Kids 3 and under travel free,maybe it's 2,not sure.When we were there last august it was 6 bucks per person and the bus was EMPTY.It used to be packed when it was free,but again,when we used it last and had to pay,there were plenty of seats and a nice ride.There's a schedule at the front desk and You should be able to plan your day around it.Renting a car or cars might give you the freedom to come and go as you please and you might find a deal,but you have to pay parking at each park and no further ahead than taking the shuttle,in fact I think the parking is further back than where the shuttle drops you off.