IS THIS CRAZY? how would u do it?

[livie1205]

My dh and I are thinking about saving for a BIG vacation...We are thinking about dh,myself and dd2 driving cross country to disneyland from florida....we are thinking about taking our time and stopping alot and maybe taking route 66 or something.Has anyone done this? How long would it take?maybe stopping to see the grand canyon and las vegas...plus we dont now how much money this would take..I would rent a minivan and stop most nights to sleep..can someone steer me in the right direction?

 

[buckler]

Yes, it sounds crazy with a 2 year old onboard. When my kids were 2 years old long road trips involved a lot of M&M's to keep the peace! That's a LOT of driving for a little one. Roundtrip is probably in the neighborhood of 5,000 miles depending on your starting point and ending point. I really couldn't imagine putting a toddler through that much driving day after day after day.

Here's some info on a Tybee Island to San Diego route that is 2,430 miles long (one way).
http://away.com/itinerary/united-states/road-trip-usa-11.html

Gas will be expensive. At the EPA rating of 25 MPG highway for the most fuel efficient minivans that would be at least 200 gallons of gas. And you won't average the EPA highway rate all the time since they get less MPG than that in city driving.

Found a forum for you to check out:
The Great American Roadtrip Forum

 

[Karlzmom]

My dh and I are thinking about saving for a BIG vacation...We are thinking about dh,myself and dd2 driving cross country to disneyland from florida....we are thinking about taking our time and stopping alot and maybe taking route 66 or something.Has anyone done this? How long would it take?maybe stopping to see the grand canyon and las vegas...plus we dont now how much money this would take..I would rent a minivan and stop most nights to sleep..can someone steer me in the right direction?

I think it sounds lovely. Of course, I'm doing something similar in reverse, CA to Orlando. We are taking the train from LAX to New Orleans (Amtrak never reopened the line that used to run all the way to the House of Mouse) and renting a car to drive the rest of the way in. The total cost will depend on where you decide to stay, etc. There are several great books on road trips (I like the ones about food to try as you go). Do you have AAA? They can do a trip tik for you.
The train takes 48 straight hours, plus another 9ish of driving....of course you'll have to stop along the way for the night. Mapquest puts the Orlando to Anaheim drive at a bit more than 2500 miles....if you do 500 miles a day then 5+ days each way...more if you want to stop and be at all human or see anything.

I'll be interested to see what others have to say.....

 

[syko]

We have done WDW to DL to WDW two years running, both times form our daughters birthday (1 & 2).
The first time we went the quick way through Texas and last time we went via Colorado.
We stuck to speed limits and the Texas trip took us 3 days, and Colorado 4 to get there, we did have two drivers.
On the way home to WDW this year we went via Mt.Rushmore and we racked up just under 10,000!!!!!
Our daughter loves it in the car, just don't forget a DVD player and lots of stops to run around.

 

[tkme4ard]

we just drove not even a 1/4 of that drive with our four kids 11,8,6 and 1.5. No way would I do it, and yes you're crazy LOL

Just kidding If you can afford the gas, and your 2 yo would sit for it then go for it.

We have a minivan and driving from Oh, to IL, to KS and back to OH cost us well over 600$ in gas alone ugh.

 

[mommyceratops]

I would do it while DD is young and easy going. My second DS was great in the car and it would of been fun. My first not so good in the car..... I would assume if you were going to do this she is good in the car and would site see along the way.

Lots of stops so she can get energy out especially at night. Stay at place with a pool.

Listen to her ques and temper and let her sit as long as she can and stop at places with play areas so she can get energy out. Age appropiate she needs to get energy out.

DVD player!! Will be the life saver for you and again movies that hold her interest. I watched sales before our road trips and pick up surprises for in the car.

Patience, this could be trying on your DD2.

