Do you fly or drive?

[jimmytammy]

We fly. Driving for 11-12 hrs wears me out. I will drive if flying prices get out of reach. Not much is going to keep me from an annual visit to WDW and our home at VWL.

 

[CarolynFH]

We've always flown -- we drive the 1 1/2 hours to DFW airport the night before, stay in a motel, and catch an early flight direct to Orlando. We can be at BWV by 10 or 11 a.m. easily. Check in, drop our bags with the bellman, and hit the parks till our room's ready at 4! It's a 20 hour drive to WDW from where we live, and the thought of giving up 4 days of our maximum 9-day vacation has been unbearable! Also, we have two kids, and when they were small, we never would have made it without killing at least one of them. (Of course I'm kidding -- we'd have just WANTED to kill them!)

However, now that we're experienced WDW guests and don't have to do EVERYTHING, just our favorites, we're thinking of driving, as long as we can be gone from home for at least 9 days. We can stay with family midway, so it will definitely be less expensive than flying, just a loss of time in the parks...and a very long sad drive home ! But for our quickie 4-day trip in February (DH and DD have to ride Mission: SPACE), we're flying!

 

[SimbaNoodle]

We have always drove, 7.5 hrs from Mobile. This Feb. will be the first time that we have flown with our two kids, 7 & 9. It is a shorter trip and I don't want to waste two days driving. I will probably drive to our cruise in May. I don't want to keep spending the money on plane tickets.

 

[chadfromdallas]

Hi, just wanted to say what I usually do. My parents always drove my family to Florida and for this Spring Break I will be driving my soon to be honda cbr F4i from Dallas, Texas to Orlando, Florida. Its about 1100 miles.

 

[MinnieGi]

Actually we used to always fly until this past Feb. We made a decision to take a last minute trip and with such short notice the airfare was way too much so we decided to drive. It was DH, 2 1/2 DD and me and the drive went really well. We made it to Savannah, GA the first day and then had only a six hour drive into Orlando the next day!!! For me I was much more relaxed pulling into WDW after our drive than I ever am when we fly. Usually the whole flying day is an ordeal for me that leaves me totally wiped out by the time we check in. So we're driving again for our trip in 5 days!!!! I also really like having our car down there. Although with three of us it doesn't save us a ton of money, it still saves us some. DH is taking off this Friday and the whole next week so we still get our normal weeklong trip in just like we do with flying.

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

We drive. I'm in a wheelchair so we need the transportation. It's just easier. Its about 9.5 to WDW. Its about 3.5 to HH.

Allison an associate

 

[jx3smom]

We've been there 13 times and have driven 11 of those times. We have it down to an exact science. We usually leave around 1 am and are in Virginia by sunrise. We can make it to WDW by dinner time and we stay at Country Inns and Suites the first night and check in to BWV or BCV early the next morning and use the pool, etc. It takes us between 16 and 17 hours to get there. We actually enjoy the drive. We picnic somewhere in South Carolina when it's nice out. We have a driving trip sceduled on Oct. 31 and again in April.

 

[BarbR-Atlanta]

Atlanta is about 7 hours, door to door, so we usually drive. In fact, it seems shorter if I put everyone in the car before sunup, and hit the road.

We used to live about 90 minutes south of WDW, so 7 hours can seem almost unbearable. That last half-hour, we are all positively giddy!

 

[TerriBelle]

FLY!!!

We live in MD also and we always fly. The flights on SW out of BWI have been cheap enough that we haven't considered flying. We try to go times that are off season, but around a time that the kids have a few days off. We never want to use up days on the road when we could be there in a few hours.

We did drive this past summer to HH DCV.

 

[jaysue]

We fly - the Great Lakes just get in the way and make the drive too long!!!



thanks
jaysue

 

[ArnyVee]

We always drive. It's because we live in South Florida and we're only 3.5 hours away.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We live in NW Louisiana. We are getting ready for trip #14 in January. We have driven all but one. It takes us about 14 hours to drive. Lots of times we leave after work and drive about 1/2 way to AL, spend the night and arrive at WDW about noon. The last couple of times we left about 4 or 5AM and arrive in the evening. We flew one time when we were able to get a decent ticket, but it still took us about 16 hours from the time we left our house for the airport, waited 6 hours for a plane that had problems and couldn't leave on time, arranged new transfers (we can't fly direct) and arrived at MCO, got our ride to BCV and arrived at BCV.

So, it's driving for us.

We always leave WDW in the afternoon, spend the night in AL and get home the next afternoon. We get a decent hotel for a decent price.

 

[jazzmanmgt]

California is a loooong way from Orlando....I always Fly!

 

[pmcpmc]

we tried driving once but never got past Bantry Bay.
Flight time 9hrs
driving 60hrs. over water.

 

[SamS]

My wife and I have been to WDW about six times, including our first DVC stay this past June. We have always driven. Neither one of us dislikes travelling by car at all, so we haven't given much thought to flying. I've only flown commercial a few times in my life, and I find the whole airport thing a bit intimidating. I also like the freedom that comes with having a car at WDW, and renting a vehicle would just be an unecessary expense. As a someday-retired couple, we're looking forward to traveling around the country in an RV or travel trailer. Hopefully we still enjoy driving by then. One added point - I do find I-95 around Baltimore, D.C and through Virginia a bit nerve-wracking, but we usually leave "0-dark-thirty" (four AM maybe) to beat the heaviest traffic in this area. Our next departure to WDW will be early on Dec. 24th, and we're considering taking I-81 through western VA, and then cutting back over to I-95. I know it will take longer, and be more mileage-wise, but we expect it to be more relaxing. Has anybody from the Harriisburg area ever done this? What was your drive time? It has taken us 16-18 hours last two trips via I-83 and I-95.

 

[spearenb]

SamS,

I have been on that road a many of a time and I would highly recommend not doing it. Not only is it one boring strech of highway, you will come darn close to Blacksburg and VA Tech (TRADERS!!!!) and you will never be the same!!! Seriously, coming from Harrisburg on I81, I would cut off a detour in Winchester, VA , taking I 66 to 17 south and going from there. This road is mostly four lane through some great VA towns and will let you out on I95 in Fredricksburg. This would save you a considerable amount of time, get you around the DC area, and still be an enjoyable ride.

If you have any other questions, send me a PM!

Let's GOOOOOO Mountaineers!!!!

 

[BVC4us]

We always drive. We are from Massachusetts and the drive takes about 23 hours. we leave very early in the morning and drive for about 14 hours. The next day we get up early again (4:00 a.m.) and we arrive in disneyworld by 2-3.00 p.m.. Our kids have been doing it for the last 13 years. They started at 5 and 3 years old. We really don't mind the drive.

 

[mb168]

We've always driven but it's only 4 hours from here. This coming trip though I'm trying to get DW to fly our plane since it's just the two of us going to Food and Wine. We've never done it so I'd love to try it, should take less than two hours then.

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by spearenb
Let's GOOOOOO Mountaineers!!!!

spearenb
Our son played basketball

for WVU from 93-97.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

It's about a 20 hour trip from us and we did it once and will never do it again. We are self employed, no vacation time, hubby finds that he can make more by working those 3 days, figure 1 1/2 days each way, and not be exhausted, so we fly, I can usually get tickets for under 200.00, we are going non-stop out of LGA for the day after Thanksgiving for 148.00 per person on AA!! Then in February its 180 pp non-stop. Feb we are doing Vero and BWV, so we will need a car, but still would rather fly.