Who Loves driving to DisneyWorld

[Tara]

I'm not trying to convince anyone to fly, please don't take it that way.
Everyone does what works for their family. For me time is the biggest issue so we go the way that gets us there fastest. (I'd never be able to take off work 14-18 days.)
Everyone has different values and needs.

That was my point, too - everyone has to do what works for them. I have no need to convince anyone because what they do is their business. If they ask for opinions about which is better, I'll certainly offer my experience. But the "guess you aren't tough enough" digs seem needlessly defensive.

 

[NikitaZee]

We usually drive, for several reasons. The main reason is that I've become afraid of flying, so that usually decides the transportation right then and there. As a sideline to that, though - we like road trips with the kids - it's so nice getting that extra time with them. We like the freedom of packing what we want, and being able to stop when we want to. Staying overnight at hotels along the way is something my kids love to do. All that said, however - we made the trip from Massachusetts to WDW in October and it was awful. Much too long for my taste, everybody was cranky and it wasn't as enjoyable as trips we've done to WDW from Kentucky or even New York. This time, we're trying the Auto Train - but if it doesn't work out well, I think I'll be working on my fear of flying so the next trip will be by air. Not up to the Mass-WDW drive again!

 

[Charleston Zurg]

We are lucky we are only six hours away so we drive every time we go down. Three years ago we happened to be talking to the parents of a child in my daughters class and we were both going down for the week. They were flying. The mom said "We could never drive. Flying is so much quicker and easier. So when we met up with them we asked how there flight was. Guess what, it took them over ten hours just to get to MCS. They were late leaving CHS, then late leaving ATL. Since then the mom said never again would they fly.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I'm not trying to convince anyone to fly, please don't take it that way.
Everyone does what works for their family. For me time is the biggest issue so we go the way that gets us there fastest. (I'd never be able to take off work 14-18 days.)
Everyone has different values and needs.

I agree. If I had two weeks to blow. I wouldn't care. I might suck it up, not poke my eyes out and do the drive.

We go during the school year so I'm pulling my kids out of school. We go from Saturday to Saturday. We usually can't be very flexible. So for our family, flying is definetly the way to go.

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Everyone has different needs, and wants. I LOVE roadtrips. I am a single mom so I am the solo driver. I love to fly when I am short on time, but every couple of years I get the chance to 2 weeks off work and take my time and drive down. I love watching my DD's face when she soaks up the beautiful scenery, the majestic mountains, and the dense forests. We live in a flat city. LOL It is nice to expose her to other places. I drive until I get tired, then find a nice clean hotel and rest, then drive some more. My next trip I am playing with the route so that I can show her other scenery, and she will get to see the ocean and go to the beach on our way down! We just can't do these things when we fly

 

[sharadoc]

First, I'd like to say that the title of the thread is "Who LOVES Driving to Disney World?" not "Do you prefer flying or driving".

I thought the thread would be "let's talk about driving, why we like it, what we do" but it became another fly vs. drive fight, which is a shame.

We don't count just time in the car vs. time in the plane, by the way, which seems to be the major point of any argument in favor of flying. We count leave the house, drive to the airport, get there 2 hrs. in advance for security, go through security, board, fly, arrive, get through airport and get bags, get rental car or onto ME, drive to Disney World. How many hours door to door for one day? For us, 8-10 depending on time of day. So we drive on that day for the same amount of time (or longer if we decide to do a long first day).

So we are not giving up four days to drive, we are giving up two half days and we build that into our vacation.

People who drive aren't stupid, cheap or physically unable to fly. We have our own reasons for it and it would be great to help out the OP with the reasons we LOVE IT and not why we shouldn't!!

Thanks and this is the best discussion board on the whole DIS!!!!

 

[SarahKate]

I agree Sharadoc!

I've kind of been watching this thread and it's funny how people "hijack" threads.....the title of the thread is VERY specific!

I'm going to stay neutral because this will be our FIRST time driving. But I'm pretty optimistic that it will be a nice change to drive and hopefully after we get back I can come back to this thread and give my two cents!!!

To me, we are looking forward to taking side trips on the way home.....one nite on the beach in Clearwater/St. Pete and a couple nites in Chattanooga. Couldn't do that if we were flying. Also, something to be said for just having the freedom and exposing our DD to other things!

 

[Tara]

First, I'd like to say that the title of the thread is "Who LOVES Driving to Disney World?" not "Do you prefer flying or driving".

I thought the thread would be "let's talk about driving, why we like it, what we do" but it became another fly vs. drive fight, which is a shame.

We don't count just time in the car vs. time in the plane, by the way, which seems to be the major point of any argument in favor of flying. We count leave the house, drive to the airport, get there 2 hrs. in advance for security, go through security, board, fly, arrive, get through airport and get bags, get rental car or onto ME, drive to Disney World. How many hours door to door for one day? For us, 8-10 depending on time of day. So we drive on that day for the same amount of time (or longer if we decide to do a long first day).

So we are not giving up four days to drive, we are giving up two half days and we build that into our vacation.

People who drive aren't stupid, cheap or physically unable to fly. We have our own reasons for it and it would be great to help out the OP with the reasons we LOVE IT and not why we shouldn't!!

Thanks and this is the best discussion board on the whole DIS!!!!

Ironically, the thread took the turn you don't like when posters started responding not about why they love driving, but why driving is so much better than flying, with one poster actually suggesting that it's the fliers who are physically incapable. Go figure.

