All you Drivers out there?

[My2CrazyGirls]

I didn't read the other replies. But I would say, can you stay for 7 days?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

One more tip if you drive. A smart phone is a big plus. An especially nice feature is the ability to see what restaurants lie ahead. You can also do some research before you go. You can either plan to stop at certian places, or just map out where some of the 'better' stops are located.

I personally hate most fast food places.

That said, Chik-fil-A is not too bad, and Zaxby's is quite good. Also along the way you might find some excellent carrry out bar-b-que. You can also find many mediocre chains. Some of the gas station convenience stores actually offer some decent healthy choices like fresh fruit, yogurt, nice salads.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

It looks like you think you'll drive, but I'll chime in anyway!

We drive more often than we fly - from Minnesota. It's about a 24 hour drive, including our "pit stops". We usually drive straight through on the way down, (we're excited!) but take two days coming home. My DH does most of the nighttime driving. We leave after school/work and I do the first few hours. My kids love to road trip and they watch movies a lot. It helps if they can understand that you are only going to stop every 3 hours (or whatever) and that they all must "try" to go at each break.

We bring some snacks/drinks in the car and they have small toys/handheld games.

We've done this for 4 days, 5 days, whatever we can manage. We're doing it again in October for a big 6 full days!!! I can't wait!

To be honest - I'm probably the one who is the worst about being bored or uncomfortable! DH loves to drive, and having the freedom and control of your timing and what you can pack is so great!

Sometimes it's nice to have a vehicle at WDW too. We might be venturing off property a bit this trip. I'd like to check out Celebration and maybe go to see Winter the dolphin from Dolphin Tale.

Good luck!!!

 

[tosha27]

One more tip if you drive. A smart phone is a big plus. An especially nice feature is the ability to see what restaurants lie ahead. You can also do some research before you go. You can either plan to stop at certian places, or just map out where some of the 'better' stops are located.

I personally hate most fast food places.

That said, Chik-fil-A is not too bad, and Zaxby's is quite good. Also along the way you might find some excellent carrry out bar-b-que. You can also find many mediocre chains. Some of the gas station convenience stores actually offer some decent healthy choices like fresh fruit, yogurt, nice salads.

We don't have smartphones but we def plan our stops before we leave. It helps me because I have a concrete goal that I can set. lol. We usually stop 4 times at the most (for 9 hours). We aren't even going until May but I already have our stops planned out. LOL.

 

[photobob]

We are 8-9 hours away and we did have driven for a three night stay. It was a bit short stay for that much driving but well worth it to me.

 

[dimndgal1]

I'm considering this too....a 14 hour drive from Baltimore MD. Plane tickets are close to $300 round trip and there are two of us. We did drive several years ago...drove all night to Orlando, spent the night, and headed to our resort the next day. Our plan was on our last day 6th day...we were going to drive straight home. But after days at disney, we were exhausted so we ended up staying in North Carolina on the way home.

I think for us, remembering how tired we were driving home, it just sounds so much easier, so much simplier to just fly down. Airport is 10 minutes from my house too.

Just want to say the drive from outside Baltimore to FL isn't too bad - the DC Beltway is the worst part of it and after that it's pretty much a straight shot with minimal traffic hotspots. I drove from Florida to Bmore several times when we were stationed down there and I visited my folks. So many neat places to see. I would do it straight shot on the way up and stop in Savannah, GA or drive over to a beach town on the way back. The scenery is neat to watch as you change regions and there are a multitude of places to stop along 95.

We're driving from outside DC this summer and adding days on the Gulf Coast to our trip. I used to loathe the thought of driving any considerable difference but the military forced me to get over that quick.

