Flying or Drivng with a 2 year old?

[DiSnEyF@n]

Hi all... I have yet another question.
When we took our daughter at 6 months we flew down (from New Jersey) and now that she's older I am wondering if flying or driving would be best?

Pros and Cons of both would be super helpful!
I'm not worried about time, I just worry about her being in small quarters on the plane, but we'd get there quicker or being in her element and driving down. Either way I think money wise it would be a little bit more to fly only because we are bringing my stepkids (2 teens) with us, but fortunately money is no object. I just want everyone to be happy and comfy.

Thanks for your continued and wonderful advice help as I plan our future trip!

 

[SAV]

I have done both. We drove down with my Daughter when she was 2 and everything was more than fine. We just put her in front of the in car VHS player(Yeah, it was that log ago) and she watched her shows/movies, crashed out when tired and wasn't much trouble. We would take potty breaks when needed and had plenty of snacks in the car. My wife was the one who didn't like the drive.

We have also flown down when my son was 2 and that was good as well. We did bring his car seat with on the plane so he was in a familiar seat and locked in to it so he didn't think he could just get up and walk around. We just brought activities we could do with him on the plane to keep him occupied.

Obviously flying is quicker, but at least double the price of driving. Since you said that isn't an issue, then Flying is the way to go. No question at all.

As for confined spaces, a plane is bigger than a car.

The Pro's to driving are: You are on your own schedule. You can bring whatever you want to bring. You can see the country as you are driving down. You won't be searched by TSA. It is cheaper. You will have your vehicle there and won't need to rent one or rely on Disney Transportation.

The Con's for driving are: Takes much longer. You may have to break the drive up into multiple days. Fine on the way there, but the drive home is a drag. Longer time on the road is more possibility for issues while driving. Wear and tear on your vehicle.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

I'm kind of confused... why is there concern about being in small quarters on a plane? Planes are much larger than cars.

Close quarters meaning restricted movement for a 2 y/o.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

Wow. I am so grateful to you all. I am weighing all your opinions. I know my husband would say FLY!!! I think I am convinced that flying would be the best bet in our case. I don't know how to quote people and respond, but I would like to mention that I didn't realize that I could bring the babyseat onto the plane. My thoughts were holding her wiggling body the whole time on the plane and restraining her from wanting to run around the plane. The carseat would definitely help us to avoid this.

Also, we've always gone in the summer and this time we are going in Feb. With that said, I didn't realize/or think about the plane delays bc of weather. I guess I better bank some extra cash in case of emergency..... I'm sure we wouldn't mind staying in FL another day! ha

Thank you all again. I knew I could count on you!!!

 

[Disnee4Me]

I'm kind of confused... why is there concern about being in small quarters on a plane? Planes are much larger than cars.

Last trip to Italy in '12, we were squished in there like sardines. 8 1/2 hours going, 10 hours coming back. And although we left at night, some guy was snoring away pretty badly, so barely any sleep!!

 

[DizneyPryncess]

We have driven to Florida from Pennsylvania with our daughter three times. She's 3.5 years old, so she's been on some long road trips. Our main reason for this is because I'm a phobic flyer. Luckily, DD does really well with car rides.

We like being able to stop when we want, and having our car in WDW. It's a long trip, I can't lie. But we break it up into 2 days. We have different music for each hour of the trip. DD opens up little treats every now & then to keep her occupied, and we have a portable DVD player for movies. We've always had a lot of fun on the road trips, but I understand that they're long and not for everyone. I think the biggest perk is that we can pack more stuff. We bring a cooler with food, which is really nice for rest stops & quick bites to eat during the week. We have our car seat, stroller, pack n play for the baby, etc.

Whatever decision you make will be whatever is best for your family, and you'll be going to Disney either way, so the journey will be exciting!

 

[Tom 55]

Hi all... I have yet another question.
When we took our daughter at 6 months we flew down (from New Jersey) and now that she's older I am wondering if flying or driving would be best?

Pros and Cons of both would be super helpful!
I'm not worried about time, I just worry about her being in small quarters on the plane, but we'd get there quicker or being in her element and driving down. Either way I think money wise it would be a little bit more to fly only because we are bringing my stepkids (2 teens) with us, but fortunately money is no object. I just want everyone to be happy and comfy.

Thanks for your continued and wonderful advice help as I plan our future trip!

We drove from NH with the kids when they were teenagers. It is just so long of a trip. Plan to spend 2 full days in the car each way. All the stops for gas, food and bathroom breaks. It was something like 26 hours of driving. Can you keep your 2 year old occupied for all that time? That was the only time we drove. Have flown down since. We can get a direct flight from Manchester to Orlando. Flight is little over 3 hours.

 

[DManRightHere]

I'm kind of confused... why is there concern about being in small quarters on a plane? Planes are much larger than cars.

Well...a plane does feel much more claustrophobic...

 

[bee]

Also, we've always gone in the summer and this time we are going in Feb. With that said, I didn't realize/or think about the plane delays bc of weather. I guess I better bank some extra cash in case of emergency..... I'm sure we wouldn't mind staying in FL another day! ha

Definitely consider travel insurance! We went from NJ to WDW in February and got stuck for an extra three days! You can read my TR in my signature if you want (we DID enjoy our extra time in the World!) but basically we were super glad we purchased it and were reimbursed for extra expenses.

 

[mousehockey37]

Hi all... I have yet another question.
When we took our daughter at 6 months we flew down (from New Jersey) and now that she's older I am wondering if flying or driving would be best?

Pros and Cons of both would be super helpful!
I'm not worried about time, I just worry about her being in small quarters on the plane, but we'd get there quicker or being in her element and driving down. Either way I think money wise it would be a little bit more to fly only because we are bringing my stepkids (2 teens) with us, but fortunately money is no object. I just want everyone to be happy and comfy.

Thanks for your continued and wonderful advice help as I plan our future trip!

I haven't read through the replies, but here's my .02.

I'd get on the plane and go. There's restrooms and from Jersey, it's about 2 hours. Driving, you have a lot more hazards to concentrate on. Plus, with some of the stretches you may encounter points where there's not necessarily an easy access bathroom (that's not just for the 2 year old, that's everybody!). Close quarters or not, after 18+ hours in a car, it can't feel comfortable. 2 hours is much easier to handle.

Basically, if you can get the 2 yr old in the air, get the iPad on with a movie (or any device with the movie downloaded into it so you don't need wifi), the trip will be over before she's done with the movie (you'll have to leave the device off to a certain point and turn it off so far into approach in Orlando.).

 

[wdisneyw2000]

we drive from PA every year to WDW. For the most part it went great with no unexpected problems. we had the normal fuss & stuff. We take movies, CD, the cooler. you can stop anytime & anywhere you want. Yes it takes time, but it's cheaper & more convenient for my family. So like others said do what works best for you & your family. We travel with the kids now (5 & 8 DD, & 2 DS) been there every year since 2010 & 2008.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

Definitely consider travel insurance! We went from NJ to WDW in February and got stuck for an extra three days! You can read my TR in my signature if you want (we DID enjoy our extra time in the World!) but basically we were super glad we purchased it and were reimbursed for extra expenses.

Great advice. Who did you buy trip insurance from? Thanks

 

[bee]

Great advice. Who did you buy trip insurance from? Thanks

We bought through Allianz.

 

[BrianV]

If time is money which it usually is, then flying might be not nearly as expensive as you think. Here's how: flight from NJ to orlando is probably 11-1200 for a family of four. Add in 200 for a rental car for a week. Gas in orlando is a wash. That is say $1400, total travel time round trip, including waiting in the airport and such of maybe 10-12 hours. Drive is free (you own the car presumably, but you will probably spend a few hundred on gas there and back.). Depreciation of the car is real but hard to measure. Total travel time round trip depends on your driving style, buy realistically at 2-3 days.

So the cost is $1200 more to fly, but takes 2 days less. Now determine how much two days of vacation cost based on your salary and time off allowed. You can actually come up with how much those two days are worth. Perhaps not 1200, but not trivial. And makes the price difference not nearly as drastic as it seems.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I would like to mention that I didn't realize that I could bring the babyseat onto the plane. My thoughts were holding her wiggling body the whole time on the plane and restraining her from wanting to run around the plane. The carseat would definitely help us to avoid this.

There's a chance your car seat won't fit in the airplane seat. It happened to us, and I didn't even think our car seat was particularly big (it fits in the back seat of a Hyundai Accent between two booster seats). I'm not sure if you can really measure beforehand to see if yours will fit, but you should at least prepare yourself that the car seat might get gate checked.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We took two WDW trips when my younger one was 2. The first we flew, the second we drove. I'm shocked to say it, but it was sooooooooooo much easier to drive. She'd flown many times before the first trip, but she was just a mess for this flight and not too much better on the way back. In the car, she was fine- lots of snacks, drinks, movies, toys, games. Basically, we could bring more on the road trip to keep her happy. So, while the travel took longer it was more relaxing to her. We also would stop at rest areas to let her run around a bit if she seemed to be getting antsy. There was just so much more flexibility with the road trip.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

How long was your drive, @HouCuseChickie ?

