Long Drive with Family

[RN01]

It is going to be a 16 hour drive from our home to Disney World with me, my husband and two daughters ages 6 and 9. We are planning on waking up around 3 am and driving straight through getting there in the evening. Are we crazy and is there other people on here who have done this? We are planning to get the kids a portable DVD player for Christmas and making some activity boxes ( which I got the idea for on here). Any other ideas would be great!!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Me, my wife and two kids (6 and 4) will be making an eleven hour drive in March. We have always flown before, but have decided to be brave and drive this time. I am trying to decide whether its better to leave at 2am, or more like 8am. I know that it would be better if kids are sleeping while we are driving, but I am afraid that we will be tired and cranky later in that day while kids are on normal schedule.
I think you're on the right path with the DVD player and activity box. DW and I always think in terms of "how many miles will this buy us" when we pick up some little doo-dad from the Dollar Store or toy store.

 

[mudnuri]

We've driven from Vermont to Florida 4 times...the first time was just DH and I, we drove 19 hours straight to Ocala- only stopping for gas/food/potty etc... I slept he drove then he slept and I drove...

we drove with the DD's when they were 16mo and 2 1/2....left in the afternoon- after DH worked all day...drove to Santee, SC...LONG drive- approx 11 hours....then the next day drove the rest of the way to Tampa.....when we got there, we purchased the TV/VCR combo for the Suburban....on the way home we dropped the 2nd seat- put the tv on the console, kids sat in the 3rd row...perfect...

2nd time dd's were older- 5 and 6....again, we left in the day, about 1230...drove to Wilkes Barre, PA...stopped for Dinner- about 630...drove another 2 hours- got a room...got up the next morning, drove another 10 hours- again, until after dinner and stopped once again in southern SC....next day was a short drive to St. Augustine our destination...We again had the tv/vcr but did not allow use of it until after dinner the first leg, and then after lunch the 2nd time...this kept them from getting bored watching and kept me from listening to rugrats for 12 hours...

I think if I had to get my dds up at 3am- they'd be up for quite a while before they fell back asleep...the excitement etc... plus then my own sleep pattern would be totally messed up...

When we drive down in April- we will leave here on Friday- stop Friday night probably north NC and then again Saturday night north Florida somewhere.....you can find nice clean hotel rooms all up and down the east coast for 60 bucks a night....(some even better than that)...

On the way home- we will do the exact same, Saturday in southern NC Sunday in Connecticut...and then Monday will be a 2 hour drive home...kids will return to school on Tuesday...

This trip, the difference is they will have their own laptops...DH and I both have them, and each will use one with their DVDs and headphones...that way I dont have to hear rugrats, and they wont fight over what to watch!

Hope this helps

Brandy

 

[turnlisa]

We drove down last year and will be doing it again this year. Rather than doing the 20+ hours straight we stop for the night. We have flown once with both of the kids (flew all the time when I only had 1) and decided that driving was the way to go. 9 more days and we are off again!

Last year we did this with a 9 month old and a 5 year old. It really wasn't that bad. We left at 3 a.m. and drove until the kids got up. This was about 8 a.m. We then stopped for breakfast and piled back in the car. We made sure that we had a Gameboy for my 5 year old and my 9 month old slept a lot. For lunch we stopped somewhere with a playground so the kids could get out and stretch while we ate. We then piled back in the car and drove until about 6:30 p.m. We stopped, watched some t.v. in the hotel, ate dinner and got some sleep. We got up the next morning at 3:00 a.m. and finished up our drive by 1 p.m.

Last year I had a Jeep Cherokee. In January, I purposely bought a Chrysler minivan and the only thing I insisted on was the DVD player. We used it this summer for a 14 hour drive and loved it! The kids barely noticed it between watching movies and playing the GameCube. I also had activity books and had each of my kids pack a box with things to do. This year I also bought my older DS a desk that folds down that is attached to the car seat.

I think if you have the DVD player and stop so they can run off energy you should be fine. I found this much more relaxing than trying to keep both of them entertained in the airport and between layovers. Plus you don't have to fight with the rental car and leave whenever you are ready.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

A few more suggestions for the long ride:

1)Books on tape. Find some the whole family will enjoy. Harry Potter is a good long one. You can get these at your local library.

