Anyone else choosing not to fly to Disney anymore?

[AEfx]

On my last trip to WDW just before Christmas, I made a decision : that I wouldn't be flying to WDW any more. Has anyone else come to a similar conclusion?

I am an AP holder that lives 1,000 miles away, and my plans to return to Disney frequently have not changed, but my mode of transportation has. From now on, I'm driving.

There are a number of factors, from the fact that I don't like feeling treated as a criminal by the airlines to the fact that Disney will no longer allow you to use Magical Express unless you subscribe to their 3-hour rule (they used to allow you to change your departure time if you wished, now they will not).

I would have decided this last summer when this "no liquids" nonsense began; that was really what put my choice over the edge. Unfortunately I had already bought a ticket for my last trip. I felt it was a severe overreaction at the time, and as we know now there was nothing to any of it - yet we still can't bring our own liquids into the airport. I was correct at the time - it WAS just some hydrogen peroxide and some over zealous investigators. Yet we are still paying for it; it's often repeated, but what is going to happen when someone tries taking something in their hair? Will people be lining up to have their heads shaved before boarding then? Where does it end? Yuck...I better stop there, LOL.

That's only part of it, however. The last time I was at Disney, just for the heck of it I measured how long it took me to get out of dodge using Disney transportation, waiting at the airport, etc. If I had my own vehicle (besides the obvious benefit of being able to visit Universal or other attractions and not being a slave to Disney's food schedule - can't get a hot meal after 12AM in many places), I would have packed up my car, checked out, driven to a theme park, visited the park, and then left WDW straight from there.

I ended at Epcot, and left around 1:45PM. I set my stop watch as I passed the trams to the parking lot, and I didn't stop it until I returned home on my doorstep. From waiting for the bus back to the resort, to waiting for Magical Express, than the 90 minute wait at the airport where I had nothing to do (that Magical Express refused to let me avoid), to the actual flight, waiting for luggage, and finally driving home, took over ten hours.

When I looked at what I did for that time, most of it was uncomfortable, irritating, off-putting, or all of the above. I actually enjoy the act of flying, but sitting basically touching a stranger kind of negates that, not to mention what you have to deal with (or potentially deal with) just to get on.

And then I thought about the 20ish hour drive it would take me if I just drove myself from Boston to Orlando. I have a nice, relatively new car that I enjoy driving, and it would be nice to finally have a need for that MP3 CD player in the dash. I never use it to it's potential because I simply don't get to drive distances very often. I also love road trips, wouldn't have to worry about packing at all (my trunk will be empty and at my disposal), carrying my luggage...and then all the benefits of having my own vehicle at Disney I outlined above. I've driven down several times before, so I know what to expect; one of the big reasons I stopped was because airfare got so cheap at one point ($49-59 each way) and with those prices pretty much doubled now yet another incentive goes out the window.

It really was easy for me to decide finally that I wouldn't be supporting the airlines anymore. It may limit my travel choices, but the only place I go anymore is Disney anyway. If I decide to travel to Europe or where ever again in the future, I can justify dealing with all of the hooplah around flying because it's an international flight, but I honestly can say I don't see myself taking a domestic flight again. I am a citizen of this country, I have no criminal record (not even a speeding ticket!), and as a consumer I am refusing to participate. It used to be easy and convenient to fly, but now I'd rather spend 20-22 hours comfortably riding in my own vehicle along with all the other benefits. I used to enjoy giving up the control of travel to a 3rd party, but the benefits just don't outweigh the price they make you pay these days, at least for my taste. A flight to Disney is a consumer product I'm simply choosing not to buy any more.

So has anyone else in a similar situation (within a day or two driving distance of WDW) just given up on flying there? For just myself, the car ride down is going to cost just about the same as a plane ticket. I can imagine the savings would be more attractive if you have more people as well, as obviously your savings goes up exponenitally.

Thanks for listening,

AFX

 

[Ausdaddy]

Exactly. I can save a ton of money on 4 people by driving. Airfare prices are out-of-control in my area. I drove for the first time in August and it was reasonable. It saves me on having to cram everything into my luggage as well.

