SSR, Driving from NC, & Spring Break @ WDW

[goofy4dis]

These are my and my family's impressions......I'm sure some will have different views.

Background....Me (45), wife (what am I crazy), two boys, 14 and 8. Bought SSR last June after a tour in February last year. First trip "home".

Studio 2312.......requested non-smoking and received. No view requested, parking lot view received. Will request NS and water view next time, but the rooms and views aren't as important to us. We are park people.

Buses.....In general very good. Over 5 days, two negative experiences...1) while walking toward the bus stop shelter (maybe 20 yds away), the bus arrives, I start to trot ahead to make sure we make the bus, it comes to a complete stop, but immediately departs. Either the driver didn't look or did look and decided to leave -- either case, not good. 2) waited about 35 minutes at MK one evening about 6PM. During that time as many as 4 buses arrived and departed from some other resorts. SSR not shared, but I noticed several other resorts were (Wilderness Lodge/Grand Floridian, Boardwalk/Swan/Dolphin and others).

Artist Pallette ........Not our cup of tea. Having said that, breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns, etc) similar to food courts, similarly priced, but larger quantities and great atmosphere (my kids love the drawing pallettes). Dinner selection VERY lame. Ate dinner there once out of desperation -- never again.

Pool.....Kids loved it, although they each did the slide twice and were done with it. It's an OK pool, but pools are very low on our priority list when it comes to WDW.

Washers/Dryers......Great free service. Knocked out two loads while the kids took a dip in the aforementioned pool. Brought our own detergent, but they sell there, looked like $1.00, I assume for a single load package. Not bad...and fairly priced, if you're in need.

Staff.....Very friendly. 100% welcome homes at every interaction.

Driving from NC........First time driving, a very easy drive, although my wife has back problems, so we split the drive into two days. Left Cary, NC at 1:15PM and arrived in Kingsland, Georgia (next to last exit in GA) around 7:30PM. Stayed at the Jameson Inn (internet reservation, $63 before taxes), OK but will try our luck elsewhere next time, may try to drive a little further and stay in Jacksonville next time. Ate at the Cracker Barrel next door, third strike against this chain with me, they're out -- each time service slow, food marginal, prices high (for value). Worst part of the drive is Jacksonville, Daytona, and Orlando in that order. About 3.5 hours from Kingsland to Orlando, roughly 650 miles total (home to WDW).

WDW Parks during Spring Break week #1......Significantly more crowded than our normal February stays, but not nearly as bad as I had envisioned based upon reading here and elsewhere. I understand week #2 was probably the more crowded week. Diligent use of Fast Pass and moderate use of Extra Magic Hours made it very tolerable. Much prefer Jan/Feb, but will not be scared of Spring Break (at least week #1) again.

Earl of Sandwich......Great sandwiches, wide selection, phenomenal prices (especially for Disney). Only problem, it needs a Fast Pass....the line for this restaurant was longer than some of the rides in the parks -- not an exaggeration.

Driving home.....Left WDW around 2PM, drove to Hardeeville, SC (first exit in SC), stayed in a Sleep Inn (internet reservation, $52 before taxes), my new favorite hotel chain, interior hallways, new feel, clean rooms, free wireless internet, and the ubiquitous free continental breakfast. Left Hardeeville around 9AM and arrived in Cary around 2:30PM. Found the I-95 exit list (with restaurants, gas, hotels listed for each exit) to be outdated, but nonetheless invaluable for first time drivers. Will definitely make this drive again.

I know everyone's experience or opinion won't be the same, but these were ours.

PantherFanStan (and PantherFanFamily)

[TW1]

Ate at the Cracker Barrel next door, third strike against this chain with me, they're out -- each time service slow, food marginal, prices high (for value). Worst part of the drive is Jacksonville, Daytona, and Orlando in that order.

Thanks for the report. I must agree with your Cracker Barrel report. Also gave it three strikes and they are way out. (kids now call it Crapper Barrel :rotfl: )

Tell me more about the Jacksonville-Orlando drive. We'll be doing it for the first time in August. Any tips for time of day, day of week, etc?

Thanks

[Muushka]

Thanks for the report.

What a coincidence. When we go to WDW we leave from the exact same 'Town' of Cary! :wave:

[Lasrnw]

These are my and my family's impressions......I'm sure some will have different views.

Background....Me (45), wife (what am I crazy), two boys, 14 and 8. Bought SSR last June after a tour in February last year. First trip "home".

Studio 2312.......requested non-smoking and received. No view requested, parking lot view received. Will request NS and water view next time, but the rooms and views aren't as important to us. We are park people.

Buses.....In general very good. Over 5 days, two negative experiences...1) while walking toward the bus stop shelter (maybe 20 yds away), the bus arrives, I start to trot ahead to make sure we make the bus, it comes to a complete stop, but immediately departs. Either the driver didn't look or did look and decided to leave -- either case, not good. 2) waited about 35 minutes at MK one evening about 6PM. During that time as many as 4 buses arrived and departed from some other resorts. SSR not shared, but I noticed several other resorts were (Wilderness Lodge/Grand Floridian, Boardwalk/Swan/Dolphin and others).

Artist Pallette ........Not our cup of tea. Having said that, breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns, etc) similar to food courts, similarly priced, but larger quantities and great atmosphere (my kids love the drawing pallettes). Dinner selection VERY lame. Ate dinner there once out of desperation -- never again.

Pool.....Kids loved it, although they each did the slide twice and were done with it. It's an OK pool, but pools are very low on our priority list when it comes to WDW.

Washers/Dryers......Great free service. Knocked out two loads while the kids took a dip in the aforementioned pool. Brought our own detergent, but they sell there, looked like $1.00, I assume for a single load package. Not bad...and fairly priced, if you're in need.

Staff.....Very friendly. 100% welcome homes at every interaction.

Driving from NC........First time driving, a very easy drive, although my wife has back problems, so we split the drive into two days. Left Cary, NC at 1:15PM and arrived in Kingsland, Georgia (next to last exit in GA) around 7:30PM. Stayed at the Jameson Inn (internet reservation, $63 before taxes), OK but will try our luck elsewhere next time, may try to drive a little further and stay in Jacksonville next time. Ate at the Cracker Barrel next door, third strike against this chain with me, they're out -- each time service slow, food marginal, prices high (for value). Worst part of the drive is Jacksonville, Daytona, and Orlando in that order. About 3.5 hours from Kingsland to Orlando, roughly 650 miles total (home to WDW).

