Very long drive - any additional tips?

[3yL]

I'm still waffling a bit on driving or flying - we can all fly down and back for $1300 (6 tickets), but it requires a 2 1/2 hour drive to the airport, parking for the van for 10 days at the airport, renting a van at WDW for 10 days - all in all, probably about $2000. That's an enormous amount for us. If I somehow figure out how to shave another $1000 off the trip we could probably swing it, but it's certainly in the doubtful pile. Driving there and back is going to cost us around $600 or $700 (I'd like to drive the kids out to the coast on one day) in gas alone (full size van, it costs us $70 to fill up right now ).

Assuming that we'll probably end up driving, are there any additional tips to make it any less painful? Driving straight through it's about 22 hours (figures in 15 minute breaks every 4 hours). Our thought is to leave late afternoon, DH drives until midnight or so, I'd drive until morning, then DH would take over again. (No problems with me driving all night, I don't usually go to sleep until 4:30 or 5:00 am anyway.) We have a DVD player and TV already in the van, as well as a potty chair, so we can pull over if the kids suddenly need to go. ) DS (7) has game boy and plugs it into the van (it has 4 cigarette lighter plug hole thingies in the back of the van). I have a laptop I could maybe think about bringing for them to play on as well. It's still going to be a major pain though. We'll have snacks. Is there anything else that would make it easier (other than flying? ) When we visit DH's dad and step-mom in Tennessee, it's a 10 hour drive straight through, and it's certainly rough, but we've done it half a dozen times or so. This trip is a little more than twice that though.

If it helps, kids are 1 (almost 2), 4, 5 (almost 6), and 7

Thanks in advance!

 

[mattpatton]

I always take a plane anywhere because 22h is just to much for me.

 

[deb305]

We drove from Dayton Ohio in January. Our drive time was 18 hours over 2 days. It's not as bad as you think it would be. We both had enough vacation accumulated to tack 2 extra days on the trip. It was great having our own car to go to and from the parks. Also if we wanted to leave early or stay an extra day, no problem. The money we saved on air fare let us bump up to the GF. That stay was worth a few days on the road. We told the kids that all the extras they got to do, pirate cruise, lots of character meals were because they saved money driving. Made the trip go a lot smoother.
We packed treats (pringles, raisins, DVD, CD, etc) in sealed brown lunch bags and marked them for every 30 miles. When we hit that mile they got to open the bags and enjoy their surprises. There was a whining penalty-they'd have to wait an extra 30 miles for the next bag. It really worked going down.Coming back they were exhausted and slept all the way.

Remember that is I-75 most of the way, so the roads are in good condition with lots of exits for gas, food and hotel.

 

[3yL]

Originally posted by deb305
We packed treats (pringles, raisins, DVD, CD, etc) in sealed brown lunch bags and marked them for every 30 miles. When we hit that mile they got to open the bags and enjoy their surprises. There was a whining penalty-they'd have to wait an extra 30 miles for the next bag.

Oh, I like that idea! Did you do 1 bag every 30 miles, or 1 bag per child? (I can't imagine where we'd store 160+ bags. lol) Though if I take into count the whining penalty I could easily cut that in half.

Remember that is I-75 most of the way, so the roads are in good condition with lots of exits for gas, food and hotel.

Yep, we have 1/2 hour on I-94, 1 hour on I-69, then an hour or so on I-80/90 to I-75. My parents live in central Ohio, so the portion to I-75 we could almost do with our eyes closed (though it wouldn't be very safe. )

 

[tinaluis]

One tip is to think positive. I was kind of dreading our drive this past January and was pleasantly surprised. There are 5 of us and we were there for almost 2 weeks so the cost of flying and renting a car were just too high for us to justify vs. the cost of driving. It really wasn't a bad drive at all. We decided to stay overnight on the way down and the way back which helped to break up the drive but also slowed us down quite a bit too. All in all, we had about 22 hours of driving time from Chicago with bathroom breaks, gas, stops to stretch the legs, etc., and we decided that when our girls are older we will drive straight through (because we've done that in the past before we had kids and managed in about 19 hours) but as long as the kids are little we will stop. The drive is by no means a "piece of cake" but neither is a trip to the airport, airport parking, checking luggage, gate-checking stroller and carseats, and keeping three lovely daughters happy and content on the plane. Onto the Orlando airport, get the luggage (what fun) and then onto the shuttle bus to get our car while everyone makes a rush for the bus as it pulls in, oblivious to the lady and her three kids that they just trampled getting to the bus, LOL. I'll admit that I'm a little dramatic but that's what our last airport trip felt like.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

