# Who drives to WDW



## dawz1026

We have been driving from NY the past few years and almost booked a flight this time but ds 18months has changed our minds(he can be a bit loud at times).I was just wondering who else does the roadtrip and wher e from??


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## Harvestmooner

We are from NH and have driven down 3 times.  We leave in 23 days and DH wants to fly-I am not so sure  about it-so we have not bought the tickets yet.
We have been lucky on all 3 trips-good weather and have been safe!!!  We actually have enjoyed the roadtrip with the kids!!!


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## KatMark

We used to drive it every year from Chicago when the kids were little. When they reached 13 and 11 we started to fly because we were tired of losing a day and a half that we could have been at theparks rather than driving (and this was like pulling teeth with me because I hate flying!).


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## Harvestmooner

KatMark said:


> (and this was like pulling teeth with me because I hate flying!).



How did you get over the fear of flying??


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## BarbieGal457

Oh boy..I've done this trip 6.5 times from Philadelphia due to my mom's fear of flying! My first trip, we had a connecting flight in St. Louis and she and my dad rented a car from there and drove, and I flew the rest of the way with my best friends and their mom and dad. They had to miss seeing my face when I saw the castle; my parents still say they regret that! Last time I flew both ways, which was lovely. My friends and boyfriend are driving down leaving on the 5th of January (five people inc. 3 boys who still love to gross us girls out!, one car, 18 hours through the night..no way!), however I'm flying and meeting them there when they arrive on the 6th! It was definitely a brutal drive, esp when I was young. It feels like forever getting there due to excitement, and then on the way back it feels like forever because you're sad it's over!


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## RussellDisney

We just got back early Sun morning.  We drove from NE Kentucky, took 15 hours down, but 16 hours back due to more/longer stops.  We left KY at 7 pm on a Friday night and drove straight through.  That seemed like a good plan, as we couldn't wait to get to Disney, until about 2 in the morning!!!  Anyway, coming back wasn't as bad as we left early am.  We have flown in the past and probably will in the future, but this needed to be more of a budget trip for several reasons.  The only way we will drive in the future is if we stop for the night and make a full two day trip of it.

One other thing, we got GREAT gas mileage!!  Left KY on a full tank and didn't stop for gas until Charlotte NC, then again in Jacksonville FL.  That tank also lasted us for the first 4 days of commuting from offsite to the parks!!  We have an '05 Chrysler Town and Country and it was REALLY loaded down - you couldn't move inside of the thing!!!   Also, the cheapest gas I found was the Hess stations on-site at WDW - who would have thought????


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## KatMark

Harvestmooner said:


> How did you get over the fear of flying??



I didn't/haven't. My poor husband is black and blue by the time we get to Orlando (the only other place I will fly is Las Vegas when we go for his business trip). I squeeze his arm all during take off and landing. I try to not sleep at all the night before we fly so that I am so tired that I can sleep through most of the flight--unless there is turbulence, then I don't sleep at all. But it beats that long drive so I grin and bear it these days. And my husband is a saint to let me squeeze him and hurt him four times in a trip!


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## dawz1026

We are not fans of flying either and we were willing to fly this April until we realized my son would cause one of us a stroke at 20,000 feet.When he is a bit older maybe then dh and I can take a pill or something lol...we are not thrilled with the long drive but it adds to the trip lolol


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## robin09

We drive from Upstate New York.  Not too bad with DD9, dvd player, plenty of movies, games... The fares from the planes have become high, so we drive.  It's a 2 hour drive to any airport anyway I look at it, so 2 hours driving to the airport, 2 hours in the airport, 3 hours in the air... So not worth it.  Along with my DD preoccupation with the airplane's bathroom, she must go there at least 3 or 4 times during the flight.


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## KatMark

robin09 said:


> We drive from Upstate New York.  Not too bad with DD9, dvd player, plenty of movies, games... The fares from the planes have become high, so we drive.  It's a 2 hour drive to any airport anyway I look at it, so 2 hours driving to the airport, 2 hours in the airport, 3 hours in the air... So not worth it.  Along with my DD preoccupation with the airplane's bathroom, she must go there at least 3 or 4 times during the flight.




I hear what you are saying about the costs of flying; however, we figured in the gas, the wear on the car and we thought flying would be better if we could find cheap fares. When we went in September we were able to get fares of just under $200 round trip on American per person (and my husband had enough miles that we upgraded to First Class on the way back). We hope to be able to find a similar fare next September. Our other option is we got a free round trip ticket for our youngest son with my husband's miles to fly to Beijing, China. Unfortunately, the trip had to be cancelled a week before he was scheduled to go. He has a year to rebook. If he does not make it to China (and probably won't because of the Olympics being there and it will interfere with his reason of going), we will use the miles for our trip.


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## disprincessatheart

We drive from Raleigh, NC every trip - I think we've done 6 in the last 5 years. It's 9 1/2 hours for us. Until 2005 gas prices made it a no brainer. Even now though we use about 5 tanks of gas at about $40 each, so it's $200 for us to drive and would be more than that to fly. There are few direct flights from RDU to MCO, so we figure 30 minute to airport, 2 hrs in airport, 1 hr flight, 2 hr layover, 1 hr flight, 1 hr from MCO to Disney = 7 1/2 hrs anyway, and this way we have our car.

For the next trip we HAVE to drive as I'll need to bring a million things for the wedding!!!!


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## ppan77

We drive. We are spoiled and only live 4 hours from WDW.  Since we had our ds2 we are making an effort to go more often. Our next trip will be our 2nd in a year. I am sure we will take advantage of it as we have more kids.


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## graygables

I drive from NE Ohio most times we go.  I'm usually going in conjunction with a show somewhere in the vicinity and have to have my cargo trailer along, so that's the deciding factor for us.  I do like to fly, but have found that I much prefer having a vehicle with me when I'm there, so by the time I factor in the cost of a rental, it's not that much more to drive.  My last trip, from the time I left home to the time I was on property was 7 hours, it was 6 hours returning home.  While that's better than the 18 it takes to drive, it's still a good chunk of time.  We do stop overnight about 10-12 hours into the day, so we can arrive on property before noon.  I always make a point of staying in a Holiday Inn Express (usually on points) so we get a free breakfast and DDs get a swimming pool.  Makes it part of the vacation!


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## guelde96

We drive from north central Illinois.  @ 18-20 hours depending on how things go.  We have drove 3 times to Disney.  Kids age's ranged from 2-9.  We have 3 children.  We have only stopped once on the way down when my youngest was 2.  That worked out good because we were ready to go staight to the parks when we got there.  I am afraid to fly.  However,  I am also too cheap to fly.  No matter how you look at it, when you can drive straight through it is much cheaper to drive.  Even with the inflated gas prices.


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## KatMark

You are probably right. And my husband used to drive straight through...he never wanted me to drive. But now that he is approaching 55 and me 50, the straight through just doesn't cut it anymore. So we'll hope he keeps accumulating miles or we keep getting lucky and get cheap fares. I was looking for next September and found $268 as of now...but I am sure it will come down (same as last year).


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## Sarubo

I live in Eastern PA and we have always driven.  For almost every trip we had either a motorhome or trailer, and it was always a terrific adventure to drive.  We even drove to DL!  (Of course there were detours to places like the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert along the way.)  Camping afforded my family the oppurtunity to see almost the entire US.  It's alot cheaper than staying in a hotel, and much more comfortable.  

My husband and I will be driving down in a few weeks, and for the first time since I was a child, I will be staying somewhere other than Fort Wilderness!!


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## GaSleepingBeautyFan

We drive almost everywhere we go (even a 21 hour drive to MN. UGH). Not sure I want to repeat that one. 

We are near Atlanta and it takes about 7 hours with a stop for lunch. It's just so easy to get in the car and drive - much easier to drive to FL than deal with the Atlanta Airport.


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## DizneyNutz

disprincessatheart said:


> We drive from Raleigh, NC every trip - I think we've done 6 in the last 5 years. It's 9 1/2 hours for us. Until 2005 gas prices made it a no brainer. Even now though we use about 5 tanks of gas at about $40 each, so it's $200 for us to drive and would be more than that to fly. There are few direct flights from RDU to MCO, so we figure 30 minute to airport, 2 hrs in airport, 1 hr flight, 2 hr layover, 1 hr flight, 1 hr from MCO to Disney = 7 1/2 hrs anyway, and this way we have our car.
> 
> For the next trip we HAVE to drive as I'll need to bring a million things for the wedding!!!!



But you have missed the timing badly. That is a major reason we fly instead of driving. We leave the house by 5:00 am and by about 10:00 we are on WDW property including picking up our rental at MCO. Just did this for our third time in a row Dec.7th! We drove the first three trips and have flown the last three trips. From walking out the door we are THERE within 5 hours and not tired or stressed out from driving I-95. It is no way close to an hour from MCO to Disney. 20 -25 Mins. is much more like it.


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## pepperw23

We drive from Southern Virginia.  I have an almost unreasonable fear of flying.  Last time I flew the flight attendant ended up having to sit with me and talk me through a panic attack...I get that bad haha.  After the flight I got a set of wings though.  Just like the little kids get...I think he was trying to tell me something.


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## Tammysue5

We drove this past Sept. (we were in WDW for 12 days) We live in Northwest Ill. It took us 21 hours down and 23 back. We made plenty of stops... I agree with the one poster .... it is not bad going down but the ride back is LONG! Still even w/the gas prices we were able to drive cheaper. (and we drive a Yukon Danali XL... the only way we would drive that long with 3 kids) We took a cooler w/snacks, grapes, apples, goldfish, sandwiches, water, etc. We also stopped for a meal or two both ways. We have the DVd player in the vehicle and took a portable along. The kids brought their Nintendo DSs', and X-Box. We surprised them w/a couple of new movies and games for the ride. They did VERY well! DD5, DD8, DS16. I am a heavy packer so driving helped as well. I should also mention that I did not have to worry about buying & how I was going to get things home that we bought. 
We took four cases of water as well, that saved a HUGE amount of money.
Still we decided that we may try flying the next time. Not always can you have the extra time to drive... we probably could have added 3 days to our vacation if we would have flown.


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## kstgelais4

The main reason we fly:

5 KIDS! 
7 people x $250 (that is a decent airfare)= $1750 
driving from MA to FL is 24 hours, approximately $333 for gas. Even with wear and tear, oil changes, food and stops, it is still a lot cheaper. 

The other reasons are also:
-we have always stayed off site, so we needed a car, A minivan rental is pretty steep in itself. This year we are staying on site, and my DH wants to fly, but I think I still want to drive. 
-I like seeing the states and teaching my kids about our country.
-The kids can scream and I don't get flustered or embarrassed 
-We can take loads of stuff


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## druidcat

We're driving from NC...we flew last time.  We'll visit relatives in Macon, Ga on the way down.  I really like having a car, it makes life easier.  Plus flying a family of four with all the equipment for the baby is a PITA!


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## eliza61

We've driven down 3 times from New Jersey.  We only did the straight through one time, boy was that rough.  Now we stop at the Georgia/Florida state line, get a good nights sleep and start fresh in the morning.


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## Mrs.viv07

we'll be driving in 10 days from NYC
i can't wait!


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## Tinkerbell63

We've driven down to Florida from deep South Texas 4 times.  We'll leave at about 5:00 a.m. and drive approximatly 14 hours then stop to rest and sleep, then we'll drive 7 more hours until we get to Disney.  We usually get there early enough to visit a park or enjoy our resort and prepare for the following day.  Our children are older and can tolerate the drive (DDs-20, 16, & 9).  We actually enjoy the drive.   My dd16 refuses to fly.


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## momof3girls6712

We drive everytime, but since we live outside of Ocala FL it really is a no brainer. It takes us about a hour and a half. Sorry if this thread was meant for longer drives.


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## smylie1

We drive from Hickory, NC.  It's only about 10 hours though.  My husband gets off work around noon on Saturday's, so I pack and get everything ready while he's at work, then we leave out around 1pm.  He drives through the  "hard" parts of the trip and I drive the long straight-aways so he can sleep.  We stay at  Days Inn or Holiday Inn Express once we get to Orlando, then check in to our resort the next morning.  That way we've not lost any Disney time.  

We go to Daytona Beach in the summer.  It's maybe an hour shorter, but still a long drive.  I don't know how some of you do it!  10 hours seems like an eternity to me.  I can't imaging how it must feel driving from farther away.


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## Dawn68PA

We live in south-central PA and drive.  DH is afraid to fly.  We drive straight through down and back.  DH sleeps all day the day we leave and then drives all night while I sleep.  In the morning I drive until we hit the WDW area.  I'm better at finding road signs     Since we drive at night going down, the kids (now 16 & 18) sleep so it's no problem.  We drive during the day coming home, but it's not bad.  DH & I take turns driving and the family talks pretty much the whole way home.


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## Rora

Hey there! I drive to WDW very frequently but I live in West Palm Beach, Fl which is only about 2 1/2 hours away from WDW. Oh the perks of being a Florida resident!


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## PrincessSuzanne

We drive from East Central Alabama, it takes about 5.5 to 6 hours with probably 4 or 5 bathroom stops. I won't even consider flying, my fear is really bad, but we would have to drive 1 hour to Atlanta to the airport so it really isn't cost effective for us, especially with as many trips as we have been making. It costs about $100 for gas to and from WDW, and 3 adults can't fly cheaper than that. I sleep most of the way, cause I am not a fan of riding either, but I am gettin gused to it. I am a person that gets very sleepy in the car, especially behind the wheel, so I don't drive long distances.

Suzanne


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## HelenePA

unless tix prices come down we'll be driving this year. Right now for 5 of us its well over 1k. I always said you couldn't pay me enough to drive with 3 kids.. I was wrong!!! Last year we paid about 500 (49$ each way per person) for tix for all of us.. I can justify that! over 119 a person each way.. uh no, can't see me paying it!


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## Rose23

We use to drive yearly from Columbus, Ohio, but now just drive to Washington, DC from Columbus and take the Amtrak Autotrain Train.  You catch it in Lorton, Virginia, load your car, truck or motorcycle, and enjoy
the overnight train ride into Sanford, Florida (just a few miles north of Orlando).  It is wonderful and relaxing.  We did enjoy driving for all of the years that we did so and sometimes will still drive down and take the Autotrain back to Washington, DC and then drive home to Columbus.  When we drove we normally split the trip and drove to Columbia, SC for an overnight stay and then into Lake Buena Vista.  Total of 16 hours.


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## dawz1026

guelde96 said:


> We drive from north central Illinois.  @ 18-20 hours depending on how things go.  We have drove 3 times to Disney.  Kids age's ranged from 2-9.  We have 3 children.  We have only stopped once on the way down when my youngest was 2.  That worked out good because we were ready to go staight to the parks when we got there.  I am afraid to fly.  However,  I am also too cheap to fly.  No matter how you look at it, when you can drive straight through it is much cheaper to drive.  Even with the inflated gas prices.



we think and fear alike


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## bord1niowa

We drive from Iowa.  With 7 of us in one vehicle, a full size van, it's much more comfortable for all of us.  The kids have TV, computer, games, we have a cooler, DVD's you name it.  Besides the drive down is half the fun too.  Seeing places you have maybe not been too and might never take the effort to go see if not for being on the way to WDW.  Flying would be cost prohibitive for all of us.  We also pull a trailer and that wouldn't make it on as carry-on. lol.  We save by camping and we love the peace and quiet of Fort Wilderness. Not to mention the significant savings.  More than pays for the gas.  Can't wait for June!


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## bennythepug

we have done both. driving from New Hampshire, with 3 kids and a pop up was nerve wracking  espesially  when a tire blew out on the high way. Last summer we flew = we had $40 dings one way and flew for $550 all 5 of us. Couldn't pass that up.
I like to drive and be able to bring as much stuff as I want !!


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## brightvalleyjrts

This is our first time going to WDW with the kids and we decided to fly. I just figured I would rather deal with an 1 1/2 hour flight, than a 10+ hour drive.  My kids are almost 5 and 2.  Hopefully we made the right decision.


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## Pirates4me

We have driven to WDW four times.  Three from Vermont and once from MAssachusetts. Our trip last April was what I hope is our last driving trip to WDW.  The trip down is always fine.  We drive straigh through and usally made it in 24 hours , +/-.  The trip back is the problem.  By the time we head back home, we are tired and just want to get home.  We usually take two days coming home.

We have flown before with our then two year old (she's ten now) and now we are planning to fly again with our 15 month old son.  I'm really not worried about him being loud.  Babies and toddlers can be loud but the way I look at it, I payed the same amount for his seat as any other person on the flight.  the key is to keep them occupied.  We had a backpack loaded with things for my daughter to do on the 2.5 hour flight.  Honestly, I've been on flights when the adults were the obnoxious one.  

There's my 2 cents


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## DizneyNutz

brightvalleyjrts said:


> This is our first time going to WDW with the kids and we decided to fly. I just figured I would rather deal with an 1 1/2 hour flight, than a 10+ hour drive.  My kids are almost 5 and 2.  Hopefully we made the right decision.



In my opinion! you must be farther out towards the ends of NC, because we are central and it takes me about 8.5 hours of SERIOUS driving if you know what I mean (petal to the metal) . Anyhow DW will tell you that it is much more relaxed flying and when you get there you are not exhausted, like you are from riding in a vehicle the whole trip. My Dw who was (and still is) apprehensive about flying gladly books our flights now. You actually get extra time at Disney doing this!


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## Mischa

We've done both and we prefer driving.  Yes it might be a long trip, but DH & I enjoy each other's company, we listen to music, take turns driving, and we usually stop once on the way down and on the way home.  

It's about a 13-hour drive (one way) for us.  But we love the idea of having a car at our disposal so if we want to go to Sea World we can or explore outside of Disney.


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## Pirates4me

dawz1026 said:


> we think and fear alike



I can't believe you can't get a cheap flight from NYC to Orlando.

I cost us 8-10 tanks full of gas, I can't remember which.  We ended up having to stop in Georgia for the night  so that was another $125.  We brought food and water but still had to stop for eats.  I think that the trip down and back cost us almost $900.

The cost for our flights this year are $250 + taxes per person round trip.  That's $1000, and we didn't burn three days od our vacation getting there.


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## DizneyNutz

Pirates4me said:


> I can't believe you can't get a cheap flight from NYC to Orlando.
> 
> I cost us 8-10 tanks full of gas, I can't remember which.  We ended up having to stop in Georgia for the night  so that was another $125.  We brought food and water but still had to stop for eats.  I think that the trip down and back cost us almost $900.
> 
> The cost for our flights this year are $250 + taxes per person round trip.  That's $1000, and we didn't burn three days od our vacation getting there.



Like it or not the riding does add exhaustion, that you do not have flying (especially for the drivers). We are there and on property ready to do something, versus there and need some down time to recouperate from the drive. That is a major factor for us.


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## cassmat

We are more then half way there, drive from near Toronto Ontario and we take 3 days to get there...and yes the kids fight, and I would rather fly and rent a car, but dh likes the drive...


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## brightvalleyjrts

DizneyNutz said:


> In my opinion! you must be farther out towards the ends of NC, because we are central and it takes me about 8.5 hours of SERIOUS driving if you know what I mean (petal to the metal) . Anyhow DW will tell you that it is much more relaxed flying and when you get there you are not exhausted, like you are from riding in a vehicle the whole trip. My Dw who was (and still is) apprehensive about flying gladly books our flights now. You actually get extra time at Disney doing this!



We are in Charlotte actually.  But with as many stops as my kids need to take it seems to take us forever to get anywhere. I always add an hour or 2 to our trip!!  ( my 5 year old seems to have to pee, every time we put him in the car). LOL!!


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## Creekermom

We drove from Louisville, KY to WDW and it took about 13 hrs or so... The great thing was that it took us 2 days to get there. Once we made it to the south side of Atlanta, we stayed the night and then on the return trip home we got to the North side of Atlanta and did the same thing. We loved being able to stop and sight see when we wanted to. In Sept, we plan to do the same thing and maybe spend a day or two at the beach or checking out some of the cotton plantations. 
We home school so every place is an adventure full of fun stuff for us!
We seen huge peaches in Georgia and tons of cotton fields... 

The trip was quite easy for the most part. We left kinda late at 4pm when we had planned to leave between 10-12 noon. It actually worked to our benefit as the HWY in Atlanta were bare.


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## dawz1026

We are in the car on a typical Saturday sometimes for 5-7 hours straight just exploring new areas...DH loves to drive so I guess we have gotten used to it.Believe me I know kids can be loud but until you have met my ds be glad we are not on a possible flight with you lololol.....


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## torinsmom

We drive from NC when we go do WDW. Whoever said it is more exhausting to drive than fly does NOT know me, LOL. I stress and stress and stress some more. I stress before the flight, during the flight and after the flight. I have never been on a flight from RDU that has not been delayed at least an hour. You have to get there at least 1 1/2 hour BEFORE the flight. On the flight, there is always at least one screaming child and/or someone who smells like they have been traveling for three days(and I always seem to get seated next to one of these two ) After the flight, you have to go collect luggage and either find your rental car place or find ME and get checked in/wait for the shuttle, then get to Disney. ALL THAT is exhausting for me.

For me, it's much better to be in control. DS13 does not usually scream and neither of us stinks. When we leave NC, we leave, no waiting around for delays. And we may be more likely to have a car accident than a plane crash, but it is not as gruesome to think about, for some reason. I like to leave at around 3-4pm and drive through the night. there's very little traffic at that time and we arrive at around Midnight. And driving my own minivan, I don't have to take the Disney bus that seems to inspire more anger in me every time I take it, LOL.

I guess it is personal preference, but for me a 9 hour drive beats a plane ride any day.

Marsha


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## B.B. Sots

For a Family of 6, it is much cheaper to drive. (1/3 of the cost) So we always plan on driving the next time we go out. it is only 16.5 hours and we travel at night, so the kids sleep the majority of the trip. 

My wife and I switch off half way through and while the one drives the other naps. We then Stop 2-4 hours outside of Orlando to take a day off at a motel to recover before driving the rest of the way to the our resort. This way, the entire family is rested when we arrive. 

The second bonus from this is that the money we save from driving, we use for the spending money for the trip.


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## jtopp

We drive from south jersey every other visit. We just got back on new years eve after a crowded week. Going down, we split the drive, but coming home made good time driving straight thru. Just can't get good airfares over christmas break.


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## TSMAMI

We drive everytime from Albany NY. I am the only driver so it does get exhausting. We usually leave at 5am but this time we are thinking of leaving at night. We like stopping at all the Welcome centers and we have our favorite hotel in Fayetteville that we stay at each time.....


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## DisneyGuess

We drive from VA. With the size of our family, it's a lot cheaper for us and it's not a bad trip at all.


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## kimsuenew

We drive from NE Ohio down! We did stop and stay at a motel (one night, both coming and going, although going we only made it as far as the Florida/Georgia border before we stopped so really it was almost an all day drive home) but those stays and gas were far cheaper than flying!  We are a family of three, with a teenager. I have a friend with 3 kids, all under age 10, who goes to WDW at least once per year, often twice, and they have always driven down, even with babies in tow, and drive straight through (no motel and switching off mom and dad as driver). To me that would be a challenge!


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## unknownname

Last two times we were down there we drove straight. The last time there was only one driver and I just stayed awake the whole time to keep them awake. 
I love the drive down there but coming home was harsh. It felt like we were just in the car and we knew what we were getting ourself into. 

I wish there was more "neat" things on the road. Id love taking pictures.


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## earthfaries

We always drive and are driving to Disney in 4 1/2 days !!!   

We drive from NC too, it's a 10 hour drive without stops, and we stop quite a bit to stretch.  In a few days we will be leaving at 3 pm and driving for about 6 of the 10 hours and staying over in Kingsland, GA.  That will leave us with only a 4 hour drive or so the next day and we can be rested and ready for 7 open to close days at the parks!!!

On the way home we also stay over , this time it will be in Kingsland again.

We love the drive...it's so fun!  Just being in my van with my family and our music and singing and having fun! We write "Honk if you love Disney World" on the windows and that adds a lot of fun to the drive too 

We actually got great prices on a flight this time and booked, but decided it wouldn't be the same for us having to stay on site again (there are 6 of us and we love the space of a rental home) and having to take the buses it would not have been enjoyable.  We cancelled the flights and decided to get a townhouse and do 2 days at SW this time and we're glad we choose to drive and we love driving and can't wait!!!