 

[jaybouch]

Flying + Aggrivation and uncomfortable seats is still better than spending 20 hours to get there and back. I've driven to Disney before, the excitement holds you over on the way down, but on the way back, the ride just sucks.

 

[AEfx]

Exactly. I can save a ton of money on 4 people by driving. Airfare prices are out-of-control in my area. I drove for the first time in August and it was reasonable. It saves me on having to cram everything into my luggage as well.

The luggage thing is a huge selling point. I probably wouldn't even fully unpack, just take what I needed out of the car for the day.

Flying + Aggrivation and uncomfortable seats is still better than spending 20 hours to get there and back. I've driven to Disney before, the excitement holds you over on the way down, but on the way back, the ride just sucks.

I used to feel that way, but, as you can see from this thread, LOL, I've changed my mind. I actually enjoy driving, though. I can see if you didn't how flying would be more convenient.

To be honest, I'm actually excited thinking about all the audio I could listen to on the way down and back...so, so many things (not just music, lots of spoken word, etc.) that I have that I've never had the time to listen to. Plus, I can provide my own liquids! LOL. I can drink all the diet pepsi I want.

AFX

 

[3fordisney]

We have only flown once and do not plan on doing it again. We did in November 2001 and had purchased the plane tickets prior to Sept. 11. Where I am, there are no direct flights. We can either drive to Birmingham and get one there or fly to Atlanta and then fly to Orlando, which isn't cheap at all. Our drive is about 9 hrs with all the stops we make to stretch our legs.

We like having the option of driving ourselves to the parks. At times, its easier to drive ourselves than take the buses. Also, we stay at the value resorts and like to stop at the McDonalds right outside the All Stars. We like being able to buy what we'd like to and not have to worry about how to get it home.

 

[yazmin182]

I def. agree with the stuff you're saying. I think I would still rather take a plane though, only because the major factor for many people is time. When I went in August, I was barely able to take a week off from work, so if you drive that's adding an extra 4 days to your trip that sometimes is not possible.

But what's this 3 hour rule you're referring to? When did they start it because I was there the last week of August and we immediately boarded the Magical Express.

If I wasn't so far (I'm near Detroit) then I would def. drive because driving to the parks would be waay faster than taking the horrible buses, especially in the heat.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm also about an 18-hour drive, so driving costs two days each way, but flying costs only 1/2 day. My time is still worth more to me than my dignity (!) so I continue to fly.

It's about $1000 to fly my family down and back for our week in late February/early March on direct flights. A round trip is about 2,300 miles. Considering only operating expenses, driving costs about 1/3 of that. But, the additional time, to our family, more than outweighs the additional cost.

 

[Master Yoda]

I am quite fortunate that I live a mere 2-1/2 hour drive away from WDW so it has never really been an issue for me at least in a traveling to WDW aspect. However I can see that all of your reasons for not flying are quite valid and quite true. I have been fortunate enough not to have had a need to get on a plane since 1999. I don't think anyone will question that security practices needed to be revised after 9-11 but it has gotten a bit nuts to say the least and I honestly can't say that the current system is any safer. Back when I was flying to Dallas monthly I could get to the airport at 11:00 for a 12:00 flight and have time to spare. Under today's restrictions I would need to get there around 9:00 or 10:00 for that same 12:00 flight.

As of late I have found myself using my car at WDW more and more. We never leave property but it seems that Disney transportation has really taken a dive in the last year or so. On October 5th this year it took us more than 1 hour to go from PORS to MK at 5:00 PM. Since that day we have only used Disney transportation to get to PI and we only use that so we don't need a designated driver.

For you MP3 capable car stereo....If you are a Windows user look into a player that will read WMA files. WMA recorded using the variable bit rate are about 1/7 the size of the same file in CD quality (128 bit rate) MP3 and unless you are a complete audiophile you wont hear the difference. In most cases you can reduce an entire artists catalogue down to one disk. I ripped all 23 of my Yanni CD's in WMA VBR format and they all fit on 1 CD that is only 67% full.

