Never thought I'd be debating drive vs fly

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I might have suggested driving for you since you're willing to add on the extra days although personally we'd rent a car to remove the wear and tear on the vehicle (we'd rent a car anyhow at the destination point) which obviously removes some of those costs savings.

However, you added you'd have your in-laws and that's a big nope nope nope right there. Not only because of having them in the car which is enough but also hotel arrangements. That's ensuring there's at least 2 rooms and to everyone's liking.

Flying will absolutely come with risks such as delays or cancellations and unfortunately not much can be done for that. But the driving here includes a lot of extra planning too and potentially people getting on each other's nerves before the vacation has really even started.

 

[5kidsmommy]

We always drove on our Disney trips, heck we pretty much drove everywhere. My kids were college aged before any of them flew, one of the things that happens when you have a large family.
We live in Ohio so it's a good two day drive. My husband and I flew down the last few trips but honestly it's just gotten so expensive and such a pain and the constant worry of flights getting cancelled that we now make the drive again. It's nice to have your own car. I'd do it for that cost savings alone. Just have lots of snack, make sure everyone goes to the bathroom on stops.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Prior to the last three years I would have said FLY. From Maryland I would now prefer driving. While BWI is great, flying itself has become so stressful in addition to be being expensive. Our reasonable flights are now Tuesday/Wednesday or 6am, 6 pm. We are looking at April, May and now hear there might be a possible pilot strike. So, driving is sounding better and better. LOL

You would get a full day in if you flew out at 6am. lol

 

[Skippyboo]

2K could pay for a lot of Disney dining. Plus add in the recent sketchiness of SW. Where in PA are you coming from? I take it somewhere on the Philly side since 95 was mentioned. I drove from Atlanta to Pittsburgh for Christmas. Left at around 330 am.

You could stay a suite hotel with multiple bedrooms to get around 2 rooms.

 

[buzzrelly]

Can you share the route you use to avoid the beltway going back to CT, please? I got hammered the last time I did this drive in both Baltimore and DC with hours of traffic and will pursue any other route at this point.

Sure! I had to go back and look at an old post of mine. I put it there so I could remember for future trips! This is what I wrote last April...

We just got back from a trip and in case any of you drive down, I just wanted to share our driving experience because this was probably the most stress free drive we've ever had.

We left around 4am last Tuesday and took 84W to 81S to 77S to 26E and then to 95S. It was a bit out of the way but not hitting all the traffic on 95 and not having to deal with the traffic on the beltway was so worth it. Plus, it was very scenic driving through the mountains of West Virginia.

We got to Brunswick, GA around 9:30pm and then had just about a 3 hour ride to WDW the next day

 

[notatallmagic]

Hard call. We live in Ohio, so our drive is just a bit longer. I did it myself once with two kids, probably about 7 and 10...made it all the the way to Daytona with just a few stops for food and bathrooms . Drove another time with my mom and the kids and went straight through. I remember doing travel bingo (they kids still talk about that) and my son - who is NOT a sit still kid, played Legos the whole way. He's almost 17 and would much rather drive. I don't remember it being awful. I also second the advantage of packing whatever you want, and being able to bring/get a grocery order, which would be good for kiddos your ages and even the adults.

IF you can get out of PA and don't have tons of snow, and IF you have the time, I can definitely see the appeal of driving. I DON'T like driving on vacation once I'm there, but that's just me. And with the crazy check-in times at MCO, you really need to be there at least 3 hours before if you don't have TSA pre-check...flying isn't always the time savings it used to be, especially with delays.

 

[notatallmagic]

Side note from childhood, where we drove everywhere - that strategy was always to either leave REALLY early or drive all night (if you have anyone who is a night-owl). And try to time the drive to avoid major areas at rush hour - we go through Atlanta from Ohio, so we do our best to avoid that.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

How confident are you that the kids will sleep part of the way? How good are they with the car travel they have experienced? How are the in-laws?

