Anyone done the drive with 4 kids who don't feel well in car?

[petunia]

We are a family of 6 and have always flown to WDW from Toronto, but with air and van rental so expensive this year I was thinking about driving down in our van. However, the kids (4/6/13/16) are not fond of the idea, and neither am I really, but I keep trying to weigh both options. I keep saying but we'll have to stay over somewhere for 1 night, plus feeding 6 people for 2 days of travel, is it still worth it, or is close, and if it's close is it worth the time?? Thoughts anyone

 

[Tower]

My brothers do the drive with their families of 6 most of the time. Heck, when I was a child, we squeezed all 6 of us in our Plymouth Fury station wagon and drove down! Yep, wasn't comfortable, but we did it!
The best way for us is to get a nap in the day of departure, and leave at around 8:00PM. Assuming it's not summer, it should be dark around then for easier sleeping. Everyone's excited for the first 2 hours or so so it's enough to keep them awake for the border crossing at Buffalo. DW would drive till midnight or so while I sleep a bit riding shotgun. When she's had enough, we trade places and stop for breakfast in Charlotte, N.C.
DW will take over again after breakfast and we'll drive through South Carolina, but now that the kids are awake after sleeping through the night, there are more stops 'for gas/pit stops'.
Because we've all done it before, there are the regular stops along this route for a Stuckey roll, pick up some pecans and oranges etc. Lunch and breakfast are longer stops than I normally like due to the kids needing some stretching time. Packing a frisbee or something so they can run as well usually helps.
We do stop the 2nd night in Georgia, close to Jacksonville as we see no point in checking in to our Disney hotel with no time that day to enjoy it. We get up as early as the kids will allow us and continue to our destination. It works well, especially if you have some of those headrest-mounted DVD players. Maybe 2 if there is a large gap in ages and viewing pleasures.
Just my perspective, we prefer flying, but it's definitely more economical given the sizes of our families.
Unfortunately, we'll have to fly for our cruise as it's too far to drive to Galveston, TX.

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

I can image that with the flight costs nowadays, that a considerable savings could be had by driving down. I guess weighing the costs is one thing, along with the time driving back and forth being another consideration.

For my family, I'd probably consider driving down if I had 2 weeks off. But more than likely, we'd drive into the US and take a flight from there if the prices were much cheaper.

 

[Debbie]

We've done the drive with 3, 4, and 5 kids and the last time (6 years ago, now), we flew with the youngest 2 who were 12 and 15. Their report was: "Next time, could we drive, please."

The reason on their part was simple. They liked the stops. We always made the trip about the kids, so we made the trek down a real beginning to the (2 week) vacation. We drove down I-75 with the Along I-75 books. Stops include (over the years): first KFC, Rainbow Falls, Lost Sea, Mayfield's Dairy, Cabbage Patch Hospital, Museum of Applalachia etc.

What the kids liked best, though, were: Waffle House and Cracker Barrel. We rarely eat out as a family, so the restaurants really took first place in their hearts. (although they hated the Dining plan-took too much time away from the rides)

Oh, and when we drove, there was no such thing as in the van DVD or even a portable DVD in our household. They took their Game Boys, their music, books and slept. When they were little, they had lots of toys to play with. No crayons or chocolate, though!

Oh, and those two girls? They are off for their first grown up trip together themselves in two days! And they are flying.

 

[Tinetine]

We considered the drive from Montreal, which is 24 hours, with 2 kids, and flying is cheaper. When you add up gas, with the hotel and restaurants, it wasn't worth it for us...Plus when you consider the hassle of a 2 day or 3 day trip , versus a 3 hour plane ride , it makes sense for us to fly.
Have you thought about flying from the US, instead of Toronto ?

