Are our travel plans financially logical??

[GatorMama]

We have a vacation booked for late July/early August. I was hoping that since DS1 won't cost us much of anything at the parks, I could talk DH into flying (we hate driving... HATE it), but he's not for it unless I can find a GREAT deal. So... we're driving. Google maps says it's about 12.5 hours from our house to our first resort. And we're wimps and don't think we can do it all in one day (never have before- when we've gone down, even for slightly shorter trips, we've always gotten a hotel somewhere in the middle). DH thinks we should change our route and detour to my Dad's (adding another 4.5 hours to our trip) to have free lodging smack in the middle of our two driving days. While I'd love to see my Dad, adding that much driving for a free night's stay makes me nauseous... what would you, budget conscious DISers do?

 

[laurafergie]

You'll eat up the $50 bucks you'd save on a hotel room just in the gas. Get a hotel room. No way would I add another 4.5 hours to the drive. Have you thought about driving straight through overnight while the baby sleeps? That has been our standard for years.

 

[verlee]

My first thought is that you are going to be spending your hotel money on gas money. Gas is $$$$$. Not to mention the added car time=cranky family. Look around on the discount hotel sites and see if you can find a hotel $70-80especially a hotel with free breakfast.

 

[brownielq]

I just noticed both of your locations! I live in Portsmouth, VA too!!

When we drive, it takes about 11 1/2 hours and thats including stopping.

However, it's only stopping for gas. We try to use the bathroom and eat when we stop for gas so there's no excessive stopping.

My last visit was in January and I drove the entire way. We left at 9:30pm and got there around 8:45 am, stopping 4 times to get gas.

I don't have cruise control, but driving overnight there is NO traffic... Lots of semi-trucks though and with the majority of the drive being on 95 and the speed limit being 70 for a good stretch, I think you could easily drive.

 

[ilovemk76]

I would drive early in the morning. Take breaks and do the entire drive in one day.

Driving 4.5 hours for a free room is not saving you any money.

 

[GatorMama]

You'll eat up the $50 bucks you'd save on a hotel room just in the gas. Get a hotel room. No way would I add another 4.5 hours to the drive. Have you thought about driving straight through overnight while the baby sleeps? That has been our standard for years.

That idea scares the heck out of me! Especially since we don't get the opportunity to nap during the day (demanding little one wakes up at 6 each morning and doesn't nap well... never more than an hour). He also doesn't sleep well in the car at night (fine during the day) because of street lights. We tried drving late into the night on our last roadtrip and all the crying from the backseat REALLY wore on our nerves.

 

[scrapquitler]

I wouldn't drive that far out of the way to have a 'free' place to sleep for the night. I would consider going to visit on the way or on the way home, but I'd stay for a couple of days and make it a second destination rather than just a place to sleep.

You might want to consider leaving around 5-6PM and driving straight thru the night. Your child can sleep on the ride, and if you or DH can stay awake long enough to do the ride straight thru, it might be easier to deal with the child in the car...then plan for a lazy first day at Disney (resort pool, DTD, let DH sleep in the room for a while while you do that with the child).

 

[Vowelmommy]

Well, I would drive the 12 hours in one day, but if we had to stop I would just grab a hotel on the way. Adding that much to the trip is silly.

 

[Lorem Ipsum]

I wouldn't make that side trip, either. I am sure that your dad would want a longer visit that overnight, too. You can do a 12 hour drive. Give it a try and stop if you don't think you can make it.

 

[JENOS]

12 hrs isn’t that bad if you cut it up mentally, 4 hrs one person while the other one sleeps then vice versa. Then stop and have breakfast/lunch/dinner (don’t know your departure time) at a sit down restaurant. Then pop in a couple movies in and BINGO you are there.

I agree that 4.5 hour detour is not worth it to save money

BTW if you don’t like driving during the day I would defiantly not attempt an overnight drive. Overnights are a different beast in themselves, stretches of highway with no over head lights mixed in with the feelings of wanting to sleep is never a good combination.

We usually drive straight from Chicago (19 hours) I envy your 12hr drive

 

[gerald]

. Have you thought about driving straight through overnight while the baby sleeps? That has been our standard for years.

+1 on this. DS8, DS6 and DD2 we have been doing this for all are vacations as well. We usually leave between 11pm -2am depending on how far we are driving. What a world of difference to drive in peace in quiet while the kids are sleeping.

 

[auralia]

I wouldn't drive with a 1 year old... i mean 2 tickets is all you need (no bashing about infants "needing seats" please) so gas plus 2 hotels close to 300$ plus the meals in there too (don't know what kind of car you drive) so what would plane tickets be an extra 100-150$ from the nearest major airport? i'd calculate exactly how much driving is costing me and if flying was only 100-200 more i'd fly being in a car that long with a 1 year old would ruin my vacation! specially if he starts screaming.

 

[deuceswild10]

I have little ones the same age as yours. I would NOT drive all night. Your son might not sleep that well anyway, and you and your DH will be utterly exhausted by the time you arrive. What would you do all day anyway, on no sleep?

Leave early, like 4am early, and drive straight through.

If you can't do that, do NOT drive 4 1/2 hours out of your way to sleep at your dads. That does not even make sense. Just get a cheap hotel.

Have a GREAT trip!!

 

[luvsJack]

That idea scares the heck out of me! Especially since we don't get the opportunity to nap during the day (demanding little one wakes up at 6 each morning and doesn't nap well... never more than an hour). He also doesn't sleep well in the car at night (fine during the day) because of street lights. We tried drving late into the night on our last roadtrip and all the crying from the backseat REALLY wore on our nerves.

Would he sleep any better if you waited until early a.m. to leave?

