Rental car or use Disney transportation?

[aubriee]

Talk me into or out of a rental car. I've always used Disney transportation and never saw a reason to rent a car. I usually go solo and the Disney transportation is fine for getting around WDW, then I use Mears to go over to Universal for a day or two (have annual passes to both Universal and WDW). However, I met a DISer friend down there this past Sept. We shared a room at CSR and used her rental car to get around. It was sure nice not having to wait for the buses and being able to go offsite to the malls and grocery store. However, most of my trips are solo trips, plus I have a bad tendency to get lost very easily, so don't know if I'd use a rental car down there very much. I would use it to get over to Universal one day (maybe two) and do alot of dinner reservations at resorts (so it would make transportation to and from those more convenient), it would also be nice to be able to leave the parks quickly at night without waiting for a crowded bus. Are they really worth the extra expense though and would you really use one that much down there? I guess I want opinions from people who always do rental cars as to why they think they are worth it. How hard is really to get around down there, for someone with no sense of direction? I'll be down there May 5th-12th, Sept 1st-8th, and Oct 27th-Nov 3rd, if that matters.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have had rental cars while at WDW. Usually that happens if I am traveling over to Tampa to see my ds..usually after my WDW stay. Or, I rent if I'm flying into Sanford. I have never rented a car when flying into MCO and then staying at WDW for the entire time.
I do pretty much the same as you do...Mears over to US/IoA, buses, boats to the parks. Yes, it takes a bit longer to get from resort to resort, but for the price of a rental, I'll take a bit longer transit time using Disney transportation.
I find that there are many inexperienced Florida drivers at WDW. They have no idea where they are going, and they are driving as if still in their hometowns...fast. So, when they realize they are going to miss their exit, they just cut over...never looking. I am not all that familier with the roadways in central Florida...so tend to stick to the far right lanes, so that I don't cause an accident!!! Same thing when visiting my ds in Tampa, or my dad in Pompano Beach.
I dislike driving in unfamiliar places...so tend to drive much more slowly than normal. But...not everyone subscribes to that mentality when down in WDW!!!

So, no...I don't enjoy renting a car for my WDW stays. I try to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak. I'm on vacation...waiting for buses is not a big deal for me.

 

[Donna M]

We almost always rent a car. This trip we have a small car so we can get groceries, my DH and I can go to dinner, and since we have 4 small kids in the group, we want the car in case something happens, but most of our group of 8 is using ME. We like the convenience of being able to go where ever we want, when we want. But, we still use the busses to get to the parks during the day. At night we'd use the car since we could get a space up close. We have been down there enough that I know my way around pretty well; I don't need a map anymore. I agree, it would be hard to get around if you didn't have someone to navigate for you.

In your case, it sounds like using Disney transportation is working just fine for you. Why change? Car rental prices are outrageous this year. We rented through expedia.ca and got the car for only $127 for April; we saved $136 over the rate we initially had booked through Budget with a code!

Good luck with your plans

 

[Brian Noble]

I've been onsite six times. Of those six, I've gone without a car twice. I will be unlikely to go without it again.

The first was an "extra" trip to OKW---I was using a bonus timeshare to book the week, points for airfare, and we wanted to keep the costs down. It was just the two of us. It was okay, but it was just my wife and I, we weren't really there for "the rides", and didn't mind taking our time getting places.

The second was a solo stay at BWV. I figured I was walking/boating distance to EP/DS, often take the bus to MK no matter what, and that left just AK. So, I went without a car. In hindsight, I regretted that. It made dining plans awkward. I also had to pick up a race packet at ESPN WWoS; getting a cab there was easy, but it rained while I was there, and I was told it would be at least 30 minutes to get one back. I ended up finding a bus to DS and then boating back, but it was annoying.

So, while I voted "sometimes rent a car", really it's nearly all of the time. And it's not just about saving time getting to the parks, but flexibility in dining, ability to get to a real pharmacy or store if you need something, etc.