Should we do it or not...UPDATE

[hdecker]

Okay, we were going to skip a year. Already booked and paid for our vacation to a different location and then this dining thing came up. We've never been able to afford to eat at these places before. We can't cancel our other trip so we are thinking about the labor day long weekend. Now, heres the question - how many of you would drive 16 hours to spend 3 days at Disney and drive 16 hours back. I really need a fix!



UPDATE: I couldn't resist - paid my deposit yesterday. Will probably fly but cheapest airfart is 300 pp, so not happy about that. Definately better than driving though. Woo Hoo - 73 days to go

 

[fac]

I would not drive 16 hours one-day just to spend 3 days in WDW.
BTW, when you said 3 day, did you mean 2 nights/3 days?
If so, I definitely would not go.

 

[ceecee]

I wouldn't do it either. We drove to FL from Ohio one time and said never again! DH's entire family is in FL. We were tried from driving the day we arrived and the day we got home. Plus labor day at WDW would probably be a nightmare with crowds.

 

[hdecker]

I would not drive 16 hours one-day just to spend 3 days in WDW.
BTW, when you said 3 day, did you mean 2 nights/3 days?
If so, I definitely would not go.

We would get there Friday morning when the parks open and leave Monday around noon. The drive doesn't bother us, we've done it alot, but usually stay 5-6 days.

 

[da-winnie-pooh]

Gee, I don't know. I'm the one who drove to FL for a long week-end with a 2 year old when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. OK, hubby drove. We left Wednesday, spent the night in a DUMP in MS (our kids don't appreciate how POOR we used to be!!) then spent Thursday afternoon until Saturday morning in Destin, FL. Oh, yeah, it was also 4th of July week-end. Now, on the one hand, Destin is only about 500 miles away. On the other hand, you are probably not as pregnant as I was and possibly don't have a 2 year old, either.

If you decide to go, make sure everyone has realistic expectations. You won't be able to spend that much time in the parks, you won't be able to do everything you'd like to do, but it'll still be fun.

Good luck deciding!

Anita

 

[fac]

I may not be the best person to give an opinion as I hate to drive. The longest distance for me was 5 hours to Vermont.

Now, look at your situation, if you were to arrive at WDW on Friday morning, I suspected you plan to drive straight through, do you realistically have the energy to play on Friday? I don't know, I had worked in a week with 10 hours sleep but I was younger then.

Without too much sleep on Friday, you will have to drive another 16 hours on Monday, will you be able to focus? If you leave WDW on Monday around noon, it means you will get home at around 4 am on Tuesday morning. Will you have enough sleep? Will you be using Sunday night/Monday morning to catch up your sleep?

On the other hand, if you do not have kids, the drive does not bother you and you think you have enough energy, no other plan for that weekend, I would say why not? Have fun.

 

[rsschneck]

Too long of a drive for that short of a stay.

We are doing 2 night/3 days in November @ DL. Our drive would be 18 hours and there is no way I would drive it for that. Is a weekend with flying way out of your price range?

 

[momxx5]

We would do it.

Go for it - although Labor Day weekend will be packed, you'll still be at the happiest place on earth.

 

[rsschneck]

We would do it.

Go for it - although Labor Day weekend will be packed, you'll still be at the happiest place on earth.

Last year it wasn't packed. Hurricane #2 hit that weekend last year. The parks were empty!

 

[happytraveller]

Hi, personally i think it all comes down to how YOU feel about NOT going at all.I suspect you'd rather go and experience the good or bad of it, than stay home regretting not going or thinking what if!Go for it and have a wonderful time

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I'm pretty biased, I would drive down for the weekend and come back, but of course, I only live five hours down. Now I would priceline it and bid on a ticket but I don't think I would drive 16 hours, not even for wdw, and staying for that short amount of time.

 

[freakylick]

Personally, I would do it...We are driving in October (about the same length of time as you) and I don't mind driving either.

However, someone mentioned about driving straight through..If that is true, I think it is a bad idea...especially if you are driving straight through on your way home too. Too much driving with little to no sleep, too much activity while you are there...you will need a week off of work just to recover.

 

[brivers222]

We are in the same boat... For the fun of it I submitted a free quote request to Dreams Unlimited. Beth wrote back and said for DW and myself for 3nights (lowest amount possible to receive free dining) and 3day MYW-PH tickets it would be $698 for the two of us to go Sept 2-5. Free meals included, that is a steal. Our drive from MI to FL is about 18-19 so I really don't think that is not really an option for us . The best prices I have found flying over Labor day is about $600 round trip for both. So that is an additional $450 dollar flying as opposed to driving (usually $150 round trip for gas). As much as I want to go now, we are just going to have to wait until our "REAL" trip next may.

Personally, I would do it...We are driving in October (about the same length of time as you) and I don't mind driving either.

However, someone mentioned about driving straight through..If that is true, I think it is a bad idea...especially if you are driving straight through on your way home too. Too much driving with little to no sleep, too much activity while you are there...you will need a week off of work just to recover.

 

[hdecker]

OK - heres the update - I guess we're not going to do it. It's not as much a time issue as I thought it would be, but we would be doing back to back vacations this way and the kids would already be back in school for three weeks at that point. Just for the record - we are the crazy people that hop in the van on a Friday morning - drive 12 hours to Biloxi Mississippi - spend Saturday at the beach - drive home late, late Sunday. Get home in time to go to work on Monday. I can't even count how many times we've done that - even in the winter just to get out of the cold. There are 3 of us switching off driving; me, dh, and dd15 (yes its legal) and none of us have problems sleeping in the car. dd13 keeps us updated on how long we have left to go. We are not young - 40's - but we just love to road -trip. Thanks everyone for their input.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

I would definately do it!!! 16 hours is nothing!!! You can do that in a day!!!

I'd do it . . . NO DOUBT!!!