Driving to WDW from PA?

[Horizon93]

DW has come up with the idea that it might be fun to drive to WDW from the Philly area next summer. We are planning on a 12 day trip to Animal Kingdom Villas, our new home!

Has anyone here done this? We are thinking that we might save a little bit of money, see the east coast, be able to pack a few extra items such as some food for our stay, and have a bit of an adventure. We are thinking of staying over one night in the middle of the drive each way.

Pros and cons?

[wdwfansince75]

Been there. Done that. Have the scars! Lived in MD for years, and drove down from there....also lived in Lansdale, PA for a few years...drove down from there. My kids were (are!) great travelers, so the drive wasn't maddening, but if you want to see the east coast, you won't do it from I-95.....approximately 1000 miles of pavement, tire debris, and South of the Border signs....Hint #1....Don't stop there!

If you (and your family) don't mind driving, except for the DC area, it is not a bad drive. Once south of Richmond, you have little city traffic before you reach Jacksonville, FL.

From PA, we usually made it to GA, or even FL without a great deal of trouble, and were at Disney by noon the next day. From MD, we always made it to FL. Never did the trip in a single day, until we moved to SC.....That was not the reason for the move, but it does add value to the move.

There is another thread about the same as yours.....one of the responses talks about construction in Deleware. For about 4 years, I was a weekend commuter, living in the Lansdale area, and working in DC....was on the road to DC by 4:30 every Monday, and back home by 8 every Friday. Sometimes used 202 to 1 to Md line, then cross country to 85. Once the Blue Route was opened, that was the way to go, but always hated the toll gates in Deleware....seems they really back up the traffic.....Causes me to think.....How about this a solution to illegal immigration....let's put the Deleware authorities in charge of the borders! No one will get through!

[madhatterrules]

:stop:

I also have been there done that many times in the 70's & 80's from Lancaster, PA. That trip was always a drag!!
Boring, boring, boring. Hot & miserable. Kids fighting...never again
Also with the price of gas I would not drive.
The flight is 2 hours and you are there:mickey:

[Minniemouse27]

We live just north of Philly and have never even considered driving. I'd rather drop $800 for the four of us to fly back and forth in a couple of hours than sit in a car for two days!

Plus, this way I get to spend more time w/ Mickey!:mickey:

[kakn7294]

We've driven several times from Pittsburgh to WDW and don't mind it but flying is much easier. For us, it's 16 hrs of actual driving time and we prefer to leave at dinner time, drive overnight and arrive about 12n the next day, only stopping for potty breaks and food. There are several things you need to consider to see if it's more cost effective to fly or drive.

Driving:
1 - price of gas and gas mileage of your vehicle
2 - cost of overnight accomodations
3 - cost of food on the road, including snacks for in the car
4 - time involved to drive

Flying:
1 - price of airline tickets
2 - cost of parking at airport / cost of transportation to airport
3 - cost of any meals at the airport
4 - time involved in flying, including travel time to get to airport

Don't forget to calculate it for 2 way travel costs. For us, we figured that it would cost about $175 more to fly but save us 26 hrs in travel time. We felt that it was worth it for us to fly in this case.

[wedway fan]

We live just north of Philly and have never even considered driving. I'd rather drop $800 for the four of us to fly back and forth in a couple of hours than sit in a car for two days!

Plus, this way I get to spend more time w/ Mickey!:mickey:

just the opposite for us. the drive for us is part of the trip. now, our kids are great travelers, but they've always been because we drive everywhere and they're used to it. while I-95 isn't much, there's still much to be had from time together playing car games, breaks for picnic lunches at rest stops, and watching for those omnipresent south-of-the-border signs.

here's our plan for next spring- leave late morning, stop just past DC at a rest stop for lunch, stop in NC for dinner, stop for the night near the GA/SC border. then it's about 4-5 hours left in the morning, rolling into the magic just after lunch.

just two of the other benefits to driving are having a car available (a full-size one, at that) to get around, and the space available to bring down lots of food items to last the week.

[Minniemouse27]

We do lots of car trips... just not all the way down to FL.

