HELP, 22 hrs straight for $2100?

[Kellydelly]

We usually drive from Michigan down to Florida (with four kids in tow), but when we do the trip is always at least 10 days or longer (I try for 14 days). I think if you only have 7-10 days including driving I would fly. I would keep looking around for the best flight deals.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

E have figured it all out. Disney is going tom cost us a grand total of $6310.87. That of course is with a flight for five people. However if we drive, it should only cost around 450 dollars for the round trip. If we drive it will have to be a straight shot from Southern Vermont to WDW, the trip is roughly 21.47 hrs. I'm on the fence about luxury of travel by plane, $2584, roughly 3 hrs. (I don't know about you guys, but my vacation starts as soon as I am seated on the plane) Or I could drive taking turns with DH and save about 2100, of our hard earned money. He is no help he just says it's up to me. HELP!!

I am a avid flyer, I love it and getting where I need to go in a quick manner but the airline industry has hit my line in the sand. It would cost us almost 1600.00 for the flight from Chicago to Orlando (at the current prices was as low as 950.00 but I missed that) so we will drive. It is roughly 17 hours but we have the time to stop frequently and we are not going to push straight through.

I personally just can't justify even in my own head 1600 for a 2 1/2 flight.

 

[FINFAN]

to save over $100 bucks for every hour of driving? Yeah, I'd drive. While it isn't WDW on the road, it is part of the time you are spending as a family. Also, flying isn't always trouble free...we once had a flight that had to stop in Atlanta (medical issue) from Chicago. Everyone absolutely understood the need, UNTIL it took 5 hours to get back in the air after the passenger was accomodated. Total it was almost 8 hours of being sidetracked. Every item used for medical reasons had to be replaced, checked off, luggage recounted (or so we were told) all I know, is by the time we landed at MCO...we had only saved 4 hours off of our drive time...and that trip we were also renting a car which added to the bill so we would have saved that. Now, we get to the airport a minimum of 2 hours early so we do tack more time onto flying than the average person probably, and we allow an hour by cab to get there/back, so right there is 3 hours that we would be on the road. We are about 19-20 hours each way if driving.
Now...all that said, we do stay on vacation for at least 8 non-travel days. The drive does take it out of us more than flying, and we are usually shot the day after arriving. We are pumped and hit the parks the day (or night) we get there, but then are toast the next day so usually hit the pool,grab groceries, enjoy one of our favorite character meals and unpack carefully so we are efficient the remainder of the trip because we are commando in the parks. I agree with others if you have 7 days or less, just eat the cost of flying if you can.
We wish we were just 4 hours closer..honestly, we would drive straight thru. We do that from Chicago to Colorado...takes us under 15 hours usually, leave at 2-3 a.m and arrive for dinner.
Either way, enjoy your trip, great ages for the kids to go!

 

[Colleen27]

For us, time always wins over money. You said your DH gets 5 days, so with the weekends on both sides you're looking at 9 days total. Of that, you're going to spend 2 in the car and 1 recovering from the drive? So 1/3 of his limited time is dedicated just to getting there? I'd do that if the getting there was going to be part of the fun, but not if it was just driving straight through to save money. Especially not in March when you've still got a pretty high chance of weather slowing your trip significantly.

 

[disneychic33]

Well, we have talked about it using everything posted by all you wonderful Disers and we have decided to drive. We talked to the kids and they are excited to drive and see the country. even my DH seems to be excited about the trip now. he even decided to take the 15th off so we can add an extra day for the drive. I'm super excited now.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

E have figured it all out. Disney is going tom cost us a grand total of $6310.87. That of course is with a flight for five people. However if we drive, it should only cost around 450 dollars for the round trip. If we drive it will have to be a straight shot from Southern Vermont to WDW, the trip is roughly 21.47 hrs. I'm on the fence about luxury of travel by plane, $2584, roughly 3 hrs. (I don't know about you guys, but my vacation starts as soon as I am seated on the plane) Or I could drive taking turns with DH and save about 2100, of our hard earned money. He is no help he just says it's up to me. HELP!!

