Another Driving Question

[Tallent]

I'm leaving from MD with ds 2, dd 5, and a mothers helper, 13 (friend of family). We need to be at my mom's house in the villages on Monday (in July), and then we'll head to Dis on that Wed. We're driving down (as of right now)--the drive total is just shy of 14 hours.

My thought is that we leave on Saturday night after dinner and let the kids watch tv and fall asleep in the car. Since it's just me driving down (dh is saving days for our dis trip in Dec. and doesn't do well in summer fl heat so this trip it's only Mommy hence the mothers helper) I thought I'd just drive maybe 5 hours or so, stopping around midnight and get a hotel (or have one reserved already), and then do 6 hours the next day and on Monday drive about 2 hours to my mom's.

Do you think it would be too much to wake the kids and carry them in the hotel that late, and go back to sleep? I've never done anything like this with them so I'm unsure. Or we could just leave on Saturday during the day and drive for 5 hours, Sunday for 5 hours and then Monday for 3.5. It's a nice leisurely pace and we could certainly do it but that's a lot of days for the drive. I don't know if that's better or just doing 7 hours one day and 7 hours the next. Argh! I wish I didnt' hate to fly and that flying was as cheap as driving!!!

Rachel

 

[Princess Roo]

If it were me I would try to do more than half the hours the first day (like 8 or 9) and then the rest the second day. I would *really* hate to drive three days in a row, but that's just my opinion. Maybe leave early Saturday morning, take a long stop for lunch (you could pack lunches and let the kids run around at a rest stop, or go drive-thru and then a rest stop) and get to the first hotel at dinnertime. If you get a hotel with pool, then the kids can swim to wear themselves out before bed. Then the 2nd day you can either leave early again or sleep in and spend more time at the pool.

If you do go for the three days, I would instead leave around lunchtime on Saturday so that everyone can get a regular night's sleep in the hotel, just to ward off the grumpies from the kids in case they don't sleep well otherwise.

Sounds like it will be a fun trip, though, with the mother's helper included. I would have loved to do that as a 13-year-old and I'm sure she'll help you a lot, too!

 

[Camping Griswalds]

We live on the EAstern Shore of MD. We just drove in January with our 14, 10 and 2.5 yo. We did an 8 hour day, and then a 6 hour day. On the way down we stopped in Savannah Georgia, then got up leisurely and arived at Orlando six hours later. On the way home, we stopped in Fayetsvillle, NC it took about eight hours, then the next day, six hours until home. Pleas be warned, that our 2.5 yo did not sleep the entire trip. She usually takes 2-3 hour naps at home. Maybe she felt our excitement , or too many movies. Who knows?? She was a doll though. We stopped every couple of hours and "ran" her either in a park, or a fast food chain that had a playplace. It worked out much better than we ever dreamed of!!

 

[kribit]

Do you think it would be too much to wake the kids and carry them in the hotel that late, and go back to sleep?

I wouldn't think the kids would have an issue, but I'd be afraid to drive and check into an unfamiliar hotel by myself in the middle of the night. I would rather leave really early in the morning (like 3 or 4 am) and get to a place at a reasonable hour. Alternatively, you could still leave at 4am and be at your destination around bedtime the same day. Our first leg from New England is 15 hours, so that's really nothing to us though. It depends on your kids and how they do in the car. I agree with PrincessRoo...3 days of driving may be a little too much.

 

[Bibbidi]

We've driven from NH to Disney and from OH to Disney. I can tell you that no matter what time we've stopped, either at 6 pm for an overnight or 10 pm for an overnight, the kids are always riled up from being in the car and it can take an hour or more to settle them down. Even if they were sleeping when we stopped, they inevitably woke up by the time we tried to lug them to the room.

