we saved our BWV trip--parking?

[sueg]

After MUCH discussion, DH & I are going to our anniversary, adult-only long weekend at BWV. But the compromise is that we are driving from NJ to FL.(Yikes!) Since we'll have the family minivan and we don't intend to do much driving at WDW, since 18 hrs. ea. way will be enough, we can't rememer the deal on valet parking. Free for people stay at BWV on pts? Or is self park the only free parking?

 

[janiejo]

Sueg, valet parking is still free for DVC members at either BW or WL when staying on points. Of course, you still need to tip the attendant. Have a great anniversary!

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Sue could you please email me with the route your DH is taking. DW and I are going in december and where having trouble deciding which way to go.

Thanks for the help

sakpeg01@home.com

Scott and Peg

 

[sueg]

Our route is free-fall--NJ Turnpike around DC, then I95(S). We are NOT seasoned drivers to FL. In fact, our only drive was Orlando to NJ, on an emergent basis, when youngest DS got sick and was told he couldn't fly. Our real experience is our summer trip to HH, but we don't drive thru. Last summer, we stopped at DC for a great few days on the way down and a day in Richmond on the way up. The previous summer we spent the day in Fredrickburg on the way down and stayed with friends in Maryland. This trip is going to be a pedal-to-the-metal, driving about 6-7 hrs. from work (Richmond?) and straight thru the next day.

 

[Snowgod]

DW and I will be driving to BWV in DEC (16-21st) and would love to hear waht others do. We paln to take I95 from Conn (start in NH) and got all the way to I4 in FL. We expect about 24 hrs of traveling.


PS. planned to drive last year in our NewBeetlte, we love road trips

 

[PKS44]

I am a little confused by these posts. Why is the compromise being made to travel by car?

Is it economic? I would think the airlines are discounting travel like crazy now. It should be pretty cheap to fly.

Is it time? Even with the new delays I can't believe you could save time driving from New Hampshire or New Jersey.

If people are driving because they think it is safer than flying, that makes no sense at all. I understand the fear factor, but if you head to the highway to get out of the sky that is jumping out of the "flying" pan into the fire. Fear can make us want to do things that are not in our best interest. Driving, especially over long distances, has always been the most dangerous way to travel. As for flying, it is probably safer now than it was before-with the heightened awareness, air marshalls, etc. So the ratio of danger from flying to driving is even more tilted in favor of flying than it was before. We lose so many people on the highways every year, I sure hope we don't lose a lot more because of this misconception.

SO could someone please explain to me what is the rationale for people driving and not flying?

I will be flying in 20 days. Am I a little scared? Yep. But I would be more scared driving.
Paul

 

[MiknMinMouse]

We drive because we're so close ~ and it's really cheaper for us to drive. We live about 10 hours from Orlando but have a family of 4. We drive straight down but coming home we do stop in a hotel, even then we've found it's cheaper for us to do that than buy 4 airplane tickets. Also, since we stay at the BWV we tend to bring a lot of stuff with us ~ we usually have extra people, grandparents, family friends, etc so that's a lot of stuff. We carry our own detergent, snack foods, etc. which saves money from buying it all there. So for us driving is much more economic.

 

[Granny]

PKS44....

We live very close to you and we drive on our trips to WDW. Our reasons?

1. We don't like the airport hassle. Where to leave the car, get there early, tight schedules, pack less than we can in a minivan, etc.

2. Perversely, we ENJOY the drive to Florida. We take the middle seat out of the minivan, plug in a little TV/VCR combo unit and we're off! The kids have movies, books, GameBoys, personal CD players, etc so we don't get too much of the "are we there yet?" nagging. I will admit, they still find time to fight but not nearly so much as I used to with my brother!

3. We like to have a vehicle while we are in Orlando. We go to Sea World and Busch Gardens as well as other Florida day trips. The cost of a rental car for a week is not cheap, even with the bargains.

4. I alluded to this in #1 above, but we like to overpack. Taking the minivan takes the guesswork out of packing....we just take it all! I will say that now that we will be staying in our "home" with laundry facilities, the packing thing gets a little less critical since we won't have to bring as much clothing.

What can I say? We like to make like the Griswolds!

 

[sueg]

Our family flies to WDW every March. But once every five years, DH & I celebrate our anniversary trip at WDW where we honeymooned. My parents stay w/ 2 DSs. After Sept. 11th crisis, our first instinct was to cancel. We are very close to WTC, and I watched the whole disaster from my office window. Oldest DS saw Tower 2 go down from school window. After a day or two, we decided to re-think our decision to cancel. My mother was very upset about DH & I being at WDW, at all. DS started to worry about both his parents being in the air at the same time. We cherish this trip as a once every 5 yr. gift we give to ourselves, as a couple and we didn't want to give it up. But I couldn't handle my parents and my kids being stressed the whole time we were away. Driving was our compromise and I think that everyone has to do what is best for them. I don't know if we would have reached the same result if the whole family was flying together. We'll cross that bridge in March.

 

[mickey7861]

I hate to fly. Bottom Line! The drive has become part of the trip fun. We take long trips, 12-21 days so the drive time is no big deal. We enjoy being on the road together , sometimes we stop, sometimes we drive straight through. It really isn't a big deal. I have always felt safer in my own car, under my own power than in a plane. Actually, it does cost us less to drive also since the 4 of us usually can't fly for less than $1000, then you have to pay for the rental car.

 

[MiknMinMouse]

I have to add one more thing ~ it's little and some of our friends think it's crazy but we have a family tradition. When we hit Daytona we know we're about an hour from Disney so we turn on the Disney music, we play Disney tapes or CDs until we hit our hotel. It's a lot of fun and puts us in the Disney mood. The kids love it!!

 

[Pa@okw95]

I am with Granny on this one. I don't fly down to DVC because of what you have to go through at the airports and the airplanes themselves where you are like sardines in a can. Flying has really become an insult. I felt this way before 9/11 now ,well what can I say. For those of you that do drive from the New England area, the one thing you should remember is to get by New York by 5:30 AM or 6 AM at the latest. This will put you in the Washington DC well after the AM rush hour. After that everything just falls into place. By the way i would like to thak the state of Georgia for making route 95 three lanes. I hope the rest of the southern states follow their example.

 

[SnowWitch]

Good for you, for going!!! My boys are 9 and 11, they would have a fit if we left without them.. We live in NE Ga and I have always drove because I have a fear of flying, my DH has flown home early before due to work but I drive. I was just starting to think about flying, ,my DH loves it, but now it will take him another 13 years to get me on a plane. At least your going, Have a GREAT TRIP!!!!!!!!

 

[Cru*Ella]

We always drove until a few years ago. We tend to always take other children with us, and some of the parents were funny about flying.

DH is a migraine sufferer, and it always took us two days to get there, two to get back (driving is a stress on him... worse when I help!) He's be down the day after we got there and the day before we left, too.

Being self employed, we had to hire a subcontractor to do our researching while we are gone (we have 24 hour deadlines daily) which racked up $$$$$

When we are able to get out internet business growing to the point of replacing the researching income, we will close. Then we may drive again, at a very easy pace!

We, too, have a minivan and tend to pack to the rafters.

 

[Bennet]

We were on an adult get away from the 7 to the 12 and found ourself driving back to Philly. That drive seems a lot longer than it did 5 years ago.

National rent a car won my loyalty. They let us keep the car and drive back no extra charge for miles or dropping it off 1000 miles away. No problem, no question, no hassle. Class act.

Be sure to have some CDs. There are long stretches were you need'm. We made a pit stop at Wall Mart and picked some up before leaving Orlando.

 

[sueg]

Without the DSs in the car, DH & I planned on listening to books on tape. But our minivan has no tape player, only a CD player. Our local library, mired in the 20th century, is not stocking books on CD until they expand (scheduled, but the town just fired the contractor, but I digress) So we will either buy books on CD or bring our free-standing tape player to listen to library books on tape.