Is this crazy? Re: Disney

[beantrees]

I don't post here a ton but for some reason I'm always compelled to ask for vacation advice.

We are trying to do Disney on a budget. None of us have ever been. DS1 will be 6.5 and DS2 will be 2.8 lol.

We're trying to go the 1st week of Jan. We live about 12 hours away. Which would you rather do?

Drive down over the course of 2 days, arrive early Jan 2nd, and stay for 4 nights and fly home = 4.5 days in the park. This would be approx $2000 before food & souvenirs, etc. and includes renting the car for the whole trip so we wouldn't deal with buses.

The only snafu with this plan is that I'm not sure what we do with the car seats on the way back?

Fly there and back. Would leave us with 3 full days and 2 half days in the park. This would be approx $2,600 before food. We wouldn't have to deal with carseats at all.

We could shift the stay to 5 nights... but it would mean either driving down on NYE and NY or flying on NY. Plus this would add $200 for a room and the 1st would be super crowded at the parks.

Should I just wait until my kids are older?? Ahh this is so stressful!!!

[arch01]

Why would you not drive your car down/back?

Granted, I have 1 kid, but I just did an 11 hour trip solo with DS (3.5). He was a trooper and it was totally doable. 1 more hour would've been nothing.

[beantrees]

Because it would make DS1 miss 3 days of school instead of 2. Unless we drove back all in 1 day, which would cut in our park time. Plus it just sounds like such a long time to be in a car.

Someone please tell me Disney is worth all this stress??


ETA: My coworker said she has done both and that driving is awful she would much rather fly. But I guess driving would save us a ton. It just feels like so long with smallish kids. We have only ever done 8 hours.

[cajunmom]

Is he in K or 1st? I'd just let him miss the extra day.

[arch01]

I may be in the minority, but meh. I'd let him miss the 3rd day. I'd also do all of the driving in 1 day. Get up at the butt crack of dawn, load up the car with snacks and new toys, identify places to stop along the way and go for it.

I will say the way back was WAY easier because DS had a grasp on how far away we were. Counting states made it much easier for him to understand.

[beantrees]

He's in 1st. So a 12 hour drive is doable in 1 day there and back with a 4 or 5 night stay?

How big of an advantage is it to have a vehicle during your stay instead of relying on Disney transport?

[curbsideprophet]

I would go with option 1 and bring the car seats on the plane with you. Just double check to make sure you seats area approved for air travel. It should say on the seat. Or you can check them.

[dcrunnergirl52]

For a difference of $600, I'd fly. But, I don't get why flying reduces your number of days at the park.

[countthestars]

We have never regretted not having a car. But people tend to feel strongly one way or the other on that. Where are you planning to stay? If you do option 1, you can check the car seats for the flight home or use them on the plane.

[countthestars]

Also I would always choose fly over drive. Always.

[jeaniebueller]

Oct 13, 2015 14:14:15 GMT -5 beantrees said:

Because it would make DS1 miss 3 days of school instead of 2. Unless we drove back all in 1 day, which would cut in our park time. Plus it just sounds like such a long time to be in a car.

Someone please tell me Disney is worth all this stress??


ETA: My coworker said she has done both and that driving is awful she would much rather fly. But I guess driving would save us a ton. It just feels like so long with smallish kids. We have only ever done 8 hours.

You can make a 12 hour drive in one day. I mean, it will suck, but its totally doable.

[aspentosh]

We drove VA to FL (near Disney) in one go with our 3.5yo DD and she did great. On the way back we stopped halfway, but that was a planned 2 day stay.

[auntie]

Where are you staying?

Disney transportation is fine for the Deluxe resorts and OK for the moderates as a rule.

[mandapanda18]

Oct 13, 2015 14:18:41 GMT -5 beantrees said:

He's in 1st. So a 12 hour drive is doable in 1 day there and back with a 4 or 5 night stay?

How big of an advantage is it to have a vehicle during your stay instead of relying on Disney transport?

Remember, Disney charges for parking, so.... if I remember correctly $19/day for the resort we stayed at.

[anna7602]

Oct 13, 2015 14:22:43 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

For a difference of $600, I'd fly. But, I don't get why flying reduces your number of days at the park.

Yes to both of these points. $600 pp is one thing, but $600 extra for all four of you to fly, hands down, I would pick flying. 

[mainelyfoolish]

Are you staying at a Disney hotel or off-site? Non-Disney hotels are plentiful and relatively inexpensive, but you will want to have a car.

[beantrees]

Oct 13, 2015 14:22:43 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

For a difference of $600, I'd fly. But, I don't get why flying reduces your number of days at the park.

Because the earliest flight would land at 10:20 so noonish or later before we could get to the park. If we drove we would go (probably) over 2 days and arrive at the park early on the first day. We could fly in a day earlier on NY which would eliminate this problem though.

We are planning to stay at Pop Century.

We live in KY, so not a huge chance of snow.

[beantrees]

Do you have to pay for parking even if you stay on-site?

[ilikedonuts]

My kids do 16 hours in one day on the way down to Disney every year. Unless your kids HATE the car, you just push on through the drive.

Edited because I was cut off
I would write off the driving it all in1 day. I think your kids could surprise you.

[water*drop]

I would do all of the driving in one day. We did one 12-hour day each way to Disney (18-19 hours total) with DD when she was 2.5, and she was fine.

[londoncalling]

Oct 13, 2015 14:42:27 GMT -5 beantrees said:

Do you have to pay for parking even if you stay on-site?

No.  Self parking at the parks and your resort is "free" aka included in your room price.

[lala]

We always fly, but it's a 18 hour drive. Missing 3 days of school is not a big deal at that age. My kids have missed 5 and will again next year. Driving or flying, take the extra day.

[beantrees]

Ok, I think I've decided for sure to take the extra day.

Now, is flying worth $1,100 over driving 12 hours there and back in 1 day? Will I miss having a car staying at Pop Century?

[somersault72]

I don't know where you live in KY, but I fly out of CVG using Frontier direct to MCO and we are usually able to get dirt cheap flights. Like way cheaper than we could drive.

We stayed at the Pop last year and did not have a car at all--use used Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport (it's free, but you have to sign up beforehand), and then the buses/monorail while we were there.

[Ashley&Scott]

12 hours in a car with 2 kids sounds like torture to me. The extra $1100 would be worth it IMO.