WDW Parks during Spring Break week #1......Significantly more crowded than our normal February stays, but not nearly as bad as I had envisioned based upon reading here and elsewhere. I understand week #2 was probably the more crowded week. Diligent use of Fast Pass and moderate use of Extra Magic Hours made it very tolerable. Much prefer Jan/Feb, but will not be scared of Spring Break (at least week #1) again.

Earl of Sandwich......Great sandwiches, wide selection, phenomenal prices (especially for Disney). Only problem, it needs a Fast Pass....the line for this restaurant was longer than some of the rides in the parks -- not an exaggeration.

Driving home.....Left WDW around 2PM, drove to Hardeeville, SC (first exit in SC), stayed in a Sleep Inn (internet reservation, $52 before taxes), my new favorite hotel chain, interior hallways, new feel, clean rooms, free wireless internet, and the ubiquitous free continental breakfast. Left Hardeeville around 9AM and arrived in Cary around 2:30PM. Found the I-95 exit list (with restaurants, gas, hotels listed for each exit) to be outdated, but nonetheless invaluable for first time drivers. Will definitely make this drive again.

I know everyone's experience or opinion won't be the same, but these were ours.

PantherFanStan (and PantherFanFamily)
If you don't mind where is the Earl of Sandwich? I never heard of it --know Cary not the Earl.

[TammyNC]

Thanks for your report. We drive from Burlington and found that we would rather drive than fly now.

lasrnw-Earl of Sandwich if I'm not mistaken is at Downtown Disney.

[spiceycat]

oh gee - I didn't know that SSR has parking lots views - on the whole OKW does NOT - so I though it would be the same.

Sorry you got a lousy view.

[SamR]

Left Cary, NC at 1:15PM and arrived in Kingsland, Georgia (next to last exit in GA) around 7:30PM.Howdy, neighbor! We live in Apex, and have made the drive down to WDW a number of times. We have flown a couple of times as well, but overall find that we prefer driving given the hassles of flying these days. Like you, we often find ourselves leaving early-to-mid afternoon, so we usually split the drive down into two days, staying at either Savannah, Brunswick, or Jacksonville (largely depending on how early we plan to get out of Apex).Worst part of the drive is Jacksonville, Daytona, and Orlando in that order.I agree, especially with the Jacksonville part. Because of that, and because of a general desire to get off I-95 as soon as possible, we have found an alternate route we prefer:
After crossing the GA/FL state line, we exit onto Hwy 200 (about 9 miles past the state line).
This becomes Hwy 301, which we stay on until near Ocala where we cut over to I-75
From I-75, we take Florida's Turnpike.
If going to BCV, we exit onto Hwy 27, and come in to WDW from the 192 side.
To go to SSR (our next trip), I plan to exit from the Turnpike onto Hwy 50, and take CR-535 down towards SSR

According to my GPS' mapping program, going from the GA/FL state line to SSR by the I-95 route is 187 miles. Taking the alternate route described above increases the distance to 204 miles, but we find it to be a much less stressful route (and much less prone to I-95's bottlenecks and construction backups), so it is easily worth the extra 17 miles (at least to us).

[carol1231]

We've made that drive many times (3 x's a year). I think the Jacksonville, Daytona, Orlando areas just depend on the time of day that you go thru. DH is a "morning person" so we typically leave really early in the morning and do pretty well in those areas. We have hit Charlotte at 4pm on a Friday coming home and that was the pits.

We generally drive straight thru, but once when it was just the kids and I, we stopped at a great Hampton Inn in Savanna. Seemed like a good half way point for us.

[CarolynK]

Curious, what were your travel dates?

[WolfpackFan]

Wow, two posts from Cary and one from Apex. How about if I add a fourth - we live in Cary also (though we think of Apex as home also, since both our kids graduated from Apex HS, we go to Church in Apex and my wife grew up there, plus our son lives and works there). I've talked to Muushka before, but howdy SamR and Goofy4Dis.

As far as driving, we've done it so many times it's become a game with me. Two hours to SC border, 3 hours to Savannah, 2 hours to Jacksonville and then 3 hours to WDW. I see the trip as a challenge to be at WDW within 10 hours.

[Beaniebug]

Thanks for the report. We are from Oxford, NC, just outside of Raleigh. Our first trip home will be in October to SSR. We have driven straight through the last 2 years. We find if we leave around 3:30am we are there by about 1:30pm. It was a nice drive. We timed it so that we were through all the major areas with little traffic. Last year we did the week before Easter and swore never again. The crowds were too much for us. We made it tolerable and used fast pass, but we won't do that again. I am glad that is wasn't so bad for you. Good to hear from fellow NCers! :cool1:

[Pa@okw95]

You do not want shared buses, also I would get used to seeing buses from other resorts more than yours. When driving to WDW or back, if you want to avoid the Jacksonville traffic, take rt 295 around it. We do it all the time when we drive down there. Thanks for your report. As you go more to WDW you will find yourself becoming less park people and more resort people.

[delilah]

In your opinion, any one who went during spring break, was it worthwhile to plan your park time around EMH? That is, to plan to go to that park to take advantage of that? Is it really that much less of a crowd in the evening than during the day? I am asking because we are going the week after memorial day, and I was wondering if I should plan park visits around EMH.

[jimmytammy]

Check over on the meet forum for a NC meet in Greensboro on Apr 16. Would love for all to attend!

We leave around 3am and get to WDW around 12:30 pm. We(me and TammyNC, my DW and kids) miss the traffic in Jacksonville and Orlando just right. Only really bad traffic we have experienced has been around Sanford Fl. but Daytona Bike Week was just ending. Lots of extra traffic for a Sunday drive.

A couple of times we have stayed in Kingsland GA on the way back at Country Inn Suites. This is a nice clean comfortable quite place with a good Cont. breakfast.

After flying for many trips, a DF who drives it all the time told us his little tricks and we have driven ever since.

[WolfpackFan]

Regarding driving to WDW - I'd love to hear about folk's different driving styles. What I mean by this is when I get on the road, I hate stops. To me stopping is wasted time delaying our arrival to WDW. Like I mentioned in a previous post, it's become a game with me and I've set certain milestones, 2 hours SC, 3 hours GA, 2 hours Jacksonville, 3 hours WDW for a total of 10 hours door to door. As I drive, I'm constantly checking to see if I'm ahead or behind schedule. This drives my DW and DD25 crazy but they've gotten used to me over time I guess. I only stop for gas and at the different state welcome centers for bathroom breaks (unless it is a real urgent need :) ). As far as eating goes, you can waste a ton of time stopping during meal times. Last couple of trips we've found an Arby's on the other side of Savannah that we make a real quick stop at, but we usually hit it when it's not real crowded and most times we eat in the car while driving. Finally, as far as Jacksonville goes, I just plough right thru. I've tried the beltline before but it was always slower going that way. I know alot of folks would hate my kind of driving, not stopping very much, but IMO it's the destination that is important not the trip in this case plus like I said it's become a game with me. I try to get us out the door and on the road by 5:30 and that puts us at our resort by 3:30 so we have time to checkin, hit the pool, have a cold beer and relax some before going to DTD for dinner.

