Would you drive 6 hrs for two nights/one day at WDW?

[lucybalue]

DD1 is 3.5 and we need a mommy and me trip badly. At home, I feel like all I do is correct her and have negative experiences with her. While I'm trying to work on that at home, I think a trip with just the two of us for a weekend would do wonders. Some place where all I do is say yes to her requests (within reason of course!). What better place than Disney for this! We live in Charleston so it would be a 6-7 hr drive. Am thinking Labor Day weekend. We would leave Friday last morning/early afternoon. Would hope to get in around 6. Stay at AoA little mermaid room or Caribbean beach resort (someplace with a good splash pad as she is not a proficient swimmer yet). Do the pool that evening, do Frozen at HS Saturday, spend Sun morning at the pool/late Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Poly before headed home.

We did Disney last year and will be doing a bigger trip in November with DH and DD2. I can see us having a lot of fun but I don't know if that's more than I want to drive for only 1 full day. Thoughts?

 

[powellrj]

That's a long drive for a little one. What about a stay-cation to some place local with a nice pool. We use to do that all the time at that age.

 

[Paradise18]

For me, that is too long of a drive for a short trip. I like the PP suggestion of a Staycation.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree. Find a local hotel with a nice pool and do an overnight or weekend stay there.

 

[MSSANDRA]

It depends.....is she a great traveler? We do tons of roads trips and 6-7 hours really were not hard with our boys at that age, but I never drove it alone with them at 3.5. By 5 DS and I could do the 8 hour family road trip alone.... no issues. If she will be happy in her car seat and you can drive safely, that is a plus. Second. Is she a huge Frozen fan? The activities are for a limited time and that might be wonderful memories to be made.

HOWEVER....remember that labor day week-end will be super crowded and still hot hot hot.

If I was going to attempt it,, I would leave very early Friday morning and try to be at the resort by 1:00 at the latest. I would do that afternoon, evening in the parks. Either do HS or MK. I would then do all day Saturday at the other park. Do you have to be back home on Sunday since it is LD, or could you extend the trip and do Sunday in a park and go home on Monday.

If you are returning in November, perhaps look at Ticket options that would allow you to use a couple-three days now and the rest on your November trip.
I would also choose the cheapest Value resort, if money is an issue. We sometimes will do a quick week-end trip with family in GA and for such a short time we look for the cheapest option.

One last note.....While I think time alone is a GREAT way to bond and reconnect, keep in mind that you might still get some of that negative behavior at WDW and be sure that it is not severe enough to be a safety issue. For example, you need to know that she will not run off while you are sitting on the tolet. Yes that DID happen to my friend and her child when he was about 2-3!!!

I think you could make it work and it would be a fun week-end!

 

[happysummer]

I would do it, we have to drive more than 7 hours to visit family. If we only lived a 6 hour drive away from WDW, we would be doing short trips all the time.
I think it would be great memories for you and your daughter.

 

[stantoneileen]

I would absolutely drive and make an adventure of it. There's lost u can do to make the sites fun. We used to keep our own journals of the trip. That can be done for any age

 

[disny_luvr]

If your daughter is a good traveler, then I would probably do it. We often take road trips for just a day or two and travel that many hours in the car to do it. Last year we drove 12 hours to Chicago and we were only in Chicago for two full days. My boys do really well in the car though (better than me actually).

 

[Crl1817]

I wouldn't. But my kids haven't been great travelers at that age.

Also, I don't think of disney world as a place where I can say yes all the time. Stuff is expensive and I can't say yes to a lot of souvenir requests. And there are height restrictions and very, very long lines for some rides making those impossible or difficult to say yes to. And some other things like BBB require reservations. Disney is super fun, but I think it may actually require me to say no more often than I do at home--at home the kids already know the answer to most stuff and so they don't tend to ask a ton for things they know they won't get. (For example, dd knows I won't let her go around the block alone so she won't ask, but at disney she won't know that she can't ride space mountain so she may ask.)

I would probably look for something lower key and closer to home.

Whatever you decide, I hope it is great!