 

[livie1205]

Yes, it sounds crazy with a 2 year old onboard. When my kids were 2 years old long road trips involved a lot of M&M's to keep the peace! That's a LOT of driving for a little one. Roundtrip is probably in the neighborhood of 5,000 miles depending on your starting point and ending point. I really couldn't imagine putting a toddler through that much driving day after day after day.

Here's some info on a Tybee Island to San Diego route that is 2,430 miles long (one way).
http://away.com/itinerary/united-states/road-trip-usa-11.html

Gas will be expensive. At the EPA rating of 25 MPG highway for the most fuel efficient minivans that would be at least 200 gallons of gas. And you won't average the EPA highway rate all the time since they get less MPG than that in city driving.

Found a forum for you to check out:
The Great American Roadtrip Forum

she would be almost 4 before we could go...I should have put that..

 

[livie1205]

also we are thinking of renting a prius for the better gas mil. but if we get a van like ours we will get 31 miles per gallon (dodge caravan) we get 31 mil per gallon in ours but I will look into a hybrid FIRST. Like I said by the time we save enough money she will be 4 so it will not be a 2 yr old in the car. Even if we went now she is great in the car, a really good rider BUT I will be stopping at hotels...I guess I was just trying to find out how long it would take us to drive (how many days to plan) I want at least 2 days at DL maybe 3 days. We will be site seeing not just driving to DL.we really want to see the U.S. thats why we want to drive.I thought of a budget for car rental and gas at about 1,000. 1,000 for hotels and 3,000 spending money how does this sound? I got a price for a prius at 250.00 a week unlimited miles and that may go down in a yr or two when there are more of them to rent. oh we are driving from north florida not near orlando.

update: I did mapquest and it is 33 hours and 2,270 miles

 

[DVC Sadie]

We use to drive from New Orleans to Disneyland when we were kids (I was 4 and my brother was 9) and I must say that those were some of the best memories that I hold to this day! We did this same trip for many years due to my cousins, grandmother and the rest of our extended family all residing in Southern Cal.

The cost will differ depending on how long you take to travel to California. Our trip usually took 7 days.

My mother use to get us up very early (around 5:00 am) and load us into the station wagon so we would sleep until 8 or 9am. She would then stop and feed us breakfast and pull over at a motel (with a pool) at around 2:00 pm so we could have lunch, swim, and then have a early dinner before doing it all over again.

If you choose to drive, have fun, relax and just remember that it won't matter if you get there a day earlier or later. Just do what works for you and yours.

Remember that it is not the destination but the journey that matters and those memories of the journey stay with us long after the excitement of the destination has worn off.

 

[Traveliz]

When my daughter was 5 we drove from IL to CA and back - not as far -- but still a trip - my mom and dad went too in our full size van.

It was a great trip and we often talk about it. It was really a journey - we went the lower route out and the upper route back with things planned all the way along -- a stop in Branson (that was out of the way for us), then overnight in Oklahoma, through Texas, we did the two of the national parks, Albuquerque, drove past the Hoover Dam, a couple of nights in Vegas, a ghost town in CA, and then on to San Diego (my uncles). From there my mom and dad stayed and we went on Disneyland and did some things in that area, back to San Diego for some stuff there including brunch at the Del Coronado and then back home through Utah, Colorado and Kansas - with more stops at sites along the way.

The trip was 17 days and we had a blast.

Liz

 

[buckler]

By the age of 4 my kids were great little travelers. I still bring M&M's. But only because we like chocolate .

We went to Disneyland last year and spent 2 days there. We didn't get to see everything in the 2 parks and we are good at avoiding lines. To really see everything I'd give it 3 days, especially since you are driving so far to get there.

