Am I crazy?

[anniemae]

I would do it! I probably would not drive straight through on the way down. I would put in about 10 hrs. then stop (less if we were really tired.) Coming back, I would probably leave on Friday instead of Saturday just to have a safety net in case of bad weather or traffic etc. Then you would have more time to rest when you get home.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I fly or I don't go. Double that in the winter.

That's funny I drive or I don't go.

 

[jrmasm]

This is how my husband, the mathematician, always approaches these questions:

So, airfare is $1200
I'm guessing you'd spend $200 on gas

Flying would take what, 3 hours each way?
Driving will take 16 hours, each way

So you'll "spend" 26 hours of your life to save $1000. That's $38/hour. Does that seem like a reasonable price for your time?
Not a lot of people are "worth" more than $38/hour, so I think for many people, this is not crazy.

Personally, I'd be more inclined to do it if we were also able to extend the trip and find a nice halfway points to stop on each way and kind of make the journey part of the vacation. How long you get to stay also factors into my choice -- you say you'd leave on Friday and arrive on Saturday -- if this is a long weekend trip, then I'd be reluctant to give up 26 hours. If it's a week trip, then I'd be more willing.

Flying can take much longer than the time in the air. The OP should look at actual door to door time.

 

[wilkeliza]

I would adjust your expectations on the drive time is all. I haven't done the drive but have family that does the drive from Boca to NYC every summer as well as a few that do the NYC down to Orlando drive. It is 16 hours and 55 minutes with tolls and no tolls is roughly 17 hours and 59 minutes based on if you left right now and followed google maps directions. That also means you take 0 breaks. So if you leave at 8pm on a Friday and need to arrive by 2pm on Saturday then you are assuming you hit no traffic, no accidents, and take maybe 1 stop. Also that puts a lot of your driving time in the dark.

I'm not saying don't do it, I would just try to give yourself some more leeway. No matter what time you leave that Friday before the holiday vacation there is going to be traffic. I have left at 11 pm to go up to CT on that holiday weekend and sat in 3 hour traffic on I-90. I would imagine going south is just as bad. I don't know if you are leaving from Manhattan or if you are in one of the boroughs where you would potentially have a different traffic.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

Are you crazy? No. Would I do it? Not a chance. However i have 2 kids and a dh. Our feeling was 2+hours on a plane vs over 20 hours inna car....
The plane wins every time. We live an hour outside of NYC so it's about 2.5 hours flight to Orlando. Good Luck to you.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Thanks for the advice! But unfortunately, since we are teachers, we have to go the week of President's Day

Go in the summer.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I've driven several times. I much prefer flying. 16 hour drive. If you stop somewhere to sleep, you are talking 24 hours or so. Versus 3 hours in a plane.

 

[msjprincess]

Have you looked into flying from another airport? Airfare may be cheaper out of Philadelphia or Baltimore. We're in the same boat. SWA is $1000 pp and we're a family of 5. So we're thinking of driving to another airport or just driving to Orlando.

 

[pocomom]

Done it many times with kids and without,
an overnight on the way will make it more pleasant and you can add some fun stops, but if you are crunched on time just drive in shifts. Good luck!

 

[King Schultz]

Is it crazy to contemplate driving to WDW from NYC in February to save money on airfare? It would be just my BF and I so we can take turns driving down and I figure it'll save us close to $1000 with airfare being between $500-$600 per person roundtrip! Insanity. The trip would be about 16 hours. I figure we would leave on a Friday night around 8pm and drive straight through to arrive by 2pm (ish) on Saturday. Has anyone ever done the drive? Would you recommend it?

You post here on the CB, so yes, you are more than likely crazy.

Thank you,

Pay the nurse on the way out.

 

[King Schultz]

Is it crazy to contemplate driving to WDW from NYC in February to save money on airfare? It would be just my BF and I so we can take turns driving down and I figure it'll save us close to $1000 with airfare being between $500-$600 per person roundtrip! Insanity. The trip would be about 16 hours. I figure we would leave on a Friday night around 8pm and drive straight through to arrive by 2pm (ish) on Saturday. Has anyone ever done the drive? Would you recommend it?

Forgot to add. . .if it was just going to be a 2 or 3 day visit, I'd say fly.

But since you'll have a whole week+ I think driving would be fine.

I would recommend taking into account that some where along the way you both might find yourselves too tired to keep driving safely and be willing to stop and stay somewhere if need be.

Good luck and have a safe and fun trip!

 

[Bluestars]

We prefer flying if the drive is over 8 hours. We did drive for longer distances when our kids were younger and we couldn't afford the airfare for our entire family. Once money wasn't so tight, we started flying everywhere. For the price of two airline tickets I would definitely fly instead of making such a long drive. Once you factor in gas, food, the potential for bad weather or car trouble, and time spent driving, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

 

[Hikergirl]

No, $1200 is worth my sanity.

 

[mjkacmom]

You couldn't pay me to drive to DC from this area on a Friday after work! Way too much traffic.

 

[Planogirl]

We do it from Dallas. We save a lot of money and I also hate flying so I try to do this on every trip. The trouble is that it eats a lot of time so you have to factor that in.

 

[Planogirl]

I've driven several times. I much prefer flying. 16 hour drive. If you stop somewhere to sleep, you are talking 24 hours or so. Versus 3 hours in a plane.

If you stop somewhere nice you could factor that into your vacation. You have to sleep anyway whether you're already in Orlando or on the road.

 

[jt'smom]

I don't think driving 16 hours is a big deal at all, even north to south. Of course, I'm the mean mom that makes my 20 year old drive to and from college alone, even at... gasp... Christmas... from snowy, mountainous central Pennsylvania, lol. I think 2 adults, cruisin' down 95 from NY, are more than capable of making the trip back and forth in one week without dying, and I would totally do it before I'd pay that much in airfare!

 

[roseaster]

We have driven it. We don't enjoy it, but we have done it. A few things:

I am about 2 hours south of NYC in NJ. It takes us 18 hours, so you are looking at closer to 20 hours.

Avoid hitting the Baltimore/DC area any time around rush hour, both ways.

We find it easier to drive for about 12 hours the 1st day, and stop and sleep and then finish the drive the 2nd day. The last time we drove we did it with 2 drivers. Straight through was too exhausting.

For whomever asked, flying from Philadelphia to MCO is 2 hours, so out of NYC or Newark is just a few minutes more.

 

[kirstenb1]

We're in Virginia and it takes us close to 14 hrs (usually get stuck in some traffic). We always stay in a hotel going and coming. DH and I did the drive straight through when we were in our 20's, and I thought we were going to kill each other by the time we got there.

 

[mjkacmom]

We have driven it. We don't enjoy it, but we have done it. A few things:

I am about 2 hours south of NYC in NJ. It takes us 18 hours, so you are looking at closer to 20 hours.

Avoid hitting the Baltimore/DC area any time around rush hour, both ways.

We find it easier to drive for about 12 hours the 1st day, and stop and sleep and then finish the drive the 2nd day. The last time we drove we did it with 2 drivers. Straight through was too exhausting.

For whomever asked, flying from Philadelphia to MCO is 2 hours, so out of NYC or Newark is just a few minutes more.

Flights from EWR to MCO are 2 1/2 hours, sometimes a bit longer (just flew a few weeks ago, and double checked on travelocity).