Quick Opinions Needed - DING fare!

[hokiefan33]

I just got dinged with a fare of $57 RT from RDU to MCO, and they have flights at good times on the dates we're going (9/3 - 9/10). Total cost for 5 (paying for 4, baby flying free) would be $531 RT! It's a direct flight, too, so we would probably save about 6 hours one-way of actual travel time, at least.

Given all the stuff you have to pack for a baby, hassle with luggage and airports, and not having a car available at WDW (we'd rely on DME to get to and from the airport), my question is this:

IS IT WORTH IT TO SPRING FOR THE AIRFARE? OR WOULD YOU JUST DRIVE?

Also, can you book an internet DING rate for 5 people, but only pay for 4 (baby free)? If so, how?

TIA!

 

[WDWorBUST]

First off I'm incredibly jealous of that fare I would spring for a ticket for the baby at that fare and take a carseat with you. It would be worth it to me. Of course if you weren't planning on the expense of a rental car then the carseat would just be sitting around taking up space your whole vacation. But I can't imagine flying with my DD as a lap baby. It was so nice her having her own seat.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

I took advantage of that fair today! However, we are traveling Oct 2-Oct 9 and the Ding for Oct 9 was sold out . But I did get it for the way down. Its been a while since I drove to Florida, and I am over in Winston...but it takes us more like 10 hours one way without stops. So probably for us more like 14 hours with a three year old

I say fly...you just can't beat it can you?

 

[cosmicdaisy]

I wanted to add that my dd has food allergies, so she still requires her fair share of packing as well. We will be shipping a box down to our resort. A 20 pound box of average size through USPS is only 15 dollars. Just a thought if you had stuff you could ship instead of pack and hassle with at the airport.

 

[Rpsemont]

Not sure from your post of travel times and what not, but I always factor in lost work time if that comes in to play. We recently had to go to CLE for a 75th B'day party. Originally we were going to drive, which is 10 hours, 600 miles, tolls, OW. Would have required leaving on Fri - late morning, and not arrivng home until Mon around noon. SWA came out with great fares and the net net was that the cost to fly vs drive NOT factoring in lost work time was about $200 more. When I realized that DH and I would both gain about 1.5 days of work by flying, it was a easy decision.
Good luck on your decision.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

What is this DING you are all talking about!!! I need a great fare EWR to MCO!!!

 

[My2Cinderellas]

Buy a seat for the baby! I'll leave the safety soapbox speech off here, but just the peace of not holding a wiggly baby for hours is wonderful. car seat is such a familiar and secure place that my girls always fell asleep on the plane, just like in the car. plus you have hands free to assist the other children. at that price, I wouldn't hesitate!

 

[dgaston]

Ding is a tool you can download from the www.southwest.com website that will alert you to special fares with *you guessed it* a "ding."

 

[LakeAriel]

It looks as though SW doesn't fly out of NY. Is this correct?

 

[DonnaL]

Depends where in NY you are......SW does fly out of LaGuardia, Islip, Albany,
and Buffalo and also, Newark (which for some people is actually closer than a
NY airport)