[Muushka]

Regarding driving to WDW - I'd love to hear about folk's different driving styles. What I mean by this is when I get on the road, I hate stops. To me stopping is wasted time delaying our arrival to WDW. Like I mentioned in a previous post, it's become a game with me and I've set certain milestones, 2 hours SC, 3 hours GA, 2 hours Jacksonville, 3 hours WDW for a total of 10 hours door to door. As I drive, I'm constantly checking to see if I'm ahead or behind schedule. This drives my DW and DD25 crazy but they've gotten used to me over time I guess. I only stop for gas and at the different state welcome centers for bathroom breaks (unless it is a real urgent need :) ). As far as eating goes, you can waste a ton of time stopping during meal times. Last couple of trips we've found an Arby's on the other side of Savannah that we make a real quick stop at, but we usually hit it when it's not real crowded and most times we eat in the car while driving. Finally, as far as Jacksonville goes, I just plough right thru. I've tried the beltline before but it was always slower going that way. I know alot of folks would hate my kind of driving, not stopping very much, but IMO it's the destination that is important not the trip in this case plus like I said it's become a game with me. I try to get us out the door and on the road by 5:30 and that puts us at our resort by 3:30 so we have time to checkin, hit the pool, have a cold beer and relax some before going to DTD for dinner.

Well WolfpackFan, looks like we won't be carpooling! :rotfl2:

[TammyNC]

WolfpackFan (that's hard for me to type :teeth: ; DH is a State fan, I'm a UNC fan) -We are pretty similar. I don't like to make too many stops either and thankfully DH feels the same way. The kids know that they need to take advantage of any pit stops because they are few and far between. Since we leave in the wee hours of the morning, we'll make a stop for a bathroom break, pick up a biscuit and get back in the van. We carry snacks and drinks and will stop maybe two more times. So we probably stop three times going and coming. We made our last trip in approx. 10 hours. I like to just keep up with traffic although there isn't much on the road at 2-3am. We did drive back our last trip, leaving Disney around 4pm. We hit the Orlando traffic and that wasn't a good plan. We'll plan differently next time when leaving.

[SamR]

I'd love to hear about folk's different driving styles. ... I hate stops. ... I've set certain milestones, 2 hours SC, 3 hours GA, 2 hours Jacksonville, 3 hours WDW for a total of 10 hours door to door. Sounds exactly like our style....pre-kids. I can remember we used to make it from our house in Cary (before we moved to Apex) to WDW in just about 10 hours. These days, with three kids (5, 8, and 12), there seem to be a lot more stops, and that 10-hour-plan has pretty much gone out the window...at least for now. :smooth: As I drive, I'm constantly checking to see if I'm ahead or behind schedule.If you like that, what you really need is a GPS...As you drive along, it is constantly telling you exactly how many miles are left and what your current ETA is. My GPS' ETA predictions are pretty conservative, so you can make a game out of seeing how much you can improve on the estimate! :moped: :teeth:

[WolfpackFan]

WolfpackFan (that's hard for me to type :teeth: ; DH is a State fan, I'm a UNC fan) -We are pretty similar.
Tammy - Same situation, I'm a big Pack fan and my wife is a big UNC fan; but in spite of it all we've been able to keep peace for 33 years of marriage.

[PantherFanStan]

Ate at the Cracker Barrel next door, third strike against this chain with me, they're out -- each time service slow, food marginal, prices high (for value). Worst part of the drive is Jacksonville, Daytona, and Orlando in that order.

Thanks for the report. I must agree with your Cracker Barrel report. Also gave it three strikes and they are way out. (kids now call it Crapper Barrel :rotfl: )

Tell me more about the Jacksonville-Orlando drive. We'll be doing it for the first time in August. Any tips for time of day, day of week, etc?

Thanks

I'm probably not the best source for the Jacksonville - Orlando Drive, since we've now done it exactly once. I-95 winds through what appears to be the outskirts of Jacksonville and traffic slows considerably. Debated about using the outerbelt around Jacksonville (I-295, I think) on the way down...but stayed on I-95. Not awful, but bad enough to convince me to try the outerbelt on the return trip -- unfortunately the exit for the outerbelt was closed on the return trip. Will try going around Jacksonville next time.

The worst part of the trip is Orlando....came to a dead stop on I-4 and inched along for miles. Someone else posted an alternate route that we may research and try. Time of day probably hurt us...as we didn't leave Kingsland until 9:00AM...and hit Orlando midday -- albeit, on a Saturday...but admittedly on the Saturday before Spring Break Week#1.

Good luck on the drive.....all in all, not a bad one....at least from NC.

PantherFanStan (The original poster....who forgot his teenage son, Goofy4Dis91, had logged in on my laptop.)

[PantherFanStan]

If you don't mind where is the Earl of Sandwich? I never heard of it --know Cary not the Earl.

Earl of Sandwich is in Downtown Disney -- MarketPlace, over near the Rain Forest Cafe. It think it just opened relatively recently (within the last year). I give it my highest recommendation -- again, everyone will have different opinions, but in my view, better than Subway, Quiznos, or Jersey Mike's. A good buy by most any city's standards ....and an absolute bargain by Disney standards.

PantherFanStan

[PantherFanStan]

oh gee - I didn't know that SSR has parking lots views - on the whole OKW does NOT - so I though it would be the same.

Sorry you got a lousy view.

I might have sold the view a little short....you could see more than the parking lot...my point was you could see the parking lot. Having said that, I will ask for a DTD view next time, but will not have a problem with a similar view.

