For those that drive to WDW...

[bibbidiboo3]

What essentials do you pack for the drive? We'll be taking 3 DD's (7, 5 and 4) and will plan on snacks, drinks, games, CD's, etc. I'm trying to think of what else I might need on the road for the 18ish hour ride. :confused: What do you make sure to bring? What have you forgotten?
Thanks for your help!

[cmsizzlin]

We have driven the last 2 yrs from Chicago and are driving down again in August w/my 7 & 8 yr old neices and 1-1/2 old nephew. My van has the DVD player so they will watch alot of Disney movies and I bought some childrens books on CD for them to listen to as well. I let the girls each pack their own back pack w/their favorite things to do such as Nintendo DS w/games, books and I buy the crayola markers and special paper for them to draw. We leave around 9:00 at night so they will sleep (hopefully) til morning. Also we have the childrens card games, old maid, go fish and as for the little guy we make sure we have his favorite toys and he likes to watch movies so we are hoping he will be content.

We also bring a cooler w/drinks/water and snacks.

When are you going down

[Itchy]

Other than previously stated.:thumbsup:

The best suggestion I can provide having driven straight thru numerous times, is make frequent rest stops an stretch your legs. Other than across Kentucky and Tennessee rest area are about 60 or so miles apart. I would usually stop at ever other one. Those were on I-64, I-57, I-24, I-75.

Have a great trip:mickey:

99 day till Disney:cloud9:

[Soph and Han's Mom]

I usually pack a secret bag for my 2 girls. Go to Target and pick up little 'doo-dads' for them to get excited about...magazines, playing cards, fresh new notebooks with a new set of pens...things like that. Whenever they seem to get bored or start to get restless I whip something out of the secret bag and they're busy again, at least for a while!

Sometimes I'll buy a new movie for the trusty dvd player. Those are the big guns tho...save that for a last resort! Ha!

[elmjimmlm]

We take new movies that they have never seen and I have also recorded Hannah Montana and other Disney Channnel shows on DVD like the are watching at home with commericals and everything...We also have to have their DS, PSP and IPod... We try to buy them a new game before we go and maybe download a new game or two on the IPod...

[kakn7294]

My DDs are a little older. They pack their MP3 players, Nintendo DSs, cell phones, books, a small pillow and blanket, and a favorite stuffed animal or two. I pack the DVD player and DVDs and a few snacks. We like to drive at night so they sleep a lot. When they were younger, the MP3 players were CD players, they didn't have cell phones, and the books included coloring books and crayons.

[rubato]

What has always helped us is a soccer ball. We stop at rest stops and kick the ball around enough to expel some energy and stretch our legs out. :soccer2:

[Mousemates]

From one road warrior (we have driven straight through from Knoxville, Tennessee to Burley Idaho, Grand Junction Colorado, Mt. Rushmore and Santa Fe) to another...I would strongly suggest leaving out from Chicago at a time that will have your children sleeping the bulk of the trip down. Driving overnight (if you have the disposition/constitution to do it safely) has the advantage of fewer bathroom breaks, less traffic when going through big cities (like the eternal construction project known as Atlanta), and a bit more leeway on speed on the interstate (thou I would watch the speed limits very closely near Macon and Valdosta Ga).

As for what to bring...if you have a laptop or portable/car DVD player...grab a couple of the classic disney cartoon discs...and let em watch...a great way to pass the time.

We also play a whole series of weird alphabet, memory and disney based 20 question games that we have made up over the years...

the combination of quiet overnight and family fun keep the drives happy....I commend you on your decison to load up and make the drive...the time spent together without any outside interference can be a great family builder.

[cmsizzlin]

Mousemates - I totally agree leaving Chicago at night so that they sleep plus Illinois and Indiana are really boring states to drive through. We leave anywhere between 9 or 10 pm. I am so looking forward to our trip only 96 days to go.


Hey Bibbiddiboo3 what part of Chicago are you from. We are from Schaumburg Area

[MicMouse]

Make sure you bring little grocery bags or something for trash. You won't believe the amounts of junk you will find in the back seat on a long ride.......:mickey:

We made the drive from Central IL last summer, and the kids watched movies or played Leapster/DS games mostly, when they weren't napping. I bought the kids each 2 new games, one to open on the way down and one for the way back. I also had a "surprise" bag that we would pick from at each gas fill up (2 each way).

