Driving to parks a pain?

[culli]

We like to stay at the park DVCs due to ease of park access. I really love SSR and sure I would like OKW but I'm just so impatient even if the busses are running quick. So my question is for those who drive to the parks how hard is it? Seems like the parking situtation at the parks, especially MK is a mess and would take longer to drive then walk to the park from the lot then taking a bus even it was running late?

We really want to stay at the THV or family would love that but NO WAY am I taking two busses to get to the park and two more to get back. I just find waiting for busses stressful, a personality quirk of mine, "is this our bus?", "how about this one".........kind of like "squirrel" in UP, that is me with bus. I have a hard time sitting still when I want to get somewhere.

On the flip side I could see it so easy to park right outside the unit, load up the family and in a few minutes be at the park. Then with that said if it isn't that bad I'm starting to think........hmmmmm staying offsite might not be that bad either Did I really say that

 

[Tara]

We like to stay at the park DVCs due to ease of park access. I really love SSR and sure I would like OKW but I'm just so impatient even if the busses are running quick. So my question is for those who drive to the parks how hard is it? Seems like the parking situtation at the parks, especially MK is a mess and would take longer to drive then walk to the park from the lot then taking a bus even it was running late?

We really want to stay at the THV or family would love that but NO WAY am I taking two busses to get to the park and two more to get back. I just find waiting for busses stressful, a personality quirk of mine, "is this our bus?", "how about this one".........kind of like "squirrel" in UP, that is me with bus. I have a hard time sitting still when I want to get somewhere.

On the flip side I could see it so easy to park right outside the unit, load up the family and in a few minutes be at the park. Then with that said if it isn't that bad I'm starting to think........hmmmmm staying offsite might not be that bad either Did I really say that

Have you done much driving offsite? IME, the traffic is not fun to contend with a times. We almost always drive to the parks, even to MK. Yes, it's generally more efficient to take the bus to MK, but this way we can go
wherever we want to after we leave the park. We aren't locked into going back to our resort to get our car if we need or want to do something else. Plus we are in control of the a/c, we can have private conversations, we can store our gear, and we always get a seat.

 

[culli]

Have you done much driving offsite? IME, the traffic is not fun to contend with a times. We almost always drive to the parks, even to MK. Yes, it's generally more efficient to take the bus to MK, but this way we can go
wherever we want to after we leave the park. We aren't locked into going back to our resort to get our car if we need or want to do something else. Plus we are in control of the a/c, we can have private conversations, we can store our gear, and we always get a seat.

We have never driven in Orlando.........straight from the plane to ME to resort. We don't do anything off WDW grounds and one of things we like is not having to worry about anything like getting around. Just starting to consider it but when we go to WDW it is to experience WDW not the other stuff. Now we do other things just not while at the world.

 

[Deb & Bill]

MK is not the easiest to drive to. You have to park, then catch the tram to the TTC and then either take the boat or monorail over to the MK. The others are not so bad for driving. Unless you get parked at the very end of the row, the furthest spot from the tram pickup...

 

[erionm]

As locals we always have a car and use Disney transportation unless there's a real time crunch to get somewhere.

 

[donald...really]

MK we take busses, every other park we drive. And 9 times out of 10 we don't take the tram to the main gate, unless we are parked WAY in the back. For us it is more of a hassle waiting for and taking the bus.

 

[drusba]

We always have a car. It is easy to drive around WDW as direction signs abound. It is also easy to go to a park with a car except MK. Here is what you will face driving from SSR/THV:

1. It will take about 8-10 minutes to drive to the Studios or Epcot and about 15 to AKV. You park in the lot and then take a tram to the front entrance. Those trams are quick and come along frequently; leaving the park the same. If you are an early arriver you can actually park close enough that you can just walk to the front gates. Driving to those parks rather than taking the bus from SSR will always be faster.

2. The problem with MK is not the drive, which is only about 10 minutes. The problem is the fact that the parking lot is still a monorail or boat ride away from MK because it is just outside the TTC. Thus you have to take a tram to TTC and then take a monorail or boat. The longest part of the trip is after you parked and for MK we have always found the trams to be less frequent than at other parks. Moreover, you can wait some time when leaving park at park closing to get on a monorail or boat. Net effect driving is really not any faster than taking the bus.

