WWYD- Drive or fly?

[2DisPrincesses]

We are adding a "budget" trip in June. We can either drive (about 1200 miles one way) or fly for $756 including parking, baggage fees, and rental car.

I figure it would be about $200-250 in gas for the total trip. Maybe some food along the way (I would probably bring most of it). And possibly a hotel room if we need it. DH would want to drive straight through.

My concern with driving is the DDs- they are 15 months and 5. I'm trying to decide if the $$ saved with driving is worth it.

 

[buzz2400]

The best way to drive is leave at night when you have young kids because they sleep most of the way. Also if you have the dvd player to keep them occupied also helps. If I was in your case, I would drive. Going to the airport, entertaining the kids on the plane, getting the rental car, etc. is also a hassle but if you are in your own car, you have the chance to do things on your own terms.

 

[Mlissa88]

We drove in Dec from PA with our then 17 month old child. I was dreading it, but it ended up being fun...we started very early in the wee hours of the AM so we could be well on our way when he officially woke up. We had all kinds of things along to entertain him and he slept a good part of the way. We stopped at the 1/2 way point for us which was in South Carolina - got there about 3 in the afternoon....let him run all around our hotel room for the night until he went to bed at 8:00 PM. Then we got up early and started again for Orlando - checked in around 2:00 in the afternoon and let him run around again - this time at the resort. We had dinner in the parks that night.

We chose to drive because driving allowed us to bring everything but the kitchen sink that we needed for our little one and it added to the fun of our adventure. In the future, we'll take a plane, but for now, while he's little, we're having fun on the road

If you drive, my advice is to start early in the AM....stop early in the evening to let your little ones burn off some steam and give you a good night's rest. Start early again, well rested and ready for another 7 hours of driving....get there mid afternoon and relax!

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Thanks! DH and I just talked some more and I think we're going to drive. Now we just have to decide how to time things and if we're going to stop overnight.

 

[ancestry]

I have a different perspective.

We drove from Pittsburgh to WDW years ago when my oldest kids were about the age of your children. It was a complete and total nightmare for all of us. I still get upset when I think about how awful the entire experience was. To this day I will never drive on any vacation that is over 500 miles (about an 8 hour drive). Not to mention all of the valuable vacation time (which is always very limited) getting wasted sitting in a car.

 

[toywaltz]

$756 RT including rental car sounds like a steal and I wouldn't hesitate. Don't forget the eventual costs beyond gas/food that you haven't factored. Wear/tear to the vehicle, tire life, depreciation for the extra miles....I'd bet the real cost is closer to $500. Then there's also the potential for breaking down a LONG way from home

 

[2DisPrincesses]

$756 RT including rental car sounds like a steal and I wouldn't hesitate. Don't forget the eventual costs beyond gas/food that you haven't factored. Wear/tear to the vehicle, tire life, depreciation for the extra miles....I'd bet the real cost is closer to $500. Then there's also the potential for breaking down a LONG way from home

I thought $756 was a great deal too. That's why I'm having such a hard time deciding what to do. Guess I can't complain- how to get to DW is my biggest concern right now

Thanks for the outside input- it always helps!

 

[uva185]

I would say fly. It's just so much less stressful than spending god knows how many hours behind the wheel. When I fly someplace my vacation starts when I leave the house. When I drive the vacation doesn't start until I arrive at the destination.

To further save, skip the rental car and use taxis / Magical Express to/from the airport.

 

[Hannathy]

I think you are way low on the amount you have for gas. I filled up today at $2.84, you aren't driving 2400 miles for $200, unless my math is really bad.
Did you add oil costs? a much sooner needed oil change, other fluids, like some one said the general wear and tear on your car ? the depreciation the extra 3000 miles will add.
How about tolls?
Do you have the extra vacation time?
If you need a hotel add another $100 each way. I've driven 1200 miles with kids and it is rough to do that straight thru with kids that age. Mainly because whatever adult is not driving is usually entertaining the kids not getting rest. Plus you never know when you won't make good time with kids. I would almost guarantee that at least one of the ways you will want to stay over. If you drive straight thru your first day at Disney will be a wash because after 1200 miles you will be beat.

For under 800 with all you have included you couldn't pay me to drive 2400 miles with 2 little kids!!!!