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## unknownname

Oh yeah I forgot to add and were driving again when we go in april. :]


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## HelenePA

unknownname said:


> Oh yeah I forgot to add and were driving again when we go in april. :]



I'm one county up from you and how long does the drive take straight through??


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## slduck

We drive from Georgia.It takes us up to 8 hours with traffic and potty breaks.   Dh is used to driving since he  is a cop so it is no big deal.  Flying is not a good option for us because we are only close to minor airports. Atlanta is 2 1/2 hours away.  

The worst part is the traffic on I 4


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## unknownname

HelenePA said:


> I'm one county up from you and how long does the drive take straight through??




It took us 19hrs.


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## Fabinva

Last time we went and took plane with kids my son complained of ear pain for most of the flight, he was in tears, it was an early flight and as usual we were running late so was a stressful morning and we were all exhausted by the time we got there.
This April husband insists on driving there, he wants to drive straight from Northern Virginia but thinking that might be easier for all to stop in Brunswick Ga for the night and head for WDW early morning.
He wants to drive so we do not have to worry about what we can or can not take in the plane and also because he gets ear pain as well (even when wearing earplugs) that usually lasts few days.


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## earthfaries

We're driving to WDW tomorrow    We are stopping for the night after 6 hours of driving, leaving us with almost 4 the next day    It's gonna be fun


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## Suejeffali

We drive everytime (from Niagara Falls, NY).  We pack a DVD player, coloring pages, books, CD's, and her pillow!  My DD is very scared to fly (I don't want to force her) and DH loves to drive.  We pack a picnic lunch and stop when we are hungry or when we need to get out and stretch.  Then we we are tired we find a hotel and spend the night.  It is such a nice drive!!


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## OU1247

We will be driving from OK in July.  19+ hours, but with my job I get a free car and free gas anywhere so it just makes monetary sense for us.


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## In Luv with Disney

We drove for the 2nd time in August.  We live in Long Island, New York.  DH does the MAJORITY of the driving.  I might drive an hour or two so he can nap, but then he's ready to go again.  The first trip, we did stop over somewhere in SC.  Our last trip in August, we went straight through.  

We have been on vacation to Orlando 18 times since we were dating...and only drove twice.  Yes, I love flying and the fact that we are THERE in 2 hours flight time from NYC!!!  BUT since we have two kids and lug A LOT of stuff, we find it SO MUCH EASIER to drive now and have our own car!  When we fly, DH is the one lugging the two car seats, all of the luggage and a carry on or two, while I take the kids in the double stroller with some carry ons hanging off the back.  It's just SO MUCH WORK!  And not to mention more expensive.  Last trip, the flight was $200 per person.  The rental car was upwards of $400 (we were there for 18 days).  That's $1200...it only cost $400 in gas to drive.  $800 in savings!  

We don't go to the parks the first day or two anyway, so feeling tired is never really an issue for us.


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## dawz1026

In Luv with Disney said:


> We drove for the 2nd time in August.  We live in Long Island, New York.  DH does the MAJORITY of the driving.  I might drive an hour or two so he can nap, but then he's ready to go again.  The first trip, we did stop over somewhere in SC.  Our last trip in August, we went straight through.
> 
> We have been on vacation to Orlando 18 times since we were dating...and only drove twice.  Yes, I love flying and the fact that we are THERE in 2 hours flight time from NYC!!!  BUT since we have two kids and lug A LOT of stuff, we find it SO MUCH EASIER to drive now and have our own car!  When we fly, DH is the one lugging the two car seats, all of the luggage and a carry on or two, while I take the kids in the double stroller with some carry ons hanging off the back.  It's just SO MUCH WORK!  And not to mention more expensive.  Last trip, the flight was $200 per person.  The rental car was upwards of $400 (we were there for 189 days).  That's $1200...it only cost $400 in gas to drive.  $800 in savings!
> 
> We don't go to the parks the first day or two anyway, so feeling tired is never really an issue for us.



Im Long Island too


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## ntz4disney

We have done both ... just depends on what deals come up on airfare for us.  

When we do drive, we leave around 7pm at night and drive straight through and stop for gas and bathroom breaks, we are usually on WDW property by 10am-1030am ... my husband does the first leg of driving and I sleep when I can, then I drive from about 2am until 7am and let my husband rest, well he said he doesn't sleep well but atleast he closes his eyes for awhile. The kids sleep in the van most of the way down, and while awake are entertained by movies, gameboy and whatever else they bring to keep busy. 

Coming home is always awful, we are all cranky because as my husband likes to say ... "mom is making us all go home today" ... he thinks he is so funny!   We leave WDW around 4am and drive home with the hopes of driving right through and getting home before its dark again.

Its not a bad trip for us, maybe 15-16 hours depends on when we leave and how many times we stop, we come from right outside Philadelphia so its a short hop to I-95!


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## In Luv with Disney

dawz1026 said:


> Im Long Island too



Where are you?  I'm in Floral Park!


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## HelenePA

In Luv with Disney said:


> (we were there for 189 days).  .


really??  wow that's a LONG vacation Good for you!


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## AlwaysEeyore

We drive from LI too!!  We are in Yaphank.  We usually stop for the night in GA though.  I told DH our trip in May I would rather drive and take Magical Express.  DD(5) whined too much on our trip in November. Southwest just released flights today and they are too pricey for me so I'll have to see if they come down. Otherwise I may get myself some headphones so I can't hear DD.


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## dawz1026

In Luv with Disney said:


> Where are you?  I'm in Floral Park!



Hicksville! Hey Neighbor


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## dawz1026

AlwaysEeyore said:


> We drive from LI too!!  We are in Yaphank.  We usually stop for the night in GA though.  I told DH our trip in May I would rather drive and take Magical Express.  DD(5) whined too much on our trip in November. Southwest just released flights today and they are too pricey for me so I'll have to see if they come down. Otherwise I may get myself some headphones so I can't hear DD.



yeah LI!


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## unknownname

Hopefully I'll get my permit/drivers L. to help my mom drive this april. <3


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## In Luv with Disney

HelenePA said:


> really??  wow that's a LONG vacation Good for you!



HAHHAA!!!!!!     WHOOPS!!!!!  18 days!!!!!!     Sorry about that typo!


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## In Luv with Disney

dawz1026 said:


> Hicksville! Hey Neighbor



WOOT WOOT!   I LOVE Ikea!!!!!!


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## themudd4

We drive the 900 miles 1 way each time we go.  My husband refuses to fly...says "God didn't give him wings yet, so he aint flyin'!"  (Yes were red necks...lol)


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## Goofyz3girls

Hey Long Island...my brother,sister-in-law and their twins(rocco&grace)leave in the morning for WDW.They too like to drive it...starting from Manorhaven,LI (Port Washington).The suburban all loaded and headed south.Good Luck and Have a Great Time.


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## Marshypooh

We always drive to WDW.  We live in North Carolina and less than 10 minutes from I-95.  It takes us approx. 9-10 hours, depending on weather, traffic, construction, and how many stops we make.  Our goal is to be ready and in the truck at 5:30 a.m.  We make 2 quick meal stops and to stretch our legs.  Sometimes we might have to stop a third time for another potty break.  We arrive at our resort usually around 2:30-3:30 in the afternoon.  This is very nice because it gives us time to check-in and get unpacked, explore our resort, have dinner, relax, and get in bed early.  We wake up refreshed and with alot of energy for our first day in the parks.

We have a Dodge Ram and it holds alot of luggage, large cooler, etc.  Lots of roomy space in the cab, too.  Our stay at WDW usually lasts 10 days to 2 weeks.  This allows a good amount of time in between, so the return drive is not so close to the day we left home.  We try to make the trip every 2 years.  I pack enough clothing for the family to last the entire trip so I don't have to do any laundry (a real vacation for me!).  This is a great convenience as compared to flying and having to take that much luggage for a family of 4.  We also take alot of bottled water, soft drinks, snacks.  There is also plenty of room on the way back to hold all of our Disney shopping.

On the trip home, we don't even leave until about 11 or 11:30.  We always feel so sad and it is so hard to leave.  We pack the truck back up, have breakfast, and take one more sentimental stroll around the resort.  The drive back still takes about the same amount of time and it is usually just getting dark when we finally arrive home, so it's really not so bad.  My husband usually has a couple more days before he returns to work, so we can sleep in the next day.

The best part about driving is having that time to be with your family and to talk and laugh together.


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## momof5gr8kids

HI there..my family always drove to Fl.   My DH and I now are planning our first trip w/ the kids (we have 5, ages 12-5, youngest is sp needs)  The cost of flying is kiling me; the thought of spending 3-4 days in the car when we COULD be at WDW is also painful.  Personally, my kids act the same whether they are in the car for 15 minutes or 15 hours, so being w/ them that long doesn't scare me. 
We still aren't sure what we're doing..but I feel your pain! (Driving from upstate NY--trip takes about 22 hours depending on stops)

Good luck making your decision!


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## cypresstxmouse

We drive as well. Houston, TX to DW! 972 miles from the house. We leave at 8:00pm and drive all night so the DD and DS can sleep. The only bad thing is the drive home.......getting out of Florida thru the panhandle is very long.

We flew for the first time in December, but I prefer to drive.


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## dreamin in pa

We flew in 1999 and 2006.  I hated it.  Sure, it was nice to be there in a couple of hours but I get airsick and so does DD11.  In 2007, we drove from PA.  It was great.  I have 4 kids and they were much better behaved in the van than on the plane.  And with the cost of flights now, it's just better for us to drive.


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## All7OfUs

We're driving for our April trip from Knoxville.  Does anyone know how long that would take?  I can't imagine NOT driving!  We will be staying at FW (tents) and will most certainly drive to the parks ourselves (except MK) each morning, since we'll be staying until closing each night.  I know Disney Trans. is great, but the convenience of having your own car to go offsite for an occasional meal, shopping for ice and drinks etc...is great! We just couldn't do without it!


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## Finally08

We'll be driving - should take about 12 hours, so hopefully we won't have any delays!


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## All7OfUs

Thanks Finally08!  My DDad says it should take 10, but I thought more like 12 myself...  


Mom of 5


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## dawz1026

A 12 hr drive would be so easy....ugh try 20


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## Dervis

My Family and I have driven down since 9/11 happened. We live in Northern Pennsylvania, so its a 2 day drive. We usually leave at 10:00pm on the first day, drive through the entire night to avoid Washington DC and Baltimore's rish hours, and stay a night in St. Augustine FL. The drive can be a it tiring, but its the wait before you actually get there that makes it a bit more fun IMO.


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## AlwaysEeyore

dawz1026 said:


> A 12 hr drive would be so easy....ugh try 20


 
With a whinning 5 year old.


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## Dreamer13079

We have driven and flown and prefer driving.  We travel from Southeast Michigan so it takes around 19 hours.  We have a 2, 3, and 4 year old so we leave in the evening and then they sleep for most of the trip and when they wake up it is only a couple more hours and we are there.  

As a kid, we always drove down so it just feels like part of the trip.  It just doesn't feel the same without the drive.  When we go in the car, we can also bring whatever we want (no liquid restrictions) and don't have to worry about lugging 3 car seats with us.


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## HelenePA

dawz1026 said:


> A 12 hr drive would be so easy....ugh try 20


How about 22hr with a 2 yr old, a 5 yr old and a 7yr old  Earplugs anyone?  I'm scared! but its gonna save us at LEAST 700$ if we drive.. god I still can't believe I'm gonna drive with 3 kids to disney I have to be insane


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## cyberbox2

Fabinva said:


> This April husband insists on driving there, he wants to drive straight from Northern Virginia but thinking that might be easier for all to stop in Brunswick Ga for the night and head for WDW early morning.
> 
> 
> We also drive down each year from Virginia (Richmond) sometimes twice a year. The four of us have become familiar and comfortable with the drive. It takes us between 11 and 12 hours. If we leave before noon we drive straight through, other wise we will stay in Brunswick Georgia for the night it is a good stopping point for us and not far from the Florida border. We then hit the road early (8am) to get to the resort by noon.


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## jazzmine

We are thinking about driving on our upcoming trip, haven't decided yet.  DS is going to be three for the trip and I'm not sure that we can all handle it!  It would definitely save us money though but I don't know if it's worth it.


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## dawz1026

Anyone have a dh who insists on doing ALL the driving? Mine calls me Mrs.Magoo  and does not like my driving


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## agentpleakley

most recently we drove in December 2007. 

 1.  It is a 12.5 hour drive for us.  Since we live 2 hours from the nearest airport -- the last time we flew December 2006 -- it took us (with layover) 11.5 hours to fly.

2.  Much cheaper to drive --- cost us approximately $155 in gas roundtrip (Ford Freestyle) compared to approximately $900 to fly (not counting the cost to park our car at the airport for 10 days).

3.  We were able to take cases of pop, water, breakfast foods, cooler, Christmas tree & decorations for room, presents for family meeting us there, all 5 of DD's princess dresses, laundry detergent -- well, you get the picture

4. Saved money by taking food with us for drive down - rather than eating in airport.

5.  DH did not have panic attack about airline.

6.  Kids were entertained by DVD, games, coloring books -- they didn't even realize how long we were in the car-- on the plane, however, littlest one complained and made it very uncomfortable for us as well as the people around us.

We were much more relaxed driving, if that makes any sense at all.  We will be driving in the future unless we get an unbelievable deal on flights.


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## DisneyDadof3

We got back last week - we are 1060 miles from WDW. It cost us just under $350 to drive down and back - including the miles we drove at WDW. We stay off property and a rental car for our 10 days would have been over $1200 and flights leaving Christmas night or the 26th and leaving on Jan 5th would have cost $1250 plus tax (as cheap as I could ever find it) plus another 80-100 in parking. so the cheapest we could have flown for over break was approximately $2700-$3000 depending on taxes and we drove for $350 plus another $50-75 or so in food plus we could take more stuff with us than flying. No comparison!


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## chinadoll03

We (my husband and I) always drive down from Louisville, KY. We usually do it in two legs, but we're pondering a straight-through drive this year at Christmas. We'll see...


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## druidcat

dawz1026 said:


> Anyone have a dh who insists on doing ALL the driving? Mine calls me Mrs.Magoo  and does not like my driving



We're the exact opposite, I won't let dh drive...I'm to much of a control freak, lol


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## kimberh

We are only 6.5 hrs away if I-95 is flowing. We always drive... Now, if it is Thanksgiving Sunday, the trip home can be 12 hrs. We said, Never again!!


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## dawz1026

flying=   ....driving =


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## SmithFamily2003

We have driven and flown from St. Louis.  We drove with a 20 month old in 2006 and she did wonderful.  She either slept, looked out the window or watched the DVD player.  I think she handled it better than me.  We decided to fly in 2007.  Never again!  The DD was 2 and half this time.  Trying to carry the carry on bags, the car seat for the rental car in Orlando, and keep track of her at the airport gave me a major headache.  She didn't want to sit still on the flight.  It was worse on the way back.  She wanted to sit on my lap, but she had her own seat she had to be buckled into.  Trying to get her through security with all of our stuff was a major problem also.  We will definetly always drive when the kids are little.  If there is a problem with the kids you can always stop.  But on an airplane, you can't do alot if they have a meltdown.


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## 'OhanaMama

I am wondering if we should drive or fly in June. Truth be told, I am scared to drive. I'm afraid it will be too much and too long, about 20+ hours total there. We usually fly but the flights are alot more than usual right now and we are spending a week in Sanibel Island afterward. So between flying and a rental car, it seems the driving would be worth it but...... Neither my DH or I can take turns driving straight through so we'll have to stop overnight. So 2 days there and 2 days back, ew, I don't know. Plus I need to figure out the math as far as how much it would cost for gas and hotels. Would there be a BIG difference or not so much of a difference.  

Stephanie


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## torinsmom

'OhanaMama said:


> I am wondering if we should drive or fly in June. Truth be told, I am scared to drive. I'm afraid it will be too much and too long, about 20+ hours total there. We usually fly but the flights are alot more than usual right now and we are spending a week in Sanibel Island afterward. So between flying and a rental car, it seems the driving would be worth it but...... Neither my DH or I can take turns driving straight through so we'll have to stop overnight. So 2 days there and 2 days back, ew, I don't know. Plus I need to figure out the math as far as how much it would cost for gas and hotels. Would there be a BIG difference or not so much of a difference.
> 
> Stephanie




I would think you would come out about even. I plugged my mini van into that drive(gas trip calculator) and it estimated around $300 round trip for gas. If you're renting a car, add that in. If you're staying at a hotel, guess $50-$60 a night. And food for those days of driving. Then add in losing 2 extra days of work for those traveling days and maybe a day after if you're driving 10 hours that last day. Just add it all up and see what you are willing to "save" by driving. If I was more than a 1 day's drive away, I wouldn't consider driving. 

Marsha


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## dawz1026

SmithFamily2003 said:


> We have driven and flown from St. Louis.  We drove with a 20 month old in 2006 and she did wonderful.  She either slept, looked out the window or watched the DVD player.  I think she handled it better than me.  We decided to fly in 2007.  Never again!  The DD was 2 and half this time.  Trying to carry the carry on bags, the car seat for the rental car in Orlando, and keep track of her at the airport gave me a major headache.  She didn't want to sit still on the flight.  It was worse on the way back.  She wanted to sit on my lap, but she had her own seat she had to be buckled into.  Trying to get her through security with all of our stuff was a major problem also.  We will definetly always drive when the kids are little.  If there is a problem with the kids you can always stop.  But on an airplane, you can't do alot if they have a meltdown.



That would be the exact situation we anticipated if we flew..Thank U!


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## jazzmine

We are planning to give driving a go on our trip down in March/April.  We've flown with DS before and I have to admit that while he was a dream on all the flights, it's really a pain in the butt carrying everything through the airport and limiting what we bring with us.  I look forward to driving down and taking our own car because we can bring whatever we want with us and do things on our own time table.  Granted, it will be a longer time table that flying but hey, we are up for the challenge!!!


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## dawz1026

Imagine the thought..first-lugging what you need to the airport (minus what you really need as opposed to what you CAN bring)
entertaining ds-now 19 months...for an hour or two 
oh yeah dh would be carrying mostly all luggage...happily I might add Boarding a small enclosed space with my very vocal and demanding ds and dd12..trying to put him in a car seat where he has never been  hoping he will not scream or touch and kick other passengers  then overcoming my slight fear I have managed to attain since 2002 on my last flight anywhere with my dh who feels quite the same... now the flight lololol....


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## SuperGurl

DisneyDadof3 said:


> We got back last week - we are 1060 miles from WDW. It cost us just under $350 to drive down and back - including the miles we drove at WDW. We stay off property and a rental car for our 10 days would have been over $1200 and flights leaving Christmas night or the 26th and leaving on Jan 5th would have cost $1250 plus tax (as cheap as I could ever find it) plus another 80-100 in parking. so the cheapest we could have flown for over break was approximately $2700-$3000 depending on taxes and we drove for $350 plus another $50-75 or so in food plus we could take more stuff with us than flying. No comparison!



This was approminately the same for us. Driving saved me money.


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## bradisgoofy

We've always driven to WDW, 1200 miles one way. We use to do it in two days but found that we were so tired from the long drive that the first full day was a bust. So now we do it in two and a half days and can start doing things the day we arrive. Now that we camp, we are driving the RV to FW.


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## yaksack

We drove from NE NJ once and NW NJ two times.  We leave the day before our check in day at 7pm and usually make it to the hotel by one 1 or 2pm the next day.  
I am the first driver and usually get tired about 3am at which time DW drives. We stop for bathroom breaks and I insist on stopping for gas whenever we get to half a tank (fear of running out of gas).  We also bring a potty for my DD6, as opposed to using a bathroom at a gas station.  

We are usually tired when we get there but the excitement from being in WDW keeps us awake until the night, but at night we crash hard!  The drive down is easy because you are going to WDW, but the drive back is harder.  

We take I95 all the way down.   I suggest getting AAA map.


Good luck and take vivarin.

Bring CDs fro the car and a poratable DVD or VCR is also an excellent idea for the kids.


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## dawz1026

Actually excited to hit the road! The long 20 hour road!


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## Arcturus1020

After checking the most recent airfare for late March/April, I am seriously considering driving down. $370 airfare round-trip per person (and there are 3 of us) from CHI to MCO is a bit insane. Unless I can find it cheaper somewhere, we too will be making the 1200 mile trip down in a straight shot.

Seriously . . . what's going on with airfare lately?!?


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## MindyLuvsMickey

As a kid, our family always did the drive from central PA. We would drive over night and did it non-stop.  

Since having my own family, we've driven once and flown once.  Our son is young and we found that the amount of "gear" that we have to lug is ridiculous.  We decided that our next trip will be a driving trip.  It just makes life easier for us.  When he gets older, we will fly again.


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## ChicagoMommy2Two

We are planning on driving but I am hoping that I can find a great deal on a flight and convince Dh that it would be so much less stressful!!


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## wannabeTinkerbell

We flew for the first time last February because we were ony going for 3 nights.  Here's how it added up for us:  Drive to airport, 1 hour plus 2 hours early to airport to clear security, 1.25 hour flight, 45 minutes standing in line for DME, 30 minutes for trip to hotel = 5.5 hours.  Time to drive: 7 hours.  Net time savings: 1.5 hours.

We decided that it simply wasn't saving us any time and it definitely cost more than the tank and a half of gas it takes.  Add that to the hassle of having to use Disney transportation for everything (renting a car for the weekend is cost prohibitive) it turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.

We purchased a SunPass before heading home and we'll be driving from now on.  That'll shorten the trip a few more minutes because we don't have to stop and pay tolls on our way.


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## ellenmiele

We've driven from NJ several times but this past Dec we flew because it was a shorter trip and my parents were going too and my dad has a bad back which makes driving that distance real tough.  But I was a total wreck on the plane - I just hate it!  Our kids loved it - which i was really happy about because I don't want my fears to influence them.  And DH has no fear  but he hates the nuisance of going through security with shoes off, waiting in the airport, etc. So we don't have any plans to fly again any time soon - we'll be driving. And after doing the drive a few times (maybe 4 times in the past 5 years) we've got it down - we leave NJ at about 6 pm, take turns driving straight thru, and we're at our resort by noon.  When our kids were younger we took the Autotrain a few times - twice we took it both ways and twice we just took it home - we haven't done that in a while but I think I would like to do it on our return trip next time - it is a lot of fun.


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## Wit

We're driving and I am extremely excited!! 

I guess my vacations growing up were a little strange. We would LEAVE the Orlando area every summer and head North the the Chicago Burbs I now live in. (to visit family)

It was always an exciting road trip! We would stop off at national parks, go caving, see roadside attractions, anything to make the drive more of an adventure!

Thats what I want to give my kids and DP this year. We are stopping along the way to visit some of my favorite spots growing up. Mammoth Caves, Rock City (Look Out Mountain), Ruby Falls and more. 

I have found out, that taking the extra few days to drive and ENJOY it, not only saves the airport/rent a car hassles it gives you wonderful bonding with your family! The drive is part of your vacation, MAKE an adventure of it.  (not that the portable DVDS and Nintendo DS's aren't coming for the driving time in between adventures  )


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## Mickey and PSU

We have been to Disney 17 times since our oldest son was born. In that time, we have flown 2 times.  We live in Southcentral PA and because my DH does not like to drive all night, we travel to Santee SC or Savannah GA the first day and then get an early start the following morning.  With DVDs and iPods, the boys stay busy and we make a reasonable amount of stops to have them stretch.  They throw a football or baseball when we take breaks and then are ready to get back in the car.  This has really saved a lot of money for us by being able to carry water and snacks along with us.  It also gives us the flexibility to be able to go offsite if we want to.  We flew on our last trip because of our schedules and they boys loved it.  They want us to do the same thing this year.  That decision hasn't been made as of this time.


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## DisneyCrazy2

We have driven from IN to WDW 5 times.  It is a very long trip with 7 people in a minivan!  For some reason each year we seem to forget how bad it was and decide to drive again.  Last year I took pictures of us on the ride home to remind me of the misery.  It worked because this year we are flying!!


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## ilisao

I'm in Maryland and we always drive.  Our kids are 8 and 6 and have been driviing since our youngest was 4 months old.  We enjoy it.  We usually stop for the night in Florence, SC since that's the halfway point for us.  Now, we took a last minute Disney cruise in November and actually drove all the way to St. Augustine, spent the night and then drove the last 2 hours.  Not something I recommend, LOL!


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## collcass

I'd love to fly, but for $2976.22 for flight and rental from CT in July we will be driving My four kids are great travelers, but they've never done something that far before


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## dawz1026

collcass said:


> I'd love to fly, but for $2976.22 for flight and rental from CT in July we will be driving My four kids are great travelers, but they've never done something that far before



The airfare is high.We had a brief thiught about flying and the rates really helped us decide to drive.


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## yaksack

collcass said:


> I'd love to fly, but for $2976.22 for flight and rental from CT in July we will be driving My four kids are great travelers, but they've never done something that far before





How many of you are going?  We got 4 roundtrip tickets from Newark, NJ to Oralndo for about $160 each on Continental.  We booked thru Orbitz.


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## collcass

yaksack said:


> How many of you are going?  We got 4 roundtrip tickets from Newark, NJ to Oralndo for about $160 each on Continental.  We booked thru Orbitz.



we have 4 children. when we go they will range from 10-3.  Newark is probably about 4 hours from us. Cheapest I got was $276 from Bradley and $1326 for the rental.

My sister and cousin are both flying out of Newark. They got $210 pp.


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## iluvflorida

We drive every year from 2hrs north of Toronto Canada.  I used to drive (with my parents) as a kid before I-75 or other interstates were finished.  Love to drive not sure how many trips this will be but probably in the 50 range. Beside the air fare, drive to and from airport, pay to park at airport, then rent a car, insurance etc etc. I'll gladly drive even when I had small kids. I perfer to have my own car when in Florida.


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## xpor2geechica69x

Posted Twice...Sorry for the error


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## xpor2geechica69x

My family went in 2003 and we drove from Rhode Island.  It was my mom and step dad, my brother and I, and two foster brothers who were 9 & 6.  We had a mini van and everyone fit perfect along with a cooler for drinks and sandwiches. We left at 5 am on a Sat morning reached South of the border were we spent the night at about 8pm that night.  Sunday after we ate breakfast we headed to Daytona which took about 5 hours with a couple of stops.  We spent the night there and then went on our way to Magical Disney.   I must say that you have to at least drive once to Florida I think because of the scenary you get to enjoy.  North and South Carolina got kind of boring its all trees but South of border was really cool. The board walk on Daytona beach was nice too. I must say it was nice having the car in Disney as well because if we wanted to leave Disney property for breakfast or shopping we were able too.  Our trip was a total of 14 days so it was nice to see other parts of Orlando.  I do enjoy flying there but to drive once was enjoyable and believe it or not the kids were really good as well...


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## MyKidsMom1820

we are planning on driving from west michigan.... our kids are pretty good in the car and my husband and I enjoy road trips....atleast the way there 

I looked at airfares and so far I haven't found any really good deals, if I did I might change my mind...


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## Blessedx3

MyKidsMom1820 said:


> we are planning on driving from west michigan.... our kids are pretty good in the car and my husband and I enjoy road trips....atleast the way there
> 
> I looked at airfares and so far I haven't found any really good deals, if I did I might change my mind...




We drove from southern MI in 06 and I have to say I don't think we will do it again.  Our kiddo's are little though but still very good in the car.  But by the time you spend 2 nights 1 there 1 home) and gas it isn't any cheaper then flying.  Unless you plan on driving straight through.  Check with a TA we have gotten great rates with a TA for all our trips since.


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## MyKidsMom1820

Blessedx3 said:


> We drove from southern MI in 06 and I have to say I don't think we will do it again.  Our kiddo's are little though but still very good in the car.  But by the time you spend 2 nights 1 there 1 home) and gas it isn't any cheaper then flying.  Unless you plan on driving straight through.  Check with a TA we have gotten great rates with a TA for all our trips since.



good to know, I havent checked w/ a TA, but I will, did you fly out of detroit?? or another city??? I have noticed it is much more expensive to fly from gr than detroit.


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## Meme3

We drove from Portsmouth, Virginia, and it takes us about 12 to 13hrs to get to our off-site resort. My DH and I tried driving it all in one trip one time, and that was a big mistake for us 50 something year olds. It tired us out so bad. 'That was in 2000. 
So, in 2002 we decided to stop in Kingsland, SC, and stayed overnight for rest. We got up the next morning feeling refreshed, and drove the rest of the way. It helped us and it helped out our DS, and his wife and DC, which one of them was 2 yrs. old.
On our next trip which is in Sept. of this year, we will be driving again, and stopping again at a hotel, but this time our DD, her DH, and their Dd, who will be 2 yrs. old will be going with us. It just makes the vacation seem longer, we get some rest, and then we aren't so tuckered out by the time we reach our villa. Plus it is easier on the children, so they can get out of the van, stretch their legs, and just have some fun.


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## kjetjl

We drove 5 times from Southeast Michigan.  We drove straight through and once we stopped in Valdosta, Georgia.  We flew last time out of Flint,MI nonstop to Orlando.  I loved it and so did the kids.  We were able to enjoy the vacation so much more because we were not so exhausted from the drive.

I do miss the mountains and some parts of the drive.  But I did not miss the drive home at all!!  It usually took us about 24 hours to get home with stops for stretching, bathroom and food.  We were swimming in the afternoon in the Florida sun and home in bed by midnight.   My 7 year old said, "This is the best last day of Disney ever!"


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## wdwfann

We always drive.  Of course, we are in South Alabama and it only takes about 7 1/2 hours.  We are ready to once again make that drive only a little over 2 months to go!!!


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## Thats_for_Shore

We love to drive.  We had so much fun on our first Disney road trip, that I'm sure we'll be life long road trippers.

We're leaving in 11 days, and I can't wait.

We'll drive, making pit stops here and there for gas and food.  We have fun reading the Pedro signs, and stopping at hole in the wall restaurants at three in the morning.


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## disneyfanforlife

My Family drives every time we go. It always works out well.


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## ILVPOOH

We drive from Northwest New Jersey.  My DH doesn't like to fly.  We have fun in the car.  We play games, watch movies, and count the Pedro signs.  We stop in South GA for the night and then the next day arrive at DISNEY!  On the way home we drive straight home (18 hours).


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## Blessedx3

MyKidsMom1820 said:


> good to know, I havent checked w/ a TA, but I will, did you fly out of detroit?? or another city??? I have noticed it is much more expensive to fly from gr than detroit.



That may be we have always flown out of DTW.  But we went last year for thanksgiving and flew first class for $350 a piece.  GREAT rate.  We are flying down northwest again in a few days and we got great rates again only $108 a piece, coach but it is a quick flight.  Again thanks to the TA. It is worth checking out.  In the long run it may be cheaper.  Also if you are planning on renting a car try flying into fort meyers on USA 3000.  My MIL got a rate of $67 round trip.  But they do not fly into MCO.  Good luck PM me if you need anymore info.


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## kespo

We drive all the time from Central NJ.  It takes us about 16 hours total.  We stop in SC on the way down and NC on the way home.  

We enjoy the drive and have all of the clean rest areas/ places to eat and stay maped out.


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## PrincessEeyore

ILVPOOH said:


> We drive from Northwest New Jersey.  My DH doesn't like to fly.  We have fun in the car.  We play games, watch movies, and *count the Pedro signs*.  We stop in South GA for the night and then the next day arrive at DISNEY!  On the way home we drive straight home (18 hours).


Got to love the Pedro signs!!! 

I've driven to WDW about 8 times. (well I didn't drive of course, but my family did) But we fly now. Although sometimes I wish we still drove, because it makes the trip last much longer.


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## lps1176

We drive too!! I have never had to fly before because we just moved here from S Florida so we always used to drive. This will be our first WDW trip since moving but we will still drive so we can see friends/ family after WDW


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## dvcbnd

We live in the NYC and always drive (with the exception of a couple of times flying) and love it. We love being on the road and find it very exciting - it helps that our 3 kids are great travelers as well. We usually stop in SC on the way down and in VA on our way home. This past Nov. we drove straight through. It took us 18 hours and it was soooo much fun. We haven't done that in about 6 yrs. and found it so much easier this time around. I guess because the kids are older 13, 8 and 6 yrs. We can't wait until Aug when we'll make the journey again!!!


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## Wit

Well we were planning on driving down, until I was making the budget today. We have a Chevy Suburban, which gets 15 mpg at best, and with the gas prices we will be spending almost 400 each way for gas. Then hotel rooms, as we don't drive straight through. We decidied the 1200 for airfare, and 500 for car rental for 2 weeks, we may not be saving money, but will gain convienece. We still LOVE road trips, and will probably bring the motor home and camp next WDW trip, this first time needs to be all cushy.


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## cristbaby

We just arrived home on Sunday from a road trip to WDW from right outside of Philadelphia.  The trip down we stopped in SC and on the way back we stopped in NC.  It gives DH and I a chance to connect since it is only the 2 of us.  We are both 50 something and we go at least once a year.  We enjoy our road trips very much!


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## jadedbeauty14304

I am driving down for the first time from Niagara Falls NY this April.  I used to live in NC so I know from here to NC like the back of my hand but am kind of nervous about the rest of the way.  I love road trips and my Dd 10 has never seen this part of the country so I am excited about it just being the two of us on a roadtrip! Im excited at the idea of having a car with us, every other time we go, we have depended on Disney transportation, which is very efficient but not the same. Planning on doing some offsite attractions this time around too.


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## GRUMPY0711

We drive most of the time from Nazareth, PA. We have made this trip twice a year since 2002, only flying once. Prior to that we drove twice a year from Waveland ,MS for 5 years. The savings from a rental car plus airfare is worth it and the memories are everlasting.


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## FroggyinArk

we drive from s e arkansas 18 hours , ussually make an over night along the way. leave early on day, drive till we are tired, sleep it off and start again in the morning.


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## dixipixi

We always drive.  We can make the trip in one day.  Even with high gas prices, we can definitely drive cheaper than flying.

We like to stop in Destin on our way back for a night or two to have a little "vacation" after our vacation!!!


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## mjperry

I rather fly but if I would take a Bike to WDW if I had to. It's 12 hours from MS. but I would drive it right now I had a chance to go.


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## ChicagoMommy2Two

Well after doing the math a rental care and gas is cheaper for us than 4 plane tickets. Even if gas goes up. Plus Dh says that he LOVES to drive and wants to. I do like the idea of having a car while at Disney and not having to worry about transportation if we don't want to. 

I think we will probally drive straight through on our way down and I will book a hotel after Atlanta on our way back.


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## Teresa Pitman

We often drive from Ontario, Canada. It depends on how many people are going (and what our finances look like!). When there are six or seven of us, it's cheaper to pack up the van and drive overnight than pay for all those plane tickets. We can usually start around dinner time, and be in Florida, or at least close to it, by the next evening, and the kids have slept through a good part of the drive. We check into a hotel, everyone has a good night's sleep, and then the next morning we drive the last bit to WDW. 

I've also done it as the only driver with young kids in the car - it takes me about three days that way.

Teresa


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## ekmom

Even with $3 gas I can't fly 4 people down there as cheaply as I can drive.  For the last 2 years I have paid around $300 per person for airline tickets and I think it cost me around $500 for a rental car for 9 days.  I get around 25 miles per gallon and its around a 2500 mile round trip so about $300 in gas.  I'm getting a hotel room on points on the way down so I only need to pay for one night of hotel on the way back.


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## DaParkers

I've driven from N.C. the last 2 years and it takes about 8 hours. My best friend drove from New Orleans last year and it took him 10 hours.  It doesn't bother me because I've driven from N.O. to Ky, and N.O. to N.C. many times, so this 8 hours is not a big deal at all. Plus it's very scenic once you get to Fla. And the fact that my final destination is WDW makes it a lot more tolerable.


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## creativeamanda

We drive from Southeastern North Carolina--a 8 hour drive.  We have a Ford Explorer, which gets at best 20 mpg, but right now for some reason has only getting 18 mpg.  So we'll be getting tune-up, fuel injectors clean and all before we leave.  We drive at night during the summer for several reasons:

1.  Kids sleep.  We don't but it's more important for the kids to be comfortable, anyway.

2.  Car has to work less hard (air conditioning, etc) and therefore uses less gas.

I priced plane tickets for the five of us to go to WDW.  The least expensive was $1200 and that is without us driving to Charlotte first (3 hours and about $100 round trip in gas).  I've budgeted $400 for gas for WDW trip.  We'll be driving, of course.


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## Julie*

We have driven down the past 3 times from Vermont and have really enjoyed it.  We stay overnight one night on the way down but drive straight home at the end of the trip.  
Our kids have been young so we've liked having our van with their strollers, car seats etc.  
We both like to drive though and have found it's been a chance for our family to really enjoy each other's company.  Of course it helps that our kids are great in the car and we both like to drive. 

I imagine we'll start to fly as they get older as long as it's not too $$. Flights out of Vermont are usually not cheap and they are never direct to Orlando.


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## tadamom

We drive from Atlanta.  I am hoping to maybe fly there sometime b/c it would just be soooo much quicker!!!!


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## ChristaDeVil

We'll be driving in April. It's only going to take 10 or so hours, and that's nothing for us. We love road trips, and we all of the technology that's easily accessible (dvd player, psp, game boy, etc.) we won't hear a peep out of the 7 year old unless he has to potty. I love the idea of having my car there, too!


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## allaboard

We drive from central PS each time because we save money that way.  There are five of us, and we'd have to drive a few hours to get a plane, or pay more to fly out of State College, then get a rental or use ME.  Anyway, we save just based on airfare alone.  We enjoy the downtown the ride down gives us and the family time/memories someone else mentioned.  We have our favorite two places to stay on the way as well.  And, I don't have to do much of the driving ... lucky me.


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## Promomx2

We always drive from central virginia.  Usually stop and stay overnite in Savannah or just recently we stay in Jacksonville. That way Husband can take the tour of the Budweiser factory and get his free beer.  He's soo cute, like a kid in a candy store


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## murphnjamie

We are planning on driving this time. It is going to save us about $500. I have flown down and though I actually like to fly, I want to stay a full week this time and the budget calls for a cut somewhere.  

We plan to drive down possibly staying the night in or around Macon, GA and then driving the last 5 hours to Orlando in the morning. That way we won't be completely exahusted when we get down there. And I have found several hotels, which are about $64-$75 with good reviews.

On the way back we may take our time and spend a couple of days seeing some stuff. We'll see how tired we are.


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## loveladyntramp

We drive from Northwest NJ. Usually 12 hours one day, we stop overnight in Santee SC.  The next morning, it's 6 hours to Disney.  
We leave in 79 days.


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## Kumquatmelon

We used to fly everytime we went. But, now since airfare is so high we have been driving the past 3 years. I used to hate driving and the flying aspect used to be a huge part of my vacations. But, driving has grew on me and we can take more with us. =)


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## Juanaiguana

We drove 13 hours from Illinois with a 14-month-old. I don't know how I'm still sane enough to be here writing this right now! 

Plus, there is a small airport nearby that had $80 round trip, so it would have actually been CHEAPER to fly than it was to drive (esp. since we stopped at a hotel for ZZZs in Atlanta). 

Next time we are FLYING for sure. But, we have driven there with our older two and it was not a problem at all. So maybe once baby is older it will be back to driving again!


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## druidcat

Promomx2 said:


> we stay in Jacksonville. That way Husband can take the tour of the Budweiser factory and get his free beer.  :



What's this about free beer in Jacksonville...we're so there


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## xXTinker_BellXx47

We drive from Jacksonville, Florida about 3 hours away from Disney property.


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## saxman

We are two teachers from MS with a DS (5).  We leave the Friday before Spring Break as soon as school is out and drive half of a 12 hr trip, stay the night and get to Disney by lunch on Saturday.  Our Spring Break is early March so the crowds aren't too bad then.


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## TSMAMI

Anyone who drives from New York or New Jersey, do you bypass 1-95 through Washington?


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## GreatLakes5

We drive from mid Michigan, usually pulling a trailer.    This time around we'll stop in Charlotte, Savannah, and then the World.


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## Mrs Banks

We have driven now 9 times.  Hubby won't fly  

It is nice to pack whatever you want and have a car when you get there.  
Hubby loves to drive and does most of the driving.  We leave Thurs @10 drive all night , we stop for breakfast and lunch and then at about 4:00 on Fri we stop for the night in Ridgeland S.C.

The next day Sat we leave around 6am and we get to Disney 11:00.

It takes along time but I am use to it now.  We take alot of DVD's for the kids.  I usually surprise them we some new ones that have not seen yet.  I also get some books on tape which keeps our attention especially at night.  A good book on tape is good for about 7 hours.

We are going again in April, I'll keep you posted how it goes this year with a very active 4 year old boy. He was 2 last time we went and it was OK but he was real sick the whole way home  .

GO PATS


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## creativeamanda

Mrs Banks said:


> We have driven now 9 times.  Hubby won't fly
> 
> It is nice to pack whatever you want and have a car when you get there.
> Hubby loves to drive and does most of the driving.  We leave Thurs @10 drive all night , we stop for breakfast and lunch and then at about 4:00 on Fri we stop for the night in Ridgeland S.C.
> 
> The next day Sat we leave around 6am and we get to Disney 11:00.
> 
> It takes along time but I am use to it now.  We take alot of DVD's for the kids.  I usually surprise them we some new ones that have not seen yet.  I also get some books on tape which keeps our attention especially at night.  A good book on tape is good for about 7 hours.
> 
> We are going again in April, I'll keep you posted how it goes this year with a very active 4 year old boy. He was 2 last time we went and it was OK but he was real sick the whole way home  .
> 
> GO PATS



YOu stay in *Ridgeland*?  Just a funny location, but whatever floats your boat!  

And I just had to say Go Pats!  As well


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## Mrs Banks

We only stay there because we found a 1/2 decent hotel right off the highway that we have had luck with.  There is a swimming pool for the kids and I take the kids swimming to burn off their enegery and DH sleeps because he has just driven 19 hours.  We are not site seeing believe me.

GO PATS!!!!  

If you know of a real nice hotel anywhere near that location that is right off the highway PLEASE let me know.  I have yet to find one.  Thanks


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## DisneyFairy19

Well I am from South Florida, so we always drive to WDW its only at the most 3 hour drive


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## Tomh

I am planning our first family trip to Disney.  I've been four times, but the trips were all a long time ago.  It will be me, my mother, DW, DS - 4, DD - 19, and DD - 13.  We will be driving from the Mid Hudson Valley area of NY.  I haven't really gotten to the point of working out our exact route or timing yet, but I am certain that we will stop at least one night, perhaps two so that we will be able to arrive at Disney early in the morning.


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## Sweedee

We always drive too!  4 tickets would be a budget breaker for us.  We will spend about 250-400 on gas, which is much more workable for our budget. Our kiddos are older (almost 14 and 16), so the drive down there is actually a lot of fun!  Many of our family memories come from those trips!  It's not often anymore that I have my kiddos as a captive audience, so we make the most of our time together.


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## Chelley00

We drove from Central Indiana in 06 with 3 kids (DS10, DD5, DS not quite 2) and then our 4th son 13 flew in during our trip and rode home with us.  It was about 17 hours with stops going down leaving at 4am, but took much longer coming home because we were all so tired for 9 park days, it was pouring down rain and we left later so the kids didn't sleep the first few hours of the trip and were more antsy.  We'll drive in November straight through down, but will stop and stay halfway on the way home.  


Flying 6 of us to Florida would cost as much as our park tickets, plus I just HATE to fly.


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## Goofin' around

We are driving from Northern Michigan this June. It'll be our 1st Vacation as a family. Im not sure if I'm looking forward to the drive. But I am looking forward to Disney.

Its 2600+ miles round trip.


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## GreatLakes5

Goofin' around said:


> We are driving from Northern Michigan this June. It'll be our 1st Vacation as a family. Im not sure if I'm looking forward to the drive. But I am looking forward to Disney.
> 
> Its 2600+ miles round trip.



We're in the midst of the drive now - left from Grand Rapids - we tend to take our time on the way down (which is why we left Saturday and I'm still in North Carolina


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## spiceycat

boy some of you drive a long way.

like in Ala - most of the time I drive - although sometimes it is cheaper to fly (sw) than drive - so then I fly.

It takes around 9 to 10 hours. Sometimes longer due to traffic, construction or weather.


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## mjperry

One thing you can count on always is road construction seemsthere is always a road being built.


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## creativeamanda

GreatLakes5 said:


> We're in the midst of the drive now - left from Grand Rapids - we tend to take our time on the way down (which is why we left Saturday and I'm still in North Carolina



  Well, from a N Carolinian, we don't mind if you stay awhile and spend some tourism $$$.     Good luck with your drive down.


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## Robert and Kelley

We have flown once and driven the rest.  It is easier when we bring back our souveniers and the bags get extra heavy.  It is about a 17 hour drive for us.


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## wannabprincess

Our first trip we flew down and it costed about $1700 between the flight and rental car because we were 24.  I called the car rental company before I booked because I know most companies want you to be at least 25.  I was told there would be a small extra insurance policy I could get, well, that small extra insurance was $500!  Wow, but I didn't even have a choice because I was already there.  Now we drive straight down from Delaware, 15.5 hours and only about $400 in gas.  We also want to try Aquatica this year so having our own car is a must.


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## GreatLakes5

creativeamanda said:


> Well, from a N Carolinian, we don't mind if you stay awhile and spend some tourism $$$.     Good luck with your drive down.



We're still here but leaving for Savannah today.....dh is meeting with lots of folks about re-locating business here.     Thanks to rain we spent a bit at a mall yesterday - hope that helps.


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## Tinkerspell

We've driven every trip I've taken but the last one. It's about 18 hours for us. I really liked flying and not messing with the long haul in the car, but it would have been nice to have our car available this last trip. (We did a split stay.)

We're probably going to drive the next time we go unless we can get some bargain basement plane tickets like we did the last time. You can't beat $80 tickets, you know?


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## dis75ney

We plan on driving down to WDW in May.  Airfare is incredibly expensive, plus this allows us to have our own vehicle (I'm paranoid about renting a car!), which will enable us to make a day trip to Kennedy Space Center (my DS loves all things related to space).  When we drove to Miami in 2001, we stopped in Orlando for the night, and I think it was about 22 hours - mainly due to MASSIVE road construction in Georgia and an accident on I-4 outside Orlando that closed the highway overnight (a car had taken a nosedive from an overpass to the road below), so we had to navigate our way around it.  I did get a chance to go into AKL to ask for directions, so I got a slight Disney fix there!   

We're estimating about 17-18 hours this time around.  We'll be leaving at 3am and stopping in either Chattanooga, TN or Atlanta, GA (depending on how exhausted we are) for the night, then we'll continue on the WDW the next day and hopefully make it before our 6pm ADRs!  If we don't, no biggie - we double booked the ADR for later in the week (DS really wants to go to Sci Fi and eat in the cars)...   

86 days and counting!!!


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## dawz1026

the drive......oh the drive.....it's once a year so when it comes we are so excited it doesn't hit us until we are like in South Carolina...so close yet so far...usually 17-20 hours for us...diaper changes ya know..


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## *Dreamin'Dad*

We drive it each time as well. To us it is part of the fun. Trip takes us about 13.5 hours. From Texas to Mobile Al (where my parents live) is about 6 hours and then we hit the road before sunrise for our 7.5 hour finish. 
Tradition is to make the parade at Hollywood and our 4:30 @ Prime Time 50's cafe.

Wish we were driving over there right now


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## kimsuenew

We drive, from Northern Ohio down!  Mainly straight I-75, not a scenic trip but not to bad!


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## Amyz00

We drive from Texas!  When it's not raining, we can make it in 16-17 hours, including pit stops.  However, the last time that we went, we endured a light rain all night long and the trip ended up taking us 21 hours.  I was so happy once I saw the WDW entrance sign!


