Has anyone driven from Portland, OR to WDW?

[PDXDisGuy]

Hi all,

I've known about the DISBoards forever (and have even browsed off and on), but have never posted... Well, now I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer to (and I'm not sure if this is the right area to be posting in, so I apologize in advance if not).

I've been to WDW a number of times - at least 10 that I can think of. I think that's pretty good for a fan from Oregon. For all previous trips, I've flown...depending on route and layovers, a trip that can take up to eight hours. Not bad, but not as good as most folks on here, I'm guessing. Anyway, my new wife and I have decided that we're going to take her kids to WDW for the first time! Everybody is excited, of course. We have five children - 18, 16, 13, 11, and 10. What we are trying to figure out is how to get us all there! Flying would be the best option, but SOOOO expensive, so we're considering driving. Google Maps says it should take slightly over two days to get there non-stop. That's all well and good, but not very real-world. What I want to know is - is there anyone here that has driven from Oregon to WDW? What was your experience? How long did it take? How much did it cost in gas? Lots of questions, I know, but trying to make the most informed decision possible.

Thanks all in advance for your consideration and help!

 

[Horatio]

Hi, I'm a long time lurker here and the Road Trip America boards, and I wouldn't drive much more than 500 miles a day. That would put you at about 6 full days of driving to get you to WDW.

I've driven from Minneapolis to Seattle, that was a long 3 days of driving, and that was without any kids.

 

[StanH]

From Portland to Orlando it is about 3040 miles.

At 75mph, that is 40.5 (ish) hours of driving....I guess if you just don't plan on stopping to sleep, you could do it in 2 days, but it sounds like trip suicide at the least to me. My mapping program pretty much puts it at a 5 day, 3 1/2 hour trip (43 1/2 hours)...Then you have to drive home.

I'd seriously rethink that, unless you have a lot of days to fit the trip within.

 

[eduk8r26]

I've driven about 800 miles in a day, and that makes for a very long day. I've driven to WDW fromSoCal and it's taken me about 4 days. With kids you have to stop for bathroom breaks and to just stretch. Besides, I'd be a basket case if I didn't stop at least every 2 to 3 hours just to move around.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

My best is 1,085 miles in a day - I don't recommend it though. 5-600 is much more relaxed. 800 is probably doable if you get up VERY early every day. It's a tough call. I really, really prefer to drive, but that is a LONG way. Do you have time to make it part of a larger, driving trip - say with stops along the way at Yellowstone or other in-betweener destinations? 3,000 miles one-way with no "destinations" along the way would be tough.

Would DisneyLAND make more sense?

 

[Greysword]

I agree with Gumbo about Disneyland. It would be much more manageable, and the experience for the little ones would be the same.

I feel your pain, though. I'm looking at airline tickets to get home for Thanksgiving, and they aren't too bad now (for three it is currently $1300 on United), but they are going up.

 

[rwdavis2]

No way. You will spend more time driving to WDW than being there. You have to consider the cost of gas/food/hotels for the 5 days (at least) of driving. I would think it may be almost 1/2 the cost of flying.

 

[chartle]

I did a quick calculation and its around $1,000 for gas. Thats for a car that gets 25 mph and at $3.88 (what I paid this afternoon). 5 days there and 5 back thats 10 days x 7 x 3 meals a day, 210 meals and 10 nights of hotels and with 7 you will need 2 rooms since most rooms only have 4 max. So 20 room nights at say $60 a night thats $1,200.

Just guestimating I'm thinking $3,000 just for travel.

Here's a question, how much vacation do you get? If you can swing 14 days, you are going to spend more time driving than in WDW.

For an example, from Pittsburgh to LA its always been considered a 5 days trip. So if its a 5 day trip for you that's 10 days driving and 4 days WDW.

 

[ToddyLu]

Geezzz, my DH has to take xanax to fly from New Orleans to Orlando because he has to sit for an hour and 45 minutes. Sounds like the kids could help with cutting grass, babysitting and other small jobs to help pay for the plane tickets...there is no way I could have fun at WDW, seeing everythinig there is to see after driving for that length of time--and I love road trips.

But what an awesome vacation.

 

[chartle]

Geezzz, my DH has to take xanax to fly from New Orleans to Orlando because he has to sit for an hour and 45 minutes. Sounds like the kids could help with cutting grass, babysitting and other small jobs to help pay for the plane tickets...there is no way I could have fun at WDW, seeing everythinig there is to see after driving for that length of time--and I love road trips.

But what an awesome vacation.

I would be more worried not having fun with that trip back looming over my head.

Going there would kind of be fun, coming back a real chore.

 

[ToddyLu]

Yeah DH has to give me xanax for the trip back I am so depressed.

 

[PDXDisGuy]

I want to start off by thanking everyone who has chimed in already, and I look forward to other thoughts and opinions.

I posted this message here and on the Budget board and have gotten some good feedback (even if it's one of people thinking I've gone insane... ).

When I was married to my first wife, it was just the two of us, so flying down and a week or two of a rental car wasn't that much of a concern. Sure, we had to save, but add in five kiddos and boy howdy does the cost to fly skyrocket... Hence my posting on the DISBoards.

The furthest I've ever traveled by car was about 975 miles, way back in 2001 when my ex-wife, myself, and four other friends drove two vehicles down from Oregon to DL. That trip took about 19 hours (Google Maps says it should take about 16, so with stopping for food/gas/potty, everything seems in order with their estimation, if driving non-stop).