It was a surprising easy drive for us with our 3 kids.

Have a great time!

[bibbidiboo3]

Thanks for the tips.

We have movies for the car, the older two have DS's and color wonder markers are the best invention ever! Love the tips about the extra surprises to give on each leg of the trip - will have to hit the dollar store for sure!
We're thinking of leaving late afternoon or just after dinner so that most of the driving is while they're sleeping :) so we avoid a few "are we there yet?"

cmsizzlin - we're not too far away in Buffalo Grove and we're headed to WDW end of September!

[DisneyPrincess21]

What essentials do you pack for the drive? We'll be taking 3 DD's (7, 5 and 4) and will plan on snacks, drinks, games, CD's, etc. I'm trying to think of what else I might need on the road for the 18ish hour ride. :confused: What do you make sure to bring? What have you forgotten?
Thanks for your help!

A must is a portable dvd player. With either the classic disney movies, Or the disney vacation planning dvd, Or even home movies from wdw. Or you can play disney music in the car, If you play or watch something disney themed it will be sure to keep everyone in happy disney mood and hopefully make the trip go back faster.
Hope you have a magical time! :tink:

[prttynpnk]

We bring a little cooler with water,granola bars, grapes and dr pepper- since gas station prices are so high. I bring about 5 books and music I think my husband will like.

[BrownEyedGrrl]

These are just a few things that came to mind:

~A trash bag. Empty bottles and wrappers crowding around my ankles always makes for an unpleasant ride.

~Personal pillows and/or blankets. When the kids aren't using the blankets (and by blankets, I mean a small throw, not a comforter or anything :)), we fold them and stick them inside the pillow case. Then it makes a nice laptop desk for games or writing, or just a comfier place to rest elbows.

~Portable DVD player or Personal music players. Unless you know for a fact that 10 straight hours of Hannah Montana or the Jonas Bros. will not negatively impact your psyche in any way, I would definitely suggest headphones/earbuds for each of the girls, and either their own music player or a splitter so they can share. We've always taken a personal DVD player with us on long road trips with the kids, but we have wireless headphones that we require them to use if they want to watch a movie. Cause as much as I love Nemo and Simba, I prefer quiet, audio books, conversation, or lower-key adult music on road trips.

~ We currently have all boys, and I haven't traveled long distances with any of my nieces yet, but when my sisters and I were that age, we always took things like small toys, notebooks, coloring books, journals, etc. Those things could keep us quiet and out of each other (and our parents') hair for at least an hour or two at a time.

[divinedi]

All great suggestions and I can't add any more as to what to bring down, we did them all too. The one thing we did do was sit my girls (3 at 10, 8 and 7 at the time) down and explain to them where we were going of course, that it was going to be a very long drive (we did it over 3 days as my parents came with us and didn't want to sit in the car that long, other trips since were only 2 days) and that we understood that they would probably be somewhat bored, but in order for the trip to be pleasant for everyone, they had to be very patient, and help in trying to keep themselves busy when we needed a break etc. They were very excited to go, and seemed to understand and we had a very pleasant trip:thumbsup:.

[wdw_bound]

ziploc gallon size baggies for food waste (stop the car from getting stinky with banana peels, drink containers that aren't 100% empty, etc.). Wet Ones are great for a quick clean. On through the night trips, I also pack a small toiletries bag and some bottled water for teeth brushing - freshening up midway through the drive can really help attitudes and banish grumpies!

Our local educational supply store often has travel versions of all kinds of games - I've had a good time playing some of the classic board and party games while DH cruises us down the highway. wikki sticks are also a lot of fun - kind of like modelling clay but without the mess. Many independent toy stores carry them.

Also, don't forget that the drive home is even longer than the drive their - so hold back some dvds (or buy a couple of new ones at WDW) and maybe a game or two so that there is something new to do on that part of the trip.

Have a great time! :mickey:

[bibbidiboo3]

OK - we're just about 3 weeks from our drive to WDW :cloud9:... couple more questions -
We plan to take 57 through IL to 24 to 75 to 91. That will take us to 4 and onto POR - is that the best way to POR from 91?
Also, about how many tolls will be hit on our way? We have an I-Pass that will work through IL, but what about KY, TN, GA and FL?
Thanks for your help!!!!

