Anyone driving? Need kid travel tips

[fozzy]

We are driving this year from Kentucky and will be about 13-14 hour drive to port. Does anyone have any great tips for kid travel to kept the little ones entertained? What are your kids favorite car game or activity? We do have a new van with dvd player and plan to take movies and the playstation game. My boys are 4 and 9. I know I'll need all the suggestions I can get. Thanks, LOL FOZZY

 

[disneyholic family]

first of all i certainly hope you're planning on getting to port canaveral the night before....so that you can rest before boarding....(and just in case you have car trouble on the way)....

let's see....a 4 and 9 year old.....
it sounds like you're pretty well equipped with the DVD and playstation..
we did all the stupid old-fashioned stuff that probably wouldn't go over very big if they have a DVD and playstation to keep them busy....(you know.....counting cows and all that nonsense....."i went on a trip and with me i took" etc etc).....

i really don't have any suggestions other than to say that you're doing the right thing...
the airlines in america are terrible these days and the next time we come to the states i plan on driving everywhere....even coast to caost...
flying this summer was a nightmare...the airports, the airline service on the ground and in the air (or lack there of)...definitely driving was the way to go (and at WDW it was clear that many many many many people had chosen to drive this year...including several cars we saw from alaska!!!)...
by the time we got to las vegas (our 7th stop in our cross country trip) i was desperate to drive instead of fly but i couldn't figure out how we'd survive a drive though the desert at 110 degree temperatures....so we got on yet another instrument of torture.....(airplane)...but once we got back home (after crossing the atlantic on the one wonderful flight of the trip) i swore i'd never get on another plane as long as i live....which is why i hope that disney builds that 3rd ship and puts it in europe.....otherwise its' going to be a problem for me to get to port canaveral....

the point of all this is to say that i totally agree with your decision to drive 14 hours to the cruise....i'd drive 1000 hours if the water weren't in the way...

anyway, have a fun trip!!

 

[my3kids]

We always have driven for summer vacations and the kids actually do fine. I always worry, but it goes well for the most part. They would love to have movies in the car, but we don't.(that is why they pushing for me to get the new Honda Pilot! Take along old Disney movies and tell them to pay close attention because they might get picked to be on Who wants To be A Mouseketeer and the trivia would be helpful! One thing that has always helped the our kids feel like the trip wasn't so long was to get up very early....while still dark for a while and start driving. They sometimes doze off or even if they don't....by the time it is breakfast time, we've knocked a couple of hours off the trip. Then everyone is refreshed, full and the drive is 3 hours shorter. It just doesn't much seem to them that the boring part starts until after breakfast!

Even my children who don't like to color loved the Crayola Wonder markers. They go on clear and change color on the special paper. Those were a huge hit(and they won't mess up the car!)

Has your 9 year old read Harry Potter yet? Those books kept my kids engrossed for a long time. If they are available on tape, both kids would probably be enthralled for the whole trip.

Lots of people say take 2 days for long trips with kids, but our philosophy is why make the trip even longer. If they got bored the first day on an 8 hour trip, they'd be dreading the second day of driving even more. We start out early, drive until we are there and then enjoy the rest of the trip. With a prize like a Disney Cruise at the end....how can they complain!

 

[tstobb]

On a recent trip, we made a list of all 50 states & kept an eye out for license plates from as many as possible. To make it more interesting, the one with the most got to pick what we get to do 1st on the cruise!
The DVD player & PSX will do great. Our 3 (4,6, & 8) were great on a recent trip over 2 days & 24 hours in the car with that type of a setup. We let each one choose 4 different movies & rotated through them.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

disneyholic family...Did you by chance fly British Airways across the Atlantic?? They are my FAVORITE airline and put all US carriers to shame!! Do you think it would be too much to fly from Philly to LHR to MCO?? LOL!!! Just wondering....

 

[TeensMom]

One thing that used to work with my kids is a map of their own that they could follow our progress (especially for your older child). We found a paperback "kids atlas" that had a one page map for each state and the facing page gave some facts about that state. We showed the children the route we planned to take and they were the "navigators". It also helped them to see when the next potty stop might be, etc.

