Fly or Drive

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would fly. I just got home yesterday from WDW and was talking to a lady by the pool and they had driven down and had car trouble. She said they had to find a mechanic and spent two days waiting on their car to be repaired. Her trip was suppose to have 16 hours of travel time but turned into 3 days - one way. She said she wishes they had driven because most of their vacation was spent on traveling.

Plus way drive all that way only to arrive tired from all the driving

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I would fly. I just got home yesterday from WDW and was talking to a lady by the pool and they had driven down and had car trouble. She said they had to find a mechanic and spent two days waiting on their car to be repaired. Her trip was suppose to have 16 hours of travel time but turned into 3 days - one way. She said she wishes they had driven because most of their vacation was spent on traveling.

Plus way drive all that way only to arrive tired from all the driving

I once lost an entire day to car trouble - only thing was, I was supposed to fly and had trouble on the way to the airport and ended up missing my flight. Car trouble can happen anywhere. I've also been stuck overnight at the airport due to weather. What would have been a 20 hour drive turned into a 20 hour "flight".

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The 12-13 hours I listed as drive time, is just driving. If you stop for the night, let's say 8 hours, which MIGHT get you 6 hours of sleep, now takes you 20-21 hours to drive. So we "save" 14 hours... 28 hours round trip. That's a day at the parks.

I think most people faced with 12-13 hours of driving would do it in one shot though, not stop in the middle.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think most people faced with 12-13 hours of driving would do it in one shot though, not stop in the middle.

It depends. We are about that far from Pigeon Forge Tennessee, and when we drive there we tend to leave after work one night, and drive for a few hours, then stop. Makes the next day of driving go a lot faster.

This is one of those things where the same thing doesn't work for every family. Heck the same thing may not work for the same family from trip to trip. You just have to go with what works for you at that time.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think most people faced with 12-13 hours of driving would do it in one shot though, not stop in the middle.

As maxiesmom said, it depends. Sure, if I can leave before noon, and there's no problems on the way, straight through it is. However, we ended up picking up the kids from school, which means we didn't leave until around 3-3:30pm. If someone likes to drive, fine. If someone likes to fly, fine. It all comes down to personal preference.

 

[toystorymom]

I am struggling with this decision as well right now. Flying is obviously faster, I get that. Driving would definitely be cheaper as we are a family of 6 and would need to rent a van when we get there. I do like being able to pack whatever I want. We have gone to Disney before by plane, (Auto)Train, and automobile but it's been about 5 years since we've been at all. All had there little issues but overall each way was fine. You know your family best and can decide what they can handle. Also, you never know about the drive until you try it at least once. I think we have driven from Massachusetts four or five times. I have a friend who says I'm crazy and she would NEVER make that drive. Her kids have never been to Disney.

 

[toystorymom]

After I typed my response I asked my son (13) would you rather drive of fly to Disney. He said "drive, the road trip is fun". Guess all those trips did make some good memories!

 

[Phil Cirrone]

I drove twice with 4 kids because it was so costly to fly on their breaks.
I would never do it again.
Lisa

 

[Gumbo4x4]

As maxiesmom said, it depends. Sure, if I can leave before noon, and there's no problems on the way, straight through it is. However, we ended up picking up the kids from school, which means we didn't leave until around 3-3:30pm. If someone likes to drive, fine. If someone likes to fly, fine. It all comes down to personal preference.

Preference is preference, I get that. I'm just talking in terms of time saved. Scenario 1 you can start driving after school, make it halfway, spend he night, get up and be there by lunch on day two. Or you can fly straight there, arrive that night, spend the night, then wake up at Disney first thing in the morning which gets you there about 6 hours sooner.

Scenario two, you wait until Saturday morning to leave. If you fly, you're ther at lunch and if you drive you're there at supper. Again, a 6 hour difference.

Bottom line, you're not saving more than 6 or 7 hours either way you do it.

