?Car rental, staying at OKW

[algg]

Do we need to rent a car? Going first part of August, we will have 3 adults and two young children 1 1/2 & 3 1/2. We will not be going out side of WDW but will be going to character meals at other resorts. This is first time staying at Old Key West and not sure about bus transportation.

 

[WillCAD]

Strictly speaking, you don't actually NEED to rent a car; WDW transportation will take you from OKW to anyplace on property that you want to go.

However, I always prefer to rent a car. Having a car frees you up from the bus schedule and makes getting somewhere much quicker than the bus system - especially if you are going from one resort to another, because Disney doesn't run busses from one resort to another.

Many people will tell you "I drive at home, I don't want the hassle of driving on vacation." But if driving yourself around on vacation doesn't bother you, then renting a car has a lot of advantages, starting with time savings. YOu also get the advantage of ALWAYS having a seat (many busses are SRO), the freedom to come and go exactly when and where you want without waiting for a bus, and the ability to go off WDW property for shopping and dining.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I agree with Willcad. We always rent a car and OKW is the perfect resort FOR a car. You park almost right in front of your door.
Having a car offers so many advantages!!!
And by the way--welcome to the Disboards!!

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

It's really personal preference, but for me, I'd never go without a car. I drive 500+ miles a week commuting to and from work and I still prefer to drive myself on vacation. I guess it's a freedom thing, maybe a bit of a control thing. If you don'd mind public transporation, and the caveats that come along with it (sometimes very crowded, tied to their schedule, places you can't get to, or at least not easily), then you may not need a car.

Other things to think about are whether or not you're sure you're only doing Disney, or if you really might want to explore the Orlando/Kissimmee area. We have a lot of fun hitting the Disney parks early in the morning, ducking out around noon when they're crowded and exploring around Orlando, grabbing a nice lunch, then returning to the parks later in the afternoon after the rest of the "early risers" have left.

 

[byoung]

We never rent a car unless staying offsite.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Another car renter here. We only took the bus to MK since it drops you right at the gate and you can avoid the monorail or ferry from the parking lot. We drove to all the other parks because we enjoy the freedom of coming and going whenever we want. We also visited a few of the other resorts and found it much easier to have our own car.

 

[jcpuppy.com]

we never rent ..why drive when someone can do it for you? Save gas and rental fees

 

[ANTSS2001]

another car renter... 2 weeks ago we had our impromptu trip to SSR and planned not to rent one since it is a short trip and we just plan to stay at the resort and DTD but last minute we did rent one which was a good thing since dmom wanted to go to the parks and the buses where packed from am to pm... but then again its just a matter of pref' as what they have stated above

 

[jenniferma]

IMO-- I would rent the car. We didn't stay at OKW on our last trip, but POR. Our kids were 2 and 4 (very similar to yours!) We brought our double stroller and my DH got really sick of lugging it on the buses! The trip prior we rented a car (our kids were 1 and 3) and we much preferred having our own car. I personally like the break of sticking them into carseats and letting them snooze in the nice, cool car. You don't get that on a Disney bus!

It was also a lot more convenient for the character meals.. getting to GF from POR without the car wasn't horrible.. but it would have been so much easier with a car.

We also love DTD, but only went once on our last trip because we thought the boat was a long haul with the little ones.

Sorry this is rambling-- but I would definitely rent a car with toddlers -- just my opinion! have a great trip- jennifer

 

[Cee]

I like the freedom of the car for dinner and the evening plans. I like to take
the bus to the parks because the parking lots are pretty far away in some
cases. It's also nice not to have to leave for the airport 3 hours early if you're
taking ME or Mears, etc. It is an added expense tacked on to an already
pricey vacation though. Just think about it some more and see what feels right.

 

[chaoscent]

I have only made one trip to Disney without a car & that was before the Dis. Even when we stay at WL we rent a car. We don't use it on MK days as we take the bus back and forth to MK, but take it everywhere else we go. This next trip is going to be different for me as my two friends are renting a car (we are staying at BW Villas) but they aren't going into the parks . I will have easy access to Epcot & MGM. They will drop me off at AK & MK in the morning before they go out and if I want to come home before they return to WDW I will take the buses. I will be in an ECV so I am looking forward to a new expereince.

Have fund whatever you decide.
Penny