Should we drive or fly??!!

[Princess Nancy]

I just can't decide!!
We are headed to Orlando dec 14-22. Staying offsite. So we will need a car.
We live near Cincinnati Ohio.
5 of us. Flights cost about $1350 Nonstop on South west.

2 of my kids can help drive, so we have 4 drivers! All are good travelers, but ugh, just don't want to do the drive, but could spend that airline money on Christmas!

What things factor into your decision?

 

[cemeb4dk]

The factors for my family to drive verses fly. While we prefer to fly, sometimes the airline prices are so high theres no way I would fly.

So factors for us is
Airline prices verses estimated cost of roundtrip driving (gas, snacks, hotel)
Then there is also the vehicle, is its road trip worthy and big enough for the family to be in car that long. Also how long you are going for to break up the driving, and then also if your renting a car.

We are going this year dec 29th -Jan 9th and while planning trip airline prices were all $1300 plus for the 3 of us. So there was no way I was paying that, and while the wife and I both have new cars and big enough to handle a road trip the decision was easy to drive. Yes it takes a little longer to drive, but its the experience and then a huge costs savings. I figure we will save between $800-$1000 by driving our own car verses (flying, airport parking, or limo, then car rental) so for us its an easy decision. Plus your only about what a 12 hour drive or so, thats easy and no hotel required for that trip

 

[sam_gordon]

Cost vs. time. Driving is cheaper, but flying is faster.

We're from Central Ky and it's ~14 hour drive. Depending on what time we leave, that would require an overnight stay.

And you're right, the money you save by driving can be used for something else. But the time you save by flying can be used in the parks.

And for PP, Cincinnati would be ~15 hours.

 

[Princess Nancy]

Thanks for your thoughts!

Yep 15 hours! We definitely will do it in two days down, might drive straight through on the way back. 4 drivers makes that doable.

We have a new Honda Pilot so the car and comfort is not an issue.

But oh, to fly would be so nice. I keep thinking the kids are getting older, I cherish everyday I have them all together! 2 are off at college and I am thrilled they want to go! I think the extra days spent in Florida or even at home would be so much more enjoyable than in the car or a crowded hotel room. We have a condo in Florida to spread out!

I think I might just shoot the lock off his wallet tonight!! Lol!!!

 

[stasijane]

Thanks for your thoughts!

Yep 15 hours! We definitely will do it in two days down, might drive straight through on the way back. 4 drivers makes that doable.

We have a new Honda Pilot so the car and comfort is not an issue.

But oh, to fly would be so nice. I keep thinking the kids are getting older, I cherish everyday I have them all together! 2 are off at college and I am thrilled they want to go! I think the extra days spent in Florida or even at home would be so much more enjoyable than in the car or a crowded hotel room. We have a condo in Florida to spread out!

I think I might just shoot the lock off his wallet tonight!! Lol!!!

I would think being stuck in a car for 15 hours would be a good time to talk and bond Me and my DD14 drive from Missouri its about 17 hours and we look forward to the drive.

 

[shell8558]

We have driven every year for the past 7 years / can't bear the thought of giving away all my money to the airlines . It's 12 hours for us and we drive straight through . ( actually my husband drives all the way ) * and we also have a new Honda pilot , which is wonderful for road trips !! As was my previous Honda pilot !!!

 

[ALD85]

I just can't decide!! We are headed to Orlando dec 14-22. Staying offsite. So we will need a car. We live near Cincinnati Ohio. 5 of us. Flights cost about $1350 Nonstop on South west. 2 of my kids can help drive, so we have 4 drivers! All are good travelers, but ugh, just don't want to do the drive, but could spend that airline money on Christmas! What things factor into your decision?

I'm in Ohio but about 3 hours north of you, and we have driven to FL once and will NEVER do it again. Miserable. I also don't think I could bear the thought of a whole exhausting week at Disney and then have to make that trek home. :scared

 

[ain0004]

We live in Ohio too. I have yet to drive that far with the kids. I have a rule if it's within 200 to 300 more to fly than drive. Then we will always drive out of connivence. Less days off work, less whining, less worries period. I know we will drive someday soon. We will do most of the driving at night DH works nights and could do this no problem

 

[Day-Day]

We have done both: 13 hour drive vs. <2hr flight non-stop. Another thing to consider is the schedule of the flights. The drive to the airport, security screening, waiting to board and the flight all add up to a certain amount of time. If the flight leaves later in the day getting up early and driving to WDW may get the arrival time's close to the same.

