Anyone driving long distance with kids?

[becca011906]

Ok we will be driving to WDW in the first week of sept. it will be me, dh, ds 5, dd 3, dd 12 months. And our friends are going with us in thier van with their dd 10 and dd8. we will be driving stright through at night time about a 20 hour trip including the stops we plan to make for dinner and breakfast, and rests and stuff. So here's my worries...
1. my kids staying comfy in their car seats... my two older ones are going to break their necks sleeping like that for all night ... ds is in a high back booster, and dd1 is in a convertiable seat facing forward. I'm not going to be buying new seats... so i need to make them work... dd2 i'm not so worried about b/c she is still back wards and in a recline.
2. where to put who, we are taking my grandparents van town and contry with stow and go seating. we have a car so all three in the back side by side. not sure where to put who in the van.
3. should we stow a seat down while travling to open up some space in there? if so which seat?
4. we have a HUGE stroller jeep double stroller that we are taking so we are debating if we should put it on top in a cargo thing or fit it in the van and how much this will effect the already bad gas milage!

Ok that's all for now but i'm sure i will think of other ? as this thread goes along! LOL

Thanks!

 

[TweetieSC4]

Wow... you and hubby are some brave folks! I only have about a 9 hour drive ahead of me, and I'm a little nervous with my DS (4). I just wanted to speak to your van situation, as I have the Dodge Grand Caravan w/ Stow'n Go. In a nutshell, you should love it! Especially if they have the DVD player in it.

On who to put where... I would fold down the single seat in the 3rd row. (There should be a single and a double) Put your 5yo back there in the double seat against the window (assuming they can buckle their own belt), and that will leave you a space if you need to climb back there to deal with the kids. (especially helpful with the one who will be facing rear, as you can look them in the face) The area next to it can serve as a packing spot. I slide in my stroller there (you may be able to lay small suitcases under or beside it), but don't know if that will work with your double stroller. Put your younger 2 in the middle row, you and hubby up front. The great thing about Stow'n Go seating is that the seats you are using have storage underneath. You can actually get a good amount in the floorboards under both of your younger ones. Since the storage is not actually under the seat, but in front of it, don't feel like things will be too difficult to get to when you make your stops. Just lift the rug, open the bin and there it is. (front seats must be all of the way forward to fully open)Then stuff everything else in the trunk area behind your 5yo.

As to making the kids comfy... my sister packs under the feet of her 2 year old, stacking things to give her something to rest her feet on. She seems to dislike her feet dangling for long periods. Other than that, bring pillows and line their seats with a beach towels/blanket to soften the seat???

We are going in mid-Sept with the free dining plan. Say hi to Mickey for us. Hope this is somewhat helpful. Best of luck with your travels!

 

[bamamom]

We too are driving straight through and all night, our trip is 12 hours. Our kids are 7 and 9 so no carseats. Don't know anything about the van so can't help you there. But hope you have a good trip!

 

[becca011906]

Thanks for the tips on the van~! i'm very excited and thankful that we are able to use it!
I was thinking that if we fold down the middle passanger seat then we would put the cooler back there and make it so the one not driving could lay their seat all the way back and nap away. then put the 12 month old backwards in the other middlel seat and then the two older kids in the back with the middle open for them to put there toys and stuff. and that way they can both reach the cup holders that they can't do when in the middle row in a car seat. But i think this will cut down the space for the stroller. since we plan to take a cooler also for food there and back and snacks, pop, water, ect. and then the baby can see the kids behind her.

We don't have the van with a DVD player in it but me and dh have our own DVD player that is the kinda for a car with two movie screens....

Keep the tips coming!

