For 2,000+ mile round-trip drivers only!

[huskrlovr]

Driving from Oklahoma on July 27th! We are in for a long haul with 3 kids (8, 6, 5)but am looking forward to it. Still cheaper than flying with a family of 5!!

 

[coltfan]

I love the road trip to WDW from Indianapolis. I knew I enjoyed the drive, but didn't realize how much until we flew down in Dec. 2006. I enjoy and savor the anticipation during the drive just like waiting for a baby's birth. I was pleasantly surprised to find the entire family prefers driving over flying to Florida. Their reason wasn't due to fear of flying or cost, but due to bonding time. We have time to ease into and out of the trip. We don't allow the dvd player to be used until 5 hours into the trip. We talk about what rides and restaurants people are most looking forward to. We play the alphabet game, 20 questions, animal game, track license plates and count slugbugs. We even give the kids bonus points for spotting police cars before the driver! On the way back we play the games again and work on a journal of our trip. One of the kids usually starts the journal during the trip. During the return trip, we all review it and help fill in memoeries from the days the writer didn't get completed. On the plane, we missed out an all 4 of us being together and sharing our anticipation to Orlando and memories and journaling on the return trip.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

I enjoy and savor the anticipation during the drive just like waiting for a baby's birth. ....... We play the alphabet game, 20 questions, animal game, track license plates and count slugbugs. .

I hope the ride is not simalar to the labor pain part of waiting for a baby's birth What is the animal and slugbug game?

 

[Maverick Mike]

Great ideas, Coltfan! I couldn't agree more about the trip down and back! It is great family time!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Coltfan, I have heard about families like yours. Never actually seen one though. May I hitch a ride on your next trip? Just slow down at the Edinburg Mall exit, off 65 and I will hop in.

I am entertaining and know lots of games too but my kids refused to play.

SG

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

3 hours till I start that journey

 

[coltfan]

Slugbug is a game in which players watch for Volkswagon Beetles. The person spotting one calls out slugbug and the car's color and then slugs another player in the arm. (We don't allow the hitting but it sure was fun as a kid with 3 siblings!) The animal game entails one player thinking of an animal beginning with the letter "a". The player to correctly guess it chosses an animal beginning with the letter "b" and so on.

SlightlyGoofy, I would enjoy a thread with more ideas on ways to pass time in the car!

 

[garmich]

Slugbug is a game in which players watch for Volkswagon Beetles. The person spotting one calls out slugbug and the car's color and then slugs another player in the arm. (We don't allow the hitting but it sure was fun as a kid with 3 siblings!) The animal game entails one player thinking of an animal beginning with the letter "a". The player to correctly guess it chosses an animal beginning with the letter "b" and so on.

SlightlyGoofy, I would enjoy a thread with more ideas on ways to pass time in the car!

I had never heard of the slugbug game. Actually my two boys must play the same game. When one of them sees a Volkwagon Beetle, he calls out "punch buggy" and he punches his brother in the arm. I was always wondering why they were doing this. I guess they must be playing the same game.

 

[lustergirl]

Heavens no! Cheaper to fly out of Buffalo.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

Many hours of driving (about 12) we are in Brunswick GA. Not so bad, we will finish the trip tomorrow.

 

[TSMAMI]

LEAVING IN 4 HRS

 

[Mo-Yo]

I had never heard of the slugbug game. Actually my two boys must play the same game. When one of them sees a Volkwagon Beetle, he calls out "punch buggy" and he punches his brother in the arm. I was always wondering why they were doing this. I guess they must be playing the same game.

I never heard of slugbug either. In our parts, its "Punch Buggy, no punch back." If you see a punch buggy and call it, you get to give the punch. If not, you get the punch.

A game we love, is the name game, where someone starts by giving a name, like "George Washington". Then the next person has to come up with a name that begins with the first letter of the last name. So "Wilma Flintstone" could be next, then "Frank Sinatra," then "Steve Martin," "Miley Cyrus" etc...

A name with double consonants like "Micky Mouse", "Donald Duck," "Fred Flintstone" etc reverses the order.

It's a silly gamwe, but we've had fun playing it for hours. ...And the neat part is we often get to talk about my kids' classmates, teachers, relatives, mentors and movie idols in the process...and they learn about people from our good old days.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

coltfan, my days of traveling with children is long past however my husband has many problems and I have finally come up with a great solution.

