Would you drive or fly?

[Anonomom]

We're heading to WDW in late September, and are trying to decide whether we fly or drive.

We're in NC, and only about 10 minutes from the airport. We'd agreed that if we found a direct flight for less than $70/person/way, we'd definitely fly. I've been checking every day and the lowest I can get for the flights we want is $97/person/way. That would bring our total fare for 3 people (and a lap baby) to just under $650. I can find a flight that gets us into MCO right around 11 am, and that would leave at 5-something pm on departure day. Total travel time, including drive to the airport, security, etc., would probably be around 4 hours. The flight itself would be less than 2 hours, and it's right at my youngest's naptime.

The drive to WDW from where we are is 9 hours. We'd plan to leave on Saturday afternoon, stop in a hotel in GA or north Florida overnight, then head to WDW to arrive by 9-10 am. We drove last year when I was pregnant and my older daughter was 2.5, and it wasn't fun, but it wasn't bad, either. Now we'll have a 7-month-old with us, and it will be her first road trip. Total driving cost would be less than $250, including hotel, meal, tolls and gas.

So what would you do Spend a lot of money for the convenience of flying, or save that $400 because driving really isn't too bad.

I keep hoping that fares will go down, but so far they only seem to be rising. But if anyone has experience with how fares for September change as time passes, I'd very much welcome that information.

 

[mjones73]

If you can manage the drive, I'd do it to save the money personally.

We've driven down to FL three times now from MD, it saved us money on airfare and made it easier to bring food from home and all the things we needed for our kids (porta crib, strollers, toys, etc)

It's nice having a car if you want to go offsite and/or not use the transportation onsite also.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Try Airtran.. Look on the Dis boards there is a thread for a $25 coupon. Here is kicker you are only allowed one $25 coupon per email acct. So open up another email address and request coupon. For me and DH I opened two extra email accts so I could get 4 of the $25 coupons. Once I had the coupons I booked one way tickets down and one way tickets home. This allowed me to use all 4 $25 coupons.

 

[Robert P]

We're heading to WDW in late September, and are trying to decide whether we fly or drive.

We're in NC, and only about 10 minutes from the airport. We'd agreed that if we found a direct flight for less than $70/person/way, we'd definitely fly. I've been checking every day and the lowest I can get for the flights we want is $97/person/way. That would bring our total fare for 3 people (and a lap baby) to just under $650. I can find a flight that gets us into MCO right around 11 am, and that would leave at 5-something pm on departure day. Total travel time, including drive to the airport, security, etc., would probably be around 4 hours. The flight itself would be less than 2 hours, and it's right at my youngest's naptime.

The drive to WDW from where we are is 9 hours. We'd plan to leave on Saturday afternoon, stop in a hotel in GA or north Florida overnight, then head to WDW to arrive by 9-10 am. We drove last year when I was pregnant and my older daughter was 2.5, and it wasn't fun, but it wasn't bad, either. Now we'll have a 7-month-old with us, and it will be her first road trip. Total driving cost would be less than $250, including hotel, meal, tolls and gas.

So what would you do Spend a lot of money for the convenience of flying, or save that $400 because driving really isn't too bad.

Well, I've looked at it many times, and would love to fly, but the risk of flight delays, cancellations, changes, weather, etc.... don't offset the convenience of having a car. At least not for us. We drive between 8-9 hours, depending on traffic, and controlling our own destiny (not under the whim of the airlines) has a certain value.

So, I'd say fly - if the price point reaches your target. But if prices stay too high, you always have the fallback option to drive, which is an option many guests don't have due to distance.

 

[BC1836]

See post #1711 on the "For 2,000+ Mile Round Trips Drivers Only" thread on the Transportation page.

All the best.

 

[Ivette1980]

Im in the beginning stages of deciding flying vs driving. I am travelling with a family of eight. Our flight is the cheapet out of ny $1800. And thats the cheapest!

However driving, we'd have to rent a car bc i dont want to put our own car through a drive like this. So 3 hour flight vs 2days or so on the road? Wouldnt the amount of renting a car bethe same as flight?

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, if the flight is 2 hrs, and you add getting to the airport time, and the time at the airport prior to your flight, you're at about 4 hrs, as you said. The total drive time is 9 hrs. So, what is 5 hrs worth to you?
If it were me, there is no way I would fly when it was a drive of under 10 hours. I would actually do the entire drive in one day!! Leave early in the morning, say 7am, and get to WDW by 7pm...if it's 10 hrs. Two adults can split the driving chores, so change drivers every few hours. But, that's just me.

 

[NancyIL]

Well, if the flight is 2 hrs, and you add getting to the airport time, and the time at the airport prior to your flight, you're at about 4 hrs, as you said. The total drive time is 9 hrs. So, what is 5 hrs worth to you?
If it were me, there is no way I would fly when it was a drive of under 10 hours. I would actually do the entire drive in one day!! Leave early in the morning, say 7am, and get to WDW by 7pm...if it's 10 hrs. Two adults can split the driving chores, so change drivers every few hours. But, that's just me.

I prefer to fly, and always do so for my solo trips However, I am two days away from WDW with an overnight stop each way. I would drive with family - especially if it takes only one day. I would also do as goofy4tink suggested and do the drive in one day.

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

Don't forget to factor in the cost to park your car at the airport for the duration of your trip.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

How is your DD 7 months on regular car rides?
My DD2 has been road tripping since she was 6 months old. We had some difficulty with her when she was still in her bucket but after we switched to our Britax Boulevard she was VERY good on long drives. We went 10 hours when she was 7, 8, and 9 months old and she slept most of the way!
That said, with 10 hours I'd be driving and going ALL the time!!