Flying vs Driving

[rcraw45425]

Southwest is having a fare sale today, my family of four adults can fly from ATL (90 minutes away) to MCO for $504 total. Driving would be around $100 in fuel and ~7 hours on the road one way. I'm thinking that this may be the way to go, granted we'd have to get up early and drive up there (shuttle would run almost $300 for the four of us) but we'd save time and not be tired from the drive. How does DME work, you just notify them that you need to add it and they send you stuff? Can my TA do that for me? How early do yo have to leave the resort for your return flight?

 

[JennyDrake]

Southwest is having a fare sale today, my family of four adults can fly from ATL (90 minutes away) to MCO for $504 total. Driving would be around $100 in fuel and ~7 hours on the road one way. I'm thinking that this may be the way to go, granted we'd have to get up early and drive up there (shuttle would run almost $300 for the four of us) but we'd save time and not be tired from the drive. How does DME work, you just notify them that you need to add it and they send you stuff? Can my TA do that for me? How early do yo have to leave the resort for your return flight?

_I_ ALWAYS pick flying over driving!!!

I don not know about TA as I never use one, but I know that YOU can call DME directly. You will need your reservation number, and both flight numbers. You leave your resort 3 hours before return flight.

 

[RAD]

If it were me I think I'd drive for a 7 hour trip. If you fly don't forget that you have to add in travel time to the airport, parking fees there, waiting around for your flight, then the MDE bus trip from MCO to the resort.

 

[rwdavis2]

For a 7 hour drive I would skip flying. Given the time it takes at an airport from the time you leave your house until you get to Orlando could be 4-5 hours already. We used to fly from Baltimore to Vermont but now we drive. Drive only takes about 3 hours longer that flying we and save a ton of money.

 

[MainMom]

For 7 hours I would drive.

 

[msmama]

If you live 90 minutes from the airport, and have to be there an hour in advance (at least, I'd definitely leave much more time if I were that far from the airport so give you 2 hours in advance) plus the flight which I'm guessing is roughly an hour. Then you get to Orlando and even with ME you have about another 90 minutes to 2 hours to get to the resort - that's already 6-7 hours so I'd just save the hassle of flying and drive.

 

[gdrj]

Based on your scenario I would probably drive as well.
I might fly if I wasn't traveling with kids, was an experienced flyer out of ATL and knew how to time my drive and know the local traffic patterns so I can avoid having to get on the road to early.

 

[msb578]

_I_ ALWAYS pick flying over driving!!!

I don not know about TA as I never use one, but I know that YOU can call DME directly. You will need your reservation number, and both flight numbers. You leave your resort 3 hours before return flight.

It's funny, I'm the total opposite. Having done both (and the drive is over 20 hours), I will now drive every time.

That's why this is always such a tough question- so much of it comes down to what you personally "enjoy" more.

 

[daisy_77]

I would drive for sure. I hate flying!

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd agree with the others that driving is probably the better choice here. As they have pointed out a 90 minute flight would actually take you probably 5 hours from your door to your WDW resort. You have to factor in the time to travel to ATL, check-in and security at ATL, then waiting for the plane. Figure at least 60 minutes plus you drive time to the airport. On the MCO end, you have to factor in waiting for DME (or getting a car) and the actual time it takes to get from MCO to your WDW resort. That's often 60-90 minutes.

 

[CounselorX]

I hate driving distances, so I would fly. Everyone is different so just do what you feel more comfortable with

 

[sharona]

5 hours is my drive to limit.

 

[tobikaye]

Anything in the 6-8 hour range is iffy on if I would rather fly or drive, but I usually drive since I do not save much time by flying.

Arrive ATL pre flight - 1-1.5 hours
Flight ATL to MCO - 1.5 hours
Travel from MCO to WDW hotel - 1-1.5 hours

Already above is at 4.5 hours, add in 1.5 hours from your home to ATL, if I am understanding that you live that far from the airport, and you are at 6 hours so you are only really saving 1 hour each way.

 

[MikeTaylor]

You can find this in my (unfinished) trip report this year:

1:00 - Arrive at MCO (probably walking through the tunnel as I power on my phone to check the time)
1:10 - Checked in at DME with magic band
1:22 - Boarded bus
1:35 - Left parking spot, airport
1:58 - passed under the WDW "Welcome" sign
2:07 - arrived at Pop Century

That's 67 minutes from exiting the plane to entering the lobby.

 

[klmrph]

I would drive too. It might come in handy to have your own car.

 

[deannaf87]

7 hours is breeze. I was considering driving 14! We drove from Texas in 2 days and it was a good experience. I'd drive to have the convenience of a car and save some $.

