Have You Ever Experienced…The Disney Drive?

With all of the snow that has buried the Northeast lately I have been getting that bug to get to warmer weather, and since it has been a whole 6 months since my last visit to the Magic Kingdom and at least that long until I get there again I decided it was time to do a virtual visit through the power of Doctor Disney. I have seen may people post on the I’m So Disney… site that they are quite a distance from our beloved vacationland and to make the trip can get very expensive especially if you have a large family.

For my family of five air travel from Boston to Orlando could cost us anywhere from $1,200 to over $2,000, practically a magical Disney vacation in itself! So for the last two years we decided to drive. Yup I said it, the dreaded “D” word. The reality of it is, while the flights cost on average $1,500 the drive only costs around $500, and with gas prices dropping from it could be even more cost effective.

Okay so I will be the first to admit that when staring down the gauntlet of a 2,580 mile round-trip I was intimidated. There is no way the kids will stay sane which will make my experience even less sane , I thought. Wow was I wrong, this turned out to be one of the best financial and family experience we have ever had. It can be yours too with the following 5 tips.

1. Mindset: The very first thing you have to realize is that you will be stuck in the car for upwards of 40 hours. There is no getting around it, accept it. If you set your mind to be patient and relaxed so too will be your experience. Even though you may want to power through the whole trip or maybe go another 100 miles no amount of macho-ness will help you here.  Remember this is part of the vacation, meant to be enjoyed!
2. Planning Ahead: Even though I never made it all the way through to Eagle Scout I know the Boy Scout motto to “Be Prepared” and the old adage is vital to a good overall drive experience. Prepare your emergency kit (and don’t make the mistake of packing it where you can’t get it) pack it with the essentials that you might need when faced with an issue on the road. Have a good idea of where you will want to be at certain points along the way and where you want to stop to refuel (Tip: don’t stop in Connecticut, and in New Jersey you can stay in the car). Know your limits and the limits of those with you.
3. Respect the potty break: Both times we took the plunge we did so caravan style. Car #1 contained the five of my family, car 2 my sister her husband and two kids and car 3 my parents. There are a number of apps that we used to remain in contact (HeyTell) and count down the miles, such as Waze and Google Maps, but when that call came in, it was time to pull over. I mean let’s face it when else would you have the pleasure of stopping at a rest area at 1 am on the New Jersey turnpike?  To keep everyone comfortable and happy let it go.
   
4. Keep them engaged: With the modern advances in technology the family road trip is not what it was when Clark W. Griswold packed up the kids in the old family truckster. These days the occupants of the car each have their own device on which to keep themselves entertained, or if you are like us you have a television or two to play your favorite Disney movies all the way down and back. Sure, there will be stretches where they will sleep but the last thing I wanted to do was have everyone in their corner of the car, so my mother built for each of the kids a workbook with the U.S. States and Disney related coloring pages and games.  They were placed in the binder in the order of the states we would pass through, it made every border crossing like another mini goal towards the big one. Sure we watched movies plenty and sang songs as loudly as we could (probably louder than my family wanted me to) but the bonding time in the car with the kids is something you will never be able to replace. Besides what is better than building a good road trip soundtrack?
5. Pack well: One thing I give a ton of credit to my wife for was planning ahead in terms of the packing. We not only were headed to Disney with all of our luggage we also planned to stop over at a hotel on the way. Having a separate bag with a change of clothes just for that night made the stop over that much more easy. We also stocked up on all of the drinks and snacks we could want not only for the drive but while on property too!  We then had snacks, lunches, drinks and more for the week, and we bought it in Boston not the overpriced grocery stores nearest the property. This saved us quite a bit of money and time every day.

The other unseen advantage is the ability to drive yourself to the parks rather than ride the buses. My family does see riding the Disney transportation as part of the overall Disney experience, however on those late nights when the kids are exhausted and you want to just throw the stroller in the trunk and go it is well worth the effort.

In the end remember that these days you have with your little ones will go by fast and while you want to get to Disney as fast as possible remember that the fun begins the minute you leave your door. I for one will always remember those 8 days we had the opportunity to spend together as a family, good or bad those experiences are ones you make with them, and besides it isn’t Disney that makes the magic it’s the family that brings it.

Join the “I’m So Disney…” group on Facebook to discuss this and many other Disney things with anyone and everyone.