Buses or Car?????

[thebigman65]

Sorry if this seems long, but I have a question(s) for those of you who have used both Disney Buses and have rented a car.....

We are going down for 9 days in March to Kidani and arrive on a Friday. We are going to go to WWOHP on the Saturday and were thinking of renting a car. Since we are getting a car for a day, I was thinking about getting one for a week and using it to get around. I have a few questions however:

- Is it a hassle to park and take the people mover to the gates?
- If we are park hopping, say from Epcot to MK, what do you do with the car? Come back for it via Monorail or drive it over to MK?
- Is it longer to get in and out of the parks by car (I.E. Traffic)?

We have always used ME and the buses on our trips and I like the idea of not having to worry about driving. Just wanted some opinions from those who have done both. Thanks in advance for any info!!

 

[Starr W.]

We have been DME/bus people until last January when we stayed at Bonnet Creek with a car. We were like WOW on getting into and out of the parks.

We decided to rent a car for Thanksgiving stay at SSR, no problem with traffic getting to any of the parks or going back to the resort. Instead of hanging at the resort waiting for DME, we loaded the car spent the am at MK had lunch and went to the airport. It took about 15-20 minutes by boat. The MK days when we were at the resort we took the bus, the other parks we took the car.

Great for going to dinner at other resorts and not having to bus hop.

Also good to do a grocery run or eat off site if you get your fill of Disney food.


We won't be getting a car for our BLT stay in a few weeks, we'll take a limo in and DME back. It will be a MK/Epcot centric trip, but we'll be getting a car for our November 2011 trip to SSR again

Yes we have been converted to car use, thanks to my Wyndham ownership, we would have never know how quicker it is, even if you are staying on site.

 

[cbnsoul]

As soon as I saw "9 days", I thought "CAR"! We used ME for the first time during our last trip and find a car to be SO much mote convienient. While you may have to wait for a tram, it is a lot better than waiting for buses the whole trip. Having the car also makes getting to ADRs or DTD easier, especially if you have multiple destinations in the same day. I will use ME for short stays to save a little money but definitely get a car for a trip of a week or more.

 

[mdsd8700]

I think that most families have strong preferences one way or the other based on their own needs and how they like to vacation. Some see rental cars as a hassle others wouldn't do Disney without one. We are in the latter category. We have always rented a car and only been on Disney buses twice and didn't care for it much. The last 10 years we always stay at a monorail or Epcot resort so we always have easy access to a park(s). We don't like taking a car to the TTC when going to the MK. If staying at an Epcot resort we cab to the CR and then walk over. When returning to the hotel we take the monorail to the TTC and on to EPCOT walking through to our hotel via the international gateway. We always grab a FP for something as well so when we return for dinner we can go on after. We have never experienced any traffic issues with driving into or out of the parks. As the other poster said getting around between the resorts is a breeze you can eat at all the hotels and not need to build in an hour for travel time. Again though I beleive it is a completely personal choice, for our family we love renting a car and wouldn't do it any other way others view it differently. Have a Magical Vacation.

 

[Sandisw]

We always rent a car because we just don't want to us the bus system to get around. We have never had any issue. We are also AAA members and have one of their Diamond parking pass which gets us up close since we arrive at rope drop.

We like being able to leave, get in the car, and go. What I did a few years ago when I went without DH, was take ME to the resort (BWV) and then rented a car the next day for pick up at the Dolphin. We kept it until the day before we left, returned it, and then took the bus back to VWL, where we were now staying.

It worked out great and I didn't have to drive to/from the airport--something that I prefer not to do.

Last summer, we did rent a car again but stayed at BCV and BLT. We realized that we really didn't need one for the whole week and may only rent a few days in the future so we can use it to visit DTD and AK, but then not worry about it for the other parks since we can get there so easily from those resorts.

This summer, DH may not be going again so we will probably do the same thing--take ME to the resort, rent from either the Dolphin or Car Care center for a few days, and then return just before we leave so we can take ME back to the airport.

 

[hockey6]

I have done both, pro/con both sides. It cost $10 or so a day to park, rental fees, plus you may still end up on some sort of tram or a LONG walk from parking lot depending on park/time of day. If park hopping, depending on park if on monorail I would take that but otherwise I would probably drive, especially if AK involved. I didn't have any trouble waiting for buses when we went w/out a car. AK had frequent buses, not sure about others but did hear SSR was a bit slower. In fact one visit we had a car but never drove it to the parks we took buses from AK. I do like how you can rent from car care center vs airport, love that ME takes care of our luggage, if you fly a discount airline that will hold you up a long time at the airport. The last time we bought cheap airfare there was ONE employee taking care of all the luggage for that airline, you get what you pay for! We waited 2 hours for our luggage to arrive, then a ridiculous car rental line w/3 kids...it was all worth it though bc that frustration led my husband to purchase the DVC!

