Disney's Magical Express or Rental Car

[rayzke]

Hey!
We (4 adults total) will be home in June for the weekend. Since we will not have our kids with us, I was thinking about taking DME and the shuttles while we were there...but...I am afriad it might be quicker if we rented a car to get around the parks. I do not mind taking the shuttles but I do not want to wait forever to get somewhere either.
Opinoins...pleeze...

 

[jodifla]

Hey!
We (4 adults total) will be home in June for the weekend. Since we will not have our kids with us, I was thinking about taking DME and the shuttles while we were there...but...I am afriad it might be quicker if we rented a car to get around the parks. I do not mind taking the shuttles but I do not want to wait forever to get somewhere either.
Opinoins...pleeze...

WIth the exception of the MK, it's definitely quicker and easier to get around with a car. Particularly if you want to go out to eat at night at other resorts. The Disney planning guide suggests you leave two hours for this! No thanks.

 

[CleveRocks]

If you need things to be as quick as possible and you want maximum control, then a rental car will be best for you. Me, I love relaxing, leaving the driving and traffic to someone else, and I find any waits for buses to be relaxing, actually. I spend the rest of my life rushing around -- I don't wanna do so on vacation.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

If you need things to be as quick as possible and you want maximum control, then a rental car will be best for you. Me, I love relaxing, leaving the driving and traffic to someone else, and I find any waits for buses to be relaxing, actually. I spend the rest of my life rushing around -- I don't wanna do so on vacation.

I could not have said it better.
Relax, slow down....you are supposed to be on vacation! WDW transportation will take you anywhere you need to go. The best tip I can give is simply to not race out of any park at closing. Let the throngs run out the exits. Take your time and when you get to the bus station it will be peaceful once again. We did this at the MK last June. After Wishes we just sat down on a bench across from the castle for 15-20 minutes and then walked slowly down Main Street. No crowds at all when we got outside.

 

[rayzke]

I completely agree with the "relax" part, I just am not a fan of waiting a long time for buses, too many flashbacks of waiting for the CTA when I was in high school.

 

[jodifla]

I completely agree with the "relax" part, I just am not a fan of waiting a long time for buses, too many flashbacks of waiting for the CTA when I was in high school.

Yeah, I'm not relaxed when I'm missing an ADR because I'm standing around waiting for some bus...or series of buses to get from one resort to another.

 

[Daitcher]

I could not have said it better.
Relax, slow down....you are supposed to be on vacation! WDW transportation will take you anywhere you need to go. The best tip I can give is simply to not race out of any park at closing. Let the throngs run out the exits. Take your time and when you get to the bus station it will be peaceful once again. We did this at the MK last June. After Wishes we just sat down on a bench across from the castle for 15-20 minutes and then walked slowly down Main Street. No crowds at all when we got outside.

How much of your vacation are you willing to spend on the busses? Honestly, vacation time is precious, rent the car OP. While you are on the bus I'll be in the parks or drinking a beer poolside. The relax part is fine but I don't find it RELAXING to be on soemone elses schedule. It also isn't RELAXING when these buses make 3 stoips before you get where you are going. Sorry for the flames but I can't get on board with this. