Driving vs Flying from PA

[AirlineGuy07]

I'm trying to figure out in May whether it would be cheaper to drive vs fly. Do any of you intercot fans drive from PA to Disney? If so how much does it cost you with gas, meals and hotel. I am figuring stopping one night down and back at a hotel because I dont think I could drive it in one day especially with a 2 and 5 yr old. Plus I can't sit that long. With the cost of flying plus we like the freedom of having a car there so we would have to rent one for 9 days it may be pretty costly to drive.

[disneydad153]

I Drive from southern NJ with 2 kids every year. The trip is approximately 17 hours. We usually leave around 7 am and drive until around 7-8 which is the area around Point South SC. We then are at Disney around 2-3 pm the following day. I spent around $500 round trip with gas, hotel room (2 nights) and food. Money saved from airfare difference and rental car enabled us to stay at moderate resort last trip. I enjoy driving down but trip back is rough since vacation is over and we just want to get home. Once south of VA, traffic is not bad at all.:mickey:

[dizneefan67]

Ok, so you asked for it...LOL...here is my 2 cents...

I usually drove from Disney(orlando) to Maryland MANY MANY times while I worked at WDW. I rested all day on the departure day an even sleeping as much as I could. I then got up and left the area around 11pm and I DROVE ALL NIGHT! Granted, it was only me in the car. But what I began to do so I didn't ge to tired of sitting was tostop every four hours, gas up whether I need o or not, grab a snack walk a little and hit the road again. Avoiding staying in a motel. I usually use gasbuddy.com to figure th gas, they give you directions, maps, anad exact places to stop for gas. If you use Gasbuddy go to the bottom of the home page and look for Trip Advisor(calculator)
Befoe using Gasbuddy, I would stop at or nearest to...
Richmond, VA., Emporia, VA., Rocky Mount, NC., South of the Border, SC., Savannah, GA and Daytona, FL. This is about fourhours between each site. Time wise, I spent a good 15-20 hours driving. Now, compare that to Flying from BWI to MCO, it only takes 2.5 hours fom airport to airport. But price wise I believe that driving is still best choice, Research gas prices in those cities along 95 South and find out what th prices are now and go from there. its 1,000 miles from PA to FL (Orlando) i have even padded that number to make sure I have enough money and gas!

Happy traveling and have a magical Trip!
Hope this helps!?

Will:mickey:

[gerald72]

I drive from central PA each time I go.
It takes me about 17 hours. I usually leave around 10am the day before I check in. I don't stay overnight in a hotel. If I am tired I pull into a rest stop and sleep for a few hours. But I work third shift so I am used to staying up all night. I found out with kids in the car, if I am going to stop at a rest stop, it has to be at night because they are too antsy during the day.
The $500 sounds about right for gas and food, but gas prices have varied the last few summers.
It's convenient having your own transportation. You can leave whenever you want to. You have to make the journey part of the fun.

[Loves the Mouse]

We just drove from PA to Disney this past Jan. We loved it. The kids have video games and mis. games to keep them happy. We drove 5hours took a break for lunch and then another 5 hours. On the break we played frizbee and football to stretch.But you might have to stop more because of the little ones. We got to South Carolina. Stayed the night . It took 6 more hours the next day to get there. I would'nt do a stright ride threw like my brother and sister inlaw. They have little ones 8,6,4 they were wiped doing such a long drive. They left at 2 in the morning and arrived 10 pm . The kids were ready to go the next moring but they weren't.

[kakn7294]

We're driving to WDW next week. We are a family of 4 - 2 adults and 2 kids, ages 9 and 14. We live in Beaver County - 1 hr NW of Pittsburgh. If we leave at 6p - 7p, it takes us 15.5 - 17 hrs for a 1000 mile trip (1 way) depending on traffic and stops. We drive it straight thru - no stopping overnight. We drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee that averages 22 mpg on the trip. Last Aug when gas prices were $3.50 - $3.80 per gallon, it cost us $334 in gas to drive. The cheapest airline tix at the time would have cost us around $1000.00 total on Southwest for the 4 of us. As far as food on the trip, it's probably anywhere from $80 - 100 but I figure it offsets the cost of a meal at the airport and parking of our Jeep at the Pittsburgh airport while we're gone. When we fly, we use Magical Express so there's no additional cost for airport to WDW transportation. We've also flown and actually prefer to drive.

