Fly or Drive? Stay in WDW or not too..HELP!

[TJ6306]

I am planning a trip for my family in August. It will be myself my husband our 3year old daugther and our 2 year old son. I am comming up with these huge questions and I dont know which one to do so any insight would be greatly appricated. Well I live in MA so driving for us would take around 24 hours. But if I drive I have my own vechile for all the kids stuff, stoller, carseats and I could take a cooler with there Lactaid in it(they drink 16oz each a day I NEED it). It would also be half the price of flying but I dont know if I can still in a car while the kids whine, there is only so long they will watch a DVD or color. To fly though we would be there within 8 hours of leaving our home but without a car, or any little extras I couldnt take on the plane (Lactaid, the carnation for the milk)just little extras I know we wouldnt have a problem with in the car. So for $800-900 fly or for $400-$500 drive?Also if we do fly house hard do you think it would be to get Lactaid if I dont have a car?

Next question I am trying to plan on a somewhat buget. I was going to rent a house for like $600 for the week and have a house where I could get a full fridge, oven that way I could cook more. I have also lloked at like 'bargin' hotels outside of Disney that say free shuttle's but then I read reviews and they say they are very limited. I need someone with a little more choices as I know I will eiether have to leave the park for a nap or leave earlier if they are grumpy. I would also like some how to get to Seaworld and Universal Studios and the no name hotels offer shuttle to these where as WDR do not. I like the WDW resorts because I think there shuttles will be nicer and easier for us and the hotels would just be more colorful and cute for our toddlers to see. I just dont know what to do. I think were we sleep means more to us than some people since we know we wont just be in there to sleep I know with our children we will have naps or be in ealry for the night. Any insight would be grealty appircated.

 

[Rylee]

Hi,

I don't know when in August you plan to go but most of August is consider Value Season at the Disney Resorts.

Also, for the past few years, Disney has offered Free Dining. No guarantee it will be offered this year, but many people are hoping. (You would need to watch for a code, in the past has come out in April, and book your trip within the time frame.)

Check with gardengrocer or wegoshop to see if you can order Lactaid and any other items you need. If you decide to fly, you can have an order delivered to your hotel. Or, many people ship a box from home, directly to the hotel.

Check here, and mousesavers, for discounts and special offers to become available. You can even check for car rental codes.

Have you considered doing a split stay? Find a budget hotel for the days you'll visit other Orlando attractions, then check into a Disney Value Resort, for the days you'll be at Disney.

If you stay at a Disney Resort, you won't need a car rental. Disney offers transportation to and from the airport, and to all the parks, right from your resort.

Also, staying at a Disney resort makes it very convenient to go back to the resort for afternoon naps and or swims.

If you decide to stay off-site, do your homework and really look into those free shuttles... many only offer one drop-off, pick-up time, stop at other hotels, or don't not compensate when the shuttles are full.

 

[woodkins]

We live on long island NY & I personally would never drive to WDW especially with kids as young as yours. We typically rent a car as it is more comfortable for our family than relying on Disney transportation to get us all around. We were able to get a full size SUV through Priceline in Dec for 6 days for $200 total (that includes taxes etc) you can get a better price on a smaller car but we like our space LOL. You can stay at a value resort, we love POP for a value level. Staying on property gives you a much more Disney experience they have great pool areas for kids, you can use the buses or drive to the parks (parking is included in your resort package) and you can do extra magic hours as well.
Good luck!

 

[MSSANDRA]

We never stay off site and it is so worth it to us. Pop is a great value choice and being on site will be a lifesaver if you need naps. We never move our car once on site, buses at pop are VERY good.
Free dining is a HUGE plus and would save enough to FLY.

If you decide to fly, you can do a grocery delivery to get the things you need for your little ones.

 

[kohlby]

I've stayed off site 5 times - only one time was with kids. We stayed in a condo and loved having our own kitchen. Pre-kids, we rented a house for about $100 a night! It was a few nights after 9/11 so I'm sure that had something to do with the great rate. We didn't understand why anyone would waste money staying on-site. Then we stayed on-site. (Free Disney hotel with credit card points and reasonable rate for Universal hotel). It was great! I now think on-site is the way to go with young kids. Battling the in and out of carseats is such a hassle - using disney/universal transporation eliminated that. (Plus it's a hike in the Universal parking garage). You can easily go back to the room if you stay on-site too. (That was our plan with young kids but not doing breaks worked better for us).

 

[HeatherC]

I am an "offsiter" and love it. BUT...I think you would probably be better staying onsite in August for a couple reasons.