 

[kizmac]

We will be driving about 16 hrs from PA. Me, DH, kids 14,11,7,5,3,1...in our conversion van and my parents in their car with one or two of our kids most of the time. We usually do the trip in two days, but this year we are going to attempt it straight through by leaving at night. (I'm hoping this works out!) With gas so high I didn't want to spend another $100 staying over somewhere, and when we left at 5 am and drove all day, we could only get to about Georgia before everyone was road rashed. Hopefully, leaving at like 7 pm the kids will sleep most of the night. :::crossing fingers::::

I would put the stroller in the carrier if you can. You're gonna need all the room you can get in the van. Stowing what seats you don't need is a great idea. I usually try to add some foam under the carseat covers to make them more comfortable for the kids. Sitting on those hard seats for so long has to hurt! Also go to babies R us or look online and find a couple of those little boppy neck pillows or some other neck pillow for the kids necks while they sleep. I always just slip them on while they are sleeping so their little necks aren't hurting.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[WDW1st-timers]

We are also going in September; and we are driving all the way from Ontario Canada with a 5 year old and a 7 year old. I also think I have it all planned out. The girls have homework to do....watch movies on the DVD....play their game boys.... play the games on the DVD player....and all that other fun stuff.

 

[CouponCon]

We drove from Northern IL on our last Disney Vacation and we plan to on our one in March. Instead of taking our jeep we plan on renting a van. I have to say we our wimps. We stop somewhere in TN overnight. I have noticed after I started reading these boards there are some true Road Warriors out there.

KIZMAC Good Point! You are right Gas Prices and another $100 on a room. I need to rethink my travel days!

 

[java]

We have the T&C stow and go and the storage is fantastic!! We thought for sure we would need to drop that third row single seat for storage on our last trip but nope we didn't need to- it all fit in that deeeeeeep trunk. We were able to store a case of water under one seat and all the dirty laundry ended up under the other. We got great gas mileage also! I would do 3 and 12 month old in the middle- they will need more attention on the trip and 5 year old big boy in the back. Leave the seat up- it will take up valuable trunk space if folded down. We fit 3 HUGE bags- 2 little ones and our double stroller(a combi though) in the trunk space and we could still see out the back! I would avoid strapping that stroller on top if possible. Get neck pillows for the 3 and 5 year old so they will sleep more comfortably and good luck. We did a 16 hour trip(not including stops) with 4 kids (11,7, 2 and 4 months) just 2 weeks ago and it really was fine.

 

[shaylahc]

We have driven with our kids up to 12 hours in one day. Usually everyone is pretty grumpy and ready to lose it by the time we get to our destination. We bring plenty of activities, including a travel TV we can use when everyone is bored. We stop every 2 hours for a break. But otherwise everyone rides in their car seats and does just fine. Mine keep each other entertained, my son is the only one who is a rotten car rider but I just sit back there and play with him and that keeps him busy for most of the ride.

We tried the overnight drive once and it didn't work....all the kids were awake till well past 1 a.m.

GL on your trip!!!!

 

[Torontogal]

We will be doing the 22 hour drive from Toronto in a few weeks. We are with 2 kids ages 2 and 5 and I am petrified.
We have a brand new Sienna with DVD player. We are well stocked with DVDs and Cds. I will be packing a small pillow for them, fun snacks, etc. Do not give them chocolate on the drive. My son always gets car sick after eating chocolate in the car - not sure why!
We are planning to do the trip over 2-3 days. We mapped out the locations for all the Toys R Us locations and McDonalds for a nice break. We also plan on stopping at IKEA for breakfast one morning since it is a cheap and good breakfast in a child friendly environment.
Good luck!

 

[WDW1st-timers]

We will be doing the 22 hour drive from Toronto in a few weeks. We are with 2 kids ages 2 and 5 and I am petrified.
We have a brand new Sienna with DVD player. We are well stocked with DVDs and Cds. I will be packing a small pillow for them, fun snacks, etc. Do not give them chocolate on the drive. My son always gets car sick after eating chocolate in the car - not sure why!
We are planning to do the trip over 2-3 days. We mapped out the locations for all the Toys R Us locations and McDonalds for a nice break. We also plan on stopping at IKEA for breakfast one morning since it is a cheap and good breakfast in a child friendly environment.
Good luck!

