-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Driving or flying????
- Thread starter Kierstinn
- Start date
sxeensweet
Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
Driving! We drive 12 hours straight through. Love having our car, no restrictions on luggage, no stopped up ears from flying for me, not having to be at the airport for a certain time etc etc. We stay on property and rather drive to the parks because it's quicker and easier. Oh and it's a whole lot cheaper for us to drive! Going, driving while there, and coming back we only have to fill up my car like 5-6 times so $200-$250 bucks total. 
Sorry I can't help with convincing you to fly.
Sorry I can't help with convincing you to fly.
gooftroop5
Well-Known Member
I'm all for driving too! We live 17 hours away so sometimes we drive straight through and sometimes we stop. Even with 3 kids we enjoy the experience of driving. No rush, no busy airports. We have our car and can pack what we want. Definitely cheaper for 5 to drive even if we get a hotel room on the way down and back.
CnoteBflat
Active Member
With friends and immediate family I can tolerate driving. Unfortunately, last time I drove with my cousin's kids. Fighting and gas throughout the 40+ hours driving round trip. 
Figgy1
Premium Member
Driving! We drive 12 hours straight through. Love having our car, no restrictions on luggage, no stopped up ears from flying for me, not having to be at the airport for a certain time etc etc. We stay on property and rather drive to the parks because it's quicker and easier. Oh and it's a whole lot cheaper for us to drive! Going, driving while there, and coming back we only have to fill up my car like 5-6 times so $200-$250 bucks total.
Sorry I can't help with convincing you to fly.
I'm with them all the way. About 16 hours of driving for us and we wouldn't change a thing!
Disney4family
Well-Known Member
We fly. My parents drove because they couldn't afford flying. I hate to fly (we all have the same fears - especially with my kids with me), but I don't want to work when I'm on vacation. Driving is gas and tolls and paying attention and work. I drive to work so I don't see it as fun. We find it easier to spend 2 1/2 hours in a plane than drive, especially since the excitement that we're preparing to land starts in the last half hour - so it's really 2 hours of flying. I know it's mind games, but we do what we can to relax, besides close our eyes and try to sleep since we get the first flight down and the last one back. I also couldn't imagine the drive back. It's depressing enough to leave fantasy and re-enter reality. As awful as it is to be on the other side of the glass wall in MCO and watch others start their vacation, it has to beat days of driving. We don't miss having our car with us either. It makes it even more special that we're at the World when we have to use different transportation like the monorail. Everyone is different. I'm glad people love to drive and have their cars. It makes the line for the bus or monorail shorter for us, I guess. We'll meet you in the parks!
HRHPrincessAriel
Well-Known Member
8 hours or less id drive. Anything more I fly.
DRC68
Well-Known Member
I like both ways of travel. And they both have drawbacks. 5 years ago, we drove from MA with our then DD 5, DD 3 mos. and my
in-laws...7 of us in our SUV, towing our camper to Fort Wilderness. Long ride, 20 hrs. or so. Cost us around $800 for gas room trip. Enjoyed most of it.
3 years ago, at my in-laws request, we flew. Cost much more than $800 round trip for the same 7 of us. Besides that, we can't go anywhere without taking a nebulizer for our kids respiratory issues. And I am dependant on a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea. Getting through airport security is a nightmare for us. We were wheels up by 7 AM and didn't get in our suite till around 4 PM. Was a long day. But I still love flying...Just hate airports.
in-laws...7 of us in our SUV, towing our camper to Fort Wilderness. Long ride, 20 hrs. or so. Cost us around $800 for gas room trip. Enjoyed most of it.
3 years ago, at my in-laws request, we flew. Cost much more than $800 round trip for the same 7 of us. Besides that, we can't go anywhere without taking a nebulizer for our kids respiratory issues. And I am dependant on a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea. Getting through airport security is a nightmare for us. We were wheels up by 7 AM and didn't get in our suite till around 4 PM. Was a long day. But I still love flying...Just hate airports.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I've done both. When I lived in Vermont, I would say that the ratio was about 60% drive and 40% fly. I still needed a car because the reason I have always tried to obey the law is because the thought of being captive actually bothers me more then the thought of having cancer. Anyway, now that I live in NC it's a 10 hour drive from my door to the entrance of Disney. With the benefit of being able to bring whatever I want with me, no extra charges if I bring my golf clubs, no security hassles, no sitting next to obnoxious other passengers or possibly being stuck in the dreaded "middle" seat. Besides I love road trips.
As for flying... well, you are not alone many people have that anxiety. It's a big club. I had that for awhile, but, there were places I wanted to go and things I wanted to see so I just forced myself to buck up and get on the damn plane. That was about 125 flights ago. All safely accomplished with no problems at all. If you have limited time, it is just amazing how many place you can get too in just a short time. If you want the bigger picture about how safe flying is all you have to do is think back to the last week or so. 8000 flights cancelled per day. And that is just where flying was affected by east coast connections. All the rest of the country was happily flying away. When you add them all up, think about the fact that all those flights happen every single day and are accomplished without any issues. Compare that to the number of car accidents that happen daily and it is obvious that it is much safer to be above the clouds instead of on Terra Firma.
