AM I crazy????

[disneygal2007]

We haven't been to DW since 2009. We moved to WA state right after our last trip. Well I don't fly. Thank heavens my husband's job hasn't required us to fly. The last time I was flew was the day before 9 11. Anyway. My husband is going to Korea for a year and I was thinking about going to DW when he comes home on leave next year. He is in the Army. I wanted to drive. From here to FL. Take 2 weeks to do Disney and other things. The trip down will be 2 days or more.

Would you do it? Our kids are 9 and 13 and I think they would be more then fine in the car for that long. I really want to go. So bad that it kinda depresses me when I think about how far we are. SOOO am I nuts!

 

[YachtClubWoman]

I would never drive that long if I can be there in hours.

My husband does not like to fly. After a major panic attack one time,he now takes xanax 1 hr pre-flight and 1 while boarding and has no issues. He has flown numerous times including a flight to Munich to join me on a business trip.

I suggest talking to your family dr. I don't think it is fair to your husband to spend all that time in a car driving - to me that is no vacation.

 

[Sheaboys]

I drove from Massachusetts to California. Do it! What an experience. At that time I did not have kids. But I have driven to Florida from MA, several times, the last time I did it alone with 4 kids (they were 10,8,6 and 21 months). I did it with 1 overnight. It was so relaxing. We enjoyed stops on the way to get out and eat in the grass. On the way home, I decided to stop in DC, which we did for a few hours, saw the WWII monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, etc.
So you are not crazy to do it, just give yourself plenty of time.

 

[HM]

I'd only do it if I were going to stop and do some other sightseeing along the way. Take one of those two weeks at WDW to do things along your route there and back (and plan an interesting route).

 

[Darcy03231]

We haven't been to DW since 2009. We moved to WA state right after our last trip. Well I don't fly. Thank heavens my husband's job hasn't required us to fly. The last time I was flew was the day before 9 11. Anyway. My husband is going to Korea for a year and I was thinking about going to DW when he comes home on leave next year. He is in the Army. I wanted to drive. From here to FL. Take 2 weeks to do Disney and other things. The trip down will be 2 days or more.

Would you do it? Our kids are 9 and 13 and I think they would be more then fine in the car for that long. I really want to go. So bad that it kinda depresses me when I think about how far we are. SOOO am I nuts!

Count me as another one who wouldn't make that drive! From my house to WDW is 26 hours and I won't drive that.

Having said that, there are plenty of people who do drive that kind of a distance for a variety of reasons. Check out the transportation board for tips from long distance drivers.

Personally, I would see my Dr. if I had any kind of irrational fear that was that was forcing me not to do something I truly wanted to do.

 

[ellie05]

No way I would do it. I have driven across the country because we were moving but I would never do it for vacation unless it was a road trip and I was stopping along the way a lot.

 

[arihillfarm]

I wouldn't put my husband through that, especially if he only gets 2 weeks R&R and he'll already by messed up enough coming from Korea with the time change and getting used to being home again. For a longer, 3-4 week road trip with a few days at a destination like Disney (cue "Holiday Road" music from National Lampoon's Vacation, LOL!), I'd do it but not with a short military leave. We drive to Disney from Ohio, and it's an 1100 mile, 2 day trip with a stop at my mother's overnight in Atlanta (and maybe a few days more to visit with her coming or going). We drive because it's cheaper than flying 5 people and we don't have hotels to pay for between home and Florida, but over your much longer distance with gas, food and lodging, you'd probably double your cost versus flying and add many days to your vacation that could be spent at Disney.

-Astrid

 

[AuntieKels]

I think it's TOTALLY up to your family. I have done multiple cross country car trips and love them. My hubby and I really like having that time to listen to audio books together, chat and see the coutryside. If the vacation time works for you, you plan destinations along the way and your family agrees to it - DO IT! It's great quality time together after a long deployment.

 

[StephMK]

It will be a lot longer than 2 days, even if you plan to drive non-stop. For 2 weeks, I don't think there is enough time to drive there, back and try to recover on vacation in-between.

I would be all for a cross country road trip with lots of stops to see other things along the way but in this case, there doesn't seem to be enough time. If you're going to do a trip like that, the journey has to be part of the vacation.

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

I would not make that long of a drive if I had to be on a schedule. You can fly from Seattle overnight on Alaska and the flight is only 5 1/2 hours to Orlando and no layovers! What is your reason for not flying? Maybe a trip to Disneyland would be better? We have made that drive many times from Oregon to Anaheim and it can be done in a day or two if you make lots of stops... beats cross country for sure!

 

[a1tinkfans]

We haven't been to DW since 2009. We moved to WA state right after our last trip. Well I don't fly. Thank heavens my husband's job hasn't required us to fly. The last time I was flew was the day before 9 11. Anyway. My husband is going to Korea for a year and I was thinking about going to DW when he comes home on leave next year. He is in the Army. I wanted to drive. From here to FL. Take 2 weeks to do Disney and other things. The trip down will be 2 days or more.

Would you do it? Our kids are 9 and 13 and I think they would be more then fine in the car for that long. I really want to go. So bad that it kinda depresses me when I think about how far we are. SOOO am I nuts!