 

[disnut8]

Southwest is having a fare sale today, my family of four adults can fly from ATL (90 minutes away) to MCO for $504 total. Driving would be around $100 in fuel and ~7 hours on the road one way. I'm thinking that this may be the way to go, granted we'd have to get up early and drive up there (shuttle would run almost $300 for the four of us) but we'd save time and not be tired from the drive. How does DME work, you just notify them that you need to add it and they send you stuff? Can my TA do that for me? How early do yo have to leave the resort for your return flight?

We live in the Atlanta area as well. We drive. The reasons -

1 - it would take us an hour to get to the airport and we'd have to be there at least an hour and a half before flight time to get through security and out to the plane. So that's two and a half hours each way so that's five hours total.

2 - takes us seven and a half hours to eight hours on a busy day to drive.

3 - gas isn't that bad cost wise

4 - we fit the drive in to our schedule and not someone else's and the only problem we would have is with our own car which we drive every day.

5 - once near Disney, we go right to our accommodations and don't have to rely on someone else's schedule.

6 - my husband can sing along to the radio and the only person he bothers is me.

7 - we can stop for a bite to eat when we want and where we want for what we want.

8 - the most important thing - we can take what we want and not have to think about luggage restrictions. We can take things "just in case". That case of beer for the evenings? Yep, can take it. Those Diet Cokes for the mornings? Yep, we can take it. And on the return trip, no need to concern ourselves if we bought something from Disney World to bring back home. It goes right into the car.

 

[lustergirl]

Being that close I would drive every time and save the money.

 

[Sue M]

I only wish I was driving distance to WDW!! 7 hr drive IMO is better then Flying. And nit saving that much time.
Atlanta is a busy airport. You have to get to airport at least 90 min before flight, or 2 hrs. Security lines can be huge. So 2 hrs airport and 90 min flight, there's 3.5 hrs already. Then the wait to get off the plane, making your way to DME and getting to your resort. Add another 60-90 min. I've heard varying reports to dme bus leaving right away, to having to wait 30 min for DME.

Driving has many advantages, being able to pack what you want, bring food/drinks for room. And the $ you save can go towards dining, etc. You're not saving that much time.

There's also the possibility of flight delays. Maybe your flight could arrive late, being delayed from where it's coming from. Our last flight was delayed at both ends. Got on the plane and they found Emerg exit wasn't working. Had to wait for engineering to come fix it. Then we landed and they couldn't attach breezeway to plane. More delay :-(

I've also been at airport gate when the dreaded announcement comes, that there are mechanical issues, and will have to wait for mechanics to fix plane. On one occasion they couldn't, and we ended up waiting 7 hrs for them to find another plane & flight crew.

No thanks, I'll take a 7 hr drive !

 

[RyMacJ]

we are very nearly in the same situation as you, and we are choosing to fly. And we are flying Delta, without a low fare deal.

We're 100 miles from Atlanta, on the Alabama side (so we do not actually go into the city-the airport comes first). Our last trip, we did the 8 hour drive, but spent the night just over the FL line, which put us driving around 5 hours on a Friday night and the last 3 on a Saturday morning. The drive was miserable, and it didn't take much to know we didn't want to do it again.

Our main reason for flying is that we are going to Disney with our dance team, and we have to be there on a Friday for them to perform. We are taking our vacation week the next week, and it was hard enough for DH and I to get that Friday off extra. Which means we'll be working Thursday before we fly out (most of the day, we'll take off about an hour early by working through our lunch.) If we were driving, we would probably end up piddling around and leave our house around 7. That puts us at Disney at 3 AM, IF we make zero stops (not happening). We won't have the option of stopping and spending the night somewhere due to DDs' dance schedule. DH wakes up for work each morning at 3:30 AM. Us arriving at Disney at 3 AM, when he's been awake for 24 hours, is not an option. He wouldn't let me drive so he can sleep. He's stubborn that way, and well, you pick your battles.

Our flight leaves Hartsfield Jackson at 8:55, so we know we have to be at the airport by 7. We'll leave our house around 5:30, at the very latest. No piddling-we're on a tight schedule. DDs can take a cat nap in the car on the way to the airport. Once we get to the airport, sure we'll have a little bit of a wait. But we can walk around, stretch our legs, have dinner. Not be crammed in car and trying to eat going down the interstate. Once we board, DH can take a cat nap on the flight. That hour or so nap will do wonders for him.

I realize that when we land in Orlando at around 10:30, we'll be pretty tired. And it might take and hour and a half to get on the bus and get to CBR. That will put us there around midnight. Is it a heck of a lot earlier than if we'd have driven? No. But for the circumstances around our trip, I think it makes a world of difference.