 

[pacochran]

You mustn't have kids, as spending that much time in a car with kids, I'd shoot myself before I got to Disney.

If you are really prepared to me it isn't a hassle, yes a big expense but not a hassle. We come from MA also, now I fly out of Manchester NH which is a lot more easier, no long lines. The last two times haven't had any problems. We leave our house about 4:30 to 5:00AM, and we are in Orlando by 11:00 AM. What we do is though we rent a car, but only for a two days, one the day we arrive and the second the day we leave. This way we are not at the mercy of any of the other transportation. I will admit there are lines coming back at the Orlando airport, but we also travel mid week to mid week so it isn't quite as busy if you were flying out on the weekend.

We also like to rent the car because as we are heading to the resort we usually stop at the outlets and do shopping at the Character Outlets, and get some buys on Disney souvenirs.

 

[paul436]

As a kid, my mother drive myself and my 2 siblings to WDW a couple of times. This was the mid-late 70s. I look back and remember these trips fondly. But as an adult now, I can also look back and remember the absolute torture 3 kids in a car for 20+ hours can inflict on a parent. Those fond memories have prevented me from even considering driving to WDW from NYC with my own 3 children.

 

[Tundo]

We have always driven from Northern New Jersey And while the ride down to Disney isnt bad ,considering you have something to look forward to, the ride home is absolute murder. With my kids being 11 and 2 this year I decided I didn't want to drive. My wife absolutely refuses to fly so we are driving to Virginia about 4 hours and taking the autotrain the rest of the way. Booked it enough in advance so it costs about as much as flying and renting a car. Needed sleeping car so it was more expensive then just a regular seat. Also instead of taking two days to get to Disney it is taking one and we will have 2 more days down in Disney.

 

[JimboJones123]

Your post made me think about it for a few minutes. Then I remembered how bad road trips were as a kid. Not for my kids. Maybe w/ a van and TVs and Vid games???? But we would still have to go overnight to eat half the trip sleeping. It's too hard on kids.

 

[jim1051]

we made this decision Sept., 2001 for obvious reasons, we had ressy at GF 9/15/01. We've been driving from PA ever since.

 

[AEfx]

You mustn't have kids, as spending that much time in a car with kids, I'd shoot myself before I got to Disney.

This is very true, I do not have kids.

As a kid, my mother drive myself and my 2 siblings to WDW a couple of times. This was the mid-late 70s. I look back and remember these trips fondly. But as an adult now, I can also look back and remember the absolute torture 3 kids in a car for 20+ hours can inflict on a parent. Those fond memories have prevented me from even considering driving to WDW from NYC with my own 3 children.

Ah, but times have changed since the 70's, though. I imagine it wouldn't be as bad torture today as thirty years ago; between portable DVD players, iPods, cell phones, Nintendo DS/PSP/etc., there is more to keep them occupied, I'd think. Then again, as I said, I like traveling via car, so when I wasn't the driver a low-tech book always did it for me.

I definitely am not trying to convince people they shouldn't fly, though, LOL. I just know that, for me, the bad now outweighs the good. I'm also fortunate that I set my own schedule, as if time was extremely limited I may still put up with the hooplah.

Oh, and Master Yoda, thanks for the tip. I believe I can also run WMA's on it...but as I said, I haven't had the occasion since I got it to really try LOL. I'll check it out for sure. I prefer mp3 for long-term storage and compatability, but for car use I wouldn't mind.

You also brought up an interesting point regarding on-site transportation. I likely will do a combination. I usually don't mind Disney transport, but there are times where the car will be quicker, like coming back from EMH at the MK, for instance. Since virtually everyone at EMH will be taking Disney busses, I think it will be nicer just to drive. Plus, no more rushing to find food before the park closes late, because you know the food at the resort will be closed by the time you return.

I love being on-site, and I don't see that changing, but while I've lived the "held captive at WDW" experience on my last few trips and enjoyed it, there are some minor things that really will be nice to have as options.

AEfx

 

[bayoutinkbelle]

The only two things I fear (really, really fear) are spiders and flying, so I'm always driving to WDW. I live about 12 hours away, which isn't bad. Even if I did want to fly, it wouldn't be a cost-effective decision for me. My round-trip gas bill always has been under $200.