Now, maybe that 6 hours (each direction) is worth more to you than the added expense, or maybe your work travel builds miles you can trade for free tickets. But the time you save isn't that much when you already live that close.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Preference is preference, I get that. I'm just talking in terms of time saved. Scenario 1 you can start driving after school, make it halfway, spend he night, get up and be there by lunch on day two. Or you can fly straight there, arrive that night, spend the night, then wake up at Disney first thing in the morning which gets you there about 6 hours sooner.

Scenario two, you wait until Saturday morning to leave. If you fly, you're ther at lunch and if you drive you're there at supper. Again, a 6 hour difference.

Bottom line, you're not saving more than 6 or 7 hours either way you do it.

Now, maybe that 6 hours (each direction) is worth more to you than the added expense, or maybe your work travel builds miles you can trade for free tickets. But the time you save isn't that much when you already live that close.

No, I would say if I got to my Disney bed by 11pm, that's 13 hrs sooner than the driver.
Also I disagree that one could leave Sat am and get to WDW by supper. No way.

And whether I'm sitting at the gate or sitting on the plane, I'm sitting back relaxing, not stressing about crazy drivers on the road. Rain might delay a take off a little, but once we're up in the air, we still go 550 mph. Rain on I-95 takes it down to a crawl or complete stoppage. It once took us 8 hrs just to get to Williamsburg, VA. The traffic was so bad.

For people with fear of flying (and I'm not knocking them) would rather do anything than fly so they wouldn't mind what I'd call the "stress of driving".
Either way, if at some point you say to yourself, "This is really not the fun of vacation I envisioned." find another way to go.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

No, I would say if I got to my Disney bed by 11pm, that's 13 hrs sooner than the driver.

Well, I won't discount the psychological impact entirely, but it's not really so. You & the driver are both settling into bed at 11:00 - you already at your destination, the driver 6 hours away in a motel. The next morning, you're in the park and they're 6 hours away. Once again, you've gained 6 hours, not more.

Also I disagree that one could leave Sat am and get to WDW by supper. No way.

If you can fly there Saturday morning & arrive by lunch, you can drive and arrive by Supper. Assuming you & the driver leave home at the same time AND assuming a non-stop flight, from 12 hours drive away, that's about a 90 minute flight. You get to the airport 2 hours ahead of your departure, spend 1.5 flying, another hour getting transportation, and then another driving to the park from the Orlando airport. So, you've killed 6-6.5 hours while the driver has been driving this entire time leaving them 6 hours behind you. It's just simple math really.

And whether I'm sitting at the gate or sitting on the plane, I'm sitting back relaxing, not stressing about crazy drivers on the road.

See, now we're getting into preference. Some people stress in the car, others in the plane, some in both. Doesn't really pertain to the timeframe discussion though.

Rain might delay a take off a little, but once we're up in the air, we still go 550 mph. Rain on I-95 takes it down to a crawl or complete stoppage. It once took us 8 hrs just to get to Williamsburg, VA. The traffic was so bad.

Serious rain isn't going to delay your plane "a little". I've sat in DFW ovenight waiting on rain to clear - more than once. And then good luck getting an early flight the next day, you'll be lucky to take off by noon

For people with fear of flying (and I'm not knocking them) would rather do anything than fly so they wouldn't mind what I'd call the "stress of driving".
Either way, if at some point you say to yourself, "This is really not the fun of vacation I envisioned." find another way to go.

No argument. I fully admit the preference thing. My point was merely to point out the math re: a 12-hour drive vs flying. Obviously the longer the trip, the more the pendulum swings toward flying, and the shorter the trip the more it swings toward driving.

