Who's driving in Nov/Dec?

[cobbler]

We are driving from MI too. It takes us 19-19.5 hours and of course we do this over 2 days. We are actually taking a break in our trip and driving 14 hours to Alabama to visit hubbys relatives for a couple of days and then finishing the 8-10 hour treck to Disney.

I am dreading the drive only because we just checked out a week ago today and took that 2 day drive back and I have to do it again in less than 6 weeks. But it is still cheaper than flying. I know we could get there in 2.5 hours with flying and that is definatly worth something but it would have run us around $950 to fly and it cost us $365 in gas. This may be a little high due to the fact that almost the entire way down it was 2.99 everywhere because of Rita and also because we made a stop in Ohio and did a couple of things.

 

[Avivasmom]

We are leaving Monday Nov 28 th at 8 am and should be in Disney area without traffic by 11:30 ish am. It helps that we are in South Florida, and under 220 miles south of there. We cannot wait. Aviva keeps asking if after we sleep are we going to see Mickey!

 

[mickeysaver]

We will be driving from Lawrenceville, GA to Ocala, FL. The next morning, I will meet Gabby's Grandmother for the first time....major nerves, after being together for 6 years, she finally feels that I am family and that we should meet. After that is done, we will drive to Orange City, FL to spend a couple of days visiting with the rest of Gabby's family. From Orange City, we drive to WDW. The drive back will be a one day shot straight home. I can't wait for it to be 8 weeks from now. I should be getting ready for bed and preparing to tackle WDW the next day! Maggie

 

[WAHMto5]

We always drive also, from Northern Illinois. We plan to leave about 12:00 ~ 1:00am and go from there to see how the kids are!

 

[mommaU4]

I don't feel so bad about my 10 hr. drive then. It sounds like you all have it
worse. We live in Alabama and also are a family of six so flying is out of the
question. We'll be there Nov. 28-Dec. 5 Our family's first WDW trip.

You will be there almost the same dates as us! Only a day different coming and going. Aren't you excited? The days can't pass quick enough for me! Well, have a great time and I can't wait to hear about your first trip!

 

[dizzyfan]

We will also be driving to WDW in December. We will leave on Friday the 16th after work - we are coming from Conway SC (about thirty minutes outside of Myrtle Beach) It will take us about 8.5 to 9 Hours depending on our stops and road construction. We will only drive about half way and stop and spend the night then get up fresh the next day and drive on in. I would rather fly but my DH would rather drive, so I let him do all the driving (I hate to drive even at Home!)

Hope Everyone has a Safe Trip!

 

[mommaU4]

One more question/comment for those of you who are driving and are planning to leave early. My plan is to pack up the car the day before and then let the kids stay in their p.j.'s until our first stop with the hope that they'll fall back to sleep in the car. My fear is that one or all will be too excited once they get in the car and won't sleep and instead just be grouchy from lack of sleep. Has this worked out for anyone who's tried leaving REALLY early?

 

[ssferguson79@yahoo.c]

We are driving. We decided to stay in an inexpensive hotel for the night we check in and the day before we leave. That way we are not paying Disney prices for a day we won't be there.

This is our first trip to WDW and out first really long road trip. We have flown before but we needed to save some cash this year. We leave on December 2nd!

 

[Eeyore2003]

I never fly and we travel allot, including Disney World 1- 3 times a year. I'm not sure about the length of the trip, but it takes us about 1 1/2 days from MN. You get very used to driving, when you travel that way allot, and it's nothing for us to travel 5 hours home to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and back here 5 hours, in one day. Usually we spend overnight though, but since our families are there, we do it every few weeks.

We're planning on driving over to Sheboygan to pick up my neice, then down to southern WI to have dinner with our "boys" and then stay somewhere in mid-Illinois. Plans are to get to the Disney area by the next evening, stay in Kissimmee somewhere and then check into the resort the next day. You really do get to see and enjoy the country when you drive and we know of all kinds of little "nooks and crannies" in different states that we enjoy.

 

[bigmac5]

One more question/comment for those of you who are driving and are planning to leave early. My plan is to pack up the car the day before and then let the kids stay in their p.j.'s until our first stop with the hope that they'll fall back to sleep in the car. My fear is that one or all will be too excited once they get in the car and won't sleep and instead just be grouchy from lack of sleep. Has this worked out for anyone who's tried leaving REALLY early?

We have driven down a couple times. The first few times the boys were 1 and 2. We left early and they slept well

This past Aug we went down and they were 11, 13 and 14. They were excited. Hard to get to bed, but the van still has it's magic and they fell asleep. When they were awake. PS2 and DVD's are wonderful. We drove 12 hours the first day, stopping on the far side of Chatnooga, Then we drove another 12 hours to Ft. Lauderdale before our trip to Disney.

