Has anyone ever drove from Fort myers to Disney World?

[liamkelly]

Our family now owns a place in Fort Myers Florida We currently go three times a year but have never gone to Disney while staying there.

Has anyone ever drove from Fort Myers to Orlando to do one park and then drove back the same day? I looked up the time on google maps and it's just under 3 hours! Even if you haven't tried this, would you ever consider doing it?

Thanks

 

[Millermom0606]

we drove from Disney to Ft. Meyers, its a drive, and personally a lot to do when planning on touring too.....

 

[MommyPoppins]

We do it all the tim.e plan on it being every bit of 3 hours.

 

[Jedana]

We've driven from Jacksonville to Orlando, spent the day at WDW, then driven back.
We leave around 6am, to be there by 8:30-9. Leave about 7pm.
It makes for a long day. On the way back, I sleep for an hour, then I take over for DH and he sleeps until we're home.

 

[Millermom0606]

I would also say its probably different if you are used to the drive, and do it to tour on a regular basis. a 'regular's touring plan is not going to be as ummm active probably as someone who only goes once or twice a year...... just another thing to think about

 

[PsychNurse]

Ever get to see the Red Sox for spring training while you are in Fort Myers? Go Sox!!!!

 

[buffettgirl]

Ever get to see the Red Sox for spring training while you are in Fort Myers? Go Sox!!!!

best thing ever!

 

[discorsner]

We have flown into Fort Myers, visited family in Port Charlotte and then gone to WDW. Usually it is half our trip down there then up to WDW for the rest.

Last time we were at WDW only we were not going to see them and so we just were flying in and out of Orlando and using Magical Express with no rental car. However, while we were down there we got bad news of a family death. We wanted to go down and see the family even though we could not stay since we were scheduled to fly out the next day. So we gave up a park day, rented a car for the day, and drove down. We saw the family and had dinner and drove back to WDW. It was tiring for a one day down and back. I couldn't imagine if touring WDW had been part of the day.

One thing I will say is that our relatives always say it is about 3 hours from their house in Port Charlotte to WDW and we think they are crazy. It has never taken us over 2.5. The drive is easy and uneventful.

 

[liamkelly]

Our next trip is at is around thanksgiving (canadian), so I think we will just drive down to orlando, go to mnsshp, stay at a hotel and then drive back early the next morning.

Thanks for all the comments though

 

[Cherlynn25]

We have flown into Fort Myers, visited family in Port Charlotte and then gone to WDW. Usually it is half our trip down there then up to WDW for the rest.

Last time we were at WDW only we were not going to see them and so we just were flying in and out of Orlando and using Magical Express with no rental car. However, while we were down there we got bad news of a family death. We wanted to go down and see the family even though we could not stay since we were scheduled to fly out the next day. So we gave up a park day, rented a car for the day, and drove down. We saw the family and had dinner and drove back to WDW. It was tiring for a one day down and back. I couldn't imagine if touring WDW had been part of the day.

One thing I will say is that our relatives always say it is about 3 hours from their house in Port Charlotte to WDW and we think they are crazy. It has never taken us over 2.5. The drive is easy and uneventful.

I lived in port charlotte for 26 years, its a small world. I would say it is def only a 2.5 hr drive. Would be a 3 hr maybe slightly longer from Ft. Myers. Makes for a VERY long day to drive to WDW and then back in one day. We always stayed overnight. We had many friends who made it a day trip, to each their own i guess.

 

[beansmom]

sox were in Disney this past week playing the Braves. Very nice venue and it would have been perfect if only: the sox hadn't lost....i hadn't ended up with a 3rd degree sunburn...i hadn't broken my toe by banging it on the iron chair leg while walking to my seat.

Yeah...but still....it was a WICKET awesome afternoon. Prolly gonna do it again next year.

 

[SmallWorld71]

My grandparents are in Cape Coral; last year the drive took 3 1/2 hrs. from there so 3 hours from Fort Myers sounds right. (Of course, it would depend on where in FM, how far from 75 etc...) We drove up, spent the night at Pop, and used our Give a Day passes the next day at MK and then drove home. I was the only driver and I was EXHAUSTED in the car on the way home. While you could do it in one day, I think you are much better off spending at least one night. There are often great FL resident discounts out there.

 

[mhconley]

We moved to Cape Coral from the San Francisco Bay Area last summer. We'll be making the drive in September but we're staying at the CR for a week.

