how much will the drive cost ?

[TINKTWINS]

We are considering the possabily of driving from Mass. down to WDW ? Id like any thoughts from people who have done this in the past.

We are curious about an estimate on what the gas would cost. We would obviously be saving on a rental, but how much would we save on airfare if the gas would be just as much.

And those of you who have done it, did you join AAA, Ive heard they will map the trip out for you.

any and all tips would be appreciated

thanks

[GeorgeG]

We drive down from NY, just NW of NYC, so figure how much further you are from us.

Starting with a full tank, we fill up once in Virginia and again after we get on Rt. 4 in Florida. That leaves us with enough for the 10 days and a good start back up the coast. We fill up again twice on the return trip. This is with a Toyota Camry.

Adding one night each way at a motel, it is still a lot less expensive that flying.

AAA is a good thing to have for emergencies, but all you have to do is follow Rt. 95 until you get to Rt. 4 in Daytona and that will take you right where you're going. I do suggest by-passing NYC by taking 287 across the Tappan Zee Bridge and then stay on that until it gets you back to 95 further down in NJ and also by-passing Washington by taking the eastern route of the 495 by-pass. You'll save about a half hour with each one of those, not to mention the traffic problems. Same thing coming home.

Once you get past Orlando on Rt. 4, just watch for the signs for your resort area.

[kylara]

I drive the opposite (FL to MA) at least once a year. If I start out with a full tank of gas, I usually only have to fill up twice on the way up, once when I get to MA and twice on the way back. So up and back usually only cost me about approximately $80 - $100 depending on gas prices. I also stop for an overnight at least for one night each way adding on about another $80. So I can spend anywhere between $160 - $180.00. When it is just me, I could fly for about the same, but since I usually drive up over the X-mas holidays it still saves me money since I would have to ship all the gifts up and back. This way, they just go in my trunk. And on years I share the drive with friends, it saves us both money and often we won't stop overnight but take turns driving while the other sleeps.

[Kermit]

You really have to figure out the highway milage for your car to get a good estimate. We use more gas than both of the other posters, even though we drive from South Carolina, because we have Dodge Durango. Gas prices will vary a lot, but you can get a basic estimate before you leave. I'd probably figure about an average of $1.30/gallon right now, but that could change before your trip.

Go to www.mapquest.com for a map and the number of miles it will take. I wouldn't worry about AAA unless you're worried that your car might not make it. It's not a hard drive at all once you get to 95. The kind folks at Disney make sure that it's easy to spot. :D

[toystorymom]

We are making the trip from Mass to WDW next month! This will be our first trip so I can't comment on how often you need to get gas and all that but I would be happy to post when we get back with all of our details. There will be 5 of us though so even with really great airfare driving will save us money, not to mention dh is NOT fond of flying.

We do belong to AAA which I think is worth it when making such a big trip. We just recieved our Trip tix in the mail yesterday. This is where they map out the trip for you. When you call to order one they will ask you if there are any special routes/places that you want to drive or avoid and map out the drive from there. It comes in a little binder type thing so it's easy to use, instead of trying to fold or unfold these huge maps. They also sent us road maps of the whole east coast, and 3 special tour books which were huge. One covered the mid atlantic states, another NC, SC, and Georgia, and the last was all Florida. These had points of interest and every hotel (including all ammenities, prices, etc.), restaurant, and gas station in these states. Really helpful and all free for AAA members. I would recommend joining, plus it's peace of mind while on the road.

[chris1gill]

We're North of Boston, and when we drove, it cost 150.00 r/t for gas & tolls... we got about 23mpg I think... I'm a Starwood Preferred member, so I used my points to stay over in Richmond for free, it worked out awesome for us... Honestly though I think we spent 100.00 for food... we're about 45 minutes North of Boston & it took us about 23.5 hours to make the drive... 1250 miles each way I think... We stayed for 2 weeks, and this was definitely a good option for us.... I would not make the drive for anything less than a 2 week stay however, I think it would just be too much driving in too short a time period.....

[buckeye]

If you plan to break the drive into two days, consider using Priceline for your hotel. You can save a bunch!

[TINKTWINS]

Thanks for all the info..

Im curious, those of you who have done the drive, would you do it again?

Toystorymom, There is 6 of us going as well, and I am interested in saving some money too. Is this your first time driving down? How much are you alloting in money for the ride? Also how old are your kids and what kind of car do you drive.