[PantherFanStan]

Howdy, neighbor! We live in Apex, and have made the drive down to WDW a number of times. We have flown a couple of times as well, but overall find that we prefer driving given the hassles of flying these days. Like you, we often find ourselves leaving early-to-mid afternoon, so we usually split the drive down into two days, staying at either Savannah, Brunswick, or Jacksonville (largely depending on how early we plan to get out of Apex).I agree, especially with the Jacksonville part. Because of that, and because of a general desire to get off I-95 as soon as possible, we have found an alternate route we prefer:
After crossing the GA/FL state line, we exit onto Hwy 200 (about 9 miles past the state line).
This becomes Hwy 301, which we stay on until near Ocala where we cut over to I-75
From I-75, we take Florida's Turnpike.
If going to BCV, we exit onto Hwy 27, and come in to WDW from the 192 side.
To go to SSR (our next trip), I plan to exit from the Turnpike onto Hwy 50, and take CR-535 down towards SSR

According to my GPS' mapping program, going from the GA/FL state line to SSR by the I-95 route is 187 miles. Taking the alternate route described above increases the distance to 204 miles, but we find it to be a much less stressful route (and much less prone to I-95's bottlenecks and construction backups), so it is easily worth the extra 17 miles (at least to us).

Back at you SamR! Actually, we "moved" from Apex to Cary -- the easy way. When we moved from Charlotte to Cary (WestPark neighborhood off Hwy 55) in 1993, Cary's post office couldn't handle the housing growth they were experiencing, so even though we lived in the Cary "town" limits, our address was "temporarily" Apex. While we never actually moved, about ten years later, they changed our address to Cary. Much less painful that carrying all those boxes!

My biggest problem with flying is that I have a ton of miles on American, but American only flies direct from RDU to MCO on weekends and limited times -- and I refuse to buy tickets when I'm sitting on a half million plus miles. We usually end up changing planes in Miami...and when you throw in the inevitable delay....door-to-door, you can be pushing the 10 hours it takes to drive. Also, as a road warrior business traveler, tourist city airports drive me crazy......and Orlando is THE worst. I think it's better to fly into Tampa and drive up to Orlando, but again, no directs from RDU to Tampa. And in a strange kind of way, I actually like the forced togetherness of the drive. Hard to get my 14 yr old and 8 yr old to sit still that long otherwise.

You may have sold me on the alternate route....and a GPS! Any advice on which GPS system? Would you buy the same one, if you were buying again? We think driving is going to our new regular mode....except for quicker trips...but we mostly go when we can go stay a weekend-week-weekend. I'll PM you my phone number, if a call is easier. Thanks for whatever advice you can provide. Strongly considering a Thanksgiving trip, and given the way I ponder decisions, I need to have started researching/shopping last year!

PantherFanStan

[PantherFanStan]

Curious, what were your travel dates?

Left Cary at 1:15PM on Friday, March 18th.....left WDW at 2:15PM Sunday, March 27th. This is what I'm calling week #1 of spring break....since Disney raises the rates for two weeks around the "traditional" spring break. Unfortunately for us.... this year, our spring break coincided with Easter. Lucky for us (I understand), we had the week before Easter -- rather than the week after. I understand more schools had their spring break during the week after. Next year our spring break is not at Easter...so we'll be looking forward to the lighter crowds.

[PantherFanStan]

Wow, two posts from Cary and one from Apex. How about if I add a fourth - we live in Cary also (though we think of Apex as home also, since both our kids graduated from Apex HS, we go to Church in Apex and my wife grew up there, plus our son lives and works there). I've talked to Muushka before, but howdy SamR and Goofy4Dis.

As far as driving, we've done it so many times it's become a game with me. Two hours to SC border, 3 hours to Savannah, 2 hours to Jacksonville and then 3 hours to WDW. I see the trip as a challenge to be at WDW within 10 hours.

Well...howdy neighbor. (Now, everyone north of Virginia is going to think that we Carolinians actually say "howdy"....but it does foster that folksy image that we're trying to perpetuate, doesn't it?)

Unfortunately, we spent the first hour of our drive to WDW listening to my beloved Charlotte 49'ers choke during the 2nd half of their first round NCAA basketball game --after thoroughly spanking a certain team (not to be named team) who wears red and white....in the first half. :o) I know the only score that matters is the final one. Maybe next year. Actually, we pull for the Pack (and the Heels) most of the time.....and sometimes that other team from Durham.

[PantherFanStan]

You do not want shared buses, .

Pa@OKW.....I actually wasn't wishing for shared buses. I had read so much discussion about shared buses, and people fretting over the possibility that SSR might have shared buses, I thought I would provide some on the scene reporting.

also I would get used to seeing buses from other resorts more than yours. .

Curious why you say that?

When driving to WDW or back, if you want to avoid the Jacksonville traffic, take rt 295 around it. .

We were all set to do that on the return trip, but the exit was closed!

As you go more to WDW you will find yourself becoming less park people and more resort people..

Time will tell, but I think I know myself and my wife pretty well....I think we'll always be park people....but isn't it nice to have such nice resorts to stay at while we're there? Assume you're an OKW owner.....we're thinking of trying it on our potential Thanksgiving trip. Think we'll have much luck at the 7 month window?

[Muushka]

We have been doing the NC-Orlando shuffle since 96, when we moved to NC. We always drive-finding it much easier than flying (and my husband refuses to fly, so it is a no-brainer ;) ). We used to take the 295 route around Jacksonville, but lately (last 4 or so years) we just stay on 95. We hit some bad traffic on 295, so that is why we skip it now.

I guess the travel-gods have been with us because we have not hit any traffic jams in Jacksonville-ever. Yes it can be heavier, but we are maybe slowed about 5 minutes while driving thru, but no worse than that. We have hit some jams in Orlando, some bad ones.

All in all, the drive to the Mouse is pretty much auto-pilot for us.

[WolfpackFan]

Next year our spring break is not at Easter...so we'll be looking forward to the lighter crowds.
Yes, I am hoping we will be going down and staying at SSR next Spring break. I'm glad Wake Co. schools has spring break several weeks before Easter next March so maybe the crowds won't be as bad as the last couple of years. The only problem is from talking to my DW who is a Teacher Assistant in Cary is that the Spring Break days are also snow makeup days. I just looked at the Wake Co. calendar for next year and March 27 is the 6th snow makeup day. And then it goes thru the rest of Spring break week from there. Hum, this is not good. Knowing our luck, we'll have an ice storm followed by snow next year that will make us use those days. Using DVC points, this could be a real concern.

[WolfpackFan]

All in all, the drive to the Mouse is pretty much auto-pilot for us.

Moo - Exactly the same for me. We've flown and we've driven and with all the mess at airports these days, I'd just as soon as get in the car, point it south and go. Air travel is such a hassle. Unless I'm flying real long distances, I'd just as soon as drive.

