Attack of the Lakeshore Lodge

[byurick]

I'm kind of new to this, but hasn't Disney transportation always been one of the top selling points for staying on property? Wouldn't renting a car introduce the hassle that you're already paying a premium to avoid? Maybe I should try it just once to see if it's actually more enjoyable.

Everyone is different of course, I absolutely despise the thought of having to pay extra to rent/drive/park a car when we're vacationing at WDW with all the free transportation. Ruins the magic for me. But others love to drive themselves.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Any special incentives on-board?

No - in fact, the guides on all the ships have always been fairly transparent that their incentives are exactly the same as the ones on land. However, this time I asked a new question during my visit with the DVC guides on the ship: what about member cruise promotions and how do they compare to the usual promotions? The guide was cagey about this one, but I got to peek at the promotion currently in effect for Polynesian for those on a DVC member cruise vs the promotion in effect for everyone else (i.e. on land or on a non-DVC member cruise). And there is, in fact, a sliding scale difference for as few as 100 points where the savings is $500 on the DVC member cruise going up to a savings of $7,500 for 1000 points (and yes, even more savings for even more points). This has been a persistent question of mine for the last 6 months, and now I have an answer.

I need to know where you bought your money tree...seriously jealous of your all your DVC purchases. Will you adopt me?

Me first! I wish somebody would adopt me so I wouldn't have to pay for all these points!

 

[tidefan]

Everyone is different of course, I absolutely despise the thought of having to pay extra to rent/drive/park a car when we're vacationing at WDW with all the free transportation. Ruins the magic for me. But others love to drive themselves.

Many of us live within driving distance of WDW (it was 9 hours for us yesterday ) and always have the car onsite. So convenient to be in a Cabin where you can just drive up to the door. Also, it was very convenient for going to Publix last night as well

 

[SugarSweetLee]

Many of us live within driving distance of WDW (it was 9 hours for us yesterday ) and always have the car onsite. So convenient to be in a Cabin where you can just drive up to the door. Also, it was very convenient for going to Publix last night as well

I think the metric of what is considered "within driving distance" is highly individual! We live about 8-9 hours away but absolutely hate to drive that long and prefer to fly whenever we can.

 

[Mikey15]

Everyone is different of course, I absolutely despise the thought of having to pay extra to rent/drive/park a car when we're vacationing at WDW with all the free transportation. Ruins the magic for me. But others love to drive themselves.

I’m a big believer in ‘to each their own’ as well,

…but I am curious about the origins of this mindset. Do you live in an urban area and regularly take public transit, including city buses? Or do you drive everywhere at home so waiting around for buses & using multiple transfers to get to a resort ADR is a novelty?

Zero offence intended. I’m just curious because to me the convenience of having personal transportation on vacation isn’t something I find to be a chore.

 

[Mouseforward]

I’m a big believer in ‘to each their own’ as well,

…but I am curious about the origins of this mindset. Do you live in an urban area and regularly take public transit, including city buses? Or do you drive everywhere at home so waiting around for buses & using multiple transfers to get to a resort ADR is a novelty?

Zero offence intended. I’m just curious because to me the convenience of having personal transportation on vacation isn’t something I find to be a chore.

Florida is hot , so I would rather wait the 5 min for an air conditioned bus than walk 15 min to a hot car, and the reverse. Good luck parking at VGF or Poly ( I have been pushed to the staff lot ) I can’t think of an ADR that would be easier in a car. I would probably hold off and get it when I was a a different hotel.

 

[disneylandtour]

I’m a big believer in ‘to each their own’ as well,

…but I am curious about the origins of this mindset. Do you live in an urban area and regularly take public transit, including city buses? Or do you drive everywhere at home so waiting around for buses & using multiple transfers to get to a resort ADR is a novelty?

Zero offence intended. I’m just curious because to me the convenience of having personal transportation on vacation isn’t something I find to be a chore.

It's more of the overall geographic context for me: SSR, OWK, AKV = rental car. WL, GF, Poly, BLT = probably no rental car.

 

[PolyRob]

Florida is hot , so I would rather wait the 5 min for an air conditioned bus than walk 15 min to a hot car, and the reverse. Good luck parking at VGF or Poly ( I have been pushed to the staff lot ) I can’t think of an ADR that would be easier in a car. I would probably hold off and get it when I was a a different hotel.

Five minutes for a WDW bus wait?! I wish I had your luck with WDW transportation.

 

[Mouseforward]

Five minutes for a WDW bus wait?! I wish I had your luck with WDW transportation.

I average about that from Riviera, a little longer at Boardwalk. But I also don’t rope drop. I mean let’s face it. That’s what DVC buys us. I’m gonna be at Disney two or three times a year. There’s literally nothing I have to rush for.

 

[zavandor]

Best of both worlds: use Disney transportation + Lyft/Uber. For example, I'm going to take the bus to go from DAK to AKL for dinner at Boma. But on the way back to BWV, I'm going to call a Lyft. It's never more than $15 within WDW. It's usually a huge saving over a car rental and more convenient as well (disclaimer, I don't live in the US, so for me car rentals are more expensive because I have to pay for insurance, while I believe in the US, car insurance for your own car covers rentals).

 

[mgarbowski]

What sounds more like a vacation:

1. Never touching your car keys, or trying to figure out how to get on to Overpass Road (shout out to OKW drivers...)
2. Never wondering when the bus will come, or how many more monorails before you can board.

In other words, as they say on the Transportation Board: There is no Pixie Dust in Transportation.

