Looking for Driving Tips!

[FairyGodmotherJen]

In two months we'll be in a car on our way to the World (actually - by this time of the day, we'd better already be there!) It's our first time driving. I'm looking for packing tips, suggestions, and sanity savers from those of you out there who have done this before. We've driven on trips that were just slightly shorter, but we've always had more than one car because we were caravan-ing with family.

What car games have worked for you? Do you do many structured games, of let the kids call the shots? I've bought little things for all three kids to dole out during the trip. They'll be almost 9, 6, and 2 when we leave. If you've done this before, how have you handled it? Something new every few hours? We also have a DVD player with plenty of movies, and each of the older kids has a DSi. What about the little guy? It's a lot harder to find things he can do in the car!

Thanks in advance for the tips and suggestions - I know I can always count on the folks here on the DIS!

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Looking forward to hearing your responses, as we will also be driving in 4 months for the 1st time from NJ to Orlando so it will be 18 hours with our 5 year old
From what I have read from others some tips include:
Buying cheap gifts and having the kiddos open them every few hours, something to entertain them while driving.
Stop to eat somewhere where the kids can get out and RUN and play and stretch those legs. Bring a ball, bubbles, etc.
DVD players
and I found this a few weeks ago http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1722545&page=7
all activities to print out for the kiddos to do.
I also found little travel desks on Amazon.
Nintendo DS, Leapsters, etc, bring them all.
GL with your drive!

 

[ksl5f123]

Are you driving straight through or taking 2 days? If you have a stop, make sure you have everything you need for that night in a separate suitcase and make it the only one you bring inside.

We give "surprises" to our kids every 50 miles. They are 6, 4, and 1. I give them a map of the state with the mile marker numbers where they will receive the surprise. It is their job to watch for that number and let me know when they see it. The surprises usually go: DVD, snack, toy, DVD, snack, toy, repeat.

We plan on traveling at a rate of 50 miles/hour and given the amount of time we take for breaks and meals it usually works out perfectly.

I cover my kids seats with sheets that I pick up from garage sales for $0.50. That way if they make a mess, my seats stay clean. For DS1, I cover his with a disposable shower curtain (from the Dollar store) so he can even spill stuff.

I have lots more (we drive A LOT) but I will stop there.

 

[scdisfan]

I always pack an "emergency potty pack". Included in the pack is a package of toilet seat covers, rubber gloves, a little packet of tissues, baby wipes, hand sanitizer and a couple of pull ups. I don't include the pull ups now. I started this when DD was having potty issues and when she had to go, she HAD to go NOW. So we never knew if we could find a "reliable" pit stop when the announcement was made. Our potty pack did the trick and all was good!!

If you don't mind clings on your vehicle windows, the Dollar Store usually has window clings. Sometimes they have Disney ones too. Those are fun for the kids to stick on the windows - sorta like let's decorate the car for our Disney Trip!! Also, the Dollar Store usually has little Disney items - toys, socks, etc. - that we will usually pick up for our trips.

Don't forget to get some entertainment for the drivers/adults! We like to download Disney podcasts. It really gets us in the mood plus we usually learn some fun and exciting tidbits about Disney.

Have fun on your trip!!

 

[monkeybug]

We have driven coast to coast four times with our kids and from Annapolis to Orlando twice. (my kids are 7 and 4 now, but the first time we drove across country my son was 18 months)
What works for us is-
Packing the car a few days before and including lot's of snacks and treats. I make my own snack mixes for the kids (with things like cheerios, dried fruit, peanut butter chips, ect) and put them in snack baggies, I also cut up fruit, veggies, and cheese and pack it into a cooler in snack baggies. (we have the kind that plugs into the car) I buy the horizon milk boxes and fill some of those small rubbermaid juice box thingys with water. I put the cooler with in my kids reach, and they can grab snacks when ever they are hungry. I also buy junk food, but just don't put that with in reach
I buy treats and toys before our trip and put a organizer thingy on the back of the front seats, that way each kid has access to new fun things to keep them busy during the trip. Some of my favorites are small felt boards with felt pieces (they have paper doll ones, animal scenes, just about everything), color wonder products, (even a two year old could use these, and they make a hard travel case one, they even have Disney ones) and those giant sticker books (they sell them at Costco and sam's).
We also have DVD players, and each kid brings a small pillow, and a blanket.
I try to keep the kids up late the night before (and at the hotel if it's a multi day trip) while my husband goes to bed early. Then we leave early in the morning and my sleepy kiddos sleep through a good part of the trip, while my well rested husband drives.
Audio books are great to keep adults entertained!

