Help - my wife things we should drive!?!

[potzie2]

I can't see the benefits of driving over flying. I know it saves us about $800 over flying and renting a car but the lost vacation time in Orlando seems to eat up the savings. We only have so much vacation time and using it to sit in a car both ways doesn't seem like a good use of them. I would rather spend the time in Florida at a park or at the resort than in a car with my kids staring at their DSi or iPod while we make the journey.

Help me understand what I am missing here?

She says it is a vacation inside a vacation, but as I remind her someone is prison has more space and mobility that I do while sitting in the car making the journey.

Thanks.

 

[potzie2]

Sorry for the spelling mistake in the subject line of my original post.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I can't see the benefits of driving over flying. I know it saves us about $800 over flying and renting a car but the lost vacation time in Orlando seems to eat up the savings. We only have so much vacation time and using it to sit in a car both ways doesn't seem like a good use of them. I would rather spend the time in Florida at a park or at the resort than in a car with my kids staring at their DSi or iPod while we make the journey.

Help me understand what I am missing here?

She says it is a vacation inside a vacation, but as I remind her someone is prison as more space and mobility that I do while sitti in the car making the journey.

Thanks.

Do you fly out of Toronto or Buffalo? I refuse to drive...we are leaving in a few weeks and will not chance any snow storms & bad driving weather. I'd rather get there in 2.5 hours and be done with it!

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

I can't see the benefits of driving over flying. I know it saves us about $800 over flying and renting a car but the lost vacation time in Orlando seems to eat up the savings. We only have so much vacation time and using it to sit in a car both ways doesn't seem like a good use of them. I would rather spend the time in Florida at a park or at the resort than in a car with my kids staring at their DSi or iPod while we make the journey.

Help me understand what I am missing here?

She says it is a vacation inside a vacation, but as I remind her someone is prison as more space and mobility that I do while sitti in the car making the journey.

Thanks.

Tell her NO - that flying is the way to go !!

Man-up !!

 

[dancin Disney style]

We have driven many times as well as flying. In terms of cost you will only save money over flying if you are more than a family of four. That of course is on a flight from Buffalo. Often the cost is fairly equal....fly VS drive. The only difference can be on a rental car but you have to attach a price to the wear and tear on your own car.

So I say fly.

 

[potzie2]

Do you fly out of Toronto or Buffalo? I refuse to drive...we are leaving in a few weeks and will not chance any snow storms & bad driving weather. I'd rather get there in 2.5 hours and be done with it!

We fly out of Buffalo, I can't remember the last time we flew out of YYZ.

 

[chmurf]

if you've ever been to WDW you know how exhausting vacations can be ...
I don't think anyone would want to add a long car trip on top of that.

The small amount you'll save will mean very little when you spend a whole day recovering from the car trip.

And actually, I'm not sure you'll save at all.

And the "trip within the trip" thing is questionnable.
Kids tend to hate long car journeys, and it soons become a nightmare for parents. So you'll need, eventually, to take the shortest route, and there is really nothing much to see crusing at 55/65mph along interstates.

Maybe does your wife want to do something outside of disneyworld during her vacations, and maybe that's why she tells about the trip within the trip. If that's the case, then why not rent a car while in the World, and go to the beaches via scenic route for the day. East coast is 1hr drive away, and West coast is only 2hrs away.

But driving all the way down to Florida will definitely be a waste of precious time

 

[Gigi22]

OP, does your wife drive? I hope you tell her, since driving is her idea, she is responsible for driving you there and back.

 

[Tiggs14]

I'd NEVER drive! We fly out of Buffalo as it's much cheaper than flying out of Toronto. I agree 100% with you on this one!

 

[abdmom]

It's 2400 miles to Disney and back. The wear and tear on your car and gas costs will be $1000-$1200. Factor in the cost of your time for 42 hours or so of driving.

 

[sjsjbrook]

NOt to mention the drive home. you will actually loose 4 days if you drive. Driving home you will just want to get home, vacation is over and disney is behind you.

 

[minnie mum]

I think that in your case any potential monetary savings would be greatly offset by your dislike of the car travel and loss of vacation time. So disregard the savings and fly.

We have driven on our last 2 trips to WDW. But we are retired, so we actually can (and do) consider it as a part of the vacation. We even take an extra day on the way down and 3-4 extra days on the way back (it's like a second vacation after WDW). And we don't count milage and wear and tear on the car. We are going to drive the car into the ground in a few years anyway, so what's an extra thousand miles or two now instead of over the next couple of years?). Gas is cheaper in many states. So is food. And we usually stay in hotels using affinity points (so 0 cost).