OP I could have written your post. We are a family of 4 and live near you but in Canada. Our flight back in 2007 was $2300. After that we said never again as that was what our hotel (POP) and our tickets for 8 days and food cost us together. We have driven for the past 3 times and will do so again next Aug. 2013. We take a hotel for one night on the road both ways but one year we had to get back home quickly and drove straight through (24 hours). It was tiring and would not be my first choice but doable. Total cost with hotels, gas and tolls is never over $500. We also both drive and we alternate after 3-4 hours each.
We lease a new car every 4 years so no worries there about using the car.
If you have a reliable car and do not mind the mileage on it I would say go for it. Only you know your kids of course but that is a lot of money saved.

 

[mrsap]

We only drive when we go to Disney, and we actually look forward to it! Its about an 18 hour ride +/- (without stops). Before DD, we have driven straight through. My DH drives the whole way every time. With DD two years ago, we stopped over night at a hotel when we got tired. This year with DD and now DS we are going to try to go straight through, however if either we are too tired or kids are miserable, we will stop. Make sure you stock up - DVD player a must, toys, lots of snacks! With DD being close to 3 at the time we were very worried about how she'd be, but she was great!! Just make sure they are kept busy. Sure yours and DH's butts will hurt after awhile, but the scenery and knowing your in the way to Disney makes it all worth it! Good luck to you! Enjoy your trip whatever you decide!

PS - we also rent the car we drive down.

 

[albarellic]

I wouldn't give up on Southwest out of Albany... we fly it every time we go to WDW. They have 2 nonstop direct flights a day- 3 hours of flying time, no plane changes, just 1 airport to contend with. We flew our family of 4 last Oct for less than $900 roundtrip! This year flights are a little more expensive, but we still got them $1200. They often have $99 flights from Albany, you just have to keep checking. They usually have sales on a Tuesday afternoon only good for 1 or 2 days.

 

[Vickie46]

I would rather not go if I had to sit in the car that long.. I get car sick..

 

[arihillfarm]

I would drive. But I am cheap!

Me too!! The only way I would consider flying is if the cost were the same or just a couple hundred dollars more than driving. What about your husband flies down and back and you drive with the kids, leaving a day on either side for an overnight hotel stay each direction? It wouldn't save as much money, but you'd maximize your vacation since he's limited in the days he can take off work. I'm coming out with $500 for his flight, $450 for gas, $100 for two nights hotel (priceline something clean but cheap) plus food. That's roughly $1150 versus $2500 for 5 flights, so $1350 in savings. That would be a nice deposit towards your next WDW vacation and you'd have a car to use.

-Astrid

 

[motherof2boys]

Didn't read thru all the posts but I can tell you we're in the same boat! We've decided to drive from MA to be in our happy place for Christmas! We go every Summer alternating June & August so we have Annual Passes. We also own DVC at Animal Kingdom Lodge & Saratoga Springs. Hubby travels a lot with work & has a crazy amount of AMEX points. We are staying offsite (for the first time ever) in a 4 bedroom Condo with private pool for 7 days for only $200 out of pocket. We couldn't justify thousands of $ to fly as much as I'd love too. Our Boys are 10 & 13. We plan on making a few stops & spending one night in a hotel/motel along the way. The Boys are very excited for a road trip. Me...not so much! With portable electronics, they're all set. After 5 hours in the car, I've met my max. I may need to climb in back with them & watch a movie or play a game for my sanity. Hubby (an only child) keeps saying every Family needs at least one road trip. We'll see how it goes....

 

[arihillfarm]

to save over $100 bucks for every hour of driving? Yeah, I'd drive. While it isn't WDW on the road, it is part of the time you are spending as a family. Also, flying isn't always trouble free...we once had a flight that had to stop in Atlanta (medical issue) from Chicago. Everyone absolutely understood the need, UNTIL it took 5 hours to get back in the air after the passenger was accomodated. Total it was almost 8 hours of being sidetracked. Every item used for medical reasons had to be replaced, checked off, luggage recounted (or so we were told) all I know, is by the time we landed at MCO...we had only saved 4 hours off of our drive time...and that trip we were also renting a car which added to the bill so we would have saved that. Now, we get to the airport a minimum of 2 hours early so we do tack more time onto flying than the average person probably, and we allow an hour by cab to get there/back, so right there is 3 hours that we would be on the road. We are about 19-20 hours each way if driving.
Now...all that said, we do stay on vacation for at least 8 non-travel days. The drive does take it out of us more than flying, and we are usually shot the day after arriving. We are pumped and hit the parks the day (or night) we get there, but then are toast the next day so usually hit the pool,grab groceries, enjoy one of our favorite character meals and unpack carefully so we are efficient the remainder of the trip because we are commando in the parks. I agree with others if you have 7 days or less, just eat the cost of flying if you can.
We wish we were just 4 hours closer..honestly, we would drive straight thru. We do that from Chicago to Colorado...takes us under 15 hours usually, leave at 2-3 a.m and arrive for dinner.
Either way, enjoy your trip, great ages for the kids to go!

