Advice please - car rental or disney buses during Spring/Easter break?

[fa mulan]

We'll be staying at the YC 3/28 to 4/4, then going to Universal til 4/6. We are going to try afternoon rests and will likely park hop.

I'm wondering whether it would take longer to get from park to resort to park etc. by rental car or Disney transportation. For our first trip in 2003, we were there in Feb w/ low crowds, took the buses everywhere and thought they were great. I remember the parking lots being ENORMOUS, and thinking that the walks from the parking lots could be much longer than from the bus stops ...

But with peak season crowds, which would take less time? Are those lots as enormous as I remember, and are there shuttles to/from the remote areas? I'm thinking about tired kids, too heavy to carry long distances!

Please tell me which you think makes more sense during peak season.

 

[msgoofey]

I'll be there after you for our FIRST trip.

What's it like getting around during maximum crowdedness?

 

[beccasmom]

We usually don't travel then, but have been at WDW often during the busy summer season. From our experience, buses from the YC/BC area can be crowded and slow because the route (if it is the same we experienced) is long - Swan/Dolphin/YC/BC/BWV. (I'm referring to travel to the MK/AKL, water parks and DTD.) The route is too long, IMHO, but WDW usually adds extra buses during busier times. But patience and flexibility would be good to keep in mind. And add extra time if you have ADRs that require travel....don't cut the time too close. And the buses do run slower during the afternoon hours, so you might have a bit of a wait to get back to your resort or hop to another park. You're in a great spot for Epcot and MGM though. A (relatively) quick watercraft or bus trip away.

If you have really young kids, a car would probably be something to consider. I've seen some "meltdowns" on those crowded buses; little ones just don't have that kind of patience (nor do some adults ). On the other hand, if you'll be spending most of your days in the parks near the YC, you should be fine.

 

[fa mulan]

Thanks beccasmom! I forgot to factor in the closeness factor to Epcot & MGM - - that's a huge plus b/c I was wondering how best to squeeze in a morning at Epcot, rest after lunch & return for dinner/illuminations!!!

As for getting to MK and AK . . . Do you know what it's like to drive & park there when crowds are heavy? The crowds are worrying me & I'd like to minimize the stress where possible. If we drove in the a.m., we could aim to be early enough that we'd get a close parking spot. . . but if we return or go to another park mid afternoon, will we be parked out in jibip? Maybe there are parking lot shuttles too ?? - - but then we'd be driving and shuttling instead of just bussing. . . .oh my - so many details!!