Drive to Disney World?

[Guatemom2]

Hi Everyone,
How is the drive to Disney? How many hours? We are in Philadelphia, PA. Is parking free at Disney for guests that are staying in the park? WE are staying at AoA. Is it a pain to drive and park?
Would e leave in middle of night?
We will have an 8 & 6 yar old in the car with us.

Sorry for the questions, just never considered driving but some are telling us it's not that bad?

Thanks.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

when I was young we used to driving my mom still does we drive from Chicago to Kentucky and stop for 4 hours drive from Kentucky to Orlando it's about 24 hour drive now that my mom goes alone she usually pulled into the resort around midnight 1 o'clock and sleeps in her car until check in the next morning she's never had a problem she stay the Pop Century

 

[sweetpee_1993]

@Hot Lava, parking at the parks is free for WDW resort guests. I don't remember it ever being different. Like others have said, they give you the little parking pass for your car window at check-in. When passing the parking lot booths they look for that pass. Generally we don't even stop before being waved thru.

 

[Hot Lava]

@Hot Lava, parking at the parks is free for WDW resort guests. I don't remember it ever being different. Like others have said, they give you the little parking pass for your car window at check-in. When passing the parking lot booths they look for that pass. Generally we don't even stop before being waved thru.

Cool! Actually, I have never had a car while down there, so there would be no reason for me to know, I guess. I knew about the AAA lots b/c I had previously booked my vacations through them (the canceled one for this past fall I had booked with KK).
I have always used the WDW transportation in the past, but it is good to know that we could drive to a park and, well, park if it was needed or more expedient.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Cool! Actually, I have never had a car while down there, so there would be no reason for me to know, I guess. I knew about the AAA lots b/c I had previously booked my vacations through them (the canceled one for this past fall I had booked with KK).
I have always used the WDW transportation in the past, but it is good to know that we could drive to a park and, well, park if it was needed or more expedient.

We like to have our car and move from place to place on our own time, not when a bus gets us there. The only exception is going to the MK. Parking then having to traverse the Seven Seas Lagoon typically will eat more time than the buses.

 

[brifraz]

Being you are from Philly, especially with a 6 & 8 year old, it's 2 hours by air from Philly to Orlando. Get a car/van to pick you and drive you to PHI, then have a car service pick you up (depending on who you use, you can make a grocery stop for all your snackage, drink needs) and drop you off at your resort.

It will more than likely save your sanity, especially when you can get up, get on a plane and in 2 hours, you're there. All the estimates people are giving you are relative based on what time of year you are going and what the weather does. Once again, I'll take the price of flying over the price of a rental car (hopefully you wouldn't use your own car for that haul), gas and food getting to and from WDW.

I actually find that flying hurts my sanity much more than driving. For us, at least, it is an hour drive to the airport, $12 per day for parking, 10 minute shuttle to the terminal, and have to get there an hour before the flight. So that's over 2 hours before the 2 hour flight even begins. A car service from our house to the airport is $70 each way, so that's even more expensive than parking. Then pay the $25 per checked bag. Take off shoes and belt, unpack computer, empty pockets, get scanned, sometimes get frisked, put back on shoes and belt, repack computer. Then sit at the gate waiting to load (which for us also usually is marked with 10 trips up to the counter to get our seats back together which somehow didn't end up together even though we booked 8 months ago and verified twice with the airline). Wait in line to load plane. Hope for overhead space. Last time we flew, we had a 5 hour delay due to maintenance, but I won't figure that in. 2 hours later, land at ORL. Either wait 20 minutes for baggage or wait 20 minutes for Magical Express to depart. 20 minute drive/ride to hotel - if car service, another $30. Airline tickets for our family are about $600.

Total cost to fly for us is about $800 (including tickets, baggage fees, parking/car service, assuming no meals needed, etc), about 8 hours of time (including drives to and from all airports and screenings, etc), and lots of stress.

Total cost for us to drive is about $300 (including gas both ways - 900 miles from our door 30mpg, a full relaxed meal each way, and snacks), 28 hours of driving (both ways), almost no stress, and some lost sleep (we trade off drivers, so we both usually end up pretty close to a full nights sleep, granted not the most restful). Additional bonus of having a car at Disney which saves us time waiting for busses.

Difference is 20 hours more to drive, but save $500 in expenses and far less stress. The added bonus of the drive is lots of family time playing car games, watching scenery, singing songs, etc. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

 

[GoofGoof]

Hi Everyone,
How is the drive to Disney? How many hours? We are in Philadelphia, PA. Is parking free at Disney for guests that are staying in the park? WE are staying at AoA. Is it a pain to drive and park?
Would e leave in middle of night?
We will have an 8 & 6 yar old in the car with us.

