before Sept 11 that it would take almost as much time to drive there as it woudl to fly. By the time we left here and arrived at our hotel going by plane in would take us about 5.5 hrs to fly there. Now with the added security it would be at least the lenght of time it takes us to drive. I thought I might fly for a weekend trip to US/IOA but it would take just as much time now and the drive isn't bad.

[Robinrs]

Amen, sha_lyn!

I never thought about how BLESSED we are to be driving distance before now!

[susy]

Always drive (3-4 hrs away) yeah!!!! My first trip in 74 (I was 8) we took the autotrain . We lived in NJ . I think we had to drive a little to catch it, but it was so much fun and we had our car packed with our suitcases. They just put it on the train and off you go.....

[Alysa]

We have driven to Florida three times, once to Boston, once to Maine and once to Vermont but we are flying everywhere from now on. With a family on the way, there is no way I would ever sit for 22 hours in a car - my DH and I are all grown up now (we were young and stupid then) and it is time to move on to flying. We did spend just as much on gas, food and shopping at outlets along the way as a cheap flight might cost. Plus the last time we went to Floridia in May, we were driving along and we saw many deer walking all along the highway the whole way! I was driving at one point and my husband suddenly cried out "Deer"! I thought he meant there was another at the side of the road so I looked over and there she was tearing across the oncoming lane with a bunch of cars including a transport coming at her. There was one of those huge highway divides between us, and she was quite far away so I wasn't concerened about hitting her. Well, she saw the truck and decided her chances were poor so she turned around and came flying towards us. First she jumped in front of a blazeer about 7 car spaces in front of us and nearly ditched it and then all of a sudden she was right in front of us. We had to stop on a dime and she jumped and it was like Tinker bell was pulling her tail up and the fairy Gomother was bibbbity-bobbity-booing her back end because she just flew right over our car - she was so close my DH and I both saw the fear in her eyes. She must have been an inch from the glass and then she was gone. It really was a miracle that we didn't hit her. The car behind us nearly drove into the back of us and there was a black cloud of burnt tires in the air when we pulled over. We couln't believe she hadn't been hurt so my DH went into the woods to check but she was fine! I was shaking so badly, I almost threw up and I was unable to drive for the rest of the trip. My advice to you is FLY! North America lands millions of planes safely every year but every day thousands are hurt or killed in automobile accidents. NNEVER AGAIN!!!!!

[Barb D]

Alysa, I'd say that I'm all grown up too (I'm over 40!) but I still choose to drive. :)

[MaggieMouse]

I'll let you guys know after our trip!

We are all off the week between Christmas and New Year's so we're taking a family roadtrip. We have 11 days use so we definitely won't be in a hurry. We're going to split the drive into two days, stopping in SC somewhere.

Besides, my DH is having surgery on his knee 11 days before we go. With us taking our conversion van, he can stretch out on the back seat and watch a movie with the kids. He'll be able to do a little of the driving too.

Wish us luck!:)

[*Fantasia*]

I did the long 22 hrs driving last year with my hubby (who got scared of driving on the freeway on the mountainous parts of I-75 which was a lot!). We had to stop at GA in Macon city for overnight, then the following morning, we left and drove to disney.

We left Macon, GA at about 11am and got to our resort at about 11pm!! Just because I was so tired of driving that I keep stoping to get some rest. And it was raining at night and it was hard for me to see the road at night let alone when its raining!

I will have to do it again this Dec and Feb! Hubby is terrified of flying especially now after the Sept 11 attack! But what is nice about driving is that you don't have to rent a car when you get there and also, if you decided to stay an extra day or two you can cause you are not on a schedule and you don't get penalize for changing the date of departing Orlando.

[ellyn2000]

After flying the first few times, we started driving and now prefer it. We only live about 10 1/2 hours away, but we still break it up and go to Savannah, Ga. the first day and then drive on to Orlando the next. We drive straight thru on the way home. It really depends on how your children handle car travel. Mine have always loved it and I would start months in advance preparing "goodie bags" with car games, books, etc... for the trip. They also liked books on tape/CD and Disney CD's. We stop whenever we like and don't make it a big deal if someone needs a break. We once drove 17 1/2 hours straight to visit family in Canada and didn't have any trouble. We love having our own car once we arrive to do shopping, etc... Just decide for yourself if you're up to it and if the children can handle a long ride. It also helps if you have someone to share the driving with. My oldest is now out on his own, but my younger 2 are 12 and 13 and whenever I mention going somewhere they both say, "I love a road trip!!" Good luck. ºoº

[LeahA]

We've driven 3 years in a row from Illinois. We stop 1/2 way, so total, it's about 22 hours for us. Last year was our first year driving with my 2 ds, 4, and 1. It felt very long this past trip and I vowed I'd never go back unless we can fly!

Oh well, we have a tripped planned in 2002, and yes, we're driving! I guess a little bit of headache is worth saving $1,000.00!

