Anybody drive from Iowa/Midwest?

[mblc14]

Anyone out there that has ever drove from Iowa/Midwest? Would love to do that someday but very curious on what is the best way to get there, how long does it take you and what/where is a good stop to overnight? Or stops that are fun to visit?

We aren't going anytime soon unfortunately, but always like to plan well ahead of time to have all of our options. Thanks!!

 

[natashag76]

Hi! We drove from Chicago this past January. We had a triptik from AAA and it was great. We drove thru Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta. They have things to do if you want to make a big trip of it. We just wanted to get there. It took us 2 days but loved having our own car - helped a lot with getting back to the hotel for nap time. We've driven to FL a few times (DM lives in Jacksonville) so we can make suggestions for decent, inexpensive hotels.
And, by the way, it's never too early to plan ahead!!

 

[Metro West]

 

[dizneyrules]

We are planning on driving from Sioux Falls, SD this September. We are going to try to drive 12 hours each day which should put us in Tennessee the first night. We have driven to Washington DC two years ago and Southern California last summer. We always pack snacks, ipods, dvds, books, etc and the time goes by pretty well.

Happy Planning!

Ann Marie

 

[iwrbnd]

I've never driven because we've been able to get such cheap flights out of Kansas City. Have you tried pricing them? If it's off season you can get them at a good price. (Usually $67 one way but last summer we got $40 each way!)

 

[TeriofTerror]

We occasionally drive down from northern Ohio. It's a seventeen hour drive. We leave when my husband gets off work at 2:00 AM (bar manager/karaoke host) on a Sunday morning. I drive the first half while he sleeps, and then he takes over for the second half. He drives the whole time on the way home (because he knows I'll turn right back around if I'm behind the wheel) with a stop in NC. As the drive down is on a Sunday and the drive back is on Saturday and Sunday, this really helps avoid most rush hour issues!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Moving this to our Transportation board.

 

[schatterjee]

We also live in Iowa and will be driving down in May. I'll let you know if we survive! First day planning to stop around Memphis and to Orlando the next day. We'll see how it goes...

 

[pickles]

if you do a hotel stay somewhere, between gas and hotel and food eaten and time wasted you could have taken a direct non stop flight on southwest round trip from kC for $150 or less pp

 

[HHSTigerFan]

When people bring up this topic, why is there almost always someone that feels the need to convince them to fly?

Myself, if someone would pay me to fly, I would still CHOOSE to drive because I don't want an airline deciding my schedule and what I can take, plus I enjoy driving down.. Perhaps whenever someone asks "how can I get to Universal" or "what if we want to spend a night in Clearwater", I should always answer "well, you could always drive your own car down".

Ok, off my soap box..

 

[pickles]

When people bring up this topic, why is there almost always someone that feels the need to convince them to fly?

Myself, if someone would pay me to fly, I would still CHOOSE to drive because I don't want an airline deciding my schedule and what I can take, plus I enjoy driving down.. Perhaps whenever someone asks "how can I get to Universal" or "what if we want to spend a night in Clearwater", I should always answer "well, you could always drive your own car down".

Ok, off my soap box..

probably because the rest of us seeing driving as a waste of time. If it takes 3 days to travel there and back with non stop driving..that is 3 days that could be spent on vacation and not driving. I would not want to spend my time sitting in a car for 40+ hours doing nothing when I could spend 8 hours total on a plane an at an airport and be to my vacation enjoying myself.
Your time you may enjoy spent sitting in a car for all those extra hours..myself i would rather be at Disney while you are still driving.

I live in MO so i know approx how long it takes to drive to WDW. I checked that option, just wasnt worth it to me, especially if the big savings arent there

 

[mblc14]

I've never driven because we've been able to get such cheap flights out of Kansas City. Have you tried pricing them? If it's off season you can get them at a good price. (Usually $67 one way but last summer we got $40 each way!)[/QUOT


KCI is where we normally fly out of because it is usually cheaper than flying out of DSM. However, Allegiant flights have been around $59 out of DSM to MCO, but $259 on the way back...yikes!

 

[mblc14]

Hi! We drove from Chicago this past January. We had a triptik from AAA and it was great. We drove thru Louisville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta. They have things to do if you want to make a big trip of it. We just wanted to get there. It took us 2 days but loved having our own car - helped a lot with getting back to the hotel for nap time. We've driven to FL a few times (DM lives in Jacksonville) so we can make suggestions for decent, inexpensive hotels.
And, by the way, it's never too early to plan ahead!!