As I said on another thread about driving, there's an excellent but long discussion on driving 2000+ miles that is chock full of tips for long-distance drivers, many of which apply for those not driving quite that far. I'd recommend reading it from the last page backward because the thread did start in 2003, so much of the early information about routes, what to avoid, good hotels is pretty old at this point.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1655918

 

[sharadoc]

Ironically, the thread took the turn you don't like when posters started responding not about why they love driving, but why driving is so much better than flying, with one poster actually suggesting that it's the fliers who are physically incapable. Go figure.

As I said on another thread about driving, there's an excellent but long discussion on driving 2000+ miles that is chock full of tips for long-distance drivers, many of which apply for those not driving quite that far. I'd recommend reading it from the last page backward because the thread did start in 2003, so much of the early information about routes, what to avoid, good hotels is pretty old at this point.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1655918

Yes, we DO love driving because it's better than flying so it does apply. Making assumptions about physical reasons is unnecessary, that's for sure.

I think the 2000+ miles thread is must reading for anyone who wants to drive, that's for sure. Thanks for putting the link here.

 

[Tara]

Yes, we DO love driving because it's better than flying so it does apply. Making assumptions about physical reasons is unnecessary, that's for sure.

Better for you personally, not better for everyone.

 

[HoosierMomOf5]

We drive on any and all vacations. You REALLY wouldn't want to be the sorry sap stuck sitting next to us on an airplane. At least in the comfort of our own van, the only people our kids are annoying...is us.

No, seriously, it would take an act of God to get my dh on a plane. hehe That's okay though. We really do just love to drive.

 

[BC1836]

As I said on another thread about driving, there's an excellent but long discussion on driving 2000+ miles that is chock full of tips for long-distance drivers, many of which apply for those not driving quite that far. I'd recommend reading it from the last page backward because the thread did start in 2003, so much of the early information about routes, what to avoid, good hotels is pretty old at this point.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1655918

Clarification: The "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread began on Dec. 6, 2007. But it sure seems like 2003!

 

[debbieandroo]

I flew the first time I went to WDW...ME was great, super-prompt, etc. but I really could have driven in the same amount of time it took to wait in the airport, wait for the ME, wait to get my bags checked, etc.

Another former Memphis DISer suggested driving so I did, the next two times. Now I'm totally sold on the idea. Sure I get really tired those last couple of hours [on the way home especially] but I do love taking everything I need without worrying about my luggage weight. I ended up taking a cooler and a coffeemaker so I could have breakfast in my room. Thanks to the tip I got from another thread I also took a big bowl so I could soak my feet every night. Wonder how that would have gotten through airport security?

I also try to avoid the crowds so driving on the weekends doesn't seem to take anything away from my vacation. Fighting lots of crowds would definitely take lots of fun away from my vacation.

And I do love listening to audiobooks and podcasts....24 hours in a car lets me catch up on a bunch of them -- my own little radio theater.

 

[RD-SOX]

ANY way to get to Disney is the right way!!!!

 

[Tara]

Clarification: The "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread began on Dec. 6, 2007. But it sure seems like 2003!

Hmmm...must be some other thread that began in 2003...I was just showing it to someone recently. Or maybe I dreamed it. Cause we all dream about the DIS boards, right? RIGHT????

 

[jadedbeauty14304]

Hmmm...must be some other thread that began in 2003...I was just showing it to someone recently. Or maybe I dreamed it. Cause we all dream about the DIS boards, right? RIGHT????

Hahaha no, you aren't losing it. The thread "For those folks driving..." Sticky at the top of the page was started in 2003.

 

[danalee]

We will be driving for the first time come this September, I'm scared and excited all at the same time

I was always dead set against driving (coming from Pittsburgh) but the gal we are going with really, really dosent want to fly and well long story short I was talked into it!! But thats ok, my son (who will be 11) says "Mom even though flying gets us there quicker, at least we can see some different stuff by driving not just sky & clouds" well there ya go, if nothing else it will be a story for him to tell his kids one day

See ya on the road...

 

[SarahKate]

Well, we just got back on May 10 from our very first experience driving from Central Illinois to Disney. It went quite well, and our DD7 was a trooper. She was a happy camper and very rarely complained (which is NOT like her, she's usually a drama queen). The trip was very, very long, but not at all unpleasant. We drove straight thru the nite on the way there and that went better than we thought (plus the dead of nite was an hour shorter since we lost an hour w/ the time change!). It was actually pretty relaxing for the most part. I think if DD had been nagging us frequently, I'd be singing a different tune.

Now will we drive again? Not next time. We will definitely fly next time, so long as we find a good deal on flights.

But I'm really glad that we did it and have no regrets. It allowed us to go at our own pace, take a lot more of our own stuff, not having to worry about packing too much, not having to worry about meeting OTHER people's time frames, airport security, etc. We also got to see things that we never would have seen if we'd flown.

If anyone out there is on the fence, I say GO FOR IT and try to drive. There's only one way to find out if driving is for you. Our drive was about 17-18 hours each way, if anyone is wondering.

 

[bookwormde]

I love driving to WDW (15 hrs) now the drive home is another story.

bookwormde

 

[Liv's Mommy]

I am from New England as well. I have never driven to Florida. The furthest we have driven is PA and that was about 10 hrs for us. Florida would be a 24 hr drive for us. I so want to drive, b/c I am petrified to fly, but I can't convince dh to do it. So, we are flying down in Sept. Just hoping I can get on the plane to go!!

Given my choice though I would be driving!!!