Leah :)

[joyful1nh]

Hi neighbor! We're going in February & I've about managed to talk myself into flying. Must admit that my driving threshhold has gone up (if it were 16 hours or less and not the middle of winter I'd drive it).

If you're in the Boston area and Logan makes you uncomfortable, try Manchester, Providence or Portsmouth. All offer non-stop service (Southwest from Manchester & Providence, Pan-Am from Pease).

Just remember -- over 30,000 (according to People magazine) commercial flights take off every day. Statistically, we're still way safer in planes than cars. If you see me at the airport, I'll be the one saying this over and over and over........

[momof9]

We are driving down from MA in 3 weeks with our nine children (14 yrs - 1yr). We got a great deal on a hotel and figured we needed to drive to keep it low cost. We are psyching ourselves up for it and being very positive with the kids. Like I told my DH, even if it the worst thing that ever happened to us, we will laugh about it in years to come! Hey, this is what memories are made of. Never be afraid to try something!:)

[melk]

Oh my goodness momof9, you are brave!!! I'm sure you'll make some great memories though. I'm just wondering what kind of vehicle you own that you all fit in! Have a wonderful trip, make sure to tell us about it when you get back.

[kamgen]

We've done both. We drove down last month and it was fine.
We are driving down again soon, leaving on Nov 30 then home leaving Orlando on Dec 8. We will be driving back on Dec 26.

For us it SHOULD take about 18-20 hours (they say) but it takes us about 17-17 1/2.
We drive 31/2 to stay with my inlaws in Cincinnati for a couple hours (nap time) :) then we leave about 3-4am and can get to WDW by 5pm. The drive is nice and dh and I love spending time together.

Don't get me wrong, I wish we could get there in 2 hours. But, if we flew everytime, our 3 -4 trips a year would go down to one trip. When we do fly we ALWAYS rent a car. So by time we pay to fly and get a car, etc. we save by driving. And that money allows us to vacation a bit more. Plus, dh loves to drive. He actually prefers it.

We would rather spend money on doing things, seeing things, etc than on flying. For what we pay in gas to drive, we pay less than one airline ticket.

Just a thought!

Kamy

[ABCMom]

Another Ohioan who would hate to make the long drivewith three kiddos in the car - however, we have driven (pre-kid days) and I like to drive much better than fly, so hoping that one of these days, kids will be able to tolerate the drive as there is so much to see and do between here and there :)

[The4Foxes]

We live in northeastern MA (Methuen) and we have driven to Orlando almost every year - I am not a good flyer and thankfully my DH agrees to go along with the drive to save on $$$ - It saves us approximately 1000.00, not spending money on rental car for 2 weeks and airfare for 4 (DD, 8 and DS 2 1/2) - We own a timeshare at Orange Lake since 1992 so that portion of our trip is 'paid' for and it's not that bad of a ride (until you get to the Carolina's,) . . . We usually leave around 5:00 am on Thursday (1st week of May) and drive until Rocky Mount, NC, arriving around 7:30 pm or so - We usually travel the MA Pike to 84 through CT, pick up the Garden State Parkway and then the NJ Turnpike, (it's 6 hours to the end of the NJT/DE Memorial Bridge from our house) and then we were taking US Rt. 13, diverting off of I-95 in DE and crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (old family ritual) and taking 58 West back to I-95 (Emporia, VA) until my DH explained that it was probably the same distance going straight I95 - it is, but not as scenic. We stay overnight, usually at Hampton Inn in Rocky Mount and leave the next morning around 8:00 am - we arrive in Orlando around 6:00 pm on Friday evening. The way back is always depressing, leaving WDW!! On the way back, we stay in Rocky Mount (I think the hotels get pricier after NC going North) and then it takes 15 hrs the next day to get home. I'm already looking forward to May 2002 (187 days)- we're taking Amtrak this time - takes the same amount of time, not as much as flying and we don't have to drive! We can have a cocktail and relax - we will have to rent a car tho. Happy and safe driving to everyone!

[welovemickey]

We always drive. We have a popup trailer that we take every October. We have figured that the cost of a trip to Disney is usually around $2,500.00. I buy the passes throughout the year (so I'm not putting down one lump sum at one time), and we book the campsite with our Magic Kingdom club card.

We leave our house (just north of Boston) in the afternoon and drive straigh thru. We're usually set up and ready to hit the parks the next day around 3:00pm.

[MinnieGi]

My parents always drove to Disney and they still DO! But DH and I prefer to fly. We feel its less stress that way and more vacation time at the Mouse House. But some people like my parents love to drive it!

[ksdave]

I drove from NY several times, by car and by bus, and from St. L., MO twice. Every other time, I've flown. I work in the aircraft manufacturing industry in Kansas and my DW and I don't even consider driving to FL now. We will drive to K.C., OK. C., or Dallas to save some money, but we can almost always find a fare of $200 or less from Delta. My DD and DS are 11 and 9, and they are great in the car. But we all prefer to save our time for the parks.
I've already flown quite a bit since 9/11 and feel safer now than I ever did before. They've finally gotten serious about the security and I don't think any Americans, pilots or passengers, will ever let something like 9/11 happen again. My opinion: If you are over 350 miles away, the time savings for flying are well worth the slight difference in cost.
(By the way, you do NOT have to be at the airport 2-3 hours early anymore. Last trip, I hit security (35) minutes before my flight and still had time to sit at the gate and watch the world go by before the flight was announced).

