Driving to Disney

[antnee]

Anyone have any good suggestions for Driving to Walt Disney World. Advice for kids or adults would be appreciated

 

[laceemouse]

I do not like to fly, plus it is so expensive with 4 kids, so we usually drive. We used to live in Jacksonville, Fl. but now we are far,far away! It is a two day trip for us, but I have to say it is not that bad! We have 4 kids, 12,10,8, and 5. We have a video player in the mini-van and we bring a milk crate full of movies. I usually buy a couple of new ones before a long trip. My oldest DD will read in the van, I take dramamine and sleep a lot! On the trip down everyone is excited and happy. On the trip back everyone is worn out and sleeps a lot. We do not do the drive all night thing, I think it is dangerous. We also enjoy getting out of the van for a while. We would love to live closer to Disney, but for now we will keep driving down every year or two!!!

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

Agree w/ laceemouse ... we drive down from Michigan and schedule an overnight stop. If someone needs to stop at a rest area we stop regardless if we just stopped at the last one or not. Make sure (unless they are sleeping) that EVERYONE get out and "try" to go ... at the very least, they will get a chance to stretch their legs.

I put an extra car key on a shoelace and hang it around my neck under my shirt ... no chance of getting locked out of the car on one of these stops! LOL.

We always make sure we've had a rest stop and a nearly full tank of gas upon approaching a "big city".

We keep snacks and a cooler accessible in the van so that we don't have to stop at a restaurant. We'll even have a picnic early afternoon at one of the rest stops just to get the kinks out and let the van have a "rest."

The kids have always been great to travel with ... make sure you have lots of books, etc and keep them in the loop as to your travel plans so they aren't always asking "Are we there yet." Take advantage of the trip to teach older ones how to read a map by asking them to find exactly where you are and explaining about mile-markers, etc. Discuss historical/cultural topics for the areas you are traveling through with your older ones. If they are old enough, have them ride up front with you and discuss topics that you never seem to find the time to at home (thoughts, feelings, friends, goals, dreams, etc.) ... share stories from your childhood with them. Talk about your parents. Share with them what makes you tick.

Traveling with kids is ALWAYS a learning opportunity which we've always enjoyed!!

 

[sarehm]

We drove our last trip because boyfriend didn't want to fly. We stoped on the way down in N.C. to sleep but ended up driving the entire way home in 1 day. South of the Border is a fun (cheesy) place to kill some time and just get out and walk around. When we used to drive down when I was a kid I always remember playing car games, cards, and singing songs! One think my parents did when we were still pretty little was give us a roll of silver dollars and every time we asked "how much longer" or "are we there yet" we had to give up one of the dollars! I was the only one out of me and my 2 brothers to lose a dollar!

 

[WDWorBUST]

We drove once with 7 people in a mini-van - ONCE. I would not do it again though. We are driving in late August and we are doing the all-night thing. We are leaving on Thursday night though so we don't have "weekend" traffic on the roads - AND we have 4 adults with 2 drivers. When I am driving my best friend has to stay awake with me to keep me alert. When my DH is driving her DH is responsible to stay awake and keep him alert. I would be much more nervous if it were just me and DH and two kids or something. We would need to take turns sleeping and would not have anyone else to help keep us awake and make sure we are okay. And we will stop if we have to. Not to mention that I have to get out and walk around every 2-3 hours anyway because I will be 7 months pregnant. (and probably will need bathroom breaks anyway). We take our Disney trivia cards with us any time we have a long drive....even just when it's only me and DH. And we take CD's that keep us rock'n - Aerosmith comes to mind here ) I will read in the car a lot so either novels or magazines are good. And don't forget the pillows and blankets for those who aren't driving who want a little nap. And if you're like me you're freezing and DH isn't even comfortable - without a blanket we both end up miserable. We are driving from approximately 22 hours away so it's still not a fun drive - but the difference in driving and airfare for 4 adults is definitely worth it.

 

[CamColt]

We have done it twice and plan to do it again in August. We drive 24 hours straight through, usually leaving at 10:00am. I like doing it that way because by the time the kids wake up in the morning we are almost there. Once we went 3:00pm-3:00pm and it felt more like we drove for 2 days.
The tv/vcr combo is the biggest help with the kids(well, except for Grandma when she came with us, LOL),and lots of small snacks help to keep them occupied. My kids didnt use as many toys as I had thought they would need.

 

[grinningghost]

We've driven before and it was fun (most of the time). We got to see alot of places that we don't see when we fly. There are the usual hassles, traffic jams, construction - but you can't avoid those, no matter which way you go you'll hit them. (AAA lies too, their Triptik marked off construction zones that weren't, and missed the real construction zones).

We'll be driving down in August again and stopping over for a night in either NC or SC. We're traveling with teenagers who need their showers to look beautiful enough to go into any McDonald's on the way.

Actually, the best part of driving down is driving back. Not that leaving WDW is fun, it's horrible, but the drive gets you back slowly, so you have time to readjust to reality. When we fly, I get really depressed at how quick we're home.