[gopherit]

Thanks for the report! :goodvibes

As for Kingsland -- we found it to be the best pit stop for us, too -- we drive from W.V. straight down I-77, and that makes our first day of travel about 10-11 hrs. We looked at going farther, but you hit sort of a "dead zone" much past the Florida border, where you enter Jacksonville (and some bad hotels, or difficult exit/entry to Interstate). I knew one family, though, that used to get a water-view hotel at Jacksonville and hit the beach... we are just too focused on WDW to do that, though! And we felt that if we got as far as St. Augustine, what the hey, we would just go all the way. We may look at stopping sooner (like, Brunswick or Savannah) next time, but in all honesty, Kingsland just seems to work for us!

We have stayed in the Country Inn & Suites (about 62 bucks last time, fam of 5, breakfast included, indoor pool!) One point to remember -- make your ressie in advance. THen, if you can get there in advance of the "cancellation" time (4 or 6 pm depending upon the chain) you can get a cheaper rate. Just go to roomsavers.com (or stop at the state welcome center and pick up the discount pamphelts there). They invariably have coupons for somewhere in the $60 something range for Country Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn -- and those 3 hotels are LITERALLY side-by-side at Kinsgland. Unfortunately, those rates can't be "reserved" -- it's walk-in only. So you walk in, see if it's available at any of those 3 (and when I sy they are right next door to each other, I realllly mean it -- you could park at the middle one and easily walk to all 3 check-in counters to find the cheap rate!) If you get the cheap rate, then just dial the 800 number to cancel your more costly "safety net" reservation! And if for some reason the hotels are NOT offering the cheap rate, at least you will have somewhere to stay (and I think the rate for any of those averages around 80-90 bucks normally). As for food -- amen on the Crapper Barrel, which ironically is what OUR crew calls it too! It's always packed, service is slow, and the food has been going downhill since about 10 yrs ago... We find we enjoy a b'fast meal much more at Bob Evans -- glad to see more of those popping up around the country (we live near the Bob Evans "source" so there's TONS of 'em up here in the mid Ohio valley...) As for food near the 3 hotels in Kingsland -- any of the 3 hotels I mentioned in that cluster offer free b'fast. As for other meals, there's an Applebee's right next door, and an italian plance (La Cucina). We opted for the latter and were not disappointed -- it was crowded (about the same as Applebees) and a bit slow but the food was very good. Plus -- show your room key at either place and you get a 10% discount off your meal.

Lastly -- the drive. We try to avoid rush hour J'ville timing (like, morning hours on a weekday or 3-5 pm crush). Last trip, we came through J'ville on a Sat. at 9 am -- zero problems. The worst time we ever had was once, hitting Orlando after torrential rains. Part of I-4 was closed due to flooding. We don't have a GPS, and the only map I could find during that trip was a NASCAR travel atlas (which, had we been stuck in Daytona, Talladega, or Bristol TN would have been marvelous, but for Orlando all you could make out was I-4 and that's all, folks!) We were stranded on a foreign detour, wandering aimlessly off-course, when I spied a Winnebago from Ontario with a Mickey Mouse sticker on the back... I said to DH, "FOLLOW THAT RV!" As luck would have it, the RV headed us straight into WDW, and it went to FW campgrounds as we (with our bearings restored) waved adios and headed to VWL. Lucky for us it wasn't headed to the gulf coast or home...

Anyway -- glad you had a good trip! We loved our stay SSR, but try for water view next time -- we had a view of the lake and DTD and it was quite nice at night!

Cindy

[PantherFanStan]

In your opinion, any one who went during spring break, was it worthwhile to plan your park time around EMH? That is, to plan to go to that park to take advantage of that? Is it really that much less of a crowd in the evening than during the day? I am asking because we are going the week after memorial day, and I was wondering if I should plan park visits around EMH.

delilah.....The thing about EMH during this spring break (at least week 1) was that the park hours were pretty lengthy to begin with. Example: MK was open 8AM-midnight daily with daily morning EMH -- making the hours 7AM-midnight for those staying on site. In fact, one day MK had both morning and evening EMH -- meaning the park opened at 7AM and didn't close until 3AM the following morning (and yes, then it reopened at 7AM).

We found it worthwhile to get to MK for the early morning hours...in fact, it was similar to our experience in February. Example: we rode Buzz Light year 5 consecutive times, without ever waiting. We tried the evening EMH at MGM one day....and found that the park was still very crowded. Waits at Rock'nRoller Coaster were 45 minutes and Tower of Terror were 35 minutes.

My advice is take advantage of the EMH....much fewer people have the resolve to be there. Staying late for evening EMH is too easy, and (we found it) too crowded. Can't speak for evening EMH at MK -- the regular closing hour of midnight was later than we cared to be there.

PantherFanStan

[PantherFanStan]

Wow, two posts from Cary and one from Apex. How about if I add a fourth - we live in Cary
All together now......It's a small world after all, it's a . . . .

[PantherFanStan]

As for Kingsland -- we found it to be the best pit stop for us, too
Gopherit.....First, I have to say you are famous in our family. We loved your epic account of your 13 Days of Disney. A DIS classic. In fact, when we decided to drive and were deciding where to stop and where to stay, I recalled that you had stopped "somewhere" in Georgia. I searched on your ID, found the 13 Days, and saw that you at stopped in Kingsland...which helped seal that decision.

We have stayed in the Country Inn & Suites (about 62 bucks last time, fam of 5, breakfast included, indoor pool!)
Given you had stayed there and gave it good reviews, it was the first place I looked for on the internet. I forget the specific price now, but it was substantially higher than the other Kingsland hotels. (Your high references have driven up the prices! :o) ) We had been thinking of trying Jameson, and it since it was cheaper with the same ammenities (at least on paper), we tried it. As I said, it was far from awful, but we will definitely try our luck elsewhere in Kingsland next time -- unless we stay in Jacksonville.

One point to remember -- make your ressie in advance. THen, if you can get there in advance of the "cancellation" time (4 or 6 pm depending upon the chain) you can get a cheaper rate.
We took this advice, but...since we didn't arrive in Kingsland until 7:30PM, this wasn't an option for us.

PantherFanStan

[PantherFanStan]

removed by PantherFanStan (answered my own question)

[gopherit]

Gopherit.....First, I have to say you are famous in our family. We loved your epic account of your 13 Days of Disney. A DIS classic. In fact, when we decided to drive and were deciding where to stop and where to stay, I recalled that you had stopped "somewhere" in Georgia. I searched on your ID, found the 13 Days, and saw that you at stopped in Kingsland...which helped seal that decision.

