Disney and Gas Prices

[MickeyLuv'r]

95 degrees heat index in Carolinas or GA, FL in mid summer, eating outside ? , we will pass.

Okay.

And I'll continue to enjoy outdoor dining in the summer.

We can all be happy with our choices.

Though the person you first quoted said they were already planning to WDW in August. If they didn't want to be outdoors in FL in August, I doubt they would be going to WDW at that time of year. Just, that doesn't make any sense.

 

[Lilofan]

In the South? lol Not that I've seen.

Only picnic tables I-95 , I have seen to eat in any weather is at interstate rest stops.

 

[RememberWhen]

Didn’t mean to derail the thread with discussions of outdoor vs indoor highway dining.

I suspect most families who have planned a trip won’t change it due to raised gas prices unless they go so high that it really changes how people are living. $4+ per gallon is livable. $20 might really change how people have to spend their money.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Well, my husband and I have a road trip scheduled for the first of April to Arizona from Mn, at 1000 miles. We have been planning it for months. We have decided to go ahead with our trip as planned. The only thing that would stop us is if the gas prices were upwards of 7 dollars or more a gallon. Our Subaru forrester gets over 30 MPG on the highway, so that will help. I checked air fare prices for that timeline and they are going up, up, up, if you can get a reservation. I am surprised at how many flights on Delta are sold out at that time frame to Phoenix!
We have another trip planned this fall for Tennessee and then Florida (no disney),, but will wait and see what happens. Another poster on one of these sites said that the oil industry in N. Dakota is calling back some workers. So there is hope we can be energy independent once again Or at least get prices lowered.

 

[Lilofan]

Didn’t mean to derail the thread with discussions of outdoor vs indoor highway dining.

I suspect most families who have planned a trip won’t change it due to raised gas prices unless they go so high that it really changes how people are living. $4+ per gallon is livable. $20 might really change how people have to spend their money.

I put my V6 6 speed manual on ECON mode which instead of using all 6 cylinders , the computer makes the car run on 3 - 4 cylinders to save on gas, only difference is the acceleration is slower off the line or merging is not as quick and explosive without the ECON mode on. I love driving a stick, save the manuals!

 

[jasminethecat]

I assumed the poster meant high gas prices as it impacts a family's total budget, not just the portion they spend to visit WDW, as in the amount people spend to commute to work.

@MickeyLuv'r made a great point which went overlooked here, @EPCOT-O.G. - did you mean the extra gas prices just to visit disney itself, or the overall effect of gas prices on family budgets which may cause people to have to cancel or delay a trip because it is now squeezing family budgets just to drive to work and around town.

I feel like the extra $100 to drive my F-150 down to florida once isn't a deal breaker, but the extra $100 per week my wife and I spend on gas might delay my ability to save up for my next trip. It will be interesting to see how airlines raise prices for flights based on gas prices. They will probably add a surcharge which doesn't affect the ticket price you see on travel sites.

And nobody in NC or further south really wants to eat outside when it's 90+ degrees and full humidity. We will, but we don't like it.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Didn’t mean to derail the thread with discussions of outdoor vs indoor highway dining.

I suspect most families who have planned a trip won’t change it due to raised gas prices unless they go so high that it really changes how people are living. $4+ per gallon is livable. $20 might really change how people have to spend their money.

Nor did I. but I sorta felt a need to offer a correction. Roadtripping isn't for everyone, but there are some enjoyable places to dine along I-95 if one looks.

Downtown Savannah, as an example, is about 15-20min detour from I-95. If someone was coming from MA, it is probably one of the more preferable places to stop for the night if one doesn't wish to drive straight through. Springfield, MA to WDW is 19 hours, for example, so many people would want to stop ( to sleep) somewhere along the drive.

A river runs through Savannah, so there is a whole stretch along the river that is super nice and has tons of outdoor dining. Check out the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside website for photos. The hotel features a stretch of waterfront that is lined with assorted outdoor eateries, plus rooftop bars with river views. (Marriott's Alida is just a few feet away w/rooftop bar). It is exceptional. And there are a range of options at different price points. ( for reference: www.visitsavannah.com)

There is also a longer riverfront area that has a lot of outdoor dining, including places that can be indoors in winter but open all the windows in summer. So tables are shaded, but get open breezes. I'm just not sure what to call that type of option. Semi-outdoors?

Another spot that comes to mind is the Lake House in Santee. It is close to I-95, and it is right one a large lake. This one is not fast food, but it was very nice.

