christmas without a car!

[mhmcduff]

We are going to All Stars from Dec 24th to Jan 4th and have not rented a car because it is so expensive. Will it be miserable not to have a car? This will be our first time without and while we don't mind the buses we heard it is really crazy at Christmas!

 

[Emcg]

We have never gone at Christmas but we have been to WDW 11 times and never rented a car. We got everywhere we needed to go with very little trouble using the buses. Since we only go to the parks and Downtown Disney we never felt the need to rent a car. Plus Magical Express is free so you don't have to pick up your luggage at the airport.
I would think that parking in the lots and just plain driving that time of year would be more trouble than it is worth. It is the most crowded time of the year from what I've read. We have been staying at the POP and am going again next September. Can't come soon enough.

 

[zulemara]

We have never gone at Christmas but we have been to WDW 11 times and never rented a car. We got everywhere we needed to go with very little trouble using the buses. Since we only go to the parks and Downtown Disney we never felt the need to rent a car. Plus Magical Express is free so you don't have to pick up your luggage at the airport.
I would think that parking in the lots and just plain driving that time of year would be more trouble than it is worth. It is the most crowded time of the year from what I've read. We have been staying at the POP and am going again next September. Can't come soon enough.

I disagree entirely. A car is always more efficient. The parking lots are a well oiled machine even at park exit.

Will it be miserable? Only if you make it so. It's gonna be busy, you have to keep your expectations in check. It's mass transportation. If you miss a bus, boat, or monorail, there will be another. Allow enough time to travel around the resort or get to reservations and you'll be fine.

 

[Jestocost]

I disagree entirely. A car is always more efficient.

Except when it's not. I mean, really, there is no way you can make an absolute statement like that; it's just not true.

Christmas attracts tons of locals, for example, virtually all of whom are doing what? Driving to the parks and parking their cars. I've seen Thanksgiving crowds lined up 10-12 deep at the parking trams while I've cruised overhead on the monorail (admittedly, a crowded monorail). I can't imagine that traffic is all that great anywhere in the World either.

And the buses generally run pretty well too.

My take is that it's not so much what is or is not more efficient. Nobody that I know of can provide any quantitative data to demonstrate that any one mode of transportation within WDW--or between MCO and WDW, for that matter--is definitively more efficient than another.

What matters is what your traveling style and preferences are. I hate driving and don't mind the buses. If I can, I take public transport vs. renting a car or taking a cab even when I travel on business. Many others can't imagine traveling without a car available at all times. Those people should rent a car. I won't.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I also do not believe that "a car is always more efficient".

Personally I have not rented a car for WDW in many years, and never plan on doing so in the future. WDW does a great job in getting people from their resorts to the parks and back again. If you avoid trying to leave exactly at park closings you will miss the crowds. You simply need to people watch, shop, grab a snack, anything for about twenty minutes after park closing. Then you will find the buses quiet again.

Also, everyone in this country seems to be in such a hurry to get everywhere. When you are in WDW you are on VACATION! Slow down, enjoy yourself.

Finally, the OP is going during Christmas. Everyone who reads these boards know that the parks reach capacity at that time. The first things they close down are the parking lots. So even if you are a WDW resort guest you will not be allowed in if the lot is full. WDW buses continue to transport people to and from the parks unless a park itself is closed.

Why waste money on a rental car? WDW is far more efficient. I never get any kind of enjoyment from driving in an unfamiliar area. Especially in a place so large and so congested with traffic as WDW.

 

[PSUGuy]

While we've never been there for X-Mas time, we stopped renting a car 4 trips ago. Our usual time is the first week in March which ain't exactly a slow time, and we've found Disney transport to be more than adequate.

Bill From PA

 

[Tink415]

We are going to All Stars from Dec 24th to Jan 4th and have not rented a car because it is so expensive. Will it be miserable not to have a car? This will be our first time without and while we don't mind the buses we heard it is really crazy at Christmas!

I think it'll be fine. We've gone during that timeframe since 2004. I prefer to have a car to get around resort to resort quicker and go off site, but if the rentals are too high for the entire time period, I've used cabs when necessary, and had a rental for 2-4 days at some point during the trip (its easy to pick one up at the Dolphin or Car Care Center). I've had no complaints about bus service to parks during the holiday season. Enjoy!

 

[andrews_dad]

Try Budget, BCD code Y937800. Rent from the Westland St location, a $20-25 taxi fare from MCO. You can return to airport Bugdet location for no charge (just reserve it as such, as drop off at MCO). You should be able to get that (economy) for somewhere around $280 for that timeframe. That ain't bad, IMO. Maybe look for a coupon elsewhere for a free upgrade or something to sweeten the pot. Remember that parking is up to $14 a day at the World, though.

I visit Diz every year at Xmas (go to the college bowl games in the area). Cars are indeed much more quick than the Diz busses. Plus you can get out of the area to hit an Ale House (mm, double layered chicken nachos). Cost of your time worth more than the cost to your wallet? That is the question.