 

[tajz90]

DD1 is 3.5 and we need a mommy and me trip badly. At home, I feel like all I do is correct her and have negative experiences with her. While I'm trying to work on that at home, I think a trip with just the two of us for a weekend would do wonders. Some place where all I do is say yes to her requests (within reason of course!). What better place than Disney for this! We live in Charleston so it would be a 6-7 hr drive. Am thinking Labor Day weekend. We would leave Friday last morning/early afternoon. Would hope to get in around 6. Stay at AoA little mermaid room or Caribbean beach resort (someplace with a good splash pad as she is not a proficient swimmer yet). Do the pool that evening, do Frozen at HS Saturday, spend Sun morning at the pool/late Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Poly before headed home.

We did Disney last year and will be doing a bigger trip in November with DH and DD2. I can see us having a lot of fun but I don't know if that's more than I want to drive for only 1 full day. Thoughts?

Yep! I would. It's a memory made for her AND you.

 

[lucybalue]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. DD is actually a very good car traveler which is why I would consider it. We do 8+hr one-way trips 3-4x year but I have never done it by myself. She is pretty good at listen to the big stuff. We are out for summer and I have a 1.5 yo and her and they definitely feed off each other in terms of the "bad" behavior. I just want to be able to tell her it's ok to have a mickey bar for dinner instead of having to stick to rules. In other words, be a grandparent instead of a parent for a change

There are plenty of beach resorts near us so I may look into those as well.

 

[msjessey]

DD1 is 3.5 and we need a mommy and me trip badly. At home, I feel like all I do is correct her and have negative experiences with her. While I'm trying to work on that at home, I think a trip with just the two of us for a weekend would do wonders. Some place where all I do is say yes to her requests (within reason of course!). What better place than Disney for this! We live in Charleston so it would be a 6-7 hr drive. Am thinking Labor Day weekend. We would leave Friday last morning/early afternoon. Would hope to get in around 6. Stay at AoA little mermaid room or Caribbean beach resort (someplace with a good splash pad as she is not a proficient swimmer yet). Do the pool that evening, do Frozen at HS Saturday, spend Sun morning at the pool/late Lilo and Stitch breakfast at Poly before headed home. We did Disney last year and will be doing a bigger trip in November with DH and DD2. I can see us having a lot of fun but I don't know if that's more than I want to drive for only 1 full day. Thoughts?

We are driving back home to Charleston, SC right now from a Disney trip. We drove down Friday. My daughter is 5 years old. My husband came this trip but it is usually just me and my daughter. This was her 4th trip. The first was when she was 3.5. That's a great age. Mine is not a great traveler but she naps or watches DVD on the drive. I find Disney an easy trip to do with her alone staying on site. There are always people around and plenty to do doesn't require a ton of planning.

 

[North of Mouse]

No Way! You would be worn out from driving, and your dd would also be exhausted.

 

[Happyjen27]

I think my big reservation would be not being able to hand her thing while I'm driving, and not being able to change the movie without pulling over, stuff like that. If you have some rest stops or good stopping places, and she is patient when Mommy can't do this or that during the drive, I would go for it.

Really, it depends on the child, and your ability to cope if she gets impatient while you're concentrating on driving.

 

[MomOfWesAndNorah]

If I lived that close, I'd drive there with my 4 year old. Though, I'd do what pp suggested and stay until Monday and give myself two park days. Friday - pool. Saturday- HS Sunday- MK or ak Sunday- breakfast and drive home.

Color me jealous that you are within reasonable driving distance!

 

[lizard1]

I would. I am taking my 3 kids on a 14 hour drive (each way) for a 2 day trip.

 

[DandSx2]

It's your kid. Do what you feel best for her & you. I am sure it will be a fun trip. Maybe consider going the weekend after labor Day though and I promise your trip will be much more peaceful and less crowded.

 

[VBelle68]

I would do it in a heartbeat! If you can afford it and want to go, go! Life is too short, and she won't ever be that age again.

 

[lizzyb]

One day…no. Maybe it it was for at least 2 days.

 

[sk!mom]

If she is a huge Frozen fan, then I would do it but I live in Texas where driving 3-6 hours for some weekend fun is routine.

In your situation, I would leave early Friday since that doesn't increase your cost and gives you time to stop if needed. I would want to be there early to use the pool and get the most out of that day. I would do DHS and Frozen on Saturday. Drive back on Sunday.

I would consider changing the weekend to a nonholiday weekend.