Philly to Long Island (~3hrs each way)
Philly to Cape Hatteras (~10-12hrs each way)
Philly to Snowshoe, WV (~8-10hrs each way)

We just don't do multiple day trips in the car. At 6yo and 2yo, both kids do pretty well on road trips too!

We don't need a car down in WDW and again... I get to spend more time w/ Mickey! :mickey:

[crazeedizneefinatic]

We have also drove to WDW a few times. I don't like being cooped up in a car for so long. We would spend overnight somewhere and the dread of getting back into the car was terrible. Also after vacation was over we knew we had to d-r-i-v-e all the way back to Pittsburgh. It also cut into how many days we had. It is actually cheaper for us to fly now with the gas prices way out of line. $49 each was for the 3 of us. I know we could not even come close to that driving.

If you like to drive I can imagine it would be a nice trip. Everyone should try it once.

[DizNee143]

i live in central Jersey..and i did the drive for the first time last year...and it wasnt as bad at i thought it would be...we drove straight thru..or should i say my fiance drove straight through..(he wouldnt let me drive his new truck) with stopping to use the bathroom and grabbing something to eat 2 or 3 times...and one stop for him to sleep for 2 hours..we made it there in 19 hours...17 hours if you dont count the nap...it was fun and we are doing it again in Nov!! it does get a bit boring...but right now for some reason the week we are goin to Disney the prices for plane tickets are crazy!! i check every day..but still the cheapest for the 2 of us together is $895...driving just seem smarter this time around!!
i liked driving down and i enjoyed it...i personally wouldnt make stops..i would just go straight through...but give it a shot..you wont really know what its like until you do it...then you can decide if you ever wanna do it again!!! :mickey:

[Horizon93]

Thanks for the replies! I am now leaning toward flying. I welcome more opinions and will definitely share this thread with DW.

[cjb121879]

If you are in the Philly area, I assume you would be using PHL airport. When it gets closer to the date of your trip, take a look at the websites for the low cost carriers which are present at PHL (which include Airtran and Southwest).

I know that I have been able to get fares for $49 each way twice this summer to Orlando, so I don't think you'll have a problem. I can't imagine that you can drive for much cheaper than that! Good luck with your planning!

[prprincess]

As a child, it was the only way my family would go. But only because the trips were always with my extended family members, and the more drivers, the easier it was to share the driving responsibilities...someone was always driving around the clock, so we got there fairly quickly.

But now that I'm an adult, hubby and I absolutely hate driving, and so when we did drive down the one time, we fought the whole time. Plus, I agree with alot of the above posters--there's nothing to see. You also have to time your trips around missing DC's morning AND afternoon rush hours, and for some reason, driving through North and South Carolina felt like an eternity to us.

But try it--I know several people who love it and do it several times a year. You just never know!

[Red Randal]

If you are in the Philly area, I assume you would be using PHL airport. When it gets closer to the date of your trip, take a look at the websites for the low cost carriers which are present at PHL (which include Airtran and Southwest).

I know that I have been able to get fares for $49 each way twice this summer to Orlando, so I don't think you'll have a problem. I can't imagine that you can drive for much cheaper than that! Good luck with your planning!

I wouldn't wait too long. I just lost a $49 fare in October dragging my heels booking. Luckily it only went up to $79, but that's still a few souvenirs or a nice meal that are now out of the budget.

You can always try "Ding" from Southwest.com but in almost 2 months of use, I've only seen PHL to MCO once and it wasn't especially cheap.

[wjrhw]

We've driven the last 2 or 3 times and we are going to keep driving. We seem to have bad luck with airlines (canceled flights, extended layovers, etc.).

On our first flight from the time we left our house to the time we got to the hotel it took about 14 hours. This included one layover, waiting for luggage, waiting for buses, etc.

On our last trip we headed west in PA and took 81 to 77 to 26 to 95 and it was a much more pleasant drive than 95 all the way. It was faster as well and we'll be going this way again in about a week and a half. I learned of this route from here on Intercot.

[Tink1]

I wouldn't wait too long. I just lost a $49 fare in October dragging my heels booking. Luckily it only went up to $79, but that's still a few souvenirs or a nice meal that are now out of the budget.