[mudpuppysmom]

I be the flip side here. I have driven and flown.
*We like flying.
*It is about $200 more to fly and rent a car than it is to drive.
*It takes about 16 hrs to drive vs 2.5 hrs to fly
*IF you decide to fly, you do not have to rent a car DME can do the driving for you while you are there
*IF you decide to rent a car, you have freedom to go wherever you want when you want, and if staying onsite, you parking fee at the parks

For us, it would be about three days off our vacation if we drove, 1.5 down and 1.5 back, plus you are tired from driving.

I think you have to weigh what is important to you, and yes family time together in the car is a good thing most of the time, but spending more time together AT Disney is more enjoyable to us -- the kids can run around, swim and we can just relax. For US, it is about the most relaxation and least amount of stress for vacation, and that means flying and renting a car.

That's my 2 cents.:D

[DigitalDaredevil]

I go to the parks at least once a year from Ohio. Depending on how many people are going, I usually get stuck paying, will drive.
Me and my best friend will drive as he is a truck driver and we make good time by driving all the way through. Gas ends up being about 250-300 for the trip. Tolls are minimal, mostly just in West Virginia. After the trip an oil change is near so that adds another 25-30 if you do it yourself.
You save on a car rental, and it's easy to arrive and leave as you please without having to adhere to the flight schedule, or if the flight is canceled for some reason. I like seeing sights along the way and find the drive a great time to relax, talk, and catch up on podcasts and music. Plus you can bring a lot more stuff to and from your trip.
If it is a short tip, I will fly down, rent a car, and spend the extra money. I've had quite a few trips that I had a hard time deciding whether to drive or fly. I love the quick arrival of the flight though, you can't beat it.
Ultimately, when the trip is done, I appreciate the economics of driving. I rather get there quicker, but if I do not let the excitement of the trip get to me, driving is what I prefer.
Oh, another con of driving is that you spend at least a day getting there and a day getting back. Upon arrival I prefer to catch up on some sleep in a real bed, not a car seat.

[wdwfansince75]

Since you are about 2 hours from Pittsburgh, (and further from Harrisburg or Baltimore), you are at least 6 or 7 hours total travel time from WDW.

Driving from your part of PA allows you to avoid the worst of the Northeast to FL trip, the Phila/Balt/DC segment of 95. For you, the 70/81/77/26/95/4 is the way to go...from Breezewood to Orlando without a stop sign or traffic light, at or above the posted speed (except at exits for meals, gas, or motels...and lots of good choices for those)....about 10 hours to 95 in the middle of SC....Stop anywhere south of there for the night....You are about 6 hours from WDW once you are on 95.

[Jeff]

I have no insight on your cost question but wanted to chime in as a "converted flier". My family has been certain flying was the best and have done so for ten years, at least once a year. This past Christmas we decided to drive. We were dreading it thinking it was going to be a disaster.
We absolutely loved it.
No "get to the airport 3 hours before the flight". No parking at airport concerns. No security/luggage/packing concerns. No rental car issues.

Two things, I think, made a huge difference for us:
1. My daughter was older (just turned 18)
2. On the way home we made a side trip to Pigeon Forge TN which is one of our favorite places to be.

Good luck!

[NJGIRL]

The only time we drove was the Oct after 9/11 because I refused to use our airline tickets.

It was much cheaper to drive even with stopping over night in SC. The drive wasn't bad at all but we did an alternative route to avoid the beltway. The BIGGEST downfall to driving IMO is the time that you lose. Instead of 10 days in the parks that year we only had 6:(

[ThanxForNoticin]

I've done both, and even though it's more expensive, we will only fly. Most of the time, we have the opportunity to spend 5-8 days at Disney. Instead of spending 3 days of it on the road, I'd rather spend a total of about 6 hours each way to fly there (figuring time at the airport, flying, then getting luggage, car, and driving to WDW). For a few hundred dollars more, we get almost 3 more days of vacation (which, of course, ends up costing us even more, I suppose!!). With some good planning, we usually can find some good airfares.

[kakn7294]

The BIGGEST downfall to driving IMO is the time that you lose. Instead of 10 days in the parks that year we only had 6:(For us, we really don't lose any park time at all by driving - either way, we arrive on Saturday and leave on Sunday. If we drive, to go to WDW, we leave on Friday night and drive overnight. If we fly, we leave Saturday am and arrive about the same time we would if we drove. The only down side is that we are more tired if we drive - but I don't sleep before we fly so I'm tired from that too - the kids are fine as they sleep in the car. The same holds true in reverse for the trip home. Regardless of they type of travel, we leave Sunday am - the only difference is how long it takes to get home. When you factor in the time spent driving to and from the airport, in the airport waiting for flights, DME travel and wait times, baggage claim, and any meals eaten during traveling, it takes us about half the time to fly as it does to drive. I suggest making a list of the pros and cons - cost, travel time, parking fees, car rental fees, car maintenance costs, fear of being confined in a car with small children for a long period of time vs. fear of taking small children through the airport and on a plane, fear of flying in general, etc - and compare the two to make the best decision for your family.