[Deb & Bill]

We always drive. Our drive is about 14 hours each way. Our local airport is smaller (not a hub) so it costs a fortune to fly out of our airport. We recently bought the first Harry Potter book on tape (unabridged) and listened to it to and from Houston. (These books are wonderful. The narrator changes his voice for the different characters and does such a good job at it.) It takes about 8 hours for the entire book. So we will be getting Books 2 and 3 for the next trip to Orlando and listening to one on the way down and one on the way back. Usually we leave after school and get half way the first day. Then we cruise into WDW in the early afternoon.

This time we will leave at 6AM and get to Lake City Fl that evening and drive into WDW the next morning. We would have driven to Gainesville, but there's a football game in town the next day and all the rooms were already reserved. We have driven all the way to Ocala, but it felt very long. We've done the entire drive back home in one day - on Christmas day at that.

We've thought about flying, but it's cheaper for us to drive. That's the deciding factor for us.

[mikek]

like others have said-

if you have the time its a viable option.

I guess its kind of like the relax and smell the roses -vs- park commando thing. Some people like to sit back and soak in the parks without doing many attractions while others want to maximize their time and make sure they hit something every minute from EE to E-night.

We're someplace in-between (well at least on the way down), so if we have the time and can afford a few days extra to drive liesurely we might, but if vacation time from work is tight we generally fly unless we are totally strapped for cash and cant find an airfare deal.

[BarbOKW]

I thought I'd never drive, but last year we couldn't get any breaks on plane tickets (over spring break) so we decided to drive. We left at 3:30 when the kids got out of school, stopped at 7:00 for dinner then put the kids in their p.j.'s and drove over night. The kids didn't wake up until about 9:00 am, then we stopped for breakfast and were at WDW by 1:00. We spent the rest of the day at the pool relaxing and resting (which is what we ususally do when we fly). We were ready for the parks the next day. We thought it went so well that we're currenlty looking to by a Surburban and with a TV/VCR built in. We have a family of six so even when the airfares are good, driving saves us a lot of money. I plan on spending the savings on additional driving vacations. The trick for us is the over night driving, that way you don't have to entertain the kids.

[Yo Ho Yo Ho]

The only way we can go is to drive. We cannot afford the flight too. My hubby is a teacher so we have the time. In the last 15 years we have made probably 13 driving trips down - 22 hours one way. Needless to say it has been hectic at times, especially the time we were on the cruise, didn't get away til 10 am to begin to head home for a 13 hour trip, then a 9 hour trip the next day, and than School/Work the next. Call us crazy, but you do what you have to do! ;)

[clm3]

We're driving straight through from Houston in June. I think its like
13 hrs. My husband works nights so he's use to be up at that time
of night. I hope if we leave about 8pm the kids can watch a movie
and then sleep until we get there (or close to it).

I did book an extra night, so we can check in as soon as we arrive
I don't want to have until 4pm check in.

I hope we survive !!!!!! :)

[Kirby]

We've done both. Our first trip we flew. While it was nice, I missed all the sightseeing that can be done from a car. On our second trip we drove. It was much nicer being able to stop and see a few things on the way there and back. We borrowed a TV/VCR and the kids watched movies. It was worth it with the money we saved. Will drive again on our next trip.

[skiwee1]

We usually fly to WDW but decided to drive last time. We will never fly there again! We drove from Maryland and took our time and took 3 days to get there. We had a blast. I admit flying is time saving but we don't have to be back any certain time when we go so there is no reason to rush. We make the drive a part of the whole experience. It was just my mom, me and my 2 y/o. She was wonderful the entire time and we had no problems. We just booked another trip at WDW for April and will be driving again. We will only do two days up this time but four coming back as we are going to stop at a couple of places we want to visit. We are also staying 8 days in WDW so it makes for a long and wonderful trip. It really was fun! :)

[momof9]

Well, we just walked through the door 30 minutes ago, and we drove! My DH and our nine children in our 12 passenger van, a 24 hour drive. I said no to a TV in the van, just music, books, coloring, and gameboys. I don't think we will fly again! It was so much more relaxing, the kids were great, no airports to rush through, much less stress! We stayed over one night each way, so as to break up the ride. It is 1400 miles each way! Can't wait to do it again next year. What a way to save expenses.:)

[melk]

momof9,
Welcome home! Glad to hear the drive went so well..wasn't expecting to hear it described as "relaxing"!!! I would love to hear about your trip, especially the challenges of having such a large family. Are you going to post a trip report? I hope so, I think we would all enjoy it. Did you drive with an rv, or did you just have the van and stopped at hotels? Also, where did you stay with such a large family? I think it's great that you went and had such a good experience.