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We are driving this september (we're pretty sure, unless airfare comes down some) for the first time. I don't know if you've seen it yet but there is a really good thread on the Transportation board for drivers. They are some driving to disney veterans that post some great tips!

 

[Disney Newby]

Are you driving straight through or taking 2 days? If you have a stop, make sure you have everything you need for that night in a separate suitcase and make it the only one you bring inside.

That is a great suggestion! I had never thought of that.

We are going to be driving about 10 hours and stopping in Chattanooga with DD14, DD12 and DS9. Then also making a few stops on the way home. I am looking for a few places that we can stop for 1/2 an hour or so where they can run and get some energy out.

DD14 has a laptop so they can watch movies and play games, and they all have DS's to play. I've printed out a couple of car games, license plate Bingo and road sign Bingo to play and bought some Disney gifts at the Dollar Tree.

Got a cooler for all the snacks and organizer for the back seat to keep things a little neater.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

My best tip....drive overnight!! We do it every time. It's a little over 9 hours for us to WDW. We leave around 5 or 6 pm. Stop for a late dinner a few hours in...that gives the kids some time to settle down. Almost as soon as we get back into the car after dinner, they're out for the duration. We arrive VERY early morning in Orlando. I pay for the night we travel so that we can check in as soon as we arrive. The kids usually sleep for a few hours at the hotel and then we play at the pool while DH gets some extra rest. We do the same thing coming home.

 

[MissLiz]

Remember to pack colored pencils and NOT crayons for the kids to color with. Crayons will melt faster than anything in the sun!!!

 

[candielips]

If you have a roof rack, use it! We made the mistake of filling our van w/ the suitcases and didn't realize how quickly junk and garbage pile up while driving such long distances.
I'm interested to hear some other tips.
Oh my DD loves Stickers. I make a trip to our sticker outlet here in Toronto before we leave. They have so many different Disney stickers that keep her entertained for quite awhile.

 

[mousebymarriage]

I agree with the overnight driving, it makes things alot easier on the kids because they are sleeping so they don't get as antsy.

-My kids always wear comfy clothes in the car (like sweats and a t-shirt) instead of pj's so they don't feel weird getting out of the car to use the bathroom or quick rest stop.

-We also packed a small cooler between the kids seats with things they could snack on so they could just help themselves.

-If driving overnight I suggest bringing an i-pod for the driver so they can listen to music and not disturb anyone else that is sleeping(please only use 1 head phone or ear bud so that you can still hear any emergency vehicles).

-small trash bags (the ones that fit a bathroom waste basket) are a life saver! We always pack a small box of these and keep a few out and handy just in case (DD13 sometimes gets car sick). On our most recent trip this past Feb. DD didn't get sick, I did! On our return home I got a stomach virus and vomitted for about 1000 miles. I kepr dosing off because I had a bit of a fever and everytime I opened my eyes I would begin to vomit with vitually no warning. Thank God for those bags because there really wasn't time on many many occassions for my DH to pull over. P.S. they are also great for any garbage in the car.

-My kids love the license plate game and 20Q ( a small hand held game that figures out what item you are thinking about through a series of yes and no answers. My kids really get a kick out of it because it's amazingly accurate.)

 

[roadtrippin2wdw]

We've driven from the Chicago suburbs for the past two years starting when my kids were 4,2 and 9 months. I made each kid (even the baby that we would go through together) a plastic shoe box filled w/ stuff like little notebooks so they could make their own postcards for keepsakes w/ stickers and markers, little flashlights, snacks. The biggest saver for us was the dvd player. We bought Tom & Jerry's and my kids were totally enthralled since they'd never seen them before. I bring my laptop to watch movies on, so we also watched slide shows of pictures from our past trips to Disney to see what they remember. It's fun to see what and how much they remember! They all really enjoyed it. Also, bring each kid a blanket. I also printed a map of each state for the older 2 so they can trace our way there (mostly for the older one). Drive overnight if you can, you'll be so much happier if the kids don't have to experience the "full drive". Don't forget a trash bin/bag. Lots of stuff and wrappers accumulate everywhere! I read somewhere on here something awesome I'm going to do this Sept. When you stop to eat, stop somewhere the kids can play and run around while YOU eat and then when you're done bring their food to go in the car so you can cut down on some time and they can still run around. I hope you have an awesome time!

