Has anyone driven from the Boston area?

[imthatgirl]

Give it to me...the good the bad and the ugly!!!
We ahve been to Disney many times and have always taken the 2 1/2 hour flight. Well this time we are outpriced by the airlines so we're drivng with 3 kids...9, 6 and 4.
Are we crazy?
Who's dome it and how long did it take??

 

[DISaholic's]

Not from the Boston area, but from upstate NY, so about the same distance.
It's about a 20 hr drive or so (depends how fast you drive ). We have driven it a couple of times with our children. Once when our sons were 4 and 7 and again a couple of years ago with a van full of teenagers, 18,17,16 and 12.

Both times were no problem, we stopped in South Carolina both times and spent the night. It broke up the trip. We left early in the morning 4am or so. We're not all nighters. Getting too old and when the boys were little they needed time out of the car. When the boys were small I packed a 'goodie' bag of new items, toys, books, snacks, movies and every hour or so I'd pull out a new one. They didn't know what I had so it was almost like Christmas every hour. I really kept them busy. They were much easier last time, headphones, ipods, books and movies kept them occupied.

Honestly, the worst part is driving home. On the way down you are so psyched that you are going to Disney that you don't care about anything and are really laid back. On the way home, you're sad and tired and don't want to leave the magic so everyone is a little cranky. Just take lots of breaks, get out and walk around and before you know it. You're there.

Driving around DC is pretty nasty, try and make sure you hit it either between 10 and 2 or after 6pm. We actually go west of DC to avoid the beltway and the traffic. There are lots of posts about things to do to keep the kids occupied on this forum. They will give you lots of ideas!

Good luck and enjoy the time, before you know it you'll be where we are. Our kids, DS23, DS 21, DSGF22, DSGF 20, DD 16 are driving down for our trip in June and we (DH and I) are flying, meeting them there. Their choice to help save money so we could go this year. They are driving straight through being young and night owls. (And four of them can switch off, not letting our DD16 drive!!)

Keep us posted on how it goes!!
Jeanne

 

[imthatgirl]

Thanks for the hope, lol. It should take us about 22 hours. We are actually planning on leaving at midnight on saturday night and hopefully will roll in on Monday morning after spending the night in probably Florida right over the boarder. I think we'll switch off once the sun light hits.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

My wife hates to fly.
The first time we went to Walt Disney World, April 2004 with my 3 year old daughter We decided to go to WDW a couple of months before we went with little planning. We rented some points off the DIS forum, checked the airfares a couple of times and picked up a trip tick from AAA.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW Old Key West stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday, 3/26/04 at 1 pm: Miles, Stopped, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 3/26/04, 1:00pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 212 212 6:00pm
2, N J to Aberdeen MD 183 395 9:07 pm
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 266 661 1:36 AM
4, NC to Florence SC 209 870 4:40 am
5, SC to S Newport GA 210 1,080 7:58 am
Arrived, GA to WDW 251 1,331 12:00 PM

Started, Friday, 3/26 0 1:00pm
Finished, Saturday, 3/27 1331 12:00pm
A 23 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
76 gallons of gas, $131 for the gas, 17.78 mpg 58mph
Driving around WDW 21

The Trip Home started Friday, April 2nd 11 AM: Miles Stopped Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston:Friday, April 2nd 11:00 am
1, WDW to St Augustine FL 116 116 12:44 PM
2, FL to Savanah GA 178 294 3:55 PM
3, GA to Florence SC 174 468 6:22 pm
4, SC to Battleboro NC 181 649 9:30 pm
5, NC to Aberdeen MD 295 944 2:17 am
6, MD to Bloomfield NJ 181 1,125 5:30 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 237 1,362 9:30 am

Started, Friday, 4/02 11:00 am 0
Finished, Sat, 4/03 9:30 am 1362
A 22 1/2 hr trip with 6 stops on the way home
81 gallons of gas $126 for the gas 17.58 mpg 60.5mph
Driving around WDW 62

157 gallons, $257 for the gas, $44 tolls, 17.68 mpg, 59.2mph 2776


The traffic was a mess from Hartford through Delaware on the way down.
It rained from North Carolina to Boston, Mass. on the way home

Me and my wife alternated turns driving our Nissan Xterra when we stopped for gas. My 3 year old held out a lot better than I thought she would on the way down and on the way back to Boston, WITHOUT, tapes, DVDs, video games, just a lot of singing and sleeping.

It's not that Bad!!!

April 2005 we caught a break in fares and flew down and back out of Logan on a non-stop with American Airlines , $504 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2006 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan on a non-stop with Song/Delta , $496 round trip total for the 3 of us.