Sorry for the questions, just never considered driving but some are telling us it's not that bad?

Thanks.

It's pretty long, but doable (18 hours driving straight through). We have done it several times (from Ft Washington area) but we always stop on the way down and back. Florence SC is a good stopping point. There are a bunch of hotels right off of 95, pretty much every chain imaginable, that are safe and clean. If you are leaving on a weekday definitely leave in the middle of the night. We always shot for about 3:30 or 4am. The goal is to clear DC before morning rush. From Philly, DC is 3 hours without traffic. Baltimore gets congested too on the way down, but leaving early avoids all of that. We would usually stop at a Denny's in VA for breakfast once we got past DC. The rest of the way is relatively traffic free until you hit FL, but it's 2 lanes on 95 a lot of the way and passing trucks can be a challenge. Watch your speed too. There are towns along 95 that live off of pulling over out of state drivers. The speed limit fluctuates a lot too especially in the Carolinas.

If you have the time another option is to stay somewhere for a few nights on the way down. We have stopped at Myrtle Beach a few times when driving down and stayed there for a few nights before finishing the drive. It adds about an hour to the trip, but you get a few days in at the beach. Hilton Head and Savanna are also on the way down.

If you are staying on property parking is free at the parks. IMHO driving and parking is easier than taking the bus except for MK and maybe DTD now with the parking lot construction. MK parking is a drag. You have to take the parking tram to TTC and then either the ferry or monorail. It could take 30 to 45 minutes from the time you drive through the MK lot gates to the time you get to the MK entrance. The other parks it's quick and easy.

 

[luv]

No, I know that you do not have to pay at the resort you are staying (and conversely that you pay through the nose at Universal). But what I took from the comment I read was that if you are staying at a WDW resort, you also get free parking at the parks. That is what I was asking about, as I have never heard that. If that is indeed not true, I would like to know before I take a trip down there and try to park at one of the parks.

Parking is free for Disney hotel guests and people with APs.

 

[GoofGoof]

20 hours? Newark to Disney is like 14 hours...no speeding...

I guess I could see an extra 4 to 6 hours on the parkway on a bad day though...

Depends on how long you stop for. My father in law would drive home from our house (Philly area) and make it in about 14.5 to 15 hours. He packed food and drinks which he ate while driving and generally stopped twice for about 10 minutes for a gas/bathroom break. He lives an hour closer than WDW so WDW is more like 16 hours. The trip is about 1,000 miles. If you assume an average speed of 70 MPH then it's 14.5 hours of pure driving. You will have to stop at least twice for gas unless you have a Prius or something really efficient. That's gonna add 20 minutes. Realistically if you don't want to speed Philly to WDW can't be done in less than 15 hours. With kids you will need to stop more frequently and it's nice to get out and stretch a little or have a meal.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

No, I know that you do not have to pay at the resort you are staying (and conversely that you pay through the nose at Universal). But what I took from the comment I read was that if you are staying at a WDW resort, you also get free parking at the parks. That is what I was asking about, as I have never heard that. If that is indeed not true, I would like to know before I take a trip down there and try to park at one of the parks.



You must have great luck with flying! I have found it has become a truly awful experience. The nickel and dime charges, the Silkwood scrubdown at security (and not being able to bring hardly any liquids), pulling out my computer and my shoes off, the race for overhead space, the flights crammed with people in too small seats and aisles, the rudeness of fellow passengers and flight crews.... I could go on and on. I used to love to fly (and had to do it a great deal for work), and now it makes me sick to my stomach when I know I have to do it. And heaven forbid you get stuck with a major delay.

That's what I meant. You do get free parking at the parks if you are staying at a Disney resort. I was explaining that you use the same paper pass for the parks as you use at your resort.

 

[gjpjtj]

We have consistently done the trip from the Poconos in 17 1/2 hours. Have done a little shorter, and a lot longer as well depending on traffic. But 17 1/2 hours is what we expect. That said we only stop when we need gas, and one stop for dinner. We have always gone straight through, even when the kids were little, (but they have always been good travelers).
I enjoy the trip, I do 3/4 of the driving, with my wife doing the other 1/4. We try to leave in the afternoon, drive straight through the night, and arrive at WDW for breakfast and be @ MK for park opening. Yes I am exhausted the first day, but it is worth it.

