So I guess I am Drving

[Hog]

So I have been trying to get a deal on airline tickets for a while now, and I just can't see spending $1100 for Me, DW and DD to fly to the world from Pittsburgh. Its a surprise trip for my DD 5th b-day and I think driving will be less conspicuous so thats good. Any ways it is between 16.5 and 17.5 hours to drive there and we are planning on staying one night on the road on the way there and home. Driving 12-13 hours before we stop to sleep on the way down and 5-6 hours before we sleep on the way home. Am I crazy for driving? I figured it would save me $500-$600... but I am afraid I will be pooped when we arrive. Also has anyone made a significanly long drive before to the world and have any advice? Maybe where to stay on the way down possibly in South Carolina? I will take any helpful hints to pass the time or keep me awake... or extras I could/should take that I wouldn't be able to take on a plane.. thanks in advance and sorry for the lengthy post...

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

No, you are not crazy for driving! We've done the drive a number of times from Toronto, and it really is just fine.

We always start super-early in the morning (4am - 5am), as DD would sleep for the first bunch of the trip, and time seemed to pass quicker in the early morning.

We also had a rule that DD couldn't start watching her DVD player until after lunch, so it was something "new" and something to look forward to, in the long afternoon stretch.

We used to drive about 17 - 18 hours on the first day, so you'll be fine with 12 - 13. Take breaks when you need them (even just a quick run around the car to strech your legs). We also found that books on iPOD passed the time better than music ever did.

As for stopping, we usually stopped once we hit Georgia, either at a Holiday Inn Express or a Hampton Inn. Both are good-priced, and include breakfast.

Have a great drive and a super trip! :drive:

[Jillirose]

We have done the drive from MI many times in the past - 2 nights on the road. We generally get on the road very early (5ish?) and kids slept in the car for 4-5 hours. Then we stop for breakfast - stretch. Then, another 5 or so hour stretch with dinner at or near hotel.

There are so many electronic devices to help keep kids occupied now! I used to wrap up some car toys/activity books to open on the second day. Little novelties to help pass the time.... Your daughter is at the age where she probably would enjoy that.

I guess the best advice is to stay hydrated and take it easy on the first day there. Mentally, I always tried to focus on the next leg of the trip and not to get discouraged thinking of the long haul. You will have a beautiful ride down, with lots to look at. Make that part of the adventure!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

We drove straight through last year because the airline prices just wouldn't come down. We left around 530pm and took about 24 hours to get there. So we went to bed early that first night and were ready to go the next, full day. I found the drive home seemed to be much longer and we were more tired. But that's to be expected since we were running around all week. I swore I wouldn't do it again if I could help it.
A co-worker of mine waited until the last minute and got a rate of around $200 from Boston to Orlando in March. So keep checkign just in case. You might spend almost that much for gas.

[Dsnygirl]

We are doing the same... haven't ever done it before, but with airline prices what they are, we decided to give it a try. (My DH is still flying, as he can't spare the extra 2 days to drive w/ a new job, so it'll just be my girls and I.)

Not sure what you're planning on for a route, but right now, we're planning on heading in-land at Harrisburg, and going south through Roanoke & Charlotte. We've found a great hotel in SC (Cayce, to be exact -- a Marriott Country Inn & Suites) which is $72/nt if you book ahead of time, and that includes bkfst. :thumbsup:

We're planning on doing about 12-13 hours the first day like you, and then 5-6 hours the next... I think you guys will do fine, as long as you stop every 3-4 hours to stretch your legs. And like others have said, I've heard the drive home is the killer, as you don't have the anticipation driving you as well. ;)

Have fun surprising your DD -- I think you've made a good choice! (but do keep checking the prices, too... we just got my DH's ticket home for a pretty decent drop in price, which was surprising. Not low enough that we'd forgo the driving, as we're finding some unexpected benefits to having our car with us this trip, but low enough that maybe other airlines are dropping once in awhile, too!)

[kakn7294]

We drive for about half of our trips from Beaver, PA, about 45 min NW of Pittsburgh. It generally takes us about 17.5 hrs driving straight through and we are tired when we arrive. When we have stopped to stay over, we choose a place somewhere around the Savannah, GA area. We drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee few years ago when gas prices were nearly $4 a gallon as they are now. We got about 20 miles to the gallon and it cost us under $400 round trip but that did not include any food and we drove straight through so there were no additional hotel fees. If we fly, we only fly on Southwest - one of only 2 airlines with nonstops flights from Pittsburgh, usually the best prices, and the bags fly free thing is huge.