If your group is good with car travel, then it may well be worth doing, but if anyone has to stop frequently, or they can't sit for long periods, or they are otherwise just not good car travelers, then 2,000 miles if pretty long drive.

A possible option to price is to check one-way car rental. Usually it is $$$, but once in a while it comes up at a reasonable price if the car company is looking to move cars from one location to the other. Even if you plan to drive round trip, with all the miles, consider a rental.

Another consideration this time of year is the weather. Whether you drive or fly, it is VERY possible to encounter snow (and rain) this time of year. With snow flights can get cancelled, but it is also smart to avoid driving through snow if at all possible.

I am inclined to say this time of year, with possible snow, and with so many people traveling together, flying might be better this time around. But it really depends what you prefer.

 

[Kestryl]

We drive from East Tennessee. Our reasons for doing this are varied. We like setting our schedule and having freedom to go where we want without reliance on taxi or buses. It’s cheaper. We can bring snacks and drinks and not worry about luggage limits. But the big thing for us is that once we factor in driving to the airport, getting there early, flying, then transferring to the hotel, driving isn’t really that much more. Our only direct options are Frontier/Allegiant, which aren’t particularly reliable here, only have one flight a day, and usually go to SFB (not MCO). Otherwise it’s a connection. So 12 hours driving (very conservative, we’re usually closer to 10) vs 8 hours flying.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm starting to hate both flying and driving for completely different reasons, but we do a mix of both from CT. When we drive, we typically make one day a long drive day and leave at 3-4am, drive til 8-9 pm and then the next day is super short, maybe 4-5 hours. Since you're already in PA, you could cut about 5 hours off of that.

Flying Pros:
Get there quickly
Fun and exciting experience (theoretically)

Flying Cons:
Cost/expensive
Stress of delays/cancellations
Stress of MCO-checking bags there is the absolute WORST
Stress of unruly passengers
Not having your car at your destination

Driving Pros:
Saving money
More control, leave when you want
Bring as much as you want, don't have to worry about overpacking
Buc-ees (IMO, the BEST reason to drive!)
You'll have a car when you get there...can stop for groceries, drive to Disney Springs, etc...

Driving Cons:
Traffic (though we head West and avoid the Beltway and rarely hit traffic)
Tolls, though we tend to avoid them with the route mentioned above
Exhausting and boring being in the car all day

I'm sure there's more pros/cons that I've missed, but this gives you something to think about. I will say that driving with kids (and you don't say how old they are) could definitely be another Con because they can get whiney and cranky being in the car for that long. When my kids were younger, we drove to Hilton Head, SC a couple times and that was not enjoyable at all. Now it's usually just my husband and I driving, and we kind of have a routine down and it's much more pleasant.

I think you summed it up very well. A big Con for me while driving is putting up with other drivers, and the unknown regarding traffic/construction. I know you mention traffic, but drivers/construction can up the stress for me. I'm also one that doesn't "enjoy the journey", I want to get where I'm going and enjoy being there.

 

[Lewisc]

I get car sick and typically do 90% of the driving

Is why should avoid driving, if at all possible.

Check airfare from alternate airports, both at home and in Florida. A couple of hours driving could result in significanr air savings

 

[VicarJT]

We drive to Lorton VA and take the auto train. We enjoy the trip, and it is great to have our own car when we get down there.

 

[mckennarose]

However, you added you'd have your in-laws and that's a big nope nope nope right there. Not only because of having them in the car which is enough but also hotel arrangements. That's ensuring there's at least 2 rooms and to everyone's liking.

LOL! Sorry, but I AM the inlaw on our drives and vacations! It may work differently with other families and dynamics, but I am the MIL for three families and we all drive together for our trips and there's never an issue. All my Son-ILs are great and we all get along at home and on vacay, where we stay together. Two of my Son-IL's families have gone with us and we've had a great time, the third has not yet, but we get together for other things and get along great. I know not all families work as well, so that would be a consideration. Heck, if I ever had to drive with MY FIL or SIL I would NEVER go! I do HIGHLY recommend that while on vacay with other family members to plan things that are not together. We will frequently split up and do our own thing and have alone time. It's just a given that is respected between all of us. Alone time is important!