Wow, I'm so touched! :blush: Thanks! You know, I'm famous in my family too -- but not always in a nice way! (Cindy, the over-controlling, obsessive-compulsive, Disney-maniacal wife/mom/daughter/sister/fill in the blank...)


Wanted to make one other point I forgot to make in my other post, though -- You said "Sleep Inn" was among your new faves -- me too! I had to get hotel ressies for DH and my boys recently for a NASCAR race in Bristol. Our usual standby of Hampton Inn was way too high and in many places not available; the pickins' were slim and/or pricey, thanks to the race. But I found a Sleep Inn that was moderately priced, offered b'fast the next day, had non-smoking and 2 beds, and had an indoor pool (a major criteria for my middle child who isn't nearly the NASCAR fan his brother is, he's just coming along for the fun, "freebies", and fast food!) THey liked that it had a mini-fridge and freezer and microwave, too -- I had packed them some drinks and microwave popcorn to take with them, so they had a nice snack that night! This place not only met our need, but it was better priced than our stand-by Hampton Inn! Gotta love that... We will definitely try that chain again.

Funny, isn't it, how you get hooked on a chain. On business, I always opt for a Homewood SUites. Usually, it's the same price as wherever else I would stay, based on corporate policy, but the food they set out in the weekday at their "manager's reception" often negates the need to even go out for dinner! ANd I like having a fridge to store a few bottles of water / soda to have at my beck and call, too.

I have tried Baymont Inn before and wasn't too impressed -- the one we stayed in didn't seem exceptionally clean, to me, so maybe that's not a chain thing, just that particular one. I have had very wide results with Comfort Inn & Suites before too -- some great, some very opposite! Wide, wide results with BW too -- the good, the bad, and the ugly, you just never know! Thank goodness for the DIS -- at least we can get input from folks for places along the way to WDW!

The COuntry Inn and SUites is still listed with a coupon for Kingsland at Roomsavers.com, but as you noted, if you already had a ressie at the Jameson, you were bound to it, and who's to say you could have gotten the reduced rate (perhaps with spring break or at that late hour they might have siad no dice anyway...) Next time look at Holiday Inn Express -- I thought its rates were the lowest of the 3 places, if memory serves, and honestly, the three hotels (Hampton, Country Inn, HI Express) seemed very equivalent.

One note for other travelers, too -- be careful about some internet ressies. Certain internet rates have stipulations in fine print about cancellation -- some cannot be cancelled without incurring a fee, and some allow you to cancel, but not once you are within a certain timeframe of arrival (and usually it's a fairly wide window, like 3 days or even 2 weeks or more.) So if you are thinking of making a ressie and then perhaps backing out of it if a better offer arrives, be careful what / how you make the ressie!

Anyway -- at least now I know if/when we do Kingsland again, if the Jameson comes up, I have some input on it! (And that I WON'T be seeing your family for breakfast at the CB, that's for sure! :crazy2: ) Thanks again!

CIndy

[Muushka]

Cindy! You are too funny and just a little scary! Your statement:
(Cindy, the over-controlling, obsessive-compulsive, Disney-maniacal wife/mom/daughter/sister/fill in the blank...)

is me-except for the mother (we have no kiddos). And you are a NASCAR fan. Too much in common.

I don't know if you have ever seen the NASCAR threads over on the community board. A great group of people and lots of fun. Let me know if you want more details. And thank you for the great hotel info. Always good to know.

[magicmouse2]

:confused3 Thanks for the report. Sorry yougot a parking lot view, I thought that the rooms had no parking lot views ? - walkways and room entrance to the rear ?

[gopherit]

And you are a NASCAR fan. Too much in common.


Ah, but here's where it gets dicey and either friends are made or families divided --

WHO is your favorite driver?

My family is all into Jeff Gordon, but my blood runneth green for 18... I'm a Bobby Labonte fan. (And to say that this year, given his circumstances, shows I'm no fair-weather fan, either!) I was raised in the south (born in Darlington county, S.C., in fact!) but can you believe it -- never thought twice about NASCAR until a little 17 mos old boy (our 1st son) latched on to his first little matchbox car and never let go. Believe it or not, NASCAR taught him to count to 100 at age 2. We have actual video footage of him at my BIL's wedding, where my son was a ring bearer and only 2 years old, and the groomsmen are having fun quizzing him:

Groomsman: "Ok, Evan -- 10!"

Evan: "Numbah Ten -- Tide cahh, Wickee Wudd!"

Groomsman: "21!"

Evan: "Numbah 21 -- Citgo cahh, Mi-cul Wahltwip!"

Too funny!

Sorry, folks, looks like I hauled this thread terribly off-topic....

I now return you to your previously scheduled posts regarding recent visits to SSR! Enjoy!

[Muushka]

Your son sounds so cute. And smart!

WHO is your favorite driver?

NOT #24! We have several drivers that we like. The one that we would love to see win a race is Kyle Petty. Because of Adam. My husband has been a Petty fan forever. Great man. But we also like Mikey Waltrip and Kenny Schareder (becuase of the Speed Channel NASCAR show) and Carl Edwards and Dale Jr. There are a bunch of great men in NASCAR. If I had kids I would love that they followed NASCAR -great role models.

Did you see your driver win the truck race yesterday???? :cool1: We like him too!

[TammyNC]

Tammy - Same situation, I'm a big Pack fan and my wife is a big UNC fan; but in spite of it all we've been able to keep peace for 33 years of marriage.

Glad to hear it has lasted. We are working on our 15th and things still going fine. We pick on each other, but feelings don't get hurt. We also have the football problem as I'm a Cowboy's fan and he is for the Redskins. Lucky for us we love/dislike the same Nascar drivers.

[PantherFanStan]

:) We also have the football problem as I'm a Cowboy's fan and he is for the Redskins. Lucky for us we love/dislike the same Nascar drivers.
Shame on you both for not converting! :) Bad Carolinian! :)
As your marriage counselor, I insist you both root for the Panthers! :)

[SamR]

WestPark neighborhood off Hwy 55Hey, we ARE practically neighbors! We're just a couple of miles down 55 from you...We do our grocery shopping at the Harris Teeter across from your subdivision.

You may have sold me on the alternate route....That alternate route is probably not the best choice for anyone who wants the most direct route and the quickest route under good circumstances. However, all it takes is one typically-bad I-95/I-4 snarl to tip the balance in favor of the alternate route, which avoids Jacksonville, Orlando, and the Daytona area. (Of course, I realize that the alternate route could have bad days, too...I've just seen enough ridiculous tie-ups on I-95/I-4 to feel like my odds for a predictable arrival are better on the alternate route.)