 

[SmallWorld71]

JMHO - But that is an awful lot of confinement for a 2 year old no matter how many breaks you take.
Many years ago we took a family vacation from MA to CA to see my father's sister. I was 5 and my brother 2. That was back in the days before people worried about car seats/ seat belts and my dad put a mattress in the back of the covered pick-up truck so we could move around and play. They also brought our baby sitter (13) to help entertain us. It was a 2 week road trip. I know we had fun (went to Disneyland, saw the Grand Canyon etc..) but that is not what stuck out in my mind about the trip. When everyone asked me what the best part of the trip was, I said, "The sign that said Welcome to Massachusetts." Even with a truckful of toys, 2 playmates and the ability to move around, that was a lot of driving/ riding. I personally wouldn't do it.

 

[livie1205]

ok did more checking.....I got some prices, they will maybe be a little bit higher then but for a downtown disney hotel and park hoppers (3 night, 3 days) it is 755.59 . it would take us about 3 days to drive it with stops (33 hours without stops). It looks more do able lol...I also plan on stopping to see the alamo.

 

[twinspluscade]

We're driving this September from Iowa to Disneyland. Not quite as far you'd be going (according to Mapquest it'd be 26 hours for us), but still the farthest haul we've ever done! My youngest will be 4 at the time; my twins 6. They do very well on car trips, and hopefully with the DVD player and plenty of stops we'll be fine.

 

[a1tinkfans]

also we are thinking of renting a prius for the better gas mil. but if we get a van like ours we will get 31 miles per gallon (dodge caravan) we get 31 mil per gallon in ours but I will look into a hybrid FIRST. Like I said by the time we save enough money she will be 4 so it will not be a 2 yr old in the car. Even if we went now she is great in the car, a really good rider BUT I will be stopping at hotels...I guess I was just trying to find out how long it would take us to drive (how many days to plan) I want at least 2 days at DL maybe 3 days. We will be site seeing not just driving to DL.we really want to see the U.S. thats why we want to drive.I thought of a budget for car rental and gas at about 1,000. 1,000 for hotels and 3,000 spending money how does this sound? I got a price for a prius at 250.00 a week unlimited miles and that may go down in a yr or two when there are more of them to rent. oh we are driving from north florida not near orlando.

update: I did mapquest and it is 33 hours and 2,270 miles

There are always these CRAZY deals out of NY to take a rental from NY to FLA and the rate is super cheap per day, last one I got was $1 a day, of course with all restrictions BUT it would be worth looking into one way rentals or a one way rental with a return flight home, perhaps that would even be more economical if you planned it out way in advance.
I planned a family vacation about 1 1 /2 years in advance and by the time I paid everything and added it all up it almost DOUBLED what I thought I would pay, so be prepared!

 

[solgent]

I drove from Vermont to California and back with my DDs (8 and 12 at the time) last summer. The trip was a month including various stops.

We had an awesome time. We joined AAA and called ahead, sometimes the same day or sometimes 4-5 days ahead, to motels in their guidebooks. For a place like the Grand Canyon you need to make reservations well in advance. We ate out 1 meal per day. We had a cooler & stopped at grocery stores for cheese, fruit, bagels, etc. for the other meals; also sometimes breakfast is included at the hotel.

I found that with stops I could average about 50 miles per hour over the course of the day. Therefore to go 2270 miles, it would be 45 hours, or 5 days of 9 hour drives, for example. You might be able to go further in a day because you have 2 drivers, but you have a younger child so might need to make more stops. Also, places you want to stop are not necessarily a full day's drive apart. If you do a short day you will either have to compensate with an extra long day or you are going to end up driving more than 5 days.

Personally I would not do it with a 4 year old. DH and I drove from FL to VT when DDs were 6 and 2 and we decided to drive through the night so the kids could sleep and not have to be just sitting in the car.

Also renting a minivan is expensive and I don't know why that is necessary if there are just 3 of you.

 

[perkinsrose]

DH and i drove "the long way" from Michigan to Tuscon, AZ and back with many camping/tourist stops. It was fun. This was before kids--I don't think i'm brave enough with a toddler in tow...

 

[livie1205]

I drove from Vermont to California and back with my DDs (8 and 12 at the time) last summer. The trip was a month including various stops.