 

[wbl2745]

We've used DME and rented a car. Our last trip in December was with DME and we really never missed having a car. There were several times when we were in a hurry or it was just too darn cold to wait for a bus and we took a taxi. The taxi fares, with tip, from or to AKV ran about $15 to $20. The longest taxi trip was from the Wilderness Lodge to AKV and that was $20 with tip.

I'm not saying to use taxis instead of a car, that would cost way too much, but using a taxi even once a day is going to cost a lot less than renting a car. We were a party of six, so we always had to request a minivan taxi, but they were either already there or arrive in less than 10 minutes.

The buses and the taxis drop you off right at the front of the parks, you don't have to worry about where you car is, and I think you'd save money.

I'd give serious consideration to using DME to get to and from the airport, buses when it works, and taxis when the bus isn't going to work. I know our future plans will call for DME, buses and taxis.

 

[drusba]

We always have a rental but using it for parks depends. One particular advantage at Kidani is that parking is right under the building with elevator access along the wings and thus you can park almost right under your room and get to and from the car to room very quickly.

As a usual practive we do not use the car for MK. You have to park there, then take a tram, then take a boat or monorail to park. Returning to car if you leave MK after fireworks or closing can be an extremely long trip. We just find the bus to be better for that park.

For the other three parks, driving is much faster and the time waiting for the tram (either way) is never long. We do not usually do park hopping but have done so by car when we have done it (again that would not include MK to Epcot since we do not use car for MK). Note, at AKL we often just take the bus to AK simply because the busses are good at AKL and that bus trip is only 8 minutes.

 

[shellspb]

We have always rented a car when we visit WDW. If you are staying at AKL it is much more convenient than waiting for the buses. There are good deals on priceline and the last time we went we got some kind of preferred parking deal through AAA. Can't remember the details on it or whether the program still exists. If we park hop we park at the transportation center and take the monorail around from there. We are a family from California and in this state you have to have a car, no other way to get anywhere, so we can't stand the wait for public transportation.

 

[Hopefully]

We have done both and we prefer not to rent. The last time we rented the car sat in the parking lot the whole week - it was such a waste of money.
We like DME and we find Disney transportation adequate. We do not mind waiting a few minutes. We are not usually at a park at closing, however. I budget for a few resort to resort taxis for meals, and it is much cheaper than renting a car for the week
Enjoy

 

[dianeschlicht]

We always have a rental car but very rarely take it to the parks. It is usually much more efficient to take Disney transportation, and we have found the buses from AKV to extremely timely. There are exceptions. I would NEVER take a bus from AKV to DTD. By the same token, I would NEVER take a car to MK.

 

[CarolMN]

Moved from DVC Boards

 

[pepe of ohio]

Just our experience but all 44 trips to WDW and never used a rental yet....Disney transportation has served us fine....to us it's the draw and part of the experience....

 

[rvchat]

I've been to Disney at least 50 times. Having done both, I say NO NEED TO rent car, EVER

buses are great, boats are great. It's so much fun NOT to drive. And we always see great and new things when we go with buses and boats and even cabs.

 

[kirby428]

The Disney bus system has been changing. I noticed it between my 2003 and 2010 visit. Sehlinger's Unoffical guide 2011 is loaded with comments to confirm what I seemed to observe. Bus travel is retarded and over-crowded in "value season". I wouldn't want to depend on it during regular seasons. The day I sat at DTD while the bus drive secured the wheel, operated the ramp so 2 ECVs could load, be anchored down in locations that used up 3 seats and then the riders transferred to regular seats caused me to realize one of the reasons why. That was 8 bus seats for 2 riders. It's not just the economy. We drive every visit. It gets us to Boma and Sanaa on time. My next visit strategy will be to dodge the bus.

 

[Magicbus]

operated the ramp so 2 ECVs could load, be anchored down in locations that used up 3 seats and then the riders transferred to regular seats caused me to realize one of the reasons why. That was 8 bus seats for 2 riders.

WDW must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I would never be without a car at WDW. So much faster and convenient getting around everywhere.