 

[gometros]

I agree with those posters tha tsaid driving straight through is a tough way to go. I did it once many, many, many years ago with a buddy of mine. We kept switching off and the turns got shorter and shorter. By the time we go to Jacksonville, I was falling asleep at the wheel.

We have driven down from New York, but now take the auto-train. When we did drive all the way, we found that Florence, South Carolina was a perfect mid-point to stop. By no means should you stop at South of the Border - it's a tourist trap.

You didn't say how old your kids are, but bring lots of things that they can do in the car. Books, handheld computer games (with earpluds to keep the driver sane), CD players. If you have a mini-van, they sell a TV concole that goes betwee the two front seats. Use the bathroom/food breaks to stretch your legs.

And watch your speed. Everyone talks about the southern cops, but for my money, the two worst states are Delaware and Maryland. The staties drive those brown sedans that are hard to spot until it is too late.

 

[Kaycee]

We always drive to WDW from Kentucky. The trip takes about 14 hours, so we could do it in one day, but we don't. We stop overnight instead. Sometimes we stop to visit family in South Carolina. If not, we usually stop in Georgia, past Atlanta. We don't drive overnight either, I agree with the other posters who think that's a dangerous practice.

We take along books, tapes, travel games, and I print out activities that I find on the internet for the guys to do in the car. We are thinking about renting or buying a video player for the car for our next trip.

We stop fairly often so that everyone can stretch. We try to combine the stretching/gas/restroom stops, but we won't hesitate to stop again if someone feels the need.

We have the same attitude about traveling as we do about touring the parks. Commando style doesn't work for us in either situation. Yes, more of our vacation time is spent traveling. But we prefer using more time and having a pleasant trip than getting there faster while having a miserable time doing it.

Kaycee

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Our trip is shorter but we really like to drive. How often do you have everyone together in once place at once time with out the distractions of home. We like to read out loud together, do ladlibs, play 50states, Play guess the animal or disney character or whatever. We too like to stop at a rest stop for a picnic. We often however just go though a drive through and get fast food and then eat at the next rest stop. A fastfood place with a playground is good too. Kids play while you eat and then they eat while you are in the car. We stop a lot more going down than on the way home. Last year we left 80 degree weather in flordia and did not stop till SC and it was 35 and rain. NOT FUN. Driving is not bad and the money you saved can be spent at WDW !!


Jordan's mom

 

[Donnainnj]

Antnee,
We have driven to Disney a couple of times. We find leaving at 5am and stopping around 7pm, works best for us. (seems to avoid the worst of DC traffic) That puts us in Darien, GA, where we stay for the night. the next day we have a respectable 4 hour drive, so we don't need to leave real early, and it seems so quick. We are two drivers. We do not have the tv/vcr combo, but we do have a cheap black and white tv we secure between the two front seats, and have a VCP that we bring. DH purchased 2 cheap headsets with volume so the kids don't fight about that, and we can listen to out MP3's in the front. When we finally get a minivan we will get those bells and whistles. We usually buy a couple of new videos as well as record a few on longplay of their favorite shows that way we don't need to bring so many tapes.
I also bring a bag filled with new little treats for the kids, toys and such that I pick up the few months before, (usually Target clearance or the $ store) I hand those out one at a time.
We bring bagels for breakfast, stop for gas/bathrooms, sometimes lunch at fastfood, sometimes we just bring subs and stop at a reststop so the kids can run around and we can eat and use the facilities. We try to wait until we are in Darien to Eat at Cracker Barrel, kids love that place.
Good Luck!

 

[suevee]

We drove down in February from the Baltimore area taking I-95. The Washington beltway was not to bad at that time (4:20 am) in the morning. I was suprised. We left at 4am and were in Ocala by 6pm. We had 2 drivers. We only took short breaks at McDonalds' or gas stations. We are planning to do the same in August.

 

[BounceyOne]

Count us in as drivers. WE drove down 3 times in the last year. We have taken the auto train also, but the prices have been a little steep the past 2 trips. Flying also seems like a hassle these days so we just prefer to hop in the car and go.

For adults I suggest some magazines, books maybe some puzzle books.

For children it all depends on the ages. I have a 4 and 12 year old. They both like different things to do in the car.

Have a graet trip.

 

[poohangel]

Hello Kaycee, I live in Greensburg KY, which is about 90 miles of you.

We tried the all night think last year and it did not work, by the time we got to Ocala, neither of us could keep our eyes open. We ended up staying about 5 hours at a HoJo.

This year we are going to stay at Morrow GA, which is just a little south of Atlanta, it's about midpoint for us.

Last year we took snacks, gal. of milk and some tortilla roll ups to put in a cooler.

poohangel

 

[Grand Canyon]

We drive from Grand Canyon AZ 2400mi
It takes us 3 days. The kids watch movies and we take along snacks. We stop for gas about every 400mi and that when we make bathroom stops. We have made the trip in just 39 hrs. The kids sleep allot and my wife and I trade off driving. We see the drive as part of the adventure. We have gone by plane once, but we prefer having our own car. The rental cars are so small!

 

[barbeml]

After many flights, we decided to drive to WDW last fall, and will be doing it again in November. Much prefer driving!