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

We always have a car and for the most part we drive to the parks except sometimes taking the bus to the MK because it drops you right there vs. taking the monorail or boat from the TTC. We started driving when DD who is now 15 was a toddler because then when we were ready to leave we always knew we could just go and not have to wait around for a bus or possibly have to hold a sleeping child while standing on a bus back to our resort. Driving and parking on our own has always seemed much quicker to us even with needing to take a tram from the parking lot to the gate area, the trams in the lots run constantly. We have never found it to be a problem to drive from MCO to WDW either, we take the less traveled 417 route vs the busier 528 to and from the airport.

 

[cheezNE1]

MK is not the easiest to drive to. You have to park, then catch the tram to the TTC and then either take the boat or monorail over to the MK. The others are not so bad for driving. Unless you get parked at the very end of the row, the furthest spot from the tram pickup...

I'm a frequent driver to orlando and have always used the bus. I always wanted to drive to the park, but i've heard similar stories about how far the parking is from the themepark. I like to drive to DTD when staying at SSR... its a quick 5 min. drive and not have to wait 20 min for bus and then 5 stops.

 

[dianeschlicht]

While it's vacation, and I HATE to hurry on vacation, I like to take the Disney buses. I've never felt they were bad, and the only time I get disgruntled is if I have to be on a bus that stops at two different locations. That would be like the AK bus from OKW stopping at BLizzard Beach on the way. It's the reason we often will take our car to AK from OKW.

On the other hand, we find the buses to be VERY efficient when traveling to most of the parks. I alwlays think parking and taking the tram in is a real PITA! I'd much rather take the bus and get dropped off at the entrance.

If you've ever stayed off-site, you know how awful that traffic can be coming in to the parks. The waiting at the gate to pay, the waiting to get to your "spot", and the waiting for the tram etc. etc. etc. Nope, I'll stick with Disney transportation from all the resorts. I don't quite understand your comment about "park DVCs". As far as I'm concerned they are all close to a park.

 

[photobob]

I always drive to WDW and never use my car to go to the parks. I drive a good bit with my job and find the use of Disney transportation a part of the reality escape. Can i get to a park more quickly using my car? Sometimes, sometimes not. Since joining DVC we have gotten more laidback with our approach to our trips so we don't get upset if the bus we are waiting for isn't there as soon as we walk up. The thing with bus transportation is your wait time is nothing but luck in timing when you get to the bus stop. I do hate to walk up to the bus stop just in time to see the bus I was needing heading out.

 

[DebbieB]

I always rent a car and drive most everywhere. I just can't stand waiting at the bus stop and get crammed on, sometimes have to stand. Last October, it took over an hour to get from BW to MK for MNSSHP (from the time we got to the bus stop until we got off the bus). I once timed using the car from BWV to the main gate at MK, it was 25 minutes.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

We drive in and depending on the resort and/or the park we are going to we take the bus or car. For MK, it's the bus unless we are doing evening EMH, we stay out till 1am and I like to have my car there rather than wait for the bus. For TL we always take the car, for some reason it's not a problem going but coming back, several times I've waited for a bus upwards of 50 minutes.

 

[culli]

I don't quite understand your comment about "park DVCs". As far as I'm concerned they are all close to a park.

I'm talking about BCV, BWV and BLT....walk to the park!

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

We always drive to the parks and find it much quicker and more convenient then using the buses. As has been noted, MK is the only park which may be an issue. The only difficult part we have found is timing the departure at park closing using the monorail to get back to the TTC. This can be complete insanity if timed incorrectly. If we have our vehicle and have closed the MK we stay in the park taking pictures and hang out in the courtyard until the crowd has diminished (about 1 hr) before heading back. If we know ahead of time we are going to be closing the park and dont want to stay out extra late we then take the bus from the resort to MK.

