March 2016

[disneychik21]

We are a family of 9 (soon to be 10) who will be making an all family trip in March of 2016. This will be our 3rd all family trip, but it seems our family only continues to grow.

We are DVC members and will be staying in a 3 bedroom. We will have Disney Dining Plan (basic). We will have 5 day hoppers (some of us have APs). We will be there a total of 7 days, so we have an option for off days.

Here is the budgeting question. My brother will have 4 kids at that time; 9, 6, 3, and new. The baby will be free to fly, but buying airline tickets for 5 people is a little outrageous. We all live in Kansas City, which is an 18 hour drive without stops (with 4 kids, there will be plenty of stops). Flying is the first choice, if it can be afforded. What do you do to afford flying? If you do drive from a good distance away, what to you do to make the trip as tolerable as possible? Drive at night?

Thanks!

 

[photos_101]

We have made the drive from KS to Disney about 10 times. We started when the kids were 3 and 6yo and the kids have always been great with the drive. We stopped a few times to stretch and relax but usually only about 15min or so and we were ready to get back on the road. Actually our usual drive is leaving SE KS at about 4:30am and ending in Valdosta, GA at about 10pm or so. Then we are up the next morning and only about 4 or 5hrs from Disney. My kids are now 18 and 22yo and we still drive the same as we did back then. I guess since they were used to being on the road for trips it has just never been a problem and they always fared very well in the car. We just made the drive in Dec and plan to do it again in May to celebrate my sons high school graduation. We will have him and a friend or 2 and my DH and I. Way cheaper than flying 4 adults. The cost for us there and back is around $600 depending on gas prices. We stay at the Hampton inn or Hilton Garden inn in Valdosta. We have flown a few times but only when it has been DH & I and once for a school trip in which DS was flying with the school anyways.

BTW, When we do fly, we always choose Southwest, flying out of KCI. So far that is the cheapest we have found for flights.