[TheVBs]

No you're not crazy! We've done it for our last few trips and I've reached the point where I have no interest in flying anymore.

We drive from MI and we do the same as others have mentioned, really early start and our goal is to make it into GA for our first night's stay.

We make sure to take regular breaks so that we can all stretch our legs, use the restroom, etc. DH actually gets the girls running around as much as possible. We stop at rest stops for a mid-morning break, we bring stuff to make lunches and stop for that, stop for a mid-afternoon break, then hopefully stop for the night not too long after we hit a restaurant for dinner. Or, if we've made good time we'll stop for the night at dinnertime and try to get a hotel with a pool so the girls go swimming.

The really grueling part is the trip home. If we have enough time we'll stop for a night or two someplace else, like Smokey Mtn. National Park to break things up, but that's rare. In the past we've left WDW in the afternoon, after a day at a park, but this time we're going to shoot for leaving early morning and not do a park on our last day. We'll see if we can stick to that! I also try to have a bunch of little goodies to reward the girls with on the trip home, that helps too.

[NJGIRL]

We drove once. We had plane tickets for the Oct right after 9/11 and I wouldn't use them at that point. We drove from South Jersey and the drive wasn't bad. I wouldn't do it as a regular thing because it did cut out 2 park days and was a little boring. On the first day we drove to South Carolina about an hour from the Georgia border. If I remember correctly we only had about a five hour drive from there on the second day.

One big mistake I made was I didn't have a solid plan on when we were stopping so I didn't research any hotels for the stop or make reservations. I knew what was around because I had guide maps but what I found was a Hampton at one location is not a Hampton at another location. Both hotels (going and coming) were not what I would call nice. If we ever drove again I would put much more effort into finding a clean, non-smoking place.

Don't forget to factor in gas prices,tolls, 2 hotel stays and meals for the trip. $1100 is alot for flying out of PA. Since we have been going to Disney we have usually spent between $200 - $250 per person. Anything over that I call expensive. This year our tickets were $290 :(

[elmjimmlm]

We drive every trip and we are 12 hours away... We have stopped usually around Savannah or Brunswick and get a room... That way you are looking at 5-6 more hours to finish off your drive... We now try to drive all the way through and stop usually around the same places so our kids know they will be getting out of the vehicle... Be sure and stop at the Florida welcome center and get you some orange juice... We do that each time and always take the kids picture in front of the Florida welcome sign... That is where we start to get excited and know we are just a few hours away...:mickey:

[azcavalier]

So, we have driven the last few times. Not just because of the high cost of airfare (we can actually get pretty cheap tickets from Roanoke to Sanford, FL), but because we love the freedom of having our car there at WDW.

We always leave late Friday and drive until we're around the Walterboro/Yemassee area of I-95. There are some good Hampton Inns and other motels at those areas. So, we don't make it quite to Savannah. I'm not sure how far Pittsburgh is from the I-77/I-81 intersection around Wytheville, VA, but that's about where we live. When we drive, we pick the kids up from school, (so it's about 3:30pm) and head out. We don't stop for dinner, as my wife has packed it. We get to the Walterboro/Yemassee area around 9pm, and we stop for the night. The next morning, we get up and get on the road around 8am, and we're at WDW by 2pm.

[BugeyedMuggy]

We drove from CT once and will never do it again. The next time we drive to Florida it will be a one way trip ;)

[princessgirls]

It's not the worst thing...it can be fun!!

If you are a AAA member, they can book a hotel for you. I use that service when traveling, just tell them you want to stop in South Carolina, off of 95 and prefer a Hampton Inn (just an example) and they can do it right from their computer.

Safe travels!
Julie:mickey:

[PETE FROM NYC]

DW and I did the drive the last 2 Septembers, with me being the only driver.
From NYC its about 1100 miles one way.
The first trip we stopped in Virginia for Kings Dominion, and Busch Gardens ,Williamsburg, then on to Florida.We did 95 all the way, overnighting in Best Westerns along the way. We even arrived in Florida a day early and stayed in Knights Inn on 192 for one night at less than $40.
Without killing myself, I did the trip each way in 2 1/2 days of driving, and even with my poor health, was not too tired to enjoy our trip.
One thing we were able to do was to try eating at different restaurants that we see advertised on TV, but are not in our area.
We are planning to do another drive down around September or October 2012.
We are both retired, so our time is not limited.