I think it's going to depend on how well you can drive at night--stay awake, etc. I prefer driving in daylight and getting a good night's sleep. I've always been amazed at how well our kids do on long road trips and we've taken many. I

If I were you, I'd probably drive 8-9 hours the first day and 5-6 the next, depending on how long they can manage being in the car. Over multiple drives, we've found that our true limit is 12 hours in one day. We've done 14 before, but that was torture by the last 2 hours.

Not sure if any of this helps you, but since you're the only driver, you might be better doing two 7 hour days. That is pretty manageable if you stop midway through each day and eat a leisurely lunch to get refreshed and for the kids to run around.

 

[Tallent]

So both of these scenarios are good:

Plan A: leave Saturday after lunch and drive until 8ish (please to the napping powers that be, let ds 2 sleep in the car!!!) then stop, take a late swim to ease the muscles, eat and sleep. Drive either the remainder of the way the next day and get there Sunday night or do the majority and again stop, swim, etc and head out early Monday morning (but I'd have to factor in 'rush hour' if there is in fact such a thing in or near 'the villages.') Even though this is an all weekend drive there's something appealing about it to me.

Plan B: Leave Sunday morning and drive, drive, drive! Stop in the early evening, swim, etc and then Monday morning finish it up and arrive at my mom's.

Good thing I have plenty of time to figure this out! With dd we took plenty of car trips to visit family in NY (LI) so we knew how she travelled. We haven't been able to do as much with ds so he's not as 'broken in' lol That's the big reason plan A appeals to me. Thank you to all of you for all of your input--I'm sure I'll ask for a refresher as the trip gets closer. And now I'm off to post my next question.. about dvd players!

Rachel

 

[kribit]

about dvd players

We use one of our laptops and got an adapter that plugs in to the car. It worked quite well..the screen is bigger and we didn't have to worry about charging it our whole road trip.

 

[radev104]

We drive from PA and Ddad is the only one that drives. It takes us about 16ish hours total to get to Disney. We try to leave early but it just seems so hard to pack the car, eat breakfast and make sure we have everything before we go and leave at 6am. We do drive down on weekends too, mostly Sunday and Monday but there is some traffic too. We get lunch at WaWa so all we have to do is stop at a rest stop and eat and have a bathroom and stretch break. The last two times we drove down we left around 10am. We stop for gas and lunch and bathroom stops. Then around 12midnight we stopped in Brunswick, GA because its about 4 hours from Disney and we drove over half of the way already. My dad says its better to drive over half the distance the first day. So in your case I would leave Sunday early and stop at a hotel around dinner time so the kids can swim and get a full night's sleep. Then drive the rest of the way on Monday. But since you are the only driver with little ones in the car it might be better to do the two days instead of three so they aren't in the car so much.

 

[NU2WDW]

I wouldn't want to handle the kids, the driving, the hotel, everybody's tiredness and very potential moodiness, and all the other 101 variables that go into a 14+ hour car trip. It's only just over a 2 hour flight from BWI and Southwest has some pretty cheap deals online, esp. if you're not going til midsummer. You can save some $$ by having your 2 yr. old on your lap for the flight.

Have you ever done a trip like this before? Trust me, you canNOT count on your kids napping regardless of what time you leave. Seriously -- I don't "like" to fly either but with this scenario there's no question I would. You should reconsider. JMHO

 

[nextidiot]

....I can tell you that no matter what time we've stopped, either at 6 pm for an overnight or 10 pm for an overnight, the kids are always riled up from being in the car and it can take an hour or more to settle them down. Even if they were sleeping when we stopped, they inevitably woke up by the time we tried to lug them to the room.

Pretty much my thoughts too. I am a night owl so driving at night isn't a problem for me. However, my wife refuses to sleep in the car while I drive.

Still, our philosophy is that if the kids are asleep, drive as far as you can. The more miles you clear in peace and quiet the better, IMO----but don't push yourself such that there is a danger of you sleeping through those last 10 or 20 miles.