 

[brifraz]

We have consistently done the trip from the Poconos in 17 1/2 hours. Have done a little shorter, and a lot longer as well depending on traffic. But 17 1/2 hours is what we expect. That said we only stop when we need gas, and one stop for dinner. We have always gone straight through, even when the kids were little, (but they have always been good travelers).
I enjoy the trip, I do 3/4 of the driving, with my wife doing the other 1/4. We try to leave in the afternoon, drive straight through the night, and arrive at WDW for breakfast and be @ MK for park opening. Yes I am exhausted the first day, but it is worth it.

While our drive is quite a bit shorter, this sounds just like us. Almost exactly in fact - nice to meet a fellow overnight straight driver who likes to arrive for park opening!

 

[Disneymom201]

I'm happy to read this thread. We are remodeling our basement and with that expense airline tickets plus a rental car are out of the question this year . I've thrown around the idea of driving, and think that we can try it once and if we aren't happy we just won't do it again. We reside in Northern PA, so I'm assuming 17+ hours. My biggest fear is how our 2 1/2 year old DS will handle the ride.
If anyone has any advise for our little one, I'd appreciate it. Our other DSs are 14 & 11, they will keep themselves busy

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm happy to read this thread. We are remodeling our basement and with that expense airline tickets plus a rental car are out of the question this year . I've thrown around the idea of driving, and think that we can try it once and if we aren't happy we just won't do it again. We reside in Northern PA, so I'm assuming 17+ hours. My biggest fear is how our 2 1/2 year old DS will handle the ride.
If anyone has any advise for our little one, I'd appreciate it. Our other DSs are 14 & 11, they will keep themselves busy

Bring a lot of different stuff for them to do in the car. It doesn't have to be big stuff, but variety. At 2 1/2 their attention span is short. Older kids could zone out with some toys or a video game for a few hours at a time, but the toddlers get bored fast. We always tried to get a new toy for the trip too. Something they never played with before (we would just hold back something they got for Christmas since at that age they don't usually remember everything). Don't break it out right away, but if they start to get crabby and you aren't close to being ready for a stop you have an ace up your sleeve that should distract them for a while.

We have a DVD player in our van, even if you don't have one built-in picking up a portable one may not be a bad idea (probably less than $100). TV is the ultimate babysitter

One last thing, put everyone in the car on notice that if the little one falls asleep we aren't stopping for anything. I remember really regretting going with the large Coke at lunch on one of our trips, but you always let sleeping toddlers sleep. The more time they are asleep in the car the less time you need to entertain them.

 

[brifraz]

I'm happy to read this thread. We are remodeling our basement and with that expense airline tickets plus a rental car are out of the question this year . I've thrown around the idea of driving, and think that we can try it once and if we aren't happy we just won't do it again. We reside in Northern PA, so I'm assuming 17+ hours. My biggest fear is how our 2 1/2 year old DS will handle the ride.
If anyone has any advise for our little one, I'd appreciate it. Our other DSs are 14 & 11, they will keep themselves busy

When our DD was 2 1/2, it was Finding Nemo on the portable DVD player in the backseat that did it. Sitting in the front seat with my music balanced all into the front left speaker, I heard the Finding Nemo dialogue 4 times on that drive. The movie had to be banned from our house for a few months afterward.

On a more serious note, we brought bubbles that she played with at each rest area - those were a big winner. We had lots of other DVDs in case they were needed. Lots of stuffed animal friends that she liked to play with and board books. When we arrived, she was quite out of sorts the first day, but recovered quickly (maybe even more quickly than I did). Luckily for us, she has always been a very even tempered kid who sleeps very well.

We also have a family tradition of 'car gifts' where at each new state there is a small prize that is wrapped to open in the car. Usually Disney themed and from the Dollar Store. She is almost 10 now and that tradition still thrives.

 

[gjpjtj]

While our drive is quite a bit shorter, this sounds just like us. Almost exactly in fact - nice to meet a fellow overnight straight driver who likes to arrive for park opening!

I knew we were out there! Glad I'm not alone..

We also have a family tradition of 'car gifts' where at each new state there is a small prize that is wrapped to open in the car. Usually Disney themed and from the Dollar Store. She is almost 10 now and that tradition still thrives.

We did similar when our son was young. We had multiple dollar store toys in the car, and just about once an hour, (at least when he was awake), we would give him a new toy. This thoroughly kept him occupied, and excited and well behaved looking forward to the next hours gift!