.

Hey Red,

You may want to check the airfare from SWF on AIrtran. I got $59 each way which beat the AVP rates of about $300.

Newburgh is only about an hour and a half shot out I-84 so it is closer than PHL for us.

Nanci

[Red Randal]

Hey Red,

You may want to check the airfare from SWF on AIrtran. I got $59 each way which beat the AVP rates of about $300.

Newburgh is only about an hour and a half shot out I-84 so it is closer than PHL for us.

Nanci

Well, there's no way I'm flying out of Avoca. PHL is a really easy drive and I don't mind going two hours out of my way to save the money.

I have no experience with AirTran, so I'm probably sticking with Southwest. Thanks for the heads up though.

[SteveL]

Ed, we have done this many times. We usually drive straight thru. Depending on traffic it has taken between 14.5 hours and 16 hours.
One thing we always factor in, if flying ,is do we need a car?
When the kids were still kids, that would have meant 5 airfares plus two weeks of car rental.
It was a lot cheaper then to drive.
Of course that was before the days of $49 airfares.
DD, now 26, and I are considering a father-daughter road trip in the fall.

[wdwfansince75]

Ed,
You are close to the Blue Route, so getting past DC should take less than 2 1/2 hrs if you leave early enough....Then, its a long drive, but rarely congested....bypass takes you around Richmond, and the next congestion is Jacksonville. If you and your family are road warriors, it can be pleasant. Enough Cracker Barrels to get decent meals and relaxing breaks....always a Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, or Holiday Inn Express....if you are a frequent traveler, you may even have points to trade in.....
Our kids were always great travelers....We never dreaded the trip when we were driving from the Northeast.....
I have seen families who couldn't drive around the block without disruption, but if driving works for you, it allows you to have the vehicle there for your vacation.....
We've got daughters and grandkids in Western MD and Eastern PA, so we still drive up that way every few months....
As much as we have traveled, we always forget something, or suddenly need something we hadn't planned for....the car saves the day! Walmart for new shoes for DGD (and a Superman T-shirt, but that's another story! Or for water and soda, and detergent....can't believe what they charge for detergent at the Resorts, and how much water and soda the whole family can consume!

And nobody makes me go through the process of airport screening! Plus, as I discovered long ago, Philadelphia is the only major city in the US with no major airport! Back and forth out of Phila to St. Louis and other locations on a weekly basis got me looking for a new job!

[SteveL]

Driving a six cylinder Taurus,we would gas up at Baltimore Pike and Sproul Road, next gas was in Weldon, NC, then Hardeeville SC, and finally somewhere along I-4 near Sanford. We would arrive in WDW with 3/4 of a tank left.

[PAMOUSELOVER]

Leaving in 16 days and drving for the first time. Airfare is too high for us right now, and my hubby hate to fly. Let you know how we make out, when we get back!:blush:

[wdwfansince75]

Personally think you made the right decision. Check I-95 weather and traffic conditions before you leave....stop to fill up (and restrooms and drinks) before reaching any known construction zones. Avoid South of the Border.

Since you are staying at AK Villas, the car will let you shop, and will probably be your best bet for other parks. Enjoy!

[chefmickey3]

We did it from Philly this summer with three children under 6 in an Explorer. We loved it! I find the lack of control I have at an airport traveling with children maddening. We could stop when we wanted to, but we didn't except for gas and food. We are planning to do it again next summer unless we find an amazing airfare. For us, it did save money and with delays in Philly and lost luggage, it was worth it to us to give up the travel time. It is a boring ride but music and DVDs make it better.

[Tink#64]

If you are the kind of people that love road trips - then you made a great decision. If not, then maybe reconsider. We were going to drive our first trip, but figured out we could fly for not much more & be there in 2 hours. Halleluah! DH & I aren't road trip people. The rest of my entire family, DM, DD, DB, etc. all love road trips. When we are going to WDW we want to be able to stay as long as possible & if we drove this would seriously cut into our time.
We drove this summer to Myrtle Beach, SC & it wasn't terrible. We took pix of DS's at the welcome center of each state on the trip!But we all said we've gotten spoiled to hopping on the plane & just being there!Road trips can be great if you're going to take the time to see things along the way, but for us WDW is the destination, and we want to get there as quick as possible!:mickey:

[mrsHerbie53]

We used to only fly from PA to WDW, but our last trip we drove and now we will likely only drive every trip!!

We drive a Suburban and it is still worth it regardless of the fluctuating price of gas. It was convenient and we had much more control. We did borrow a DVD player and plan to buy one before this upcoming trip.

Until you go through the "song and dance" at the airport and throw our half of your toiletries, you might as well pack everything you could possibly need in your personal vehicle.

It isn't for everyone to be sure, but we stop half way so it isn't too great a burden. It does save us $$ in airline costs, rentals, etc.

Don't forget to add in the cost of parking if you are staying offsite.

[Brian]

On our last trip we headed west in PA and took 81 to 77 to 26 to 95 and it was a much more pleasant drive than 95 all the way. It was faster as well and we'll be going this way again in about a week and a half. I learned of this route from here on Intercot.

I think I may have mentioned this route here on Intercot a while back. I learned about it from a Disney fanatic who runs a local tuxedo shop. The route is excellent. We were able to use cruise control most of the way due to encountering MUCH LESS traffic than on 95.

To the original poster in this thread... I noticed that you're in Philly, so making it over to 81 may not be as convenient for you. (We live near 81.) Play with Google Maps and see if they can recommend this route for you. You can drag the route around on the map and see alternate routes. This route actually adds about 20 - 30 miles to the trip, but takes less time due to less traffic.

I enjoy driving and we're considering driving again on our next trip. My only recommendation... If one person is doing all of the driving, spend the night somewhere and split the trip in two segments. I made the mistake of trying to drive straight through the last time. That's one mistake I'll never make again.

[Red Randal]

That's assuming you don't mind the potholes through PA on 81. :)

[pwdebbie]

Brian, we too will be taking the 81-77-26-95 route from PA (south central). This is a first trip for us and dh refuses to even consider flying, so we are driving. Now, my question: I have heard that you don't have to take I-4, that there is an alternative route. AAA could not map a different route for me and I can't find anything on any online maps. But I was told that the road is new and may not be on maps yet. What do you know about this?

Also, how far do you travel the first day? I'm wondering what our goal should be and where we might want to look for a room. I am not making any reservations so that we aren't locked into where we stop for the night. We would be leaving Sunday after church, so getting on the road about 1:00 p.m.

Any tips you want to give me are more than welcome!

Deb

[NJRRK]

The route you are referring to I thnk is FL417.

This is not a "new" route as we used it from Sanford to WDW in 1996!

if the mapmakers are that far behind uh-oh!

[mickeefan]

We drove it for years and then around 4 years ago decided to try flying. Our experience with flying was not pleasant at all so we went back to driving even with the additional time associated with driving.
My only comment is avoid the DC beltway around rush hour. I drive it every day and it can be very frustrating.

[PAMOUSELOVER]

We leave in one week!:cloud9:
Will be back around the 4th, and let you know how we made out!

[pwdebbie]

I just got a map in Florida promo book that shows two routes to take instead of I-4 through Orlando.

The first is toll road 429 -- you have to get off I-4 on the north side of Orlando and take a connecting road over to 429.

The other is to stay on I-95 until you reach toll road 419 and then you take that over to Disney.

Has anybody taken these routes?

Thanks
Deb

[PAMOUSELOVER]

Leaving in two days!

[wdwfansince75]

Have a wonderful trip!
Looks like about 40 % chance of rain along 95 on Saturday and Sunday. See www.weather.com/activities/driving/interstate/ (http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/interstate/)

Might also check out
i95exitguide.com for current construction and other info....gives info on motels, gas, and food along the way.

Personally haven't been on DC beltway in about 6 months....recommend you bear west on DC Beltway (I-495....head towards Silver Springs) over Cabin John ("American Legion") bridge, rather than Woodrow Wilson bridge....WW is very slightly shorter, but there is construction on and near bridge.

[PAMOUSELOVER]

Hi :mickey:
We are back. The drive was not bad at all.:thumbsup:
Did not hit any traffic till around N.C.
Any ?'s pm me, or post here!