Hi neighbour!!!
Keep us posted on how your looooonnnnnggggg trip turns out. I'll be doing the 21 hour trip myself.

 

[Torontogal]

Where in Ontario are you driving from? I am sure we will all survive - hope there are no hurricanes!
By the way, does anyone know where to get a car carrier to put on the roof rack to save space? I know Thule makes them but they are expensive.
Are there any reasonably priced ones which will not sway/rock back and forth during the drive? Wondering if anyone uses car carriers?

 

[Tiffa]

We are right next door in Columbus, Ohio driving down about 18 hours. Our Dodge Grand Caravan unfortunatly does not have a middle seat that folds down so we usually take it out to travel, we bought our new laptop with a DVD feature just for our trips, we set it up and its perfect becuase insead of a 5' inch screen they have a 16' screen to watch movies and they sell great headphones at Radio Shack that has a volume control on each ones wire so they can each turn their own up or down. Always carry crayons for DD6, and gameboy for DS11, they like the drive we dont fly anywhere (except when we went to Hawaii) last year we drove to Texas and found great travel pillows at a truck stop the kids didn't like the half circle neck pillows, and we do drive all night we'll pull into a rest stop if we get to sleepy but too much excitement on getting there! luckily we have family to stay at our house and take care of our 3 dogs! 12 days and counting !!
:thewave:

 

[tlbwriter]

I usually try to add some foam under the carseat covers to make them more comfortable for the kids. Sitting on those hard seats for so long has to hurt!

This is something you should never do. Never put anything thick or padded between your child and the carseat (this includes puffy coats and snowsuits too). In a crash, the foam will compress, and this will create slack in the harness that can cause your child to be ejected from the seat. The padding that is already part of the seat is fine, because it has been tested and proven not to compress enough to cause problems. The padding you add is a different story.

Back to the OP's question... the DVD is a lifesaver. Crayons and coloring books are good too. We also like to make a little footrest for DD by putting a big pillow on top of an overturned lightweight plastic bucket (please note that this is a very lightweight toy bucket, the kind you use for sand castles - NOT a heavy bucket that you would use for mopping and such!)

We like to stop at McDonalds, Burger King, etc along the way that have playgrounds. Depending on the time of year, you might want indoor playgrounds, and luckily they're more and more common. McDonalds has a very handy trip planner that lets you find locations along your route, and tells you whether they have a playground (unfortunately, it does not indicate whether the playground is enclosed or outdoors). We drive 1800 miles (round trip) to MIL's a couple of times a year, so I just watch for signs and plug them into my PDA every time I find one!

 

[WDW1st-timers]

Where in Ontario are you driving from? I am sure we will all survive - hope there are no hurricanes!
By the way, does anyone know where to get a car carrier to put on the roof rack to save space? I know Thule makes them but they are expensive.
Are there any reasonably priced ones which will not sway/rock back and forth during the drive? Wondering if anyone uses car carriers?

We're from the Windsor Ontario Area. We are also praying and hoping for no hurricanes.
As for car carrier's....go to Canadian tire or Zelllars or Walmart. They now have them for around $30.00. It's made out of thick thick material and not the hard plastic. I guess they come with all the rope or bungie cord tie downs too. I've also heard that aslong as you properly tie them down...you wont even know that they are there. Hope that helps.

 

[MommyBoo!]

Thanks for the tips on the van~! i'm very excited and thankful that we are able to use it!
I was thinking that if we fold down the middle passanger seat then we would put the cooler back there and make it so the one not driving could lay their seat all the way back and nap away. then put the 12 month old backwards in the other middlel seat and then the two older kids in the back with the middle open for them to put there toys and stuff. and that way they can both reach the cup holders that they can't do when in the middle row in a car seat. But i think this will cut down the space for the stroller. since we plan to take a cooler also for food there and back and snacks, pop, water, ect. and then the baby can see the kids behind her.

We don't have the van with a DVD player in it but me and dh have our own DVD player that is the kinda for a car with two movie screens....

Keep the tips coming!

There should be cup holders on the middlle seats. My parents just found theirs after owning the van for 2 years.

 

[Sheaboys]

We will be driving to WDW in October with 3 boys: 7, 5 and 3. This will be our first trip driving, since we have always flew to Tampa to see my parents. Normally flying is our way to travel, but we have plans to stop in NC on the way home to see our good friends. This trip should prove interesting since DH can't even handle a 15 min. ride to Walmart But this is his idea. I am used to the travel since we had done it every year from 1971 until 1985, when finally my parents could afford to fly down to see my grandparents. I even drove down with my nephen in 1994, no problem. I think we will be fine driving, and we will be staying overnight one night on the way down, and then to my parents the next night, so we and the boys are not cranks on our first full day at Disney.

 

[lovemy3girls]

We are driving from south Jersey the first week of Oct. We did the drive once before when my DDs were 6, 3, and 1. We did it in 2 days each way. We have a tv/vcr combo that we hook up in the van, and that keeps them quiet. We fit our double stroller, along with our suitcases in the back of our Grand Caravan. It was a tight fit, but my husband got it all to fit. If we could have taken out a seat to make more room, that would have been great, but we fold down the seat and tie the tv down with bungee cords. It looks funny, but it works. We are thinking about getting a dvd that comes with 2 screens, but we have 3 kids, so we'd need an extra screen. Not sure if you can do that? Good luck! Th drive is not as bad as ya think, and it is so worth it!

 

[bartleby1]

We are driving down from North Jersey with our 5 yr old, 3 yr old, and 9 month old next month. We did a trip last summer (4 yr, 2 yr and 6 mth pregnant), the year before (3 yr and 1 yr), and also a trip when DD was only 18 months. Our first trip with our 18 mth old we drove straight through starting at 7pm. We thought she would sleep and we would alternate driving. We ended up exhausted. We didn't alternate because I was nervous that if I fell asleep while DH was driving that he would fall asleep behind the wheel. So, he drove and I kept him awake. DD slept off and on but couldn't get comfy after a while and just got cranky because she was so tired and couldn't sleep. Also, it was very hard for her to be strapped in a car seat for that many hours straight. They are strapped in so tight in those car seats that they can't even wiggle around a bit.

So, for the other trips, we stopped overnight in South Carolina. We left early, early, early in the morning (like 4 am) and took our time. Much easier on us and the kids. Everyone was much happier.

As far as seat placements, I don't have the stow n go seats and my back seat isn't a split so I can't put part of it down so I may do it differently if I had more options. In my van, my 5 yr old can buckle herself so she goes in the back and my 3yr old and 9mth old go in the middle. We put a small cooler behind the passenger seat on the floor since the rear facing car seat blocks that passage way anyway. The little ones need me more often so I can reach them if they are both in the middle. Plus, my 5yr old can see the baby and entertain her. It also prevents my two older ones from touching each other and arguing. The toy bag goes next to my 5 yr old so she can dole things out as needed. Since she is in a booster seat and uses the regular seatbelt, she has enough give in the belt to hand toys to the other two. The only problem that I find with our set up is that since my 9mth old is still riding backward, her seat hits the front seat (passenger side) so the person in the front can't recline. That wouldn't be good if you are planning on reclining to sleep on your trip.

For entertainment, I bring lots of snacks, dvds, cds, color wonder markers and color wonder books (instead of crayons which melt when they get forgotten in the car), colored pencils and sharpener, printed disney coloring pages from the internet, travel magnetic games (cracker barrel sells a lot of these), little people and little people vehicles, match box cars, and a cookie sheet for each kid to use as a magnetic surface and as a tray to lean on to color, snack, etc.

Good luck on your decisions! I would suggest taking a dry run ride with the kids in the van to see what works best for your family.

 

[becca011906]

There should be cup holders on the middlle seats. My parents just found theirs after owning the van for 2 years.

Oh no, i know there are cup holds, but they are down by the floor boards and my kids can't reach them down that far when they are up in a car seat... Make since?