If you drove down to DisneyWorld from Toronto before, can you let me know something?

[JL2002]

Hey, for those of you who drove down from Toronto before, I just wanted to know a couple of things...How long the drive was, and how much gas u spent approximately? THANK YOU for all ur answers and helP!

 

[SnowWhite]

Actually we drove from Peterborough...not far from you....and it took 24 hours going the I77/95 route...we have taken I75 (and prefer it) and it takes approximatley the same maybe slightly longer. The cost of gas really depends what you are driving and what the price of fuel is (like now at 1.09 here!)
We drove last fall in a Grand Prix and spent about 300-350 total and we made a side trip to St Georges Island which was an 8 hour drive in itself. We will be taking our new Montana van this fall and will expect to spend not much more. There is a website that will calculate the cost of gas from the nearest town across the border (depending where you cross) to Orlando but I am not sure what it is right now...I will look for it.

 

[pdsd]

We drove (the I-75) from Toronto in December and it was about 24 hours of driving, even with a little traffic around Atlanta both ways and a major hailstorm in southern Georgia. We left at 11:30 am and drove with few stops (two boys 2 and 4 in the back with a DVD player) to Sweetwater, Tenn. by 1:00 a.m. We then left Tenn. at 8:30 a.m. and were on the I-4 outside Disney by 8:30 p.m. We never went more than 10 m.p.h. over the limit and usually kept it at 5 m.p.h. over.
We drove a rented (and now dented - thanks to the hail) 2006 Impala.
On credit cards we spent $355 on gas, though we might have paid for one or two other fill-ups with cash. Gas was about $2.30 a gallon when we went.

 

[Disneyof3]

We went for the March Break in 2006. We took I77/79 and we drive a full size Montana GM van. It cost us 160.00 total for gas and it took us about 23 hours to get to WDW. We left at 3pm in the afternoon on the Thursday and we stopped for supper around 6pm and we ate in the car. Stopped for some pee breaks and we had breakfast at Waffle house. Stopped again for pee and got to WDW around 2pm in the afternoon on the Friday. Once we hit Florida we relax and take a little more breaks. Hope this helps..

Next trip: POR and WDW Feb.2007 or March 2007

 

[Mortlives]

We drove to Port Canaveral, about the same distance in March, and put in $20US about 3 times each way. That's driving a Hyundai Elantra. I would imagine it will be a little pricier in the coming months.

 

[JL2002]

thanks for all your help! ....I'm still planning a trip and see if driving will be better than flying....for now, it looks like driving will be better....cuz we have like 7ppl and it just happen to all fit in a van....

 

[TweedleDum]

When we went in 2001 it took us 19 hours down the I77/79 route from St. Catharines, Ontario. I can't even begin to compare gas prices then to gas prices now though.

 

[tina&jefffromtoronto]

We drove down I-75 x2- August 2004 and September 2005.
Both times we left at about 10am on day 1 and arrived at WDW between 6pm and 8pm on day 2. We like to stay on-site but we arrive a night early in stay in a cheap motel right outside DW. that we we can get up early, have breakfast outside the gates and be checked into our hotel by 9:30 or 10 in the morning.
1st trip we rented an Impala and last year we drove our CRV. I think gas was probably about $300-$400.

 

[canron]

why drive its cheaper to fly out of buffalo with southwest or airtrans its usualy $120.00 return and your there in under 3 hours.car rentals are not bad either

 

[Mortlives]

Not sure how you figure it's cheaper? 120 x 3= 360. And you still have to drive to Buffalo (gas and tolls) and pay for parking. And pay to get to WDW, if you can't stand Magical Express. At least, for us, it's cheaper to drive and we enjoy the drive. DH says it gives him a chance to unwind before we get there.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

For those driving don't forget to figure in to your costs:

• wear and tear on the vehicle -- the 4000+km trip is going to net at least an oil change, if not a more significant vehicle service on arriving home.
• hotel costs on drive south and north -- unless you're a commando driver who does it straight through.
• meal costs -- even commando drivers have to stop to eat sometime.

For some -- flying might just be the cheaper way to go.

 

[PandaBear & Boo]

We drove in January down 95. Quickest route and more pleasing to the eyes. Have taken 75 before and it is too boring and long. Gas for us was approx. $300.00 US for there and back in a Honda minivan. We are headed back this September and will be driving again. In my opinion (depending on how many are traveling) Cheaper to drive than fly. Total time 22 hrs.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Check out this link www.fuelcostcalculator.com This is an American site so you must use Buffalo as your starting point. Also, add in meals and hotels for each way or any other possible expenses.

 

[chasbos]

It is now always cheaper to drive!

6 of us flew down last year for $451 US. Now there is no way that we could have drove there and back, stayed in hotels and ate for the 4 days it would take to get there and back for $451.

We drove to Florida once with the kids and we took 2.5 days to get there and less than 2 days to get home. The drive was OK but flying for us is preferred.

 

[Mortlives]

I think you only have to add in meals and hotels if you wouldn't have been away on vacation the days you're driving anyway. If our first vacation day is Friday, then whether we're driving or flying, we'll be leaving Thursday night, and staying in a hotel those days and eating in restaurants, so I wouldn't add that to the cost of driving, since we have those expenses either way. Actually, I'd probably have to deduct money, because we stay and eat cheaper on the road than we do when we arrive at our destination.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I think you only have to add in meals and hotels if you wouldn't have been away on vacation the days you're driving anyway. If our first vacation day is Friday, then whether we're driving or flying, we'll be leaving Thursday night, and staying in a hotel those days and eating in restaurants, so I wouldn't add that to the cost of driving, since we have those expenses either way. Actually, I'd probably have to deduct money, because we stay and eat cheaper on the road than we do when we arrive at our destination.

The meals and hotels are part of the expense of getting to your holiday destination. This is especially so if you are comparing the cost of airfare vs. driving. Personally, I don't consider sitting in the car for 2 days a vacation.

 

[maryrego]

We have done this drive 4 times
the quickest route is the 79/77 way. Use Mapquest / map point for exact directions.

If you leave at Canada4-5am you will get there by 10-11pmThis eliminates a hotel room. If you have 2 drivers it works well and the hard part of the drive through VA, WV in the mountains in done during daylight. You arrive at the hotel and because u are so tired you get a great sleep and wake up refreshed the next day.

This works great on the way back as well

Depending on speeds it can be 18-21 hours. Also depends on stops we always stop about every 4 hours. In the Mazda 3 protoge we spent about $ 250 in gas. In a caravan it was about $300-325 .