 

[PrincessMom4]

We drive from Canada and it takes us 22hours (total) to get to Orlando. We break the drive up into a couple of days. Kids each have their game boy, younger boys have a learning kid laptop and some books. There are sheets of "mommy" homework and their travel journals to work on. We have a plug-in cooler and a box of snacks and dry goods.

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

We are driving this september (we're pretty sure, unless airfare comes down some) for the first time. I don't know if you've seen it yet but there is a really good thread on the Transportation board for drivers. They are some driving to disney veterans that post some great tips!

I hadn't seen that - thanks for the heads up! I'll head over there, too.

 

[FairyGodmotherJen]

I would love to be able to drive overnight - my dad always did that, and it worked so well. But DH and I are just not cut out for it. We're going to leave extremely early in the morning - my goal is 4 a.m. - but neither of us can really go all night. At least, we can't do it by ourselves, and it wouldn't work if we both stayed up! My plan is to put the kids in bed in loungewear (the sweats/shorts and t-shirts that someone suggested) and simply put them in the car. They'll most likely wake up, but since it will still be dark out and we won't turn anything on, they'll hopefully go back down.

On the longer trips we've taken, we've always taken a cooler and stopped for a long lunch (about an hour) at a rest stop. The kids mostly play - I will definitely let them take their sandwiches to the car instead of sitting down to eat! We brought bubbles and a soccer ball on our trip to VA Beach.


These ideas are great - thanks so much! Keep them coming if you have them!

 

[candielips]

So what kind of places can you stop where your kids can play while you eat? Other than McDonalds?

 

[PrincessMom4]

Depend on what time you eat, but I would recommended the rest stops. There are picnic tables at the rest stop (bring your own disposable table cloth). There is enought areas to "run-it-out". I have a toddler with enough energy for 3kids...lol

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We have driven to Disney on all of our trips with kids ranginf from 9 months old to 14 on our last trip. They have always done wel, since we live 8 hours away from the closest family they are used to traveling, but since they have gotten older, they tend to argue with each other more, which is why we came up with a plan that worked amazing on our last trip. I got a bunch of one dollar bills. I told them at the end of each hour of our trip if they didn't argue with each other, ask if we were there yet, or any other annoying things we's give them $1. At the end of the hour if they had argued, etc they owed us $1. At the end of the trip they could earn $20 or owe us $20 of their own money or somewhere in between. YES, I know it is bribing, and it may not be for everyone, but it worked really well for us and they bonded together to earn their money (things like big sis telling little sis not to kick dad's seat, stuff like that.) In the end the trips was near flawless (2 kids got $20, one got $18. She had a teenager moment while sitting in Orlando rush hour traffic and lost it.) It was the best $58 we ever spent. Like DH said, we would have given them $20 each spending money anyway, why not have them earn it. We did not do it on the ride home at first and regretted it, we decided to half way home and it worked again. (They were able to earn some mney for Christmas shoppingthat way.) We don't do it for shorter drives, but when yo uare talking 20 hours non stop, that's a lot for anyone.

Other ideas, we used to do the little trinkets, coloring books and stuff when they were little. As they got older they wern't so into it. We also used to bring a frisbee, a ball, bubbles, stuff like that for when we'd stop. Now we drive straight through and we all just want to get there. I make scrap/activity books for the kids. They do the activities on the way down (some parts are scrapbook things like what are you most looking forward to riding, eating, trying, etc.) On the way home they right about their trips and have their scrapbooks filled up before we even get home so all we have to add is photos.They can't read in the car much, but can draw so they will do things like I will say draw your favorite ride and they all do, then favorite character, stuff like that and we add them to the back of their scrapbooks.