IF you can get out of PA and don't have tons of snow,

I have found that once you are below a certain point, (Allentown for us) that the snow is not an issue. We live higher up with more snow, but once you get closer to Philly or below, its very rare for snow to cause a problem. YMMV.

If your group is good with car travel, then it may well be worth doing, but if anyone has to stop frequently, or they can't sit for long periods, or they are otherwise just not good car travelers, then 2,000 miles if pretty long drive.

This is true. My parents are older, in their 80's, and we do have to stop more with them.

But the big thing for us is that once we factor in driving to the airport, getting there early, flying, then transferring to the hotel, driving isn’t really that much more. Our only direct options are Frontier/Allegiant, which aren’t particularly reliable here, only have one flight a day, and usually go to SFB (not MCO). Otherwise it’s a connection.

That's our issue too. Our local airport will fly to MCO, but between the connecting flights and layovers we wind up being about the same 12 hour day as we're driving. Plus the cost of parking our car and the rental, it really adds up.

 

[Tenkawa]

Driving is not an option from the west coast to WDW (especially the Northwest). But having done the drive down the coast to LA (DL)... it works alright for larger groups BUT....

It is about 18-20 hours of driving each way.
You need to pay for gas, which assuming 30mpg, 1200 miles, which is 40 gallons each way. Budget for $3.75/gallon, so $150 each way in gas.
Add a hotel room for a night (unless you have multiple drivers), call it $150
Then add food for 2 days for X people. Call it $40/day/person (on a budget)

So for taking up 4 days of vacation time (both ways), costing $300 in GAS, $150 for a hotel, and $160/person for food....
Round trip flight from Seattle to LAX is 2 hours, and costs about $200.

It takes a lot of people, and driving non-stop (avoiding hotel and some food costs), to make it cost effective to drive (unless you have other stops to make along the way).


For reference purposes, Columbus, OH to Disney World is just under 1000 miles.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

LOL! Sorry, but I AM the inlaw on our drives and vacations! It may work differently with other families and dynamics, but I am the MIL for three families and we all drive together for our trips and there's never an issue. All my Son-ILs are great and we all get along at home and on vacay, where we stay together. Two of my Son-IL's families have gone with us and we've had a great time, the third has not yet, but we get together for other things and get along great. I know not all families work as well, so that would be a consideration. Heck, if I ever had to drive with MY FIL or SIL I would NEVER go! I do HIGHLY recommend that while on vacay with other family members to plan things that are not together. We will frequently split up and do our own thing and have alone time. It's just a given that is respected between all of us. Alone time is important!

Oh I've been in the car with my in-laws for long hours. We did a road trip as well in 2014. BUT based on other trips they've done where they've driven (to New England area, to CA) it's a situation that doing 2 days of driving with constant stops because mother-in-law has to get ice cream or snacks from this random gas station and she's hungry and "dang it you missed the exit" etc...it's a no when the driving isn't the vacation and rather just getting there and that's an opinion shared by her own adult children who have zero interest in being stuck in a car for that long ever again with their mom (the 11+ hours to get to Colorado for a ski trip already is taxing enough lol). I've driven down to Houston, TX with my mother-in-law as well which wasn't too bad but we had to constantly stop for random snacks. Bathroom breaks are needed.. but Braum's isn't all that IMO.

Most people here on the DIS already given warnings with going to WDW with extended family...for a reason. We all know those who do quite well though. I know vacations where we do well as a family vacation (we actually have one in April to celebrate our 10th anniversary in Mexico) but I also know other trips where it's not going to gel.

But for the OP it was that they would have their young 2 kids plus them plus their in-laws all in the same car for 2 days there and 2 days back. The journey there could def. put a damper on the excitement of the trip itself.