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## DaParkers

Thank God for Minivans. I never thought I would like having one, but long trips are so much easier! We have a Nissan Quest and it is perfect for trips. It's comfortable. Everyone has enough space. My son can watch movies or play video games, so the trip is just 4 movies or 2 movies and a  DragonballZ marathon long. When we bring our dogs, they even have the whole back seat to themselves.  And we always bring our large cooler and we always are comfortable! Anybody else ever bring a microwave? We have 2. A small one and a larger one. I'm thinking about bringing the small one with us this August.


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## GRUMPY0711

Sounds like you have your travel plans down very well. May I ask why two microwaves?


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## Flametamr

We drive and it takes about 7 hours from my home in So Alabama. I guess that would be about 3 good movies long. We usually stop for lunch somewhere and then go straight to a park after check in. This time we'll relax and swim some before heading to the MK for the MNSSHP the day we arrive.


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## mickeystoontown

We've made 12 trips to WDW and we have driven every time.  The drive has varied between 813 miles to 858 miles one way.  The mileage depends on how turned around we get in Mobile, Alabama, if there are wildfires we have to detour around, etc. etc. etc.  How long a drive just depends on the weather and traffic.  We've made it in 14 hours and once it took over 18 hours.

Our first trip was taken when our son was just 1 and our daughter was just
11.  I am a planner and packer so the drive was no big deal for us.  I had enough stuff to keep ANYBODY busy during the drive

We leave between 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on a Wednesday, drive until we can't stand it anymore (usually between 11:00 or 12:00 midnight) 'cause we have worked all day long.  We get up around 7:00 a.m. and hit the road by 8:00 a.m. and make the remainder of the drive.

We thought about flying this year but airfare gets pretty expensive for three people.  Our hometown airport isn't very large so, to get decent airfare, we would have to drive over 2 hours and then pay parking for 10 days.  

We, honestly, like the drive.  We get to spend one-on-one time with each other and the closer we get to WDW, the more excited we get.    The drive home isn't so great though since we drive it straight through.


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## babiektcher

We even bought a Suburban to be able to travel, but with the cost of gas, I have been flying Air Tran, this last time in Dec 07, 49 dollars pp on the way down and took southwest 59 dollars pp on the way back. Definitely would have spent more money on gas. With my DH and DS 5 DD 3, the kids are just use to flying now.


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## dawz1026

I am hoping our drive in April goes as quick as possible.Last year the first 4 hours was all a rainstorm that slowed us up and we ended up in DC traffic for a LONG time...DH usually puts us in WDW overdrive and can drive pretty far without stopping (loves to drive).Its poor old me and my backaches and whining kids lol that slow him up


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## mroehl2

We do the drive once a year in March from SE Michigan which takes about 15-17 hours depending upon many things (how fast my husband drives  , construction  , traffic ).  We've done it since my DD was 22 months and now she's 4 1/2.  I couldn't ask for a better traveller down to Disney  .  She knows it's a long trip...but it's worth it for her.  Driving home...she and us are a little more antsy...ready to get home.  The best time we've ever left was in the afternoon last year...we we're in the mountains of KY/TN by rush hour everywhere else.  We usually have to stay over one night somewhere.  We could do it straight through (and have before), but it's just TOO exhausting!  We're ready to have some fun when we get there!!  Only 3 weeks from tomorrow!!!


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## Kaler131

We have driven down a few times. It's so much easier to fly, but with 6 people in our family, it's not very cost effective! We don't mind the drive too much. My sister drove down with me and my 4 kids last year and said "never again!" LOL! We usually drive about 11 hours and stay overnight at Hilton Head Island or Savannah, Ga. and then do the last 5-6 hours the next day so that we are not too tired when we get to WDW.


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## princessreilly

We usually fly, but this is a budget trip!  We just went in December and are already going back!  We will be driving for almost 9 hrs!  We're going to drag the kids out of bed around 3 or 4am and pray that they stay asleep for most of the ride!  DD has no idea we're going.  When she wakes up she'll be in Disney!


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## mel

We've always driven and it takes about 18 hours from Arkansas.  Those have been some of my favorite times with my children!!  I have "treats or trinkets" that I keep hidden until certain times and they always have personal dry erase boards which provide endless hours of entertainment.  They get so excited and we talk about all the things we want to see and make sure we don't miss and what all we want to ride....it's great! (ok, there have been a few "she's looking at me" and that kind of thing, but I don't care......the good far outweighed bad.


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## sazcjg

We live in central Illinois which is about 1200 miles away. I drove in 2005 and I swore after that I would never drive again. We get about 350 miles to a tank of gas which equals about 7 fill ups there and back. At $3.00 a gallon and a 25 gallon tank we are spending $525.00 just for gas! I have 3 children and my wife and I so we must stop and spend the night. So 2 nights in a hotel, once down and once home equals approximately $200.00. Add it all up and we spend $700.00 to $800.00 for travel expense and spend 3 full days in a van! We can fly out of Indianapolis direct to Orlando for $1000.00 for the 5 of us. So for $200.00 to $250.00 more we choose to fly.


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## dawz1026

flying........


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## blondimom

We are driving down from NYC in the end of June, unless I can find a great deal on four tickets {less than $1000}....


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## Dimaline312000

I've never flown anywhere but I feel that driving to Disney would be much more fun; at least for me. It helps build the anticpation of the entire trip and the rich reward you get when you arrive at WDW.


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## Amyz00

I really did a comparison today on air fare vs. driving to WDW from our house.  The cheapest air fare that I could find would cost us $1500, and that's not including the parking fees at the airport.  Now, the distance from WDW from our house is 1061.34 miles.  Our SUV will get approx. 18 miles per gallon (highway miles).  I figured that it would end up costing us approx. $400 for gas (not including food, which we usually stop and eat once and then snack on the way there).  We would save at least $1000 just driving!   I think that we will stick with that!


----------



## DaParkers

GRUMPY0711 said:


> Sounds like you have your travel plans down very well. May I ask why two microwaves?



The first was small and took long to heat food. We wanted a bigger and better one, so we bought one. But, we never got rid of the first smaller model because it stilled worked. And now, I'm glad that we didn't. It comes in handy.


----------



## NEVERENOUGHWDW

We have 2x out of 100+...that was enough!


----------



## MAKHayes-DisneyDiva

Drove once, flew once.  I prefer to fly, but we live almost 2 hours from an airport, so it isn't exactly convenient.  I think the drive takes about 14 hours.
We are driving in 2009 to cut corners, and becauses DH said so.


----------



## captinhookedondisney

I am driving  down to disney for my next trip I don't know when thou and it is a drive a very long drive!


----------



## RNtheRN

We drove from Delaware to WDW in '05. Mainly because of my anxiety with flying, but I actually enjoyed the ride down. We left early on a Friday morning2am) and made it to Jacksonville by dinner time (5:30pm). But thanks to a little friend I'll call Xanex, flying is no longer a problem with me. We will probably continue to fly while the kids are still young. But when the nest is empty and it's just me and the misses, we plan on taking many road trips to Disney Hilton Head, Vero Beach and others.


----------



## steffali

We drive from NY to WDW, mostly because me and my DD are afraid to fly.

It is nice to be able to load the car up and pack what ever we need.


----------



## dawz1026

steffali said:


> We drive from NY to WDW, mostly because me and my DD are afraid to fly.
> 
> It is nice to be able to load the car up and pack what ever we need.



I overloaded the car last year and boy was dh mad at me..he had to load and unload 3 times because we did Overnight on the road,Clearwater then WDW...I laugh when I think HOW much I did pack...oops


----------



## steffali

dawz1026 said:


> I overloaded the car last year and boy was dh mad at me..he had to load and unload 3 times because we did Overnight on the road,Clearwater then WDW...I laugh when I think HOW much I did pack...oops



This is why I leave everything in one room and then I make my DH load up the van! He knows how to pack using every possible inch! 
A few times we drove straight through the night to beat the traffic jam around D.C. my daughter can sleep in the car so it works out ok.
Most of the time we do drive then stop somewhere off of 95 when we get tired.
We tried the auto train once and my hubby wigged... he felt that he could have driven faster and it was a waste of time. 

By the way what part of LI are you from?


----------



## mickeystoontown

Our drive is broken into two days.  Because we do stop for the night on the first day, I pack a bag that has only our "first night" clothes and toiletries.  That way, we only have to take the one case out.  All the rest can stay in until we reach WDW!


----------



## melissa.irwin

guelde96 said:


> We drive from north central Illinois.  @ 18-20 hours depending on how things go.  We have drove 3 times to Disney.  Kids age's ranged from 2-9.  We have 3 children.  We have only stopped once on the way down when my youngest was 2.  That worked out good because we were ready to go staight to the parks when we got there.  I am afraid to fly.  However,  I am also too cheap to fly.  No matter how you look at it, when you can drive straight through it is much cheaper to drive.  Even with the inflated gas prices.



Hi, I'm a brand new member and we are just beginning to plan our first ever trip to DW for this December.  We have two children (ages 5 and 11) and are planning to drive as well.  I have been searching for flights and it's going to cost us more than double to fly as it would to drive (even after factoring in gas, oil change prior to leaving, and a hotel room on the way down and back etc.).  I believe it's going to take about 22 hours for us, we were planning on stopping for one night on the way down as I didn't think the kids would last that long in the vehicle but I just hate to lose that time.  What time do you usually leave when you drive straight through?


----------



## belle&sebastiansmom

We currently have a 9 hour drive, though we've driven from our previous home, which was 14 hours.  

I enjoy the convenience of driving.  We schedule one room only night that is our driving time.  We drive our own car to the parks, which we've found is so much easier and faster than using the buses.  And I love that I can pack more, like strollers and pack-n-play, and I also have more room to bring trinkets home.  I don't enjoy a long ride, but it works for us.


----------



## Amyz00

My husband told me last night that he prefers to drive because he has control.  Plus, I don't think that he really likes to fly that much.  

I like the fact that when we drive, we won't have to worry about our carry-on bags being the right size, what we can or can not take on the plane, plus we can bring home any souveniers that we want without the worry or hassle.  I say that driving is a win-win situation!


----------



## duckybelle

We are driving from Arkansas....leaving the night on the 21st (march) getting there the 22nd. Its about an 18 hour drive, but with 2 kids and both of us its cheaper to drive. PLUS this will be our first family vacation  (we are getting married in 9 days). My kids are 11 and 16, so I HOPE they dont kill each other on the way LOL!


----------



## Amyz00

duckybelle said:


> We are driving from Arkansas....leaving the night on the 21st (march) getting there the 22nd. Its about an 18 hour drive, but with 2 kids and both of us its cheaper to drive. PLUS this will be our first family vacation  (we are getting married in 9 days). My kids are 11 and 16, so I HOPE they dont kill each other on the way LOL!



Congratulations!!  You will have a blast!  My advice is to take a portable DVD player if you don't have one in your car and bring lots of movies, books, iPods, etc.  We always play the license plate game while we drive.  It's corny, I know, but it does help to pass the time!


----------



## duckybelle

LOL!!! We do too but a little differently. We take the letters off the plate (like 321 MTS) and let the kids make up sayings like my teacher stinks, or moms toes smell LOL!!! Makes it fun....we also have a dvd player, and a psp, and my dd,16,brings her walkman. Helps a LOT!


----------



## steffali

Driving there isn't so bad ....it's the drive home that is


----------



## Amyz00

steffali said:


> Driving there isn't so bad ....it's the drive home that is



I agree.  It's so sad. But I can say with all honesty that I am glad to get back to my own bed.


----------



## dawz1026

Amyz00 said:


> I agree.  It's so sad. But I can say with all honesty that I am glad to get back to my own bed.



I hear you! Last time on the way home we were like ok...we are only 5 hours from home lets just drive straight.We could not DEAL with taking luggage out again and another hotel room...ugh needless to say we hit the bed at 4am at home


----------



## mickeystoontown

We drive straight home....all 800+ plus miles.  Last year, we sat on I-10 for 3 hours and 57 minutes due to a wreck.  Yes...sat in the car, not moving, not going anywhere.  It was right at the Florida/Alabama line.  By the time we got to Mississippi, we were ready to stop for the night but so was EVERYBODY else that was in front of us.  We couldn't find a hotel/motel/fleabag room anywhere for over 50 miles. So, we finally just said forget it....we're driving home.  We pulled into our garage about 4:00 a.m.


----------



## wildernesslodgefan

We live in the west suburbs of Chicago we usually leave at 5am Central time and do not stop for the night until we have made it in to Florida (usually Lake City) which gets us there at around 12am Florida time.  This way we get a pretty good nights sleep and only have a one and a half to two hour drive left the next day.  This way we can stop and get groceries (we are DVC members) for our villa. Going home we have made it home at 2am Central time after leaving WDW at 6am Eastern time.  We only need to get gas about every 400 miles (with a minivan) with the total being around 1200miles, and for our Jan/Feb 08 trip each fill up was between $40 and $50.  We take the Illinois route vs the Indiana route, although we did go through Alabama going down instead of Georgia for our recent trip.  We have three kids 13, 9, and 4 and they seem to handle it fine, as this was the fifth time we drove, even with the tornado weather we went through in Kentucky going home.


----------



## PiratesRock

The Bonnaroo Festival will be going on in Manchester, Tn, as it does every year, June 12-15.  This years acts include, but are not limited to:  Chris Rock, Pearl Jam, Kanye West, Robert Plant & Led Zeppelin, Allison Krauss, BB King, and Janine Garofalo.  While we would love to have all of you come to Tennessee to enjoy this really awsome music festival, my real purpose is to say: If you're goal on I-24 these dates isn't Bonnaroo, then DON'T BE ON I-24!!!! It's a giant road block!! You can't get THERE from HERE!!!  DO YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYIN, PEOPLE!!!  This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighbor in Tennessee!


----------



## druidcat

Bonaroooooooooooo   Wait this isn't my 'roo forum  
Seriously, listen to the pp, I-24 is a parking lot and all roads leading towards that area are HEAVILY patrolled by all manner of state troopers and local police looking to pull over festival goers...DO NOT SPEED AT ALL!


----------



## Amyz00

We will not be going through Tennessee, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any traffic problems with I-10 due to the hurricanes?  

Also, does anyone know of any other car games that are fun for the kids?

Thanks!


----------



## dawz1026

guelde96 said:


> We drive from north central Illinois.  @ 18-20 hours depending on how things go.  We have drove 3 times to Disney.  Kids age's ranged from 2-9.  We have 3 children.  We have only stopped once on the way down when my youngest was 2.  That worked out good because we were ready to go staight to the parks when we got there.  I am afraid to fly.  However,  I am also too cheap to fly.  No matter how you look at it, when you can drive straight through it is much cheaper to drive.  Even with the inflated gas prices.



I hear u..everytime we say lets fly...5 minutes later and a plane goes down or has issues..ugh


----------



## chasenluke

Amyz00 said:


> We will not be going through Tennessee, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any traffic problems with I-10 due to the hurricanes?
> 
> Also, does anyone know of any other car games that are fun for the kids?
> 
> Thanks!




You can get straight through on I-10.  The bridge over Lake Ponchatrain is still being worked on but isn't an issue. I live right outside of New Orleans so i am familiar with it.  I am pretty sure it is straight going in Mississippi as well.


----------



## atpatt

We drive but we're only 8 hours away.  Dh would love to fly but it makes no sense from a monetary standpoint, that and I hate flying!  My kids do great, its dh that is the problem, lol!


----------



## Amyz00

chasenluke said:


> You can get straight through on I-10.  The bridge over Lake Ponchatrain is still being worked on but isn't an issue. I live right outside of New Orleans so i am familiar with it.  I am pretty sure it is straight going in Mississippi as well.



Thanks!  That's good to know.  DH was concerned about this and since we are driving straight through, he didn't want any suprises.


----------



## beachgrl001

We drove one time, from PA(philly) getting there was fine comming home not so great. As much as I spent on gas and hotel for the night, I could have flown.   Last year I got really great airfare 100.00pp r/t


----------



## Amyz00

beachgrl001 said:


> We drove one time, from PA(philly) getting there was fine comming home not so great. As much as I spent on gas and hotel for the night, I could have flown.   Last year I got really great airfare 100.00pp r/t



Wow!  What a great deal!  Too bad the fares aren't that low anymore - at least not from what I have seen.


----------



## ABCD's Mom

We leave from just outside Philly (Langhorne) between 2:00 and 3:00 am and take I-95 straight through.  Traffic isn't bad b/4 6:00 am.  Anytime after that is terrible and I think we would go around DC then.


----------



## Ashlander

We drive from Va and leave in the evening and drive through the night.  We have 3 kids 6, 5 & soon to be 3 and they will sleep through the night.  We actually get there faster...no traffic and not as many potty breaks!

It is definitely a little hard on the body, but normally we are so excited to be at Disney we forget about geing tired!


----------



## mickeystoontown

chasenluke said:


> You can get straight through on I-10.  The bridge over Lake Ponchatrain is still being worked on but isn't an issue. I live right outside of New Orleans so i am familiar with it.  I am pretty sure it is straight going in Mississippi as well.



Don't know about the Lake Pochatrain bridge but we get on I-10 right before you get to Mobile, Alabama.  For the last two years, they have been working on the bridges between Mobile and Pensacola.  We try to go through that area at night.  We definitely don't want to hit it during peak hours.


----------



## lovegrumpy

We drive only because we live  4hrs away from it.


----------



## byoung

No way am I driving. Southwest keep up good rates, to keep me from driving.


----------



## Amyz00

Need some help!!

Two of my children, DS 6 and DD 8, have both been experiencing bouts of car sickness recently.   I thought that maybe it was the stomach that they had, however, it still continues and they are no longer sick.  Does anyone have any ideas for what we can do on our long road trip to WDW besides taking disposable bags?  I am thinking about calling our pediatrician and asking him for help.  Since we are driving from Texas, it will be a long trip!  I know that when they focus on their Nintendo Ds's or a movie, they seem to be alright, however I know that there is no way that they will watch tv or play games for 16+ hours!


----------



## jdtopgun71

We drive from VA when we go.  We consider the drive part of our family time together and is usually as memorable as the trip itself.  We stop on the first night because we leave after work and can't make it straight through.


----------



## Kim in SPR

My grandparents retired to Florida from upstate NY when I was a kid. They made the trip back and forth every Christmas and for the summer for 20 years (Grandpa was afraid to fly - plus it enabled them to have their car with them when they got here).  Though I have flown plenty of times to visit them, when we decided to go to Disney we weighed the options and decided to drive.  We left at night and drove non-stop, splitting the time between DH and I.  We usually rented a mini van in Albany and it would take us about 20 hours or so from there.  The cost of renting a van and gas didn't add up to the plane fares for four people traveling at Thanksgiving time (when we usually go) PLUS we had the added convenience of having a van while there, being able to pack food and a cooler to save on meal expenses, and not worrying about how we were going to cart or ship home our souveniers.  It also enabled us to save money by staying off site some trips.  The kids slept most of the ride and they really enjoyed seeing the different states - my youngest gets totally psyched seeing the "Pedro" signs as your approaching the border between NC and SC!  Seeing all the states was also a fond memory of mine from my childhood trips.  We also took advantage of being able to travel around Florida during our stay, spending a day on each coast and seeing the beaches and sites other than Disney.

When the kids were younger, I packed their handheld games and made them bags full of dollar store "to do" stuff like games, cards, puzzle books, disposable cameras, etc. We rented movies and brought the DVD player. I also made them activity books from printing stuff I collected on the net that were Disney related - coloring pages, puzzles, etc. In it, I added pages for journals for each day of their trip so they could write their thoughts and favorite things.  

The one thing we had on our last trip this past November that we found the most valuable was the GPS.  It made it effortless to navigate especially while we were in Florida.  

Whatever you choose, be safe and have fun!


----------



## O_Jr71

We drive and fly but i LOVE driving.  We come from central jersey it takes us probably 18 hours but we always stretch it and make a pre-disney mini vacation.  it takes about 2 days...we're doing it again in august and i can't wait


----------



## NYDisneyKid

I drive there every day,,,ºOº


----------



## dawz1026

NYDisneyKid said:


> I drive there every day,,,ºOº



are u happy there?I almost moved there 2 yrs back..still thinking about it


----------



## NYDisneyKid

dawz1026 said:


> are u happy there?I almost moved there 2 yrs back..still thinking about it



Of course,,,Why do you ask? ºOº


----------



## dawz1026

NYDisneyKid said:


> Of course,,,Why do you ask? ºOº



We gave serious thought to moving because we LOVE Celebration.We found it to be pretty much priced the same as Long Island but c'mon...so beautiful.I hate snakes though and it keeps me back..silly I know


----------



## DisneyLiLi

I dont drive to DW,I fly on a plane.


----------



## mykidsintow

We have driven thus far.  

2 thinks keep us from flying:

1) cost of airfare for our family of 4

2) I am terrified the airlines would break my daughters power wheelchair   


If anyone has solutions to these issues we would *love* to fly!


----------



## TSMAMI

Kim in SPR said:


> My grandparents retired to Florida from upstate NY when I was a kid. They made the trip back and forth every Christmas and for the summer for 20 years (Grandpa was afraid to fly - plus it enabled them to have their car with them when they got here).  Though I have flown plenty of times to visit them, when we decided to go to Disney we weighed the options and decided to drive.  We left at night and drove non-stop, splitting the time between DH and I.  We usually rented a mini van in Albany and it would take us about 20 hours or so from there.  The cost of renting a van and gas didn't add up to the plane fares for four people traveling at Thanksgiving time (when we usually go) PLUS we had the added convenience of having a van while there, being able to pack food and a cooler to save on meal expenses, and not worrying about how we were going to cart or ship home our souveniers.  It also enabled us to save money by staying off site some trips.  The kids slept most of the ride and they really enjoyed seeing the different states - my youngest gets totally psyched seeing the "Pedro" signs as your approaching the border between NC and SC!  Seeing all the states was also a fond memory of mine from my childhood trips.  We also took advantage of being able to travel around Florida during our stay, spending a day on each coast and seeing the beaches and sites other than Disney.
> 
> When the kids were younger, I packed their handheld games and made them bags full of dollar store "to do" stuff like games, cards, puzzle books, disposable cameras, etc. We rented movies and brought the DVD player. I also made them activity books from printing stuff I collected on the net that were Disney related - coloring pages, puzzles, etc. In it, I added pages for journals for each day of their trip so they could write their thoughts and favorite things.
> 
> The one thing we had on our last trip this past November that we found the most valuable was the GPS.  It made it effortless to navigate especially while we were in Florida.
> 
> Whatever you choose, be safe and have fun!



Hey neighbor...Albany N.Y here. We drive every year!


----------



## dizzi

As we live just 3 hours from the MOUSE!
But when we lived up North ( Maryland)and(Ohio) we used to drive it.

And then we did fly the last couple times.

We now FLY back to see family.  And i cannot imagine having to drive back!
To me it is a BIG HUGE waste of my HARD EARNED Vacation Time!
I only get a certain amount of days a year and DO NOT WANT TO SPEND it DRIVING!

But when i could not afford to fly, and my kids were younger this is what we did!
Our drive was between 13 and 18 hours LONG!
We Would pack up everything the night before and make the van VERY comfy for sleeping kids.
Then I would go to bed and DH would keep the kids up as late as possible like Midnight! ( as i always drove first!)
I would get up at @ 1:30 and get the final items in the van and move the kids to the van...........off we went with Dh and kids sleeping.  Usually stopping for gas in about 2 hours to REFIll so it was STILL dark and kids would not wake up!
Kids and Dh would wake up and get moving around at @ 7:30- 8:00 kids were not restless or needing out for another 1/2 hour to hour.
By then we were about 1/2 way there.!!!!!!!!!!!

Let kids out to get food drink and potty......CHANGE drivers!
Kids would watch movies and play games and color what ever for at least another 4-5 hours while i slept! ( RENT NEW MOVIES!!!)

When i woke up i would keep them occupied with VARIOUS different games and things i had come up with!

One thing i came up with once they LOVED was......I taped about 30 noises...and played it in the car.  They had to guess what the noise was.They had to write it down and then they WON DISNEY DOLLARS for the game
someone the noises were.......
toilet flushing
porch door squeeking
dad snoring
dad farting
water running
etc.....

VERY fun and took a good 45 minutes to play!!!!!