[MarkC]

We've done it from Nebraska and did it straight through in 20 hours, but that was with my 19 year old son and 21 year old nephew sharing the driving. I had a friend from Lincoln just do it in two days hauling some stuff to his kids in Orlando. If you have satellite radio that really helps.

It's also a nice benefit once you get there to have your own car on property.

[steamboat willy]

Driving with the Family is always FUN for us. :truck:
We'll begin our 10 hour drive down in 150 days to our Happy Place! We'll pick up our Grandson (His FIRST Trip) from Kindergarten and begin the Adventure together. We usually drive down in one day, but since we're leaving late afternoon this time we may opt to stop around St Augustine and then have a short drive after waking up in Sunshine State and arrive before noon on our check-in day. :vacation:
With all the larger Gas Stations with Fuel, Food and Restrooms it makes it easy to get everything done by making your stops at these type facilities.
As far a driving goes.........we get off I-4 in Sanford Fl. and take the Toll Road 417 straight to the gates of Walt Disney World. This By-Passes all the Orlando traffic. Well worth the $6 bucks for me!
Get in the car, cherish the memories, They Will! I still remember climbing into the back of the loaded down Station Wagon with our DAD at the wheel for our first trip to Disney in 1972.
Now I'm driving our Grandson :mickey: on his first trip. :thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

We drove from CT once and will never do it again. The next time we drive to Florida it will be a one way trip ;)

That is exactly how we feel!

I have driven before....my parents took us to relatives in Daytona for a week.....we visited WDW for a day. My father and I were the drivers (I had to learn to drive a stick so we could go to Florida so I was motivated to learn!). We took a single cab truck with a cap on the back and that is where my brother and sister and my dad (when not driving) slept and hung out. My mom kept us awake the entire way down.

It was not a fantastic way to go, but we did save money over flying.

My kids are 9 and 2 (soon to be 3) and often we take car trips....and my husband and I both say, "we're not ready for the drive to Florida yet!"

Flying is expensive....I'm in the midst of planning a surprise trip myself, from Pittsburgh, and when I started looking at flight prices I about fell over. I got lucky one day and found an 82$ fare going down and snagged that. Since that time the nonstop flight coming home, which was 152 when I booked the down fare has gone up to 167. So, we'll get there, I'm just not sure how we're coming home!

There are pluses and minuses to all modes of transport. When I help friends/family plan Disney trips I ALWAYS tell them, "this is what works for OUR family -- it might not work the same for yours" == that is my disclaimer. So, driving is fine, it just won't work for our family right at the present time, in the future yes.

Having a car at your disposal is great! Pack snacks and water for park days and if you run out you can visit a store to buy "supplies". Also, you don't have to eat onsite every day -- you can visit the local area and "eat out". You can also visit different attractions while there if you choose.

You are going to have a FANTASTIC time no matter what!

[tcswife]

It will cost us about $450 round trip for GAS, and we live in Atlanta, GA. So if I were you I would just fly may cost a tad bit more than driving, but at least you won't be tired and no risk of car problems!!! If I did not have 4 kids under 5 I would be FLYING!!!

[Hog]

It will cost us about $450 round trip for GAS, and we live in Atlanta, GA. So if I were you I would just fly may cost a tad bit more than driving, but at least you won't be tired and no risk of car problems!!! If I did not have 4 kids under 5 I would be FLYING!!!

what kind of car do you have?! I figured it to cost at the most $400 round trip, my car gets 35-40mpg hwy. and that was at $4.50 a gallon, and i have about a 2300 mile drive round trip. You must have a SUV of some sort...

[DisneyCrazyET]

We drive most of the time.We are this time because of the cost of airfare. We drive from pgh area too, thru West Virginia. There are 4 of us and all can drive. We stop in Georgia, never had much luck on I-26 in South Carolina. (big ants)
We might drive straight thru this time.
Enjoy!

[Dopey's Girl]

We drove from CT once and will never do it again. The next time we drive to Florida it will be a one way trip ;)

You said it! I have driven from Mn to Fl 4 times... Never again. It's not about the money (though flight prices are insane!) it's about the time stuck in the car. I love my family, but 2.5 days in the car with them...:thedolls:

[cuteduck223]

We've driven the 18 hours from illinois. Usually we start out around dinner time, and we drive straight through. My husband is a car baby, and im a night owl, so I drive until i get tired (usually around 3 am) and then he wakes up pretty rested and drives the remainder. We had my brother (29, but not a driver), and our two lovely ladies, 14 and 2 with us on this last trip.