just a few ideas we have used traveling: Read aloud to everyone.Choose a story type book without a lot of pictures( everyone can't see) A fairy tale or bible story book is great. Get books on tape.( that voice will only last so long) The library has a great colection.Start saving those happy meal toys and hit the dollar stores. Use them just as your do the snack sacks. Just be willing to toss some junk toys along the way or you will be over run with them by the end of the trip. For the younger kids, magna doodles, paper and colored pencils, stickers, etc.
Another hint is to make those rest stops count. If you stop at a fastfood place, let the kids play while you eat. The kids can then eat when you get back in the van. Another thing we like is to watch for a up comming rest stop and then go though a drive through a exit or two before and get take out for a quick picnic. Fresh air and a little exercise goes a long way. We also keep a WDW guild book in the car to read and remind us that this is all worth it!!


Jordan's mom

 

[jenanderson]

We drive from Minnesota and it is about 27 hours. We don't mind it one bit because we know that the money we are saving will allow us to do a few "extras" while we are there. However, we have come up with some ideas to help make the trip go as smooth as possible.

1. I take a colored tote (one that you cannot see through) and fill it with goodies - snacks, disney plush toys, stickers, gum, little toys, etc.. Most items are worth $1 or less. I also have a couple of "big" treats - a disney tshirt, new books, disney dollars, etc.. Then, I create a chart for the kids (6 yrs. old & 2 yrs. old). The chart has things such as leaving Minnesota, 3 hours on the road, 1st gas station break, reading a good night story for baby brother, last stop for the night, etc. When one of the items on the list happens, I pull out a goodie. For example, the goodie for the 1st gas station break is $.50 each where they get to go into the gas station and pick out their own goodie. A treat also comes out of the tote at unexpected times. For example, the family will play the "ABC Sign Game" (where we need to find words that begin with each letter of the alphabet from signs along the road). When we finally get to Z, a treat comes out. I will also give a treat for an announced "one hour of not asking for anything", "20 minutes of playing with each other", and more. I try to keep it so that things are spread out. I give out the bigger prizes when I feel like we are all in need of a bigger smile

2. I create a journal for my 6 yr old DD. In the front of it is a kid type map where she can color things in as we go. This prevents a lot of asking how much longer. She likes to be able to see where we are and how much further until we hit Florida. I also include some stickers that would help her mark where we stopped to eat, when it starts to get warm enough to wear shorts, etc. Also in the journal are coloring sheets, a daily log where each hour she can write in details of the trip, blank paper, and more.

3. When we stop, we have a plan of action. For example, on a gas stop we know exactly who is going to take what child into the bathroom first, who is going to get the gas tank filled, who will wash windows, who will get snacks out, whatever. Everyone knows the faster the stop is, the faster we will be back on the road, the faster we will be to Florida.

We have discovered the key to making the trip better for everyone is having more then enough activities and having the goodie box to look forward to.

The trip home is a little more difficult. I have discovered I also need to have goodies for the ride home as well. I try to keep these goodies in a smaller tote in the back of the van. It seems that the ride home is a little easier because everyone is so exhausted and tends to sleep.

Hope some of this helps. We know that if we are going to be able to afford to go each year we have to drive and not have the expensive airline tickets.

 

[goofymom23]

Well we are the King and Queen of road trips. Our DD will not fly and rather than ruin the trip for her we choose to drive. Of course a DVD player is a must, if you can't then gameboys also work good. We like to buy new games or movies that the kids don't know of yet then give them to them when we start the trip. Also we make up goody bags for every 2 hours of the trip, you never know what is inside and they get to pick which one they want. You can put all kinds of things inthere, from food items to books to games. Also we make up car games like who can find the first McDonalds sign or such.... Let your imagination run wild, find some hidden mickeys everywhere.