In regards to driving to and parking at the parks, there still remains a true best kept secret at wdw which few peolpe know... that secret is having a AAA diamond parking pass. Those with AAA diamond parking passes share a seperate lot with the handicap parking which is located closest to the entrances at each of the parks. This elimnates the long walks (accept at TTC) as well as the need to use the Tram to get to and from your parked vehicle to the gate. Having this is "key" imo, to driving/parking at the parks.

Ever notice the red, blue and green painted lines on the roadways leading into the parking lots just past the booths. If you follow the colored lines, they route around the outer boarders of all of the lots to the front parking lot by the gates entrance. If you follow these, the colored line will bring you to the designated location within the lot which then has signs for each deisgnation accordingly (blue=handicap, red=aaa diamond parking, green =buses and trailers). Handicap parking is always closest and the AAA diamond parking is right next to the handicap.

 

[culli]

We always drive to the parks and find it much quicker and more convenient then using the buses. As has been noted, MK is the only park which may be an issue. The only difficult part we have found is timing the departure at park closing using the monorail to get back to the TTC. This can be complete insanity if timed incorrectly. If we have our vehicle and have closed the MK we stay in the park taking pictures and hang out in the courtyard until the crowd has diminished (about 1 hr) before heading back. If we know ahead of time we are going to be closing the park and dont want to stay out extra late we then take the bus from the resort to MK.

In regards to driving to and parking at the parks, there still remains a true best kept secret at wdw which few peolpe know... that secret is having a AAA diamond parking pass. Those with AAA diamond parking passes share a seperate lot with the handicap parking which is located closest to the entrances at each of the parks. This elimnates the long walks (accept at TTC) as well as the need to use the Tram to get to and from your parked vehicle to the gate. Having this is "key" imo, to driving/parking at the parks.

Ever notice the red, blue and green painted lines on the roadways leading into the parking lots just past the booths. If you follow the colored lines, they route around the outer boarders of all of the lots to the front parking lot by the gates entrance. If you follow these, the colored line will bring you to the designated location within the lot which then has signs for each deisgnation accordingly (blue=handicap, red=aaa diamond parking, green =buses and trailers). Handicap parking is always closest and the AAA diamond parking is right next to the handicap.

Ok what is AAA diamond parking and how do you get it!?!?!? Hmmmmm my Mom also qualifies for HP and if she is with us that might not be a bad thing either.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

We ALWAYS drive - especially when we stay at a property on the YC, BC, BWI, Swan, Dolphin route. When we have tried busses there --- we have ALWAYS given up and taken people along with us.

MK is a breeze and we now prefer the ferry. It's BIG - great views of MK coming and going.

We do not enjoy the "MOO" factor of the bus system.

Now I will say we always travel when resorts and parks are not full and often can park at AK or MK and simply walk to the park or ferry. That greatly increases the convenience, of course.

We travel to WDW so often that our days are also not park intensive. We enjoy visiting other resorts - often joining friends for meals there......don't forget the shopping and mineature golf which is on our schedle too. A car makes those trips worth it hands down.

Using my Holiday Inn prrioity club points for free car rentals also makes complete sense to us. Our 10-day December trip.....taxes and fees.....total cost of our 10-day car rental, $47

 

[whitfamily]

We have done both bus and drive ourselves. With DS2 and DS9 we find it easier to just drive to the parks. IMO driving allows a lot more flexibility. But, definitely a personal decision based upon your family needs! I would personally not want to stay off-site...I love that when you are on-site, you are tucked away in the magic of Disney the whole time! Good luck and have a great vacation

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

Ok what is AAA diamond parking and how do you get it!?!?!?

AAA diamond parking passes are available to AAA members at regional/local branch offices. Some local offices give them out freely upon request to any/all members and some local/regional offices require the purchase of something "disney" (park ticket, event ticket, vacation packages, etc) through AAA to receive the parking pass. You just leave it on your dashboard and when you go through the toll booth show them your pass (also provides free parking if not staying on-site) and they will direct you to follow the painted line until they end at the AAA diamond parking lot.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm talking about BCV, BWV and BLT....walk to the park!

That's not a plus in my book....I get enough walking IN the park.