do you think it would be worth it to drive from NY to DLand?

[veronchichi]

I'm from NY and have been to WDW many times, and am fiending to go to DLand, plus my boyfriend's never been there or even California at the least!!!

So I was wondering if it is worth the long drive (we don't fly -- have a cute puppy that won't fit under the plane seats anymore) to DLand -- and what would we do on the way out there?

 

[avalon451]

That is one LONG trip. In my opinion, it wouldn't be fun for you OR for your puppy. I understand being attached to your pet, especially when he's young, but if you could somehow arrange a pet sitter, either to come to your house, or to take the puppy to theirs... you could fly, and I'll bet both you and the puppy would be much happier!

When we take trips, we pay one of our kids' friends to come over daily or even twice daily to take care of our cat. Usually a kid who was 12-13 or more-- we'd give them the key and instructions, and pay them $3-5 a day. They would feed the cat, take care of the litter box, play with him, etc.

Or you could put him in a kennel; there are reputable, clean, and friendly ones out there that love their patrons and play with them a lot.

I'm thinking it would probably take you 5 days, driving long days. The puppy would be cramped and unhappy in the car for that long! So would you! So there's just a couple of alternative suggestions for you.

 

[moredisneyplease]

i dont think so!! Thats a seriously lllloooooong drive! I bet it would be cheaper to to fly, rent a car, and kennel the dog then drive! Thats a lot of gas!

 

[blackssrider00]

would have to agree with everyone who has posted that’s just a long drive. with gas prices as high as they are your going to spend a ton. might even been enough for 2plane tickets. I am not understanding if you have a fear of flying. we live in San Jose which is about 5-6 hours away from DL and that’s already enough, and by the time you are done with having so much fun with the park you are completely drained of your energy and have to make that drive back .... just something to consider

 

[bumbershoot]

If you are ONLY going for DLR, then I'm not sure it's worth it. But if you want to make a Grand Trip out of it, seeing sights and having a proper journey of it, then it would be cool.

What would you do with the dog when you got to CA? During the day you would need to put it in a kennel (does DLR have them?), assuming you could find a hotel room where the dog was welcome at nights. I'd rather leave him in a trusted and known kennel at home (we boarded our cat at the vet's boarding facilities during our wedding and honeymoon, and she absolutely loved it there and hated being home, LOL) than deal with the hassle of finding places for him on the trip.

Then again, I find pets to be a hassle anyway, which is why we never got another after our cat was gone.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

No way! I can barely handle the 10 hour drive we have from N. Nevada! LOL We even flew the last trip!

I'd get someone to pet sit, and take a plane.

 

[pigletforever]

I vote for a pet sitter and taking a plane. With gas and hotel prices there and back it would be cheaper to fly. We only have a 6 hour drive to DL and I am not looking forward to it.

 

[Leofoenget]

I'm from NY and have been to WDW many times, and am fiending to go to DLand, plus my boyfriend's never been there or even California at the least!!!

So I was wondering if it is worth the long drive (we don't fly -- have a cute puppy that won't fit under the plane seats anymore) to DLand -- and what would we do on the way out there?

JUST to go to DL? No. To drive cross country to see everything along the way making DL your last glorious stop..then do it. Why can't you fly? Southwest is having good sales going on right now. I know you have the dog just board him in NY or ask a friend to look after him.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Sounds pretty miserable to me. I like the other suggestions posted. I am not looking forward to the 6 hr drive we have for our trip, I can't even imagine 5 days in the care. AARRGG kill me now

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we drove to wdw from az it was taribule my mom my sister us my dad..it was a tiny car and an annoying sister and tx never ends

 

[pixiewings71]

Ya the 6 hr drive is plenty! LOL We drive 10-12 hrs to see my family and that's wayyyyyyyyyyyy too long. It would take at least a week of driving to get here and that's just a lot for a trip to DL. I would board my doggie (and we do/have) and then fly here. Much faster and less exhausting! DL does have "kennels" but the employees are not allowed to play with the dogs, feed them or clean up after them. We would much rather board them at the normal place we take them then have them sit in crates until we can get get back to play with them.

