Fly or drive?!

[aimcat]

Ok I am a very indesisive person and so is my husband....not sure what to do. We will be going to disney to meet other family....we are all coming from VA, TN, NC - the other 2 families going are driving....however my husband and I's local airport has a deal through allegiant air which alone is cheaper than flying gas wise, but then we definately will need to rent a car when we get there and that puts us about 200 versus driving and what we would spend on gas. If we drive we will be looking at about 13-14 hours driving time one way.

So my question is which would you do?

We would be flying with allegiant air....anyone have any negatives about them?

Any helpful persusation either way would be helpful!

 

[jaminmd]

We just drove for the first & probably the last time. We took our dog on vacation, which is why we drove but traffic in NC & SC was a nightmare. Why they have only two lanes on an interstate is beyond me. It added an additional 4 hours to our time both directions. We were planning on driving for our next trip this summer but no way - I'm booking airfare instead.

 

[HookdonWDW]

We were looking at driving this trip, but after figuring out the added expenses of gas and hotel rooms for the trip down and back (not to mention less days in Orlando), we ended up booking a flight. We're flying JetBlue, and got a really good rate. In the end, it looks like we'll either break even or come out slightly ahead financially.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would fly. Think about all that time spent in the car verses probably less that 6 hours roundtrip to fly. Plus if you fly you will save the wear and tear on your own car. I have heard of folks driving only to have something happen to their car inwhich case they then have to find a repair shop to have the repairs made. Which depending on what is needed you may have to wait a day or 2 for parts. Plus how do you know if it is a places that is good.
I would just fly. Many people on here have flown on Alligent and said they had not problems. I won't not put that many miles on my car if I could have easily flown.
We are renting a car for 8 days and only spending $125 for the rental. Look for promo codes on the Transportation board.

 

[AnitaDisneyVacation]

We live in PA. We fly for shorter trips to WDW and drive for longer ones. It's somewhere around an 18-20 hour trip when we factor in meals and stops. We just like the road trip. We usually leave in the late afternoon/early evening and drive all night. DH often works night shift at his job, so he switches to his nocturnal mode for the drive. The only traffic problems we've had have been around Philly and DC.

The drive home is another story - we do that during the day and split it into 2 days. Again, traffic was not an issue except for DC and Philly. I think it really comes down to what you feel most comfortable doing. We have 2 DDs (8 and 11) and they do fine in the car - we pack TONS of stuff to keep them busy.

 

[aimcat]

We actually just bought a new car for my husband and would likely take it which car issues etc wouldnt be an issue I dont think (fingers crossed). Im just torn about what to do! See if we fly due to Allegiants flying schedule we would have to leave the night of 19th and fly back May 29....our family and our disney accomodations are for 21-28....so we would spend 3 extra nights in a hotel which is fine for us because its kind of gives us our own mini vacation in a way. We have no kids either so that isnt an issue and our dogs will not be going so not an issue either.

 

[C&G'sMama]

Seasoned driver here, 1250 miles one way, so your 12 to 14 hour trip sounds like heaven. Don't be afraid of driving. In my opinion it's all in how you approach it. We treat it as part of the vacation. You could do a 12 to 14 hour drive in one day and that takes out the cost of the hotel room. Leave at 6 am and you're there by 8pm. Leave at midnight and you're there by 2 pm.

We don't do it that way as we take 2 nights to get down but it you're looking purely at cost, it's definitely reasonable.

As far as how long the flights takes you have to look at pillar to post. A 3 hour flight does not mean 3 hours from your house to the check in at Disney. What time do you have to leave the house to get to the airport. Do you have a stopover. What is the likliehood of your flight leaving late" Once you land in Orlando, how long to get your luggage, how long to get a car and drive to Disney or to wait for a shuttle.

A 12 hour car ride means 12 hours from your house to the check in at Disney.

Whatever you decide, have a blast!

 

[WicketsMom]

We live in AL and have flown three times and driven once (only because it was last-minute over the Christmas holidays and too expensive). We are going back in October and will be flying again. Our drive is only 9 hours, but it is so much easier to fly, and rental cars deals are pretty easy to find. If you're staying on Disney property, you don't have to rent a car (but we always do anyway).

 

[aimcat]

Wow 1250 one way! Well the flight happens to be direct 45 min to 1 hour flight time...the airport is 20 minutes from our house...so its very intriguing to fly....

We are not staying on a disney property...we are renting a home thats about 10 minutes away. So renting a car will be a must for us. Also when we fly in if we do, we are considering driving to daytona or tampa area to spend a day on the beach before our check in at the house on may 21.

 

[jacdolfin]

I have driven from south texas to WDW which is 23 hrs one way. I prefer to fly but am a number cruncher. We are only flying because I found $55 fares and am flying on Allegiant. With all the extra fees we paid for one checked bag and assigned seats bc of small kids it came to $800 for 4. Its cheap and I am goin to give it a shot. We also are staying offisite. For good rental deals try www.carrentalsavers.com

Have a great trip!

 

[aimcat]

Great thanks for tips. Heres a nervous flyer question...are the Allegiant flights safe and non turbulent?

 

[lynz421]

We live in PA. We fly for shorter trips to WDW and drive for longer ones. It's somewhere around an 18-20 hour trip when we factor in meals and stops. We just like the road trip. We usually leave in the late afternoon/early evening and drive all night. DH often works night shift at his job, so he switches to his nocturnal mode for the drive. The only traffic problems we've had have been around Philly and DC.

The drive home is another story - we do that during the day and split it into 2 days. Again, traffic was not an issue except for DC and Philly. I think it really comes down to what you feel most comfortable doing. We have 2 DDs (8 and 11) and they do fine in the car - we pack TONS of stuff to keep them busy.

Where are you located? We drive from Scranton and it takes around 17hrs. We leave between 4 and 5am with stops every 200 miles or 3 hours. My dd and I have made it to WDW ahead of DW, who flies from Avoca 3 outa 3 times. Delays and weather... We run 81 to 77 to 26 to 95(sc)
Do you have any advice on routes