1. It will be HOT and STICKY and VERY HUMID! You will want to take breaks and being onsite will make that easier for you.

2. It will probably also be very crowded. By staying onsite you can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours which you won't get if you are offsite.

3. I'd suggest looking into the All Star Suites...would give you a little cooking option and a little more space.

4. I think I would fly and STILL rent a car...even a small compact. The buses can be a pain and when it's hot and crowded and your kids are tired, you want to leave then..not wait in a line for a bus. And...some resorts share buses, so that is a pain. To me it's worth paying for the parking and having that freedom with little ones.

5. If there is any chance you can switch your dates since your kids are still young, I'd suggest going in October or November. Beautiful weather and not nearly as crowded. To me it would make for a much more enjoyable trip.

Have fun planning!

 

[littlbugmom]

I couldn't drive that far with the kids in the car. I'd go nuts and they would be miserable after a time.

We stayed onsite at OKW and loved the room (1 bedroom, full kitchen etc) but hated the shuttle transportation. We went back and forth about renting a car "just in case" and were glad we did. After a few long and uncomfortable trips on the shuttle, we stuck to the car and will from now on.

We stay off-site now because of the savings and for the space. I can not stay in a small room for more than an overnight trip...2 nights at the most. We return to the parks for afternoon breaks and it's very easy to jump in the car and leave. We have AAA VIP parking and are back at the condo in no time. We want to be comfortable during our vacation, so we get a villa/condo. We have a car, so we make a trip to the grocery store upon arrival (arrival day is always at the resort) for groceries that last all week. We don't miss the EMH because we are rope drop people with a plan. We have a 3 bedroom condo with a private pool as well as all the benefits of the resort....big pool with slides, huge playground, gameroom etc..and the Disney themed bedroom for the kids is an added plus.

The savings between onsite and off is big.

 

[kbheap]

My suggestion is to Drive. We drive every trip (and we go a couple times a year) with 5 kids age 7, 4, 4, 2, 1. We leave at like 9 at night, drive all night long. When they wake up we have breakfast, and drive another hour or so and we are there. I know you have a longer trip but maybe by starting like that it will give you less time in the car for the kids to be fussy.

I would opt, if it is feasible, to stay onsite. There is always the possibility of free dining in August. You will still have your car so you could still drive to the parks. Then when you drive to the parks, your parking is free saving you $14/day.

Have fun on your trip.

 

[Darcy03231]

I'm from Southern NH and there is no way I would ever drive!

With the time of year and ages of your children I would stay on-site. You'll definitely want to take a mid-day break. If necessary you could rent a car for one day to do a grocery run to get things you want/need.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

There is no way that I would drive 24 hours with my children & they are older. If I were you, I would fly down & stay at onsite at Pop. You and your kids will love it. Plus you stand a very good chance of getting free dining which will save you a good amount of money. Like someone said, you can mail a package down or place an order to have it delivered to your resort.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I live in MA, too! As a child we always drove. Also, I have driven the trip as an adult (before kids). I can honestly tell you there is NO WAY I would drive that trip with kids your age. Even if you start at night (which is the only way to avoid traffic in one of the major cities) you are driving all night and then ALL DAY the next day. When I was a child, we always stopped at a hotel on the way. This eats into your vacation time. Also, when I was a child, we all piled in the back of a covered pick-up where we could sleep on a mattress and move around. Nowadays, of course, the kids would need to be buckeled in their carseats the entire time which limits their movement. The hassles of flying are nothing compared to the exhaustion of a car trip of that length.

As far as staying off or on-site, I personally prefer on. But, there are advantages to both. Keep in mind that it is EXTREMELY HOT in August and you will need a break (even the adults) mid-day. If you stay off-site, be sure to be close enough that you can come and go as you need to. There are usually great promos and discounts offered for August which can help bring your budget down considerably. A PP mentioned that free dining is often offered and there are room discounts as well. Keep your eyes out for discounts. They will be posted here.

 

[Tinkerbell3014]

We WOULD choose to drive. We flew once and every trip since then, we drive. Having your own car is a plus. Also, if you are on a budget like we are; flying is out of the question. I just can't justify spending the amount of money. Driving has been fun. We play road games (like a scavenger hunt and a disney alphabet game) and the kids watch movies or sleep. It gives me and my DH some time to just enjoy each others company. The family has had some great memories while on our drives.

I would also choose to stay onsite. It is nice to go back to the hotel for an afternoon swim or nap. It's also nice to let Disney do the driving sometimes.

Whatever you decide; have a magical trip.