We also do the license plate game, the alphabet game (a variation - alphabet game on license plates), there are some "travel bingo" games where you are looking for cows, railroad crossings, etc. We used to do trivial pursuit type games - there are some Disney trivia games that might be fun since you are on the way to a Disney cruise!

One caution with the electroncics in the car: make sure they are tied down with bungee cords, rope, something. We used to travel with a small TV/VCP in the car - we nestled it between the two front seats so the kids could see it in the back. They got to watch one video in the morning and one in the afternoon on long trips. One day, five years ago, we were broadsided at 80 mph by a kid drving a $35,000 sports car high on something. Our car did a 360 across the interstate then rolled into the median landing on its roof. We were all belted in and everyone survived but one of our worst injuries was (we think) the TV hitting my 9 year old in the face. My daughter remembers seeing it come toward her and put her hands up. My son does not remember several moments but ended up with face injuries. He's fine now, but we will never again travel with anything unsecured in the passenger areas of the car.

 

[SweetSpot]

We are driving from NJ for our Nov 2 cruise. Unfortunately, the day I wanted to leave is Halloween and I don't want the kids to miss their chance at trick or treat so we will probably get a later start than I had planned.

We drove last Nov to WDW and basically did it straight through with very few stops, 15 1/2 hours. I had the car loaded with drinks, snacks and breakfast and lunch and we drove through McD's for dinner.
We have talked this year of taking a break but I think you must dread getting back in the car after a break.

Our kids, then DS11, DS9 and DS6, were wonderful. I bought a TV/VCR (which I had bungeed, and very secure) and went to Blockbuster and hit a major clearance so had nonstop movies for them. They also had their gameboys (no fighting over which game would be played) and several travel games. Truthfully, they didn't get antsy until about the 13th hour and even then they were great. I think it was more my husband and I who were ready to pull our hair out from listening to Rugrats and Scooby tapes. Big tip, if you don't have enough earphone outlets for the TV bring yourself a CD player.

I think the kids will be so excited about going on the cruise that you won't have to worry about them. On the way home they will be so tired from staying up really late at the kids clubs that hopefully they will sleep on the way home. Last year I was really worried how we will survive the trip but this year not worried a bit.

 

[phxjj05]

We have 5 children and something that has always worked for us is my wife and I begin shopping for travel items weeks before the trip. We pack each childs backpack with surprises from special snacks to maybe a new gameboy game, or travel game or activity books, action figures etc.

They are not allowed to look in the backpack until they get in the car. 5-6 hours into the trip they are still finding things in there that they had not seen yet. The kids love it and the trip flys by for them.

John

 

[daltonsdodisney]

We drove from Indiana in May with an 8 and 6 yr. old. We had just bought a new Trailblazer, complete with DVD and it was great. We left near 4am, so they could sleep most of the morning and then with quick gas stops to stretch and restroom plus brief stops to eat, it wasn't bad at all. I had packed them each a travel bag with new library books, crayons and paper, Barbies, Brainteaser cards, playing cards, and personal CD players with headphones, snacks and juice pouches. We also borrowed a few DVDs that they hadn't seen before. At that age, they're past the whining for the most part and much easier to travel that kind of distance with. We'd also make use of our 3rd back seat so they could have their own spot to spread out their stuff and even nap, (propped up with pillows and in their seatbelt.)

 

[fozzy]

Thanks guys for all the tips!
my3kids thanks for the Crayola Wonder Marker idea, that will be a definite no mess thing to take.
TeensMom did you find the kids atlas just a regular book store? I looked at books a million and didn't find? seems like a good idea. 9 year old is studying maps and such at school right now.

lol fozzy

 

[Cassi]

TeensMom, thanks for the safety information. What a scary ordeal! We're doing the Autotrain when we go to Disney/Wonder, and I was planning on bringing a TV/VCR combo for the ride from Connecticut to Virginia (DH got some converter thing). Now I'll make sure to bungee it!

