What Are Your WDW Trip Progress Moments?

[Raineman]

What are the stages of your trip to WDW that you mentally check off as you do them, from the moment you leave home until the minute you step foot in the first park? As an example here's ours (we drive to WDW from London, Ontario, Canada):

• Loading up the car and leaving home early in the morning
• Crossing the border into Michigan
• Crossing each state line after Michigan: Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia
• Crossing the state line into Florida
• Getting onto the turnpike, then onto SR 429
• Passing under the west WDW gate on Western Way
• Arriving at our resort and checking in
• Getting on the bus to head to MK on our first day at the parks
• Walking down Main Street before heading to BOG for breakfast

 

[belledream]

• Wake up to the one ringtone I have designated as my 'Disney alarm!'
• Hugging my dad goodbye at the airport. (He's our #1 Disney supporter.)
• Powerwalking through MCO to the Disney Magical Express.
• Getting on the bus, laughing at the cartoons, getting the camera out for picture time.
• Passing under the archway and seeing the purple street signs.
• Making note of the sound of the automatic doors and smell of the lobby as we enter the resort.
• Check in, drop luggage off, GET ON THE BUS TO THE PARKS!

@Raineman , thanks for this thread. Love reliving those moments, and can't wait for them to come so soon!

 

[G8rchamps]

We drive about 1hr 45mins to the park.
*Disney Parks CD track one. All Aboard and the Welcome song. My daughter just turned 10 and still cries when we hear that song on our way to the park.
*Purple signs and gateway let us know we are on property.
*Park for check in and walk into the lobby of the resort- we are not too picky.
*Get into our room and turn on the info channel on the TV - mostly for the music.
*transportation- bus, tram, monorail, ferry, etc...
*MK first- always MK first.
*MK Welcome Show and Railroad - Oh wait- they cancelled that so we can spend money, get our Starbuks, and get a watered down welcome.(I'm not bitter)
*First churro of the trip in Frontierland at about 10AM- DS goes to the shootin arcade while we snack.
*Sorcerers cards

 

[Disney4family]

* Scream "Jambo!" at my husband when he gets home from his last day of work before a trip
* Close eyes and try to sleep - open eyes & stare at clock (lather, rinse, repeat every other second from 9 pm - 1 am)
* Wake up to an alarm at 3 am that is so loud it can be heard across most of the continental US
* Down 1/2 pot of coffee
* Wake the kids up with "Stacey"
* Take limo (SUV) to airport
* Watch and wonder how husband can sleep on the plane after all that
* Speed walk to the Mickey Bus at MCO
* Watch the new and boring video on the DME
* Get to the resort, drop off the carry-ons, goop up with sunscreen & walk to the Magic Kingdom to have the time of our lives!!!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Fill gas tank to the brim. check tire pressure, oil fill, vacuum throughout and clean windows. Go over road trip plan. Load up on Disney CD's.
Load van with all luggage & bags the night before. Panic... did I get everything packed? Go over check list, think of something else I need.
Go to bed but never really sleep. Maybe doze for 15 minutes at a time, if that. Think, think, think, think Disney.
Wide awake before the alarm goes off. Wake up DW with screams.... Get up.... GET UP... Its time to leave for Disney!!!!
Get ready faster than ever, rush DW out to the van. Load up the front of the van with drinks, snacks, and other necessary items.
Set up the Garmin, turn on the first CD of Disney music. Hit the road between 4 & 5 a.m. Over 1400 miles to go.. ARRRGH
Talk non stop about my park plans, discuss ADR's and FP+ schedule, resort details ( DW has heard these things for the last 180 days )
Drive 12 - 14 hours. Check the time as we cross every state line. With stops for gas ups, bathroom breaks and food stops.
Stop for the night in a hotel in Southern VA.
Rush out to the van after a quick breakfast. Drive to SC where we meet up with friends, and stay the night. ( DW's idea. )
Wake up. Have a breakfast with friends who like to linger over breakfast as I am chomping at the bit TO GET GOING.
Drive over the FL state line. Go berserk because we are in FL. And that means Disney.... Get frustrated because I-4 is so dang long.
Drive within sight of THE Welcome sign and go berserk.
Turn into POFQ. Check in, unload luggage. Run to the bus stop, and head off to MK. Finally relax. Ive got nothing but time to enjoy.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