 

[Evelyne]

Hi, for the past 18 years we drove from Ottawa aeria to WDW almost every year. Our kids are now 19 and 16. Your key to succes will be to keep the kids busy. DVD player, I pod, Nintendo DS, books, or anything they like. My best tip would be: prepare surprise bags for every State you will come across, go to the $$$ store, fill them with little games coloring books special candies. If you can find Disney stuff that's even better!!! My daugter has motion sickness, so she needs to take a little bit of medication so she sleeps a bit. If you are 2 tough drivers you can do it in one stech. The less you stop the faster you will be there!!!
It is 24 hours you leave at noon you'll de at the World at noon the following day...
We find it cheaper to drive, yu canso fill your cooler with stuff to eat (be aware some food is prohibited at the customs). When we get to the World we go to Walmart or Publix and make a little grocery, when we're on the Dining plan we only buy for breakfast and some snacks. Hope you'll have a nice trip. We'll be going this October without the kids for the first time, and even for 2 it is nstill cheaper to go by car. And remember that the trip starts as soon as you step in the car...

 

[dontthrowsand]

Not worth it for this restless, car sick, road tripper who hates most hotels and has food allergies.

When I was younger, my parents would take us out camping. I loved the camping part but the driving part was not a good experience yet some of my fond memories happened on those trips.

Have they ever done a road trip? Maybe it is something to work your way up to! I'd love to,do the Edmonton to DL trip along the pacific coast high way trip but I am going to need a lot of practice.

 

[nepean]

Have driven from Ottawa 17 times in the last 20 years. We have had good weather(this year) and really bad weather(two years ago). We travel with DD 21 and now her BF 23. We leave around 8 am and drive straight through. With 4 drivers now available is should be easily split up, but that is not the way it was this year. I did about 15 hours of the trip down and BF did about 10+. DH eyes were bothering him and DD fell asleep early in the evening and I just kept driving. We stop for gas and pack a cooler. We did do Waffle House for breakfast in GA but that was it. I personally do not like to fly and the cost for all of us plus a car for 3 weeks over Christmas was crazy expensive. Gas cost $500 with a Santa Fe.

My sister drives every year. When her kids were younger DN got car sick alot. She gave her gravol on the way down but had to buy the US version to come home. DN basically slept all the way home.

The kids have always had books, games etc to keep them occupied. We now have a DVD player and they watch a lot of movies in the back seat. Ever who drove the last shift gets to pick a movie if they don't want to sleep. We find switching seats in the car helpful.

We are drivin again Jan 5 for the Marathon and coming back late January. Hoping for great weather. The trip is part of the vacation to all of us. We stop at JR's and have favourite rest areas to walk around for a few minutes. We have met some of the nicest people on these trips.

Nepean

 

[iluveeyore]

Consider this - I just booked a trip for hubby and I a few weeks ago - we always fly out of Buffalo on Southwest - booked for $126 each way all in (includes 2 suitcases each), then today it dropped to $95 each way all taxes in so rebooked and have credits to use next year. Thats $190 roundtrip. Then I waited until last week to book a rental car, used codes from my friends on the DIS, and have a standard size car for $80 for seven days with Alamo, picking up at airport in Orlando, dropping off at the Car Care Center in Disney so we can take the Magic Express back to the airport. So it can be done on a budget taking out the stress of driving so far with so many. Heck, it's just DH and I, but we'd rather get there and start enjoying ourselves than suffer through the long drive, even though we love road trips. When you factor in the gas, eating out, staying over, inclement weather, traffic, etc. as opposed to a nonstop flight there and back, the flight will win everytime with us! (And the drive home is the worst, because you don't want to go home and it seems to take twice as long!!!)

 

[Sugar Jones]

We drove from Southwestern Ontario in 2010. Our kids were 3, 6 & 8. We left on Saturday morning at 5:00am and stopped in McDonnough, GA around 7:30pm for the night. We were at Disney by 2:30pm the next day.
The kids were great and the drive didn't seem that bad at all. We have one who usually get's carsick, but we gave her gravol every 4 hours and she was fine and it helped her sleep.

We spent $450.00 total on driving, that included snacks, gas, meals and hotel. So we saved around $800.00 if we had of flown.


The only downside is that our Disney time is shortened, because we have to allow 2 days for driving down.

We are going to fly next year when we return, but it's so we get more days at Disney. It's going to suck to pay for airfare though



I used my airmiles for Best Western giftcards and used them for the hotel on the way down and back. I made sure that each hotel offered a complimentary breakfast so we didn't have to pay for that.

We brought snacks from home and cases of water and juice boxes. Saved us money on the drive down as well as while at Disney. They were fine to cross the border with.

 

[webworm]

We are a family of 6 and have always flown to WDW from Toronto, but with air and van rental so expensive this year I was thinking about driving down in our van. However, the kids (4/6/13/16) are not fond of the idea, and neither am I really, but I keep trying to weigh both options. I keep saying but we'll have to stay over somewhere for 1 night, plus feeding 6 people for 2 days of travel, is it still worth it, or is close, and if it's close is it worth the time?? Thoughts anyone

I don't know when you are planning to travel but you should check flights out of Buffalo, Rochester, Detroit and Niagara Falls with Allegiant. You could fly into Orlando/Sanford airport or St.Pete's Clearwater and just drive across the I4 to Orlando.

 

[petunia]

We're going the end of July into August...flying out of Buffalo doesn't seem to very cheap right now??

 

[iluveeyore]

We're going the end of July into August...flying out of Buffalo doesn't seem to very cheap right now??

Have patience - I booked two months out at $126 each way - now, 3 weeks before we leave it's $95 each way, so now I have credits for our trip next year!

 

[Reese]

We've driven several times with 6-8 children. We prefer to drive straight thru. Dh will sleep the day we plan to leave. I will run the kids ragged and than we leave right around supper time. Usuall we feed them sandwiches in the van and get going. I drive the first couple hours giving Dh a chance to wake up. We stop at a rest area to get the kids ready for the night, put a movie in the DVD players for them and they drift off to sleep and I catch a few ZZZ's while DH drives. We get so much farther that first night while the kids sleep. Our rule is between the hours of 12 and 6 no more than 2-3 hrs shifts for us, this keeps us fresh. During the day we just drive as long as we feel like it.
We pack the kids some special surprises from the dollar store. We also stop at walmart for our morning wake up stop. Everyone goes in and uses the washrooms and we go get some snackies, yogurt, fruit ect. for the rest of the drive. We have DVD players for the van but only bring them out for LONG trips do it keeps them entertained as we don't watch a lot of TV. We also take a bit longer at the rest stops playing tag and running just to work out a little energy.

 

[DisneyFairytale]

I can image that with the flight costs nowadays, that a considerable savings could be had by driving down. I guess weighing the costs is one thing, along with the time driving back and forth being another consideration.

For my family, I'd probably consider driving down if I had 2 weeks off. But more than likely, we'd drive into the US and take a flight from there if the prices were much cheaper.

For 2 adults from Calgary, the best priced tickets are usually around $1,000 together. Car rental for 2 weeks would be about $400.00 not including the gas.

For us to drive with the car, including gas during the trip costs us $550.00. That means a saving of $1,000 all for driving a total 22 hours one way, then back to Calgary on the way back. To us it's worth it. Sometimes we drive straight down and take turns driving, sometimes we take it slow and go make stops along the way of must see things.

It's up to you, but having a car there to go do other things locally, or even to go to buy groceries, is worth it to us 150%.

 

[4boyz]

We drive twice a year with 2 or 3 kids. We do the drive over two days.
The cost is a few hundred dollars cheaper than flying out of the US.
The real savings come from not having to rent a vehicle and the greater number of items you can bring back in your own vehicle. We always max our duty free limit.

If you don't plan on shopping or driving once you hit Orlando then maybe flying is the way to go.

 

[CdnKayDee]

For 2 adults from Calgary, the best priced tickets are usually around $1,000 together. Car rental for 2 weeks would be about $400.00 not including the gas.

For us to drive with the car, including gas during the trip costs us $550.00. That means a saving of $1,000 all for driving a total 22 hours one way, then back to Calgary on the way back. To us it's worth it. Sometimes we drive straight down and take turns driving, sometimes we take it slow and go make stops along the way of must see things.

It's up to you, but having a car there to go do other things locally, or even to go to buy groceries, is worth it to us 150%.

I just have to ask how fast are you driving? Calgary to WDW in 22 hours is amazing.

 

[bonjoe07]

We are a family of 5 from Winnipeg, we might be driving down to WDW in Orlando, the flights are just too expensive. We normally fly from Minneapolis with Airtran but it is just to expensive, but we still got our hopes up for flights lower than $100 pp one way. Google calculated the trip to be around 30 some hours i dont know if i can handle it lol