Car or bus to DTD?

[KangaFan]

Folks who've gone recently--is parking a pain at Downtown Disney with all the construction? Are the available spots further away from the main areas? Are we better off taking a bus from our resort? It seemed like the last time we went we waited a while for the resort bus and with the August heat . . . but I also don't want to end up walking for miles through a really hot parking lot either.

Thanks in advance!

 

[KangaFan]

Bump

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I always think this one may be best answered by looking at your reason for going to DTD. If it's to shop we always take the car. If it's to eat then we will catch the bus.

 

[KangaFan]

I always think this one may be best answered by looking at your reason for going to DTD. If it's to shop we always take the car. If it's to eat then we will catch the bus.

Good question--we're going to eat and will probably do some light shopping but if we do decide to purchase anything substantial, will send back to the resort so I'm guessing that the bus is still our best bet. Thanks for you help!

 

[bumbershoot]

Haven't been there *recently* but have been there when others were complaining about the construction.

Car. For us the issue was just long lights and many cars. We've been going to WDW since 2010 and have never once had a DTD experience without long lights and many cars. So I'm not sure what's different. What's different for us was going to the parking garage and following the very well lit up signs telling us, pretty much, exactly where parking spaces were. Which was very helpful. Better than trolling the lot nearish WOD for half an hour. Better than parking down near Cirque and having to walk all the way to where we wanted to be, then all the way back when we're done.

I suppose I had ONE good experience with the bus, but since all we were doing was catching any old bus to any old resort, to then go back to a park (we'd gotten there by boat from our resort), that's not that hard. Back in 2010 with our group of 8 cold and whiny people, getting to wait nearly an hour for *our* bus to the resort was pretty miserable (I don't remember how we got there that time).

So a car is a known evil. Long lights, many cars. Everything else is too out of my control to enjoy.

 

[North of Mouse]

We 'always' take the buses/transportation everywhere - have had very few issues the last 'many' years. So easy for DTD as you're dropped off close and don't need to think about finding a parking spot, especially when we saw all the construction the last year. Have to fight the traffic/parking issues in 'real' life - glad to leave it to Disney.

 

[kwdw]

If you have a car, use the car, IMO.

Listen - it's your perspective. I drive in big city congested city and beltway traffic every work day. When folks complain about DTD traffic or construction mess, I snicker. To me, it's STILL better than home. LOTS. I drove in the DTD area in March and May this past year - and while I was NOT there on a weekend evening - the times I went it was smooth sailing and the nice new garage was a joy compared to previous lot crawl you needed to do. By smooth sailing - I didn't have to wait at a stop light more than one cycle. Yes - I had to stop at each light, but it wasn't like I sat through three light cycles to get through one intersection.

Now - if you don't drive on multi-lane roads and never experience large back-ups at a stop light or never have to wind through a crowded garage at a shopping mall - then yes - you might find driving by DTD a bit intimidating. I get it - I learned to drive and most of my initial driving experience was in much less congested places. I was intimidated when I first started driving around where I live now.

Me - I find waiting for the bus to get to and from DTD is a HUGE waste of time.

 

[KangaFan]

If you have a car, use the car, IMO.

Listen - it's your perspective. I drive in big city congested city and beltway traffic every work day. When folks complain about DTD traffic or construction mess, I snicker. To me, it's STILL better than home. LOTS. I drove in the DTD area in March and May this past year - and while I was NOT there on a weekend evening - the times I went it was smooth sailing and the nice new garage was a joy compared to previous lot crawl you needed to do. By smooth sailing - I didn't have to wait at a stop light more than one cycle. Yes - I had to stop at each light, but it wasn't like I sat through three light cycles to get through one intersection.

Now - if you don't drive on multi-lane roads and never experience large back-ups at a stop light or never have to wind through a crowded garage at a shopping mall - then yes - you might find driving by DTD a bit intimidating. I get it - I learned to drive and most of my initial driving experience was in much less congested places. I was intimidated when I first started driving around where I live now.

Me - I find waiting for the bus to get to and from DTD is a HUGE waste of time.

We live in a DC suburb so I get what you're saying. I'm glad to hear the new garage is convenient--probably keeps the car significantly cooler with the Florida sun too. We're going on a Tuesday afternoon so I was afraid the buses wouldn't be running often and didn't necessarily want to wait in the heat, so maybe car on Tuesday but since there is some additional construction, we'll do the bus when we go back on Sat night. Thanks all for your insight!!!!

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

WE have done both, but for DTD we prefer the bus so we don't have to deal with the traffic and trying to find a parking spot. I think the buses go to both sides but it seems like we rarely wait more than a few minutes for a bus on the Marketplace side, but the wait on the Westside always seems longer.

 

[Capang]

Bus. It was a total disaster in June with construction and several hundred tourist cars not knowing how to follow signs. I'd stick with bus.