[crazyme5kids]

AAA is worth the money. The trip tics are wonderful. You can also get discounts at restarants and hotels on your trip. We drove from LI New York in a big old Suburban and I think our total for gas there and back was about $260.00. AAA will also give you travel books for your trip. They have info on things to do, rest., and hotels. So all in all, joining AAA paid for itself the first trip out.

[chris1gill]

We spent 2 days driving down, stayed in Fl. for 13 nights & came back in 2 days again.... We had a great time & we'll definitely do it again!

[TINKTWINS]

Oh crazy me im so glad you posted! I also have 5 kids and a Suburban!! I was curious about the gas for a big truck! thank you thank you. Did you stop along the way?

Any more tips you have would be appreciated

[TINKTWINS]

Chris, how old are your kids? and what month did you go? and sdid you stay on sight the whole time and if so which resort.

[HookedOnDiz]

We may be driving down in August... thanks for the great ideas!

[mike80124]

Hi we always drive wife is afraid to fly . I have a minivan that get about 22- 24 mpg. We drive from colorado to orlando take 2 nights on the road geting there and 1 night getting back we have a family of 5 soon to be 6 .. are avg for the road back and forth is about 550 thats room food and gas and snacks. much cheaper than flying.

[tar heel]

I would get AAA for a trip that long. Make sure to get them to map your trip and to get a tour book for each state you're driving through. They have lots of info., but do NOT have all hotels, etc., listed. Priceline is great, but it does put you on a schedule. We usually drive until we start getting tired, then pick a hotel from our AAA, Hampton Inn or Comfort Inn books and call ahead to get a ressie. You can save a lot of $ if you pack your own drinks and snacks for both the trip and your room at WDW. Also, buy gas BEFORE you get to Florida -- it costs less in GA. Also, costs less in SC than in NC.

[chris1gill]

Hi TinkTwins,

At the time we went, our son was almost 5, and our daughter had just barely turned 3, we had plenty of pop tarts & juice boxes & they loved the trip down... turned on the Disney music & they were quite happy... our son is now 7 & is just waiting to take another road trip down to Disney... we've had airline credit the last few trips down, so that's why we've flown... Oh, and we went down the first 2 weeks of November at that time... We've gone down in almost every month, but have flown the other times... Our next trip is November & we had more airline credit, but we're going down to Vero (we think) in April & we'll be driving...

Hope this helps, oh & about the suburban, our costs for driving were 150 & we got 22 or so mpg, I'd think your gas & toll cost would be 250 with the suburban....

When we took our driving trip, we actually stayed off site (that's the only time we've stayed off site), we stayed at one of the Vistana Properties (My DH's company paid for the mileage & the hotel that trip)...

[crazyme5kids]

Tinktwins, We drove straight through. We left drove at night stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks. We stopped for breakfast and a late lunch. We had a cooler for drinks and took snacks along. The drive down was straight. The drive back was straight, but we did pull into a parking lot at one point and slept for about two hours (traffic was really bad). One thing we have found with our truck, is that we get better gas mileage if we don't go under 1/2 a tank. There were eight of us all total and other then some traffic jams the drive was painless.

[mickey7861]

We drive down every year from SE Mass. I like driving and we like havung our own car there for our stay. The speed limit has increased so much now that the ride is about 21 hours. We getthe maps from AAA just to have on hand but its such an easy ride you don't really need them. We usuallt start out around 4 am and drive until that night, aroungd the NC/SC border. On the way home we stop at the NC/Va border. The next day is an easy ride, about 8 hours. These times include gas and bathroom stops. My car is a 6 cylinder Intrepid and gets around 30 MPH on the ride. So gas, hotel each way and tolls (lots of tolls in the northeast states) costs about $300. I don't count food since we'd be eating if we flew too. Comparing this to airfare for 4 and a rental car (no economy sized car for us my kids are 19 and 17) we save ALOT by driving. We've been driving since 1987 with the exception of a couple of air trips. When the kids were little we left at night and they slept through until breakfast in NC. The key to driving is you have to like driving/riding.

[Cindy B]

We drive from Philly...

We drive straight through, through the night.

We leave at 4 pm ish.. and get into Florida at around 8 am ish...

We did the drive with a Windstar., it was 3 tanks up and back.