NOW WE LIVE 12 minutes from the airport and our flight back to visist family is 2 hours!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Amyz00

dizzi said:


> One thing i came up with once they LOVED was......I taped about 30 noises...and played it in the car.  They had to guess what the noise was.They had to write it down and then they WON DISNEY DOLLARS for the game
> someone the noises were.......
> toilet flushing
> porch door squeeking
> dad snoring
> dad farting
> water running
> etc.....
> 
> VERY fun and took a good 45 minutes to play!!!!!




      

That's great!  I love the dad farting noise.  My kids would get that one all too quick!

That is a great idea though.  I could probably get noises from the web and download them to a disk for our drive in a couple of months!  Thanks for the idea!


----------



## bolo

we're driving from syracuse , ny...about 20 hours. we're leaving around 4pm then we'll drive to the north carolina welcome center (it'll be about midnight)...very well lit and busy. perfect place to park and sleep for about 4 hours. then back on the road. this works well b/c dh is NOT a night driver so i don't sleep at all unless we're stopped. kids all sleep pretty well in the car...probably doesn't hurt that i give them all dramamine before we leave!   yeah, i have kids who get carsick on long trips (found that out the hard way! )

we try to bring lots to do...activity sheets, dvd player, ds, etc. 

another fun thing i've done is wrapped up a surprises in tissue paper.  one surprise can be opened up each time we get to a new state.  anything from a game to a dvd to a fun snack. my kids think it's great and def helps!


----------



## dizzi

Amyz00 said:


> That's great!  I love the dad farting noise.  My kids would get that one all too quick!
> 
> That is a great idea though.  I could probably get noises from the web and download them to a disk for our drive in a couple of months!  Thanks for the idea!



YOUR WELCOME!


----------



## Mckymousefn

We drive down from the Chicago area.  Husband will not fly!!!    We usually leave our house and drive to TN., spend the night there and then get up in the morning and finish our drive to WDW.  First time the kids went.. they were 3 & 1.  Then the 2nd time we went... plus we had another child... they were 7, 5 & 3... believe it or not, the only issues we had, weren't the kids.. it was construction in GA. I like the drive... but i would like to get there quicker!


----------



## tink8jr

We drive from SC its about 8 hours so its not to bad, I hate flying so that is out, plus if I fly I would want to rent a car so by the time we fly and rent its about the same as driving


----------



## Amyz00

tink8jr said:


> We drive from SC its about 8 hours so its not to bad, I hate flying so that is out, plus if I fly I would want to rent a car so by the time we fly and rent its about the same as driving



I would love to say that we live only 8 hours from WDW instead of 17!


----------



## dawz1026

Me too 20 hrs is a loooong trip...If it gets me there its ok though!


----------



## mykidsintow

Your 17 and 20 makes me feel *much* better about 12 hrs


----------



## DisneyEqualsLove

My boyfriend and I have driven every year.  There are a couple of reasons for that: we love being able to have our car with us, the ride is (mostly) relaxing, and this year my mom and dad came with us and my mom hates flying.

It took us about 16-18 hours each time straight through, but my dad is not a fan of the drive.  I think it makes the whole vacation feel much more anticipated and it gets me very, very excited for the minute I can run into my room and finally BE THERE!!


----------



## WildernessBride

Our family drove down last year and plan to do so again this year.  We enjoyed the trip down, it really was not as bad as I thought it would be.  We come down from NJ so we have a fairly long trip.  It was nice not to worry about trying to stuff all of the things we bought into the suitcases, we could pack the truck up too.


----------



## aspramn

Dh and I use to drive to florida all the time when dating. We are leaving in 10 days from Minnesota, about a 25 hr. drive. This will be my 1st attempt to drive by myself with 2 children (9 & 12). I have plenty of old and new dvd's for them, a travel book with activities etc. gameboys and I have pre wrapped gifts for them. They get one a day.

I am taking my time driving down there so the car ride shouldn't be to bad, about 8 hours a day, that way if we run into bad weather or anything we still have the last day to get caught up in driving.


----------



## dizzi

You are going to have soo much fun!

A trip with just kids and no spouse or other adult is a GREAT GREAT GREAT experience!

It is totally different....You get to focus on the kids and sometimes if they are doing a ride togther you can sit on a bench and just REST! and be alone in your htoughts it is quite nice!

I took 2 of my kids when they were.....6 and 10.
Just the 3 of us.
We also drove as we lived close to DC at the time and we did it straight through.

HAVE A BLAST!!
i cant wait to see your trip report!!!!!


----------



## Amyz00

mykidsintow said:


> Your 17 and 20 makes me feel *much* better about 12 hrs



I am so glad that we could help.  

J/K!!  The whole anticipation thing is just so exciting!  My DH likes to coundown the milage by the 100's.  Every 100 miles, he exclaims "Another 100 miles gone!"  I don't the like drive through Mississippi, though.  I-10 leans to the right too much.  It makes you feel so lopsided!


----------



## aspramn

dizzi said:


> You are going to have soo much fun!
> 
> A trip with just kids and no spouse or other adult is a GREAT GREAT GREAT experience!
> 
> It is totally different....You get to focus on the kids and sometimes if they are doing a ride togther you can sit on a bench and just REST! and be alone in your htoughts it is quite nice!
> 
> I took 2 of my kids when they were.....6 and 10.
> Just the 3 of us.
> We also drove as we lived close to DC at the time and we did it straight through.
> 
> HAVE A BLAST!!
> i cant wait to see your trip report!!!!!



Actually hubby is going, but he's flying..lol..He can't take that much time off work, plus he hates driving..Fine by me..Then we can stop at souvineer shops etc.. without being rushed..lol

Just hoping the weather changes over the next 10 days, Tenn. goergia seems like they have been getting nailed with bad weather and I certainly don't want to get stuck driving through severe weather...

Ty


----------



## dizzi

aspramn said:


> Actually hubby is going, but he's flying..lol..He can't take that much time off work, plus he hates driving..Fine by me..Then we can stop at souvineer shops etc.. without being rushed..lol
> 
> Just hoping the weather changes over the next 10 days, Tenn. goergia seems like they have been getting nailed with bad weather and I certainly don't want to get stuck driving through severe weather...
> 
> Ty




Oh wow
that is different!
But you will still have a GREAT TIME!

BE SAFE!


----------



## eternaldisneyfan

We have driven almost every time except on my wish trip.

In my siggy you'll see my trip report where we drove 6000 miles with more stuff than LaLa.

I lived in Oklahoma until I was 16 and we drove to WDW three times.


----------



## IdoBeliveinFairies

We have always driven to Fl because there have always been so many of us (around 12). However, this year we are flying because it will only be my family with my sister so only 4 and we are looking forward to being there in less than 20 hours. Last year my husband drove almost straight through(from Ohio to FLorida), and I think he is  a mad man for that.


----------



## fan of the TTA

we always drive from WDW from our hotel


----------



## keylimepie

WE are driving from VA.  Keeping the kids up late the night before, leaving early like 3am, and then driving 12 ish hrs.  Hopefully the kids will sleep for at last 5-7 hrs out of the trip.


----------



## pajules

When we were kids my parents would always drive at night and my brother and I would sleep the first 8 hours of the trip....we'd go to sleep and wake up and be in the Carolinas.  

Of course this was before stricter safety rules.  Back then (70's) we had our wood paneled station wagon  we would put the seats down on what we called, "the way back" throw our sleeping bags and pillows down and go to sleep.  

 I'm sure those of you who are my age have similar memories.....oh and yes, my brother and I were probably sleeping in flammable pj's because flame retardent wasn't invented.... My parents were such rebels back then 

Now, as a parent myself, my 8-year old does not have the luxury of stretching out or being unbuckled for that matter, but fortunately, the seats on our CRV recline a little and he can play on his Nintento DS for several hours and we always borrow someone's portable DVD player to watch movies.....he's only done the PA-FL drive once and thank goodness for technology.....

Again, as a child of the seventies, the station wagon was great for "seperating" my brother and I after playing a fun game of "she's looking at me" and "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you." This of course came after my father's own favorite game, "Don't make me stop this car." 

Can you believe my brother and I are still on speaking terms 30 years later


----------



## aspramn

pajules said:


> I'm sure those of you who are my age have similar memories.....oh and yes, my brother and I were probably sleeping in flammable pj's because flame retardent wasn't invented.... My parents were such rebels back then
> 
> 
> 
> LOL...Thanks for letting me start my day with a laugh...
Click to expand...


----------



## druidcat

pajules said:


> Again, as a child of the seventies, the station wagon was great for "seperating" my brother and I after playing a fun game of "she's looking at me" and "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you." This of course came after my father's own favorite game, "Don't make me stop this car."



What fond memories     Thanks for the laugh!


----------



## Amyz00

_"Again, as a child of the seventies, the station wagon was great for "seperating" my brother and I after playing a fun game of "she's looking at me" and "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you." This of course came after my father's own favorite game, "Don't make me stop this car." _


I was also a child of the seventies, however, I still use the "Don't make me stop this car" phrase!  It seemed to work better on me than it does my own kids.


----------



## milmom6

I love the memories, my brother and I did the same thing in my mom's "Grocery Getter".  We also drank water out of a garden hose and ate fruit before washing it. YIKES! I am one of those parents though that makes sure booster seat is in car and I do not start the car without seatbealts on the boys. 

We leave in 10 days for our trip.  Driving from Michigan to Florida (boys are 9 and 5) with a one day stop in Ky.  So, it'll be 8 hours to Ky, then 12.5 to Florida from there.  We will be leaving around 3am from Ky so we can get to WDW with some daylight left.

I was using the "Don't make me stop this car" but found something that works better.  I give the boys their arcade money in a roll of quarters, in a baggy.  Then, everytime they argue or ask if we're there yet, they give me a quarter! Works wonderfully after they lose the first quarter.  Last car trip was only 3 hours, but only cost 1 quarter for one of them.  Make sure to take something for the return trip!  I do not think of this as paying them to be quiet because it is "their" $$ I allocate to them for arcade games.

I am looking forward to the drive and we have blockbuster online so I am renting 3 movies (2 they haven't seen) for the trip.  Plus, on stop in Ky, their mammah is giving them a movie and new CD for trip for Easter.  My hubby plays his PSP and I drive, lucky me, LOL.  

We have a Highlander now instead of my beloved Yukon due to gas prices, so it is much easier for them to touch and look at each other. Augh!!! Soon i hope to buy the new Caravan with the downloadable Sirius TV and turnaround seats... fun fun fun.


----------



## Amyz00

We paid $3.10 per gallon of gas yesterday.  I really hope that gas prices drop before we leave for our trip in June!  I have a Tahoe, a gas hog, but hopefully the gas mileage will get better as we drive!


----------



## bobbymac

leaving Saturday July 21/08 form Ontario
taking i75 down as is flatter way with travel trailer
about 20-21 hrs


----------



## RLccweems

milmom6 said:


> I love the memories, my brother and I did the same thing in my mom's "Grocery Getter".  We also drank water out of a garden hose and ate fruit before washing it. YIKES! I am one of those parents though that makes sure booster seat is in car and I do not start the car without seatbealts on the boys.
> 
> We leave in 10 days for our trip.  Driving from Michigan to Florida (boys are 9 and 5) with a one day stop in Ky.  So, it'll be 8 hours to Ky, then 12.5 to Florida from there.  We will be leaving around 3am from Ky so we can get to WDW with some daylight left.
> 
> I was using the "Don't make me stop this car" but found something that works better.  I give the boys their arcade money in a roll of quarters, in a baggy.  Then, everytime they argue or ask if we're there yet, they give me a quarter! Works wonderfully after they lose the first quarter.  Last car trip was only 3 hours, but only cost 1 quarter for one of them.  Make sure to take something for the return trip!  I do not think of this as paying them to be quiet because it is "their" $$ I allocate to them for arcade games.
> 
> I am looking forward to the drive and we have blockbuster online so I am renting 3 movies (2 they haven't seen) for the trip.  Plus, on stop in Ky, their mammah is giving them a movie and new CD for trip for Easter.  My hubby plays his PSP and I drive, lucky me, LOL.
> 
> We have a Highlander now instead of my beloved Yukon due to gas prices, so it is much easier for them to touch and look at each other. Augh!!! Soon i hope to buy the new Caravan with the downloadable Sirius TV and turnaround seats... fun fun fun.





My dh did this all the time when he was growing up in Michigan...that was many years ago.  They actually drove straight thru!   

We now live in Oklahoma and we drive to Fl as well with our kids.  But don't drive straight thru like he did.  There's no way I could do this....but we try and make it fun.  With the DVD player, laptop, PSP and Ipods...it's so much easier to make the long trip.


----------



## Promomx2

We're not leaving until June, but I was wondering how gas prices are on I-95?  Here Richmond, Va is about $3.05.


----------



## mousiemom

we drive down but it only takes us 7.5 hours.  we are flying out to disneyland in june.  i love to fly but i really enjoy the drive down cause we are so excited the trip goes by fast.
mousiemom


----------



## stinkerbelle's mom

We drove!


----------



## mjbradeis

We are planning on driving from NJ in December


----------



## sherry8253

We always drive from PA.  16 hours. CR 12/5 to 12/14


----------



## thomasclan85

druidcat said:


> We're the exact opposite, I won't let dh drive...I'm to much of a control freak, lol



Me too. Whenever we go anywhere I drive until I get into really heavy traffic and then I 'allow' him to drive but I keep my eyes closed until we're clear of the traffic. Heavy traffic makes me really nervous.


----------



## Amyz00

thomasclan85 said:


> Me too. Whenever we go anywhere I drive until I get into really heavy traffic and then I 'allow' him to drive but I keep my eyes closed until we're clear of the traffic. Heavy traffic makes me really nervous.



I also get nervous in heavy traffic, but only when DH is driving. I don't know why, but I tend to freak out a little.   The older I get, the worse I become!  However, if I am driving, I am fine.  Maybe it's a control thing.


----------



## BerettaX

We normally drive , were in Atlanta but sometimes I feel taking Airtran may be cheaper and less of a hassle, especially with 3.20 gas prices!


----------



## Amyz00

I am sure hoping that those gas prices go down before June!  They moved up in 5 cent increments each day for three days. Yesterday, it was $3.15.


----------



## du286

We have been driving to FL and WDW for years, feels like my kids have grown up on the ride now that I think about it.  We leave b/w 0300 and 0500, beat the traffic around DC and spend the night in Jacksonville before going to BWV the next day.  TV w/ DVD is a must for the younger ones.  Can't wait to see  the price of gas to fill my Suburban next trip!


----------



## fabfivefigo

We always drive. It's a pretty easy trip of 7.5 hours from SC, and it feels like downhill (probably due to our destination )

August will be the first trip with our DS2. We'll pack plenty of DVDs. I expect to watch - er, listen to either Cars or Nemo no fewer than 6 times that week.


----------



## Promomx2

> spend the night in Jacksonville before going to BWV the next day.


We also stop for the nite in Jacksonsville.  Dh likes to take the tour at Budweiser Plant and get his free beer.  Whatever it takes to get him to drive to WDW.    I found out that the plant isn't open on sundays so we had to extend our trip to WDW an extra night to come in early so DH could stop and get his beer.  Poor me, an extra day at WDW, what will I do??


----------



## duckybelle

We are driving the 18 hours from Arkansas. DH says when we get tired we will get a hotel, but Im thinking Ill be so excited, we will drive straight through!!!Ours kids are 11 and 16, so wont have to stop too many time (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)


----------



## mickeystoontown

duckybelle said:


> We are driving the 18 hours from Arkansas. DH says when we get tired we will get a hotel, but Im thinking Ill be so excited, we will drive straight through!!!Ours kids are 11 and 16, so wont have to stop too many time (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)



We are from Louisiana and our drive is 14 to 16 hours depending on weather and traffic.  We usually leave our house anywhere from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (depends on if my boss lets me off a bit early) and we drive at least until midnight.  The next a.m., we get up and drive the rest of the way.  We thought about driving straight through but I didn't want to be too tired on our first day at WDW.  And, besides, can't really get in your resort room until 3:00 p.m. or later.  

I love it when we get close enough we see the billboards advertising WDW and the other theme parks!


----------



## bolo

Amyz00 said:


> We paid $3.10 per gallon of gas yesterday.  I really hope that gas prices drop before we leave for our trip in June!  I have a Tahoe, a gas hog, but hopefully the gas mileage will get better as we drive!



i don't remember the last time i saw $3.10 for gas!!!  weeks...no, more like months!  we've been right around $3.35+ for quite awhile.  good ol' new york!


----------



## thomasclan85

Amyz00 said:


> I am sure hoping that those gas prices go down before June!  They moved up in 5 cent increments each day for three days. Yesterday, it was $3.15.



Our gas ranges from $3.16-$3.19 and I live in what's considered a small town.
I don't work but I do go to town (22 miles round trip) several times a week to visit my granny in a nursing home and to keep her laundry done, etc. I drive a '94 Chevy S-10 with over 175,000 miles on it and a tank of gas lasts all week. She's a good 'ol truck. My hubby drives a tanker for a local dairy farmer and drives the truck home several days a week (most of the farms he picks up are closer to us than his boss's farm) so that saves on gas too. Yes, I'm really married to the MILKMAN.


----------



## Amyz00

bolo said:


> i don't remember the last time i saw $3.10 for gas!!!  weeks...no, more like months!  we've been right around $3.35+ for quite awhile.  good ol' new york!



Oh my goodness! That's horrible!  I heard on the news today that the prices may go up to $4.00 per gallon by this summer.   I better get moving on that garage sale so that we have some driving money for this June's trip!


----------



## Amyz00

Promomx2 said:


> We also stop for the nite in Jacksonsville.  Dh likes to take the tour at Budweiser Plant and get his free beer.  Whatever it takes to get him to drive to WDW.    I found out that the plant isn't open on sundays so we had to extend our trip to WDW an extra night to come in early so DH could stop and get his beer.  Poor me, an extra day at WDW, what will I do??



So that's why my DH's aunt and uncle moved to Jacksonville.   They have lived there for years.  Perhaps we will take a little detour on our way home.


----------



## duckybelle

I put gas in our trail blazer tonight here in Arkansas at 3.24 a gallon!!!


----------



## dawz1026

duckybelle said:


> I put gas in our trail blazer tonight here in Arkansas at 3.24 a gallon!!!



NY is the same...terrible.I have a Pacifica and it is terrible on gas believe it or not...


----------



## dawz1026

We rented from Hertz a minivan 11 days 912.00 to take to WDW.Is that a good price?I used coupons codes and searched high and low.


----------



## Mckymousefn

dawz1026 said:


> NY is the same...terrible.I have a Pacifica and it is terrible on gas believe it or not...



We just got a Pacifica.. doesn't seem to bad on gas, that i have noticed.  Will be making a trip to a friends house 5 hrs. away during spring break.... i will have to see how it does on the highway though. Our gas prices have been in the $3.20's for a while now.


----------



## druidcat

thomasclan85 said:


> Me too. Whenever we go anywhere I drive until I get into really heavy traffic and then I 'allow' him to drive but I keep my eyes closed until we're clear of the traffic. Heavy traffic makes me really nervous.



Heavy traffic makes me nervous too, just not as nervous as when he is driving


----------



## Winkster

Amyz00 said:


> We paid $3.10 per gallon of gas yesterday.  I really hope that gas prices drop before we leave for our trip in June!  I have a Tahoe, a gas hog, but hopefully the gas mileage will get better as we drive!




LOL!! 

In the UK, we pay £1.11 (approx $2.22 at current exchange rates) per litre!

That works out to be the equivalent of $8.49 per gallon!   

I love driving in America - it's so cheap compared to what we are used to.

You guys have it sooooo easy and you don't even know it.


----------



## mjbradeis

Winkster said:


> LOL!!
> 
> In the UK, we pay £1.11 (approx $2.22 at current exchange rates) per litre!
> 
> That works out to be the equivalent of $8.49 per gallon!
> 
> I love driving in America - it's so cheap compared to what we are used to.
> 
> You guys have it sooooo easy and you don't even know it.



Holy COW, I didn't think it cost that much!


$2.93 here in Jersey, I have a Chevy Tahoe and it gets about 12-13mpg


----------



## Unregistered

Winkster said:


> LOL!!
> 
> In the UK, we pay £1.11 (approx $2.22 at current exchange rates) per litre!
> 
> That works out to be the equivalent of $8.49 per gallon!
> 
> I love driving in America - it's so cheap compared to what we are used to.
> 
> You guys have it sooooo easy and you don't even know it.





Okay I feel a little better now LOL!


----------



## duckybelle

OOPS ...sorry about last post, it was me just forgot to sign in


----------



## Amyz00

Winkster said:


> LOL!!
> 
> In the UK, we pay £1.11 (approx $2.22 at current exchange rates) per litre!
> 
> That works out to be the equivalent of $8.49 per gallon!
> 
> I love driving in America - it's so cheap compared to what we are used to.
> 
> You guys have it sooooo easy and you don't even know it.



     
I will never complain about our gas prices again.  
Wow, Winkster, that it unbelievable!  I wonder why the gas prices are so high there?  I sure hope that your car gets good gas mileage!


----------



## themudd4

I got this in an e-mail the other day and thought it would fit the topic on this thread right now...

All these examples do NOT imply that gasoline is cheap; It just illustrates how outrageous some prices are....

You will be really shocked by the last one!!!! 
(At least, I was...) 

Compared with Gasoline......

Think a gallon of gas is expensive?

This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective. 

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ... $10.32 per gallon

Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 ..........$9.52 per gallon

Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 .... $10.17 per gallon 

Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ......... $10.00 per gallon

Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ......... $33.60 per gallon

Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ... $178.13 per gallon 

Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 .. $123.20 per gallon

Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ....... . $25.42 per gallon

Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 .....$84.48 per gallon

And this is the REAL KICKER...

Evian water 9 oz $1.49..........$21.19 per gallon!
$21.19 for WATER 
And the buyers don't even know the source.
(Evian spelled backwards is Naive.)

Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap?

So they have you hooked for the ink. 

Someone calculated the cost of the ink at................

You won't believe it................... 

But it is true......................... 

$5,200 a gal. (five thousand two hundred dollars) 

So, the next time you're at the pump, 
Be glad your car doesn't run on 
Water, Scope, or Whiteout, Pepto Bismol, Nyquil 
Or God forbid, Printer Ink!!!!!


----------



## Winkster

That's a great post themudd4!!!



Amyz00 said:


> I will never complain about our gas prices again.
> Wow, Winkster, that it unbelievable!  I wonder why the gas prices are so high there?  I sure hope that your car gets good gas mileage!



Apparently, of the current UK cost equivalent to $8.49 a gallon, $4.42 goes in duty (tax to allegedy cover costs of road/bridge building, buying rights of way, maintenance, traffic and road lights etc), $1.27 goes on VAT (Value Added Tax which goes to the government), $0.59 goes to the retailer and distributor while only $2.21 pays for the fuel itself!

That means that only 26% of the total cost is for the fuel itself!  Great!!


----------



## thomasclan85

Winkster said:


> LOL!!
> 
> In the UK, we pay £1.11 (approx $2.22 at current exchange rates) per litre!
> 
> That works out to be the equivalent of $8.49 per gallon!
> 
> I love driving in America - it's so cheap compared to what we are used to.
> 
> You guys have it sooooo easy and you don't even know it.



I have friends that live in Germany and Northern Ireland so I know all about the prices of gas there. I can't imagine having to pay that price. Maybe that's why I saw so many people riding bicycles when I visited Germany.


----------



## Amyz00

themudd4 said:


> I got this in an e-mail the other day and thought it would fit the topic on this thread right now...
> 
> All these examples do NOT imply that gasoline is cheap; It just illustrates how outrageous some prices are....
> 
> You will be really shocked by the last one!!!!
> (At least, I was...)
> 
> Compared with Gasoline......
> 
> Think a gallon of gas is expensive?
> 
> This makes one think, and also puts things in perspective.
> 
> Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ... $10.32 per gallon.....




    

LOL!!  I received the same email a couple of days ago also!


----------



## Amyz00

Come on June!  Let's get here soon!


----------



## scooby9932

We always drive over & down.   

You can do it in one 12-14 hour drive (depending on traffic & restroom breaks), but since I'm always the one doing all the driving, I like to split it into 2 days.  We stop in Tallahassee on the way down and in Pensacola on the way back.


----------



## duckybelle

LOL! I got that email too!!!