We had an awesome time. We joined AAA and called ahead, sometimes the same day or sometimes 4-5 days ahead, to motels in their guidebooks. For a place like the Grand Canyon you need to make reservations well in advance. We ate out 1 meal per day. We had a cooler & stopped at grocery stores for cheese, fruit, bagels, etc. for the other meals; also sometimes breakfast is included at the hotel.

I found that with stops I could average about 50 miles per hour over the course of the day. Therefore to go 2270 miles, it would be 45 hours, or 5 days of 9 hour drives, for example. You might be able to go further in a day because you have 2 drivers, but you have a younger child so might need to make more stops. Also, places you want to stop are not necessarily a full day's drive apart. If you do a short day you will either have to compensate with an extra long day or you are going to end up driving more than 5 days.

Personally I would not do it with a 4 year old. DH and I drove from FL to VT when DDs were 6 and 2 and we decided to drive through the night so the kids could sleep and not have to be just sitting in the car.

Also renting a minivan is expensive and I don't know why that is necessary if there are just 3 of you.

we have talked about it and we plan to drive about 10 hours a day (with a few sm stops) at 33 hours drive time. I am planning 4 days drive time in case we stop to stay a little longer at someplce like the Alamo.I also said I was going to check on getting a prius FIRST and if not I will look into a minivan (we have one and we like the room) it is not necessary but would like for the room.I have never ever paid more than 199.00 a week for rental on a minivan, the prius is about 250.00 but we can save on gas.if we drive at night on the interstate at 60 mph it will not take nowhere near 5 days.we have driven 8 hours to south florida with her now 2 and she did great so by then she will be older so I am not worried about her in the car,so if we drive 10 hours during the night I think she will be fine, she would sleep and I get get a room during the day and get some sleep (while dh and dd swim or something) I do the driving, its a control thing...I cant stand to just ride but I can do the driving with no problem.

We have thought about the one way car rental also but WE DONT FLY ANYMORE lol ...well not with the kids, I just am not ok with putting the kids on a plane....since 9/11 I just cant. I have flown since but I do not like it...I am the one that has to be drugged to fly lol plus I do want to see the sights.My husband has 2 months of vacation and he never looses it just keeps saving it...we will use a week of it in dec and maybe a week here or there but he has plenty of time to take off so the time is not going to be a issue...we can take our time. ALSO by the time we go she will not be a toddler anymore she will be over 4 yrs old.It will take us a yr to plan and save up the money I have planned on 5,000 (and pay for the disney part before we go (between 700.00 and 900.00 depending on how prices go up)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Personally, I wouldn't do it but my parents did when I was a newborn/6 weeks. Also my sister was 2 and brother was 4. Round trip, NJ to CA. This was in the 60's with cloth diapers; no Mapquest or GPS. Those big push buttons on the radio. lol! They wanted to see the country. They did have AC which was a big deal in those days.

They still talk fondly of it; painted desert, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, big bear approaching their car with paws on hood (with photos to prove it)

There were some highway segments in the desert where there was no speed limit, and signs would say, "NO LIMIT" and even if you went off the road there was nothing to hit anyway. My bro would ask my father, "Daddy, make it say 100." OMG and no car seats then either.

I still think they're crazy.

 

[livie1205]

If i rent a prius I would spend about 576.00 round trip in gas at 4.50 a gallon (of course we dont know what prices will be) that is 4 tanks each way.

If I rent a van like mine it will cost 770.00 round trip at 4.50 a gallon and that is 5 tanks of gas each way.

I know gas costs more in CA but we dont know if gas will go up or if it will go down a little after the election or right before the election (i think it may) these are just rough figures and may go up or down so I will just have to plan that closer to time. I will just start putting away as much money as I can save until then.

also my best friend and her family may follow us if they can get the money saved too.

Thanks for all the input guys...I will enjoy my planning!