As for the suggestions to travel to DLR...well, it just doesn't compare to WDW. All of the children have been to DLR, so it's not really an option (at least at this point in time). WDW is much more appealing, especially to DW and the teens. I've always known that flying would be the way to go, but it's such a sticker shock to DW. I said that I would do my due diligence and do as much investigation into other alternatives as possible, and do it I shall! :

I truly do appreciate all of the friendly information I've been given and I'll come back with more of my own, once we nail things down a little more!

 

[bumbershoot]

If you have a nice LONG vacation time with a good amount budgeted for hotels along the way, it sounds like something that could be fun.

I drove from VA to WA, the long way. Down the east coast, hung a right at Florida, got sucked into New Orleans for 2 nights, stopped in San Antonio, continued along, turned right at California, and headed on up. I had no time pressure on me, and it was a lovely, lovely experience.

I fully plan on doing some long trips like that with DS when he's a bit older, and am already looking forward to it. I would stop at certain places going one way and other places on the way back, make it a real journey. To have WDW in the middle of it would make it that much sweeter!


But to do it JUST as a mode of transportation to WDW, with limited time to get there and back...doesn't sound as much fun.

Assuming you have a current spouse, with the age of the oldest you've probably got 3 drivers, and giving the 16 year old some driving time will really help their driving skills! (it's how DH got really good at driving, by going from WA to DC and back one summer with his dad)

 

[Gumbo4x4]

If you have a nice LONG vacation time with a good amount budgeted for hotels along the way, it sounds like something that could be fun.

Camping would be another way to go - or Mom & Dad in a nice room with kids in tents I too think it would be a great trip, but only if you had 4+ weeks to make it happen.

 

[chartle]

I want to start off by thanking everyone who has chimed in already, and I look forward to other thoughts and opinions. ....

I think a lot of people here still want to know how long to have for this trip?

If you say one week you should be asking whats the best site for airfare.

If you say two weeks maybe.

3 go for it and take a week getting there and week coming back using two different routes.

 

[bumbershoot]

Camping would be another way to go - or Mom & Dad in a nice room with kids in tents I too think it would be a great trip, but only if you had 4+ weeks to make it happen.

That would be nice, too. But we tend to stay at State Campgrounds, and in WA at least, sometimes those can be as expensive as a motel6, it seems!

 

[sophie832]

My parents and I drove from Los Angeles to Nashville when I was 5 years old, and that took about 5-7 days each way, but we stopped a bit to see the sights. That trip was 3-4 weeks, total. In my 20s, I drove from New Orleans to Los Angeles with a friend...we'd planned 5 days/4 nights, but it only took us 4 days/3 nights. We stopped each night at a motel/hotel to rest, and we took a little time in couple of places to see some sights.

I can't imagine driving practically non-stop from Oregon to WDW. Even with stops at night, driving all day long would exhaust me. Throw that many kids into the car with me, and Once I thought about driving from L.A. to WDW, and then thought against it. Of course, flights from here aren't as bad as from Oregon (still, I wish we had more cheaper, nonstop options).

Then again, it's your family and if everyone is really gung-ho about the idea, you are aware of the costs for gas/food/lodging, and you have at least 3 weeks of vacation time, then go for it! I'd be very tempted to see some sights along the way, though. There are so many beautiful places in the U.S.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

That would be nice, too. But we tend to stay at State Campgrounds, and in WA at least, sometimes those can be as expensive as a motel6, it seems!

My sister & brother-in-law have a large camper & I know it costs them more to travel than it does for us when we stay in the Super 8. $31 for a campsite vs. $59 for a room, but they consume 2.5X the amount of gas that we use

We used to get primitive campsites for $7 a night back in the old days with the pop-up (no electric on it).

 

[PDXDisGuy]

I think a lot of people here still want to know how long to have for this trip?

If you say one week you should be asking whats the best site for airfare.

If you say two weeks maybe.

3 go for it and take a week getting there and week coming back using two different routes.

So, the answer to this question is a little tricky... So, the plan is to be there for seven days. The tricky part is that we are taking kids out of school so that we can fit the trip into everyone's schedule. DW is finishing her 2-year nursing degree and starting her the second half of her 4-year degree (but we don't know when things start up, yet).

When we were thinking of driving, DW was hesitantly okay with 3-ish days on either side of the 7-day WDW window, but more than that became problematic (for multiple reasons).

I was never enamoured with the idea of driving, even though my initial cyphering does show the cost savings to be significant. Granted, I was a little lower on the gas estimate than folks here and didn't plan on hotel/motel stays coming and going... Also, I only vaguely considered the mental stability (or instability, depending on how you look at it) of the captain and crew of this venture. We're still planning, but I think we're going to rule out the cross-country drive.

 

[chartle]

1. So, the answer to this question is a little tricky... So, the plan is to be there for seven days. The tricky part is that we are taking kids out of school so that we can fit the trip into everyone's schedule. DW is finishing her 2-year nursing degree and starting her the second half of her 4-year degree (but we don't know when things start up, yet).

When we were thinking of driving, DW was hesitantly okay with 3-ish days on either side of the 7-day WDW window, but more than that became problematic (for multiple reasons).

I was never enamoured with the idea of driving, even though my initial cyphering does show the cost savings to be significant. Granted, I was a little lower on the gas estimate than folks here and didn't plan on hotel/motel stays coming and going... Also, I only vaguely considered the mental stability (or instability, depending on how you look at it) of the captain and crew of this venture.

2. We're still planning, but I think we're going to rule out the cross-country drive.

1. So 3 days of 16 plus hours driving starting driving at say 8 ish and pulling into the hotel at midnight or later, and that's non stop driving so eating in the vehicle, no stretching your legs and you don't want to know where you are all going to be peeing.

I'm not a mental health professional and don't play one on TV but yes you are completely certifiable, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

2. Oops missed this last part before I wrote everything above. OK never mind.