"Sleep" at an airport hotel the night before my flight. Check in way too early and walk around until I can go to my gate. Have an uncomfortable 9 hour flight but I don't care because I am going Home. Try to sleep on the plane but I can't so watch some Disney movies.
Arrive at MCO, long wait at immigration, always nervous for my secondary screening that I get because I have a visa instead of an ESTA. Finally get my passport back, pick up my luggage and find the MDE as fast as I can. Smiling like a crazy person the whole way to my resort. Wipe away a little tear when the cast member says Welcome Home.
Check out the resort a bit and have a bite to eat, unpack and go to sleep as it is now 2am for me but only 9pm Disney time.
Wake up at 4am, impossible to go to sleep again because I am at Disney World!
Watch the sunrise on my balcony with a strong cup of coffee .
Be on the first bus to the MK, cry a little when I see the castle for the first time.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Landing at MCO
Arrival at our resort
Shopping at Publix
Waking up the first morning
Heading to MK first
Ride Space Mountain first

@RedNoseMickey your "sleep" in quotes has me laughing. Totally relate!

 

[Raineman]

Well, so far 3 out of 7 drive to WDW, myself included. And @JIMINYCR has a slightly longer drive than we do-ours is just over 1300 miles. We both probably wish we had @G8rchamps drive time As strange as this may sound to some people, I love the drive down I-75, especially the mountains in Tennessee-beautiful.

 

[Weather_Lady]

For me, the biggies are:

- the moment we're fully packed and the suitcases are lined up by the front door (typically the night before we leave)
- the moment our plane touches down in Orlando
- stepping into our resort for check-in and getting a whiff of whatever unique, thematically-appropriate scent is on offer
- my first view of Cinderella castle (even if we were to visit another park first, I don't feel like my visit to Disney is official until we get to the MK)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

 

[disneyworlddad]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

I'm a driver as well. We live in southern IL close to St. Louis. For me it isn't really anything extra to drive. We drive straight through to Jacksonville and stay with family. So no extra hotels and only dinner and breakfast on the road. We spend a day or two with family and leave early from Jacksonville and can be at the park before it opens. I can't vouch for anyone else but it is so much cheaper than flying. Same way coming back.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

For me, the biggies are:

- the moment we're fully packed and the suitcases are lined up by the front door (typically the night before we leave)
- the moment our plane touches down in Orlando
- stepping into our resort for check-in
- my first view of Cinderella castle (even if we were to visit another park first, I don't feel like my visit to Disney is official until we get to the MK)

Omg I forgot the suitcases. How silly of me, considering I obsessively plan a packing list, pack, pack again, and pack again. So fun when they're at the door, ready to go!

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

When I was a kid, my family and I drove from the Northeast because my mother had a phobia of flying after being in severe turbulence on an international flight as a young woman. The driving was so fun though. I have some amazing and funny childhood memories of us driving. They just planned the driving days well so it didn't cut into our trip (their school employee schedules made that easy with weekends and holidays, summers). This was in the 90s when everything was cheaper though so it was easier to manage financially than now I'd imagine, like the cost of gas and food and one overnight.

 

[Raineman]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

In our case, it doesn't really save us much money, but we enjoy the road trip itself (at least getting there-the drive home can become a death march). Driving through the mountains in Kentucky and Tennessee, driving through major centers like Cincinnati and Atlanta, eating at places we don't have in Canada, just spending time together as a family-things you don't get as much when you fly. Also, it does give us flexibility as to when we arrive at and leave WDW, going offsite if we want, hitting other places on the way there and the way back, etc. Having to depend on an airline and the DME to get me where I want on time, in 2017, is not something that fills me with alot of optimism. And, the extra days spent driving is not an issue, as myself and DW have no issues getting the extra time off. When we drove down last March, I drove all the way, we spent 21 hours in the car the first day due to a 4 1/2 hour detour on I75 in Tennessee due to a rockslide-and we still enjoyed the drive.