On the preference thing, personally, I detest flying. It isn't scary, it's just unpleasant. I have to pack entirely differently. I'm on their schedule & not mine. I'm packed into their cramped seats with dozens of strangers (most of whom have NO idea how to board & deplane in an efficient manner) instead of stretched out in my own comfy car free to do as I please. Flying to me is a necessary evil to be utilized only when time is of the essence (or when traveling to places with no roads - like overseas). If I can save a couple days in each direction, or if I need to be somewhere NOW, or if I have free tickets, that's when it's worth it to me. For a few hours and I'm buying the tickets myself? Not a chance.
But, everyone draws that line in a different spot. It does seem those out East lean toward flying while those of us in other parts of the country who are used to driving everywhere lean toward driving - in general, obviously

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Well, I won't discount the psychological impact entirely, but it's not really so. You & the driver are both settling into bed at 11:00 - you already at your destination, the driver 6 hours away in a motel. The next morning, you're in the park and they're 6 hours away. Once again, you've gained 6 hours, not more.




If you can fly there Saturday morning & arrive by lunch, you can drive and arrive by Supper. Assuming you & the driver leave home at the same time AND assuming a non-stop flight, from 12 hours drive away, that's about a 90 minute flight. You get to the airport 2 hours ahead of your departure, spend 1.5 flying, another hour getting transportation, and then another driving to the park from the Orlando airport. So, you've killed 6-6.5 hours while the driver has been driving this entire time leaving them 6 hours behind you. It's just simple math really.


Also we like to go for long weekends for a quick fix. That's something that would be extremely difficult. Our kids have a Friday off in early March. We can fly down Thurs night after school then return Sunday night. We'll be doing this again in early Sept with a Thurs & Fri off. Using points from SWA, our March flights are only $440 RT for 4 of us. In Sept, using points again, will be approx $300. We've done enough WDW to not need an entire week there.



See, now we're getting into preference. Some people stress in the car, others in the plane, some in both. Doesn't really pertain to the timeframe discussion though.



Serious rain isn't going to delay your plane "a little". I've sat in DFW ovenight waiting on rain to clear - more than once. And then good luck getting an early flight the next day, you'll be lucky to take off by noon



No argument. I fully admit the preference thing. My point was merely to point out the math re: a 12-hour drive vs flying. Obviously the longer the trip, the more the pendulum swings toward flying, and the shorter the trip the more it swings toward driving.

On the preference thing, personally, I detest flying. It isn't scary, it's just unpleasant. I have to pack entirely differently. I'm on their schedule & not mine. I'm packed into their cramped seats with dozens of strangers (most of whom have NO idea how to board & deplane in an efficient manner) instead of stretched out in my own comfy car free to do as I please. Flying to me is a necessary evil to be utilized only when time is of the essence (or when traveling to places with no roads - like overseas). If I can save a couple days in each direction, or if I need to be somewhere NOW, or if I have free tickets, that's when it's worth it to me. For a few hours and I'm buying the tickets myself? Not a chance.
But, everyone draws that line in a different spot. It does seem those out East lean toward flying while those of us in other parts of the country who are used to driving everywhere lean toward driving - in general, obviously

Ah, there's the difference: comparing to a 12 hr drive. Sorry, I missed that part. To me, that can be done in 1 day without cutting into my sleep time. I'm assuming it's not driving through Wash DC. From up here, it's a 20 hr minimum and DC is a CF.
With a HS boyfriend we got to the FL border in 15 hours but of course he mistook the 95 sign as the speed limit.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ah, there's the difference: comparing to a 12 hr drive. Sorry, I missed that part. To me, that can be done in 1 day without cutting into my sleep time. I'm assuming it's not driving through Wash DC. From up here, it's a 20 hr minimum and DC is a CF.
With a HS boyfriend we got to the FL border in 15 hours but of course he mistook the 95 sign as the speed limit.