We plan to leave around mid-morning on Saturday September 17 and make it a resort day. We plan to drive up US-17 to see some of the state we haven't yet.

I don't know that I'd drive up just to visit for the day and return that night. We've been to WDW seldom enough that we like to make a long trip out of it. It's certainly doable and maybe something we'll try in the future as DS gets older.

Martin

 

[KCSherri]

We bought our house in Ft. Myers last year - spend half our time there; the other half in Kansas City.

It's definitely a 3-hour drive - pretty easy, though...however, I normally just spend the night (or 2...or 3...or more!) in Orlando, rather than trying to flip the trip in one day. That would be exhausting, I think!

And we just went to a Sox game last week - pretty cool! The ballpark is beautiful; the atmosphere was electric; and the Sox won.

 

[mom2rtk]

We've combined Sanibel Island (very near Ft. Myers) with Disney a number of times. We have even done a park on the day we make the drive. The thought of doing the drive twice in one day though........ man..... that's a long day. If it was my only way to get to the parks, I'd do it. But I'd try really hard NOT to do it.

Not a bad deal for whoever gets to sleep on the way back. But for whoever's driving back......... not fun.

 

[DOOM1001]

I live in Miami and for a long time went pretty often just for the day and that's close to a 4 hour drive.Those trips are very limited now as the combination of high gas prices and simply getting tired of getting up super early to get to the parks at a decent time,to then spend the whole day at the parks to do that long drive again to get home at 2am,it's a long day with little sleep and eventually you realize a $30 room on hotwire is a good idea.The only time I would consider doing that one day trip with an 8 hour round trip is if there's a special event or concert or something and you only have one day available to go.In the end I know I'm going to have to move closer at some point,even a 2 hour drive versus a 4 hour drive would be a big difference.

 

[MommyPoppins]

I live in Miami and for a long time went pretty often just for the day and that's close to a 4 hour drive.Those trips are very limited now as the combination of high gas prices and simply getting tired of getting up super early to get to the parks at a decent time,to then spend the whole day at the parks to do that long drive again to get home at 2am,it's a long day with little sleep and eventually you realize a $30 room on hotwire is a good idea.The only time I would consider doing that one day trip with an 8 hour round trip is if there's a special event or concert or something and you only have one day available to go.In the end I know I'm going to have to move closer at some point,even a 2 hour drive versus a 4 hour drive would be a big difference.

It takes us 2 1/2 hours(if we live at like 5:30am the way home takes 3 hours) to make a day trip. But with gas prices(we drive a 10 passenger van) we have found it to be a better value to just stay the night like you said. Then we can get 2 days on the price of 1 tank of gas.

 

[Wonders10]

I live on the east coast of Florida - pretty much due east of ft. myers. It takes me a little under 3 hours to get to WDW. 2 1/2 hours sometimes. I personally would never drive up and back in the same day. Way too tired. Maybe its just me and the people I travel with, but I think about how I feel when I'm leaving a park for the day to head back to my resort and the idea of driving home does not sound fun - especially if I'm the driver. But time wise, yes it's doable.

 

[mhconley]

We've combined Sanibel Island (very near Ft. Myers) with Disney a number of times. We have even done a park on the day we make the drive. The thought of doing the drive twice in one day though........ man..... that's a long day. If it was my only way to get to the parks, I'd do it. But I'd try really hard NOT to do it.

Not a bad deal for whoever gets to sleep on the way back. But for whoever's driving back......... not fun.

My two trips as a teen in the 70's were both combined with time on Sanibel. We went to Sanibel for a week every year for 4 or 5 years in a row. We did several nights at WDW. My memories of those trips are why we chose to move to SWFL. My family is spending 5 days over spring break this year on Sanibel, it will be my first time back since the 70's (except for half a day in early February).

Martin

 

[mom2rtk]

My two trips as a teen in the 70's were both combined with time on Sanibel. We went to Sanibel for a week every year for 4 or 5 years in a row. We did several nights at WDW. My memories of those trips are why we chose to move to SWFL. My family is spending 5 days over spring break this year on Sanibel, it will be my first time back since the 70's (except for half a day in early February).

Martin

Have a great time. It's a wonderful place. My husband went there every summer as a kid, and we have really enjoyed bringing our own kids there. There's nothing better than combining Sanibel with a little Disney time!