Well that's not exactly true, because it's 22 hours down and 22 hours back, so $50 an hour, unless of course they just decide not to go home.

-Astrid

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Or you could also look at driving down, but taking the Auto Train one way to go home, when you are exhausted. You would leave WDW about 11:00am on your check-out day and at 9:00 the next morning you will be in Lorton, VA, after having had a night's sleep and get home that night.

 

[meriface11]

Jetblue RT out of Westchester (HPN) is as low as $1668.

 

[Pooh2]

Or you could also look at driving down, but taking the Auto Train one way to go home, when you are exhausted. You would leave WDW about 11:00am on your check-out day and at 9:00 the next morning you will be in Lorton, VA, after having had a night's sleep and get home that night.

This is the way we are going go on our next trip.

We did both ways last time. Drove to Lorton from Nh, stayed over night and traveled the next day so we had 2 nights on the way down.

On the way back, we got to Sanford about noon, slept about 5 hours on the train in coach, and drove the rest of the way to NH the next day. So only one night on the way back.

Hubby did not care for the train but so we are going to compromised and only do it on the return trip this time.

 

[nyrebecca]

I see where the OP said they have decided to drive and just wanted to say that we have driven from the Hudson Valley, NY to WDW 9 times now and about to make our 10th in a few weeks. We look forward to the ride as an extension of our vacation. It is great family time together to talk about things, enjoy the views, ect. We have also learned that none of can sing but we just don't care because we are singing badly together.

There is a great thread under the transportation boards for people driving long distance. I have gotten some great info from there.

Hope no matter if it is driving or flying that everyone has safe trips!!

 

[Tinetine]

I just wanted to thank you guys for this thread. I started talking with my husband, and I think we'll try the drive as well ! It's 24 hours for us, so we'll likely take 2 1/2 days, but we'd still save some money, and I'd really like to have a car at WDW.
I ordered a book a few years back, it's called Drive I-95, and it lists all the exits , all the interesting things to do (I think within 1 mile of each exit), all the gas stations and restaurants. It might be handy for anybody else trying the drive !

 

[mrsap]

I just wanted to thank you guys for this thread. I started talking with my husband, and I think we'll try the drive as well ! It's 24 hours for us, so we'll likely take 2 1/2 days, but we'd still save some money, and I'd really like to have a car at WDW.
I ordered a book a few years back, it's called Drive I-95, and it lists all the exits , all the interesting things to do (I think within 1 mile of each exit), all the gas stations and restaurants. It might be handy for anybody else trying the drive !

Good for you! We really enjoy the ride and I think you will too. When you start getting too tired to drive, just stop for the night. Make it fun for the kids and it will be a good trip! Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Keep in mind the trip home is going to be more brutal than the trip down.

We drove from Portland once- I think it took us about 28 hours driving time with rest stops, etc. We stopped to spend the night on the way down. My brillant DH thought we could pull a nonstop coming home. Um, no. We were all exhausted after a week of Disney, and the pretrip adrenline was replaced with the post trip gloominess.

We (he) made it til about 2am... at that point, we were sleeping in a rest stop in VA as there were no hotels with vacancy anywhere near us.

If we had to do again- we might do going down nostop, but would def book a hotel for the trip home.

 

[nyrebecca]

I just wanted to thank you guys for this thread. I started talking with my husband, and I think we'll try the drive as well ! It's 24 hours for us, so we'll likely take 2 1/2 days, but we'd still save some money, and I'd really like to have a car at WDW.
I ordered a book a few years back, it's called Drive I-95, and it lists all the exits , all the interesting things to do (I think within 1 mile of each exit), all the gas stations and restaurants. It might be handy for anybody else trying the drive !

Love the drive I-95 book but if yours is a few years old be prepared that they have added a ton of things at the exits so keep an eye out at the billboards.