They LOVE to write on the glass (they do his for short trips, even justto the grocery store.) I have a pile of Crayola window markers in the van and a pack of Windex wipes. They decorate and decorate then we clean it off and they start again.

We have a car DVD player and take movies. Also since I have stopped buying movies, we plan on hitting Redbox before we leave and midway down we can return and get more if they want. I also take the Disney DVD Bingo game. I make copies of the cards so they just mark them off and they play BINGO in the car. We play all the normal car travel games we played as kids. Usually we will let the winner pick where we stop for the next meal.

We always wear comfy clothes, not jammies, but like sweats so they are comfy but also presentable when we stop. Also we have a small bag packed with shorts and ts for when we hit the warm weahter so they can go in to the rest area and change.

DD15 has her sound canceling headphones and laptop (lifesavers with a teenager and 2 little sisters.) DD10 and DD8 share a netbook and each have a DS. They also take turns using the travel modem to go online to play Webkins or whatever.

When I was little I'd get a nickel for every truck I could get to honk. We still do this.

I actually love our long drives to Disney. We do it because we can't afford to fly but really it winds up being a lot of fun and a good part of our memories!

 

[erinmomof2]

I know it's not exactly healthy but McDonald does have a place on their website that will tell you exactly where all the McDonalds are and if they have playlands. I think it's called the trip planner or something. We went there a couple of times and it worked out well. The kids got to burn off a little energy, while DH and I ate our salads. Than we'd either let the kids eat in the car or sit down quickly.

We bought lap trays at Michaels for them to use. They had a little desk like top to color on and 2 pockets on each side to hold their stuff. They seemed to like these.

We also brought lots of movies and blankets to snuggle in.

My oldest was 5 and my youngest was 2 at the time. My daughter said she likes driving better than flying now because she got to watch lots of movies and play in the car

For our trip this year we plan to drive again. I'm kind of looking forward to it!

 

[4under4]

I have 4 young children and we drive from Chicago to NY several times each year to visit family. We have also taken much longer drives to the west coast.

The very best advice I can give you is....

DON'T TAKE SUITCASES!

Use plastic totes instead!!!! The see-through ones are the best! Not only does it make organizing easier, but it's also MUCH easier to pack the van.

I pack anything we will need for the actual drive in one box (camera, batteries/chargers, wipes, hand sanitizer, first aid, lovies, toys, snacks, DVDs, etc.). This box is kept in easy reach. Then we pack clothes in two others (one for the kids, one for parents), another box gets hair dryer, toiletries, laundry soap, shoes (in bags), and any miscellaneous items, making sure to keep bottles that can leak standing upright. For Disney I will be adding a "food box" for the villa (no reason to pay extra at the resort or take time away from my trip to go to the grocery store).

When the kids were babies, I would use a single box for "baby stuff" like diapers, wipes, baby food, 1-2 changes of clothes, etc. This box was [of course] kept on top!

Once we arrive, I unpack the clothes box and use the empty box for dirty laundry. The toiletries box is sometimes emptied, but I usually keep at least some things in it, which keeps the bathroom better organized. The "along the way" box is typically used as a toy box so housekeeping doesn't have to pick up before cleaning.

On the off chance that we need to get to something unexpected while we're on the road, I always know which box to open. And because they are all the same shape/size, they can be reorganized without having to reconfigure the "puzzle arrangement" of various suitcases. AND if/when I need to do this when the weather isn't cooperating, I don't have to worry about the tote getting wet/dirty since it will wipe clean later. Also, having "hard" boxes means I don't worry about breakables or leaks.

If we plan to spend the night along the way I pack ONE small duffel bag with whatever we will need for the hotel.

I love flying, but alway regret needing to break out the "real" suitcases. It's never as easy to pack, and never as easy to be in a hotel without my totes!

If you want to give it a try, I suggest testing a few different size boxes to see which works best in your vehicle. Some boxes will stack higher/better than others depending on your car/van.

We leave June 8th and I will have my totes lined up in my living room a few days before hand. As I think of things that might need to go, I pick it up and drop it in the right one. If I start to run out of room, I'll reevaluate and either add a tote, or cut things out. DH knows that if the tote has a lid on it, it's ready to be loaded in the van, if not DON'T TOUCH IT!