I don't feel like I've lost too much valuable time if I can leave for the drive well before the flight would leave the airport. Sometimes we got up early morning and drove straight through while others we left sometime after work and drove part way staying in a hotel somewhere on the road.

It is nice to have no luggage restriction when driving. We take coolers and don't worry too much about packing light.

I don't know what our exact cost difference would need to be before we decide to drive over flying and it has changed over the years; this would be a personal choice. We have been flying for the past few visits and rent a car.

Now, our kids pay for their own tickets and some visits are just my wife and I so my math easily leans towards flying.

 

[lylone]

We always fly and we live in Atlanta. We both hate driving and would rather show up all refreshed and ready to tour the parks then hot, tired and bothered from the car ride down there. It may be only 8 hours...but is a long and boring trip.
We fly all the time to Florida and book in advance to get the cheapest flights.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I live in Atlanta, but I fly as well if I can financially afford to do so. I love the 4 hour head start to my vacation.

 

[ls1jt]

I'm in Ohio, Northeastern by Akron, and I love the drive. I know it takes away a solid 30 vacation hours to get there and back... but I still love the cost savings.

In a perfect world flying down would be awesome each time, but the price difference is just something I can't justify. I usually drive it all in one sitting too, but this year we stopped on the way home in NC at a Hampton. The drive is all part of the vacation for me though.

 

[Goofy101798]

We always drive when we visit in December. This gives us the luxury of taking Christmas decorations and a small tree for our room!! Can't do that on a plane without paying big bucks!!

 

[bigbabyblues]

We prefer to drive, also from Ohio. It is 14-15 hours for us, and we usually drive straight through, leaving about 3:00 when school ends for the day. However, we're 2-3 hours from the airport, depending on which one we use, and that makes flying a bigger hassle for us.

 

[tobikaye]

I live just north of Cincinnati so I know the drive well. Although I like the shorter travel time that flying offers, I like driving and not being held to luggage limits at times.

If you leave around 4 or 5 am, you should easily make it in one day if the 4 drivers take turns. I drove down one year, leaving at 5 am and was stopping in Valdosta at 4 pm. I was the only driver and my sister needed the break from sitting in the car or we would have been there easily that night. It did make the next day an easy drive.

 

[marthachick]

Check Southwest again today. I've been stalking them & got an email this morning about a sale. Saved over $250 from what I'd been seeing. For 3.

 

[aleksandr]

We've driven from NH these past 3 years, but seriously thinking about flying this time around, despite the cost. While I don't really mind the drive so much, it seems like so much time wasted that could be better spent in Florida, even if it is just days sitting at the resort enjoying the pool. Even if you take into account the time wasted with the security theater at the airport, it is still much quicker than driving.

We've always been relatively lucky in terms of traffic, even without really planning our times through major cities.

We did witness 2 separate incidents last year involving fatalities, which is quite a sobering experience...

 

[madatmama]

My concern on the 11 drive from NC is the poor kids. It can't be comfortable to sit in car seats that long, not to mention trying to sleep in them if we drive overnight. When I was a kid nobody bothered with seat belts so a long drive like that would be bearable if you made a bed in the back. How do your kids fare on these long trips? I'm having a hard time not imagining three very grumpy children upon arrival. Any tips?

 

[kerplop]

We prefer to fly, but there are only two of us and the costs are about even usually. About $600 to fly or $600 to drive. The only difference is that we'd have a car while we're at WDW, which is a nice thing if you have a lot of dining reservations. But to me it's not worth a 16 hour drive that eats up two days of vacation and leaves me pooped when we get there. I'd rather have the whole thing over with in 6 or so hours and have more time to play.

 

[cel_disney]

My concern on the 11 drive from NC is the poor kids. It can't be comfortable to sit in car seats that long, not to mention trying to sleep in them if we drive overnight. When I was a kid nobody bothered with seat belts so a long drive like that would be bearable if you made a bed in the back. How do your kids fare on these long trips? I'm having a hard time not imagining three very grumpy children upon arrival. Any tips?

While we don't drive to Orlando, I actually think carseats with 5 pt harnesses can be very comfortable for long trips! Many have recline features as well that do offer some level of recline...I think you could easily drive all if desired...

My DD is rear facing at age 3 and enjoys a great recline and comfortable feet locations, but DS is now in a booster seat. We have to put something at his feet as a footrest for him to be comfortable on long drives. I think this is a good thing for most forward facers if they can't prob their feet up on the seat bench..