Truth is, im usually too excited to get much sleep even after i stop driving...and it was the first trip for both girls. so, while the 2 year old slept pretty well, the 14 yr old was awake quite a bit as well.

Because its driving through the night, we usually get an audio book (that takes 12 hours to listen to) and enjoy that. We just have to fill each other in on what we miss. :cool:

[merlinmagic4]

We just drove from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We left at 4pm on a Thursday and left the check-in counter at our resort at exactly 4pm on Friday! We drove straight through because our time is limited (my DH is a teacher). Airfares for our week were always between 3000-4000 dollars for a family of five (school vacation week) so the 519.00 we spent for gas was a HUGE savings. Do we want to do it again? No - but I highly doubt we will ever see airfares under 300.00/per person which is my limit so I imagine we will :)

We went to the pool on our arrival evening and were at Magic Kingdom bright and early the next morning, like nothing had ever happened!! We were not exhausted from the drive all week at all.

Good luck!!

[divinedi]

We've done both, from Ontario, Canada, about a 22-23 hour drive, depending on conditions. There are definitely advantages to both. Flying is quicker of course, but from here it still takes about a day, what with having to get there early, it's a 3 hour drive to get to the airport, but it is less tiring. Can't bring that much with you though.

Driving is okay too, on the way down. As another person has said, it's brutal on the way home because you just want to get home at that point, but there's nothing to really look forward to, whereas on the way down you are just starting your trip. Also, you can bring extra stuff with you in the car if you have the room, snacks, bottled water etc. And yes, if you like to have a car at DW, there's that too, we generally park our car and don't see it again until we leave, we still like to use Disney Transportation. Also, the more people going, the cheaper it is to drive, but also makes it more cramped in the car too.....when the kids were little it was fine, but now that they are adults it's a lot less comfortable.

Pros and cons to each, you'll have to weigh them out and decide from there. Have a GREAT trip!!

[JerseyDad]

...I'll be doing "the drive" for the 9th time this Aug 27th.....and in my opinion...it's no big deal ever since we got it "figured out. By that...I mean getting to see what my limitations are related to driving and fatigue.

We leave Jersey at 6am (on a Fri)...and go as far as Brunswick, Ga...and are into our hotel there no later than 7:30pm (12.5 to 13 hrs has been our average).

...next morning...3.25 hrs to WDW...and we start our day there by 11am.

...on the way home...it's a one-shot drive...I leave WDW at 8am...and am in by driveway by midnight. (and I do all the driving...both ways)

[magicalmom]

Can your DW spell you for part of the drive ? Kids will sleep in the car - even our teenagers still do - and if you and DW can also catch naps in the car, you won't be so tired when you get to WDW. (We like to drive, and find it relaxing as long as we spell each other, so nobody gets over-tired.)

[kemps@wdw]

Flying definitely gets you there faster, but driving allows you to take EVERYTHING you need with you, cause everything is more expensive @ WDW. We've driven on all but 3 of our many visits to the World, and we bring all our food, drinks, and necessities w/us. It's a 14-15 hr drive for us. We'll usually leave early in the AM (3-4). DD use to sleep quite awhile when she was younger, and we packed all her video games, color books, reading books, portable DVD player and her fave movies. And,of course, road games to keep her occupied. As she got older, her iPod and her cell phone pretty much did the trick. Now, w/the iPhone, she has it all in one unit. Music, phone/txt, and internet. Ahhhh... the wonder of modern technology!

[brivers222]

We always drive from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

This next trip will be our first one making the over-night stop... i am not sure how i feel about this. Normally i like to sleep in my own bed and then the next time i am in the bed its at the world.... this stop will be to satisfy my newly brided fiance lol

[barnaby]

I have done the drive 4 times, twice as a kid and twice with my own family. I don't like flying and with the cost, driving is an easy choice for me. We live in southern NJ, so it about an 18-19 hour trip with food and bathroom breaks.
We drove down in 2008 and stopped overnight in Savannah, GA on the way down. It is about 6 hours to WDW. We made a pit stop in Daytona Beach to see the racetrack. On the way home, we stopped overnight in Richmond,VA leaving us about 6 hours from home.
This past trip in 2010, we drove straight through. Left NJ at 2AM early Saturday and arrived in Orlando at 9PM. Our WDW reservations didn't start until the following day, so we stayed off-site for 40 bucks at the Magic Castle Inn and Suites. We woke up early Sunday, drove 10 minutes to ASSports, checked in and were in AK by 9:15AM.
Same thing for the way home. Left WDW at 11AM and arrived home at 6AM. If you can do it, I recommend driving straight through. I'm a bit of a driving fool so it isn't much for me. I'll drive 6-7 hours straight if no one asks me to stop.
There are some definite pros to driving like having your own car at WDW and being able to bring food and drink. We bring water and breakfast, which save money. Also, another thing that has come out of driving are some family traditions. The idea of the family road trip is one. Another one we kinda accidently stumbled upon is stopping at the same Cracker Barrell both ways. We have stopped in Florence, SC both family trips. Our last trip, we had the same server on the way down and back. It was pretty funny to see his face the second time after telling him where we were from the first visit.
Have a safe trip!!