 

[Squigglove]

In 2009 we drove down from PA with my husband's uncle. It was an absolute nightmare (and we were all adults). I vowed never to do it again.

But this time it's just my mom, me, and the baby. At first I was concerned that flying might hurt him (the high altitude thing). But then I imagined trying to make a 22 hour drive with him...! Even if we stop off for a night at South of the Border it just wouldn't work. He gets bored fast in the car even with a bunch of toys. He just turned 21mos and he's been this way a while now. He doesn't like being strapped in for long periods. Even when he was a newborn and I tried the swaddling bit - he's fuss until I loosened him completely. I'm actually waiting to find out if he has some sort of claustrophobia.

But anyhow, question yourself on your baby's preferences. Does she handle long drives well? When she does go on long rides, how long are they before she gets fussy? And also consider that being in motion for that amount of time is different on a baby than it is on us. And they have no conception of time, which makes it feel longer and, thus, more exhausting.
My son will eventually give up and nap in the car but when he wakes up we'd better be where we're going or we have all heck to pay! And if we pull off/over to get out of the car for a while we better not think of sticking him back in there any time soon! I know that if we drove it would more than upset him, so for his sake and for my own convenience we're flying! The only way I'll know how he will respond to that is to do it.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

How long was your drive, @HouCuseChickie ?

We're in the suburbs south of Houston, TX. When my younger one was age two, we made it a 2 day drive...Houston to Mobile, AL day one and then on to Orlando on day 2. On the return, we pushed ourselves a little bit farther and spent the night in Biloxi, MS. We have driven straight through, but the kids were a little bit older (4 and 6). They did pretty well, but the adults...not so much.

All in all, it's just under 1,000 miles (988 to the Contemporary, 983 to the Yacht Club) - door to door. It's a 14 hour drive if you don't make any stops...but a few hours longer when you factor in stopping for gas and meals...and of course, traffic. When we drove straight through, we were hoping to save time with low nighttime traffic, but we hit tons of construction in Louisiana and lowered speed limits (45mph), so it killed our time. We left the house around 8:30pm for that trip and got to YC around 4pm the next day.

Probably more info that you were looking for, but it gives you an idea of our timing.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

We're in the suburbs south of Houston, TX. When my younger one was age two, we made it a 2 day drive...Houston to Mobile, AL day one and then on to Orlando on day 2. On the return, we pushed ourselves a little bit farther and spent the night in Biloxi, MS. We have driven straight through, but the kids were a little bit older (4 and 6). They did pretty well, but the adults...not so much.

All in all, it's just under 1,000 miles (988 to the Contemporary, 983 to the Yacht Club) - door to door. It's a 14 hour drive if you don't make any stops...but a few hours longer when you factor in stopping for gas and meals...and of course, traffic. When we drove straight through, we were hoping to save time with low nighttime traffic, but we hit tons of construction in Louisiana and lowered speed limits (45mph), so it killed our time. We left the house around 8:30pm for that trip and got to YC around 4pm the next day.

Probably more info that you were looking for, but it gives you an idea of our timing.

That's an impressive commitment to driving! My family's drive is about 20 hours, including bare minimum gas and bathroom breaks. We like it because it's cheap, but I don't think there's any doubt that we would fly if money really were no object. It is stressful worrying about being "that person" on the flight, but it's only a 2.75 hour flight, and if you get a direct flight to MCO, everyone else is going to Disney... better mood on the plane!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That's an impressive commitment to driving! My family's drive is about 20 hours, including bare minimum gas and bathroom breaks. We like it because it's cheap, but I don't think there's any doubt that we would fly if money really were no object. It is stressful worrying about being "that person" on the flight, but it's only a 2.75 hour flight, and if you get a direct flight to MCO, everyone else is going to Disney... better mood on the plane!

I completely agree on the savings that comes with driving. It certainly frees up a lot of space in the vacation budget. We'll be driving to the Ft. Lauderdale area this summer just because driving makes it an affordable getaway...well, that and having family to stay with when we get there. Unfortunately, I have no desire to fly to CA this winter when we go to DL and skiing, so that's a lot of airfare eating away at that budget. You are right on the happy people on the flights to Orlando. With the exception of that flight where my younger one melted down (we had a very sour woman seated with us), the majority of those going into MCO are in "I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!" mode. And who could really blame them?