 

[bobcat]

I've driven from Central Ohio four times and it's really not a bad drive. My kids are great travelers or else we wouldn't drive as often as we do. We don't have a TV/VCR in the van and we survive. LOL We get a Harry Potter book on tape from the Library for our first long day and we usually start listening to it around lunch time when the novelty of "We're going to WDW" starts to wear off. The kids also stock up on books, activity books,and I try to get a new game boy game they can use. Last trip they spent over an hour playing cards. I find our road trips a great time to spend uninterupted time together.

We also have a family rule that there will be no fighting on vacation. LOL It is so funny to hear them remind each other of that when they start to squabble. I don't know why it works but we've had 5 trips without any major fights.

 

[crazymomof4]

I agree w/ the "think positive" comment. I know this sounds corny but think of it as a whole lot of family time together. Talk about the trip. Tell the kids funny stories about when they were babies. Tell them stories about your childhood. This can be a time for conversation that our often hectic lifestyle does not always allow.
There are books about traveling w/ children that would have lots of suggestions. I have one, can't remember the title or even where it is right now Check out your library or bookstore. Since I'm not real creative about making up car games I rely on the ones from the book.
I always hit the dollar stores and stock up on toys and snacks. The biggest challange will be the youngest child. They don't understand why they have to be in the carseat for soooo long! Sometimes, despite my best efforts, they just cried themselves to sleep when they were this young. The up-side was that they usually slept for long stretches. The easiest trip was the one to NC. The baby had a cold and was on decongestants......boy did she sleep!!

I just remembered!! I think my book is called, "Traveling With Children" (Duh!!) and is written by Vickey Lansky (?)

 

[Trisa]

We also have a long drive. We are just outside of Philly.
We are lucky to have my Aunt in NC as a free place to stay. Its 7 hours to her house. We stay a day to rest up since the drive from her place to Orlando is 11 and a half hours!! We have never taken my 21 month old on a trip longer than 5 hours so im not sure how she will do. On the 5 hour drive when we stop and a rest area and let her walk around for a bit when its time to put her back in that car seat she has a TOTAL FIT!!!!!!! I dread that part. That bag of goodies idea is great. Im doing that this time for sure. I am one that cant read in the car or I get a major headache! I have played a game with my son before where we say ok lets count how many blue cars we can see. Or lets count how many trucks we see. Anything to help ease the long drive!!! ANYTHING!!!!!!

 

[campingcorgi]

Originally posted by 3yL
When we visit DH's dad and step-mom in Tennessee, it's a 10 hour drive straight through, and it's certainly rough, but we've done it half a dozen times or so.

Is in on your route to stop for the night with family and head out again the next day to finish the trip? That might give the adults a time to get some rest and let the kids run around with grandparents!

We, too, do 'roadtrip prizes'. With older kids we give larger state-line toys, but with the little ones they are desperation toys. Whenever someone is getting too cranked up we pull out a prize. Dollar Tree, McDonald's toys, heck--even some of the kids older toys that have been put away for a while will work!

When you stop for food, let the kids run around while you are resting and then let them eat in the car.

The most important thing is to give them a chance to stretch those muscles--especially important for the carseat and booster seat crew!

 

[MrsPete]

We are a driving family too. Disney isn't so very far for us, but we have been plenty of other places that required some serious hours in the car.

1. Prepare the kids. Eplain to them that it will be a LONG drive, but it'll be so worth it -- have them hyped up about getting there.

2. Since you're leaving in the afternoon, try to send them to a relative's or a sitter's all morning -- maybe even spending the night before with grandma would be good. Ask that they be kept awake, allowed to run and play as much as possible, etc. That way they'll be exhausted and they'll crash in the car. You, however, can get a good nap so that you start out refreshed and ready to drive.

3. Don't allow the kids to have caffeine before the trip -- it'll keep them awake.

4. Take blankets and pillows, which will let the kids be comfortable and will encourage them to sleep.

5. Allow the kids to pack their own backseat bags -- with veto power for you, of course.

6. Check out some "new" movies and books on tape from the library. These will be much more interesting than the old ones from home.