----------



## TinaLala

We're driving down in April and we're coming from MA - yes that's 24 hours drive to FLA!  We're doing it in 2 days, but driving straight down.  We're driving in our Honda minivan.  I've calculated $800 gas round trip.


----------



## dawz1026

TinaLala said:


> We're driving down in April and we're coming from MA - yes that's 24 hours drive to FLA!  We're doing it in 2 days, but driving straight down.  We're driving in our Honda minivan.  I've calculated $800 gas round trip.



DH has 300 for gas in our calculations..hope he is right.We rented a minivan from Long Island....


----------



## TSMAMI

www.fuelcostcalculator.com try this it is pretty accurate.


----------



## Amyz00

TSMAMI said:


> www.fuelcostcalculator.com try this it is pretty accurate.



Thanks for that link!  I had estimated $400 for our RT drive to WDW and it estimated $387. That's great considering that I couldn't find a RT flight for no less than $1400.  My DH prefers to drive anyway and that's just fine with me.  I really enjoy seeing the sights along the way and the kids love finding the state lines!


----------



## labgeek

TSMAMI said:


> www.fuelcostcalculator.com try this it is pretty accurate.



Thanks for the link!

Driving from Northern Kentucky and should be about 370.00 or so to drive down.  13 days and counting


----------



## dawz1026

can't believe 2 weeks away we will be


----------



## Aliceacc

dawz1026 said:


> DH has 300 for gas in our calculations..hope he is right.We rented a minivan from Long Island....



Wow...he's good!!

I just ran the numbers using our 2007 Kia Sedona minivan, and it came up to $297 from NYC!!


----------



## ladyjane63

It's 8-9 hrs. for us.  And we'll lose an hour crossing into ET.  I want to leave @ 4 am, but hubby has already said he won't budge until 5 or 6 am.     We've got ADRs at 7:30 pm @ Liberty Tavern and I'm not missing that!  I probably won't sleep a wink the night before.    I'll have the car completely packed, the girls packed & ready.   All I'll have to do to him is shove him in the shower then out the door.


----------



## DaParkers

Aliceacc said:


> Wow...he's good!!
> 
> I just ran the numbers using our 2007 Kia Sedona minivan, and it came up to $297 from NYC!!



It says it'll only cost us $135 driving from N.C. round trip. That sounds right. I was surprised last year when we got there on less than a tank and a half. Even with gas being as expensive as it is, driving is still so much cheaper than flying FOR US. But, I do realize that's not true for everyone.


----------



## dvczerfs

we drive every year. we are from pa, 1 hour west of nyc. we drive a chrysler t&c. when we went in december 07, i used 100 gallons of gas. thats going aprox 70-75 miles per hour, (no a/c in dec.) and about 151/2 hours. only stopping for gas and rest stops!! (can you tell what gender i am?) dads motto,"cant hold it, dont drink it!"


----------



## PrincessTeddyBear

We drive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Primarily because I have a fear of flying and it's easier on my mom and step-dad to just let me drive us down then drugging me out on a flight.


----------



## tiggerx3

We too are from PA and drive 1,125 miles to Disney each year. 
Last year we spent $348.00 in gas including the gas spent while we were there. It took 22 hrs, but we pulled over to sleep.


----------



## dvczerfs

tiggerx3 said:


> We too are from PA and drive 1,125 miles to Disney each year.
> Last year we spent $348.00 in gas including the gas spent while we were there. It took 22 hrs, but we pulled over to sleep.



hi tigerx3! drivings the only way! pending which part of pa your from, stay out of philly 95 and go straight threw richmond. if you live near int.78 or int.81, take 81 to int66, to rt17, to int.95. (dont hit 17 area at rush hours) you will knock alot of time off. you miss washington and baltimore and philly traffic.


----------



## kadee_29

We have just decided that we are going to make the drive instead of flying when we go in January.  I was looking at airline prices and it would cost us $1200 for the 5 of us to fly and I would much rather have that money to upgrade our resort or for souveniers.  I know we will still be putting out a good amount of money for gas but nowhere near $1200.  We have a minivan and the kids have a DVD player and a DS each for the older two so we should be ok.  

For those of you that stop on the way down or back, do you plan the stop ahead of time or do you just drive until you can't drive anymore and then try to find a hotel wherever you are?


----------



## caa1277

We drive from right outside of Louisville, KY and would never fly.  Flying is just to expensive, not to mention your limited on what you can bring with you.  Sure gas is expensive, but it is still cheaper than flying.

Last time we drove down, we had a schedule of where we would like to stop, but since we had made good time, we kept going.  After stopping, the next day we only had a 2 hour drive to WDW.


----------



## spatter1234

Did you have any trouble finding a hotel with available room when you were ready to stop?


----------



## Pikester

Hello! My family of 4 will be driving to Disney in Dec 2008 from NH. My husband has driven down to Fort Myers, FL for many years either with his parents when he was younger or buy himself as he got older so he knows his way down there. He is the driver in the family but he says I'll have to do some driving since we plan on getting to the FL boarder in 22-24 hrs and then on to the World. We do plan on taking breaks when we need it and depending on how our time is may stop in Daytona so the kids, DS10 and DS7, can see the beach. I am REALLY nervous  about having to drive but he has made a timeline so that I won't be driving through the big cities. I told him to give me "flat and long" and I'll be happy.


----------



## dawz1026

Pikester said:


> Hello! My family of 4 will be driving to Disney in Dec 2008 from NH. My husband has driven down to Fort Myers, FL for many years either with his parents when he was younger or buy himself as he got older so he knows his way down there. He is the driver in the family but he says I'll have to do some driving since we plan on getting to the FL boarder in 22-24 hrs and then on to the World. We do plan on taking breaks when we need it and depending on how our time is may stop in Daytona so the kids, DS10 and DS7, can see the beach. I am REALLY nervous  about having to drive but he has made a timeline so that I won't be driving through the big cities. I told him to give me "flat and long" and I'll be happy.



you will have plenty of flat and long!once you get to VA and NC looooooong,flat and booooring lol...We do it every year from NY! You will do fine!


----------



## ksjayhawkfan

We are really thinking about driving for our trip in October. There will be my DH, my DS-11, DD-9, DS-3, new baby who will be 3 and a half months old and myself.    We will be driving from Kansas.   But I really dont want to have to wrestle a 3 year old and an infant on the plane. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## spatter1234

ksjayhawkfan said:


> We are really thinking about driving for our trip in October. There will be my DH, my DS-11, DD-9, DS-3, new baby who will be 3 and a half months old and myself.    We will be driving from Kansas.   But I really dont want to have to wrestle a 3 year old and an infant on the plane. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!



When our DSs were little, the only way we would fly is if we had non-stop flight. Wrestling them on the lay-overs was much worse than wrestling them on the plane. When we could get non-stop (normally with Northwest), they gave us 1/2 price for our infant son. We always bought an extra ticket even though we weren't required to (under 2 yo) just for the extra space. The 1/2 price made it worth it. Hope this helps!


----------



## TinaLala

We've driven down from MA a few times.  We're leaving Friday night and driving 6 hours to PA where we'll stop at a hotel.  I'm ringing a AAA hotel book I got from requesting my trip-tic.  I research the hotel before we leave or on the way down and call the hotel before we get there to ensure vacancy.  Then we'll drive the entire day Saturday - 10-12 hours could be in GA.  Then drive Sunday until we get to FLA!  

I've already picked up our trip-tic from AAA, a road atlas (just in case) and DH will be picking up a GPS system this week.

We stop at Cracker Barrels on the way down - get a map at any of your local Cracker Barrel restaurants so we know where they are on the way down.  Good spot to stop for a clean bathroom and a cheap, but good meal.  We usually have something leftover to bring with us so when someone is hungry 20 mins later, they can eat their leftovers.  Do you think I work there or something???  Hey I get 35% off our food and anything in the store, how could I not give it a selfish plug!!


----------



## spatter1234

TinaLala said:


> We stop at Cracker Barrels on the way down - get a map at any of your local Cracker Barrel restaurants so we know where they are on the way down.  Good spot to stop for a clean bathroom and a cheap, but good meal.  We usually have something leftover to bring with us so when someone is hungry 20 mins later, they can eat their leftovers.  Do you think I work there or something???  Hey I get 35% off our food and anything in the store, how could I not give it a selfish plug!!


.

Don't blame you for the plug. We don't work there but try to find one whenever possible. My kids love Cracker Barrel and at least we know we are getting a good  meal. This is the one place I don't have to order Chicken Strips and French Fries. They will be getting enough of that once at WDW!


----------



## tiggerx3

Hi dvczerfs,

You hit the nail on the head!
We're just sounth of Scranton and we take 81 to int66, to rt17, to int.95 at Fredericksburg. We usually leave mid afternoon at 2sh, so the traffic isn't too bad. Our goal is to drive to the Georgia line and rest there a few hours. We buy the "Next Exit" book and use that to find gas and restaurant stops off the exits.

Can't wait for Aug 29th to get on the road!


----------



## bluenosemickey

It's 36 driving hours. We have done it with 2 nights on the road, one night on the road, a few hours sleep and no stay on the road. No matter how you slice it, it's a long drive. Our kids never cease to amaze me with how well they travel. Technology is a must, DVD player (with a back up) and the DS's and lots of snacks.

We stick to the 95 as much as possible, stop only at the Cracker Barrel and we have always had great luck just using the room saver books at the state line rest stops for hotels. You can get some great prices for nice hotels if your willing to risk having to visit more than one if its a busy time of year. We typically get a nice Best Western, Holiday Inn, Fairfield or Hilton for about 69-79 per night. You can also go on line and print off some coupons in advance.

The journey is part of the trip, also it's typically 4-5 thousand dollars to fly 5 of us to Orlando from Halifax! We can usually do the drive for around 1000.


----------



## bolo

ksjayhawkfan said:


> We are really thinking about driving for our trip in October. There will be my DH, my DS-11, DD-9, DS-3, new baby who will be 3 and a half months old and myself.    We will be driving from Kansas.   But I really dont want to have to wrestle a 3 year old and an infant on the plane. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!



we always drive everywhere since buying 8 plane tickets to fly anywhere is super expensive!  

so, my best advice is be prepared.  we pack plenty of snacks, bring the portable dvd player and ds,  a small blanket and pillow for everyone, and i keep out a few "surprises" for along the way.  some examples...activity books and crayola twistables (easier and not messy like crayons), dollar store toys, a new dvd, fun snack (like blowpops or assorted gummies), mini magna-doodle,...well, you get the idea.  when my kids were really little i even wrapped each surprise in tissue paper and they would get to open something each time we entered a new state.

it can be done, even with little ones!  our last trip to florida (not to disney tho)  my kids were 10, 9, 22 mos, and twins were 9 mos.  (oh yeah, and i was newly pg and not feeling well...ugh). and really, other than my not feeling good, the trip went pretty smoothly.  and since then, we drive to myrtle beach every year (13 hours) and it's always fine.  don't stress and enjoy the journey...and have fun!


----------



## torinsmom

Wow! You guys are making me feel like it is a hop, skip and jump to WDW from NC! I can't imagine it taking 20 or even 30 hours to get there! 9 hours seems like forever to me!

Marsha


----------



## TSMAMI

spatter1234 said:


> Did you have any trouble finding a hotel with available room when you were ready to stop?



I use aaa internet triptik. You can map out your driving directions.If you know what area you are wanting to stay, you can zoom in on the area and it will show you all the hotels in that location. Somethimes they are right off the highway. I tend to make sure that its a hotel chain that I am fimilar with.


----------



## Teresa Pitman

We've never booked a hotel in advance to stay overnight, and we've never had any trouble finding a place to stay. We take the I-75 and use the book by Dave Hunter to help us. Depending on how things are going, we'll look ahead and decide where we want to stop - we usually try to pick an exit with several hotel options. 

I find that when you drop in like that later in the evening, you often get good deals. The hotel manager knows that if you don't take the room, he's going to get zero dollars for that night, so even if he gives you a discount he's still coming out ahead. I always ask if there are any discounts or special deals and we usually get a deal.

Teresa


----------



## mom24diskidz

We have only driven to WDW with all kids in tow...It used to take us less time but now we camp in FW so we are towing a camper.. We are from Pa.I think last Nov it took 20 hours towing...


----------



## Amyz00

mom24diskidz said:


> We have only driven to WDW with all kids in tow...It used to take us less time but now we camp in FW so we are towing a camper.. We are from Pa.I think last Nov it took 20 hours towing...



Wow!  Do you have to drive a lot slower when towing a camper?


----------



## dvczerfs

tiggerx3 said:


> Hi dvczerfs,
> 
> You hit the nail on the head!
> We're just sounth of Scranton and we take 81 to int66, to rt17, to int.95 at Fredericksburg. We usually leave mid afternoon at 2sh, so the traffic isn't too bad. Our goal is to drive to the Georgia line and rest there a few hours. We buy the "Next Exit" book and use that to find gas and restaurant stops off the exits.
> 
> Can't wait for Aug 29th to get on the road!



hi tiggerx3, we always went 81 to int77. which is a nice trip. all mountains,very nice. we had a camper in wapwallopen pa. and the people we went down south with went 66 to 17. mutch faster. we drive 1100 miles and the only place we hit traffic is int78 and rt100 in the lehigh valley!!


----------



## pammck

We are so excited!  we are heading to Florida and Disney next Wed the 9th at 4 AM.  We are in Western NY.  We drive to Fl every year as we are a family of 7.  But we only get to Disney every 5 years.  WOOHOO!!  Can't wait


Pam


----------



## OKW Mom

We'd pack and gas while it was light and then load up the sleepyheads in the car seats and take off. When they woke up we were usually very close to WDW!

The 2 of us would take turns driving until we'd get to our destination. The Ford Windstar was a tank and that gas info is HISTORY!

We're in Baltimore MD now and we drive a 4 dr diesel sedan now. 

I am such am excited wreck I cannot sleep the night before we leave (at 54!) so we still leave at night. Our tank holds 23 gallons and we get about 35 MPG. 

Although we do not have to stop for diesel we do stop at every state line for stretch/potty breaks and driver swaps. No little ones anymore-EVERYONE takes a turn driving! 

We are a driving family-and if time permits it we'd rather drive because we make that part of the adventure.

When we arrive before check in we drop by the pool and lay in the sun and take a nap!


----------



## milmom6

We just drove down from Michigan and I bought the book "Parents Survival Guide to I-75 from Detroit to Orlando".  We left right after school on the 20th, drove to Ky where we stopped at the grandparents and spent the night and next day.  Then, we got up at 3am Saturday morning and we were in Disney by 4!!!  The book has a lot of fun places to stop, but there were a couple of places like McDonalds playlands that were not playlands anymore.  But, all in all, the parks and such were wonderful for 15 minute play and stretch stops.  

On the way home, we left Friday (28th) around 4, stopped at midnight in Georgia, got up early the next morning and drove until 7pm and once again stayed with the grandparents and then got up and left around 10am.  We arrived back to dreary, cold Michigan around 6:30pm.  

The boys had new DS games and I rented some movies so the trip went really well.  We also played the typical car games and since they did not want to lose their arcade quarters, there was very little arguing!!!

We are flying next time, but only because I got flights for $54 a person each way.


----------



## Pikester

dawz1026 said:


> you will have plenty of flat and long!once you get to VA and NC looooooong,flat and booooring lol...We do it every year from NY! You will do fine!


 
Thank you so much for the vote of confindence!


----------



## crazyhusband

me and my wife drive from phenix city alabama and it only takes about 5 to 6 hours.


----------



## dawz1026

Pikester said:


> Thank you so much for the vote of confindence!



lol...all in fun lol...I will be hitting the long flat road tomorrow night! Will let you know how it went


----------



## dvczerfs

anyone else get theme song from smoky and the bandit in there head while driving? ok, ill go see the doctor!


----------



## dizzi

No.........But when we used to drive from up North and hit georgia......
I would sing the GEORGIA song from Ray Charles i believe is who sand it msot of the way at least in my head if not outloud until the kids woudl ask me to be quiet.

"Georgia, Georgia, The Whole day through, Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind................................."


----------



## Amyz00

dvczerfs said:


> anyone else get theme song from smoky and the bandit in there head while driving? ok, ill go see the doctor!





dizzi said:


> No.........But when we used to drive from up North and hit georgia......
> I would sing the GEORGIA song from Ray Charles i believe is who sand it msot of the way at least in my head if not outloud until the kids woudl ask me to be quiet.
> 
> "Georgia, Georgia, The Whole day through, Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind................................."



Neither song entered my mind.  However, 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall did!


----------



## mjbradeis

dvczerfs said:


> anyone else get theme song from smoky and the bandit in there head while driving? ok, ill go see the doctor!




LOL been there done that


----------



## momofpirates

kadee_29 said:


> We have just decided that we are going to make the drive instead of flying when we go in January.  I was looking at airline prices and it would cost us $1200 for the 5 of us to fly and I would much rather have that money to upgrade our resort or for souveniers.  I know we will still be putting out a good amount of money for gas but nowhere near $1200.  We have a minivan and the kids have a DVD player and a DS each for the older two so we should be ok.
> 
> For those of you that stop on the way down or back, do you plan the stop ahead of time or do you just drive until you can't drive anymore and then try to find a hotel wherever you are?



Kadee

We also drive from Michigan.  We are in the Lansing area, so we go through Indiana.  It's a much easier drive than taking 75 south through Ohio and it's a few hours shorter.  We have driven both of these routes and we will never again go 75.  

We usually stay in Macon, south of Atlanta.  We have driven straight through, but you end up sleeping the next day, so it doesn't really add to your vacation time.  Unless you have a lot of drivers, I'd suggest stopping.  We make reservations in advance and just set that destination as our driving goal.  The second day driving we spend a little more time stopping as the kids love that first taste of orange juice at the Florida welcome center.

On the way home, we just drive until we can't anymore, and then stop at the most reasonable hotel we can find. One year I called my husband (he didn't go on that trip) a few hours before we were going to stop and he made a reservation on-line which saved some $.

Good luck!


----------



## milmom6

Momofpirates,
  I was told by both AAA and my Tomtom that 75 was shorter.  We just drove it a week ago from Macomb and I would really love to hear a shorter way if there is one!

Thanks!


----------



## Kimi313

dvczerfs said:


> anyone else get theme song from smoky and the bandit in there head while driving? ok, ill go see the doctor!



No not that song but we start every trip with the song "On the Open Road" from the Goofy Movie, it is Goofy and Max singing.  It is a great and exciting way to start the trip.  We live in northern alabama and we have always drivin.  Now that DD is 17 she looks back at it as some of the best time on the trips was the car trip itself.  Getting up before light and taking off, then watching the sun rise, playing disney alphabet games, singing disney songs, and I always made her an activity box that had disney snacks in it, disney activity pages that I got from mouseforless.com, disney coloring book, and other disney oriented things I had picked up.  Last year she took a few friends with us and she asked if I would still make a box and put enough stuff in it for everyone! I can't imagine not driving.


----------



## dvczerfs

hi kimi313!, our dd is 15 now. we got a power inverter for the car and brought a 13inch tv with a vcr with us.(days before dvds). she never asked how much longer or anything. we showed her how to read a map so she could follow the signs to see how far we were. now with ipods, and sleeping most of the way shes still a great passinger! we still set the van up like we did when she was little. my dw ask if we are going to still set the van up when she dont go down with us anymore? dd ask what makes you think im going to stop going with you? shes gonna live at home forever!!! (thats ok)


----------



## Amyz00

dvczerfs said:


> we got a power inverter for the car and brought a 13inch tv with a vcr with usQUOTE]
> 
> 
> 
> That is hilarious because we had one of those as well!  We had to buy the convertible system that would allow it stay between the two front seats.  Oh, I am so glad that we don't have to lug that thing around, especially the VCR tapes!  Rewinding took forever!


----------



## dvczerfs

Amyz00 said:


> dvczerfs said:
> 
> 
> 
> we got a power inverter for the car and brought a 13inch tv with a vcr with usQUOTE]
> 
> 
> 
> That is hilarious because we had one of those as well!  We had to buy the convertible system that would allow it stay between the two front seats.  Oh, I am so glad that we don't have to lug that thing around, especially the VCR tapes!  Rewinding took forever!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> the one year,it was about 3am and my dw decided to plug the coffee maker into the power inverter. try to find a fuse at 3am so the headlights would work again. never fail,next exit was a walmart!! they had it!!! 12 years later we still laugh everytime we get to that exit on 95.we should stop for old time sake.
Click to expand...


----------



## crazyhusband

i would rather fly but my wife and mother in law will NOT fly. we leave at 5:30 am and arrive in disney shortly after 1pm. leave from pc alabama to albany ga then on to tifton ga on to I-75 across state line to fla turnpike to western beltway take to exit8 (back gate to disney)in all it takes about 5-6 hours to make the trip. never like to trip back never want to leave!!


----------



## Roxy217

We have driven twice. It really isn't that bad. My children are 13, 9 & 5. We have a DVD player in the minivan and we usually do most of the driving at night so the kids sleep. It becomes quite expensive with a family of 5 especially now with the rising cost of airfare. I have to admit the I miss the Magical Express but I'd rather spend the money when we get there rather that getting there.


----------



## yaksack

Roxy217 said:


> We have driven twice. It really isn't that bad. My children are 13, 9 & 5. We have a DVD player in the minivan and we usually do most of the driving at night so the kids sleep. It becomes quite expensive with a family of 5 especially now with the rising cost of airfare. I have to admit the I miss the Magical Express but I'd rather spend the money when we get there rather that getting there.



So true!  

This is the first time we are flying down.  We were lucky enough to get four round trip plane tickets from Newark NJ, for $125 each.  If they cost more than that I would just drive again like we did the last three times.


----------



## abish19

It makes me feel less crazy to know that other people drive to WDW too, some from even farther away than West Michigan!  

Has anyone ever taken the train to Orlando?  I'm just curious.  

Have a good weekend...


----------



## Roxy217

We have taken the autotrain once. It was too good of a deal to pass up. AAA was running a special where kids go free. We did however have to pay a little extra for the minivan. It was so worth it! My husband wasn'y cranky and the kids really enjoyed the dining car! We have never taken the train with out the car. Where does it leave you off? The Autotrain leaves yoy off at the Sanford station which is about 30 min. from WDW. It was great. We arrived at the station at 8:30 am and were in the Magic Kingdom by lunchtime!


----------



## bord1niowa

OK I admit it, we will be taking a 13" TV with VCR built in but we'll use the X-Box and PS2 for the DVD player.  It's a bigger screen than the 7' or 10 " DVD players.  Of course there's always the internet to keep them busy on the way too...lol.  $30 for 2 weeks of unlimited internet is cheaper than $10 a day at the fort.  Thank God for lap tops!


----------



## goofydad99

We drive from Oklahoma.  It is a long drive but cheaper than flying.


----------



## Amyz00

bord1niowa said:


> OK I admit it, we will be taking a 13" TV with VCR built in but we'll use the X-Box and PS2 for the DVD player.  It's a bigger screen than the 7' or 10 " DVD players.  Of course there's always the internet to keep them busy on the way too...lol.  $30 for 2 weeks of unlimited internet is cheaper than $10 a day at the fort.  Thank God for lap tops!



Where did you find the internet service?  That would be great to have for our trip.


----------



## bord1niowa

You can sign up through your cell phone provider for whatever length you want.  Just plug in your phone and it will work trough the computer.  We have Verizon, don't know if all have it ut they do.  I like the idea of unlimited data from $60 a month or less prorated.  So the 2 weeks we want it for will cost us about $30...cheaper than $10 a day and we have it for the ride there and back too.


----------



## mjperry

Driving is fun if you have somone to drive with you. but going alone it better to fly. Howevr flying is somthing I enjoy a lot ( Aviation fanatic here) so I rather fly.


----------



## Amyz00

bord1niowa said:


> You can sign up through your cell phone provider for whatever length you want.  Just plug in your phone and it will work trough the computer.  We have Verizon, don't know if all have it ut they do.  I like the idea of unlimited data from $60 a month or less prorated.  So the 2 weeks we want it for will cost us about $30...cheaper than $10 a day and we have it for the ride there and back too.



We have Verizon also.  I will have to check into this.  Thanks for the info!


