For anybody driving down: how many nights do you stay in wdw or florida .

[cottontail]

Hello: We are driving down in a couple of months, and now might cut the trip a day or two shorter due to the high exchange rate. How many nights do we need to be there after the long drive from ontario to make us feel like we had a nice relaxing trip? I wanted 10 nights but now am thinking maybe 8, plus 4 days for the drive down and back (two days each way) Thanks to anyone

Deb.

 

[SandraC]

Although my family have not driven down (as a kids we did with my parents, but not as an adult with my kids), I made a detailed plan to do so.

If we drove we would drive down with one fast stop over in West Virginia get to just down to WDW fast. We would stay about 4-6 Disney days and then take our time enjoying the sights on the way home. A couple of beach days and stopping 3 or 4 nights on the way home. We would take off two weeks from work (with weekends thats 16 days). I need about three days to recover, so 2 days driving to WDW, 4 - 6 days in WDW, 4 days driving home. That would work for us right now.

 

[hockey mom]

We have driven several times and had varying length of stays. Usually 8 days is a nice break from the drive. We tried 6 over New Years last year and it was not enough time. Are you sure you need to stop twice on the trip down. We don't stop at all, but 2 nights just seems like you are dragging the drive out.

 

[cottontail]

Hi Sandra and HockeyMom

We will stop one night on the way down and one night on the way home. So I consider it two days down and two home.

We may stop at ormond beach on the way there for our second night, just to get a stroll on the beach in the morning, (i love the pelicans) and to relax on our balcony in the evening facing the ocean.

Then drive to wdw the third day and check into the animal kingdom lodge, hopefully by noon. I'm not sure what to do. Plus I don't want to pay big bucks for a wdw resort and get there after supper on the second day, plus that horrendous exchange rate.

But I think I will have to do at least 8 days, as it has been so long since we were there. It sure takes alot of planning for these trips.

Bye,

Deb.

 

[kellyla]

We are planning on driving down December 2003.We are planning on a night stop over on the drive there and back and hopefully be spending 10 days at WDW.

 

[SandraC]

Deb, we stayed in Ormond Beach has April. We booked the Hojo's for $59.00 USF and I was very impressed with the service. My TA screwed up just about everything with my trip, so the night before we left I was on the phone with everyone to confirm. When I called Hojo's to confirm, they said they did have a ressie for us but no mention that I requested (thru TA) a crib for, at the time, 15 months old ds. They apologized like crazy, but it wasn't their fault, since TA didn't pass on any of our requests to hotels, air, car etc.,. They didn't have a spare crib because they were all booked up by a Christan Mothers and children convention (one of the most friendly and quiet hotels I've ever been to.) I called TA to book us into another hotel with a crib and they weren't helpful ~ they had my money, didn't have to help anymore, they thought. Anyway, upon arrival at Hojo's in Ormond Beach, the three ladies at the check in desk were so wonderfully friendly. They all remembered my call for the night before. The manager came out with TWO cribs! They felt so bad for us the night I called, they went out an bought two new cribs! One of the gals at the desk said if Hojo's didn't buy provide a crib for us, she was going to lend us her crib from home! WOW! TELL ME THAT'S NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE! They gave the kids colouring books and lots of advice on what to do in the area and shopping tips. There was a Publix right across the street and a Walgreens, excellent Dollar Store too. We did most of our grocery shopping for the trip at that Publix, so no worries about paying too much $$$$ at Disney grocery stores. They was a Stoney's in the parking lot of Hojo's too. I was pleasantly surprised at Stoney's service and food. It's basically a diner, Denny's like. But they had a great salad buffet, served rolls with dinner and the price was excellent! The rooms were very large, we had ocean front with a giant balcony to watch the sunrise! You can book oceanview (side view) for about $39.00 USF. The room had a full kitchen ~ nice to have a hot breakky before driving to WDW! My only complaints was the tub looked old (it was an older hotel), and the pool was in the front of the hotel, not oceanfront like I usually like. But I would stay there again just for the service! I wrote a nice letter to them once we got home. It was nothing fancy, kind of older, but so convenient and friendly! Sandra

 

[cottontail]

Wow, sandra that sure is great service. I will have to look them up in my AAA tour book.

We shop for groceries at publix also, thre is one about 5 min's from wdw, but that would be so handy on our way to wdw it would make more sense, and be less busy I'm sure.

. Dear daughter is not too thrilled with the thought of the long drive, as she gets terrible migraine headaches on the trip, I do too but it seems I am okay with gravel but she isn't, so hopefully she will have new preventative medicine before the trip. That is the reason I like to stop at ormond beach, just to make the drive a little shorter and see the pelicans. Thanks for the info,

Deb.

 

[SandraC]

Deb, I love pelicans too. But the absolute best for me is stepping out of the airport and seeing the palm trees! I am getting a misty just thinking about them! Pelicans are cool too! They look like Romulan space ships (sorry Trexxies, can't recall the name of the space ship). Since we aren't going back to Florida for 2 or 3 years after April 2002 trip, I might consider driving. My kids will be older, let's see, I guess dd will be 11 and ds will be 5 years old. WOW, WDW without a stroller! I haven't done that in three trips! LOL! S

 

[cottontail]

Hi Sandra: Didn't you book your flight already? Yes I love the palm trees too, that is part of the reason I love the poly so much.

You know driving down in the early spring for me is like the" wizard of oz movie", everything is in black and white (canada with no flowers or leaves on the trees or green grass ) then you get to a certain point I think north carolina/south carolina, and you see green grasses swaying in the wind, trees that actually have leaves, flowers oh boy flowers, sort of like when dorthy's house falls into munchkinland (everything is in color now.)

Its kind of magical. We once saw tons of red poppies growing on the mediun that divides the highway in north carolina/south carolina. Quite a site.

Also for us it is a sort of game to see who can find the first palm tree, usually in georgia. I remember seeing our first palm tree sitting on the side of the highway right beside an evergreen tree (xmas tree). Then we saw these white large birds that looked like storks, I'm not sure what they were. I just love it. It is like a big adventure for me.

For me the shadow of a pelican flying over is like a small plane going over me on the beach, or a terradactile from the flintstone cartoon. Sounds crazy, but I guess I have a big imagination.

My hubby said a friend from work is flying out of buffalo for 1200 canadian in the spring. I don't know if that is good or not. It is for 4 adults. Then they have to rent a car.

We hope to drive down and back for around to 500 canadian for 4 of us (that is there and back) , including two hotel stops, one down and one back (med priced hotels $60.00 u.s.) Not including meals. I figure if I was already down there by plane I would have to spend the same money on restaurants.

Bye,

Deb.