As for flying... well, you are not alone many people have that anxiety. It's a big club. I had that for awhile, but, there were places I wanted to go and things I wanted to see so I just forced myself to buck up and get on the damn plane. That was about 125 flights ago. All safely accomplished with no problems at all. If you have limited time, it is just amazing how many place you can get too in just a short time. If you want the bigger picture about how safe flying is all you have to do is think back to the last week or so. 8000 flights cancelled per day. And that is just where flying was affected by east coast connections. All the rest of the country was happily flying away. When you add them all up, think about the fact that all those flights happen every single day and are accomplished without any issues. Compare that to the number of car accidents that happen daily and it is obvious that it is much safer to be above the clouds instead of on Terra Firma.
SyracuseDisneyFan
Well-Known Member
We used to drive from Syracuse, NY. However, the last three times I've gone, we've flown directly from Syracuse to Orlando. I'm not a big fan of flying, but I do like getting to Disney faster and the flight's not very long.
Tony the Tigger
Well-Known Member
I have gone to Disney world 3 times now and I have always driven. I want to fly but have MAJOR anxiety, especially with flying. Which do you prefer? driving or flying? If you have this problem and can help me get over it that would be great!
thanks guys!!
How far away do you live?
As others have said, there are positives and negatives for both. Sometimes flying feels like it takes almost the whole day even if the flight itself is short, you have to get to the airport two hours ahead of time, you have to wake up an hour before that, etc.
We have flown sometimes for the convenience, and when gas was four dollars it was actually cheaper to fly.
Now that gas is cheaper again, and we got sick of waking up at 4 AM to get to the airport at 5 AM, we can drive and bring the dog. And bring whatever we want. We save money by bringing extra things, food, Etc. and with two adults in the car you can take turns driving so it's not so much a burden on one person.
graphite1326
Well-Known Member
We fly out of Rochester NY. I drove it once and never again. After 22 hrs straight you lose a day trying to recover.
yaksplat
Well-Known Member
We've driven 3 times from Buffalo, NY. 1200 miles away. On the first day we leave at 4am and drive to just past Savannah, GA, which takes us to about 7pm. All of our stops are quick, out, pee, get food and eat in the car. The next day we sleep in until 7-8 and we drive the remaining 4 hours and get to Disney by lunch. The first day is always check in, and go to DTD and eat at T-Rex. We're desperate for a salad at that point after all of the road food.
Total cost for the 5 of us to drive round trip:
$220 for gas
$250 for hotel
$120 for meals
Grand total: $590
A quick check with southwest for 6 months out and a flight would be $1700.
I enjoy the drive. The kids are good and either read, watch cartoons or play games the entire time. They look forward to the drive actually. I don't mind taking the extra 2 days off from work to spend it in the car with the family. The kids end up buzzing through parts of the country that they typically wouldn't see. Even if it is at 80 mph.
Also, it's great having a car available. We stop at the grocery store before we get to the Polynesian and pick up doughnuts and poptarts for the kids and any other food items. When going to Animal kingdom or Hollywood studios, it's easier to drive and park than deal with the busses.
Total cost for the 5 of us to drive round trip:
$220 for gas
$250 for hotel
$120 for meals
Grand total: $590
A quick check with southwest for 6 months out and a flight would be $1700.
I enjoy the drive. The kids are good and either read, watch cartoons or play games the entire time. They look forward to the drive actually. I don't mind taking the extra 2 days off from work to spend it in the car with the family. The kids end up buzzing through parts of the country that they typically wouldn't see. Even if it is at 80 mph.
Also, it's great having a car available. We stop at the grocery store before we get to the Polynesian and pick up doughnuts and poptarts for the kids and any other food items. When going to Animal kingdom or Hollywood studios, it's easier to drive and park than deal with the busses.
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
Your analysis is incomplete. There's a real dollar value of those extra two vacation days you're taking. Someone making $52,000 per year (for the sake of easy math) would need to add $200 for every additional day of work they miss. A couple making $52,000 each is "spending" about $800 in vacation time if they each miss two days of work.
Last edited:
FigmentPigments
Well-Known Member
It's flying for us all the way. I still work, so taking two and a half days to drive down there, spend two days at the parks with little time for anything else, and then two and half days to drive back is just not worth it. If we can't fly, we don't go. However, it helps that we travel via Southwest and get points towards a free flights.