Of course, that is providing Amtrak is still in business!

I've done the early a.m. drive to let the kids sleep, and that always seems to backfire for me. Last vacation, we took a 5 hour trip and I left at 4 a.m., figuring they'd sleep for most of it. They stayed awake the whole time! (And they're only 5 and 2!)

As for maps, I found a couple of good plastic-coated wipe-off kids' maps at K-Mart. They come with a wipe-off pen attached and have a map on one side and various car ride games on the other (for instance, little license plates with all the states' names for the license plate game). They were only a few bucks each.

I love all the ideas! I'm filing them all away for our trip!

Cassi

 

[AnnaB]

We drove to WDW last November with our 2 kids. Ages 5 and 8 at the time. The most important thing I can stress is to keep telling the kids that the ride is going to be a long one. I explained that we would be in the car all day and most of the night. Second on the list was they were not and I repeat allowed to ask "are we there yet". I think this would have driven my DH and I crazy.
I collected books, small toys, etc. and had them put away. A couple of days before we left I packed their "boxes" with all their new stuffpluse their game boys. I also got them both lap desks.

We were very lucky and the kids were great. They were fully aware that it was going to take a long time and they kept themselves occupied for about 85% of the trip. The other 15% of time we played games and made sure we took a lunch and dinner break at Craker Barrel.

One really funny thing happened though. I bought my DD a Barbie Makeup Book. You can put make up on Barbie and then wipe it off. SHe was so content with it...until I looked back at her somewhere in SC and found she decided the makeup looked better on her.LOL

This time I think we are going to get the TV-VCR. Have a great time!

 

[eye R.N.]

You might want to try out the game system ahead of time. We found out one hour into a 14 hour trip that a race car game combined with the motion of the car made our normally excellent four year old nephew carsick.

Believe me you don't want this.

As a vet of more car trips to Orlando than I can remember my travel bag includes

Pop up wipes
Fabreeze
a couple of kitchen garbage bags
Some type of "daily facial" cloth, toothbrush and paste since we normally do late night driving.
Harry Potter on CD
States Plates game (a map board with peel and stick license plates from each state)
Frozen water bottles
dried fruit or trail mix
Squeeze cheese and couple of sleeves of Ritz
At least one "surprise" per kids, not to be given until we are through our first state.
Downloaded highway bingo cards

My kids are now old enough to pack thier own, they usually include
Journal and pen to write reports during the trip home.
Pillows and blankets
CD player or tape player WITH HEADPHONES
books
Disney trivia book (my daughter knew the answer to every question on the last cruise including the free cruise question)

 

[hokie5cruiser]

Stock up on small treats-breakfast bars, crayons and coloring books, happy meal toys, dollar store toys, etc and wrap them. Give out one each every hundred miles or every hour.
Give each kid a plastic shoebox, write names on base and lid, to keep treasures in and serves as a desk to write on.

 

[disneyholic family]

now that i think about it, though we've never done anything longer than a 6 hour road trip, we have done numerous 12 hour non-stop airplane rides...yup...12 hours in that little metal tube with no way of getting out to run around...
i've been on it with them at every age...from newborn to now...
i no longer have to carry a goodie bag as my kids are teenagers (and thank the lord for the little personal tv sets on airplanes now...)
but one of the things my son loved to do when he was 2 years old was to clean the plane with the hot cloth they hand out before every meal....he'd take all our towels and start cleaning...wiping down the windows and the seatbacks...this would occupy him for hours....funny how he never showed a cleaning streak at home...

 

[Diva of Dragons]

We did a lot of road trips when I was little, including X-country! My Mom did the goodie bag thing, but with a twist!! She mapped out the route for me on my own map and numbered different towns or landmarks along the way. Each of the goodies in the bag or box was individually wrapped with a number on it. So, I could follow along with the trip, knowing that when we reached a spot that was numbered on the map, I would get to open a new gift! It was really fun, made the time pass more quickly and I have always been able to find my way around with any map!!!