So you've planned everything out now all that's left to decide is how to get down to Disney. In this mini-series we will see who the champion is flying or driving.
In battle round 1 we lay out all the pros and cons of flying down to do your DCP. Battle round 2 will focus on all the pros and cons of driving down. And finally the last post will feature the winner of the battle! So hold on to your seats and stay tuned because this is going to be a bumpy ride.
So you're thinking about flying down to your program. In some instances this is really the only realistic option (I mean if you're from Seattle driving down to especially Disney World would take you an eternity!), but this post really isn't for those who live super close or super far. This post series is for those who live a medium distance from Disney, be it Disney World or Disneyland, where both flying and driving is realistically viable.
Without further ado let's begin battle round one and look into the pros and cons of flying!
Pros
1. Shorter Travel Time?
So I put a question mark because at face value yes flying is a shorter travel time when comparing the time you're in the car versus the time you're on the plane, but when you factor in getting to the airport, waiting at the airport, and getting to your final destination, it may not be that much shorter time wise. The reason flying always seems shorter, however, is because your travel time is broken up into chucks which makes it more manageable. That is why regardless of whether flying works out to be shorter, it is a pro because mentally it will seem shorter.
2. Less Stuff
Because you are flying it means you're probably going to be packing more efficiently than those who are driving down. This means that you are less likely to over pack or pack things that aren't necessary for your time on the program. It also means you will only have luggage to store which will take up less space in your apartment. Overall, having less stuff to deal with is not always a bad thing.
3. Can Come The Day Before
If you're flying down you can easily arrive the day before. Now depending where you're driving from you may be able to hop in the car the day before and make it down, but realistically that won't be the case unless you live in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Alabama. So that makes flying look even better because it gives you more time at home before your program starts and you can hop on a plane mid-day the day before your arrival date and still make it on time. So if you're in a time crunch flying is a nice option.
Cons
1. Luggage Limitations
Let's face it. When flying you're limited by the weight of your luggage, which means you're likely to spend more money once you get down to your program because you can't pack everything. That being said, if a parent is flying down with you, you can utilize some of their luggage space as well. But ultimately you are limited by the luggage weight unless you don't mind travelling with a ridiculous amount of bags or don't mind paying overweight luggage fees (which I can tell you from personal experience are steep).
2. Getting to Housing
If you choose to fly you will probably spend some extra money getting yourself to housing as well on your check-in day. Be it an Uber or renting a car once you're down there this is more money you need to shell out to actually get to the start of your program.
3. Expenses
Plane tickets are not cheap especially if someone is flying down with you to help you move in. Not only do you need to pay for your one-way ticket, but you also need to pay for the round trip ticket of whoever is coming down with you. Not only that, but depending on the airline you choose to fly there are other expenses you may incur such as baggage fees or overweight fees if your bags exceed 50 lbs.
These's are some of the pros and cons to flying down to start your DCP. Stay tuned for next week when we talk about what the pros and cons of driving down to the DCP are before revealing the transportation battle winner!
Comments