Take 2 days or 3 to drive?

[Kellars]

We have about a 19hr drive we are taking 2 nights down and 1 on the way back..we aren't pushing it we have the extra time so will stop and see different things and make the drive part of our vacation.

This is us. We drive 21+ hrs and stop at duty free and a grocery store going down. We arrive refreshed and ready to have fun at Disney. We dive hard going home arriving tired and totally done. 1 extra night on the trip down is cheaper than a resort night at Disney.

 

[youngb1978]

This is us. We drive 21+ hrs and stop at duty free and a grocery store going down. We arrive refreshed and ready to have fun at Disney. We dive hard going home arriving tired and totally done. 1 extra night on the trip down is cheaper than a resort night at Disney.

This is why we are taking our time down..I would rather spend an extra night on the road then be totally exhausted when we get to universal and waste the first day sleeping.

 

[Evelyne]

We have been going for more than 20 years always driving most of the time straight, even when the kids were toddlers, everybody familly has different tolerance. My husband likes to drive and can go for 6-7 hours after that he will easely fall assleep, for 2-3 hours and go on for another 5-6 hours, and then again untill we get there 24 hours later. This past June we werw with our daughter, who drives as well now, and we stoped for the night in South Carolina, we felt the ride was longer than ever, it feels the more you stop the longer it seems. When we got back we left the World at 9am got home at 9h30 am the next day, thag works for us

 

[missthatgator]

As a kid my family made the trip a few times: 3 days, 2 days and straight through. As an adult I've only gone straight through and prefer to do it that way but my DH is dead set against it.

We are compromising next time we drive with 2 days which is pretty reasonable and I think just mentally feels a lot shorter than 3. That being said we are also both very used to spending long days driving - we commute to work a little more than an hour each way and then spend much of a 12 hour shift in a vehicle.

You could always leave yourself an extra day and if you have the energy to push through, do it and if not then take the extra time. You could book that second night at a cheaper hotel room off property that has a lenient cancellation policy and then cancel if you find you'll still be on the road that night or if you make it there you'll be all ready to hit the park next morning.

We are 20 hrs away according to google maps but without fail the drive has always ended up being right around 24h when all is said and done

 

[mary lou]

If its savings you are looking for have you considered boondocking? Most walmarts are ok with it or Flying J.

 

[stayhomemom77]

We are a family of road trippers....and we do our 18-20 hour drive either straight thru (which is MY preference) or over 2 days, with the bulk of the driving done on the first day. Since DH doesn't usually relinquish the driver's seat (he prefers to drive rather than ride as a passenger and I am the opposite, so it works out great for us!!) I always let him have final say.

This year because it's at Christmastime, DH wanted to break the drive up some. We are going to drive to Atlanta (12-13 hrs) and spend the night, then do a bit of after Christmas shopping in that area the next morning, before heading to Ocala for a nice meal and a stay in a nice roomy suite. On the third day we are heading to Disney and enjoying a nice, relaxing day at our resort. Totally laid back, leaving lots of room for possible weather and/or construction related delays.

Because it's a winter trip, I see the wisdom in this plan...but it might just kill me! Luckily, the Ocala room is only a reservation (Atlanta is booked and paid for already), so I can still try and find something in the Orlando area in our price range, so we can go right over after breakfast and check into our resort on that third day. But don't tell DH.