The 2007 story and stops are pretty much the same as 2004.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW, Orange Lake Country Club, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday the 13th of April 2007, at 3:45 pm:

Destination, Miles, Total Miles from Boston, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 4/13/07, 3:45pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 208 208 7:49 PM
2, N J to Laurel MD 219 427 11:44 PM
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 250 677 3:36 AM
4, NC to Manning SC 219 896 7:00 AM
5, SC to Kingsland GA 226 1,122 10:30 AM
Arrived, GA to WDW 203 1,325 2:00 PM

Started, Friday, 4/13/07 3:45 PM
Finished, Saturday, 4/14/07 2:00 pm
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
63 gallons of gas, $175 for the gas, 21 mpg


The Trip Home started at 9:45 AM, Saturday, April 21,2007
Destination, Miles, Total Miles from WDW, Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston: Saturday, April 21st 9:45 AM
1, WDW to Kingsland Ga 194 194 12:44 PM
2, GA to Manning SC 226 420 4:16 PM
3, SC to Rocky Mt. NC 218 638 7:42 PM
4, NC to Aberdeen MD 292 930 12:26 AM
5, MD to Newark NJ 170 1,100 3:27 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 246 1,346 7:30 AM

Started, Saturday, 4/21 9:45 AM 0 Miles
Finished, Sunday, 4/22 7:30 AM 1346 miles
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops on the way home
62 gallons of gas $175 for the gas 21 mpg

Total miles 2,671, about 21 mpg, about 70 mph
Total gas 125gallons $350
Total Tolls $50

April 2008 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan to Tampa, 4/19-4/26, on a non-stop with AirTran , $753 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2009 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan to MCO, 4/18-4/25, on a non-stop with Delta , $627 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2010 we caught a break in fares so we're flying down and back out of Logan to Tampa, 4/17-4/24, on a non-stop with Delta , $717 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2011...for our 4/16/11 - 4/23/11 trip we booked a 2 bedroom at the Silver Lake Resort, Fly? Drive? I'll update this at the end of May 2010.

Lord be willing,
If all goes well,
The creek don't rise,
and there ain't no melt down,
We'll do it all again next year.

Good Luck all,
Joe


As the story goes;
I always compare the cost and time of flying with the cost of driving.
If flying cost more than twice the cost of driving and it's not a non-stop round trip flight then we drive.
This year, back in May, when the April 2010 spring break fares and schedules came out we caught a break with a Delta non-stop, round trip Boston to Tampa flight, $717 total for the 3 of us.
Driving for us, gas and tolls cost about $400 round trip.
Along for the ride we take a couple bags of snacks, a big cooler and a small cooler filled with sandwiches and drinks.
We stop for gas, breaks and to switch drivers every 200 miles, 3-4 hours, that takes about 10-15 minutes. That's all we need unless we decide to grab something to eat at one of the mall/trip centers where we stop for gas, that usually takes an extra half hour.
We don't take our time and we don't try to hurry it up, we just do what we have to or want to do.
It's really not that big a deal, it's Just bunch of short 3-4 hour trips, not a long 22 hour drive.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[imthatgirl]

Wow..thanks. I can't wait to show this to my husband, very comprehensive. You've inspired me to keep a journal of our trip.
Do you have any recollection of gas prices when you went?

I'm a little nervous now. i planned $300 in gas round trip and $200 for incidentals. Which includes a cheap motel both there and back. Is this going to be enough?
I figured I would bring water, snacks and pb&j sandwiches.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

Wow..thanks. I can't wait to show this to my husband, very comprehensive. You've inspired me to keep a journal of our trip.
Do you have any recollection of gas prices when you went?

I'm a little nervous now. i planned $300 in gas round trip and $200 for incidentals. Which includes a cheap motel both there and back. Is this going to be enough?
I figured I would bring water, snacks and pb&j sandwiches.

EASY DOES IT COWBOY.
IT'S NO BIG DEAL!
Don't make too much out of it.
When you stop for gas write the trip/odometer miles on the gas receipt, everything else, place, time, gallons and cost should already be on the receipt.
2004 gas price was about $1.65 per gallon.
2007 gas price was about $2.80 per gallon.
Save all your gas/trip receipts and when you get back to South O' Boston you and the kids can put the trip together.
IT'S NO BIG DEAL!
Don't make too much out of it.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[imthatgirl]

EASY DOES IT COWBOY.
IT'S NO BIG DEAL!
Don't make too much out of it.
When you stop for gas write the trip/odometer miles on the gas receipt, everything else, place, time, gallons and cost should already be on the receipt.
2004 gas price was about $1.65 per gallon.
2007 gas price was about $2.80 per gallon.
Save all your gas/trip receipts and when you get back to South O' Boston you and the kids can put the trip together.
IT'S NO BIG DEAL!
Don't make too much out of it.
Good luck all,
Joe

Thanks. I don;t do anything lightly...everything is full force, lol. I drive my husband crazy.
Thank you for the gas costs. I will assume we will be paying about $2.80 this year so I will budget the $350 you spent.
Thank you again!

 

[twinklebug]

Great thread, the way airfare is headed it's looking more and more like I'll have to be prepared to drive from the boston area this summer too.

I have my GPS, a cooler and am ready to take on the road, maybe planning a stop or two to let the kids see the country. My issue is I'll have nobody to switch off with every 200 miles. (kids are 12 & 16) If I can grab airfare for the three of us for under $660 r/t I'm taking it for this very reason.

Anyone know what wear & tear on a car works out to per mile these days? (I can use that to justify paying for higher airfare costs )

 

[cranbiz]

$300 for gas is a good number, tolls are between $35-$50 RT depending on if you have a fastlane/EZ Pass transponder or pay cash.

From Carver, MA to Deltona, FL is between 19 and 21 hours, add another hour to WDW.