 

[JIMINYCR]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

We drive because DW is in a motorized w/c. We have flown many times but after 3 different airline baggage handlers damaged her only means of transportation every time by treating her w/c as if it was just another piece of luggage, and not caring how it was stowed onto the plane or transported from the plane to the terminal, we decided driving was the only way we could ensure her w/c would get to WDW safely. Each time they caused thousands of dollars damage to it and DW's trips to WDW were ruined. We looked into private transportation flights that are offered in other areas but couldnt find any from our area.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

May I ask the reason why you long-distance people choose to drive rather than fly? When you consider it costs you a minimum of two extra days of missed work plus gas, two extra nights of hotel, depreciation on your vehicle, and two extra days of feeding everyone on the road, it can't possibly be that much cheaper than flying, if at all.

For my family of 5, it would be almost $2,000 round trip to fly. Gas is around $200. We normally pack food that isn't much different than what we would eat otherwise, and we've either driven straight through or stopped at a friend's house. I want to try to break up the drive on the way back this time in November; that should be $100 or less. Depreciation on the car isn't really an issue, as we keep them until they die. The rust from the salt on the roads is worse than any trip to Disney; 2,500 miles on the car isn't a big deal IMO. There are small costs that I don't bother to add up, but it's 1/4 of an oil change ($9), 1/4 of an air filter ($2), etc. Of course I would love to not use days off from work just driving, but I have enough time off from work to "waste" one or two IMO. We leave after work on Friday, and can be at Disney in the mid-afternoon on Saturday... not much different than if we caught a flight down in the late morning. No TSA, no baggage fees, no hard schedule, etc. This trip, we have five people over age three and have been priced out of any cheap Disney rooms, so we've switched to camping at Fort Wilderness. That's a whole separate reason to drive, but we also drove the two trips before this upcoming one.

For our drive (leaving after work and driving straight through from Buffalo), these are my milestones:
- Leaving home, obviously.
- Leaving NY
- Leaving WV. It looks small on the map, but it takes forever... especially on the way home!
- First light, normally between Charlotte and Columbia, SC.
- Getting on I-95
- Entering Florida
- Getting on I-4
- The Welcome arch!

 

[becca_]

For our drive (leaving after work and driving straight through from Buffalo)

Another Buffalonian!

-If I have a 5am flight, I'll stay up the whole night, who needs sleep?
-If I have a later flight, I just toss and turn anyway
-Start playing Disney pandora radio
-Drive to airport
-Get Tim Hortons!! it's essential!!
-Sit & wait in airport, use up most of my phone battery before we even take off
-Board, sleep on plane, FINALLY land!!
-Cry as I see the DME booths
-Get to resort, hit the parks, probably cry some more

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Get Tim Hortons!! it's essential!!

AKA my Canada pavilion revitalization plan.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm on the airport parking shuttle in Providence right now. I guess that's a milestone!

 

[Raineman]

For my family of 5, it would be almost $2,000 round trip to fly. Gas is around $200. We normally pack food that isn't much different than what we would eat otherwise, and we've either driven straight through or stopped at a friend's house. I want to try to break up the drive on the way back this time in November; that should be $100 or less. Depreciation on the car isn't really an issue, as we keep them until they die. The rust from the salt on the roads is worse than any trip to Disney; 2,500 miles on the car isn't a big deal IMO. There are small costs that I don't bother to add up, but it's 1/4 of an oil change ($9), 1/4 of an air filter ($2), etc. Of course I would love to not use days off from work just driving, but I have enough time off from work to "waste" one or two IMO. We leave after work on Friday, and can be at Disney in the mid-afternoon on Saturday... not much different than if we caught a flight down in the late morning. No TSA, no baggage fees, no hard schedule, etc. This trip, we have five people over age three and have been priced out of any cheap Disney rooms, so we've switched to camping at Fort Wilderness. That's a whole separate reason to drive, but we also drove the two trips before this upcoming one.

For our drive (leaving after work and driving straight through from Buffalo), these are my milestones:
- Leaving home, obviously.
- Leaving NY
- Leaving WV. It looks small on the map, but it takes forever... especially on the way home!
- First light, normally between Charlotte and Columbia, SC.
- Getting on I-95
- Entering Florida
- Getting on I-4
- The Welcome arch!

I've always wondered what the drive down the east coast route to WDW is like, compared to the Midwest I-75 route that I am familiar with. I have heard that driving through the mountains in Virginia can be a bit harrowing in the winter if a heavy snowfall hits that area. Taking the I-75 route, you can usually stop worrying about snow once you get into Kentucky and closer to Tennessee, but Michigan and Ohio can be tricky in the winter.