Thanks!! Don't know when we will head back, but I agree, never too early, but it drives my wife crazy sometimes!

 

[mblc14]

Thanks!

 

[mblc14]

We also live in Iowa and will be driving down in May. I'll let you know if we survive! First day planning to stop around Memphis and to Orlando the next day. We'll see how it goes...

Sounds great! Thank You!! I hope you have a great trip, May is just around the corner and good luck, hope it all goes well.

 

[mblc14]

We are planning on driving from Sioux Falls, SD this September. We are going to try to drive 12 hours each day which should put us in Tennessee the first night. We have driven to Washington DC two years ago and Southern California last summer. We always pack snacks, ipods, dvds, books, etc and the time goes by pretty well.

Happy Planning!

Ann Marie

Thanks! Good luck with your trip, it lookslike you guys are experinced travelers. I can't imagine now not having all of those things when traveling, but somehow we all survived as kids not having them! I do remember playing a lot of silly cargames with friends that kept us busy for awhile anyway.

We occasionally drive down from northern Ohio. It's a seventeen hour drive. We leave when my husband gets off work at 2:00 AM (bar manager/karaoke host) on a Sunday morning. I drive the first half while he sleeps, and then he takes over for the second half. He drives the whole time on the way home (because he knows I'll turn right back around if I'm behind the wheel) with a stop in NC. As the drive down is on a Sunday and the drive back is on Saturday and Sunday, this really helps avoid most rush hour issues!

Thanks! I agree, it would cross my mind at least a few times to just turnaround and go back...the drive home would no doubt be a long one.

if you do a hotel stay somewhere, between gas and hotel and food eaten and time wasted you could have taken a direct non stop flight on southwest round trip from kC for $150 or less pp

I agree, and we may never actually drive, but would like to once when our kids get older to experience some different places along the way to The World

When people bring up this topic, why is there almost always someone that feels the need to convince them to fly?

Myself, if someone would pay me to fly, I would still CHOOSE to drive because I don't want an airline deciding my schedule and what I can take, plus I enjoy driving down.. Perhaps whenever someone asks "how can I get to Universal" or "what if we want to spend a night in Clearwater", I should always answer "well, you could always drive your own car down".

Ok, off my soap box..

That is the one thing that still makes me a little down about our last trip. I felt like we wasted a ton of time sitting in the POP lobby waiting for ME to come and pick us up to go the airport. Or the fact that we drove to KC a day earlier to beat a snowstorm there, and then having to find another hotel in Orlando for a night because a snowstorm in Milwaukee delayed our plane on the way back to KC until the next day. Pros and Cons to both sides, to each his own I guess.

probably because the rest of us seeing driving as a waste of time. If it takes 3 days to travel there and back with non stop driving..that is 3 days that could be spent on vacation and not driving. I would not want to spend my time sitting in a car for 40+ hours doing nothing when I could spend 8 hours total on a plane an at an airport and be to my vacation enjoying myself.
Your time you may enjoy spent sitting in a car for all those extra hours..myself i would rather be at Disney while you are still driving.

I live in MO so i know approx how long it takes to drive to WDW. I checked that option, just wasnt worth it to me, especially if the big savings arent there

...and that is what we ALWAYS come back to. Having that feeling that all the way down and all the way back is time that could be spent in the parks. Don't know if we will ever drive, but think about doing it at least once in our lifetime to have that true Griswald Vacation, minus some aspects I would hope!!

 

[mblc14]

Sorry it took me so long to figure out the multi-reply option...oooops

 

[HHSTigerFan]

probably because the rest of us seeing driving as a waste of time. If it takes 3 days to travel there and back with non stop driving..that is 3 days that could be spent on vacation and not driving. I would not want to spend my time sitting in a car for 40+ hours doing nothing when I could spend 8 hours total on a plane an at an airport and be to my vacation enjoying myself.
Your time you may enjoy spent sitting in a car for all those extra hours..myself i would rather be at Disney while you are still driving.

I live in MO so i know approx how long it takes to drive to WDW. I checked that option, just wasnt worth it to me, especially if the big savings arent there

If it takes a person 3 days to drive from Iowa to WDW they have bigger problems...

We live in the Chicago area, if we fly it takes us 8 hours door to door, if we drive it takes us 17 and we drive over night, so I am the only person that notices the drive as everyone else is asleep...

Sooooo, if I stay up and drive instead of sleep, we have the flexibility of setting our own schedule, having our own vehicle, more money to spend on the vacation, bringing what we want there and home..