Generally dependent on your commute. If you take a car to work, letting someone else drive is part of your vacation. If you use public transport, you likely prefer a car on vacation. As my wise beyond her then HS age daughter said some years ago, "I wait for a bus 5 days a week for school. I don't want to do it at Disney." Fortunately for her, her parents agree and we have almost always rented a car.

 

[Patmcpsu]

It's more of the overall geographic context for me: SSR, OWK, AKV = rental car. WL, GF, Poly, BLT = probably no rental car.

I wonder if it's a coincidence that the resorts which are 100% bus-dependent are also the ones with better layouts for rental cars.

 

[byurick]

I’m a big believer in ‘to each their own’ as well,

…but I am curious about the origins of this mindset. Do you live in an urban area and regularly take public transit, including city buses? Or do you drive everywhere at home so waiting around for buses & using multiple transfers to get to a resort ADR is a novelty?

Zero offence intended. I’m just curious because to me the convenience of having personal transportation on vacation isn’t something I find to be a chore.

We like being in the WDW bubble and using all the available transportation is part of it (I ride the monorail as much as possible and the skyliner is becoming a favorite of ours). The buses generally aren't bad and I say this as someone who stays at SSR often.

Renting a car involves extra money, worrying about parking, extra walking to/from the lots, buying gas, etc. All that stuff takes me out of the fun. I like having other people in charge of the driving. I work from home so its not like I commute so driving is not typically a chore for me.

I wish they'd bring back Magical Express (not the current Mears version, it's just not the same we have tried it). Heck I'd even pay for it.

 

[aka Charles]

Since I was a kid, we have always driven to WDW. We are just under 700 miles away, so it is about a 10-11 hour drive, plus stops. We can leave home about 4am and get to the resort about check-in time. Coming home we can check-out at 11am, grab a quick lunch and get home around midnight.

But that all changed a few years ago.

Coming home there was an accident on the interstate in South Carolina. All northbound lanes were shutdown. Hundreds of cars and trucks were stuck, including us. For those not familiar with I-95 in SC, it has long stretches with no exits, no turnarounds, and what I would call swampland on both sides of the road. We all were absolutely stuck, in 95 degree heat, with no way out and no private place to go to the bathroom. It took THREE HOURS for them to open just one lane on the shoulder of the road to get traffic moving again. We did not get home until 4am in the morning, and I had to go to work 3 hours later with no sleep.

After that, we fly to MCO every time and take Mears or an Uber to WDW.
If we have a need on any trip for a car, I am happy to rent one, but most trips we are fine staying in the WDW bubble.
.

 

[Brian Noble]

Generally dependent on your commute.

I suspect it is at least as dependent on termperament. Driving affords at least the impression of more control.

 

[Dodgerburt8]

I think renting a car does provide some control and freedom. Want to do a day at the beach, or Epic Universe: easy. Need to run to CVS for a prescription, no problem. Yes you have to (God forbid) leave the bubble but sometimes that is a good thing. For me, choosing when and how to use Disney transportation is a nice luxury. Having said that, I think there is something freeing about giving up that control and freedom. It probably doesn’t save money, with no magical express and eating all (most) meals at Disney, but YOLO.

 

[mort1331]

I think the metric of what is considered "within driving distance" is highly individual! We live about 8-9 hours away but absolutely hate to drive that long and prefer to fly whenever we can.

We live in Canada,,approx 21-24hours depending on stops,,,that is driving distance for me....lol

 

[disneylandtour]

I wonder if it's a coincidence that the resorts which are 100% bus-dependent are also the ones with better layouts for rental cars.

I mostly agree. But I think that Jambo, in the summer, is not very rental car friendly.

 

[RivGirl]

Best of both worlds: use Disney transportation + Lyft/Uber. For example, I'm going to take the bus to go from DAK to AKL for dinner at Boma. But on the way back to BWV, I'm going to call a Lyft. It's never more than $15 within WDW. It's usually a huge saving over a car rental and more convenient as well (disclaimer, I don't live in the US, so for me car rentals are more expensive because I have to pay for insurance, while I believe in the US, car insurance for your own car covers rentals).

This is the way!

 

[Mikey15]

Florida is hot , so I would rather wait the 5 min for an air conditioned bus than walk 15 min to a hot car, and the reverse. Good luck parking at VGF or Poly ( I have been pushed to the staff lot ) I can’t think of an ADR that would be easier in a car. I would probably hold off and get it when I was a a different hotel.

See, I’ve been standing at sweltering bus stops waiting for Park Hopper bus or bus back to resort for 15-25mins, and wishing I could’ve just walked to an air conditioned car by then and been more comfortable

Also our main ADR destinations are Poly, AKL, WL, and Beach Club, and we’ve never been turned away for parking with an ADR. Once we ended up in the DVC (Pago Pago?) parking lot at Poly because they said the main lot would be full, but we weren’t turned away. While Uber/Lyft are good alternatives for getting to ADRs (but have their own cost), all of those are more convenient with an owned or hired car than:
Taking bus to AK then transferring bus to AKL, and probably having to go to different park/waypoint on the way back if AK is closed
Or
Taking bus/boat to MK, going through security, then taking another boat or monorail to Poly
Or
Taking bus to DHS and then walk/boat/Skyliner to Beach Club. That one’s good if you’re already at a Skyliner resort of course. Could also bus to nearest park and catch a BC bus, but it depends on where you’re staying how much sense that would make.

For most resort restaurants, unless you’re staying at another resort in the same area / loop, you’re talking two forms of Disney Transportation versus just driving your car straight there!

I do appreciate the feedback though,