Plus, I just love to hit the road and drive.

 

[MiceysBestPal]

No possible way... would I drive.

Southwest Airlines, Kansas City to Orlando costs me as little as $50 (usually, its $99) plus "airport fees of $15 or so) each way, per person.
The flight time is 2.5 hours.
Add under an hour to the resort on DME... check in (say. 30 min.), and I'm at MK in about 4 hours from "wheels-up," give-or-take.

If I drive to "somewhat nearby" Branson, Mo. it takes me over 6 hours from KC.

It may take a while longer in the airport (DME) to get ready to depart Orlando, but I would take me a couple of L-O-N-G DAYS if I drove.

Before DME, I used to take a limo. It was great, and I didn't need to leave until about 2 hours before the flight time. DME means I go back to MCO an hour earlier. In the course of staying 9-12 days, that's no big deal.

Many more people fly now... Air travel is a hassle.
Many more guests visit WDW now... that's a hassle, too.
And THAT wouldn't change regardless of HOW I got there.

 

[KrazyKemp]

Driving for me is out of the question.

Living in California, it would take us at least 3-4 extra days (and a lot of gas money) to arrive, and 3-4 days to drive back.

I would rather spend $600 - $1000 and fly to WDW.

Of course, driving to Disneyland is no biggie...7-8 hours.

But that's another story.

 

[the-reason14]

I understand what you are saying, but all the times Ive been going to WDW my family has always chosen to drive. Its more convenient(sp) in ways , but as far as time goes it isnt. The first few times we flew to WDW it was just me and my dad, and we were kind of in a time shock because Orlando is an hour ahead of us here in Houston, and the weekend we went, time had changed so we were definately tripping. But I really dont plan on flying anywhere for awhile, I almost rather skip the trip, the last few flying experiences I had werent really good, so I dont want to go through any more added stress than I need.

 

[AEfx]

But what's this 3 hour rule you're referring to? When did they start it because I was there the last week of August and we immediately boarded the Magical Express.

Sorry, I missed this when I previously replied.

I was referring to the ME pickup time, which must be three hours before your flight.

For many of us, this is overkill. They used to let you do it at two hours, but they will not let you make that choice for yourself anymore. Now, before I get flamed by someone, I fully understand why - some people can't take responsibility for themselves, and would complain if they missed their flight, even if Disney warned them. I know, they have to play to the LCD, as always.

As a single adult traveling to the airport on a Tuesday afternoon (I always fly out on Tues or Weds), I knew full well, as always, I would not need that much time. And, as an adult, I feel that I should be able to make that decision for myself, and if I am wrong and miss my flight I should suffer the consequences. However, because of what I said above, Disney won't allow you to make this choice for yourself anymore (they used to do it, but simply warn you they were not responsible if we were not on time).

Of course, this is relatively minor. It does bother me when I'm treated like a child, but ME is free and although an extra hour in the park (I've never had less than 90 minutes to sit at the gate and do nothing on more than a half-dozen trips using ME) would be nice, it wouldn't be enough for me to stop using the FREE (felt like I needed to say it again, LOL) service on it's own. When you add to to the already large "minus" column, though, it is definitely a factor for me and when you couple it with the ability to go off-property for food and Pepsi products with your own transportation, it really makes the value go down for what I use ME for.

AEfx

 

[CleveRocks]

I just hate sitting cramped up in a car for hours. I'd fly to work rather than commute if I could!

The first time I ever flew, I was 23 years old and headed to WDW with my fiancee's family. I thought the whole idea of flying was silly and unnecessary. As a kid, I'd been on family vacations pretty much every year, and we drove hours and days north and south of Philadelphia many times, including WDW the first full year it was open.

So like I said, when I went there in 1990 I scoffed at the idea of flying, but I went along with the crowd. Well, since that first day, I'm a convert to flying. And we all know there's no zealot like a convert.

It totally blew my mind that I could leave my house early in the morning and walk down Main Street in MK by Noon that same day. I was hooked!