driving

[imabrown]

Any sugestions to make the time go by on a 16 hour drive to the world? Will have a 14 year old and 3 adults. Thanks.

[WDWGoofy]

We have approximately a 19 hour drive when we go to WDW. My teenagers take their Walkman's and CD's. They also have Gameboys that they take. I also get them new magazines that they like to read.

[mpsmps]

We have 5 kids, ages 8-14 and are veterans of many long drives. We always take: walkmans/cassette players with earphones, plenty of drawing paper and pens, books, handheld video games, decks of cards, and some trivia-type games (Outburst is a hit). Books on tape and CD's/tapes with old Bill Cosby routines are usually good for a few hours of entertainment. Have fun!

[imabrown]

Thank you for the sugestions. We are thinking of renting a tv-vcr. It's only $9.99 a week! Uses the cig. lighter for power. Keep the posts coming. Thank you again.

[Geubux]

Hey Ima, where in VA are you from that it takes 16 Hours to FL? I Drove from Columbus, OH to Orlando and it took 17 hours with only 13 1/2 hrs actual road time? Also, we took a tv/tape combo for our two kids. I took a 6 hr nap and we left at 11:20PM....less traffic but more boring for the driver. Good luck and have lots of fun!!!!!!

[mpsmps]

where do you rent tv/vcr's? sounds like a great idea.

[Chesdan]

Please do tell I would love to have the option of driving again. I know that the TV/VCR would be the ticket to a more enjoyable trip. But by the time we purchase one and the cost of gas and overnight lodging. I would think that it would be a few hundred more to fly and rent the car.

[TravelSheryl]

You should be able to rent a tv/vcr from any place that rents TVs. Just look in your yellow pages.

[Carole]

There is a card game called Rubberneckers that is great. My kids (16 and 13) love this game. Basically, you have to find certain things along the way and interact with other cars, i.e. make a peace sign at a passing car - if they make one back you get extra points. It only takes us 14 hours to drive from Maryland. Have fun!

[imabrown]

we have stores called "rent a center". they rent things like sofas, stereo's etc. Mostly over priced but the portable is very cheap. Look up rentals in the yellow pages. Keep the good suggestions coming. Thanks

[imabrown]

Sorry geubux, forgot to answer your question. We live in the shenandoah valley. Use I-81 to I-77 to I-26 to I-95. Most maps say 12 and a half hours but it seems to take us 16 with stops. My husband has to stretch his legs every couple hundred miles. Also, if he drives it takes twice as long!!

[Bstanley]

I acquired my Disney 'addiction' later in life after children and divorce. My two boys and I made our first trip to WDW from Houston in 1992 when they were 8 and 2. I bought a TV & a VCR as one of the ways to keep them busy while I drove.

Over the years having that TV & VCR has kept them busy better than anything else that I've tried. We've driven coast to coast several times - The Sea to shining Sea Theme Park tourists, that's us! The same TV is still going strong, although the VCR had to be replaced a couple of years ago. The total cost amortized over the number of miles/trips is very small. Go for it!

Have fun!
-bruce

[tarzanman]

My family always sings Disney songs and plays Disney Trivia in the car on the way. 17 hours straight from Detroit Michigan. Avg. 72 MPH.

We are practicing for Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer on the New Year's Cruise

some trips as a child
DxL 4/00
DVC member 4/00
BWV 9/00
VB 9/00
DCL 1/01
OKW 1/01
BWV 12/01

[imabrown]

Where can I find the cards, rubbernecker? That sounds like fun. I went to K-mart and bought some called malarky. Should be good for a laugh. thanks

[Carole]

Hi! I ordered the Rubberneckers game from Buy.com. They usually ship items really quick and the prices are good. Enjoy!

[imabrown]

Thank you for the answer to the card question. I'll order right away. :)

[mhopset]

we bought one of those tv/vcr combos that plug into the cig lighter for our 4 year old. It was about $250. and worth every penny. He watched Disney movies all the way to WDW. It was great!!!!!

[gtaylor]

Books mostly, they read, we've done books on tape and we read to them...last trip when they were 7 and 9 I'd read them a chapter from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea periodically. This last trip with them in high school they had a lot of homework to do en-route as they didn't want to spend a lot of Dworld time on it, we also read some Agatha Christy to them...Greg

[Geubux]

Buy a 13" combo, about $150 on sale or less, and buy a power converter. Then, you have a spare tv/vcr for the house and you can use the converter to run whatever you need to off the car/van whenever you might need it.

76 - offsite
98 - Ft Wilderness Cabins
99 - CBR
00 - HH DVC
4/01 offsite
12/01 BWV

[Bob NC]

Carole.....Rubberneckers is da bomb...lol...We play it all the time!!!!!

[Meagansmom]

We purchased our tv/vcr combo at Sam's Club for $200.00. It has paid for itself over and over. When it is not in the vehicle, which is about every other weekend, it sits in our kitchen and is always on with a video in it. I also agree with the rest: gameboy, personal cd players, and we pack alot of workbooks that can be purchased at Walmart. One favorite card game is Uno.

[EllenJ]

but before we bought ours we made audio tapes of our favorite Disney movies. Even though you are not watching the movie, you imagine it in your head (of course these are movies that my daughter watched over and over again).
It was a great way to pass the time.
The alphabet game is also a good time killer. You start with A and work you way to Z, looking for the letters on billboards, license plates etc. Q& Z were always fun (and hard) to find.

[This message was edited by EllenJ on 03-27-01 at 09:23 PM.]