----------



## dvczerfs

bord1niowa said:


> You can sign up through your cell phone provider for whatever length you want.  Just plug in your phone and it will work trough the computer.  We have Verizon, don't know if all have it ut they do.  I like the idea of unlimited data from $60 a month or less prorated.  So the 2 weeks we want it for will cost us about $30...cheaper than $10 a day and we have it for the ride there and back too.



does that go against your min. or is that considered verizon to verizon?


----------



## Amyz00

dvczerfs said:


> does that go against your min. or is that considered verizon to verizon?



Great question!    I would like to know that as well.


----------



## Clifton

Only an hour and half from Tampa


----------



## TinaLala

What type of GPS systems do most of you have?

DH wants to get one and is between the Garner and the Magellan(sp?).

Also for those of you coming from the northeast, what time of day do most of you leave at?  there's a debate going on right now between our two parties as to when we should leave MA..at 6pm or 8pm.  I want to drive straight through Saturday and find a hotel Saturday night and then drive the rest of the way Sunday.  I want to be in the park on Sunday - Ohana ADRs for Sunday night.


----------



## mrsscooter

So jealouse of you leaving in 12 days.......LOL  I'm in Ct, so you can just drive by and pick me up, I will even be packed and waiting at the end of the driveway!   Seriously though.........We also drive down about every year/every other.  It usually takes us 2 days if we take the mini.  We usually get up and are on the road by 3am and stop around dinner time and then up and on the road again by 7am. We usually hit Disney around 3pm.  We love roadtrips, especially with the kids, but are times when I just want to BE there already and just want to fly.  We have some kind of GPS through the laptop that that we use, which is neat because you can find hotels and resturants, etc. along  the way instead of having to guess what exit to get off of.  Although now, we seem to just drive down by memory.......Have a GREAT trip and we cant to hear all about it when you return


----------



## dvczerfs

TinaLala said:


> What type of GPS systems do most of you have?
> 
> DH wants to get one and is between the Garner and the Magellan(sp?).
> 
> Also for those of you coming from the northeast, what time of day do most of you leave at?  there's a debate going on right now between our two parties as to when we should leave MA..at 6pm or 8pm.  I want to drive straight through Saturday and find a hotel Saturday night and then drive the rest of the way Sunday.  I want to be in the park on Sunday - Ohana ADRs for Sunday night.



if your coming down 95. dont hit philly, washington, balt or richmond at a rush hour. we leave from the lehigh valley around 10-10:30 but we also go 78to 81 to 66 to rt17 than to 95. if your near 80, take 80 to 81. shouldnt need gps. its well marked. unlike the northeast we live in.


----------



## gymboqueenkaylee

We drive from KY and it takes about 15 hours. We usually drive at night so the kids will sleep most of the trip. It's not that bad. I actually enjoy it!


----------



## mickeymousemom

We drive from north of Indy every time.  I have 3 DD's, now aged 18, 14, and 4.  When we go to WDW in October, my 4yo will be 5 and it will be her 11th trip to the parks(we take offsite trips to Orlando one other time a year and visit the parks for a couple days).  She was barely 3 months old her first trip down and she did fine.  By the time she was around 2 we had a DVD player in the car which has been a HUGE help as she's gotten older.  When she was almost your DD's age, we took a Christmas tripto WDW and got stuck in an ice/snow storm on the way back.  No rooms were to be had and we had to spend the night in front of a truck stop in our van.  On the way home the next day we were stuck in traffic for 5 hours with our van barely moving.  She did ok then too.  The drive for us is about 18 hours and we do spend the night once.  We make the first day a long one, being about 14-15 hours.  Again, thank goodness for the DVD player.  If you don't already have one in your car/van, it would be a good investment.  You can get one for under $100 and let her watch Little Einsteins, etc.  I really think it would work.  Also, make sure you stop enough to get her out of the car seat and let her stretch her little arms and legs for a few minutes.


----------



## mickeystoontown

Amyz00 said:


> Need some help!!
> 
> Two of my children, DS 6 and DD 8, have both been experiencing bouts of car sickness recently.   I thought that maybe it was the stomach that they had, however, it still continues and they are no longer sick.  Does anyone have any ideas for what we can do on our long road trip to WDW besides taking disposable bags?  I am thinking about calling our pediatrician and asking him for help.  Since we are driving from Texas, it will be a long trip!  I know that when they focus on their Nintendo Ds's or a movie, they seem to be alright, however I know that there is no way that they will watch tv or play games for 16+ hours!



I know it's been a while since you posted this but my aunt get car sick.  The doctor told her to go to the health food store and get cherry juice and a car sickness pill that is made primarily of cherries.  I can't remember what it was called.  She went into the health food store and told them and they knew exactly what she was talking about.  She said it really helps.


----------



## KigerKat

We're in Atlanta, and the drive is only about 7 hours.  The way I figure, we would have to get to the airport (which is 1 hour away) 2 hours early, then 1 hour flight, then wait for Magical Express, then wait for luggage...All of that might take 7 hours itself!  Plus, we have the convenience of having our car down there.

While gas prices do stink now, I still think it will be cheaper in the long run especially now that most of the economy airlines will charge you to check bags.


----------



## HonnyDipp

We are driving from Roanoke VA. Its 735 miles. I'm undecided regarding driving to Savannah GA which will take 7 hours or 9 hours to Jacksonville FL.


----------



## Amyz00

mickeystoontown said:


> I know it's been a while since you posted this but my aunt get car sick.  The doctor told her to go to the health food store and get cherry juice and a car sickness pill that is made primary of cherries.  I can't remember what it was called.  She went into the health food store and told them and they knew exactly what she was talking about.  She said it really helps.



Thanks for the info!  When I take DD to her appointment, I plan on telling the Dr. what I have read about and ask him what his opinion is.  He's usually pretty good about giving us several options when it comes to over-the-counter meds.  I know that Dramamine can make you very sleepy and with all of the driving, that might not be too bad.  Since we have two that sometimes gets carsick, we really need something!  I really don't want to pull over to the side of the highway, especially in those swampy areas of Louisiana!  That  the heck out of me!


----------



## stemikger

I don't like to drive long distances.  I'm from New York also.  I would rather not go then drive.  I have a friend that drives all the time, and he loves it, but when I could get there in a little over 2 hrs., my decision is to fly.

I personally would be so stressed out about driving 17 plus hours, that it wouldn't be a relaxing vacation for me.


----------



## bolo

Amyz00 said:


> Thanks for the info!  When I take DD to her appointment, I plan on telling the Dr. what I have read about and ask him what his opinion is.  He's usually pretty good about giving us several options when it comes to over-the-counter meds.  I know that Dramamine can make you very sleepy and with all of the driving, that might not be too bad.  Since we have two that sometimes gets carsick, we really need something!  I really don't want to pull over to the side of the highway, especially in those swampy areas of Louisiana!  That  the heck out of me!



we use dramamine for our kids...i have a couple that get car sick.  one other thing...take ziploc bags just in case!  they are great if you have a little one (or not so little) to throw up in.  no mess, no smell, cuz you can just zip them up and toss in the garbage at next rest stop.  ziplocs and a package of wet wipes...but here's to hoping you won't need them.


----------



## Amyz00

bolo said:


> we use dramamine for our kids...i have a couple that get car sick.  one other thing...take ziploc bags just in case!  they are great if you have a little one (or not so little) to throw up in.  no mess, no smell, cuz you can just zip them up and toss in the garbage at next rest stop.  ziplocs and a package of wet wipes...but here's to hoping you won't need them.



You are so right about the Ziplocs.  I used to take those plastic grocery bags with us until I realized that they often have holes in them - yuck!  We always carry wet wipes with us in the car.  That is a must!  We always use them after putting gas into the car.


----------



## baby1disney

My family drives from Ohio(Toledo) down to Disney everytime. We love it!! All of the beautiful scenery and the games we play along the way. Plus, my ds(5) watches movies in the back seat and listens to Disney music, which my DF makes before we go down there. We all have so much fun because it's usually a caravan of us(3 cars) and we're all family!!! So, I say enjoy the drive and remember these times when the kids are small!! It's worth it!!


----------



## iKlo

We drive, we live an hour and a half away from orlando so it's not a major road trip!


----------



## Vickis3js

We are heading down for the first time with the kids for Christmas and we are driving. I loath flying. I would be a total and absolute nervous wreck for days before we left and then again the the flight home if I had to fly so there goes that vacation. We have 3 kids who will be 8, 7, and 6 when we go and I am praying for my sanity when we get down there. BTW we are from South Jersey so its a nice LONG drive.


----------



## kellig

We drive from Montgomery, AL.  Not too bad...about 8 hours total (including stops).  We have friends that flew last time and had to get to the airport around the same time we left.  We arrived, checked in, and were in our rooms for over two hours before they got in.  Not too reliable of an airport in our lovely capitol city!


----------



## HonnyDipp

We are driving from VA. We plan on stopping in Savannah, GA for the night. Does anyone know a good hotel off of I-95?


----------



## dvczerfs

HonnyDipp said:


> We are driving from VA. We plan on stopping in Savannah, GA for the night. Does anyone know a good hotel off of I-95?



we hit the hampton inns. realy never hit a bad one yet.


----------



## marciemouse

We moved to SD from FL when I was nine, but a great love for Disney prompted many a spontaneous family road trip to WDW. We'd leave in the late afternoon and drive the 24 hour trip straight through the night. (Thanks, Dad!) We didn't start flying there until our family was more spread out across the country. Now that I live in AZ, flying is the only way to go. You'd think I'd want to "switch" to Disneyland since it's so much closer to us, but I grew up with Disney World. Only one more month till our next trip to the happiest place on earth!


----------



## mickeystoontown

We actually thought about flying to WDW this year but then changed our mind.  Honestly, I don't mind the drive even if the drive is anywhere from 14 to 16 hours (depends on the weather).   

I am big on family time and, when we are at home, it just seems like we are so busy that the time we do spend together is limited.  When we are driving, we get to talk about all kinds of things.  We laugh at each other's stupid jokes.  We play silly games using the license plates, road signs, etc.

So, we are driving again this year.


----------



## mickeystoontown

Amyz00 said:


> Thanks for the info!  When I take DD to her appointment, I plan on telling the Dr. what I have read about and ask him what his opinion is.  He's usually pretty good about giving us several options when it comes to over-the-counter meds.  I know that Dramamine can make you very sleepy and with all of the driving, that might not be too bad.  Since we have two that sometimes gets carsick, we really need something!  I really don't want to pull over to the side of the highway, especially in those swampy areas of Louisiana!  That  the heck out of me!



Hope your doctor can give you more specifics on the cherry thing.  Where are you guys from in Texas?  We are from Louisiana.


----------



## Amyz00

mickeystoontown said:


> Hope your doctor can give you more specifics on the cherry thing.  Where are you guys from in Texas?  We are from Louisiana.



We live NW of Houston in Aggieland (College Station). What part of Louisiana are you in?


----------



## amyhughes

We drive from Indiana.  Though we are on the border with KY so truly only 3.5 states away or 844.63 miles but who's counting?


----------



## Dawn68PA

mickeystoontown said:


> I am big on family time and, when we are at home, it just seems like we are so busy that the time we do spend together is limited.  When we are driving, we get to talk about all kinds of things.  We laugh at each other's stupid jokes.  We play silly games using the license plates, road signs, etc.
> 
> So, we are driving again this year.



This is exactly why I love driving!


----------



## mickeystoontown

Amyz00 said:


> We live NW of Houston in Aggieland (College Station). What part of Louisiana are you in?



We're in North Louisiana...West Monroe to be exact.  So, our drive starts out on I-20 and then cuts down Mississippi, goes through Mobile, Alabama where we hit I-10 and later we start our way down Florida on I think it's I-75.  The drive really isn't that bad.  We actually enjoy our time together.


----------



## stemikger

I live in NYC get to Newark Airport by Car Service and that is when the vacation starts.  Ever since I was a kid I loved airports and Newark has a lot of great little stores to get magazines and books and lots of fast food places to eat.  It really feels like my vacation is strated when I get there.

When I get to MCO they have all signs of Disney and you know the magic has started.

I really love this part of the vacation, knowing I have 10 days of Disney ahead of me and hopping on ME.

Other then the 17 plus hours I would have to drive to Orlando from New York, this is another great perk.  I get to MCO in 2 hours and 20 minutes.


----------



## kimsuenew

We drive from NW Ohio!


----------



## dawz1026

Just returned from our trip.Left NY 230am and 16 hours later we checked in to Holiday Inn Jacksonville...another 1.5 to Disney from there.17.5 home..drove straight through..really was not bad at all!


----------



## TinaLala

We're leaving MA at 8pm tonight and plan to drive through Saturday, stop around 6pm overnight and then into Disney...24 hour trip.


----------



## Fantasmic23

We made our first drive down to WDW (from Connecticut) in mid-February.  We left on a Friday night (around 9:30/10:00) and drove to the in-laws house in New Jersey.  We spent the night in NJ and left the next morning around 10:30/11:00.  On Saturday, we drove as far as Harrisburg, Nouth Carolina where we spent the night at my brother-in-law's house (we arrived in NC around 8:30/9:00).  We hung out in Nouth Carolina on Sunday and on Monday morning (around 6:00 or so) we left for Florida.  If memory serves, we hit the "Welcome to Florida" sign around 3:00 p.m. and it might've been 4:30/5:00 before we arrived in Kissimmee.  

The drive down with the kids (ages 9 and 5) wasn't that bad (even if the portable DVD player was on the fritz).  We actually had a great time, singing along with the radio, listening to audio cassettes (my Nissan Quest doesn't have a CD player), stopping to eat at the Waffle House (discovered we don't care for the Huddle House that much), counting all the Cracker Barrel signs, etc., etc.  

The drive back wasn't too bad (although Virginia feels that the longest state EVER!), even if we did come back to a driveway full of unplowed snow.  

We're planning another WDW trip next February and we'll be driving again.


----------



## dvczerfs

Fantasmic23 said:


> We made our first drive down to WDW (from Connecticut) in mid-February.  We left on a Friday night (around 9:30/10:00) and drove to the in-laws house in New Jersey.  We spent the night in NJ and left the next morning around 10:30/11:00.  On Saturday, we drove as far as Harrisburg, Nouth Carolina where we spent the night at my brother-in-law's house (we arrived in NC around 8:30/9:00).  We hung out in Nouth Carolina on Sunday and on Monday morning (around 6:00 or so) we left for Florida.  If memory serves, we hit the "Welcome to Florida" sign around 3:00 p.m. and it might've been 4:30/5:00 before we arrived in Kissimmee.
> 
> The drive down with the kids (ages 9 and 5) wasn't that bad (even if the portable DVD player was on the fritz).  We actually had a great time, singing along with the radio, listening to audio cassettes (my Nissan Quest doesn't have a CD player), stopping to eat at the Waffle House (discovered we don't care for the Huddle House that much), counting all the Cracker Barrel signs, etc., etc.
> 
> The drive back wasn't too bad (although Virginia feels that the longest state EVER!), even if we did come back to a driveway full of unplowed snow.
> 
> We're planning another WDW trip next February and we'll be driving again.



do you use int. 95 , and read all the billboards for south of the boarder?


----------



## Jengonz1982

I'm in Baton Rouge,LA and we'll be driving for the first time in less than a month  We're planning on heading out on the 16th,driving until we get tired,and then renting a hotel room for the night. Getting up the next morning and driving to Disney. I'm hoping to get there kinda early on Saturday so we can hopefully hit MK that night


----------



## sconnell

Cracker Barrel
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but Cracker Barrel has a feature on their site where you can get directions from one point to another and they put all of their CB's on there that are en route! lol. It's fun to see how many you really do pass! (within 5 miles!)
http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?template=searchatw&client=cracker3

ETA: We pass 11 in the 280 miles from Savannah to Orlando! lol


----------



## Amyz00

sconnell said:


> Cracker Barrel
> I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but Cracker Barrel has a feature on their site where you can get directions from one point to another and they put all of their CB's on there that are en route! lol. It's fun to see how many you really do pass! (within 5 miles!)
> http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?template=searchatw&client=cracker3
> 
> ETA: We pass 11 in the 280 miles from Savannah to Orlando! lol



It seems as if we passed 1000 Waffle House's during our last drive to WDW!!!  It got old, especially since most of our driving was done at night.  We would see a light ahead and wonder what it could be and then realized that each time, it was a Waffle House!  One good thing about seeing one of these every 5 miles (or so it seemed) was the fact that DH could refill his coffee mug constantly!


----------



## appleseed1

Drive from Toronto every 2 years.  Approximately 24 hours


----------



## tyniknate

We've driven from Pennsylvania, straight through, and will NEVER do it again. Son (18 months) had ear infection and we didn't know it yet. Was the longest drive ever. Got to disney and spent the first day in the ER. With the bargain airfare we found ($54 each way), we can't drive for that amount.


----------



## TSMAMI

dawz1026 said:


> Just returned from our trip.Left NY 230am and 16 hours later we checked in to Holiday Inn Jacksonville...another 1.5 to Disney from there.17.5 home..drove straight through..really was not bad at all!



Wow! What part of NY did you leave from? We live in Albany NY and it takes us about 13 hrs just to get to Fayetteville, N.C! Can you give me any tips, please?


----------



## dvczerfs

TSMAMI said:


> Wow! What part of NY did you leave from? We live in Albany NY and it takes us about 13 hrs just to get to Fayetteville, N.C! Can you give me any tips, please?


 I CAN DO IT IN 16 1/2 HOURS AND IM ABOUT AN HOUR FROM NEW YORK CITY. THATS STOPPING FOR GAS ND BATHROOM BREAKS. NO SIT DOWN MEALS AND AVER. ABOUT 70-75 ALL THE WAY. WHICH WAY DO YOU COME DOWN?


----------



## dawz1026

TSMAMI said:


> Wow! What part of NY did you leave from? We live in Albany NY and it takes us about 13 hrs just to get to Fayetteville, N.C! Can you give me any tips, please?



Im in Hicksville..3hrs from you.I have family in Albany.We leave at 3am so there is basically no one on the road and we are out of Washington before the traffic hits.The speed limit goes up once you are out of NY/NJ and that really helps.I think we were steady 80 which cuts the time alot.We went LIE-BQE THROUGH STATEN ISLAND,GOTHELS TO NJTPKE AND I95 ALL THE WAY.We stopped only for quick bathroom and snacks..I packed alot of food going down which helped ALOT! Coming home it was Dunkin Donuts lol...


----------



## wifey1220

We live in Pittsburgh and this will be our first year to drive.  We have planned on driving the past 3yrs but I always find last minute cheap airfare and fly instead.  Has anyone driven from pgh to disney I am interested in knowing how long it really takes.  Mapquest syas 16hrs.  But I am thinking much longer.


----------



## TSMAMI

dvczerfs said:


> I CAN DO IT IN 16 1/2 HOURS AND IM ABOUT AN HOUR FROM NEW YORK CITY. THATS STOPPING FOR GAS ND BATHROOM BREAKS. NO SIT DOWN MEALS AND AVER. ABOUT 70-75 ALL THE WAY. WHICH WAY DO YOU COME DOWN?


I come down 87 to 287. Then the NJ Turnpike to i-95 all the way.


----------



## TSMAMI

Thank you for answering. I am going to try it!


----------



## Amyz00

wifey1220 said:


> We live in Pittsburgh and this will be our first year to drive.  We have planned on driving the past 3yrs but I always find last minute cheap airfare and fly instead.  Has anyone driven from pgh to disney I am interested in knowing how long it really takes.  Mapquest syas 16hrs.  But I am thinking much longer.



I am not from Pittsburgh, but don't forget that you will be stopping to fill up with gas, bathroom breaks, and eating (unless you bring food with you to eat while driving).  However, this does not really add up to a whole lot.  I enjoy stopping every couple of hours just to stretch my legs and walk around a little.  Also, you might enjoy stopping at the state lines to take pictures.


----------



## floridaplease

We have 2x out of 100...nothing I would like to do again.


----------



## ForeverDance

We have driven every year from London Ontario. It is just over 4000 km round trip (about 2500 miles). We drive straight through down I75. We absolutely love the drive. When it is all of us the trip is far cheaper to drive. With just dh and I for this upcoming trip it was pretty even but dh hates flying and I don't really mind the drive so we are doing it again.


----------



## RFrank9504

Ok we too have done the driving down thing from Long Island with 2 kids both under 6....with gas prices soaring-take the 2.5 hour flight out of McArthur! Less $$ less stress.  Disney picks you up at no extra cost at the airport in a beautiful coach bus and brings you back-its so much better-they grab your bags-no worries...we live in Florida now, and its a 2 1/2 hour drive and we laugh because we leave when our friends planes leave and get to the resort around the same time!


----------



## Asellus

We'll be driving from RI to Disney in December. Our plans are to transfer the girls to their car/booster seats in the middle of the night and just leave...having packed the rental minivan the day before.  Then we'll stay in North Carolina overnight in the middle of the drive. It'll be the first time I've taken both girls on such a long trip...only one I've ever done was when my oldest was 3 months old, to Kentucky.


----------



## emmalouise

We drove from NOVA on our last trip, it took about 15 hours (including many breaks). The kids were 12, 10, and 2- so it became challenging at times. Our 2 yr old became very restless in her seat. One thing I would suggest for anyone leaving from the general area of DC is to leave in the late afternoon/ early evening. That way the kids can be awake more at the beginning of the drive, as opposed to the end (after you've been in the car for so long). Lesson learned for us since we left too late at night.


----------



## Leggo my Eggo

We always drive to WDW. We can't afford airfare for four children and two adults!


----------



## Tony the Tiger

I love car trips and hate flying!


----------



## treeface

We probably fly about half the time and drive the rest.  It is about a 17 1/2 hour drive, but after two consecutive plane trips down that took almost 16 hours (one I was by myself), I decided that it was just as easy (and less stressful) to drive.  The only direct flights we can get are into Sanford and that is a great flight, but it makes the rental car necessary as ME doesn't pick up there.  Anytime I have a layover, I always factor in a 4-5 hour delay (rarely have I not had this happen, but it only happens when I fly to FL) and that is just annoying to me to sit in the airport doing nothing.  I flew down in Sept 07 by myself and met some friends there, got down there right on time (TPA), but on the way home, I spent 6.5 hours in the ATL airport that weren't planned, making the trip from the house in Tampa to home almost 11 hours.

We usually leave early am on the way down and stop over in central or southern GA, then a short day into Orlando.  On the way home, we leave early am and drive straight home.  My DS (6) has a DVD player, a DS, and a Leapster, plus several books along to keep busy.  DH and I have Sirius satellite radio to listen to so the trip doesn't seem too bad.  Besides, as DVC members, it's nice to have the car to run to the grocery store if we forgot anything.


----------



## OneTreeHillAddict

dawz1026 said:


> We have been driving from NY the past few years and almost booked a flight this time but ds 18months has changed our minds(he can be a bit loud at times).I was just wondering who else does the roadtrip and wher e from??



We drive from SC, takes about 9-10 hours. Of course when I was younger, before kids I could get to Miami in that amount of time.   Depends on how fast you drive...


----------



## Cindeegyrl

We'll be driving from Louisville, KY.  And before we moved here we always drove from Knoxville, TN.


----------



## luvmk1971

We are driving for the first time in Oct.  My plan is to leave our house around 5am and drive for 12 hours.  My girls will be 5 and 3 so I was thinking it would be nice for them to swim at the hotel pool after sitting in the car for so long.  If anyone has any tips for me I would love to hear them.  Thanks


----------



## DisneyDenise513

wifey1220 said:


> We live in Pittsburgh and this will be our first year to drive.  We have planned on driving the past 3yrs but I always find last minute cheap airfare and fly instead.  Has anyone driven from pgh to disney I am interested in knowing how long it really takes.  Mapquest syas 16hrs.  But I am thinking much longer.



We live about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.  It usually takes us 17-18 hours to drive straight through.  We leave after work around 5:00 pm and arrive before noon the next day.  We like to take turns driving throughout the night because there is less traffic.

HTH


----------



## GrumpyDad1974

We drive from coastal NC, 9 hrs down 10 hrs back every time? Trip down we leave @ 4am (i love to drive straight through)  we are there for lunch and hopefully an early check in. Trip home we leave about 9am and have a sad 10 hr trip home. Even with the cost of gas it is cheaperto drive than 3 airline tickets, airport parking, rental car and rental car gas. With all the delays and waiting with airport travel its just easier to drive.