I get that outdoor dining isn't for everyone, and that is fine, but it simply isn't true to say it doesn't exist in GA. The waferfront district is packed with people dining outdoors in the summer! If someone expects it to be empty, they would be woefully misinformed.

 

[monothingie]

Gas Prices really don't matter...but keeping in the spirit of those popular stickers appearing at gas pumps throughout the country...

 

[Nottamus]

This is the first trip we are driving straight through on way down

We usually drive to either Yulee or Deltona for the night from NJ. We deciding to cancel room and throw that extra $ for fuel costs and use DVC points for one nights stay on property

We usually drive straight through on way home, so so this should be the same

We have road food for the ride, not the best stuff, but it keeps us alive until we get there…..to ummm, eat more unhealthy things.

 

[Ayla]

@MickeyLuv'r made a great point which went overlooked here, @EPCOT-O.G. - did you mean the extra gas prices just to visit disney itself, or the overall effect of gas prices on family budgets which may cause people to have to cancel or delay a trip because it is now squeezing family budgets just to drive to work and around town.

I feel like the extra $100 to drive my F-150 down to florida once isn't a deal breaker, but the extra $100 per week my wife and I spend on gas might delay my ability to save up for my next trip. It will be interesting to see how airlines raise prices for flights based on gas prices. They will probably add a surcharge which doesn't affect the ticket price you see on travel sites.

And nobody in NC or further south really wants to eat outside when it's 90+ degrees and full humidity. We will, but we don't like it.

Gas prices are already dropping. Down to $3.95 here in my area of WI today.

 

[JohnD]

This is the first trip we are driving straight through on way down

We usually drive to either Yulee or Deltona for the night from NJ. We deciding to cancel room and throw that extra $ for fuel costs and use DVC points for one nights stay on property

We usually drive straight through on way home, so so this should be the same

We have road food for the ride, not the best stuff, but it keeps us alive until we get there…..to ummm, eat more unhealthy things.

I can understand stopping in Yulee. That's north of Jacksonville at I-95/A1A. But Deltona is just north of Orlando. You might as well continue straight to WDW at that point. (Yes, I know you're driving all the way down this trip.)

 

[Raxel7851]

When I drive to Florida, I’m typically not looking to waste travel time eating a meal inside. When I stop for the day, then I’ll find a place to eat inside to unwind. There’s no problem finding a Cracker Barrel anywhere from Maine to Florida along the I-95 corridor where you can find eat inside if you wish, along with other National chains.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Good luck trying to find an indoor place to eat off of I-95 going to FL from the Carolinas to FL. A number of places are drive thru only with limited hours and menu due to supply chain issues and staffing shortages. You can always crank the AC in your car and enjoy your food.

When in that situation we have found that fast food at truck stops are almost always open indoors.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Much has been said of how, in past decades, spiking gas prices and shortages really tamped down WDW. We’re in the middle of a huge spike now, but it seems that hasn’t dampened the crowds or attendance (for now at least). Has Disney put itself in a place where it’s above those sorts of considerations? Or do we think the spikes/increases have happened so suddenly (and so close to already planned Spring Breaks and proximity to Covid revenge travel) that it was too late to factor in these increased costs?

WDW fans all have a love for WDW but they also have something else in common, they got M O N E Y otherwise they could not vacation there in the first place.

WDW fans are numb to all price increases; park passes, resort parking, price increases in food, rooms, merch, Genie Plus, Lightning lane, hard ticket events etc. Gas is just another price increase WDW fans are numb to.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Well, my husband and I have a road trip scheduled for the first of April to Arizona from Mn, at 1000 miles. We have been planning it for months. We have decided to go ahead with our trip as planned. The only thing that would stop us is if the gas prices were upwards of 7 dollars or more a gallon. Our Subaru forrester gets over 30 MPG on the highway, so that will help. I checked air fare prices for that timeline and they are going up, up, up, if you can get a reservation. I am surprised at how many flights on Delta are sold out at that time frame to Phoenix!
We have another trip planned this fall for Tennessee and then Florida (no disney),, but will wait and see what happens. Another poster on one of these sites said that the oil industry in N. Dakota is calling back some workers. So there is hope we can be energy independent once again Or at least get prices lowered.