We actually do enjoy the scenery from the interstate. And mentally file away places that we want to go back to see more thoroughly at a later time (planning a 'civil war tour' in the near future). So it doesn't have to be boring.

But some folks absolutely, positively have to get there ASAP. I can understand that. Different strokes....yadda yadda yadda. So fly for now, and save the driving for sometime in the future.

 

[Tower]

We've driven and we've flown. DB always drives with his 3 kids and he's closer to Buffalo than we are!
The secret to driving for me (maybe not others) is leaving at around 8PM after a good rest in the afternoon. Drive through the night with a stop in Morgantown at around 2AM for gas and then again in Charlotte, NC for gas and breakfast. Make sure the kids get out then and run around. (Bring a football, frisbees or whatever and really have them run so that they're ready for the long ride, remembering you'll stop again around noon somewhere in SC or Georgia for lunch. Again stop for dinner in GA or north FL. Every stop includes getting the kids some exercise. That night, spend it within an hour or so of Orlando so you're not wasting money on a resort you will not really see. Next morning check in to your resort and you're home free!
Without kids we've done the drive in less than 24 hours. Coming back was a bit longer.
If you make the drive an adventure (and if you buy a headrest DVD player for the occupants in the back seat) it will go well for the kids. The kids are more versatile than you think.
This will prove one of 2 things, yes you might do it again, OR that your wife will agree to fly from then on.

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

Driving *can* be fun--in some ways better than flying--if you have a different mindset, a comfortable vehicle WITH CRUISE CONTROL, and all parties are at a stage in their relationships with each other wherein twenty-plus hours shut up alone together won't result in a psychotic breakdown.
If I-75 is your route, you NEED Dave Hunter's "Along I-75". It's a mile-eater and it provides a wealth of interesting and extremely useful information.
I'm very much a "getting there is part of the vacation" person. If you're not, don't even think about driving.

 

[4boyz]

We drive down twice a year. We have specific stops we make along the way and make it a shopping trip as well to maximize the value you can bring back duty free.

We stop at Grove City, Tanger Outlet in Washington, PA and a couple of the larger malls in Pittsburgh. No sales tax on clothes and greatly reduced prices makes the drive worth it. There are a lot of things you just can't get here.

If shopping for specific items isn't what you want and you just want to relax then flying is the way to go to.

I bet your wife is planning to max your duty free allowance and you might think about a shopping trip as a compromise to get the stuff she wants and still fly out of Buffalo or fly out of Pittsburgh and have that shopping trip on the way home.

 

[vacation_junkie]

I can't see the benefits of driving over flying. I know it saves us about $800 over flying and renting a car but the lost vacation time in Orlando seems to eat up the savings. We only have so much vacation time and using it to sit in a car both ways doesn't seem like a good use of them. I would rather spend the time in Florida at a park or at the resort than in a car with my kids staring at their DSi or iPod while we make the journey.

Help me understand what I am missing here?

She says it is a vacation inside a vacation, but as I remind her someone is prison has more space and mobility that I do while sitting in the car making the journey.

Thanks.

How many people are going?

 

[potzie2]

How many people are going?

My wife and I and our 2 kids aged 6 and 4.

 

[Susan2771]

I bet your wife is planning to max your duty free allowance and you might think about a shopping trip as a compromise to get the stuff she wants and still fly out of Buffalo or fly out of Pittsburgh and have that shopping trip on the way home.

Hummm, now that sounds like a plan

You know what they say. Happy wife, happy life!

 

[bababear_50]

Fly and enjoy the extra time with your family.
Hugs Mel

 

[webworm]

I can't see the benefits of driving over flying. I know it saves us about $800 over flying and renting a car but the lost vacation time in Orlando seems to eat up the savings. We only have so much vacation time and using it to sit in a car both ways doesn't seem like a good use of them. I would rather spend the time in Florida at a park or at the resort than in a car with my kids staring at their DSi or iPod while we make the journey.

Help me understand what I am missing here?

She says it is a vacation inside a vacation, but as I remind her someone is prison has more space and mobility that I do while sitting in the car making the journey.

Thanks.

We are a family of 5 and the key is don't limit yourself to Buffalo airport. We live in Oakville and have flown out of Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Youngstown, OH and Niagara Falls. There are lots of options.