 

[Sprite74]

Sounds like I am with everyone else here or at least the majority. We drive down from the Toronto, Ontario area which is 21 -22 hours to get to WDW and we have done it twice now and will be again this summer. We leave at night (thursday) and drive through the first night which can get us in to Florida state Jacksonville or further depending on what we want to do. Then we will crash for the night and be at WDW for noon on the Saturday for check in!! May have to try and do the wave thing has we pass over the state boards, and disney hats for customs.... my oldest would kill me


We have done it with all 4 kids and when we just had 2. We go with electronic games, DVDs, colours and toys in hand to help entertain on the drive. The kids are all great travellers and when they know where we are going they are excited anyway. On the way home we leave about noon on the Saturday and get as far north as we can and stop late and then drive through to get home late on Sunday, ideally with Monday off to rest from the travels.

Also our first day at Disney we try to keep it simple and not plan to much just wonder or book a dinner show something that we can relax a little.

GO FOR IT!!!!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We don't have smartphones but we def plan our stops before we leave. It helps me because I have a concrete goal that I can set. lol. We usually stop 4 times at the most (for 9 hours). We aren't even going until May but I already have our stops planned out. LOL.

I usually like to research possiblities before traveling, but sometimes you're not hungry in the right spots, so you end up further down the road or end up stopping sooner. So, I'll typically search out way more possible stops than we'll use.

BTW, for those with OnStar, you can use this to find all sorts of stuff as well.

 

[mmwalker]

Books on tape!!!!

 

[jennyjinx3]

Sounds like I am with everyone else here or at least the majority. We drive down from the Toronto, Ontario area which is 21 -22 hours to get to WDW and we have done it twice now and will be again this summer. We leave at night (thursday) and drive through the first night which can get us in to Florida state Jacksonville or further depending on what we want to do. Then we will crash for the night and be at WDW for noon on the Saturday for check in!! May have to try and do the wave thing has we pass over the state boards, and disney hats for customs.... my oldest would kill me


We have done it with all 4 kids and when we just had 2. We go with electronic games, DVDs, colours and toys in hand to help entertain on the drive. The kids are all great travellers and when they know where we are going they are excited anyway. On the way home we leave about noon on the Saturday and get as far north as we can and stop late and then drive through to get home late on Sunday, ideally with Monday off to rest from the travels.

Also our first day at Disney we try to keep it simple and not plan to much just wonder or book a dinner show something that we can relax a little.

GO FOR IT!!!!

This is good info! We are from Southern Ontario too, and while we have flown all trips so far, if we get a new minivan this coming year, next year may be a driving year. Our kids will be 9,7,and 4 then. More than old enough to be able to handle it I think by then. We have been leary to drive so far as even a 4 hour trip to algonquin park has been a nightmare in the past!

 

[ReneeA]

We are driving for the first time in August. We've always flown in the past, but last trip our flight home was cancelled (after 5+hours of delays) and my kids missed their first day of school for the year. Also, the price of flights is right now...more than double what we normally pay.

I'm the only one excited about it right now. DH and kids are all being kinda whiney about it, but I like the idea of having a car in WDW. I also like the idea of not having to limit what we bring with us because we only pay for 2 checked bags for the 4 of us, and have to keep it under 50 pounds apiece - not easy for a 10 day trip! Plus I think I'll like the freedom of packing cases of pop and water along with snacks.

I would totally drive for 5 days in WDW!

 

[minnie mum]

If you feel comfortable with it then maybe you could let the 7 year sit up front for a bit while you feed the baby. Then when its burping time make that potty time (this will help eliminate stops). Stops is what will get you. Don't underestimate practicing changing diapers in the front seat. This will make it so you dont have to get the baby out and to the rest stop (or restaurant which could be 5-10 minutes off the exit)

I just had to voice a couple of concerns about your recommendations. I would never advocate feeding a baby in a moving car- our children (and now grandchildren) would never be removed from their car seat when the car was in motion. Also, not sure if the 7 year old is big enough yet to safely sit in the front passenger seat.

How could you change an infant without removing it from the car seat or at the very least unbuckling him from the restraints? Again, not safe in a moving car. Perhaps you meant that you would just stop somewhere and change the baby without going into a restroom? Then where would you be storing the dirty diapers? Ewwww.