I'd Fly.

 

[Alesia]

I think you are way low on the amount you have for gas. I filled up today at $2.84, you aren't driving 2400 miles for $200, unless my math is really bad.
Did you add oil costs? a much sooner needed oil change, other fluids, like some one said the general wear and tear on your car ? the depreciation the extra 3000 miles will add.
How about tolls?
Do you have the extra vacation time?
If you need a hotel add another $100 each way. I've driven 1200 miles with kids and it is rough to do that straight thru with kids that age. Mainly because whatever adult is not driving is usually entertaining the kids not getting rest. Plus you never know when you won't make good time with kids. I would almost guarantee that at least one of the ways you will want to stay over. If you drive straight thru your first day at Disney will be a wash because after 1200 miles you will be beat.

For under 800 with all you have included you couldn't pay me to drive 2400 miles with 2 little kids!!!!

I'd Fly.

I agree completely.

I think you are really underestimating the cost of driving.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

Driving is by far the best option with kids, can bring whatever you want, you are in total charge of your schedule and can change it ANY time you want.. Threads like this really make me feel bad for those that are locked into a fixed schedule on vacation.. SOOOO many fun things happen along the way, always see neat little things the kids will enjoy!!

 

[2DisPrincesses]

I may be underestimating the cost of driving- I use a website that figures in the make and model of your car to estimate the cost of driving.

 

[Hannathy]

Driving is by far the best option with kids, can bring whatever you want, you are in total charge of your schedule and can change it ANY time you want.. Threads like this really make me feel bad for those that are locked into a fixed schedule on vacation.. SOOOO many fun things happen along the way, always see neat little things the kids will enjoy!!

Are you talking about fun 8 hour drives stopping and seeing things, not trying to get somewhere or are you talking 20 hour driving straight thru drives just to get where you are going as fast as possible? There is a world of difference. If you are just using the drive to get to your destination and aren't taking side trips or making stops it is not fun it is monotonous and tiring. very tiring with little kids to also amuse and keep occupied and feed and cared for. You arrive tired. seeing "neat little things" only lasts for maybe 8 hours by hour 16 they really don't care that there is a horse in the field or a purple truck! They are just getting tired of being in a car.

How many 20 hour straight thru just to get there make the best time possible drives with 2 little kids under 5 have you done?

I like to drive, car trips don't bother me BUT when you are in the car to do nothing else but get there and in the shortest time possible it isn't fun. Disney is the vacation not the drive in this case. I'm not saying don't drive but consider all angles, it isn't a walk in the park that long with little kids.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

We have only done the drive before we had kids. If we drive, my DH wants to get there as soon as possible. On the way back he would be much more open to taking our time.

I am trying to convince him that if we drive straight through on the way down everyone will be exhausted for atleast a day when we get there. Then we lose another day of vacation which isn't worth a few hundered dollars. We should probably fly and save the driving for another vacation when he feels like we have more time and can enjoy the drive.

Thanks for all of the input- it has really helped me think through this whole thing.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

Are you talking about fun 8 hour drives stopping and seeing things, not trying to get somewhere or are you talking 20 hour driving straight thru drives just to get where you are going as fast as possible? There is a world of difference. If you are just using the drive to get to your destination and aren't taking side trips or making stops it is not fun it is monotonous and tiring. very tiring with little kids to also amuse and keep occupied and feed and cared for. You arrive tired. seeing "neat little things" only lasts for maybe 8 hours by hour 16 they really don't care that there is a horse in the field or a purple truck! They are just getting tired of being in a car.

Nobody in our car arrives tired, we drive through the night, the kids and my wife both sleep.. We leave around 2:00PM, drive thru the night, get to WDW in time to check into our hotel and hopefully to rope drop at MK..

At that point, anything we want to do we can, because we drove and don't need to live by their schedule.. Sometimes it takes us a day to get home, other times its taken us 8 days to get home, depending on what WE want to do.

 

[HHSTigerFan]

We have only done the drive before we had kids. If we drive, my DH wants to get there as soon as possible. On the way back he would be much more open to taking our time.

I am trying to convince him that if we drive straight through on the way down everyone will be exhausted for atleast a day when we get there.

Drive thru the night so the kids can sleep, then they won't be sleep the first day..