My husband has a neurological disease and does odd things like down shifting the car while I am driving and such. He also never shuts up. Drives me nuts when I am trying to concentrate. I used to buy him a stack of National Enquirers and such to read but have found a better solution. I get books on cd's at the library and we listen to them going down and back. It makes the miles go so much easier and quicker. Only problem is that one time we came home in the middle of a 16 hour book and the only way I could hear the end of the story was in the car. Gas was not quite $4 a gallon then but that still was an expensive story.

You could probably write a book about car games yourself. Sounds like you are a great dad to a wonderful family!

SG

 

[kjetjl]

I am from Southeast Michigan. It is about an 18 1/2 to 19 hour drive but with stops takes us closer to 23-24 hours. We have driven 5 times. Last Sept. we flew for the first time. I LOVED it.

With our family of 8 and the cost increase of flights, we are driving. The older of my 6 kids are very excited. They liked flying but they missed our family time in the car.

We usually listen to books on CD (Stuart Little and Cheaper by the Dozen were a couple of our favorites) and some crazy Tales from Around the World we borrow from the library that has become a vacation tradition.

We play the alphabet game, I spy, etc. Never heard of the slugbug game. We will have to try that one. And the name game sounds fun too.

We have made great memories on our road trips but I still need to get enthusiastic about this next one. Can you all help me get excited about this road trip? Only 2 months away.

 

[Mo-Yo]

My son, 10, DH and I loved listening to Huck Finn on ipod (We mostly took turns). It was truly awesome--a highlight of teh trip for all of us. In fact, my son and husband still quote the book

My daughters (9 and 6) played with gameboys, read watched dvd's on our laptop.

We drive from NJ's deep south. We flew once, and it was really nice, though not really less exhausting. Our 7 a.m. flight out of Atlantic City and our trip on Magical Express made for one long and busy morning. Plus check in at POR was pretty late 4 p.m, so when I figured it out we didn't gain THAT much more vacation time for the price.

Last year we drove again--straight through at 6 p.m. to avoid Philly and DC rush hour. The kids sleep and DH and I take turns driving and sleeping. It works out pretty well for us.

 

[disneymom06]

We are driving down next month from just north of NYC for the third time since Christmas. I tell DH that those AP's really SAVED us alot of money. I love the drive, it really does give you time to regroup, unwind, talk and spend time getting ready for the excitement of the trip. (Don't get me wrong, there are still DVD players, ipods and numerous game systems in the car as well!) DH loves driving through the night because it is so peaceful. We laugh because it seems that the only cars on the road at that time are from NY or NJ.

The first drive, only 5 years ago, had gas monies of $120. This trip will probably be over $500, but still cheaper and less stressful than flying the 6 of us down.

 

[BC1836]

Half way there.

We were just about halfway to WDW last weekend while in eastern Tennessee. However, a WDW visit was not in our plans. But a good friend suggested: "Why don't you go to Disney World?" Still, we had to return home.

Question: Has anyone ever traveled to some other place without plans to to to WDW but went there nonetheless because of one reason or another?

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I'm in NJ and DH wants to go in March and he wants to drive. I DESPISE driving there BUT I may do it for DH. His mother would be coming too and we would split the rental and the gas. Sounds good but I'm still dreading it. It woudl save us TONS of dough though! I posted on this thread that I would NEVER drive again. I will be eating my words I guess.

I keep whining to him that I don't want to drive and he tells me to hush. LOL

 

[disneyfan55]

Half way there.

We were just about halfway to WDW last weekend while in eastern Tennessee. However, a WDW visit was not in our plans. But a good friend suggested: "Why don't you go to Disney World?" Still, we had to return home.

Question: Has anyone ever traveled to some other place without plans to to to WDW but went there nonetheless because of one reason or another?

Yes!! We were on our way for a cross country trip from NJ and on the 2nd night we were in Council Bluffs, Iowa and our car was broken into. Nothing really was taken but it was Father's Day and the back window was broken out. We were supposed to be driving to Colorado that day and since it was Sun and no place was open we decided to come home. We drove the 2 days with plastic and duct tape on the window. We arrived home and fixed the glass and decided to take a drive ti WDW!! It was an unplanned trip and we had a nice time but stayed in the Comfort Inn on 192. Just our example of what you asked!!

 

[JWollman]

We have driven from CT 3 times... twice non stop.. once we stopped and used our DVC membership at Hilton Head. It was a nice ride. left up here around 11pm... got to SC by 4ish the next day. We drove down with an infant... he was about 16 months....he did excellent.

Still debating on this years trip... not sure if we are flying or driving.. not sure which will cost more.. LOL