I salute you. There is more to a good trip than gas. The limitations on luggage and what you can take, the two + hours to get to the point of boarding your flight then obtaining ground transportation at your destination (anyway), how much time do you save? how much hassle? Ok so gas ain't cheap but the idea of a trip is to not be stressed, have enjoyment and travel on your own terms. By all means enjoy. I guess you can tell I drive unless its coast to coast or overseas, Oh and I will drive coast to coast (I like the scenic route) unless really pressed for time.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

WDW fans all have a love for WDW but they also have something else in common, they got M O N E Y otherwise they could not vacation there in the first place.

WDW fans are numb to all price increases; park passes, resort parking, price increases in food, rooms, merch, Genie Plus, Lightning lane, hard ticket events etc. Gas is just another price increase WDW fans are numb to.

I don't know about that. I came to these boards originally to find WDW discounts. I joined in 2004, I found Mousesavers before I found WDWMagic, and I used WDWMagic for a while before I joined the forum.

Luckily, there are many ways to adjust one's WDW budget, or at least there was.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I salute you. There is more to a good trip than gas. The limitations on luggage and what you can take, the two + hours to get to the point of boarding your flight then obtaining ground transportation at your destination (anyway), how much time do you save? how much hassle? Ok so gas ain't cheap but the idea of a trip is to not be stressed, have enjoyment and travel on your own terms. By all means enjoy. I guess you can tell I drive unless its coast to coast or overseas, Oh and I will drive coast to coast (I like the scenic route) unless really pressed for time.

I agree: one thing that's nice about driving is you can choose your timing and pace. So like, if we're ready early, we leave early. If we're running late, we leave late. Though...if you leave at the wrong time, traffic delays can be a nightmare in some places.

As a sidebar, when flying, Tampa is sometimes a lower cost option than MCO. Normally, it is not too bad to drive from Tampa over MCO, but rush hour can be pretty brutal on I-4.

Another factor when driving is how many people are in the car. When traveling solo, flying might be more cost effective, but with 3-4 people the cost of gas is more or less a fixed price. So with 3-4 people, driving can be more cost effective.

Still one MORE option is the hybrid. Car Rental companies sometimes offer one-way deals: where flying one way and driving the other in a rental car is a bargain. Or at least I sometimes found that deal in the before times.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

And nobody in NC or further south really wants to eat outside when it's 90+ degrees and full humidity. We will, but we don't like it.

I think maybe I'm the only forum member in this thread that has been to an East Coast waterfront crabhouse, but that's okay.

More or less every coastal city I've ever visited has the same kind of place. In NE, Lobsters with "littlenecks ("Clambake") are favored. From Delaware south to FL, the preferred seafood is more often blue crabs. FL and the Gulf Coast have shrimp and fried gator-bites.

People rave about Epcot's Fish and Chips, but to me it is nasty compared to fresh coastal seafood.

Anyhow, the best places have an outdoor deck, because the proper utensils for Crab and lobster are a clawcracker, a mallet, a small knife, served on brown paper with a roll of paper towels, and often a pitcher of cold beer. The main sides are fresh corn on the cob and melted butter.

There's nothing like eating crabs overlooking the Chesapeake in summer. Except maybe the bay of the Outer Banks, Tybee Island in GA, the Intercoastal waterway in FL, the lovely FL Gulf of Mexico at sunset, Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Boston, Long Idsland/Block Island Sound, and...well, I could name about 10 more coastal towns with great seafood houses.

Summer is high season along most of the coast, except maybe FL. Even GA beaches are packed in summer. Expect to find an hour+ wait for a table on the deck.

 

[UNCgolf]

There's nothing like eating crabs overlooking the Chesapeake in summer. Except maybe the bay of the Outer Banks, Tybee Island in GA, the Intercoastal waterway in FL, the lovely FL Gulf of Mexico at sunset, Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Boston, Long Idsland/Block Island Sound, and...well, I could name about 10 more coastal towns with great seafood houses.

Just chiming in to say Tybee Island seems like an outlier here. As someone who goes to the southern NC coast multiple times a year, and has also been to the Outer Banks, Charleston, Hilton Head, Sea Island, both sides of the Florida coast (as well as other non-southeastern beaches)... Tybee Island is mediocre at best. Savannah itself is a cool city with some great food, but there's not much to recommend about Tybee Island to me.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Everybody does realize that you’re going to get hit twice by this?

We can talk about increases in “getting to Disney” - but do you know how much gas those fleet of buses and boats need everyday?

Something tells me Chapek isn’t just going to eat that - for the betterment of the “experience”