HELP PLEASE!!---Dallas, Texas to Disneyworld

[princessknb]

We may have to consider the option of driving to Disney vs. flying if the airfare does not go down any. We are a family of four 2 adults 2 kids (ages 3 and 8) Here's my question how's the drive from Dallas to Disneyworld. I need the good bad and the ugly. Trip dates are 5/28/05-6/4/05 if that helps.

 

[MelessaG]

I live in Norman, OK and have driven that way a few times coming and going to WDW. The good-we (a family of 6) saved at least $350 by driving. The bad-there just isn't much to see on the drive from Dallas to Shreveport. It seemed to go on forever, ditto for the drive from Shreveport to Lafayette. (then it gets pleasant for us because SIL lives there and we stop for a visit)
The ugly-having the tv/dvd player break down on any part of that trip. And the traffic due to construction on the bridge going into Pensacola, FL. I'm not sure when you are going, it may be fixed by then-but it took a good hour for us to get across in late Nov.

Seriously though, I would do it again. I love having a picnic lunch at the USS Alabama, showing the kids the ocean, and singing along to countless Disney's Greatest Hits CD's on the way there and back.

 

[trampslady]

bump.....we are also driving from Dallas. I posted a while back and got quite a bit of info. You might try to search. We are still torn between cutting off in Shreveport down 49 towards I-10 or driving I-20 to Jackson and then cutting down. Anyway, it's just four adults and we plan to leave around noon. We hope to overnight in Mobile, AL and drive on in the following day.

 

[JeffPort]

Right now, you can fly out on the American Flight #1356 at 4pm and return on the AirTran flight #115 at 1:30pm on your desired dates for a total of $210 roundtrip per person. That's not a bad fare for nonstop flights on a Saturday. You can book the one-way tickets on each carrier's website.

For an even cheaper fare, you can fly USAir through Charlotte for $188 roundtrip. There are many more flight time options for this fare, but you will have a stopover and it's USAir (which is having financial difficulty right now).

 

[Kirby]

We've driven to WDW twice with kids. The first time we had a tv/video player that we borrowed. The second the kids mostly listened to music on their CD players. We also took along one of the Harry Potter books on tape. The kids were a little bit older than yours.

We like to drive and didn't really find any of it ugly except for when we needed a bathroom and the stretch from Jackson to Mobile has no rest stops like the interstates do.

We enjoyed stopping right before Jackson after we crossed the Mississippi and stretching our legs at the rest stop.

We found the most boring part was driving from Mobile to Tallahassee.

When we drove in March 2000, the foliage was beautiful! The azeleas and dogwoods were beginning to bloom. It should even be prettier when you are going.

 

[m&m's mom]

We are going almost exactly the same days you are from DFW area as well.
I asked my DH Friday night at dinner if being in the car for 20 hours was worth saving $400.00. He said 20 how about 40 - up and back.
We have a Yukon XL w/ a VCR/DVD player installed that we bought just for road trips. Well, we have had it 2 years and made 4-5 trips to WDW since then and have not driven it yet.
I know plenty of people (a lot on this board) that have driven successfully but every time I think about it I just think "No Way!"
We are a family of 4 as well w/ our DD's being 5 and 8. We drive to Iowa for a family reunion every other year that is 12 hours but the thought of doing that whole drive and then getting up the next morning to start again fills me w/ dread. I think the M's would revolt.
I have to admit that $215.00 is the most we have ever had to pay but am going to suck it up and do it if it does not come down.
W/ flying you are there in 2 1/2 hours - driving 18-20!
Hopefully airfare will drop and we will all be ok.

 

[princessknb]

UPDATE----I couldn't stand it anymore, I finally convinced my dh to purchase our airfare about 3 weeks ago for 843.60 for 4 on AA.