Should I do it?....difference is $600.

[Goofy'sFriend]

We had been planning on driving, but now realizing what a long drive it is from MD. We have driven it before years ago, but last few trips we flew. The difference between airport parking, towncar service, and flights....versus gas, hotel stops down and back is about $600 for the 5 of us. Would you do it?

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

600 more for the flights? If you can take the extra time with the driving and want the convenience of having your car with you once you are down there, then drive. If you can't take the drive and are in a hurry to get there, then fly. (not much help huh?)

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

In NY minute.

 

[Pinnie]

FLY!!!!!



pin

 

[safetymom]

Fly. How about wear and tear on your car also? You can be in the parks or relaxing by your resort pool instead of driving.

 

[Goofy'sFriend]

Thank you! Deep down, this is what I wanted to hear....just wanted your reassurance! I keep thinking what I could buy for the extra $600.......but I also think being able to relax longer.....and not having the stress of heavy traffic is well worth it.....not to mention being in the car for 16 hours. We never drove I-95 in the peak of the summer, I was also worried about that. We got stuck in a traffic jam on the PA turnpike a few weeks ago...and it was not fun! And that was only a 4 hour drive!

 

[Amaris]

We drove 1-95 from Va pre-children. I would never do it again unless we had no other option.

If you ENJOY driving, I say go for it! It if is only to save some money, and you will be miserable, treat yourself and fly. The quality of your vacation will be much better if you enjoy getting there

 

[jessgood1]

I'm in the same situation! I have young kids (5, 4, 2) and even a 4-1/2 hour trip is a nightmare!! I had planned our trip way before I started thinking about the transportation there and then started dreading the drive. Difference will be about the same for us ~$600, but driving would put DH taking 2 extra days off work, as well as annoying the heck out of me Plus I'd spend the entire trip dreading the drive back :S

I think it is WELL worth the money to not have to be stuck in a car for that amount of time! It's 1-1/2 hours flying vs 9 driving for us. OH YEA! Friendly SKies, here I come <lol!>

Good luck!

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

Yes!!! It's well worth it. We've driven to WDW from the Northeast and now live in Ohio. The trip is less hours from here but still a lot of wear and tear on the drivers and the vehicle. I always try real, real hard to fly. The only time I would drive is if it's impossible to get there any other way. The last few years we've been able to get good deals on air fare and car rental so we've flown. If you can fly...don't even think about it. Do it!!

 

[SCCaguioa]

FLY!

For 600 dollars more, I would pay for the luxury. Besides, how I see driving: The drive down isn't bad....its the LONG DRIVE HOME that is painful!

 

[n2mm]

You put a value on everything except your precious vacation time. I never want to waste one minute of that vacation time (not that I'm implying that spending time in the car with your family is a waste of time). Only that the faster you all can be having fun and relaxing is worth every penny to me. We routinely leave on the 7:00 AM flight out of Wash. DC. Land at 9:00 AM and are at our hotel by 10:00 AM and usually in a park before noon. I always say to my husband as we're enjoying a nice relaxing lunch that first day, "just imagine, a few short hours ago we were waking up in our bed at home, now we're here!!" We love that the non-stop flights are only 2 hours out of Wash. DC!!

 

[Goofy'sFriend]

You have all summed it up perfectly! How true that when you take one vacation a year (and a very busy, hectic one) that you don't enjoy every minute of it. We will be there so much sooner and be able to stay a full day with a later flight. Plus, DH would have to take more vacation time if we drove.....something I forgot. I feel so much better about spending the extra $600. The drive down is not bad......but who wants to ruin the great relaxing vacation by dreading the ride home.

 

[mcnuss]

Are you really sure that it's going to cost an extra $600?

We just did the break-out for my in-laws who would be coming down from the Annapolis area. We figured it would take 2 days driving each way with 3 kids, but that they would not need dinners the last 2 nights:

Here's what we figured:

2 nights hotel: $100 per night ($200)
Meals for 3 days x 5 people: breakfast, free with room, lunch at fast food, $30 ($120), dinners slow food, $50 ($100) snacks, etc... purchased before leaving $100 - TOTAL=$320
Gas for SUV: 1800 miles total, using approx. IRS rate of 32 cents per mile to figure gas/oil/wear & tear: about $550. Even just figuring the gas, it would be about $300.

By the time we added it all up, it was going to be close to $1000 to drive.

They got 5 tickets for $135 r/t on SW from BWI-MCO, will be there in less than 4 hours door to door, and the total was $675. They got a car rental for the week for $125.

Once we did all the calculations, it was a no-brainer!

 

[punkin]

I drove to Orlando from DC area alone with 2 children (9 and 4) last November. It took me 14 hours and was a fairly easy drive. I did not stop overnight. I left at 5 am and was eating dinner on 192 7 pm. My husband flew down for Thanksgiving weekend and helped me drive back up (the drive back really was more difficult). We are doing the same thing this August. I have no problem driving if the vacation is for a week or more, otherwise I would fly (which I'm doing in 2 weeks for a long weekend).

 

[mom2boys]

We have driven from MD 5 out of 6 trips. We figure it cost us about $400 to drive. That includes gas, fast food for lunch & dinner, munchies at every gas stop & a room on the way down - we like to arrive rested. We don't get a room on the way back - don't really need it. DH & I switch drivers every 3-4 hours and sleep in between. The kids have their videos.
There are only four of us but in addition to airfare, we would need to park the car at the airport, get transportation from airport to Disney - the time we flew it cost us $85 plus $ 20-25 in tips each way.
We do this so that we can justify more trips to WDW. If the $600 isn't going to mean less spending $, I'd would definitely fly. For us, that would mean $600 less to spend in the parks.

 

[ls1222]

Dopey&Grumpy-What a small world, we live about an hour from Cambridge, Oh. My grandparents live there and my dad grew up there, my mom grew up in Old Washington!!!!! Anyway, I say FLY!!! We have 3 children and I think we would all be so grouchy and tired (not a way I want to start vacation).

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

ls1212: Wow! I guess it is a small world. Our youngest lives about an hour from us in No. Canton and my DH works for the Senior Center so he probably knows your grandparents. Makes us all feel connected, doesn't it.

Fly, Fly, Fly - I agree 100%

 

[ls1222]

Dopey & Grumpy- Isnt it funny!!!!! We live in Massillon, and my DH works in North Canton. I have quite a few relatives still in the Cambridge area and we love to go to Salt Fork. In fact, we were just at the city park for a family reunion. Its not too often you see someone from Cambridge!!!!!

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

ls1222: (I see I got it wrong the first time...)

We live about 6 miles from Salt Fork. Love that park! I see where you're going to WDW a few days before us. Have a great time. We're really looking forward to our trip.

 

[Kitty 34]

Definetly fly!!!