First trip to BLT with TWO kids-need advice

[wingkng]

We have our annual trip to BLT in May ( our favorite resort), and we usually drive down. This will be our first trip down with our new baby, who will be 8 mos old then. Our other DD is 3 1/2 and is a Disney pro now. My DW wants to drive down overnight from our home in NC, but last time we did that we left at 1 am. We ended up having a child that couldn't go back to sleep because of the bright headlights from the cars.

Any sage advice from travel pros regarding road trip with two kids that age? How can we keep the kids sleeping on an overnight trip? I personally wouldn't mind stopping midway in Savannah. I was also thinking that we could leave right at bedtime for the kids, essentially getting to WDW in the morning. Hopefully that way, the kids will be in deep sleep most of the way. If we do this, when is the earliest we can get our room? If we can't get our room yet, what can we do in the meantime?

 

[rlovew]

You can't get your room until the previous occupents have moved out and your room has been cleaned. I have gotten our studios there anywhere from 11am to 4pm when we have checked in. You should have your room by 4pm but sometimes it comes after that. if you are willing to take any room in your category that is ready instead of waiting for a special request you have more likelyhood of getting in earlier. My standard view rooms have been ready before my lake view rooms and I haven't tried a MK room yet (we have reservations for that in the fall).

Rebecca

 

[WDWMom]

Can you say "Benedryl" Works wonders to make a child go to sleep. That's if you're up for drugging your child.

Other than that, I'd say leave at 5am or so. You may have to drive with your children awake, but you won't be stuck with kids who didn't sleep all night (along with yourself) and no place to go. Your room may not be ready until 4pm so that could be a problem, but then you might get lucky and have one ready at 11am.

 

[AmandaRG]

We have thought about driving overnight and have yet to brave it. I can't imagine having little ones tired, and having no sleep ourselves. Maybe when they are older and need less supervision!

 

[WRWDisney]

Only drove overnight once. Never again. The day we arrived was a wasted day (thus we might as well have driven down during the day).

That's just my experience, but...

 

[dzorn]

Well we do usually drive at night comming from Michigan. Of course when we arrive it is after check in and just relax and crash for the rest of the night. How did you block the light from the other cars? We were never quiet when our little ones napped so they can sleep through quite a bit. We always found it easier when they have slept if even only part of the time than when they are awake and want to get out of the car more often.

You only have 9-10 drive why stop? Just leave early in the am.

Benadryl does work for some kids others it makes hyper for the above poster.

Good Luck!

Denise in MI

 

[moericus]

Well your last overnight trip didn't work. I don't know if that's your best plan. But if you want to try again, do a practice long trip to a national park or something on the other side of the state. Stay there late so you can see if they'll sleep in the car.

What to do while waiting for your room? Check your bags and go.

• You're at BLT in the heart of WDW. Go over to MK and ride the train, monorail, carousel of progress, TTA (something that will ease you out of exhaustion).

• Bring a pool bag and change in the bathrooms.

• Try one of those mini-golf courses.

• Leave the world for a bit and do some grocery shopping.

You're on vacation! Don't wait in a lobby.

 

[mecllap]

Drive to St. Augustine and have a fair night's sleep for everyone in a handy motel. Cruise on down to WDW mid-morning and have a fun day hanging around BLT and/or MK, depending on when you get your room. (I always plan a St. Augustine stop, usually on the way home, for the Character Outlet at the mall on east side of freeway -- last trip, we planned on time to enjoy seeing St. Augustine, Alligator Farm and some beach time -- it was a fun addition to the trip [on the way home, we stopped in Columbia for the Zoo, but you're closer to the NC Zoo than we are, Asheville]). It's so much better to be somewhat rested upon arrival at WDW -- easier to cope with whatever happens on check-in day and to start having fun earlier.

 

[miamimama]

I would fly - Southwest has good fares, direct flight, less than two hours from RDU. We've done it both ways, and especially considering gas prices, being able to use DME, the extra time you get at the resorts, and the safety factor, we would never drive again with young kids.

 

[PEANUT1]

We drove about 17 hours from NJ in 2009. Our girls were 5 and a little over 2. We left at around 2 am and my 5 year old wouldn't go back to sleep She stayed awake until after we stopped for breakfast at 7am. We continuted to HH and got there at about 2pm and spent the night..continued about 5 hours to disney.

If I had it to do over again, I'd probably leave closer to 6am from home and just drive about 10 hours..bc 12 was just too long.

 

[wingkng]

I would fly - Southwest has good fares, direct flight, less than two hours from RDU. We've done it both ways, and especially considering gas prices, being able to use DME, the extra time you get at the resorts, and the safety factor, we would never drive again with young kids.

I've flown down there before and used DME. We ended up getting a rental car anyway, which was helpful to get all the groceries and supplies for the stay. Our daughter ended getting really sick on the trip and had to go to urgent care, so since then we have driven down there so we can have a car to use. When factoring in the price of three airplane tickets, I don't mind the higher price of gasoline and the extra time it takes to get there. In the past, we have traveled over two days down to Orlando, we made it an enjoyable experience. We would pretty much stop at every Cracker Barrel along the way. Since this time we are checking in on a Saturday, we don't have the luxury of taking our time.

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

We just returned from BLT yesterday. Our room wasn't ready until 2:00pm because the resort was busy. We enjoyed the pool until we got the room assignment text. Requesting early check-in might be an option since your traveling with a newborn. I agree with the other poster that suggested flying. This was the first trip we decided to drive and it wasn't worth it, IMO. Gas prices are high and time spent on the road was time we could have spent lounging by the pool. We're going back to flying from now on.

 

[DenLo]

Just a thought, did you drive via the Interstate before, because I wouldn't have thought the bright lights would have been a factor? I would think just being woke up during the night and not being in a bed would cause more problems with some children.

Our last trip in October our room wasn't ready at BLT until 4:35 PM. Another family couldn't get into their room until 6:00 PM. The earliest we have gotten into a BLT room was 2:30 PM.

If you really want to drive versus flying, have you considered stopping in Jacksonville? It's about 7 1/2 hours from Cary NC. And then it only about 3 hours into WDW. With the extra stops for a toddler you could easily be there within 9 hours. You could leave later in the morning on day 2 and then spend the afternoon at BLT, maybe have dinner with Chef Mickey or Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace and go to a evening parade at MK. Walk home to BLT after the parade.

 

[MinnieGi]

How far away are you from WDW?

While we have only driven to WDW twice, we drive to HHI every summer and it is about a 12 hour drive that we do in one day. We don't do an overnight trip but do wake up early AM to leave. I'm talking about 3:00!! Our kids always fall back to sleep after a couple of hours of the excitement of vacation has started wears off and even if it is just little catnaps at least they still have already had many hours of sleep before being woken to leave.

I could not do the overnight driving, I need SOME sleep. Besides you then may be stuck without a room if you arrive so early in the am and that would make me very cranky if I had little sleep to go on!!

 

[flipflopmom]

We're in VA, with 2 little girls, 12 hr. drive. We usually leave around 6 or 7 pm. That way, the girls have time to get over their excitement, and by the time we need a quick stop, it's time to have one last potty time before sleeping. They sleep through, and we wake them up at WDW. DH either sleeps during the day if we leave on Saturday, or we take turns driving. Last year, we got to BLT at 6:30am!!! We "checked in", stored our luggage, changed the girls into day clothes, and were in line for rope drop for am EMH at 8am! Hit the bakery, then did Tomorrowland. DH was able to catch a bit of a nap on the TTA for a few go - arounds. We had lunch ADR's at the Plaza, by the time we finished lunch, our room was ready. Went back and got settled in the room, and I took the kids down to swim while DH took a nap.

The first year we did this, we were at Pop. Dh slept in the car while we walked around, and then slept by the pool, and swam off the cobwebs. Makes it much easier if he can nap during the day the day before leaving.

We used to leave middle of the night or early am for trips to the NC/SC beaches, but the kids never could get back to sleep from excitement. We always drive through the night. Yeah, Dh is a little rattled the next day, but 12 car hours with 2 little girls sleeping, it's worth it!

 

[wingkng]

well, we decided to take the advice of some of you and will fly down to Orlando. I have a bunch of reward tickets on Southwest, plus my wife has a Companion Pass, which allows her to fly for free. So, I am buying one ticket and using a reward ticket to fly the 4 of us (our baby still flies for free).

We think that driving will still be an option once our younger one gets a little older. I just worry that there will be a lot of crying in the minivan, since our baby is still not sleeping through the night yet.

We will get to Orlando at 9:30 AM! Hearing what you guys say, I don't think I can count on a room being ready by lunchtime. I will have to figure out somethings to do with the family. We decided to rent a minivan because DW just doesn't trust DME with our luggage and because there will be need for runs to the grocery store. Fortunately, we got a pretty good deal for a minivan for one week --- $370 for the whole week, including all taxes. I know I could have gotten it cheaper inside WDW, but again, my wife doesn't want to deal with the DME bus. I figure by the time we get our luggage, our rental car, an drive to WDW, it will be around 11 AM.

Any other ideas of things to do before check-in? Luckily, we will have access to outside WDW with our rental car.