Driving to Disney World

(Short Excerpts From the Book)

Driving could be Cheaper for Groups and Families

Unless you can find a deeply discounted airplane ticket, driving might be the most economical means of transportation. Ticket fares can add up quickly for a small to large family. From most places the standard rate for a ticket could be around $300. A family of four would spend $1,200 on tickets, which is money that they could be spending on other parts of the vacation.

From a personal standpoint, our family saves $1,000 to $1,500 by driving. Tickets from Arkansas cost from $200 to $300 per ticket.  For the price of one plane ticket, we can cover the cost of gas that we use by driving. We are not as lucky as others who have access to cheaper, independent airlines that charge much less. Everyone needs to evaluate their own situation and the opportunities available to them.

Mapping Programs  

There are some tools that you can use to help you evaluate your situation and how much you should budget. There are computer programs that cost around $15-$20 that will map out your trip. A popular program is Microsoft’s Streets and Trips. By putting in your starting destination and your ultimate destination (Walt Disney World), the program will lay out your trip for you. It will tell you how many miles you will be driving, how long the trip will be, how much gas you will use, and how much it will cost. You can modify the program by changing the driving speeds, how much gas your vehicle uses, how much gas actually costs, and how often you would want to stop and rest.

A cheaper way could be go to www.maps.yahoo.com and use their maps for free. It will tell you the miles and rough time that it takes to get there. From our experience, the time that is stated on the site is slightly more than it is in reality. The site will also not allow you to adjust speeds or take alternate routes. Also, you will not be able to schedule breaks, adjust miles per gallon, or even see how much the trip will cost. It is a helpful tool that can at least give you a ballpark figure of how many miles and the time that it could take. You could figure out the miles per gallon and price per gallon yourself in order to come up with the costs that would be involved to purchase the gas.

Expenses Beyond Gas

When figuring the gas that is involved with driving, also remember to include, or at least budget for, extra expenses that could include better tires, oil change, other fluid changes, and/or repairs that must be done to prepare your vehicle for the long trip. It would be a shame to waste some souvenir or food money on some last-minute car repairs. For the most part these things should be done anyway and shouldn’t be part of the trip, but if you don’t budget for it, it could hurt your slush fund.

            Snacks and food on the road could also be something that needs to be calculated. If you have a large family food expenses can add up on the road. Consider packing food for some or all of your meals.

Renting a Car to Drive to Disney World

You Can Save Money if Your Current Vehicle is in Need of Maintenance

• When calculating the expense or savings that come with renting a car, do not forget about the extra maintenance that could be required on your current vehicle. If your car will need new belts, tires, and other repairs in order to make it road trip worthy, you might be better off renting somebody else’s car.
• Not all cars can make a long trip. If your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere it could cost more than your whole trip budget. With a rental car, the company will cover most mishaps.

A Rental might have Better Gas Mileage than Your Present Vehicle

• Consider the savings that can come from using a smaller vehicle. The difference between a Chevy Suburban and a Ford Focus could add up to a significant amount of money.
• If you have a vehicle that that seats seven, but you only need seating for four, renting a car could be a good option. The gas mileage on a car can be twice as efficient as that of a big SUV. There could be a big difference between 15 mpg and 30 mpg.

Look into Possibly Renting a Bigger Vehicle and Sharing with Others

• If there are several people or multiple families driving together, consider renting a bigger vehicle to share. Instead of driving two or three vehicles, calculate the possible gas savings with a bigger vehicle.
• A minivan or SUV can hold up to 8 people. Bigger vans can hold 12-15 people. Not only could you save money, but also it could make the trip more enjoyable if everyone rides together.

Want More Travel Tips and Secrets? Disney on a Dime, Available Now!!

Look to Disney on a Dime for the latest and greatest ways to Save money on your Disney World Vacation. Look in the Book for more Travel tips on: More Driving Tips Bus Travel More Rental Tips Travel Insurance More Flying Tips Best Times to Travel Getting the Best Deals Combining Services Alternate Airports Traveling Budget

Other Topics That Can Help with Driving:

Finding Cheap Hotels on the Road

Traveling Activities for Kids

Transportation at Disney World