Car or bus?

[agee1964]

This is my first time visiting DW. Staying at Animal Kingdom. I am considering renting a car to travel back and forth to attractions. Any advice?

 

[Bob P]

Hi and to the DIS!

I can give you one piece of advice: you will NEVER get a consensus here on the DIS on whether you should use WDW transportation or rent a car!!!!

One thing that almost everyone will agree on though: WDW transportation makes the trip to the MK a lot easier. Disney buses let you off right near the entrance to the MK. If you drive, you will need to park your car, walk to the tram stop, take a tram to the TTC, then take a monorail or a ferry to the main entrance of the MK.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

If I was staying at AKL I would get a car but Bobs right you will get a variety of opinions.

Good Luck

 

[Mr. Pig]

AK, Epcot and DHS has proponents on both sides as to whether to use car or bus. General agreement is that bus to MK is quicker. If you are only renting a car to get to Disney attractions then you need to balance the $ for the car vs. the inconvenience/more crowds of a bus. Disney transportation will get you there and back just fine. You may have to wait in lines and stand on the bus trips if they are crowded. Renting a car would also allow you to go offsite of Disney if you are so inclined to do so.

Totally agree with PP that you will never get a consensus.

 

[Wendi2000]

AKL has FANTASTIC bus service... unless you need to head off property someplace I wouldn't spend money on a rental car.

 

[Frito]

For my family, renting a car has worked best for us given I have a DS (6) and DD (1). Renting a car was easier for us so when they were ready to go, it was a quick tram ride to our car, fold the strollers, and off to the hotel. It can get difficult waiting in line with two tired little ones, then fold up the strollers, and hopefully you have a seat on the bus or monorail, especially at park close.

Our next trip we are staying at the Poly, and might not rent the car as given most of our time will be at MK & Epcot.

As others have written, its not an easy rent or not rent answer, you need to figure out what will work best for your family.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[heartbeeps]

I'm debating the same situation since we're going to other resorts for meals and excursions during our 4 night stay at AKL in May. I crunched the numbers for using a taxi for those resort to resort trips and assumed we'd take the buses all other times. As it turns out for us, it's cheaper to pay for a taxi for those times rather than rent a car. Even though the park buses are free, there's the issue of a "possible" long wait so I've been nervous about making that decision just the same! I guess, worst case scenario, I'll be shelling out $$ for a taxi. (I calculated my estimates on a taxi costing $12 each way to each place I need to go.)

Following are times by bus and taxi from AKL which I found on a different web site; others state these times are on the high side but I'd rather have generous estimates and not miss ADRs and excursions like a fishing trip that starts at 6:45am at a different resort! If we were bunching together a lot of trips in a single 24-hour time period, I would have considered renting a car on property for the day but that's not how ours is working out. (I am not positive of the hotels offering car rentals but I believe either the Swan or Dolphin does.)

AKL -to- Downtown Disney Area (DIRECT) 28-33 min Bus; 17 min Taxi

AKL -to- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa 64-74B; 21T
route: AKL to Animal Kingdom Park to Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

AKL -to- Epcot 22-27B; 18T

AKL -to- Port Orleans Resort Riverside 66-76B; 18T
Route: AKL to Animal Kingdom Park to Port Orleans Resort Riverside

AKL -to- Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground 60-70B; 19T
route: AKL to Animal Kingdom Park to Fort Wilderness

AKL -to- Animal Kingdom Park (DIRECT) 20-25B; 6T

AKL -to- Disney's Wilderness Lodge 59-69B; 20T
Route: AKL to Animal Kingdom Park to Wilderness Lodge

AKL -to- Disney Hollywood Studios (direct) 21-26B; 14T

AKL -to- Magic Kingdom Park (DIRECT) 23-28B; 19T

good luck with your decision whatever you decide.

Remember renting from an airport is expensive because of additional fees they add. Plus there's the hassle of parking and getting gas before returning the car.

FWIW, everything I've read reflects that AKL has it's own bus and doesn't share with others so that should help in reducing wait time. And the estimated time for buses is 20 minutes at most (estimated of course).

 

[PrincessTiffany]

This is my first time visiting DW. Staying at Animal Kingdom. I am considering renting a car to travel back and forth to attractions. Any advice?

We have four kids, we always stay on-site and we always use the Disney bus transportation system. It's efficient and we have never had any problems. Sure there is an occasion when a bus is driving off as you walk up and you have wait a little longer and usually at park closing the waits are a little bit longer. But, overall very efficient. Usually about 10 minute waits.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

HI, coming from the UK we always rent a car as we want to spend some time shopping offsite. However if you want to remain exclusively Disney for your holiday I think it would be a waste of money. The bus transportation is excellent.