Put him down for bed the night before and then leave like at 2 a.m. or so. You would be half way there by breakfast time. We like it this way because we aren't as tired when we get there as we would be driving through the night.

Then you said he wil take an hour nap so maybe some children's dvds and/or music tapes to keep him occupied.

If he cries that much, maybe you and your husband could take turns riding in the back with him.

 

[marie1203]

I wouldn't drive an extra 4.5 hours for a free place to stay. We are 9 1/2 hours from WDW and when we drive we usually leave midnight. DH drives most of the time. We usually make by 9:30 and manage to avoid all the traffic. We then take a nap for 2 hours an go out enjoy WDW.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

That idea scares the heck out of me! Especially since we don't get the opportunity to nap during the day (demanding little one wakes up at 6 each morning and doesn't nap well... never more than an hour). He also doesn't sleep well in the car at night (fine during the day) because of street lights. We tried drving late into the night on our last roadtrip and all the crying from the backseat REALLY wore on our nerves.

Listen to your instincts and ignore the "drive all night advice"



Having lost a friend to "I can drive through the night" syndrome I think it's just kind of that folks encourage others to do it. (Friend died, her child has long term medical issues because DH dosed off and lost control... all to save a few hours.... ) And I am sure they said "well it won't happen to us, we can do it" I know they had done it before... so don't assume you are "immune"

 

[Donnainnj]

We have an 18 hour drive and when we choose to drive, we tend to do a much longer first day. For us that means 14 hours or so starting between 5 and 6am. I like that time because if it is dark, it doesn't last long, and we are usually done (depending on time of year) before it gets dark again. (plus if we are lucky we miss the traffic in DC) Maybe if you don't want to do it all on one day the longer first day will work for you. Makes the second day seem so quick and easy and you still have time to really enjoy the day. All this said I to would do the math and see how much you are really saving driving with only two tickets to buy.
Donna

 

[Charitycase20]

I wouldn't drive almost 5 hours out of the way for a free place to stay either. Take a look at a map and figure out where you would like to stop. Google cheap motels for that area, you're bound to find something. That being said, we are just about 3 hours north of you, and when we go in January, we're leaving about 8-9pm and driving straight through. Granted our little people are older than yours but we find it easier to do that way. We actually just got back from a trip to Oklahoma to see family. 26 hours one way, we drove through both ways. I drive while DH sleeps and then he drives while I sleep. We just take some good music to jam to and know what "travel stations" have the best coffee!!

But again if you're not comfortable doing it, find a cheap room, doesn't have to be the Ritz, you're just sleeping! You can find most of those coupon books that are in the Rest Areas online now too. Have a great trip!!

 

[2disneyboys]

12 hrs isn’t that bad if you cut it up mentally, 4 hrs one person while the other one sleeps then vice versa. Then stop and have breakfast/lunch/dinner (don’t know your departure time) at a sit down restaurant. Then pop in a couple movies in and BINGO you are there.

I agree that 4.5 hour detour is not worth it to save money

BTW if you don’t like driving during the day I would defiantly not attempt an overnight drive. Overnights are a different beast in themselves, stretches of highway with no over head lights mixed in with the feelings of wanting to sleep is never a good combination.

We usually drive straight from Chicago (19 hours) I envy your 12hr drive

ITA!!!

Would he sleep any better if you waited until early a.m. to leave?

Put him down for bed the night before and then leave like at 2 a.m. or so. You would be half way there by breakfast time. We like it this way because we aren't as tired when we get there as we would be driving through the night.

Then you said he wil take an hour nap so maybe some children's dvds and/or music tapes to keep him occupied.

If he cries that much, maybe you and your husband could take turns riding in the back with him.

ITA.. this is what we do

Hi Neighbor! We are in Norfolk so I know all about that Drive from Hampton Roads to Orlando... We always drive, and also always drive straight through. We usually get the car all gased up, and packed up (all except a cooler w/ some snacks we leave by the front door. We go to bed early the night before (like around 7 or 8ish) and then we get up around 2am, walk the boys to the potty and then straight to the car w/ thier blankets etc and hit the road. DH always drives the first leg (about 4-5 hours) (I am NOT a night driver!) and I sleep. Then we stop for breakfast and DH sleeps while I drive for the next 5-6 hours. (stop for a late lunch) and then DH finishes the drive and if I need to, I nap, but usually, I just read a book or something. We have taken long road trips since before both our kids were born (every year or so, we drive from Norfok Va. to Park Rapids, MN along w/ numerous trips to NYC, Florida, North Carolian, Pa, etc) Our kids have always been great in the car (then again, they have been roadtripping it since birth!), and we find we get the best family bonding time in car trips vs when we fly. We bring games & movies for the kids, but find we rarely plug into anything, we usually just spend the trip talking and playing the old fashioned "road games".

for long road trips, in the past year we have driven from Norfolk to Tampa (April 2010) Norfolk to MN (July 2010) Norfolk to Orlando (Dec 2010) Norfolk to Orlando (April 2011) and we plan to drive to orlando AGAIN in Sept & also in Dec 2011.

as an aside have you looked into train pricing? I havent gone that route yet, but if you don't need a car in florida, you can take the train from newport news or richmond and if you do need a car, you can take the autotrain from Lortin (or soemthing like that) Va (up near arlington) you would just have to factor in transportation to & from the train stations if you are staying onsite.

 

[mrsklamc]

If you're not comfortable, you're not comfortable, and that's what's important.

If you'd be comfortable if your little one would sleep, and he/she doesn't b/c of the light, can a blanket be placed over the carseat to block the light?

12 hours is totally doable for me and DH, but 14 is not, so do what feels right to you- and NO, adding 4.5 hours to stay at dad's for free does NOT make sense financially.