7. Bring a personal CD player. This allows one kid to listen to music, etc. and it "feels" like privacy.

8. Pack plenty of snacks and drinks.

9. When you pull into McDonald's to eat, buy food for yourself/your husband first. Let the kids play on the playground while you eat, then get their food to go. Why make them sit still at McDonalds?

 

[deb305]

3yl,
The bags had something for both kids, if it was toys one for each, if food enough for all. I tried to time it so they got food during the cranky hour, toys shortly after meal break. Despite planning there was more than one time when I went search for something to solve an immediate crisis. (Boring DVD,Hungry). Rather than have all of the bags upfront with me I backed some in the back, where it was easy to get to. Actually got the idea from Family Fun magazine (another Disney property, hmmmmm)

 

[deb305]

3yl,
The bags had something for both kids, if it was toys one for each, if food enough for all. I tried to time it so they got food during the cranky hour, toys shortly after meal break. Despite planning there was more than one time when I went search for something to solve an immediate crisis. (Boring DVD,Hungry). Rather than have all of the bags upfront with me I backed some in the back, where it was easy to get to. Actually got the idea from Family Fun magazine (another Disney property, hmmmmm)

 

[paulinewdw]

Next month we will drive down to Disney from Boston Ma. It will be our 10th trip driving. I actual enjoy the drive. We split it into two days. Five of us, me, dh and 3ds. We have a full size van and plug ins for laptop(for dh) and gameboys for (ds's). The drive relaxes me and I am ready and raring to go when we get there. Our first road trip wa sin 1995 when my middle son was 6 months old, been doing it ever since(it is a lot cheaper than flying!)

 

[from Canada]

These are all really great tips...we wont be driving 'til next Feb/march, but its never too soon to start collecting items for those "goodie bags".
Karen

 

[undertheradar]

We have done this drive many times and normally in winter. Our starting point was NW of Cincinnati, so we drove I75 straight down. We found Macon, GA to be a good stopping point, as there are plenty of hotels and plenty of food options. By stopping in Macon, we were south of Atlanta when we would continue on to Orlando the next day. When returning, we would stay in Marietta,GA, taking advantage of being North of Atlanta. We try to avoid rush hour, as it can add 1or 2 hours to the drive if timing is bad. There is a welcome center just inside the GA state line when heading South, and this is a good stretching spot before getting to Macon.

 

[margiemc]

We just came back from driving to WDW. We left Philadelphia around 2am. My DD6, slept until about 730am, when we were well past DC. We drove down I-95 until 430pm and we stopped in Kingsland, GA which is 3 miles outside of the Florida border. There are tons of hotels and restaurants at that exit. We just had fast food for dinner, but it had an indoor playground so she could climb and slide for awhile. The next day, it was only about 3 hours, so we were able to get in almost a full day at the hotel pool.

Books on tape and headphones are a must, as well as the gameboy. We also played categories (name Disney characters - that's good for at least 45 minutes . We tell jokes and sing along with Disney CD's too. We brought an old Birnbaum guide book so she could look at the maps and see lots of pictures of where we were going to be. Stickers and colorforms are good too. I also packed an old copybook and colored pencils. On the way home, DD made up a "book" about her favorite rides and things she saw. She drew pictures and wrote sentences about them. We drove straight thru on the way home. Left WDW about 615am and were in the house by 1230am.

DH doesn't like to fly, so we drive down. It's just nice to talk about nothing without the doorbell, the phone, etc. interrupting us. DD doesn't seem to mind either. Enjoy!

 

[dandelion]

Originally posted by jenanderson
2. I create a journal for my 6 yr old DD. In the front of it is a kid type map where she can color things in as we go. This prevents a lot of asking how much longer. She likes to be able to see where we are and how much further until we hit Florida. I also include some stickers that would help her mark where we stopped to eat, when it starts to get warm enough to wear shorts, etc. Also in the journal are coloring sheets, a daily log where each hour she can write in details of the trip, blank paper, and more.

The journal/map is a great idea! Do you draw the map, or did you find one to copy somewhere? My Dd is also 6 and would love it.

Thanks for any help you can provide.