We are two adults, no kids. We left Hopewell, NJ at 5:15 AM on a Friday. We packed a cooler for the car with plenty of beverages and lunch and snacks. Also, we have a portable GPS unit which I highly recommend. Not that we were worried about getting lost on 95--it is fun to watch your route, see the miles count down, and it tells you what services are at any given exit. Also, we brought several books on CD--that really made the time fly.

With plenty of rest stops we arrived in Richmond Hill, GA by 6 PM for an overnight at a very nice and cheap Hampton Inn. We learned one important thing: at that point we were too pooped to go looking for a restaurant, so wound up buying some stuff at grocery store to nuke in the room. Next time, we will pack dinner too.

We left Georgia around 8:30 and got to WDW at around 1. The cooler we had for the car was converted to a mini-bar in our room (I packed wine, nuts and other treats--couldn't do that when flying!)

Having our car with us at WDW saved us time and gave us greater flexibility. It was easier and quicker to get to parks, Disney Quest, and the Space Center. Also, I bought a piece of art and did not have to worry about it getting smashed on the plane.

I honestly do not think I would ever fly to Florida again.

 

[DVC4US]

We like to have our car while at WDW so we usually drive also. We have driven from Virginia, south Texas, and in June we will make the drive from Iowa. I do all the driving because DH does not like to take the extra time off so he flies down to meet us.

I have 2 DD's (7 & 13), who have traveled a lot by car. In the car we have TV's, a DVD player, and we hook up the XBox for games. Both of the girls have their own CD players so they can listen to what ever music they like and I can listen to what I want. On our last trip we tried the books on tape, and I found that it really makes the time fly.

We usually get an early start around 4am so we can stop early that afternoon. This allows the girls to unwind in the pool while mom sits in the hot tub. I also make stops whenever we need them and I make everyone get out and stretch their legs.

I make sure they know what day we will get to WDW so that I don't get asked all the time and on the last day I usually play Disney CD's so we really get in the mood.
LeiLani

 

[bsbkmacgowan]

We've always driven to WDW (from Toronto, it's about 2100 km/1300 miles, so about 21 hours, minus border crossing, construction and "rush hour" delays, of course).

Our first trip, back in June of 2001, we took 3 days to drive the distance. Reason being, we'd never driven the route before, plus our kids were only 3 and 5 at the time, and this would be the longest road trip they'd ever made at that point.

For our subsequent trips, however, we've always made the trip in 2 days, both ways, staying wherever we happened to get to when we got tired (Statesville, NC is about half way for us, and we've stayed there a few times.)

On all of our trips, we've had a minivan. At the end of March, we traded it in for a Volkswagen Beetle (my husband's mobile office/company car) and since it's our only vehicle, the next trip we make to WDW should be very interesting!

We've always used a VCR/TV console in the van; no room for that in the Beetle! So, Brian "Frankensteined" the unit (he's a Nerd with Nerds On Site) and disconnected the monitor, which we place on a rolled up pillow on the "hump" between the girls' feet. Then, it's connected to our laptop that has a DVD/CD drive in it. We were hooking up mini speakers to the laptop, but have since wisened up and bought one of those audiotape converters for portable CD players... instant surround sound in the Beetle! One major benefit to taking DVDs as opposed to VHS tapes... you can get a lot of DVDs in a CD case!

We're curious as to what our gas mileage will be next time, too. It used to take us at least 5 tanks of gas in the van to make the trip. Our Beetle is a 5-speed manual diesel, and it's been giving us fantastic mileage (about 1100 km to the tank on highways, or roughly 683 miles to the tank). We're hoping for 2 full tanks, with a topper to make sure we get there without incident!

I'm actually yearning for the challenge of planning a trip... wish it would happen soon!

One other thing we like to use on our trips (since we always have our laptop with us) is Microsoft's Streets and Trips software. We were able to use it to route ourselves around that bridge construction area in Jacksonville on our last trip, and I think it saved us about 30 minutes of waiting in stalled traffic on I95!

Oh, and since our Beetle is red, our daughters decided they wanted to call it "Little Red" after the elephant in AK! Who are we to turn them down?!?!

Sandy (and Brian, Bonnie, Kellie, and Little Red!)

 

[photobob]

Wow, I'm really impressed with you folks that drive the long haul. I drive as well but it's just a 550 mile 9 hour jaunt for me. My brother and his family flew and I thought that was crazy as close as we are. By the time you drive to Atlanta get your car park in long term parking and haul all your stuff into the terminal through bag check etc., I'd much rather just continue rolling down I-75 heading for the turnpike. I think the drive is a big part of the adventure as well. The drive down is always fun, we are all excited and the closer you get the more the chatter picks up. Can't wait! 16 days..Hey there's a license plate from Arizona that makes 31...

 

[laceemouse]

Some of the advantages of driving are having your own vehicle when you get there and being able to bring with you WHATEVER you can pack in. We are masters at getting pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, etc... plus the six of us in our mini-van. We would love to have a 10 hour or less drive, that would be a piece of cake for us!!!