 

[brifraz]

We did similar when our son was young. We had multiple dollar store toys in the car, and just about once an hour, (at least when he was awake), we would give him a new toy. This thoroughly kept him occupied, and excited and well behaved looking forward to the next hours gift!

Don't tell our daughter. We make her suffer through the three hours of Virginia and North Carolina before she gets another gift!

 

[MaryJaneP]

I have to respectfully disagree with this estimate. We drove straight through from the Jersey shore which is the same distance as Philly and it took about 20 hours with a few quick stops for meals and bathroom breaks. I think 16 hour would require you to make no stops at all and probably break the speed limit by quite a bit.

If you have at least 2 drivers, it's not bad going down since so you're so excited but coming home is always a bear. I would NOT suggest trying to drive straight through on the way home.

Several drives from SE PA and always 20+ hours with brief bathroom/fuel stops. 3 young kids and 2 adults so completely unreasonable to drive overnight when falling asleep at the wheel was a risk. We drove 12-14 hours day 1 and slept overnight at the nearest accommodations with day 2 to finish with arrival early afternoon day 2, meaning we actually had some sleep and a small breakfast on day 2. I agree with the quoted text.

 

[Disneymom201]

When our DD was 2 1/2, it was Finding Nemo on the portable DVD player in the backseat that did it. Sitting in the front seat with my music balanced all into the front left speaker, I heard the Finding Nemo dialogue 4 times on that drive. The movie had to be banned from our house for a few months afterward.

On a more serious note, we brought bubbles that she played with at each rest area - those were a big winner. We had lots of other DVDs in case they were needed. Lots of stuffed animal friends that she liked to play with and board books. When we arrived, she was quite out of sorts the first day, but recovered quickly (maybe even more quickly than I did). Luckily for us, she has always been a very even tempered kid who sleeps very well.

We also have a family tradition of 'car gifts' where at each new state there is a small prize that is wrapped to open in the car. Usually Disney themed and from the Dollar Store. She is almost 10 now and that tradition still thrives.

Thanks for the great suggestions!!! Jack is currently obsessed with Nemo

 

[mousehockey37]

I actually find that flying hurts my sanity much more than driving. For us, at least, it is an hour drive to the airport, $12 per day for parking, 10 minute shuttle to the terminal, and have to get there an hour before the flight. So that's over 2 hours before the 2 hour flight even begins. A car service from our house to the airport is $70 each way, so that's even more expensive than parking. Then pay the $25 per checked bag. Take off shoes and belt, unpack computer, empty pockets, get scanned, sometimes get frisked, put back on shoes and belt, repack computer. Then sit at the gate waiting to load (which for us also usually is marked with 10 trips up to the counter to get our seats back together which somehow didn't end up together even though we booked 8 months ago and verified twice with the airline). Wait in line to load plane. Hope for overhead space. Last time we flew, we had a 5 hour delay due to maintenance, but I won't figure that in. 2 hours later, land at ORL. Either wait 20 minutes for baggage or wait 20 minutes for Magical Express to depart. 20 minute drive/ride to hotel - if car service, another $30. Airline tickets for our family are about $600.

Total cost to fly for us is about $800 (including tickets, baggage fees, parking/car service, assuming no meals needed, etc), about 8 hours of time (including drives to and from all airports and screenings, etc), and lots of stress.

Total cost for us to drive is about $300 (including gas both ways - 900 miles from our door 30mpg, a full relaxed meal each way, and snacks), 28 hours of driving (both ways), almost no stress, and some lost sleep (we trade off drivers, so we both usually end up pretty close to a full nights sleep, granted not the most restful). Additional bonus of having a car at Disney which saves us time waiting for busses.

Difference is 20 hours more to drive, but save $500 in expenses and far less stress. The added bonus of the drive is lots of family time playing car games, watching scenery, singing songs, etc. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

To each his own. How you pack for Disney is all on you. I, myself, would leave my computer at home. Also, depending on the ages of your kids, if they're young enough to take a stroller, that gets you on the plane 1st!!! Plenty of overhead storage when you're on the plane first.

 

[MaryJaneP]

When our DD was 2 1/2, it was Finding Nemo on the portable DVD player in the backseat that did it. Sitting in the front seat with my music balanced all into the front left speaker, I heard the Finding Nemo dialogue 4 times on that drive. The movie had to be banned from our house for a few months afterward....

Back in 1998, we couldn't afford a van with DVD in it or rent a DVD player so we had a 9" TV/VCR between the front driver and passenger seats for DD 1.5 to watch Barney videos all the way down and all the way back (40+ hours). It's a small world does not even begin to challenge the repetition we had to endure!