Considering driving, thought?

[izzy1070]

I am leaning towards driving to Disney. We live in South Bend, IN. Has anyone done this or a similar trip? Are there any good stopping points or must see's on the way?

We check in on Thur, 9/4. My hubby and I have that whole week off. It would be just convincing him to drive vs fly. My opinion is if we drive then we could get there sooner. And in return be there sooner.

 

[shanejoseph]

Drive and get there sooner? That's about a 17 hour drive! Our drive is 12 hrs., which we did once, and I found that was too long considering the final destination. We only drove because a last minute flight would have been too expensive. I'm not saying we wouldn't drive again, but I want to spend as much time I possibly can at WDW! Most flights have about a 5 hour total travel time for us.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I am leaning towards driving to Disney. We live in South Bend, IN. Has anyone done this or a similar trip? Are there any good stopping points or must see's on the way?

We check in on Thur, 9/4. My hubby and I have that whole week off. It would be just convincing him to drive vs fly. My opinion is if we drive then we could get there sooner. And in return be there sooner.

How do you figure that driving from IN to WDW is faster than flying? Am I missing something? If you have only 7 days of vacation, you're spending a lot of that time on the road.

 

[bruhl1j]

We are about 10 hrs away from WDW. We drive 90% of the time. Gas vs airline tickets, time of from work, etc are part of the equations. Our last trip, my DW and I took our Corolla - 33 MPG so the trip cost about $225-250 in gas. Airline flights were about 250 each. For our family of 4, it is even more of saving to drive.

However, by the time I drive to the nearest airport, checking, arrive at WDW, it may be a 6-7 hr trip. Saving 3 hrs or so verses several hundred dollars on airline tickets is an easy choice. One advantage of driving is having a car to go get groceries or visit other places.

If you have the time, I vote for driving.

 

[izzy1070]

Well driving wouldn't be faster but we could leave sooner and take our time getting there. We both have 8/30-9/14 off work. Our reservation is from 9/4-9/11. So if we drive we can leave at any point prior to 9/4. If we fly we are flying out on 9/4.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I don't think driving will get you there faster! Flying will take 2 1/2 hours driving 17-20 hours depending on traffic. I would not want to be cooped up in my car for nearly 40hrs when I could be spending those hours at Disney.

Factor in your drive time, gas and wear and tear on your vehicle plus how tired the person driving will be and I think flying would be your better bet. I would not want to spend 4 days of my vacation just in traveling.

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree with the pp's that I would fly. People drive every day and while it can be a money saver, I personally wouldn't do it. Our drive would be too long (for me) at 16-18 hours and flying is just so convenient, IMO. Yes, it does take time to drive to the airport, sit and wait to board the plane, and then the flight itself, but I am not a long distance driver, so driving isn't something we even consider. If it were me, I'd fly and add a night or two onto the trip rather than use those days on the road (but that's just me). Good luck.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

We are driving down from nj to disney in 13 days. It took my hubby some convincing to do so. Flights are just so expensive now a days plus all the security really freaks me out plus I have to take a xanex to even get on a plane lol, plus we are traveling with my 2 sons (1 is 7 and the other will be 8 months) and to have everything the baby needs on a flight and then walking with it all through Orlando airport is just way too stressful! In my mind just throwing everything we need in the back of my truck and going is a lot less stressful. I know the drive is long but we are stopping along the way to break up the drive. Now I don't know if I will feel the same way when we return (if me and hubby are still on speaking terms lol), but we shall see lol

 

[torquelover]

I am not far from you, and head out your way occasionally for tires. We have driven a few times. Took an RV (first trip) which was great when the DDs were toddlers. Central air/heat, full bathroom and kitchen, multiple seat belted areas and a flat screen TV with a DVD player. Great view of the road, room to stretch (or run for the kids) but dismal gas mileage. Next trip we took my car. That was terrible. I figured the car would be better than my DW's SUV on gas, but loaded down and driving 80 MPH the fuel economy was worse, and the car was very cramped (Ford Fusion). For us, with sit-down stops for lunch, and longer stops for dinner, it was about a 20-22 hour drive one-way.