 

[Nevergrowinup]

We are in Knoxville, Tennessee, and how long it takes us depends on which way we are travelling - as in South to get there or north coming back home . Often on the way down we will start after work the evening before check-in, stop somewhere in mid-Georgia, then get up early to arrive at WDW between noon and 2:00 pm. The drive home is generally an all day forced march (of sorts) to get home of about 10 or 11 hours.

Oh, and we are heading down the day after Thanksgiving staying until December 3. YAHOOO!

 

[AStamm]

We've driven from central PA twice--once straight through (took 17 hrs) and another time went to Myrtle Beach before. The worst part for us wasn't the drive there--it was the drive home and being so sad to be leaving DW.

Just to make you all feel better, we had airline tickets purchased for our trip next month at only $79 each way on a straight-thru flight from Allentown, PA to Sanford, FL but the company went bankrupt! After spending an entire day checking airfare from Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg, BWI, Allentown, and Philly, the flight we found that would work best with our schedule and be closest to home ended up costing double. I also had to take an extra 1/2 day without pay to make the flight. For 3 of us, the difference worked out to an extra $600 in tickets and lost salary. The only good news is that we'll be in DW earlier enough to hit a park for 1/2 day the first day.

Drive safely!

 

[mommy2emmersNmo]

We are driving from just south of Baltimore, MD. My DH and I in one car with our two DD, 5 and 1. My parents, sister and neice, 5 in the other. We plan on leaving Saturday, Nov 12 late in the evening and driving straight through. We plan to arrive in the early afternoon after stopping a few times. We figure that we will spend a few hours in DTD, for lunch and some unwinding before we check in.

 

[unbroken chain]

"My plan is to pack up the car the day before and then let the kids stay in their p.j.'s until our first stop with the hope that they'll fall back to sleep in the car. My fear is that one or all will be too excited once they get in the car and won't sleep and instead just be grouchy from lack of sleep. Has this worked out for anyone who's tried leaving REALLY early?"

I have done this when mine were younger (now they would be too embarrassed to wear pjs in the car) and the only one who fell back asleep was my husband. But it might work for you and in any event it does save you time! They can even eat dry cereal in the car to save more time.

We drive usually straight through, 12 hours. For my kids, changing from one hotel to another is more stressful than driving straight through.

I used to travel with them a lot solo when they were little and I bought one of those VHS devices with a TV facing the rear seats and the VHS contols next to the drivers' seat to change tapes easily while driving. Worth its weight in gold with one parent and three kids! I think they have similar set-ups for DVDs now.

 

[kennezgirl]

We're driving straight through from West Virginia. Should take us around 18 hours according to the directions we printed online.
I am a bit concerned about gas prices though. We booked our trip in March and had everything budgeted. Now, we are having to add a few hundred more for gas. UGH!
Seems like it is always something.

 

[SamRoc]

We flew down on our last trip but for December we will be driving. We have driven to Florida for over 20 years now and do the same thing everytime. We leave about 6pm and drive straight through. We get to Disney about 12 noon. We leave from NJ.Leaving at this time we avoid the rush hour in Baltimore and Washington DC. We kind of enjoy this ride and have been doing this the same way since our kids are little (they are now 20 and 16) and we usually have a friend or niece come with us. There are three drivers now so it will make it easier. My husband and I each take about 3 or 4 hours driving and then just continue. The kids play video games, watch movies and sleep (we have a conversion van)

 

[ugadog99]

We are driving from just south of Atlanta. We'll leave as soon as my older DD is out of school on Wed. Nov. 16. We'll stop for the night probably in Lake City or Ocala, depending on traffic. Then, it's just a hop, skip, and jump to POR!! Can't wait!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

Just wanted to say "hi" to a fellow Georgian! Newnan is a cool little town, stopped by there once on the way to visit my sister in Atlanta. Hope you guys have a great trip, we're not far behind you, Dec. 8th for us!

 

[Jon99]

We are driving down, will leave after lunch on Christmas day and arrive at WDW by breakfast the next morning.. DW, DD2 and myself, I will drive from the time we leave until around 8:00, then my wife will handle it for a few hours while I try to sleep, then I will drive thru the night..

 

[welovewdw]

I have done this when mine were younger (now they would be too embarrassed to wear pjs in the car) and the only one who fell back asleep was my husband.

I can so see my dh doing that.

We're driving Dec. 25 after opening gifts, having dinner - we'll pile in the car around 2 hopefully (may be a little optimistic! LOL) But if we can, we'll be in hotel at midnight - enough to get a decent night's sleep and not be totally exhausted on the 26th. It's 10 hours from here - we have it down. LOL

Nov. 3rd we fly - much easier, but only 2 of us going and we're only going for a long weekend. Unfortunately, I've never found cheap enough fares for 5 of us from Richmond. Maybe that'll change with Airtran starting direct flights!