Atlantic Canadian WDW Fans

[fan1080]

Fan1080, you said you were originally planning your couple's trip for May. But if you go to Disney, you are going in March, right? I ask because you wanted to take advantage of the $200 gift card that comes with the 4/3 deal and that bonus is only available until the end of March. Also, there is limited availability of rooms with the 4/3 offer. If you are going at a busy time such as March Break, you should book REALLY soon if you are going to have a shot at the current promotion.

Yup, we will be going March break in order to get the $200 gift card. The card will help offset some of the losses for cancelling the Punta Cana trip.

We also have to book this before Dec 20. That's next week and doesn't offer us alot of time to get this done. But, we have a really good travel agent and she always takes care of us; I have alot of faith in her.

This would be a really nice Christmas gift for our daughters as well. Our youngest daughter has been showing us all the ads on TV, the internet, mail, etc. Every time she sees a new offer she is quick to let us know. If we can get this done, she will be so excited, I'm sure her sisters will be too. Heck, I'm getting more excited just typing this, and my wife called this morning saying she can't stop thinking about it either....... we are hopelessly addicted! lol

 

[dvcdisney]

Can't give you an idea on what it's like for March Break, but I know as a fact that Portland will be your best bet price wise. More airlines fly out of Portland, giving you a better rate. We priced out every which way. Flying out of Moncton (we live about a 2 min drive from the airport!) Halifax, Bangor and Portland, vs driving (which really isnt an option since DH only gets one week of vacation at a time.) and it always was cheaper flying out of Portland. Airtran cost us $750 ($800 with assigned seating) for 4 seats both ways. They do have a new fee for checked baggage, so you would need to factor that into your costs as well. Booking early and watching for sales is key though. We booked in Aug for our trip in 3 days.

I know here in NB our highways are always clear unless there is a BAD storm hitting that moment. You can't control the weather... unfortunately. We have been holding our breath. Good thing about this though, we have all day Friday to get to Portland. HoJo's park and fly is costing us $79 which includes our vehicle being parked there for the week we are in DW. Can't beat that! It's a 7 hour drive from here...but we Love the drive. It's just family time to us, and the kids love to look around.

All the best for your plans for DW! This is a great resource if you have any questions on anything!

Thanks. I really appreciate all the info. $800 return is a great price. And that's the reason why I was contemplating driving to Bangor or Portland. We were going to drive to Boston this summer and then take the flight to Disney from there, but since we have never driven that route before, we decided to go and try taking a flight from Bangor. I don't have any problems going during our summer trip to Disney. But our March break trips are getting to be more and more expensive and I'm thinking that maybe it would be worth it. But then again, I'm very concerned about the weather. Since it is unpredictable, which in itself is driving me nuts since I am a compulsive planner, I thought I would get some insights here from those who drive all the time, even in March. We are somewhat new to the Maritimes so I'm a little upset about the airfare prices compared to the prices we paid from Toronto. But don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it to go through Pearson again.

 

[Honeystar120608]

Thanks. I really appreciate all the info. $800 return is a great price. And that's the reason why I was contemplating driving to Bangor or Portland. We were going to drive to Boston this summer and then take the flight to Disney from there, but since we have never driven that route before, we decided to go and try taking a flight from Bangor. I don't have any problems going during our summer trip to Disney. But our March break trips are getting to be more and more expensive and I'm thinking that maybe it would be worth it. But then again, I'm very concerned about the weather. Since it is unpredictable, which in itself is driving me nuts since I am a compulsive planner, I thought I would get some insights here from those who drive all the time, even in March. We are somewhat new to the Maritimes so I'm a little upset about the airfare prices compared to the prices we paid from Toronto. But don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it to go through Pearson again.

No Problem! The only advice I can give you is that the Farmers Almanac and the meteorologists I have seen on tv have predicted a milder, tamer winter for us here this season. For what that is worth. Doesn't mean no storms. Im not sure when you moved here. I had my son Dec 2004 and that winter was fairly short with few storms. Then our daughter in Feb 2006 and that winter was even milder. Last year was the first true winters we had in a while, and at them I remember as a child, them being much worse!! lol
Honestly, from what I have seen and have figured out costs for...the driving and gas to Boston doesn't get you any further ahead, then flying out of POrtland. I have our GPS software that will figure out time and klms and gas consumption based on your vehicle's gas consumption. So I was able to figure thing out this summer based on that. Driving, vs, boston, and hali, and moncton, and portland. It's a shame that Bangor doesn't offer anything better. It was still cheaper to go to Portland than Bnagor with gas and everything. It would be about... a 10 hour drive for you guys I guess in Hali. I really am not too interested in Bangor, I much prefer Portland. Lots of good shopping, Freeport is along the way with some great outlet stores. SO Im excited for the sales happening when we go. I have already checked out the Kmart and Walmart online flyers. Some great deals at Kmart we will be taking advantage of Also, If you stay in Portland, I highly recommend the Old Country Buffet if you have never been. It's great!!



-Just waiting for the dollar to go up a little.. was at .80 not at .78. I hope it goes back up to 80 today or tomorrow!!-

 

[dvcdisney]

-Just waiting for the dollar to go up a little.. was at .80 not at .78. I hope it goes back up to 80 today or tomorrow!!-

It is frustrating to see it go up and down. When it was at par, I was thinking of getting some US funds for our trip, but so many people were predicting that it will remain like that way into the 2009. Oh well!


Thanks again for all the great info/advice. I get so much info from these threads.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

The dollars at 0.790 right now. I'm pretty sure it's going to hover around 0.80 for awhile.

I just wanted to chime in about the whether. I live in St. Stephen, NB. You have to come through our town to get to Bangor. From Saint John (an hour east of here) to Bangor (2 hours southwest) you usually have pretty good weather. We live in an area that has been blessed with milder weather in the winter than most of the Maritimes. I don't know if that helps you any but take it for what it's worth.

 

[dvcdisney]

The dollars at 0.790 right now. I'm pretty sure it's going to hover around 0.80 for awhile.

I just wanted to chime in about the whether. I live in St. Stephen, NB. You have to come through our town to get to Bangor. From Saint John (an hour east of here) to Bangor (2 hours southwest) you usually have pretty good weather. We live in an area that has been blessed with milder weather in the winter than most of the Maritimes. I don't know if that helps you any but take it for what it's worth.

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate all the info I get from these threads. It really helps in planning.

 

[Honeystar120608]

Thanks! We will be changing money over tomorrow. Apparently there is a pretty big storm to hit Late Thursday night into Friday. So driving to Portland Friday isn't going to happen. So we will leave around 4 and head to Bangor for the night THursday. Will have to keep an eye on the storm to see where it's going to hit and when exactly. Oh my...

 

[dvcdisney]

Thanks! We will be changing money over tomorrow. Apparently there is a pretty big storm to hit Late Thursday night into Friday. So driving to Portland Friday isn't going to happen. So we will leave around 4 and head to Bangor for the night THursday. Will have to keep an eye on the storm to see where it's going to hit and when exactly. Oh my...

Good Luck. And have a great trip!

 

[fan1080]

The dollars at 0.790 right now. I'm pretty sure it's going to hover around 0.80 for awhile.

I just wanted to chime in about the whether. I live in St. Stephen, NB. You have to come through our town to get to Bangor. From Saint John (an hour east of here) to Bangor (2 hours southwest) you usually have pretty good weather. We live in an area that has been blessed with milder weather in the winter than most of the Maritimes. I don't know if that helps you any but take it for what it's worth.

The next question is, what's the best route to take coming from NS? Mapquest suggests going up through Fredericton and catching the I95 quite a way north of St Stephen; or, is it better to cut down through Saint John and St Stephen? If going your way would be better, what route do we take once in Maine?

 

[tribus121]

The biggest advantage of going through Fredericton and then down I95 is that you are on 4 lane main highway all the way . Going through St Stephen you have 2 lane secondary road from St Stephen to Bangor .

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

The next question is, what's the best route to take coming from NS? Mapquest suggests going up through Fredericton and catching the I95 quite a way north of St Stephen; or, is it better to cut down through Saint John and St Stephen? If going your way would be better, what route do we take once in Maine?

The biggest advantage of going through Fredericton and then down I95 is that you are on 4 lane main highway all the way . Going through St Stephen you have 2 lane secondary road from St Stephen to Bangor .

I would suggest coming through St. Stephen. It is a much better border crossing. In fact, there are two right in town. If the first one is lined up, just keep driving up the road and there's a second one off that same street. (A third will open next year but not in time for March.) Also, there is a brand new divided highway that has just opened up between Saint John and St. Stephen. When you cross into Maine, it's really simple to get to Bangor. You just follow Route 9 for an hour and a half or so. Tribus is right. It is mostly two lanes but it is basically deserted. No traffic to worry about. You can gain great speed. I wouldn't bother going all the way North of Fredericton although many people do for wheatever reason. Via St. Stephen is really quite simple.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I also wanted to add that the weather in this part of the province is usually quite a bit better in the winter than Fredericton and North. Fredericton typically gets hammered with snow.

 

[Honeystar120608]

I have to agree with Mr & Mrs SMith. We are headed that way tomorrow at 6am! Going to POrtland. I LOVE the Calaid St Stephen route. I used to live in Fredericton (not in Moncton..born and raised) and have seen enough of that part of the highway. It's nice to go through Saint John way. It's a nice drive...never done it this time of year mind you.
The weather isn't going to be IDEAL, but hopefully will just stay with rain. The further to portland we get, the warmer it will be. Granted it's supposed to be 12 here in Moncton...only 3 in Portland. I guess it doesn't get warmer as we get to Portland. lmao!

6am can't come fast enough! The kids and I are waiting at home making snowflakes for out window at ASmovies.

 

[MegKate]

Hey all!

I've never flown out of Portland or Bangor. When I go to the World, I fly out of Providence or Manchester because I like Southwest. We're going down again in October 2009 to get married! I was wondering what you thought about flying out of Portland or Bangor - would I be better off going through one of those?

TIA!

 

[tribus121]

Hey all!

I've never flown out of Portland or Bangor. When I go to the World, I fly out of Providence or Manchester because I like Southwest. We're going down again in October 2009 to get married! I was wondering what you thought about flying out of Portland or Bangor - would I be better off going through one of those?


TIA!

I found much better air fare out of Portland this year ( Both with jetblue and airtran ) I booked in september on airtran for our january trip and payed $ 216 pp taxes in Bangor used to be cheep but fares there have gone up unles you fly alagant and they fly in toSanford Fl not MCO

 

[declansdad]

While crossing at Calais will give you a much more scenic drive, it realy doesn't save any time. I also wouldn't want to travel the two lane Airline as it is called in the winter. The I95 is a much safer route plus you will have a four line highway all the way through NB and Maine. The crossing is also newer than the St. Stephen and Milltown crossings. (There is also less traffic.)

Also, We don't get hammered with Snow in Fredericton. That is Moncton.

 

[fan1080]

Well, it's official, we are booked for March break, 15-22, flying out of Portland on Airtran. Yeeehaaaaaa!!!! Now we have to come up with an nice way to tell our daughters. We'll probably do something for Christmas.

As I said, this will be our first road trip for less expensive airfare, but the lowest price we could get out of Halifax was $4300 CAD. Even with the added cost of Hotel, gas and food, we will save at least $2200 flying out of Portland. The only bummer is that we couldn't get the really low airfare for all 5 seats. 2 seats were, $198USD return, 3 seats were $253USD... C'est la vie!

Thanks for all the advice folks. Hopefully I'll be able to stay awake during the long drives.

Now the fun and planning begins!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Hey all!

I've never flown out of Portland or Bangor. When I go to the World, I fly out of Providence or Manchester because I like Southwest. We're going down again in October 2009 to get married! I was wondering what you thought about flying out of Portland or Bangor - would I be better off going through one of those?

TIA!

I would definitely go with Bangor or Portland, wherever you get the best deal. That will save you one heck of a drive.

Also, We don't get hammered with Snow in Fredericton. That is Moncton.

Fredericton doesn't get a lot of snow? Well, not according to my personal experience and the weather records. I lived in Freddy for 4 years and am only a 1 1/2 away now. The difference between Charlotte County and Fred in terms of snow in the winter time is like night and day. That's not to say that Moncton doesn't get a lot of snow too but Fredericton certain gets lots as well. Maybe you've just gotten used to it? Heck, Crabbe Mountain is open already and I can't find a snowflake here.

And as for the line-ups in St. Stephen, they have been basically non-existant since the summer time. So, yes, if you're coming here in the summer you'll have to wait. Otherwise you just drive across. I can practically see the Milltown crossing from my house.

 

[fan1080]

And as for the line-ups in St. Stephen, they have been basically non-existant since the summer time. So, yes, if you're coming here in the summer you'll have to wait. Otherwise you just drive across. I can practically see the Milltown crossing from my house.

How is the traffic at March break? Probably busier than now, but would it be alot more busy?

And, do you think it will be a shorter drive through your way, or just more scenic?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

How is the traffic at March break? Probably busier than now, but would it be alot more busy?

And, do you think it will be a shorter drive through your way, or just more scenic?

Last year, there wasn't any noticeable traffic at March Break. I think that the sagging dollar will make that the case again.

I can only speak to Bangor since we frequent it. I'm not so sure about Portland.

To get from Moncton to Bangor under normal driving conditions:

Via Woodstock, NB: 4 hr 41 min (480 km)
Via St. Stephen, NB: 4 hr 15 min (361 km)*

*Not taking into account the new highway between Saint John & St. Stephen which shaves off kilometres and time.

BTW, Googlemaps says it takes almost an hour longer to get from St. Stephen, NB to Bangor, ME than it actually does. We've timed this leg of the journey many, many times.

So, actual driving time is not a huge difference. I think it's a matter of preference.

The reason I recommend the St. Stephen route is not for the scenery (although it is beautiful) but for better weather, lack of traffic, and imo faster border crossings.

I keep an eye on the wait times out of interest and it seems like Houlton is always report some sort of delay even when Calais isn't. Also, at Houlton they rarely have more than 1 lane open. Here, the max lanes are always open. (Not true coming back into Canada, though, but they have more lanes going that way.) BTW, if you're ever looking for border wait times when entering the US, go here:

http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/index.asp

So, in the end, it's up to you and it probably makes very little difference when all is said and done but I thought I'd give you a few things to consider. Might as well share my insight as a border townie.