Christmas week - Rent car or Disney buses?

[FrozenOlaf]

This is our first visit to WDW during 21-29 Dec. Very excited!
Wish to find out whether it will be very crowded if we rely solely on disney buses to get to the theme parks? Will it be better if we rent a car? Difficulty in parking? Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and experiences!

 

[micminnieapolis]

It will be extremely crowded -- use the buses. Parks may close and the bus drivers know what to do.

 

[pigletto]

Christmas week is one of the only times I would just not bother with a car and use the buses. Like the previous poster said, the roads will be extremely crowded. I'd rather be on a bus with drivers who are familiar with the area and can take me right to the bus drop off spots instead of the back or overflow areas of the extremely crowded parking lots.
We don't mind driving in the Disney area at all but I don't think there would be any advantage to it during Christmas.

 

[Alesia]

Use the buses.

You do not want to be driving during Christmas week. Also, when a park reaches stage 2 closure (which happens during Christmas week) they close the parking lots, so you can't even get in if you're driving.

 

[FrozenOlaf]

What will the bus drivers do if the parks are closed?
What are the "stages" of closure for Christmas week?
It is advisable to go to the parks early in the morning then. If we go back to hotel in the afternoon, we might not be able to enter the parks if the park is full?
Sorry, more questions..

 

[Alesia]

What will the bus drivers do if the parks are closed?

There will not be a bus to a park that has reached stage 4.

What are the "stages" of closure for Christmas week?

Stage 0 - Due to limited available parking, Guests may be directed to alternate parking areas where they will use Resort transportation to travel to the park of their choice.

Stage 1 - At this stage each Guest in a vehicle must have a valid multi-day ticket. Also Guests with a Park Hopper or re-entering the Park, by showing a currently dated Parking Receipt, will be allowed in. Also, any Guests using Disney transportation are allowed.

Stage 2 - At this stage, Theme Park admission is limited to Disney Resort Guests*, Annual and Premium Annual Passholders, Guests with Park Hopper tickets crossing over from another Park, Guests re-entering this Park today. Guests with written confirmation of reservations for Dining or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League within one hour are also admitted. Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted. Guests not meeting the above criteria are told the Theme Park has reached capacity.

Stage 3 - At this stage, Theme Park admission is limited to Disney Resort Guests*, Annual and Premium Annual Passholders. Guests with written confirmation of reservations for Dining or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League within one hour are also admitted.

Stage 4 - Nobody is allowed in.

Also, if you are staying at a Disney owned and operated Resort and have a ticket, you are guaranteed entry into A park. Not necessarily the one you want (unless you want to go into AK). And if you have entered and left a park and do not have a hopper you may not get into anything.

*Guests of WDW Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green at the Walt Disney World Resort are considered part of this group for Stages 2 and 3. In addition, Guests from Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus are included.

It is advisable to go to the parks early in the morning then.

Definitely. MK will open at 7:00am every morning. You want to be there before the parks open.

If we go back to hotel in the afternoon, we might not be able to enter the parks if the park is full?

It's a possibility. That's one of the reasons I would not go during Christmas week without park hoppers.

 

[FrozenOlaf]

Hi Alesia,

Many thanks for your detailed explanation! Will stick to Disney transportation.