No. you're not nuts. It can be done and with an UPbeat planned car trip, probably have the best time ever with your family!
Some of the the best memories I have as a child are us five kids crammed into the back of a station wagon for our all day, then overnight trip down the eastern seaboard to Fla..and ultimately Disney...mom and dad planned those trips and we did them several times a year...OH the memories...like two days of frying up chicken to bring along for the trip...and the South of the Boarder Stop and the Signage on I95...What fun times those were....
I say do what works for YOUR family and ignore the naysayers...Hoping you make this trip and it is MAGICAL!

 

[Leajess99]

Is your husband going to take 30 days of leave?? If he is than I would go for it but I would take the time to also sight see along the way. I made the drive from Washington State to Michigan to Louisiana and back with a 6 month old and my husband at the time for leave one time. I also drove from Washington State to Michigan to Kentucky alone with an almost 2 year old when I PCS'd from Fort Lewis to Fort Knox.

At 9 and 13 the kids could learn a lot about this country through a road trip like that. Also, have you been to Disneyland?? It may be worth a visit just to get a Disney Fix.

 

[lttlmc3]

I don't think you're nuts. I just know I wouldn't do it. I'm afraid to fly too, but I go to the Doc and go the Xanax route as well. In fact, that's what I'll be doing for our Disney trip next month (I guess I'd better make that appointment soon!). HOWEVER...I would talk to your husband about it as well. He may love the idea of the car trip. It's kind of an individual thing. Some people just can't fly. There is nothing wrong with that. So, no, you are not nuts.
Have you looked into free online fear of flying courses? I've used www.fearofflyinghelp.com and it really helps me. I redo it before everytime I have to fly. I've learned more of what to expect and what is normal of flights. Like, if I see a lot of clouds, I know that the ride will get a little bumpy because that's normal. The class helps with that and even uses videos with sights and sounds of flights to get used to it. Just a suggestion.

 

[Colleen27]

Two days? I think you're seriously underestimating. We take 2 days to drive the 1200ish miles from Michigan... Unless you're hard core about driving straight through, sleeping in shifts, and expecting the kids to put up with a LOT of car time, you're going to need longer than that.

I think the trip would be great if you looked at the drive as part of the adventure and stopped to sight-see along the way, though that would mean less time for WDW. But if the getting there is just getting there, that is a very long and likely stressful trip.

 

[eduk8r26]

I drove from California to South Carolina with just an 11-year-old. It took 4 days, but we took our time. Then we drove to WDW for a week and back home. If you have someone to switch off driving you could probably do it in 3 days but that might be pushing it. I don't fly, either, never have and hopefully never will!! But I enjoy driving.

 

[ctl]

It takes 2 days to drive from Texas to Orlando (if you stop for sleep that is). Did you consider letting your kids and husband fly and you driving by yourself? I know that sounds miserable, but it really is too long for your kids and hubby to be stuck in the car. (Both ways you would lose at least 4 days.) Your hubby needs to be able to decompress and driving across country is no picnic. I understand your anxiety, perhaps try talking to your doc for some medication. Good luck, it's a hard decision. Maybe you and your family could make a real trip across the country, taking time to sleep and see the sights or drive down to Disneyland?.

 

[Minnesota!]

Sorry, but I wouldn't do it. With the short window of time you DH has home...I wouldn't want to spend it in a car fighting traffic. I would go to the dr and get some Xanax and just get on the plane. It takes 2 days from MN to get to Orlando. I would say you are looking at at least 3 each way, if not more. I wouldn't do it at all..

 

[Marionnette]

we haven't been to dw since 2009. We moved to wa state right after our last trip. Well i don't fly. Thank heavens my husband's job hasn't required us to fly. The last time i was flew was the day before 9 11. Anyway. My husband is going to korea for a year and i was thinking about going to dw when he comes home on leave next year. He is in the army. I wanted to drive. From here to fl. Take 2 weeks to do disney and other things. The trip down will be 2 days or more.

Would you do it? Our kids are 9 and 13 and i think they would be more then fine in the car for that long. I really want to go. So bad that it kinda depresses me when i think about how far we are. Sooo am i nuts!

Yes, you're nuts.

I won't even drive from PA. There is no way that I could imagine driving almost 2500 miles and back. And I certainly wouldn't try to do it in 2 days. Google maps says it's 49 hours from the southeast corner of Washington to Walt Disney World. And that would be with no rest stops or traffic delays or stopping for a night to catch some sleep.

If flying is out of the question, consider taking Amtrak. The trip will take twice as long but you would have the luxury of getting up and stretching your legs anytime you want. It wouldn't be cheap but you would arrive a little less frazzled.

 

[msmama]

Yeah, 2 days driving is NOT going to happen.

I've done the cross country drive several times and it's been a minimum of 4 days one way(and that was hard).

If you're going to make it a road trip, there is A LOT to see and do in the country, but if you're really just doing Disney and back - take the drugs and fly. (Take a red eye, take a sedative before you get on the plane and sleep the whole way).

 

[runsandjumps]

I would think driving would take more like 4 days. With your kids being older they should do great. If you feel like you can handle 8 days driving then have fun.