[sara114]

As a child, I made many long trips with my parents. The best thing that they brought ( not that it was used often) was a gallon plastic ice cream container with lid. Inside my mother put a towel, wash cloth, and a small roll of toilet paper...She called it the emergency pail. Should one of the kids get sick, we had something that could be used and a lid put on it. It fit nicely under the seat and didn't get in the way. I know nobody likes to think about the bad, but it is a thing that I also pack in my vehicle when I travel.

[Bethis26fan]

You may also want to do a wet wash cloth in a bag or some wet ones incase of spills. Don't forget your camera in the car you can can get some really cute we are on the way to disney pictures.

[MicMouse]

If I remember correctly, on the drive down you will only pay tolls in FL when you are travelling on the Turnpike. It seemed like each toll (maybe 3 or 4?) was a different amount. We took I-65, I-24, I-75 to the Turnpike, then I-4.

If I'm wrong, someone please correct - but I think that was it.

Have a safe trip!

PS - my favorite part of the drive is thru TN - beautiful scenery! :mickey:

[MistressGracey]

We have made the drive from our home in SW Virginia to Orlando many, many times over the years. My DSs always bring their I-Pods, PSPs, Nintendo DSs, books, a few toys (when they were younger), travel pillows, and HEADPHONES so my DH and I don't have to hear beeps and pings for 12 hours. :D

Another thing that works for us is to go to our local library and pick up a couple of books on CD to listen to on the way down. We are all Harry Potter fanatics, so the past couple of years we have taken one of those. Even after reading the books a billion times, it's neat to have it read to you by someone with a cool British accent.:thumbsup:

We also "split" the drive now, with an overnight stop on the way down, and one on the way back. This makes the drive more bearable, and we arrive at WDW more rested and relaxed.

Also, we never, EVER pack any snacks or drinks in the car. It's too bulky to have a cooler in the car, IMO, and we use the "snack stops" as an excuse to get out of the car and stretch. The kids have always got a kick out of going into the different stores and being able to choose whatever snack/beverage they fancy at the moment. DH and I are very lenient on food choices when we are on our WDW trip, so the kids like the extra freedom.:thumbsup:

Have a safe and happy trip!

14 days AND COUNTING!!!!!!!

[fanowalt]

Our drive is 21 hours w our DDs 8&12 now,we started driving to FL yearly when they were 2 and 6.A portable DVD player and DVDs are a nice distraction when they get bored.
When we make a rest stop Me and the girls have a coople of "races" to get them some exercise.

[luvmyboys4ever]

We love road trips! DVDs, games, snacks, new treats, singing, talking...etc...love it all! Here are some ideas:
Give each child a neck wrap. We use the squishy beanbag kind. There is nothing worse than a sore neck on a long trip! They give more support than a pillow. That and a thin fleece blanket make for some good sleep.
Put a little extra padding under their bottoms. We use a thin foam...eggcrate cut from a mattress topper. I covered the padding with material and a handle, so they can use them to sit on rest area benches.
I have boys, so I buy pee jugs for each of them. It sounds gross, but it saved them from many an accident...lol. You might want to go to a medical supply store. They might have something like that for girls.
We start out with PJs and change to regular clothes in the daylight. If you plan on doing this, make sure the clothes are easy to get to. When the boys were smaller, I would put their outfits in gallon sized Ziploc baggies, and put them in the "Mom Tote".
Have a "Mom Tote"! I have one that keeps everything in one place. Some of the things in it are: travel binder, wipes, tissues, toilet seat covers, garbage bags(Hefty makes small travel packs), puzzle books, pens, little treats, small first aid kit, stain stick(a must have), surprise DVDs...etc. It just makes getting to those little things easier.
One big thing...all in one, throw away toothbrushes!
We just try to make the trip as comfortable as possible. It must be working, because the kids never want to stop. We actually have to make them get out and stretch...lol!

[barnaby]

Some good stuff already posted.

One game we play is the alphabet game - do the alphabet using the first letter on signs.
Also, my wife bought a state license plate book to track the number of state plates you see while driving.