2) Find a good book and read aloud to the girls. At that age DS would listen until I could not read anymore.

3)Madlibs. They are books of funny fill in the blank stories that are so funny. You can get these at most book stores.

4) Bribe gift. Little things from the dollar tree they will get every 100 miles or so if they have not argued or whined.

5) A new set of paper dolls.

6) When you are ready for a meal, watch your road signs for a rest stop comming up. Go through a drive of a fast food place right before the exit for the rest stop. Eat your food at a picnic table and let the kids run aroung. OR. Stop at a fast food place with a playground and let the kids play while you eat. Get their food to go.

7) Pack lots of non messy snacks that don't make you too thirsty. Limit drinks.

Talk, sing laugh and have fun. We really enjoy driving.

Jordan's mom

 

[RN01]

Thank you so much for all the information. I feel so much better about the long drive. I like the idea about the books on tape and letting the kids play while we eat and take theirs to go. I'm hoping we can keep them 1/2 asleep while we put them in the car and they will sleep till at least 7am. That would be 4 hours in before they start grouching. I heard of a good idea to keep them from fighting and saying "are we there yet?" Have a jar with money in it for each kid. Take out $1 each time they argue, fight and complain and they get the rest to spend on what ever they want once we get to DW. I hope it works!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've done it both ways. Driven in two days (leaving after work, stopping about halfway, then arriving at WDW around 1PM) and driving it all in one day. We're going to do it again on our next trip - leave home about 5AM, then arrive around 8PM. Our trip runs us 14 hours (plus one more hour for the time change).

Our son sleeps a lot of the trip or plays with his Gameboy or watches movies on the DVC player.

We've listened to all the Harry Potter books on tape. They take most of the trip to finish.

 

[crazelion]

I would leave around 7:00a.m drive around 9:00.pm. and try to found a hotel. I can't drive at 3:00a.m. in the morning anytime. I have done this twice and got to WDW around 9:00 p.m. each time. Then again I only have a ten hour drive. I bring cds to listen, take plenty of potty breaks, and walk around the outlet malls I pass while traveling to WDW.

I would try to stay on regular scedule so won't fall a sleep at the driving.

 

[shaws2003]

This is our plan (for what its worth) This will be our first trip to Disney, and will be our longest by far. We are driving from central Maine, which we figure about a 24 hour drive plus stops. We have a minivan and we bought a dvd player from Sam's club which has 2 screens that attatch to the headrests in front of both kids. My DD 7 runs the controls, and my DS 2 will watch just about anything his sister is watching. We have used it a little bit to try it out and I have had to check to see if we still had the kids with us! They are so quiet, I can actually hear the radio! We will have the usual road trip items like books, snacks, toys, and of course the dvd player. We will leave on Friday night after supper, and drive until Saturday afternoon hopefully in southern South Carolina or Georgia. This will give the kids time to stretch and us a chance to rest. We will leave on Sunday morning, and arrive at Disney on Sunday afternoon. You know what they say about the best laid plans....hope this helps

 

[mudnuri]

Shaw- It's a bit longer than 24 hours for you....we drive it from Vermont, and it takes us 24-25 actual driving time....your about 2-3 hours north of us..I'd plan on 28-29 hours for you.. Your timing sounds good- If your going I-95...you'll hit NYC at a perfect time 2-3AM....You couldnt ask for a better time to be there...We've done the trip both down I-95 and also I-84 ...I-84 is the "truckers" route, as it bypasses the major cities, and is a lot flatter than I-95. Most people with RV's go I-84.....I can tell you it's not any quicker or longer....I prefer I-95...but I get a sort of RUSH outta driving in NYC...having done so many times, It's like home...

The one thing I will say- don't go by mapquest...they are way off...I call General Motors, (perk of owning a cadi)...and Cadi Customer Cares sends me a new Road Atlas and a print out of where Im going etc... I think AAA does this as well.???

Have fun on this drive....Honk when you come through VT (if your going this way)

Brandy

 

[Desnik]

We have done the drive 5 times.

First trip just me and hubby. Drove straight through at 3mo pregnant. Not a good idea! We were so tired the day we arrived. We needed a whole day to get back to normal.