[NJGIRL]

Kathy, I see what you are saying, you adjust when you leave when you drive to give yourself more time. I can't do that because I only have 10 days to take off no matter if I fly or drive.

I really wouldn't mind driving once in a while if I had more time to take off.

[Gooftroop5]

We drive from Centeral NY. It's a 23 hour drive. We usually stop 2 night on the road mostly so we don't lose a day at the parks & we like to do other things on our trip. We did stop only 1 night on our way home. That was a long day but ds#1 was sick & I promised him he would be home in his own bed so we drove from south of the border area all the way home that day. (it was the day he got sick)

When we did it last fall over thanksgiving into the first week of december we spent less than a $1000 & we had a chevy venture. It was a lot less then if I flew for 5 people. Also I had the freedom of not being tied to disney transportation which allowed us to make ADR's for whenever we wanted to in the am. Also wasn't restricted to what I could carry onto a plane. Also no hidden costs. Especially since we pay a lot higher for gas here then anywhere south of us it was a bargain. This year we are paying a little more (higher gas prices & summer hotel rates) It is still cheaper then flying.

[kakn7294]

Kathy, I see what you are saying, you adjust when you leave when you drive to give yourself more time. I can't do that because I only have 10 days to take off no matter if I fly or drive.

I really wouldn't mind driving once in a while if I had more time to take off.Yes, that's it exactly. We take the same # of days off work for either scenario so it makes no difference to us.

[redleg96]

My wife hates flying...either way I don't care driving from NH it took us just under one day. On the flip side we did NH to Disneyland in just under 4 (with stops). Cost of course depends on what you drive. Especially with luggage fees the way they are now...it's nice to have a trunk at your disposal as well as the flexibility of having your own vehicle

[AirlineGuy07]

Thanks everyone for your reply. We have decided to drive in May. I love to fly but in the long run its going to be probably cheaper plus my wife hates to fly. We didn't pay for our 15 month old last time because he was a lap child but next year we would have to. We can have a leisurely drive down in 1.5 days and not worry what we have to pack and pay for airfare and rental car for 9 days.

[ThanxForNoticin]

I guess the most important thing is that you get there somehow!!! Have a great trip!

[kathiep]

We're drives. When my kids were younger, I just had too much stuff to worry about dragging through the airport. And I couldn't bear to think about the stress involved in getting everyone there and through the airport without issues. It ended up making for a nice family road trip. We all loved the time together. We generally try to do the bulk of driving in the first day, usually stopping right at the GA/FLA border. That makes the driving so much less the next day and we have time to relax at our resort. Money wise, it's always been cheaper. And I can even begin to list all the benefits to having your own car.

We've been driving for 4 years now and I don't know that we'll convert anytime soon.

[lockedoutlogic]

Fly...Fly, Fly, Fly, Fly, Fly, 1000X fly

hey, I know where you're coming from...
as a pittsburgh native, my father insisted on driving everywhere on vacation...

it was as if he felt naked without the car....like he left his underwear at home or something.

but hey, driving in a car overnight or for days up and down the eastern seaboard is not cheaper....you burn a ton of fuel....pay tolls in some cases...you still gotta eat....and you get there after spending the larger percentage of a day or two with your joints rusted shut in the same position.

and flights are fairly cheap now:thumbsup:

[joonyer]

. . . but hey, driving in a car overnight or for days up and down the eastern seaboard is not cheaper....you burn a ton of fuel....pay tolls in some cases...you still gotta eat....and you get there after spending the larger percentage of a day or two with your joints rusted shut in the same position.

and flights are fairly cheap now:thumbsup:

Actually unless you are traveling single, or maybe just 2 people, driving can be a lot cheaper than flying. Most trips from the northeast only take one night on the road (except maybe from Maine), and even factoring the hotel and meals into the equation the costs of driving will not be near what 4 or more airline tickets cost.
Flying from Philly to Orlando costs about $180 per person right now (taxes & fees incl); Thats $720 for 4 tickets.

Driving from Philly to Orlando is about 880 miles, and if if your car gets 20 mpg, that's about $233 in fuel cost at 2.65 per gal. (gas is less than $2.50 here in GA right now). That leaves a lot for a hotel and meals before you even approach the cost of airfare for 4.

On the other hand, flying is MUCH more convenient from that distance, and if you have the money, then I'd fly, too.