 

[sam_gordon]

but if anyone has to stop frequently

And it doesn't need to be one person. If someone can't "sync" their bladders with everyone else, you can end up in trouble. For example, let's say you can stop every 4 hours (should be ~300 miles) for gas. Hopefully EVERYONE goes to the bathroom then. But, if you get someone who says "I don't have to go", then you get back on the road and an hour later they need to go. An hour later, it's someone else, etc, etc.

You quickly lose time on drives with stops. When I'm driving somewhere (especially a long distance), stop for gas, go to the bathroom, get food, get in the car, and eat while driving. If you have to stop multiple times, sit down at restaurants to eat, etc, all you're doing is making the trip longer.

 

[Frwinkley]

We drove this summer from Pittsburgh to Quebec City in Canada. Close to 2,000 miles. Although our car has about 60K miles on it, we elected to rent a car. I didn't want to put the extra mileage on our car and knew that if something happened with the rental, we could always call the rental agency and get another. The idea of something happening (accident, etc) to our car when it was 2,000 miles from home was not appealing at all.

FWIW-- we rented through Costco for pick up at a local agency (instead of an airport). Saved us a significant amount of money. Total rental for 10 days was less than $400.

 

[EpcotQueen]

We drive to Lorton VA and take the auto train. We enjoy the trip, and it is great to have our own car when we get down there.

I too live in PA and drive to Lorton for the auto rain. Very relaxing. The kids may enjoy it! It's great having your own car and not worrying about weight of suitcases!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

And it doesn't need to be one person. If someone can't "sync" their bladders with everyone else, you can end up in trouble. For example, let's say you can stop every 4 hours (should be ~300 miles) for gas. Hopefully EVERYONE goes to the bathroom then. But, if you get someone who says "I don't have to go", then you get back on the road and an hour later they need to go. An hour later, it's someone else, etc, etc.

You quickly lose time on drives with stops. When I'm driving somewhere (especially a long distance), stop for gas, go to the bathroom, get food, get in the car, and eat while driving. If you have to stop multiple times, sit down at restaurants to eat, etc, all you're doing is making the trip longer.

Ideally, we should all have an opportunity to move around after approximately two hours of sitting. I hear you though. this happens not only on the drive, but in the parks. the bigger the group, the harder it is to keep everyone on the same page.

My road trips are variable. Sometimes we focus on keeping stops very short, other times we enjoy the drive and/or stops along the way. My most recent long drive, we got a later start than we initially planned, so we ended up stopping for the night. I try to bake that possibility into every long distance trip, especially winter vacations.


OP, do you have an EZ-Pass transponder? If you do not, and plan to drive, you might want to get one. I don't know what each state offers, so I don't know what PA offers, but you might want to have what is called a flex transponder. The Flex style EZ-Pass has a small switch. When you have more than 3 passengers, then you flip the switch and can use the 3-person HOV lanes in Virginia for free (or a reduced fee?)

In some spots it might still be 2-person HOV lanes, in I'm certain of the details. You do not need to be a VA resident to buy a VA transponder in VA. It would be better if you can buy one in advance, but I'm not sure if that is an option from PA. I think the cost is $35 for a pass, but it comes pre-loaded for $35 worth of tolls.

Not only will the transponder be potentially useful in VA, it can also be used in Florida for the toll lanes in Florida, plus any tolls you incur in PA and a number of other states.

 

[sam_gordon]

My road trips are variable. Sometimes we focus on keeping stops very short, other times we enjoy the drive and/or stops along the way. My most recent long drive, we got a later start than we initially planned, so we ended up stopping for the night. I try to bake that possibility into every long distance trip, especially winter vacations.

I remember one time travelling for work, we were going from St Pete to San Antonio. We had two cars and left at the same time. I was in car #1. We did the "minimal" stops, got into San Antonio with a day and half to spare. We had time to get our laundry done and go play a round of golf. Car #2 decided to stop for sit down meals, and wanted to stop to see whatever award show happened to be on that night. They got in hours before needing to go to work. Needless to say, the guy riding with me and myself were relaxed and ready to take on another week of work, the others were stressing about jumping right into work.

Has really nothing to do with traveling for vacation, just a little anecdote.