Any advice on which GPS system? Would you buy the same one, if you were buying again?I just recently purchased my second one. I liked the first one, but was ready for an upgrade. (Both are Garmin units.) I'll send you some additional thoughts on models, etc. in a PM.

[SamR]

Yes, I am hoping we will be going down and staying at SSR next Spring break.We're planning a trip down next spring break as well, except in our case we will be staying at the BCV. (We have some points at SSR, but most of our points are at BCV.) The eleven-month reservation window opens in a little over two weeks! It will soon be time to call Member Services!
I'm glad Wake Co. schools has spring break several weeks before Easter next March so maybe the crowds won't be as bad as the last couple of years.Amen!!! Wake County's spring breaks are adjacent to Easter weekend more often than not, and I HATE that! After out last trip to WDW during a spring break adjacent to Easter, we decided that it would be a long time before we tried that again. (My wife is a third-grade teacher for Wake County, plus we have three school-age kids, so we usually stick to the school holiday periods for our Mickey fixes. Not always...but most of the time.) So, as soon as the 2005-2006 calendar came out, I spied the Easter-less spring break, and drew Mouse Ears on my vacation planner for that week! :earsboy: :cool1: :banana:

[SamR]

We have stayed in the Country Inn & Suites (about 62 bucks last time, fam of 5, breakfast included, indoor pool!)We are also a family of five. (The travel industry is definitely geared to parties of four and under!) I have looked at the Country Inn & Suites web page before when looking for a place to stay on various trips, and it wasn't obvious to me that any of their rooms had an occupancy limit greater than four. Did your room have two beds, plus a sleep sofa? Or did they bring in a rollaway? Or ... ?

[gopherit]

Did your room have two beds, plus a sleep sofa? Or did they bring in a rollaway? Or ... ?

On that particular stay, we went with the "Or...." !

OUr kids are probably younger than yours -- (at the time of that trip, they were 9,8,and 4). So the 9 yr old ds and his dad slept in one bed; I had the 8 yr old ds and 4 yr old dd with me! The beds were queens, though -- we can't really manage this with doubles. And honestly, that was probably the last trip we can manage it, period. Our future plans will have to address the issue... We just did that for one night, after all -- we get 2 BRs on our DVC vacation. We used to get the 2br because we only had 2 kids but alwasy brought family along. THen along came kiddo #3 and we have found ourselves increasingly wanting the whole 2br for ourselves! And our dd isn't a teen yet either (or pre-teen, even!) so it's only going to get worse!

I think we will probably look at an Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites or such for our next one-nighter -- yes those places are pricier, but for instance at the Homewood, if it's a Mon-THurs you can usually get a very nice snack or even meal at their manager's reception, plus a nice b'fast in the am. It comes out cheaper than if you got 2 rooms in a lesser hotel, and more comfortable, too, in many ways. More and more chains are making moderate "suite" hotels... maybe they know about us fams of five that don't fit in the industry standard rooms for 4! (And sorry but I just can't see letting my 10 and 8 yr old sleep in another room that has an outside-access door...call me chicken, yes, but don't call me cheap!)

[SamR]

On that particular stay, we went with the "Or...." !I was afraid you were going to say that! :) OUr kids are probably younger than yours -- (at the time of that trip, they were 9,8,and 4).Actually, that is pretty close to what we have: DS12, DS8, and DD5. With queen beds we could probably manage what you did, but our middle child is not a good "bed buddy"...tossing, turning, etc., so it would not be a pleasant night. :sad2: We just did that for one night, after all -- we get 2 BRs on our DVC vacation.Us too...Since our daughter quit fitting in the pack-n-play crib, we have been booking the 2 BR villas...It is those stops on the way down that is the problem.I think we will probably look at an Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites or such for our next one-nighter That's pretty much been the default for us over the last few years, along with Residence Inns. We have stayed at the Homewood Suites in Savannah, and also the Embassy Suites in Brunswick on our trips down to WDW (and in fact, I already have a room booked at that Embassy Suites for our next trip down in October). They are not the cheapest hotel choices by any means, but as you note, they do throw in a hot breakfast, and the rooms are usually a good size. (It pays to shop around well in advance, and look for AAA rates, corporate rates, etc.)More and more chains are making moderate "suite" hotels... maybe they know about us fams of five that don't fit in the industry standard rooms for 4!Yes, but my disappointment is that the newer chains like Country Inn & Suites, and Baymont Suites have "suites" in their name, but do not seem to offer economical alternatives for party sizes greater than four. How about just make the room slightly larger and throw in a sleeper sofa?(And sorry but I just can't see letting my 10 and 8 yr old sleep in another room that has an outside-access door...call me chicken, yes, but don't call me cheap!)I wouldn't call you either. Getting a second (even connecting room) means that my wife and I have to split up between the rooms, something we would prefer not to do. Even with DVC, I always call early in the booking window to ensure that I get a dedicated 2 BR...I don't want a lock-off!

[NCRedding]

Another NCer here, from Asheboro. In June, we left around 5 pm and drove to Kingsland to the Country Inn and Suites. we got a suite with a king bed and sofa bed for about$82. Not sure if they have doubles in the suites or not. We then left Kingsland at 10 on a Friday, and avoided all problems in J-ville or Orlando.

[gopherit]

With queen beds we could probably manage what you did, but our middle child is not a good "bed buddy"...tossing, turning, etc., so it would not be a pleasant night. :sad2:

I hear ya -- that is eaxctly the issue now with our youngest -- a real thrasher. THat kid turns like hands on a clock during the night in bed!

Yes, Res. Inn is another horse of the Marriott variety... How are the 2 places you mentioned (Embassy in Bruns. or Homewood in Sav.) ? Do you recommend one over the other?

And wow, our kids are fairly close in demographics -- our ds turned 10, and middle ds turns 9 in July; dd turns 5 in May!

Yes, but my disappointment is that the newer chains like Country Inn & Suites, and Baymont Suites have "suites" in their name, but do not seem to offer economical alternatives for party sizes greater than four. How about just make the room slightly larger and throw in a sleeper sofa?

Amen, brutha!

Getting a second (even connecting room) means that my wife and I have to split up between the rooms, something we would prefer not to do. Even with DVC, I always call early in the booking window to ensure that I get a dedicated 2 BR...I don't want a lock-off!

It's for that very reason that it took us 4 years of DVC to even TRY our home resort of BWV! No dedicated 2brs. We only did BWV this last trip because we had some adult family guests in the studio side... Now, perhaps when the kids are adults, I will like the fact there is another door they can come/go from -- but for now, no thanks! And DH and I don't like to spend our vacation splitski in separate rooms, either. So gotta have the dedicated 2BR!

