Fly or Drive?

Do we fly or do we drive?
This can be a very personal decision and easy for some to make, but it can be a toss-up for others. Obviously distance and flight prices may be the biggest determining factor. I am not sure those living in the West Coast or those living in Florida will find this blog post very useful; but for all others, here we go… Before we start, I must first admit that the Western family has never flown to Disney World; however, that does not mean that my objective is to convince you that my way is best. As stated originally, it is really a personal decision and there are many pros and cons to each.
Distance – As stated originally, this is likely the biggest factor and it is different for every person. There is not much advice I can give you on this factor.
Staying on Property or off Property? –
Let’s first discuss the arguments for flying if you are staying on property?

• Disney has done a great job of making it extremely convenient to stay on property. If you are staying on property, Disney has a “Magical Express” that will pick you up from the airport and drop you off at your resort as part of your vacation package. They even take your luggage for you and it will be sitting in your room when you arrive. Pretty magical I would say. You can also use Disney transportation to get to all parks, and areas inside the resort including tons of restaurants of every shape and size. If you elect to get the Dining Plan, there is really no need to ever leave Disney property, and therefore no reason to have a car.
• If Disney makes it so easy, why would you drive? If you elect to stay off property in order to save money, get larger accommodations, visit other attractions in Florida, or whatever the reason may be, you just might want to have your own car. If you live close enough to consider driving, you may be able to save substantially by avoiding airfare tickets and the need to rent a rental car. The other perk of having a car is that you do not have to eat inside Disney. Although dining at Disney is a special part of a Disney vacation, it does come at a price.

So why do the Western’s drive? Since we have timeshare-like property that is paid for yearly, we never stay on property. For that reason, I like having my own car. We have tried using Disney transportation and while many Disney fans love it (please do not let me discourage you), I struggle to let someone else determine when I can come and go. (We even avoid the parking lot trams because I am so hard headed). Additionally, I am just not a fan of dragging four children through an airport with more luggage than I have hands to carry. We also eat on Disney vacations very similar to the way we eat at home, we go to the grocery, stock our refrigerator, and cook. Although we do enjoy a few meals in the park we keep them to a minimum. At this point, you may be saying, “you guys are boring, I thought you were Disney fans, you skip all the fun.” Well, let me answer that like I explain to my children. We each have personal preferences on how we do things and what we enjoy. Some people would like to Stay at Disney, Eat at Disney, and do everything else possible at Disney for the 5 most magical days of their life. The Western family likes to try to be a little frugal and have a little less fun for 20-30 days a year.

The other question I get, “How in the world do you continue to drive from Houston, Texas to Orlando, Florida multiple times a year with FOUR KIDS?” Our normal travel consists of leaving Houston in the afternoon after school/work to drive to New Orleans. We always stop in New Orleans to visit my family and drop our puppies off with their incredible babysitter (my mom). We gerenally try to leave New Orleans around 10 or 11 PM in order to make it to park opening. We drive straight through the night, alternating drivers if necessary until we arrive at Disney. And yes, even though I cannot seem to stay awake at home past 8 PM most nights, I somehow manage to drive straight through the night with little difficulty (not to mention the time I am running through the parks on no sleep on the first day). We can call it just a little bit of Disney magic.