We have not driven since, but I was tempted to this year, with an overnight stop in Chattanooga on the way down, and a stop at American Girl in Atlanta with an overnight in Nashville on the way back. This would have given me only two full days in Florida however.

I should note, on both trips where we drove, we always got delayed near Atlanta, no matter what time of day we went through, extending the drive times considerably.

We will be flying out of South Bend for the first time on Allegiant for the next trip.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done it all, car, train and plane...

50 trips to WDW so far...flew twice, over 15 train trips and the t we drove..

I won't my any more...period!

Amtrak is great except for a huge layover n DC, 8 hours....We board in northeast Ohio, and from home to Kissimmee Florida it's 38 hours plus...trains always run late...scheduled arrival 1:30 pm....no choice on that matter..

Car trip is 16-18 hours depending...We mostly drive straight thru, it's just the wife and I and the trip is enjoyable...we're in no hurry, we don't speed or race..

We prefer the drive because we're in control of our destiny..arrival and departure times....flying you can lose those days, depends of flight time you're at the mercy of their schedules, same with trains..

We leave home 4-5 am...hit Florida boarder, Florida Welcome Center 11-12 pm...We stop, have a sandwich, drink, freshen up and rest there a few hours ( 24 hour security) we've talked to them many a stop...We make our way into WDW say 5-6 am...check in, give luggage to bell service and either hit the pool, eat at food court or head to Public for our supplies...usually by the time we return, our room is ready (we on line check in and announce our arrival at 6 am)...We only go to WDW value off seasons and room readiness is no problem...

We have time to freshen up, arrange room, put away groceries and have tons of time before any park opening...hence the whole day of fun by driving..

Is the drive boring...not really, is it long...yes but pleasant...is it a hassle....no, don't have to arrive early, TSA frisking no...plane trouble....none of that...We travel at our own pace...free as the birds and to us, we gain 2 days, not lose them by driving over flying....control freaks have at it by traveling the country and actually seeing it over flying over it and seeing nothing is not a vacation to us..

 

[BC1836]

You need to examine the "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread to see why so many prefer to drive.

To be sure, time (especially within the confines of a designated vacation period) is a consideration. But it's not the only consideration.

Those who quote flying times vs. driving times always seem to miss the time one has to travel to the airport, the early arrival due to TSA demands, the time frequently lost to flight delays, the exit experience from the aircraft, the wait for checked luggage and the transportation to your final destination.

Drivers depart when they want, sit next to those they want to sit next to, stretch their legs when they want to, exit their vehicle for whatever reason when they want to (difficult to do at 30,000 feet), eat and drink what they want to, etc.

We drive to WDW next month. Oh yeah, drive #31 since 2002.

Make a careful decision about cost, time and those who are traveling with you. Still, no matter what way you travel, be alert and be safe.

All the best.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

With driving you must also think about the possiblilty of your vehicle breaking down. Just read two trip reports lately where folks had car trouble and one spent 3 days waiting for a part for their car. Not to mention finding a trust worthy mechanic. The other trip report involved an accident and they had only been on the road less than 2 hours.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We are driving down from nj to disney in 13 days. It took my hubby some convincing to do so. Flights are just so expensive now a days plus all the security really freaks me out plus I have to take a xanex to even get on a plane lol, plus we are traveling with my 2 sons (1 is 7 and the other will be 8 months) and to have everything the baby needs on a flight and then walking with it all through Orlando airport is just way too stressful! In my mind just throwing everything we need in the back of my truck and going is a lot less stressful. I know the drive is long but we are stopping along the way to break up the drive. Now I don't know if I will feel the same way when we return (if me and hubby are still on speaking terms lol), but we shall see lol

I personally don't understand how airport security is very stressful. It's not a big deal; neither is a short flight from NJ to Florida with two kids. I think driving down 95 for 2 days would be much more stressful, not to mention not nearly as safe as flying.

 

[Kandi76]

Last year my DH and I drove and it was 9 1/2 hours. The drive there honestly wasn't that bad we stopped twice for gas and snacks. The drive back on the other hand we were really getting on each other's nerves being cooped up for that long. We opted this year to fly. We will get there so much faster and have more times at the parks and to be leisurely.