We now have a Saturn sedan.. smaller gas tank, but more efficient.

[GeorgeG]

Yes, we're driving again later this year.

Another plus is that you don't have the luggage restrictions and hassles with the new airport security. You can take as many "carry-ons" as you can fit in your car and nobody will go poking around through your stuff. This is a major issue for us after losing (forever) two large suitcases with all new wardrobes last year after checking them with an airline.

[cindala]

When we use to drive, it would cost us about $300 round trip, including gas, one nite stay down, and one nite stay back, and all our meals and snacks. :):D:)




:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[bobcat]

We are planning our third driving trip this summer and I prefer to travel this way. I am a control freak :D so I like to drive. It also give me uninterupted time with my kids.

From central Ohio it takes us 18 hours. I usually drive most of that in one day and stop at the GA/FL border overnight for about $30 and one night on the way back for around $40. Gas costs are usually around $100 round trip and I average 25-28 mpg in my minivan. So for about the cost of one plane ticket we can travel and take our time. I try to get about $50 in gas cards from mycoupons and that really helps with the cost.

[TINKTWINS]

everyone is really giving me some great tips and encouragement.

my ds's 11 and 13 are both really excited to try the drive. my dh is willing to let me plan another trip ( we were just there in april ) if i stick to a budget this time. so saving 1000. on no air or rental makes him very happy. you have all given me $ amounts which is what he needed to hear.

my only issue is my 2 year old twins that sometimes but not all the time, dont like to be sitting for so long. however, if we drove id plan on at least 2 weeks and we were thinking july or august so there is no pressure if it should take us longer to get home. by the way how are the crowds then?

thank you all, youve been very helpful

[MinnieMe2]

We've driven from Central MA to WDW with our four kids four times, starting when they were all quite small. The gas prices varied, but I'd say our minivans probably went thru $150 - $200 worth of gas each time. We'd spend two nites in hotels going down and coming back, so that added to the cost of the trip, too, but it was still cheaper than air fare.

We'd leave late at nite so the kids would sleep for the first eight or so hours of the trip. When they started to wake up, we'd just about be in Washington, DC, where we'd stop for breakfast and tour the National Zoo. It's free, it's fun, and it gave everyone a nice stretch. Then back in the car. I packed a cooler, the kind you plug into the car outlet, with cold drinks and sandwiches. We'd stop for lunch at a rest area on the highway. The rest areas anywhere but Massachusetts are usually very nice! Then we'd continue until we just couldn't stand being in the car any more, usually around 3:00 or 3:30 in the afternoon. I'd refer to our Trip Tix from AAA to find a hotel, call from the car for a reservation, and we'd stop for a swim, dinner, and a good nite's sleep. Day Two was pretty much straight driving, stopping only to eat another picnic lunch. We'd spend one more night at a hotel, then make it to Disney late the next morning.

The kids were responsible for their own car 'entertainment'. They'd have games, Walkmen, coloring books, whatever, and, of course, each other. Sometimes they'd entertain each other nicely, sometimes not so nicely. For those not-so-nicely times, I brought a book on tape. I'd put my headphones on and drown them out until they settled down :) !

Overall, driving down worked well for us and our kids. This summer, we plan to drive down again. Now that the kids are all teens, we'll probably only have our youngest with us. The thought of being in a car with a 15-year-old girl the entire length of the East Coast doesn't excite me too much. I think I'd rather travel with 2-year-olds!!! But the drive itself isn't bad, and it certainly saves $$$. However, I wouldn't go without AAA even with a new car. Stuff happens, flat tires, whatever, and the tour books they give you offer some good info about the places you're going thru.

Have a great trip. We always go in July or August, and the crowds can be bad, but we enjoy Disney anyways!

[yoopermom]

can be a lifesaver, really! Bought one last summer, and have absolutely no regrets. Plug in the headphones (splitter if you have more than one kid), and you're set.

Second, if you do plan on "calling ahead" that day to get a hotel, you'll save lots of $$ if you call the hotel direct, NOT the 800 number for the chain as a whole. Ask for the cheapest rate possible, and list all your possible discounts. If you don't like the price offered, ask for something lower, or call elsewhere. The 800 line operator will only give you the "stock" price, but the person on duty at the hotel itself will actually know how full they are, etc.

Good luck!
Terri the Yoopermom