2nd trip MIL came and helped DH with the drive while I took care of DD who was 8mo at the time. We drove straight through and it was ok. DD did sleep alot. We had left at 7pm and arrived around 2pm the next day. Again we were really tired when we arrived, but a good nap helped and we were at DtD that night.

Next 3 trips we left at around 9am, drove till about 9/10pm slept at hotel in SC and left by 10am and arrived at WDW at around 3/4pm. On these trips DD was 2, 3, and 4yo.

These are the things that kept DD busy:
Books on tape(from our library, lots of Disney ones)
wraped little presents(from the dollar store, given about every 2hrs)
Coloring books(she could do this for hours)
Game boy
Singing her favorite songs

On our last trip DH and I got smart. Luckily he knows how to do this kind of stuff!! He installed a DVD player with tv screens in each headrest and one in the front. We brought movies we could enjoy together and the person in the front who isn't driving can enjoy a movie too!!! This has been a lifesaver!! We try to bring long movies such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings. DD loves these!!LOL It really makes the time fly. We really love to drive and the excitement is great!!

This coming trip we decided to try something different. DD is now 2 months shy of 6yo and we have my DS who will be 8mo on the trip. So we decided to leave at 4am. My reasoning is this: DS wakes up every night at 3am(he was a very sick baby and still needs extra feedings)and DH wakes up at 5am for work everyday. So, we are use to getting up. We could be on the road by 4am and drive straight through. We should get there at approx. 10/11pm. We will check into ASSp and get a good nights sleep, and check into BWV the next day and spend a relaxing 1st day.

This trip we bought the Indiana Jones movies and will take some Disney favorites. I packed some snacks for DD like gummies, and she likes to snack on cereal and I found her favorites in little "bowls". I packed her a goodie backpack with colored pencils(they don't melt in a hot car!) coloring and activity books. A travel size colorforms, pens and little note books, she loves to write! A travel chalk board, Disney mini princess dolls, stickers with a sticker book.

We hope the baby will do ok with the drive. We also plan on letting DD run around at rest stops, heck I might run around with her!!LOL

Sorry this turned out to be so long
Hope it helps!

 

[Cindymere]

RN01... just a comment from a former teacher... instead of making your dollar thing negative (take dollars away for misbehavior), why don't you put a positive spin on things and give them a dollar every hour they've been good? That way they can work up to something instead of being trashed every 100 miles or so...

We're doing the 15 hour thing. I'd like to make it 2 good days of driving and split each day equally...

But NOOOOOOOOOO, Dh rathered do 1 long trip. lol. And we do have to pick MIL up 3 hours from here on the way... I wanted to pick her up and keep going. So we have been able to settle on driving 3 hours on Saturday and stop at MIL's and sleep over. The next day we'll do 12 hours stright through. On the way home we will have to split the drive equally since I refuse to check out in the wee AM after a night at disney...

Have a TV/VCR combo.. will have MIL to help. just planning to buy lots of little new things while pumping them up with Disney videos...

 

[Musky]

A long drive with family can be either a torture or a time for your family to have a lot of fun together. DVD players, coloring books, etc., are fine and we do those, too, but make sure you spend some time with all of you engaged in some kind of silly game. We have a ball playing 20 questions, trying to think of people/characters the kids would know such as their teachers, friends or a singer they might be familiar with or a character they watch on TV (of course, since you're going to Disney, those characters are a natural). We also play something we call the gross food game, which is kind of like telephone. Someone says "I'm hungry for _______" and they name something they think is gross, such as broccoli. Then the next one has to remember what was said before and add something to it to make it even grosser, such as "I'm hungry for broccoli with hot fudge." Whenever somebody misses one, they're out. With two boys, they just think this game is hilarious. I would also recommend that you make sure your kids tear their eyes away from their TV's and books occasionally to see whis wonderful country going past. If this is their first time to see cotton growing, stop the car, let them get out and examine it (as long as they don't disturb anything). If they've never seen a swamp before, let them take a long look at one. Many people never get a chance to see the geography of this country change from north to south, so if you see something worth noting, be sure to stop and make them look at it. Their teachers will thank you, and you may be surprised that they remember checking out the dead armadillo on the road better than they remember Disney World!

