Car Rental: Yes/No/Maybe So

[FutureDis]

Reasons WE rent a car:

We don't fly into MCO, we fly in to SFB (via Alligant Air), so need rental to get to Disney.

We like to eat and explore different resorts.
Like to drive to parks because it's faster not having to wait to leave.
Early reservations to breakfast at parks.
Like the freedom to leave Disney if we want to.

 

[traceyw]

We didn't rent a car our first few WDW trips, then we decided to try renting a car. We've rented a car every time since. We think it saves tons of time getting around.

 

[kam1011]

Waiting around for public transportation is not my idea of a good time.

 

[mousegear]

We've attempted without a car (while staying on property) but we caved after two days of waiting and packed like sardines on the bus. That was low crowd season during September, many years ago. Never again!!! We like driving although we stay on disney property. It takes 20 minutes max when we drive to parks or going to another resorts. We just like the convenience of having the car too much.

 

[JoeA]

I'm on vacation and like to have a few adult beverages so I find the Disney bus to be my ideal chauffeur! Our kids are in mid 20's so even if they're with us they may have a drink or two as well and nobody has to worry about driving.

The last two times we visited I was already in FL for business or visiting another part of the state so I had a rental, which I dropped off at one of the resorts on our first day.

Personally, I just don't see the need to pay for one and as much as people dislike waiting for busses, I dislike having to park and walk across the lot.

I guess that is why we all have choices! Not all travel styles are the same.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm on vacation and like to have a few adult beverages so I find the Disney bus to be my ideal chauffeur!

We get a car, but on some evenings will do this as well. It's the best of both worlds.

 

[MichelleVW]

I think what's interesting is that a good portion of the people that say they want a car are former bus riders that found out how nice it was to have your own car.

I was perfectly happy with the buses the first few trips until we tried driving to the parks once and saw how easy it is....never went back. A few years ago we stayed at POR Riverside...car was about 100 feet from our room....the bus stop was probably close to a mile away....that's a long way at the end of the day.

 

[katt789]

I don't think there's every any need for one while staying on property, the busses do a decent job getting to & from the parks & around everywhere. The worst would be getting home from MK at night but if you're driving you still have to wait for the monorail/boat to get to the ttc and then tram and then back to your car!

Benefits:
-universal/sea world or area for the day
-headed to the mall, or celebration, pretty much anywhere off property if might be worth it.

 

[eliza61]

We don't go without a car. Lol personally I don't like wdw transportation. Case in point. A few weeks ago I had to go back to my room at the Contemporary because I left some thing. We were at Epcot, ok left the family 90 freakin minutes to get Epcot monorail to TTC change for resort monorail to Contemporary, then on the return. I walked to mk and caught the monorail to Epcot ( easy 15 minute wait for the thing). In my car it would have been 30 minutes top.

Full disclosure, I'm ADD, waiting drives me crazy, which is why I try and do Disney off season.

Lastly, have you seem how horrible it is at the end of the night waiting for Disney resort busses.

Never again

 

[Momof2Singers]

WE WOULD NEVER GO, if we did not have a car. So much more flexibility and freedom. No waiting for transportation. We only use Disney buses when my husband wants to sleep in which may be once in 2 or 3 trips.

We went with our daughter on her HS choir trip, we were at the mercy of their transportation. We waited over an hour for a bus to take us back to the hotel from Magic Kingdom. The lines were very long.

 

[MichelleVW]

I don't think there's every any need for one while staying on property, the busses do a decent job getting to & from the parks & around everywhere. The worst would be getting home from MK at night but if you're driving you still have to wait for the monorail/boat to get to the ttc and then tram and then back to your car!

Benefits:
-universal/sea world or area for the day
-headed to the mall, or celebration, pretty much anywhere off property if might be worth it.

Benefits
-not having to wait at a hot crowded bus stop so you can stand on a bus
-getting back to your resort in half the time
-heading straight to you car and hopping right in vs watching your bus pull away at the bus stop and having to wait another 15-20 minutes for another bus.

having your own car is just faster...there's no way around it.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Benefits
-not having to wait at a hot crowded bus stop so you can stand on a bus
-getting back to your resort in half the time
-heading straight to you car and hopping right in vs watching your bus pull away at the bus stop and having to wait another 15-20 minutes for another bus.

having your own car is just faster...there's no way around it.

Exactly!

And just because someone has a car doesn't mean they're tied to always using it!

I personally like to use the car in the morning to get to rope drop, and quickly get back to my resort in the afternoon for a break/shower/costume change. Then, in the evening, I might go to Epcot and maybe have a beer or two in World Showcase, so I take the bus.

 

[MichelleVW]

Exactly!

And just because someone has a car doesn't mean they're tied to always using it!

I personally like to use the car in the morning to get to rope drop, and quickly get back to my resort in the afternoon for a break/shower/costume change. Then, in the evening, I might go to Epcot and maybe have a beer or two in World Showcase, so I take the bus.

Exactly!! If Epcot and alcohol is in the plan we will rely on the bus so we have nothing to worry about...but rope drop is early enough that I don't want to have to add another 20-30 minutes for the bus.

 

[kickash]

Rent the car. We've been 7 times, stayed on property most of those times and we took the busses. The last two times we went (2012 and 2013), we had a car and we will NEVER go back without one! Soo easy to navigate around the world and no waiting! We are early morning ADR and/or rope drop people and we had first row parking in each lot at each park, waterparks included, so walking to our car at the end of the night was no big deal. I bet we were in our car AND back at room before some of those crowds even got on a bus!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[AllieBoo]

We drive down from Alabama, so we have our own car; but once we are onsite, we rarely use it. We will sometimes drive to AK, DTD or one of the waterparks, but other than that, the car pretty much stays parked. We haven't found the buses to be that bad.

We've thought about driving to the MK, but the parking lot seems so big that we are afraid it would be more of a hassle to park and catch a tram, than to just ride the bus and get dropped off up front. Maybe next trip, we will try it.

 

[quirty30]

I chose other, as we have relied on WDW transportation for the vast majority of our stays and I thoroughly enjoy the vacation from driving. That being said, we stayed in a Treehouse last summer for 8 nights and I scored a great deal on a rental car thinking we would use it to grocery shop and run a few other errands. Much to my surprise, I rather enjoyed having it and we used it to go to and from the parks as well. But I don't think I would get a car every time. We returned last fall and stayed at BWV for what was essentially a F & W Fest weekend. Absolutely no car needed as we only ventured to Epcot and HS and the weather was beautiful for the most part. So we walked and used the Friendship Boats.

So I really think it depends on what your plans are. We will play it by ear going forward. And price will definitely factor into the decision. If it's too expensive, I know we can live without a car. But if I can score a deal again, we just might go for it.

 

[wcurry66]

ok, after reading this thread, i cancelled my original plan (rent car at end of stay and keep until we fly out 2 days later) and replaced it with a car rental for the entire stay

price difference (renting at the air port vs at disney, round trip vs one way) - $40. $40 for 7 extra days of car rental. At that price, i don't mind it will sit there some days

 

[Planogirl]

ok, after reading this thread, i cancelled my original plan (rent car at end of stay and keep until we fly out 2 days later) and replaced it with a car rental for the entire stay

price difference (renting at the air port vs at disney, round trip vs one way) - $40. $40 for 7 extra days of car rental. At that price, i don't mind it will sit there some days

For $40, I would do exactly the same thing. The nice thing is that you have the option to use it and can come and go whenever and to wherever you please.