[King Triton]

Its not a bad idea and I thought about it for our 12 days or so this summer, but:

- Despite rising fuel costs (which of course makes your auto trip cost more), there were ridiculously cheap airfares to Orlando from PHL this summer ($49 each way, with plenty of flights)

- Car rental prices in MCO, if you need one, were also cheap. I rented a nice midsize SUV for 10 days for just under $200...and that includes the fees, etc. That works out to less than $20 a day (that was Alamo with a BJ's discount)

- Of course, if you don't need the car once you're there, you can get free transport from Magical Express.

- Finally, and most importantly, driving takes anywhere from 2-4 days total off of your trip...that to me is time spent at WDW!

[princessM0m]

I live outside of DC and everything people are saying about the traffic here is TRUE. I prefer to fly, but if you are up for the road trip here are a couple of suggestions:
The Super 8 at exit 95 (Smithfield) in North Carolina is nice and has an indoor pool and breakfast and the price is very decent.
If you are looking for sites to see most of the easily accessible ones are anywhere from 30 - 90 minutes off of 95. For example, Mount Vernon is not too far off the beaten track. Savannah and Charleston are farther, but you can check on a map to see if you are willing to go that distance out of your way.
South of the Border, depending on your point of view, can be horrible or comically cheesy. The nice thing is that there are a few snack places if you need to make a stop to re-energize.
Generally the rest stops south of DC are nice enough to stop and get out of the car for a little while. The children can toss around a ball or otherwise blow off some steam.
And lastly, 3 words: portable DVD player
Whatever you decide, it will be an adventure.

[mudpuppysmom]

Growing up driving was the only way my parents could transport us to Florida, so we all piled in and away we went......did we love it, no, but we are all still alive. When my dad drove I would (try to) sleep -- when I drove (since the truck was a manual transmission and mom did not drive that) dad would sleep. I don't enjoy hiway driving so I was pretty bored the entire time I drove. Dad didn't mind, so he drove more than I did. Again, we all lived, but we didn't like driving.

Now that I have a job and can pay my own way and make my own decisions I take my DS and off we fly. Would I take a five year old in the car for 16 hours? Sure, but as someone else said driving takes 3-4 days off your trip. Minus 3-4 days vs flying 2 hours.......hmmmmm I'll take the flight any day!!

SW makes flying a real no brainer......with the fares they have out of Philly and Pittsburgh I feel that it is the most efficient use of time and money to fly.

Sure we rent a car when we get there, so that adds to our expense, but honestly.....I'm not falling asleep behind the wheel and I'm not dragging when I get there (driving makes me tired).

I'd fly unless you really are a fan of road trips.

And again......portable DVD player!! Whether you fly or drive, is an asset!

[pwdebbie]

I've been waiting for you to get back. We leave in 23 days and are planning to go 81-77-26-95-4 at this time. How was your trip? I want the details!

For those who say they would never drive, only fly -- well, if I wait for dh to be willing to fly, then I'll never get there. 3-4 days on the road in order to have 7 days in the World beats 0 days in the World hands down!

Deb in PA (near Gettysburg)

[PAMOUSELOVER]

