FLY vs. DRIVE

[Catie.Hiltz]

In the pre planning trip stages for an April 2012 WDW vacation with me, my husband, and my parents.

Can't decide if we should fly or drive (from upstate NY-about 20 hours straight through)

We would only end up saving about $100 a person to drive (and I don't really want to drive ha!) but I know a lot of people prefer driving...

For those of you who bring your car to WDW....why do you prefer doing it that way over flying?

I am not just not sold on driving yet...any help/opinions are appreciated!

 

[Harvestmooner]

We have driven 6 times and flown once. We have driven because I don't like to fly-actually HATE it! but after the 6 time I do believe we will be flying from now on-it is so much easier and a lot less exhausting!!!! The drive always kind of seems exciting for the first couple of hours and then it is just exhausting!
Good luck with whatever you decide and have a wonderful trip!

 

[Disneyx6]

We drove for the 1st time last October from lower Hudson Valley NY (about 17hrs. straight through) and it was an adventure! We did it to save $$ and it saved us about $1200.00 so it was worth it. This September we are flying. Since there are 4 adults can you break up the drive amongst all of you? My husband did the bulk of the driving but I helped as much as I could. We wouldn't drive everytime but we would certainly do it again especially to save $$! Good luck!

 

[nono]

We love to drive, but with any parents? No way. Fly would be our answer!

 

[lakohls]

We have also considered driving from upstate NY, but all trips have opted for flying. A big part of the decision making is based on the fact that we already drive annually to Myrtle Beach (split over 2 days on the way down and straight home on the return = 16 hrs) and that is the furthest I think we can realistically manage without DH & I having a serious issue

Depending on exactly where you live in upstate NY you have several airport choices. We have flown from Albany (50 min from home), Burlington VT (2 hrs from home), and are now booked for Nov 2011 out of Hartford, CT (2.5 hrs from home). The Hartford flights on JetBlue were pricing at $188+ taxes per person when we booked (but have gone up significantly since - so "stalk" the websites to know when the schedules are being released & know what a good airfare is out of that airport). I know alot of others also book out of Stewart-Newburgh airport as well.

For 4 of you should hopefully be able to get flights for around $800 and with gas, meals on the road, wear & tear on the car, a hotel night or two easily be close to that $ anyway. Not to mention the value of starting & ending your vacation on a relaxed note vs dreading the next 20 or so hours in a car.

Either way you decide - have a great trip!

 

[Catie.Hiltz]

Thanks for tbr info....I think flying would be the smarter way to go too...but we were hoping to be able to take a day to go to the kennedy space center or the beach etc...

Does anyone know what the cost might be to rent a car for a day? Does wdw have a rental facility on property??

 

[1tufgt]

Thanks for tbr info....I think flying would be the smarter way to go too...but we were hoping to be able to take a day to go to the kennedy space center or the beach etc...

Does anyone know what the cost might be to rent a car for a day? Does wdw have a rental facility on property??

There is the car care center that you can rent from I believe, not sure about the other locations.

As far as cost it's just something you might just want to price ahead of time to get a feel. There is always priceline's name your own price too.

 

[Cin]

I've done both and as much as I am scared of and dislike flying, I would rather fly than take our 20 hour drive. For me it was way less exhausting to sit in a plane for a couple of hours and deal with the hurry of and wait of airports and schedules, than to arrive tired and stiff from sitting for 2 days in a car. And for me why pay for a hotel on the road when maybe I could get 1 more night and day at WDW? The one time I drove, my car stayed parked 96% of the time we were there and it is much easier to let Disney do the driving and let them chauffeur you around. Plus I love the music on the buses and when you get back to your resort it always says, "Welcome Home". I love that! When going from one resort to another for instance your home resort to another for a meal, you have to board a bus at your resort and go to any of the parks and then catch a bus to that resort. Same thing in reverse for the return trip. It does take a while, faster to drive yourself in that case, but it's really no big deal to do the transfer as long as you allow time so you are not stressed about being on time. Unless you plan to leave WDW property and dine elsewhere or visit the Orlando area, I wouldn't bother with the hassle of driving. My DH though disagrees as he feels more in control when we have our car so he can come and go at will and not have to rely on WDW transport or do the transfers and such. But he is used to always being in charge and in control of everything and so that's just him.

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We do both. For us it depends on how long we have for the trip. Since we prefer to split the drive into two days, that's 4 days of the trip committed to drive. When we can spend over a week on the trip, say 9 days at WDW, we drive. When we go for a week, we fly. I enjoy the drive, but when you leave the house at 5 AM and are at the WDW resort by noon, it's hard to beat flying!

 

[Brian Noble]

Can't decide if we should fly or drive (from upstate NY-about 20 hours straight through)

That might have been fun in my 20s. It would have been daunting in my 30s. Now that I'm in my 40s? That's a *full* two days' drive, each way. No chance in hades.

 

[C&G'sMama]

We drive from Rochester 1,250 miles each way and there are 4 of us. Even with staying over night 2 nights each way we save a little money (not much, unless we were to factor in a rental car then it's another few hundred saved). If we drove straight through that would be another $400 saved.

We like being in control. We like having our car when get down there. We like being able to set our own schedule. One year the weather was iffy so we added a day to our trip and stayed another night at WDW.

Last year we weren't ready to leave (emotionally) so instead of heading home first thing in the morning we went to EPCOT until about 5:00 and headed up to Jacksonville for the night.


We will be making our 13th drive from Rochester to WDW in 2 weeks.

But that's us. Have a blast at WDW no matter how you get there.

 

[Vickis3js]

We drive every Dec. and we love it. We are a family of 5 and last year the cheapest we found for flights was $1500 and that was without luggage and seat picking fees. Our drive didn't even cost us a third of that. Gas is almost always free thanks to a few of the sites I use to earn points to get gas GCs. Last year I even had enough to pay for gas and dinner at Cracker Barrell. We do split the drive up though and stop for the night in GA. But I get a decent room for under $100. Our kids even enjoy the ride. I spend weeks making them up cool goodie bags with activities and snacks and they love seeing what mom made or packed this year. Even though the drive takes a over a day we are not losing days at WDW because we would be booked the same dates if we drove or flew. Driving definatly is not for everyone though.

 

[paults]

we've never driven but we will if we ever go for 3 or 4 wk trip.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I have driven a car, motorcycle and have flown to WDW. We like the flying best. He doesn't like traveling. He is the only 46 year old that I have ever met that asks, "how much further? Are we there yet?". So the price of the flight goes a long way to my peace of mind.

We flew back from WDW yesterday as a matter of fact. Got up at 6:30, check out at 8:50, towncar to MCO at 9, flight left at 11:25 and in New Orleans headed home at 12:30, our time. Hubby gets up, takes a chill pill (literally), then is busy packing, then riding, then sitting, then flying, then sitting in the car again. For him it breaks things up enough so he doesn't go bonkers--helps me remain sane too.

I know it is crazy, we drive 2 hours west to New Orleans to take a 1.5 hour flight east--non stop to MCO. But it is what works for us.

The last time we drove, we left on a Thursday evening after work, pulled into a hotel at Lake City. At 3 a.m. I woke up to find DH sitting on the bed across from me fully clothed, with the door to the hotel open and the car packed....when I asked him "What in the H$#%!!". All he could do was smile and say, "The Mouse is waiting". We got to WDW very early that morning and he survived to make another trip with me. He really likes the Mouse and so do I.