 

[Hodder]

We don't rent a car and have no intention to in the future. We hve no issues w/the Disney bus system. The only place we go offsite is shopping at the tourist shops on International Drive for the kids to get their friends something and for me to go to Payless Shoes, for that we go to the TTC and hop the LYNX bus then cab home, which only costs us about $35-$40 (depnding on tip).

When we go again we do plan on a day in Universal and we will probably just hop a cab or see the cost of a 1 day veh rental.

 

[Hopefully]

We have done it all ways. Driven to WDW from MA , rented a car for our stay, used Town Car service from the airport and Disney Transportation, and used DME and Disney transportation.
Our choice is DME with Disney transportation and as Heartbeep suggests the occasional taxi for resort to resort ADR's. This is the most economical solution for us, and totally meets our needs.

 

[720L]

AKL has the best buses of all the DIsney resorts! I wouldn't rent a car. It saves money and it seems like the hassle of driving to the parks, figuring out where to park and taking the tram to the front of the park would equal the same time you would spend if you took the bus. Plus you never leave the magic if you ride the bus.

 

[floridawannabe]

Obviously I'm new to posting on the boards, hopefully the rent a car or not rent a car debate is more friendly than the smoking/non-smoking threads on Cruise Critic.... We always budget to rent a car when we go (I found a good rate off of mousesavers for this next trip). I like the flexibility it gives us to go to the other resorts for dinner and to the waterparks and DTD. It's much easier to get around those places with a car. We'll also head off-site to a grocery store trip or something else at least twice during the trip.

With that said, it's not mandatory, particularly if you mostly eat at the parks and don't plan on leaving the disney property. Then, relying solely on the resort transportation will work.

The one thing about the magical express is that we had a really early flight out in 2006 and if we had used the service, it would have really only been a shuttle to the airport because we needed to leave too early to do the check-in at the hotel.

 

[mpbs]

When in WDW we always use their transportation system. It works for our family!

 

[Mr. Pig]

Obviously I'm new to posting on the boards, hopefully the rent a car or not rent a car debate is more friendly than the smoking/non-smoking threads on Cruise Critic.... We always budget to rent a car when we go (I found a good rate off of mousesavers for this next trip).

Actually I think the rent a car/don't rent a car is one of the most friendly debates on this board. We all have our pluses and minuses and respect what the others find important. I think we all agree that Disney transportation sometimes can make you wait and they can be crowded. Renting a car gives more flexibility but there is the additional cost. Most replies agree that to each their own.

Now just mention resort mugs, pool hopping, parking at other resorts to go to a park, line saving ... and watch out!

 

[wings91]

We've always had a car, but used the buses a few times we went. The last 3 trips, we've been strictly driving from park to park.

The buses are crowded, you have to wait either at your resort or the part or both for the bus to arrive; then there may be too many people to fit on that bus, so you wait some more. They are loud too, both the engine, and the yelling kids. Most kids are good, so don't flame me on that, but there's plenty that have had a long day and are tired and cry cry cry. Then, you've got your teens that don't know what an indoor voice is either.

My car is always right there ready for me. It's quiet, I also keep a small cooler in it with beverages and maybe a snack.

Getting around WDW is so easy, you cannot get lost.

 

[eliza61]

This is my first time visiting DW. Staying at Animal Kingdom. I am considering renting a car to travel back and forth to attractions. Any advice?

I began renting a car when my kids where little, I just hated unloading the strollers on the bus. I will say the times I haven't rented the transportation system was great. (I'm a big help aren't I) I would go for it especially since you can get pretty good rates by just shopping around.

Totally agree with Dave, driving around disney is a breeze.

 

[Atchley]

We always use WDW transportation. We don't get in our car from the time we park it until we leave. Just being patient and not stressing about buses and boats works great!

 

[casper_jj11]

It really depends on the family. We have very young kiddos and always rent a car. Our first trip, we did take the bus to MK hearing it was easier but tried the car on our second trip. It was a world of difference and we'll never bus again (at least with the kids so young). No stroller hassles on the bus, no standing on the ride home having to carry young children, you leave when YOU want and come back when YOU'RE ready without having to wait around at all. The tram can be a bit of a pain but most times, we were within walking distance to the monorail/boat so just did that from the parking lot instead (with kiddos in strollers) Much more relaxing trip all around.

Joanne

 

[kaytieeldr]

Following are times by bus and taxi from AKL which I found on a different web site

I would like to point out that, at least on the direct routes (resort-to-park, park-to-resort. resort-to-DTD, etc), the taxi is faster than the bus ONLY because the bus time takes waiting time into account (unless the taxis as Disney have figured out a way to defy physics?).