I had never seen a traffic accident in my life until the week I spent in DC in 1985. Actually witnessed 3 of them that week. Things weren't any better my next trip there

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Also we like to be able to go for long weekends. That's not likely to happen when driving. In March our kids have a Fri off so we can fly down Thurs after school, and go home Sunday night. 3 nts is better than 0. In Sept they have a Thurs & Fri off so we can have 4 nts there.
Using SWA points our March trip is only $440 for all for us. Sept, again using points, will be around $300. It would cost me that much in gas.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Also we like to be able to go for long weekends. That's not likely to happen when driving. In March our kids have a Fri off so we can fly down Thurs after school, and go home Sunday night. 3 nts is better than 0. In Sept they have a Thurs & Fri off so we can have 4 nts there.
Using SWA points our March trip is only $440 for all for us. Sept, again using points, will be around $300. It would cost me that much in gas.

DW & I used SW points to fly to Orlando in 1998. Free flight & my Marriott points paid for all but 1 or 2 nights of the room

I no longer travel for business though, so no more points, & now it's the 4 of us, so it changes everything cost wise.

 

[omgninjas]

We've flown and driven a few times each (group of 6 or 7, from Toronto). I hate the flight. I will take 3 days in the car with my kids each way (now 6 and 3) over wrestling them through security and onto a plane in the wee hours of the morning, worrying that they might cry because their ears hurt or that they'll want to burst into song in a compressed tube 30k miles up and annoy someone else on the flight. In a car, little ones get antsy and you pull over, do a leg stretch and run off some energy. On a plane, you explain that the nice man in front of you doesn't want his seat kicked and wait for the plane to land.
Naturally if your goal is to get there and be there without delay this does not work. For us driving is more fun so we do it (and I won't pretend it isn't half the cost of flying in our case). The thing is that everyone's family is different so you have to see what works for you.

Funny enough, I love flying by myself. If I'm going somewhere for business I look forward to the quiet time alone on the plane. The dynamic changes slightly when there are kids to entertain!

 

[emmsmama]

We drive because:

1) It's cheaper for us
2) We can have our own car while in Florida and not have to rent one
3) We don't have to worry as much about what we can and can't pack or bring back with us
4) I feel like we have a bit more control because even if we get stuck in traffic for an hour, it's not as bad as if a plane gets delayed and messes up a connection flight, or gets cancelled and you have to try to get on a new flight.

Last time we drove it was pretty smooth sailing the whole way there, but I will admit that the drive back sucked because we weren't excited to be leaving Florida and driving home.

If money wasn't a concern I'd likely choose flying over driving seeing as our first drive to WDW was approx. 19 hrs. long and our drive this year will be approx. 27 hrs. long, but if the drive was shorter (12 hrs. or less) then I'd probably still choose driving even if money wasn't a concern. Also, for those staying onsite and mainly just visiting WDW on their trip, then flying is fairly convenient, but since we like to stay offsite and visit IOA/US and other places while in Florida, having our own car is nice.

 

[DSLRuser]

Bottom line for us, a family of 4.

Driving 1,008 miles in 16 hours through the night is about $800 cheaper than flying southwest.

 

[pigletto]

We are not opposed to driving but I would simply want more time that we usually have to make the drive and not have to cut in to trip time.
So far we are still under the amount I consider unreasonable to fly. We're getting closer all the time though and when we hit 1500 for the 4 of us we will drive.
Also of note is that we are 22 hours continuous drive time away. To do that we'd need 2 full days so we're looking at 4 full days there and back. We aren't opposed, but there would need to be a tipping point and extra vacation days to make the switch.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

DW & I used SW points to fly to Orlando in 1998. Free flight & my Marriott points paid for all but 1 or 2 nights of the room

I no longer travel for business though, so no more points, & now it's the 4 of us, so it changes everything cost wise.

I've never flown for work but we use the SW credit card. Points really accumulate quickly when you use it for everyday purchases! Ds12 flew free RT to Cali last fall and all 4 of us are flying one way free in March & in Sept. Also for Sept I have 1 remaining RR award from the old system (pre points).

It's through Chase and they make it very easy. I can make payments online every 3 days (not sure why they chose that) so it never gets out of hand.
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