It seems to me that it is an awful lot safer for everyone involved to sacrifice the time to park the car, feed and change the baby, have your potty break and/or meal break, and then continue with your trip.

 

[Sprite74]

This is good info! We are from Southern Ontario too, and while we have flown all trips so far, if we get a new minivan this coming year, next year may be a driving year. Our kids will be 9,7,and 4 then. More than old enough to be able to handle it I think by then. We have been leary to drive so far as even a 4 hour trip to algonquin park has been a nightmare in the past!

We do the drive north all the time so 4 hours for my boys is nothing. This time we are going the boys will be 13, 11, 6 and 6 .... The last time we drove they were 9, 7, 3 and 3(we left on the twins birthday) and they did amazing. The biggest thing is to have entertainment, and snacks. Check the custom sites to see what you can take across the boarder with (no fruit allowed) and we have one of those plug in coolers. You can also stop once you cross the boarder to stock up a bit more, before you get really in to the trek. Our saving grace this year is that the 13yr old can sit up front so the one not driving can get some decent rest in the back.

 

[keith-atl]

I was trying to talk my DH into taking a trip in May, but our budget only works for driving down, so my question is...... Would you drive 20 hours (from PA) for a 5 night stay in WDW? Am I being ridiculous? I thought it was a good idea until he has kind of agreed, now I am wondering if I am being silly and it will just be a waste of time for only 5 nights, or does that seem like an alright trip to anyone else? We can possibly rent points at SSR, which also makes me nervous, cause we have never stayed here before! What do you Dissers think GO or wait til maybe next year or longer? TIA

Every spring break we see an insane amount of Michigan plates, we live in Atlanta so they tend to have the same spring break as us every year. Never stops them.

I think you can do it, but 20 hours seems extremely high to me.

 

[JasonDVC]

The thought of the drive home is the major mental road block (no pun intended) for me.

I can definitely see the drive down being fun but the drive back must be brutal.

 

[chigirl]

We drove from Chicago in June 2009 because we wanted our kids to experience a road trip, like we had when we were kids...my kids were 11 and 16 at the time. We had a blast!!! We stopped in Kentucky to tour the Maker's Mark distillery (beautiful!) and stayed overnight in Chattanooga; we woke early on Day 2 and drove into Florida, stopped to eat, and then got stuck in a 2 1/2 hour delay due to an accident...WHY DOESN'T FLORIDA HAVE MINUTEMEN LIKE CHICAGO THAT CLEAN UP AN ACCIDENT IN LIKE 3 MINUTES???? We drove inro ASMo at about 6pm...we really took our time driving down, stopping to see stupid stuff, but it was a BLAST!!!! The car was packed w/snacks, dvd's,etc....but the ride home: boring! Other than stopping at the Varsity in Atlanta, it was a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzfest. Indiana is the longest, most boring state ever! No offense! Indiana people are awesome...its just an endless sea of corn and blue sky, much like Illinois!

That being said, I'd never drive again, unless I had to....the trip down is fun, but after 8 days at WDW, we were just too pooped to make it fun.

 

[cburek]

We drive every year from South Jersey and have done so for the last 20 years. Some of those years we went 2 or 3 times. I have driven it myself with my 2 kids also. So yes we think its fine for a 5 day trip
We have also used the Autotrain some of those times, but its expensive. I just cant get into the idea of flying anymore after you add the cost of the flights x 4 people,baggage fees, parking fees and then not to mention the possibilty of delays or cancellations.
We usually leave after dinner and drive through the night arriving the next morning around 10am-ish. This past year we thought of doing a quick trip for 5 days but the weather wasn't looking great and we bagged the idea.
So for sure we would go for a 5 day stay.

 

[kimmer]

We'll be doing it for the fourth time this May - and we have 24hrs (from ottawa)

This year we're staying 6 nights and have added a stop-over night & full day in Williamsburg,VA at a Great Wolf Lodge to kinda break up the bummer that, as a pp alluded to, is the "ride home..."