DVC folks that DRIVE...... we are here now...

[Princess&CowboyMommy]

We always drive and I agree - LOVE it!!! I can promise you that my kids know a lot more about the geography from here and back to WDW (and South Dakota), than about 95% of the kids in their classes. We picked up a kid's road map "book" on one trip up to South Dakota...I'm pretty certain it was this one, but my little girl has misplaced hers (need to find it b4 Dec, lol):

http://www.amazon.com/RandMcNally-K...=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279576837&sr=8-6

We had the kids take sticker stars and "sticker" the states that they've been to already

Ok, your kids are probably too old for those, but anyone thinking of driving with kids under 10-12, that is great, lol...

We also love to have our car on-site. It's nice to go to the grocery store, Uno's, Target or Wal-Mart if needed (only once, but still nice), and for some parks (we always drive to AK when we stay at SSR, WL, etc). And while I don't mind tipping bell services, I really love that we can park close to our room at SSR, OKW, and BC *without* having to use bell services. We just might not unload *everything* all at once, lol.

I've about gotten it down to a science, driving from Austin, Texas area, but it's taken several years of trial and error, lol (overpacking, underpacking, etc). But I can tell you that I enjoy spending time with the kids and hubby in the car, even with the whinning and tiredness sometimes, because it's family time and lots of memories. It reminds me of when I was a kid in the 70s

 

[Anal Annie]

I forgot all of our beach/pool stuff so we had to go to Walmart on the day we checked into SSR. I also forgot a few other things. I learned a lot from this road trip.

You goof ball!! You're going to Vero Beach how could you do that?! Oh silly girl!!

I do not think we would like driving it. But we'll know more after our road trip next month to HHI. First ever drive over 5 hours for us (with DS). We drove to FL straight thru ONCE back before we had DS and DID NOT LIKE IT. Said never again...we were WIPED OUT!! I felt like I'd been into my Captain Morgan and it wasn't even Noon yet!!

Glad you are having fun tho! Keep us posted on your adventures!!

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I do not think we would like driving it. But we'll know more after our road trip next month to HHI. First ever drive over 5 hours for us (with DS). We drove to FL straight thru ONCE back before we had DS and DID NOT LIKE IT. Said never again...we were WIPED OUT!! I felt like I'd been into my Captain Morgan and it wasn't even Noon yet!!

Glad you are having fun tho! Keep us posted on your adventures!!

We like to stop overnight at around Fayetteville. Cuts the trip to 60/40.

I noticed you said "my Captain Morgan" not "the Captain Morgan"

 

[Anal Annie]

We like to stop overnight at around Fayetteville. Cuts the trip to 60/40.

I noticed you said "my Captain Morgan" not "the Captain Morgan"

Oh I am on a first name basis with "The Captain"!

We live a little further north than you do. I booked us a hotel room on Friday night at a Hampton Inn in someplace called Emporia, VA. It is somewhere between Richmond & NC. (Mapquest says Exit 11B / Rt. 58.) It is supposed to be 200.41 miles / 3 hrs. 28 min. from our home. That is all the further I wanted to try to go before stopping I think. That leaves 411.41 miles / 6 hrs 23 min. left to drive to HHI on Saturday. I booked a non-refundable rate to get the cheapest deal - it came to $100.28 with tax and includes breakfast in the morning. I figure we'll grab something to eat around 6-6:30 pm then attempt to hit the road around 7:00, after rush hour starts dying down. I hope by the time we get around the beltway to I-95 South that the backups will be starting to taper off. We'll see if the planets align for that one tho! I figured this way we could hopefully be to this place by 11:00ish. I think with Fri. eve. traffic it will take more than 3.5 hrs. to get there. I hope then we can get up at 7:00 to hit the breakfast buffet & hit the road again by 7:45, arriving at HHI in mid-afternoon. Basically just get up & go.

 

[flipflopmom]

We live a little further north than you do. I booked us a hotel room on Friday night at a Hampton Inn in someplace called Emporia, VA. It is somewhere between Richmond & NC. (Mapquest says Exit 11B / Rt. 58.)

We drive through Emporia often on our way to gymnastics meets. It's pretty much the only "big town" on a five hour drive, so it's fairly memorable. We call it "Sadlerville" as it is the home of Elliot Sadler, the Nascar driver. Now, we are NOT Nascar people, but his family must own the place, as everything is Sadler automotive, Sadler.... etc.

Word of advice, gas here is about 5 cents or more higher than surrounding areas on our way, so it might be good to do a gas stop before or after. TBS, our trip is a much smaller highway, so it could just be the 95 effect and YMMV.

 

[Anal Annie]

We drive through Emporia often on our way to gymnastics meets. It's pretty much the only "big town" on a five hour drive, so it's fairly memorable. We call it "Sadlerville" as it is the home of Elliot Sadler, the Nascar driver. Now, we are NOT Nascar people, but his family must own the place, as everything is Sadler automotive, Sadler.... etc.

Word of advice, gas here is about 5 cents or more higher than surrounding areas on our way, so it might be good to do a gas stop before or after. TBS, our trip is a much smaller highway, so it could just be the 95 effect and YMMV.

Pretty funny. Thx for the advice but we SHOULD be OK on gas still by then as I'll gas up completely before we head out. I truely don't know how much MPG I get and have never done a "real" road trip over 3-4 hrs. in the 5 yrs. I've had my Pilot. With it loaded down I suspect we'll be able to get around 400-450 mi. per tank maybe. At least that's what I am HOPING for.

 

[DoleWhipDVC]

We are in upstate NY and drive as well. A few years back we tried the bus service and even had a town car lined up at the airport. We got in late and the town car was gone We ended up with a van from the same company to get us onto property. Each day we planned our morning to get to the bus stop in time to not miss the bus. You know how they say, "a bus comes along every 20 minutes." Well generally you don't think about the wait you'll have if you miss that bus (it tends to be about 30 minutes). Since we were on the "wrong" side of SSR we had to ride all around the resort on the return trip to get to our room after long park days, and the wait after the fireworks at ANY park was "lord of the flies" in the bus waiting areas. Those people get cranky!!

But the experience that made us decide to NEVER use disney transportation again came at Blizzard Beach. We came out and saw our bus at the stop we needed for our resort. We ran toward the bus stop and as we were just about there the bus started pulling out. I actually jogged out into the lot as the bus started the turn from the roofed area with the benches, and I'm sure the driver saw me waving my arms. He just drove away. We sat there fuming until the next bus arrived (about 30 minutes)

Now we have our own wheels and come and go on our schedule as we wish. On property, off property, park hop, whatever. Sometimes we'll park at EPCOT and take the monorail but we then get back for dinner and leave for the night in our car. We figured the amount of time we spent waiting for and riding on the busses during that year took HOURS from our play time. Never again.