Good Luck


----------



## Amyz00

Originally I had heard that gas prices were going to be as high as $4 this summer.  Now I hear that it will probably be around $5!  Maybe the kids and I should set up a lemonade stand to help fund our drive to WDW!


----------



## dvczerfs

Amyz00 said:


> Originally I had heard that gas prices were going to be as high as $4 this summer.  Now I hear that it will probably be around $5!  Maybe the kids and I should set up a lemonade stand to help fund our drive to WDW!


dont forget to add the gas sercharge on each cup! i would say about 75 cents or so.


----------



## fortcampers

We have driven three times from the mountains of Western North Carolina and it takes about 10 hours. DH and I first went there on our honeymoon 22 years ago for our honeymoon and we flew down from New Jersey. Our last trip (just returned April 19th) we drove and pulled our fifth wheel which we have only had for almost a year. We took two days to drive with the camper since I had to follow behind the DH and DS---I just can't do the drive in one day. If it were just DH driving, we'd do it in one day, no problem.


----------



## njcamper95

we have been driving there for about the last 10 years we leave central NJ around 3 am and travel to savanha Ga then the next day we ussually get in disney in the early afternoon we stay in fort wilderness and wife won't drive truck with trailer so the aprox 18 hrs is a little much for one day


----------



## momto1disneyfan

We Drive from Waterloo, Ontario (Canada).  Its a 21 1/2hr drive.  If you take your stops into consideration it actually takes us about 26 1/2hrs.


----------



## Amyz00

dvczerfs said:


> dont forget to add the gas sercharge on each cup! i would say about 75 cents or so.



Oh, you are right!  I must not forget to add that in!


----------



## TerryCRZ

Wow! The things some people will endure to see a mouse! LOL

We drive up from Miami, Florida and it usually takes about 4  hrs. Maybe 3 1/2 if DH drives real fast like speed racer. We usually get a ticket though so we've made it in 4 hrs. the last few times up.


----------



## disneygal2007

We are only in Louisiana a 13 hour drive away.  We love to drive there.  We have a thing were before we even pull out the driveway we turn on the MMC march and we sing our hearts out  as we are going down the street.  I can't wait to do it this time.  OH HUNNY HURRY AND COME HOME SO WE CAN GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!  6 more months until my wonderful husband comes home from Kuwait and we take the kids on their dream trip


----------



## SCPP

only 8 hours from the upstate of SC.

Plus we can drop the puppies off for dog care at the in laws and save $500 on kennel cost.


----------



## Hmbldr

We just did the drive - first time in 25 years and the first time with the kids.  Going down we detoured to Atlanta area to visit family we haven't seen in 15 years - my wife's uncle.  We had a wonderful stop for lunch and freshen up.  With the the 3 hour stop in Atlanta, bathroom/gas stops, some nasty traffic  areas - all in all, 28 hours straight.  On the way back, direct, with food, gas and bathroom breaks, 24 hours straight.  We actually had a good time and with 3 drivers, it wasn't bad at all.

Minivan, coolers, snacks and a dual DVD player - you just keep rollin along.


----------



## mat5

*
I drive from Va, I like to leave about 10:00 PM, and let the wife and kids sleep, most of the way down to Disney, It is a easy drive, I take 95 to I4
all the way down, it takes me about 12-13 hours taking my time, and stopping for breakfest in the morning, I am always so excited to get to Disney I don"t mind losing a night's sleep*


----------



## jimmalru80

We've had 10 previous trips and have not made the drive, choosing to fly each time. I can't get enough time off from work to do the drive, but it's interesting to see what others think.


----------



## Amyz00

TerryCRZ said:


> Wow! The things some people will endure to see a mouse! LOL
> 
> We drive up from Miami, Florida and it usually takes about 4  hrs. Maybe 3 1/2 if DH drives real fast like speed racer. We usually get a ticket though so we've made it in 4 hrs. the last few times up.


----------



## onecutemoocow

DisneyDenise513 said:


> We live about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh.  It usually takes us 17-18 hours to drive straight through.  We leave after work around 5:00 pm and arrive before noon the next day.  We like to take turns driving throughout the night because there is less traffic.
> 
> HTH



We will also be driving from 30 miles north of pa (beaver) to Disney in sept!


----------



## DisneyDenise513

onecutemoocow said:


> We will also be driving from 30 miles north of pa (beaver) to Disney in sept!



We are from Butler, but we are going in August.  99 days from today!
Yay for double digit count-down!


----------



## onecutemoocow

DisneyDenise513 said:


> We are from Butler, but we are going in August.  99 days from today!
> Yay for double digit count-down!



lol I dont have mine counted down to days yet...its too far away. Just a little over 4 months sounds better than....131 days lol


----------



## JMADgrad

Going in August - we were supposed to fly, but decided to drive for the convenience of being able to go off-world and the high cost of flights relative to the driving distance for us (we can make it in 12-14 if we switch off drivers and travel through the night).  Oh, and I am afraid of flying...do a transatlantic flight once every 2 years or so and it is torture.


----------



## luvpoohbear

We live right above Atlanta Georgia and we usually make it to WDW in about 6 1/2 hours.

We want to fly because it would only be a 2 hour flight, but Atlanta Airport is a pain and it certainly is not very cheap to fly these days. Even with the gas prices, it is cheaper for us (family of four) to drive. 

I am glad we live as close as we do.


----------



## JustinsMommy07

We will be driving down from New Jersey next weekend.  We usually stop in South Carolina on the way down and on the way back.  We drove last December with a 4 month old and stopped every couple of hours for bathroom breaks, gas, food or to switch drivers, etc...  We take things slow and look at the drive as part of the trip.  The baby was excellent in December, but we're keeping our fingers crossed this time!


----------



## Desiree430

We are driving down next week from NJ. I've only flown 1 time and have driven down 5 times. We can't check into our place until 3pm so we usually leave between 8-10 at night. Stop along the way for gas. In the morning eat at a waffle house and go to Daytona beach for a few hours before heading to our resort. Spend the first day there relaxing - buying groceries and then the next day we hit the parks. Very excited about going next week. We have 2 children ages 2 & 4 and this will be their first time going.


----------



## disneyfreak33

We always drive, it's just more fun for us. We have been fortunate enough to live close to Florida as well which helps.  

We are military and we have always been stationed either here in SC or in GA. We, of course, prefer GA since we are only 20 minutes from Jacksonville and 3 hours from Disney but hey 6 hours isn't bad either. 

Even if we lived farther then this I think we would still drive as long as we live on the east coast. We all have a good time in the car on the way down and it's good family time. 

We leave around 10 am and get there just in time for check-in.


----------



## musical2

We've driven from Maryland three times.  On the way down we stop in Brunswick, GA for the night and drive the rest of the way the next morning.  We usually stop in South Carolina on the way back.  However, for the past four times we have taken the Auto Train down and back.  It goes from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL and back each day.  It leaves Lorton at about 4:00 pm and arrives in Sanford the next morning about 9:00 am.  That way we still have our minivan with us and get to relax on the way down and on the way back.


----------



## treesinger

We are driving down on Saturday, me, DW, and kids 7-5-4.  We've done this trip many times when the kids were younger (and one less, for that matter) and the trip is pretty easy with the babies.

I'm hoping this one will go well.  We're driving from North DE, about 17 hours at 60 mph straight through without stopping.  We will need frequent stops now that I have potty-trained yung-uns with me.  We usually stop around Savannah GA, but that is because we normally leave around 10 AM.  We're going to leave at 6 AM this time and get to Orlando in one shot, stay overnight in a Hojo's or something, then wake up in Orlando, take our bags to our resort, drop them off, and get to the parks!

We bring coloring books and movies, which takes us most of the way there.  We'll have to think of more now that the kids are older, maybe some backseat crafting things.  We'll see what happens, wish us luck!


----------



## Roxy217

JustinsMommy07 said:


> We will be driving down from New Jersey next weekend.  We usually stop in South Carolina on the way down and on the way back.  We drove last December with a 4 month old and stopped every couple of hours for bathroom breaks, gas, food or to switch drivers, etc...  We take things slow and look at the drive as part of the trip.  The baby was excellent in December, but we're keeping our fingers crossed this time!




Where in NJ? We just returned on 2/27. We have 3 children - 13, 9 & %, and all of them were great. We have driven before, so they are used to it! Have fun on your trip & be sure to give Mickey a big kiss for me!


----------



## grumpy28

We are considering driving from NC, and I thought that sounded  . 

I don't know how some of y'all from way up North do it!


----------



## Roxy217

The ride going is not so bad but coming home . . well, another story!


----------



## dvczerfs

Roxy217 said:


> The ride going is not so bad but coming home . . well, another story!


isnt that the truth! i drive 1100 miles, from pa to fl. going down. coming home, i drive every other state and my dw drives the others. we end up sleeping when its not our turn to drive. good thing dd stays awake to keep the drive company.


----------



## Roxy217

I think that the further I get away form Disney , the happiness is sucked right out of me!


----------



## inkedupmomma

We will be leaving sept 13 around 6 or 7pm from bucks county,pa! we were going to take the train but can't imagine ds2(and a half lol) being on a train.. hes a bit of a handful... were hoping to be there by 3 the next day! hope we're all still talking by the time we get there lol


----------



## JustinsMommy07

Roxy217 said:


> Where in NJ? We just returned on 2/27. We have 3 children - 13, 9 & %, and all of them were great. We have driven before, so they are used to it! Have fun on your trip & be sure to give Mickey a big kiss for me!




We are in Brick...Ocean County.  We have driven before, but December was the first time with the baby.  He was pretty good and Baby Einstein helped ALOT!!!


----------



## dvczerfs

has anyone driven int95 south from the northeast lately? any major construction?


----------



## Amyz00

I would love to know if anyone has driven I-10 lately.  We will be hitting it soon and was curious if there are any bad spots - road construction, detours, etc.  Though we have a navigation system, it does not update automatically - it's a pre-programmed disk.


----------



## Hmbldr

dvczerfs said:


> has anyone driven int95 south from the northeast lately? any major construction?



Drove down (non- 95) and drove back (all 95) in April.  Some construction in Jacksonville area, but not bad.  Getting around NYC was rough, but you won't have that, lucky you.  We left 6 p.m. Saturday eve and drove thru the night, so traffic wasn't really an issue.  If you're AAA, I would definately check into that and their travel/construction reports.


----------



## dvczerfs

Hmbldr said:


> Drove down (non- 95) and drove back (all 95) in April.  Some construction in Jacksonville area, but not bad.  Getting around NYC was rough, but you won't have that, lucky you.  We left 6 p.m. Saturday eve and drove thru the night, so traffic wasn't really an issue.  If you're AAA, I would definately check into that and their travel/construction reports.


thanks, that jacksonville construction has been on going for 30 years. the only place we ever seem to have a problem is 15 miles from home on 78. the good old leigh valley, the parking lot of the east!!thanks again!


----------



## thundrmtn

You guys are making our upcoming drive sound not so bad!    We have a 12 hour drive ahead of us.  We just couldn't pay the obscene airfare.  We won't have the kids with us on this trip so it shouldn't be too bad and it will give DH some quality time together.  We plan on leaving in the wee hours of the morning and driving straight through.


----------



## southernqueen

I can't remember if I posted to this thread or not, but we will be driving from Houston in a week or so. It will take us about 15 hours I think.


----------



## dvczerfs

thundrmtn said:


> You guys are making our upcoming drive sound not so bad!    We have a 12 hour drive ahead of us.  We just couldn't pay the obscene airfare.  We won't have the kids with us on this trip so it shouldn't be too bad and it will give DH some quality time together.  We plan on leaving in the wee hours of the morning and driving straight through.


 thats the only way to do it. we drive straight through on the way home. we leave old key west res at 3:30am and pull into our driveway at 7:30pm. it sounds long but its not bad. we even have friends of ours (the people who would never drive) following us again this year. its funny she does all the driving and she stays about 1 foot off my rear bumper all the way down and all the way home. have fun and be safe.


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## mindyd

We are leaving in 7 days and driving it will be about 16 1/2 hours we are coming from New Castle, PA.


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## wifey1220

We are driving from Pgh.  First time to drive .  We will leave Fridday Sept 12 and drive to N Carolina, stay w/ friends and then leave for disney early Sunday Sept 14th.


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## my3sons77

We live right outside of Charlotte, NC and drive there every time we go. We try to leave early to make it past Jacksonvilles rush hour traffic! LOL


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## Mickey'sApprentice

thundrmtn said:


> You guys are making our upcoming drive sound not so bad!    We have a 12 hour drive ahead of us.  We just couldn't pay the obscene airfare.  We won't have the kids with us on this trip so it shouldn't be too bad and it will give DH some quality time together.  We plan on leaving in the wee hours of the morning and driving straight through.



Be careful driving through Jasper! There are more car accidents per capita in Jasper, Alabama than anywhere else in the state.  Its seems that a lot of drivers like to switch over 4 lanes of traffic to be right in front of your car, and then slam on their brakes and come to a complete stop.

In other news Corridor X (I22) is almost complete.


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## Promomx2

Okay question about Jacksonville. coming down end of June.  DH is convinced that we must take the bypass around the city, he says it saves time and trouble.  So does it?


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## wifey1220

my3sons77 said:


> We live right outside of Charlotte, NC and drive there every time we go. We try to leave early to make it past Jacksonvilles rush hour traffic! LOL



How long is the drive from charlotte to disney?  We will be leaving Fort Braggs and going to Disney On a Sunday Sept 14th in the morning.  Just wondering how early we should leave.


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## hobbester

wifey1220 said:


> How long is the drive from charlotte to disney?  We will be leaving Fort Braggs and going to Disney On a Sunday Sept 14th in the morning.  Just wondering how early we should leave.




Not sure about Charlotte, but I live 20 mins from Raleigh and it takes us 9 hours, that is only making one stop - for gas.


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## eversole

We are dring from Kent Island , MD. I figure it will take us about 14-15 hrs including potty breaks and a quick lunch. 95 here we come!


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## davids68girl

We'll be driving from OK to FL with a stop in MS to see family. The only time we have flown was when we lived in AZ. If we are within 20 hours....we're driving. We're a family of six so the cost of airfare is really prohibitive and we have family we can stay with at the 1/2 way mark which makes it even more economical for us to drive.


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## dvczerfs

Promomx2 said:


> Okay question about Jacksonville. coming down end of June.  DH is convinced that we must take the bypass around the city, he says it saves time and trouble.  So does it?


we only used that bypass once. it takes you way out of the way. we never had a problem going through jacksonville (knock on wood) but we never hit it at rush hours. if you get there and its not rush hour, go for it!! we do the same in richmond, we go through int95, so far so good.


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## skyman8963

we drove from Columbus, Ohio  a couple of years ago and we are doing it again in Sept. Took us about 15 hours, but since we left at 3 am the kids were sleeping most of the time. I have found that a large cooler with little milks and juice boxes goes along way on these trips.


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## eyor44

We always drive. We live in MS and it only takes 10-11 hours if traffic is good. Coming back we always spend most of the last day at the park, drive three hours and stop for the night. The home the next day. Kind of easing out of Disney. No way I could leave there first thing in the morning.


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## debpritch

I am a former airline employee and this will be the first trip we are driving. There will be 2 adults and DD15 and DD6.  We hope to leave late at night and drive most of the night, possibly stopping and a night at hotel on Saturday at dinnertime.  Any suggestions?


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## Donald's Fan in PHX!

lol, yeah right, driving would cost a fortune & would take up too many days of my DW vacation....DL on the other hand, sure, why not


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## BoomNLeon

We always drive, too - we live 40 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, SC. I have the trip down to 7 hours and 40 minutes in moderate conditions. I have done it in 7 hours and 10 minutes and as long as 8 and a half. Nothing can keep us from our mission:WDW!

We are two adults and we plug in the portable DVD player and stop at Hardee's on the trip. 3 to 4 movies later, we are with the Mouse. 

Driving gives you so much more flexibility than flying - there are no time tables to catch a flight. And sometimes we will decide to stay later on the day we come home, so this affords us that ability.


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## Grammie3

BoomNLeon said:


> We always drive, too - we live 40 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, SC. I have the trip down to 7 hours and 40 minutes in moderate conditions. I have done it in 7 hours and 10 minutes and as long as 8 and a half. Nothing can keep us from our mission:WDW!
> 
> Just curious-Do you take I-95 to Daytona? What road do you take over to WDW? You really make great time getting there. The best we can do from Augusta is about 8 hours. Of course we have to get to I-95 by the back highways no interstate crossing from here to there. Best time from here to I-95 is about 2 hours by way of going through the Savannah River Plant in SC to I-95 at the state lines.
> 
> I am with you about the drive home, have left WDW as late as possible too!
> 
> Grammie3


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## BoomNLeon

Grammie3 said:


> BoomNLeon said:
> 
> 
> 
> We always drive, too - we live 40 minutes south of Myrtle Beach, SC. I have the trip down to 7 hours and 40 minutes in moderate conditions. I have done it in 7 hours and 10 minutes and as long as 8 and a half. Nothing can keep us from our mission:WDW!
> 
> Just curious-Do you take I-95 to Daytona? What road do you take over to WDW? You really make great time getting there. The best we can do from Augusta is about 8 hours. Of course we have to get to I-95 by the back highways no interstate crossing from here to there. Best time from here to I-95 is about 2 hours by way of going through the Savannah River Plant in SC to I-95 at the state lines.
> 
> I am with you about the drive home, have left WDW as late as possible too!
> 
> Grammie3
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We take 17S through Charleston, SC and then it merges onto I95 S just north of Savannah. Then we I95 S to Jacksonville and then cut over to 295 S to circle JAX, then back on 95 S to I4. Now, I will admit that there are many times that I exceed the speed limit, but not too bad. We follow the flow of traffic. Another thing that helps our time, I believe is when we leave. We are notorious for late night and early morning drives. And we usually only stop twice for bathroom breaks and grab something quick to eat which we eat and drive.
Click to expand...


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## amandamousebeat

We used to drive from Colorado once every couple of years and would get there if we drove straight through in about a day (28 hours). Now we live down the street... it is a much shorter drive


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## FIGMENT1

I've been driving down from Ct. for the last 8 years.Last trip in Dec.flew for the first time in a long time.July 08 trip I'll be driving again.Whew!


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## abish19

It's good to know I'm not the only one who prefers driving.  Although gas prices are through the roof, I enjoy driving and the extra time we can spend together (not that it's all sunshine and roses, but at least I'm not in a plane with other people giving me dirty looks!).  There are pros and cons to each, but for us and with the size of our family, driving is still more economical.

For those who drive overnight:  Do you find it's hard to function the next day?  Are you able to sleep in the car or do you rely on caffeine to keep you going?   We're considering trying it on our next trip.


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## daleswife

We drive down almost every time we go.  From WV.  This time, My whole family is going so we decided to fly.  First time on an airplane for me and most of my fam.  Three members of the fam aren't flying, they are driving.  One is my Husband!!!!  He says someone has to be here to plan the funerals!!!  what a weenie!!!


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## disneyfan55

abish19 said:


> It's good to know I'm not the only one who prefers driving.  Although gas prices are through the roof, I enjoy driving and the extra time we can spend together (not that it's all sunshine and roses, but at least I'm not in a plane with other people giving me dirty looks!).  There are pros and cons to each, but for us and with the size of our family, driving is still more economical.
> 
> For those who drive overnight:  Do you find it's hard to function the next day?  Are you able to sleep in the car or do you rely on caffeine to keep you going?   We're considering trying it on our next trip.



We always used to do this before I got hurt and can't sit for any long stretches.  We really didn't have any problems the next day, in fact one time I actually arrived at 3:17 am, we rested until 7 and took the bus over to the MK.  We had APs and we were ready to go!  Our drive is about 1100 mies if that helps.  We did this from the time our children were infants as well.  Never an issue.


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## vleeth

We always drive.  It's only about 11-12 hrs from Louisiana.  My DH is from Ohio which is about a 15 hr drive to see his family.  We go there about twice a year so for us Disney is a short drive.  We always drive overnight, makes for such a better trip with DD 3.

What we decided to do for our next trip is arrive around park opening for a park that has EMH at night.  That way we can beat the crowds in the morning, go until we're tired and then head to the rooms, nap and still be able to go back that night.


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## Cinderaven

We drive from Green Bay Wi.  It takes about 26hrs. including a 2-3 hr. nap in southern Georgia.  Makes for a long day.


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## Smileybug

Wow, some of you have some serious driving to do to get to Disney.  Our trip only takes 6 to 6 1/2 hours.


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## FIGMENT1

July trip will be leaving around 2am.Plan on making it to Jacksonville by 7pm.Visit St.Augustine.Sleep over then on to Disney.


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## rluey29

We drove straight through last trip about three weeks ago, took mapquest said 14 hours took us about 15 1/2 with stops for food.  On the way back we stayed overnight half way.(Never in a hurry to get home)


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## Pikester

FIGMENT1 said:


> July trip will be leaving around 2am.Plan on making it to Jacksonville by 7pm.Visit St.Augustine.Sleep over then on to Disney.


 
Are you going to check out the lighthouse?


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## I<3EvilQueen

My friends and I have always driven when we go down as it is just about 6 hours from Atlanta.

Timing wise it works out to be about the same if you fly when you factor in the time getting to the airport and waiting around for your flight and taking Magical Express, but this way we have a car to drive to the Parks and even to things outside WDW.


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## jimmytammy

Our first 3-4 trips, we flew.  Then friends told us how they drive, route and times and such, so we decided if we were going to continue returning, we would start driving.  Been doing it since from NC.  Takes about 10-11 hrs.


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## FIGMENT1

Pikester said:


> Are you going to check out the lighthouse?



Don,t know too much about that. Won't really be in SA but for that night and probably a couple hours into Sun to go to the Disney outlet store. Enlighten me on the lighthoue.


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## RooFan

We're a little closer - Birmingham, Alabama.  We always drive.  Last time I drove down in one day and back in one day.  It's hard on me (I'm a single mom) but it's much cheaper for us than flying.  I also like having my own car and free to pack without being charged by the airlines for every little thing as well as not worrying about how to get the souvenirs back home on the plane.


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## hhwhittington

we are taking our first trip in 3 weeks and will be driving from new albany, ms with 6 kids. nice to see a fellow mississippian on here.


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## Pikester

FIGMENT1 said:


> Don,t know too much about that. Won't really be in SA but for that night and probably a couple hours into Sun to go to the Disney outlet store. Enlighten me on the lighthoue.


 
The St. Augustine lighthouse has been featured twice on Ghost Hunters and they consider the place haunted.  They have camera footage(sp?) of a "figure" leaning over the railing of the spiral staircase above them and when they quickly run up to see if anyone is there they can't find any one. There is no place to hide or any way out of the building from that area.

Some of those who talk about GH on this link http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1825653 would love to go to that lighthouse!


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## dizzi

We used to drive from Virginia.
Took around 13 hours.

NOW IT TAKES US 3 and that is stopping once on the turnpike just to potty.       

BUT when we did leave from the North we would leave at around  8pm just in time for what used to be our LITTLE ONES to be ready to go to sleep!!!They would do a few activities in the car and then they would get comfy and go to sleep.
Then they would sleep until it was just a bit passed daylight!
So we would be almost to the Florida Line.

Usually we would call ahed to a Cracker Barrel that was in georgia and order food to go and we would swing in and pick it up and smell it for about 15 minutes and then stop at the FLORIDA Rest area, the one right as yougo in Florida and we would eat and strecth and potty and the kids would playa bit we wold spend about an hour or so there and then we only had about 3 hours to deal with them in the car awake.

i always had activities planned out for them when they were younger, as they got older they had their game systems and then WOW MOVIES IN THE CAR!!!!! ( WHAT DID WE EVER DO WITHOUT THAT!)


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## rhpaw

I want to make an expedition to the Fort in my volkwagen campervan, but given that mapquest says it will be 18 hours.. I have to imagine with my SPEED...
.....should be about 8 days. (to get there)
Maybe I should take the month of september off to vacation and have the kids fly out so they don't kill themselves enroute.


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