[Hog]

So I am officially driving, especially now after the whole bin laden thing, my wife refuses to fly even if it is 5 months away.

So my question is, as i mentioned before, its a surprise trip for my daughters birthday. I have never driven before to Disney and I don't know what the roads on the way in look like. When should I tell here where we are going? Will she figure it out from signs and landmarks? Or should I try to just play it off until we get to the hotel and surprise her there? I appriciate the input.

Also, I saw a few people mention that they bring breakfast for their stay... what kind of stuff do you bring? I was thinking about bringing a toaster along for toast/pop tarts etc.. but my wife laughed at me. We aren't going to be renting a fridge that is $80 that i just dont wana spend... thanks for the advice...

[NJGIRL]

Another one we kinda accidently stumbled upon is stopping at the same Cracker Barrell both ways. We have stopped in Florence, SC both family trips. Our last trip, we had the same server on the way down and back. It was pretty funny to see his face the second time after telling him where we were from the first visit.
Have a safe trip!!


Hey neighbor! :D

We stopped at that same Cracker Barrell the year we drove.

[brivers222]

So I am officially driving, especially now after the whole bin laden thing, my wife refuses to fly even if it is 5 months away.

So my question is, as i mentioned before, its a surprise trip for my daughters birthday. I have never driven before to Disney and I don't know what the roads on the way in look like. When should I tell here where we are going? Will she figure it out from signs and landmarks? Or should I try to just play it off until we get to the hotel and surprise her there? I appriciate the input.

Also, I saw a few people mention that they bring breakfast for their stay... what kind of stuff do you bring? I was thinking about bringing a toaster along for toast/pop tarts etc.. but my wife laughed at me. We aren't going to be renting a fridge that is $80 that i just dont wana spend... thanks for the advice...
Going down I75 you really don't see anything "Disney" until you get inside Florida ready to turn onto the turnpike... you could probably wait till the very end lol unless she gets all questioney with the long drive :)

[steamboat willy]

So my question is, as i mentioned before, its a surprise trip for my daughters birthday. I have never driven before to Disney and I don't know what the roads on the way in look like. When should I tell here where we are going? Will she figure it out from signs and landmarks? Or should I try to just play it off until we get to the hotel and surprise her there? I appreciate the input.


We're taking our 5 year old grandson in September and he also does not know yet that he is going to see Mickey, Star Wars and the Lion King.
We are waiting till closer time to the trip to let him know he's going to DISNEY WORLD!
(His 1st Trip) He will know before we leave for the 10 hour drive down.

As far as landmarks, when you get into Florida the advertisement begin for the Florida Attractions, especially Disney! :mickey:
If your going to wait until your arrival day, when you get off I-4/192 at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, you will see the Welcome to Walt Disney World entrance sign. :welcome:

I don't believe I could wait until I got there, but good luck on keeping secrets! :secret:

[ElenitaB]

Last summer I drove... but only halfway. :blush: We did the AutoTrain and I would do it again in a heartbeat. At this point, it's only me driving and the A/T was very convenient. I have considered driving all the way down (stopping to visit family in Richmond, VA), and taking the A/T back North.

Next time I don't think I'll bother with a private room though on the train (the bed wasn't all that comfortable) and we'll just go coach.

[magicalmom]

When our kids were little, we always traveled with a small toaster and a hot pot - Pop-tarts, toast, oatmeal, soups, tea, coffee, ramen noodles - it worked out really well. We didn't rent a fridge, but did have a small (six-pack size) cooler for open formula, a pound of butter, and a jar of jam. We just kept refilling a zip-loc with ice. Worked great!

[barnaby]

Hey neighbor! :D

We stopped at that same Cracker Barrell the year we drove.

Hey neighbor back at cha!! :D

Its Exit #164 I believe.