Should we fly instead of driving......?

[Shanti]

Will my family have a better trip/experience by flying down to Orlando instead of driving??

My family drove down to Orlando from NJ during the past two summers, mainly to save $$$ and we like the flexibility of having our own car on site... But long driving is tiring. DH does most of the driving and he would be in a very bad mood especially on the way home.

With flying, I am concerned about the stress of catching the flight, having to wait for shuttles and buses etc.... BTW, there are 4 of us. my kids are 6 and 10. We will be there for 6 days.

Would love to hear from others who have done both, driving and flying. TIA!

We always fly and don't find it stressful. WDW resorts are the easiest places to fly to and from, because WDW will handle your baggage & shuttles for you if you let them.

 

[Dis703]

$500 for 5?? I could only find $1200 for four for the time I need!

Yup! That's at the highest end we've paid the last 5 years. Mostly Frontier out of Trenton or PHL. Anywhere from $50-$105 RT. But I watch the flights closely as it changes almost daily with Frontier. But we also typically choose our dates based on the prices rather than the other way around. You get the best deals if you are able to be flexible.

 

[DisArmyWife215]

Will my family have a better trip/experience by flying down to Orlando instead of driving??

My family drove down to Orlando from NJ during the past two summers, mainly to save $$$ and we like the flexibility of having our own car on site... But long driving is tiring. DH does most of the driving and he would be in a very bad mood especially on the way home.

With flying, I am concerned about the stress of catching the flight, having to wait for shuttles and buses etc.... BTW, there are 4 of us. my kids are 6 and 10. We will be there for 6 days.

Would love to hear from others who have done both, driving and flying. TIA!

We've always flown and we're about 14 hour drive away. For us it makes sense to fly because we aren't adding 2 more days to our vacation just for driving. With the cost of gas, food and 2 extra days off work for both, we almost are at a break even point where getting there faster without the tiring drive it's definitely worth it.

If you like having a car you can always rent and pick up/drop off at Orlando Airport or drop back off WDW Car Care Center to not have to worry about returns on the day of your flight home.

 

[greg9x]

Well its not really 2 1/2 hours in a plane. Thats the time from the plane leaving the gate until it arrives at the gate. You have to get to the airport 1-3 hours prior, check your luggage, get thru TSA then board the plane...both ways. Once at MCO you'll wait for DME, 30-60 minutes to resort. For you and most others, you'll still save many hours!

I once did this driving from my house to DLR while a friend flew. About a 5 hour drive vs 1 hour flight. Both left our house at same time. He headed for airport, 30 minute drive for a flight leaving in 2 1/2 hours. I started driving to DLR. He got to our hotel about an hour before I did.

Yes, but it is a per situation variable.
If it was only a 5 hour drive for me then that's a no brainier. But 5 hours only puts me somewhere in NC with another 10 hours to go. That goes up greatly for people with longer distances.

So even figuring in getting to airport early and waiting to board, and getting transportation, flying is only 5 hours from home to hotel... And I can nap on the plane if want to and have a meal at the airport while waiting... Not be stuck driving.

 

[Cece_Kay]

Thank you all very much for sharing your take on flying vs. driving...
Now let me see if I can find extra $1500 lying around in my house....

I have not continued reading so this may have been addressed but I got RT flights on JetBlue from EWR to MCO for $180pp and that includes 1 checked bag (I live in NJ as well). I've done it for even less as well, so with some patience and advanced planning you can definitely get flights for your family of 4 for under $1000 probably even less depending when you fly. Southwest has great sales and includes 2 free checked bags with each ticket. Depending on where in NJ you live you can fly out from Newark (EWR), Philly (PHL), Atlantic City (ACY), and Trenton (TTN). I should mention that ACY and TTN are what I consider 'budget' airports because you can get Spirit and Frontier out of there. I prefer Southwest and JetBlue because Im alittle particular but if budget airlines don't bother you, you can definitely get RT flights for under $100pp...Ive done in my college days. JFK and LGA are also options if you're North Jersey, I dont think the drive is worth it to those airports if you live central/South Jersey. I get coupons for off-site airport parking and usually spend $40-$50 for a week as well. We drove to Disney all the time as a child as a means to save money and I vowed to NEVER do it again as long as I was in control of my transportation.

 

[maxiesmom]

Well its not really 2 1/2 hours in a plane. Thats the time from the plane leaving the gate until it arrives at the gate. You have to get to the airport 1-3 hours prior, check your luggage, get thru TSA then board the plane...both ways. Once at MCO you'll wait for DME, 30-60 minutes to resort. For you and most others, you'll still save many hours!

I once did this driving from my house to DLR while a friend flew. About a 5 hour drive vs 1 hour flight. Both left our house at same time. He headed for airport, 30 minute drive for a flight leaving in 2 1/2 hours. I started driving to DLR. He got to our hotel about an hour before I did.

Well then, to be honest it would be more than 22 hours to get to WDW. I won't drive straight thru, so now we are talking 20 1/2 hours of just driving. Adding in breaks, and an overnight, and it is more like 36 hours. So 5 hours compared to 36? Yeah, it is a not brainer for me.

 

[Darthbane2007]

When my family drove to WDW back in April 2012 ( From Durham NC) It took us around 10-11 hours including stopping for gas and rest stops...

 

[Curtis Foley]

An auto train can be a could option. But if you are looking for more comfort and luxury, then flying down is the best option to go with, without worrying about dollars.

 

[ToddyLu]

SW is how DH and I fly to MCO from New Orleans. I find the cheapest flights on or near the day they open new dates. I was going to say, don't forget the budget airlines, like the PP. Allegient, Frontier, Spirit. The reason I don't do those is the time it flies and there is only one flight at the Gulfport airport. IF the flight is delayed or cancelled, you are driving, which defeats the purpose. We never fly Mobile because of the cost, it is ALWAYS more expensive. We also get a car service to pick us up from the airport. We only use Tiffany Towncar and request two drivers we like. DH prefers flying always. I could drive from where we live ( 10hours), but now need to spend the night on the way down, not back. Our flight in Nov was $110 PP both ways. So it, combined with Tiffany, parking at airport and Early Bird on SW makes it more expensive. But that is the way we choose to vacation. We take an early flight down and a late morning flight back. On our May trip our DVC room was ready as soon as we got there (about 9:30), and we started our vacation instantly. When I think about it, driving 2 hours west to airport to fly non stop 2 hours east...we might just be a little nuts, but it works for us. I always do the driving because DH has to be distracted with phone or tablet on trips. So the quickest way to get him there is flying….well until teleportation is invented.

Be sure you check airlines not listed sometimes on Expedia, etc. Make sure you wiggle the dates a little, like an evening flight after work or the night before if possible. Once you expand your airports and dates you might find something good. You can also fly into Sanford airport ( I think another 30 minutes away) and Tampa ( about 1.5 hours I am told). If coming from NJ...I would have to make the flight happen... and I would probably pay SW whatever they we asking because we really like the airline. I priced AT once, I think it took us to St. Louis or something before we got to Orlando....ummm, no.

 

[Corwin]

I've made the drive to (and from) Orlando exactly once in my life, and that's when I relocated there for an eight-month training assignment when I was in the U.S. Navy. That was over 25 years ago, and I still remember the never-ending drive from Florida to New England.

For a WDW trip, I would never consider driving. We always fly.

Regarding budget, you might find the costs closer than you think if you run all the numbers, taking into account accommodations, tolls, and mileage costs (including wear & tear on your vehicle). It's about 1,250 miles each way for us, and using the 2018 IRS standard mileage rate of $0.545/mile (which is supposed to take all costs into account), it would actually be more expensive for us to drive than fly. Adding the extra time involved in driving (and the value of vacation days for me and my wife), and the choice to fly is a no-brainer for us.

We also feel no need to have a car with us at WDW. We are perfectly happy using Disney transportation (or taxis in a pinch), and find NOT driving on vacation relaxing in and of itself.