 

[veronchichi]

oh wow -- thanks for all the advice -- really really appreciate it
I don't have a fear of flying or anything -- i actually like it. it's just the puppy i was worried about.

But i was thinking that if we drove, it'd have to be a major trip with stops and sightseeing along the way.

So, yeah, you guys are right. it'd be better to fly.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I look at it this way - how much money is your time worth?

Evaluate how much do you make at your day job, how much time you are willing to lose sitting in a car, and how anxious the puppy would be during the trip.

Add to that the cost of having to put your puppy/baby in the kennel here in Anaheim, vs the cost of kenneling him there. The closest overnight stay kennel to DL is several miles down the road. You might be able to find a pet-friendly hotel that is off-property, but if you had your heart settled on one of the DLR hotels, then no such luck. The DLR kennekl is only open during park hours - they will feed your dog for you, but you have to stop by and take it to potty.

Some folks are good with car trips and some not. Think about how long the longest car trip you have done was and how this one would compare.

That's a pretty good way to measure if this would be a good experience for you or not.

 

[azdisneylover]

I agree with the fellow posters on kenneling your precious puppy or getting a puppy/house sitter, and flying. I don't think I saw when you were planning the trip to DL since weather could play a major factor in when you would drive. Here in AZ, we are still in the low 100s during the day.
What would you do with your puppy when you stop to eat, sight see, etc. Most places only allow working dogs into stores, restaurants, etc.
Good luck and enjoy planning your first trip to DL and California in general. Like any state, California has it's good and bad.

 

[Gisele]

I so totally agree with the previous posters.
That is sad, that at the Dl. kennels, the workers are not allowed to pet, or interact otherwise with the animals. that would just about kill me,if I worked there. I figure it must go to liability issues, but still, that has got to be tough on the animals, and their people, as well as again, the kennel workers!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Talk to your vet about finding a first rate kennel. I do that for my pups (whom I am freakishly attached to, I swear I call that kennel to check on them more than I did my kids' babysitter!). He recommneded one that I have used several times now. I can pay for group or individual play times. They have a webcam so I can log in. They send me email pics of my puppies. My favorite was of my beagle Daisy lounging in a wading pool while her "sister" was up on a doggie jungle gym! I took my dogs for day visits a few times to see if they liked it. Now when we get close, they get so exicted! I miss them a lot but they are on vacation and so am I. So we are all happy.

Trust your instinct, if you tour a place and it feels right to you that says the most.

But definitely use a place your vet or a close friend that you trust as a pet owner to recommend one.

I love a road trip but that's a long one! There would definitely be lots of things to see along the way. But seriously, you'd need a huge chunk of time. Save it for retirement!

 

[tink2dw]

aSK wHOPPE iF yOU cOuLd gRAB a rIdE On her bUS??

 

[michelle1]

We live on the east coast as you do and we have done WDW many times..even that my DH won't drive but the drive to Florida is nothing compared to the days it will take you to get to California. We just flew to California this past summer and it is a fantastic trip but as much as I loved DL I wouldn't go there just to do DL since there is so much more there as well. If you have planned on a few days of driving each way than you'd be better off flying and use that time to see other things in California. We flew into San Francisco rented a car, drove down the coast with some overnights along the way and ended up in Anaheim and DL. If you were to be overnighting on your drive down anyway then you could spend the same and stay longer in CA.

 

[ncbyrne]

A cross country road trip has been my dream trip for YEARS. DH and I have been saving for it for decades. DH retires in March. In late August '09 we will head west (driving an '08 Highlander) to Portland, then drive down the Pacific coast to Anaheim where we will spend a few days in DL. We then head back east on a southern route....and finally a trip up the Atlantic coast back to NJ.
If I JUST wanted to visit DL, fer sure I'd fly. But, including DL in a
2+ month cross country trip is a dream come true.