[H.Richburg]

We are awaiting our paperwork for SSR and plan our first trip home next year. We were considering the week before President's week or a week in March. What weeks in MArch are the busiest (ie Spring Break weeks)?

Thanks
--Howie

[SamR]

How are the 2 places you mentioned (Embassy in Bruns. or Homewood in Sav.) ? Do you recommend one over the other?Both are fine, but we prefer the Embassy Suites in Brunswick. It "feels" a little newer than the Homewood Suites, which looks a bit rundown in places. Neither hotel is directly on the interstate, but the Embassy Suites is fairly close (about two miles down a four-lane highway), whereas you have to do a bit more driving to get to the Homewood Suites. Savannah and Brunswick are a little under an hour apart, so it also depends on how late we expect to be coming down I-95, and whether or not we think the extra hour is just a bit too late for the kids. The Embassy Suites is also attached to a mall, so if you need dinner (and it's not too late), you can just wander into the mall without getting back out. (There is a Ruby Tuesday, a Chick-Fil-A, and a few other places.)

If the arrival time is not an issue, I check the rates at both places. If they are within 20 dollars or so of each other, I'll choose the Embassy Suites every time. If the HS is significantly cheaper, I'll choose it.
...and middle ds turns 9 in July...Hey! That is close. Our middle son turns 9 in June! Does your also have a boundless supply of energy, an insatiable appetite for snacks, and a mischevious streak as long as I-95? :bounce: :mickeybar :rolleyes1 :teeth:
And DH and I don't like to spend our vacation splitski in separate rooms, either. So gotta have the dedicated 2BR!Yep...Another reason (along with SAB, Cape May, and many others) that I love the BCV.

One other thing: I'm working my way through your "13 Days of Disney Fun" story, which is quite amusing. I had to laugh at your comments on the IBM convention...I'm an IBMer, and I speak at a fair number of conventions, but somehow I never get lucky enough to draw one that is booked at a Disney Hotel! :confused3 And as for your comment on mugging an IBMer for his tie...These days ties are scarcer at my IBM location than frowns in the Magic Kingdom! (And I wouldn't have it any other way!) :teeth:

[PantherFanStan]

We are awaiting our paperwork for SSR and plan our first trip home next year. We were considering the week before President's week or a week in March. What weeks in MArch are the busiest (ie Spring Break weeks)?

Thanks
--Howie
Howie.....
I'll share my experience...others may share different experiences.

On Presidents' Day......
We went once during Presidents' Day week and didn't even realize it. Presidents' Day is not a major holiday where we live -- practicaly no one (aside from government) closes...so we were totally oblivious to it. We were very surprised and disappointed at the increased crowds. Not as bad as the week before Easter...but no that far off in my view -- especially the weekend adjacent to Presidents' Day.

On busiest weeks in March......
I think it depends upon when Easter occurs. Disney seems to adjust (max) the DVC points (and resort rates) for the weeks before Easter (Holy Week) and after Easter (Easter week). Next year, Easter falls in April....so I am hopeful that March (spring break for my kids' school) will be significantly less crowded. The crowds at Disney seem to be directly proportional to how many kids are not in school....and with so many schools around the country choosing so many different spring breaks, I think March (for next year anyway) should be a relatively good bet.

PantherFanStan

[RweTHEREyet]

Just checking in here from Raleigh.

We have driven so many times that right now we prefer flying. We have made the trip from Raleigh in as little as 9 hours. Left Raleigh at 3:00 and I was standing at the front desk checking in a few minutes before midnight. At any rate, we always make it a one day driving trip, never stay over.

Right now there are some really super fares on Southwest from RDU to MCO, I have a return flight next month for $39.00 (driving down) and a round trip in June for less than $100.00 round trip. At those prices, I can't afford to drive.

P.S. Hubby is a NCSU grad and son is presently at State.

[SamR]

...and a round trip in June for less than $100.00 round trip. At those prices, I can't afford to drive.With what has happened to gas prices lately, I can definitely see that economic factors may now favor the fly side of the fly/drive decision for a couple (or even a family of three). For our family of five, having to multiply that round-trip rate (no matter how low) by five really makes it hard for driving not to come out substantially ahead (even at current gas prices). If my wife and I ever again manage a trip down to WDW sans-kids (I can dream, can't I? :lovestruc ), then I strongly suspect we will fly. But as long as it is all five us...Load up the minivan! :teeth:

[RweTHEREyet]

I understand the factor 5 issue. I would be driving too, not to mention that you can take as much as you want down in the way of food, snacks, etc. to help save money when you get there.

There will come a time when you get to go with just the wife, of course, not long after that will come grandkids.

[gopherit]

For our family of five, having to multiply that round-trip rate (no matter how low) by five really makes it hard for driving not to come out substantially ahead (even at current gas prices). If my wife and I ever again manage a trip down to WDW sans-kids (I can dream, can't I? :lovestruc ), then I strongly suspect we will fly. But as long as it is all five us...Load up the minivan! :teeth:

Same here, my good five-in-the-family friend! :earsboy: :earsgirl: :earsboy: :earsboy: :earsgirl:

We have the added problem of no "major" airports nearby. We would have to drive our van at least 1 to 2 hours to get to an appreciable sized airport and decent fare. ONce we get to WDW, I think it would just kill us not to have a car. We like to get groceries and such, and I just like knowing I have wheels if needed (like for those lovely rush-trips to Centra Care for swimmer's ear.) So factor the airport parking, the plane ride, and the rental, and there's DEFINITELY no way airports can compete with our van! Besides -- we can pack more "stuff" in to our van. I sometimes hate that we spend that time "on the road" but then again, we always try to make the journey part of the fun. ON the way home, we almost always stop off to see family, too (it never hurts to plant family and friends strategically along your WDW route, I say!) My mom's / sister's house is literally a halfway point for us -- getting to visit family we don't often see on our way back from a great WDW trip is like mixing business and pleasure in all the RIGHT ways!

So unless gas goes to $75 / gallon (in which case airline ticket prices would probably go up, anyway... Unless you go via solar-powered hover craft -- but I don't think that's available yet) we shall be interstate warriors in our quest for WDW.

ANd trips without the kids? Now there's a pipe-dream. We're at least 11 or 12 yrs from that -- easily. Good thing we'll have DVC for many moons beyond that -- I'd like to feel the freedom of packing for 2 versus 5! :cloud9: