9 hour drive to parks - drive, fly, or combo?

If I'm forced to drive, I'd make a stop every 3 to 4 hours to get out and stretch and walk and breathe. Longest driving leg I've done was a straight shot from Dollywood back to home, a little over 4 hours, with no pit stops.

I'm lucky to be in a family of pilots, so usually we opt to fly because we get either discounted rates or free trips depending on the airline we go with, and if there's enough seats (always have to fly standby). Once there, we would rent a car and drive the rest of the way.

I can drive so much time, but with a break