Hi Deb,

We left on Saturday August the 25th.
Returned early on Monday Sept.3
We are very close to the Delaware state line, so we drove I-95 all the way down to Fla. and then onto I-4. We left at 4am,and if you take away all the stops we made, it was about 14 hours. We stop for gas, bathroom and lunch and dinner on the way down. We also stopped at south of the border. Which was a waste of time. We did not see many cars on the road till V.A. Which we reached at around 8am.
VA. and S.C had the cheapest gas.
In total we spent $340.00 in gas round trip.
We have a 4 door SUV.
Every single state along I-95 had some type of construction going on. Georgia was the worst.
It seem like once we hit S.C it took forever to hit Fla.Every state before then, came so quick. Believe it or not you get use to being in the car. It want a lot quicker and easier then I thought. My children are also 13 and 11, so they did puzzle books, watched DVD's or listen to music.Not one of us want back to sleep on the way to WDW.
We did hit a bad storm on I-4, of course I-4 is only two lines now due to construction. There was no where to pull over, and that was scary.
We drove to Lake Mary Fla. which is about 25 mins from WDW. We stayed at a La Quinta hotel. Cost of $69.00.
I must say someone recommend them I believe on here, and I would stay at a La Quinta anywhere again. The room was neat and clean and a nice size. The breakfast in the morning was out of this world.
We saw many cars from the east coast in the parking lot of CBR, even ALASKA! No kidding!
We left on Sunday Sept. 2nd, check out of CBR and drove the car to MGM. We wanted to do RNR one more time and TOT.
We left around 12 noon.
We filled up on site at the Hess station, as it was cheaper there then anywhere else near WDW at $2.59 a gallon. We drove to Myrtle Beach S.C. We arrived there at a little after 8pm. We would have been their sooner but we hit the rain in GA. We also stopped a lot on the way.

It took us longer to get home as we left on labor day and getting out of Myrtle Beach on Labor Day is no fun. We had planned to stay till Tuesday, but my Mom was dog sitting and does not drive any longer and ran out of dog food! :confused: She over feed them I am sure.
So we had to come home a day earlier then planned. :(
We meant a family from NY staying at our resort that was to fly out on Sat same day we left. They did not get there till Sunday night.
They over heard us say to a CM that we drove from Pa. and they asked us how we liked it.
Here they were meeting family from Maine and they left on Sunady and got there before them
We ate chatted a bit will eating breakfast and then on the bus a different night. They plan on driving next time now. They begged us to take them home. We traded email addy's to keep in touch.


I really like the idea of being able to take anything you want and need driving.
I took a case of waters juice boxes, you name it. I am in the same boat as you, DH does not like to fly.
I am hoping to be able to take a spring trip back down to Universal and sea world and hit the beach. I will look at air fare prices, but I tell you we will most likely drive again!



I've been waiting for you to get back. We leave in 23 days and are planning to go 81-77-26-95-4 at this time. How was your trip? I want the details!

For those who say they would never drive, only fly -- well, if I wait for dh to be willing to fly, then I'll never get there. 3-4 days on the road in order to have 7 days in the World beats 0 days in the World hands down!

Deb in PA (near Gettysburg)

[pwdebbie]

Thanks for the details, pamouselover. Sounds like, all-in-all, you had a good trip. I know we will have to spend at least one night on the road on the way down -- dh is a pastor, so we won't leave until after church Sunday, 9/30. He is missing the following Sunday as we are not scheduled to leave DW until 10/10 -- this is the first time (except when he was in a hospital bed) that he has missed a Sunday service.

Deb

[PirateLover]

i live in central Jersey..and i did the drive for the first time last year...and it wasnt as bad at i thought it would be...we drove straight thru..
Glad to hear. We are thinking about doing this ourselves, straight through as well. We will have 4 people and may or may not switch off.


Leaving in 16 days and drving for the first time. Airfare is too high for us right now, and my hubby hate to fly. Let you know how we make out, when we get back!:blush:
Same! We just started considering the possibility of a last minute Dec. trip and fares are outrageous! We did Southwest in may with the $49 one way fares but they seem to be unavailable now for our dates. The cheapest flights are lay overs, and my bf hates flying enough as it is, he refuses to do lay overs. We have a great GPS system that locates gas/food/rest stops etc. So right now, we are planning on driving but will keep looking for cheap airfare. If something pops up, we'll grab it. If not...we drive!

[PAMOUSELOVER]

Pm me if you do drive!
We left at 4am to get past DC.


Glad to hear. We are thinking about doing this ourselves, straight through as well. We will have 4 people and may or may not switch off.


Same! We just started considering the possibility of a last minute Dec. trip and fares are outrageous! We did Southwest in may with the $49 one way fares but they seem to be unavailable now for our dates. The cheapest flights are lay overs, and my bf hates flying enough as it is, he refuses to do lay overs. We have a great GPS system that locates gas/food/rest stops etc. So right now, we are planning on driving but will keep looking for cheap airfare. If something pops up, we'll grab it. If not...we drive!