 

[luvmy2prncss]

This will be our third time driving from VA. We haven't made our minds up how we will be working this out this time.
In the past we've driven straight through (before kids)!
Two years ago DD was 18 months old we stopped in GA to spend the night. The next 5-6 hours to ge to FL was torture. It seemed like it took FOREVER! Last year DD and I flew, DH drove and met us in Orlando. We all drove home. That wasn't bad. He drove from Myrtle Beach.
This year we have an almost 5 yr DD and a 7 mo old DD.
We do the DVD player and I've brought surprises for the way for the older one. I'm worried about the youngster.
We also will be traveling w/ BIL and SIS who have 2yr old and 8 mo old. We'll be doing a lot more stopping.
DH doesn't like to stop!!
Wish us luck!!

 

[Deafmedic]

Wow! So many experiences with different folks and different sleep patterns! My DH loves to drive on long trips and he never seems to tire! On the night before our last trip, my DH's partner have a bad diabetic episode so he had to drive 82 miles at 8pm(we were scheduled to leave at 3am) to perform an autopsy. DH got home at 130am, took a shower, nap and woke at 4am refreshed like he had 10 hours sleep! He drove the whole 10 hours to Polynesian without a single complaint.
It's interesting to read about different travel experiences.

Marsha

 

[Local_Girl]

This thread has been great...lots of terrific ideas! We will be driving from West Michigan, stopping overnight in northern Georgia. We'll do the lion's share of the driving on the first day, and our second day we'll arrive at WDW in the late afternoon.

We have a DS9 (almost 10) and DD7, and they watch DVDs on a laptop. DH bought a Y-connector (I think that's what he called it) at Radio Shack and we were able to hook up 2 sets of headphones for them...now it is blissfully quiet in the back seat!! Well, until they have to agree on a new movie, that is! On our last trip, the DVD set up was new for us and the kids were absorbed most of the trip. It will probably be different this time though, which is a good thing. I really like Musky's ideas about spending time showing and teaching the kids about our country, instead of letting it fly past the window!

We'll be trying the "goodie bags" every 2-3 hours. Included in those will be some toys that they can play with during extended rest stops, like balls or other things to get them moving. And I'm also planning to give each child a Disney Dollar, to be used toward daily special treats (ie Mickey Bars), for every hour on the road that they don't bicker/argue/complain. DH would have to pay for those treats anyway, LOL, but this way it gives them an incentive to get along! They will have other $$ to spend on souvenirs, etc.

We really enjoy our long family car trips!

 

[cyndibelle]

we are flying this time...my mom lives in florida so for the past two years it has been get up at 3 in the morning and drive 14 hours straight through....my children are of the age of ARE WE THERE YET....I AM HUNGRY...ARE WE THERE YET...STOP TOUCHING ME...ARE WE THERE YET...get my point...we have the dvd player in the car...HIGHLY recommend it...but we got such great rates for flying 549 for the 4 of us roundtrip that i said this year..we are flying...

 

[CamColt]

Weve done a 24 hour straight through drive 3x. Once it was myself, DH, my mother, 4 1/2 yo and a 20 month old. The next time it was just myself, DH, and the 2 kids, then 5 1/2 & 2 1/2. We just did it again this summer The kids are now 6 1/2 & 3 1/2, but we also had another family following us.
We find the tv/vcr and lots of snacks make it very easy. We are flying on our next 2 trips and Im actually thinking I will miss the drive.

 

[Luthien]

We will be driving from Southern CT for the second time. The first time DS was almost 7, DD was 18 mts and I was 7 mts pregnant with DD#2. We left at 4 a.m. and stopped overnight in SC. We had the TV/VCR combo which worked really well. This time we are leaving at 9 a.m. and taking two nights. We are going to drive to southern VA and get a hotel than go as far as southern GA. That should give us about 4 hours on day 3. We want to be well rested when we get to Disney so we figured if we took things slow it would help.

This time we will have a laptop to watch DVD's and I will use my portable CD player to play the sound through the vans stereo. We will also be doing the snacks and "goody bags" for surprises. I have bought several new dvd's of movies that they have never seen which should also help keep them occupied.

Have a great trip!

~L~