[lockedoutlogic]

Actually unless you are traveling single, or maybe just 2 people, driving can be a lot cheaper than flying. Most trips from the northeast only take one night on the road (except maybe from Maine), and even factoring the hotel and meals into the equation the costs of driving will not be near what 4 or more airline tickets cost.
Flying from Philly to Orlando costs about $180 per person right now (taxes & fees incl); Thats $720 for 4 tickets.

Driving from Philly to Orlando is about 880 miles, and if if your car gets 20 mpg, that's about $233 in fuel cost at 2.65 per gal. (gas is less than $2.50 here in GA right now). That leaves a lot for a hotel and meals before you even approach the cost of airfare for 4.

On the other hand, flying is MUCH more convenient from that distance, and if you have the money, then I'd fly, too.

actually...my opinion wasn't about economics....

it just makes more sense to fly.

One of my recurring stances is that a disney vacation is never "cheap"...because it's not and many never get anywhere close to getting one...

so talk of "value" "budget" "cheaper" and "saving" while going to WDW seems misguided to me....

personal opinion

[joonyer]

I agree, going to WDW is never a "cheap" or "value" vacation. For those, we usually go camping (and still have a great time). But for many, having a chance to go to WDW means having to scrimp and save every dollar to make it happen, and although inconvenient, driving there may get those who have to really watch every dollar to get to WDW when they couldn't make it happen by flying. Time is valuable though, and if you only have a week off work or school, spending 4 days getting there and back eats into a lot of theme park fun time.

We're lucky, we live close enough to drive to WDW easily. And if money were no object, we'd be staying at a deluxe every time. As it is, we stay at values most of the time to make the trip happen financially. If we lived so far we had to fly, we wouldn't be able to go nearly as often as we have due to the extra cost.

[goofyfan4466]

we usually drive. sorry have to go family emergency

[Urbss]

Hi Neighbor!! I live just up the road in Cresson.

We drove last year with our 3 yr old. It was great to have our own car there. We are going again this October and will be driving again. I ran all the numbers and actually found it cheaper to drive down and back (with a cheap hotel in between Cresson and Orlando). You have to figure in costs to drive to the airport, park your car, rent a car, extra luggage fees, etc.

If you don't mind spending a little extra money (okay several hundred dollars extra), then you could do what we are going to do this year: Drive down to Orlando and take the Auto Train back north. The drive down never bothers me, but the drive back does - I'm always bummed about the vacation being over. So, the Auto Train really helps the return trip go faster. And, our 3 year old last year really loved the train experience.

Have Fun!!

[SurferStitch]

My DH and I fly from NE PA to Disney all the time now. We got sick of flying a couple years ago, and actually love the drive.

We found that we spend no more for gas, hotel room (1 each way) and food (down and back) than we did for two tickets on Southwest. We even get down to WDW the night before our on site hotel stay and stay in the DTD area, and we still come out even in cost.

I think overall we spent about $200 on gas (at around $3.20/gal), $240 on hotels (3 nights stay), and $125 or so on food. Southwest would have cost us about $580 total (prices were unreal), so as you can see, it's a wash, and we had a great time together driving.

It's such an easy drive down 95, too.

Even with cheaper airfare when available, flying is just such a hassle. I like being able to pack like a normal human being and not worrying about luggage weight, if I have a rogue lip gloss or hand sanitizer in my purse, etc. I always get picked for the personal luggage searches and body scans at the airport, too, so I don't have to worry about that.

[FriendsofMickey]

Okay, I have not read the responses, so not sure if you have already made a decision, but I thought this might help you.
We drive yearly with now 6 year olds (we drove when they were 2, 3, 4, 5, and this year they will be 6). We live in W-PA.
Here is the spreadsheet my dh created with our costs last year: (I'm using copy/paste, so I hope it looks okay).
FUEL COST GALLONS COST PER GALLON
$39.95 11.788 $3.3890
$39.30 10.92 $3.5989
$64.88 17.077 $3.7993
$64.71 17.214 $3.7591
$70.01 19.783 $3.5389
$24.54 6.045 $4.0596
$82.87 23.03 $3.5983
$26.63 7.009 $3.7994
$80.06 20.533 $3.8991



0
$492.95 133.399 $3.6953
Average mpg: 17.6905
$3.7157
LODGING FOOD
$82.25 $39.48
$85.32

$167.57 $39.48


Total Travel Cost: $700.00

[FriendsofMickey]

Oh I should have mentioned, last year we (for the first time), packed sandwhiches to take with us, so we did not have to waste time waiting for meals to be served. The year before it tooks us 2 hours at an Eat'nPark, never again.