[Slightly Goofy]

I don't have anything to really add to this forum as our kids are grown but I could not help but notice that two of the posters are from my old home area - Athens. Ohio. Just wanted to say hi from one nut (Buckeye) to another. (smile)

Linda

[DisneyDianne]

I live in Luray. It does take 16 hours for this trip. We also like to stop and take breaks and have nice meals. We do drive straight through. Do
you also? I just purchased one of the tv/vcr's at Costco for $219. We do quite a bit of travelling and I have a 14 and 3 yo. My oldest takes the walkman and game boys but I know my little one will need some other type of entertainment. We drove down Dec of 99 and he did real well for the whole trip but, I do not think we will be this lucky this time. We can not go to Harrisonburg without hearing "ARE WE THERE YET?" Well have a good trip and when are you going?

DisneyDiann :)

[littleducksmom]

i noticed in sunday's newpaper pullout that target has a 9"tv/vcr combo on sale this week. i think it was $169.

as sports 9/99
hrh 6/01
as movies 9/01

[Kevs mom]

We also drive from VA and have the same long haul, we will be traveling with 7 adults and 5 children (ages 9,7,4,3,& 2yo) we will be taking 2 vans and have the TV/VCR in both - this is the greatest thing - on our last trip ( a 7 hour one) my 3 year old was an angel, we didn't hear a peep out of him because he just sat back and watched his videos and then when he napped I watched a movie - the van also has input/output for video games so my 9 yo loves that - it really does make the time go by faster. We also leave around midnight so that the children will sleep more than half of the trip, that helps too! Also CD's and reading material are good past times! Have a safe trip! :)

[disneymommyof3]

I can relate...we are traveling w/ 3,4,8,9, and 9. As you can see...we are from Md (not far from you) and I am so glad to hear that the tv/vcr thing works! I have also been buying card games, magna doodles, etc. for the long drive and putting them away! WE are leaving in about 4 weeks...getting close!

[TimNDansMom]

CD players, the Gameboy, reading, sketching and taking naps keeps my two teenage boys (13 & 16) occupied for the trip down. It's nice not to hear "are we there yet" anymore, but they do occasionally ask "where are we on the map?" ;)

Julie

off-site '86,'87
DXL July 00
DXL November 00 (no kids)
off-site March 01
CSR & ASMu July 01

[anut4disney]

Another Virginian here and we drive also.

One thing that seems to entertain (probably seems silly) is we have the game of counting and reading all the south of the border signs. DH and I even did this when we went by ourselves in 1999. :D

They are on both sides of the road and some are almost hidden by trees (I can remember when you could see them all clearly). They are to cute.

Shirley

"The Twins"
http://www.disneysites.com/boards/images/avatars/10/minnie01.gif http://www.disneysites.com/boards/images/avatars/10/mickey04.gif

[friskykitten]

I really hate to be the goody-two-shoes here but PLEASE, PLEASE reconsider buying your typical tv/vcr combo that you would "bungee-cord" down in the car. Bungee cords are not going to hold it in place if you are in an accident and the tv/vcr could come lose and bash junior's head in. And yes I do mean to be morbid. The old phrase "it won't happen to me" is coursing through everyone's mind right now but I can guarentee that sooner or later someone's child, children or spouse is going to lose their life because of this. If you are really going to use a tv/vcr in your car then get one MADE to be in your car, permanently bolted down to the vehicle's floor. That is what we did and we can drive in peace knowing that we have one less thing to worry about. We only paid $380 for it at our SuperWalmart, it has it's own consel (for our van) and the TV and VCR can be removed from the bolted down consel if you want to take it inside somewhere. It even comes cable/game ready with headphone jacks. For an extra $100 or so it was definately worth the added safety. Now I know someone is going to come back and say that they have been doing this for years and nothing has ever happened to them, but.......that doesn't mean it won't happen. If you need more convincing try contacting your Highway Patrol or Highway Saftey board and get their opinions on the subject. Sorry if I have bummed anyone out or made anyone mad but I do feel strongly about keeping the family as safe as possible when on the road. Proper seatbelts, proper car seats, etc.

http://volcanoalley.com/clipart/images/anidolphin.gif

[Geubux]

Frisky
In physics, which I took several times in college, a body in motion will remain in motion....so, if we have an accident, the tv would go forward. Jr is in the back. It's the crap in the back of the van that we have to worry about. Plus, if you roll (shudder), you have a lot more to worry about. They don't make em like they used to.

76 - offsite
98 - Ft Wilderness Cabins
99 - CBR
00 - HH DVC
4/01 offsite
12/01 BWV

[friskykitten]

True! But as you also know, only if you are hit head-on does the body and objects only go in one direction. The tv will go forward hit the dashboard and go back bouncing around the vehicle as it comes to a halt. Most accidents are off-center or rolls or spins which cause all objects and bodies in different directions. Of course I only had one physics course so I am just going by what our Highway Patrol had to say on the matter. Considering that they are the one's who come across this stuff all the time I am willing to believe them.

STILL......I agree 100% on the other issue. We haven't really figured a way to secure the rest of our "stuff" when we travel. The cooler, suitcases, and other things that mysteriously appear in our van while traveling. So all one can do is prepare the best one can and pray for the best. I still stand by what I said earlier. A tv/vcr that is bolted to the vehicle is much safer than one meant to be used in your home.

PS..I appreciate you being cordial in your reply as tempers can start to fly on certain issues around here!! :)

http://volcanoalley.com/clipart/images/anidolphin.gif