 

[jenseib]

I'm al lfor night driving. I would do as much as you can at night. The traffic is lighter and the kids will sleep some ofit as well. I know you can't go all night so go as early as you can, and then drive till like 1 or 2 if you can. My 2YO will not sit for longer than 2 horus unjless she falls alseep, so we can't do many trips where we go far in the car, unless she is tired and going to conk out soon.

 

[jenseib]

I wouldn't want to handle the kids, the driving, the hotel, everybody's tiredness and very potential moodiness, and all the other 101 variables that go into a 14+ hour car trip. It's only just over a 2 hour flight from BWI and Southwest has some pretty cheap deals online, esp. if you're not going til midsummer. You can save some $$ by having your 2 yr. old on your lap for the flight.

Have you ever done a trip like this before? Trust me, you canNOT count on your kids napping regardless of what time you leave. Seriously -- I don't "like" to fly either but with this scenario there's no question I would. You should reconsider. JMHO

2YO HAS to have a seat. It is under 2 that they can fly for free and be on your lap, but once they are 2 they require a seat. Some airlines will make you show a birth certificate to prove your childs age too if you are bringing a lap baby.

 

[Tallent]

I wouldn't want to handle the kids, the driving, the hotel, everybody's tiredness and very potential moodiness, and all the other 101 variables that go into a 14+ hour car trip. It's only just over a 2 hour flight from BWI and Southwest has some pretty cheap deals online, esp. if you're not going til midsummer. You can save some $$ by having your 2 yr. old on your lap for the flight.

Have you ever done a trip like this before? Trust me, you canNOT count on your kids napping regardless of what time you leave. Seriously -- I don't "like" to fly either but with this scenario there's no question I would. You should reconsider. JMHO

Unfortunately for us, cost is definitely a factor. At current Southwest pricing it's substantially more expensive to fly so I'm not making any reservations. IF I can get a $49 fare I MIGHT consider it (and I'd buy ds his own seat, not have him on my lap for 2.5 hours) Plus I'd have to rent a car in FL so there's that cost as well. I have a mother's helper coming with me as an extra set of hands. Granted she can't drive but she'll help. My current thinking is that I'm going to drive. We've done MD to Eastern LI a few times when ds was younger and while it wasn't the time of my life the drive wasn't that bd (dh was with us but I'm the primary driver on trips anyway). Anyway, not completely ruling out the flight (have Ding! downloaded) but right now it's my #1 choice.

Rachel

 

[CastleCreations]

I live about an hour from Disney, and I have left here and made it to Maryland in one day. I did it with a 4 week old and a 1 year old, and did it again last year and they are now 4 and 5. I just let about 2 am. I went to sleep with the kids, in my clothes at about 8pm. Slept for 6 hours, and put them in the car and started driving. I figured that I would try to make it in one day, and if I didn't, I would have plenty of time to find a hotel. The kids didn't wake up until 7am or so, I gave them snacks, juice boxes and cereal bars and kept going. I stopped when natured called and let them run around at the rest areas. All in all, it was a very long drive,but it was only for one day. Checking into a hotel by yourself can be a scary thing, but never say you're alone. I tell them, I will be with my husband and children. You never know who's listening in the lobby. Whatever you choose, good luck with your trip and be careful. Lisa

 

[kandb]

We just got back from driving down from the NYC area with our 3 1/2 year old twins. They were fine in the car and never complained. The first night we left at 5:00 pm on a Saturday (dh had to work). We drove to Emporia, Va which took us almost 7 hours with 1 stop. We checked in at around midnight. I wouldn't worry too much about it being unsafe, the hotels are very lit up and I didn't feel that the area was unsafe. The kids woke up and we got to our hotel room, they had a drink, used the bathroom and then went to bed in an hour or so. We had breakfast the next morning and then traveled to Jacksonville, stayed overnight, the kids went swimming in the hotel's pool and mad it to WDW the next morning in around 2 1/2 hours. Driving at night is a lot harder and I don't think you should push it since you're the only driver. Good luck, we had a great trip and were NOT sorry we drove. Linda