On our last flight, there was a gentleman who had obvious anxieties and after the stewardess closed the door, he tore up to the front, pleading to be let off the plane. Usually, they will not reopen the door once it's closed, but the passenger was in real distress so they reopened the door to let him and his wife off. Then we waited while the airline took off his bags. That poor couple didn't get to go on their vacation, and then they were out the money for the plane tickets.
My suggestion would be (if you have the time and the money) try a short test flight to somewhere less expensive. The problem with flying to Disney is if you miss the plane or arrive later than your reservation, you are out the money for the room and maybe even park tickets and dining reservations.
Try to travel with someone who can help take your mind off any anxieties, or if you have something that helps deal with stress (like a "security blanket"), take that with you. If listening to music or watching a movie helps, airlines no longer make you turn off your small electronics (you only need to put them in airplane mode), do that as well. I've seen adults with coloring booking, video games, and even sketch books. If feeling enclosed is part of the anxiety, sit in the aisle. If looking out the window helps get a window seat. Maybe even think about taking a larger airliner with roomier seats and tvs on the back of every seat. There are a lot of options out there for you.
On our last flight, there was a gentleman who had obvious anxieties and after the stewardess closed the door, he tore up to the front, pleading to be let off the plane. Usually, they will not reopen the door once it's closed, but the passenger was in real distress so they reopened the door to let him and his wife off. Then we waited while the airline took off his bags. That poor couple didn't get to go on their vacation, and then they were out the money for the plane tickets.
My suggestion would be (if you have the time and the money) try a short test flight to somewhere less expensive. The problem with flying to Disney is if you miss the plane or arrive later than your reservation, you are out the money for the room and maybe even park tickets and dining reservations.
Try to travel with someone who can help take your mind off any anxieties, or if you have something that helps deal with stress (like a "security blanket"), take that with you. If listening to music or watching a movie helps, airlines no longer make you turn off your small electronics (you only need to put them in airplane mode), do that as well. I've seen adults with coloring booking, video games, and even sketch books. If feeling enclosed is part of the anxiety, sit in the aisle. If looking out the window helps get a window seat. Maybe even think about taking a larger airliner with roomier seats and tvs on the back of every seat. There are a lot of options out there for you.
Figgy1
Premium Member
Unless you have a job with 4 weeks vacation you have to use each year.
yaksplat
Well-Known Member
Vacation time is for taking a vacation. The days off don't cost me anything. I'm getting paid to travel.
I get 5 weeks, so I block off two weeks for the Disney trip. We stay 7 nights, so the trip is 10 days with the drive. We always leave home on a Monday, so we have the weekend to prepare then we return on a Wednesday, leaving before returning to work on the flowing Monday.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
2hrs or less, I drive. Anything over 2 hrs, fly fly fly.
Flight tickets at $340/person is nuts. Flying should be cheaper if you don't do 6 months out. I've flown to Orlando for $120/ticket on American several times (similar distance)
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Flying is so much safer than driving. It really isn't even close, particularly when you're driving such a long distance.
Commercial jets simply don't crash very often and when they do (at least lately) it's usually an outside influence that made the jet crash. Mechanical failure resulting in a crash and total loss of life is unbelievably rare.
If you're worried about terrorist attacks, they simply wouldn't be targeting an Orlando destination most likely.
Think of an airplane crash being as likely as something like going into a bank and being shot by a thief or going to a movie and being shot by a psycho. Those are actually probably more likely statistically.
To give you an idea of how many flights are in the air at one time, check out the following website. This is REAL TIME and shows all flights around the world and their destination.
https://flightaware.com/live/
For what it's worth:
A 2006 study by Harvard University instructor David Robeik found the odds of the average American dying in a plane crash to be one in 11 million, according to PBS. By comparison, the odds of being involved in a shark attack are one in 3.1 million, and the odds of dying in a car accident are one in 5,000.
Commercial jets simply don't crash very often and when they do (at least lately) it's usually an outside influence that made the jet crash. Mechanical failure resulting in a crash and total loss of life is unbelievably rare.
If you're worried about terrorist attacks, they simply wouldn't be targeting an Orlando destination most likely.
Think of an airplane crash being as likely as something like going into a bank and being shot by a thief or going to a movie and being shot by a psycho. Those are actually probably more likely statistically.
To give you an idea of how many flights are in the air at one time, check out the following website. This is REAL TIME and shows all flights around the world and their destination.
https://flightaware.com/live/
For what it's worth:
A 2006 study by Harvard University instructor David Robeik found the odds of the average American dying in a plane crash to be one in 11 million, according to PBS. By comparison, the odds of being involved in a shark attack are one in 3.1 million, and the odds of dying in a car accident are one in 5,000.
Schneewittchen
Well-Known Member
Drive. We have an RV. See America. I can count the states we haven't visited on one hand.
And I have no desire to drag 2 small kids and their stuff on to an airplane.
And I have no desire to drag 2 small kids and their stuff on to an airplane.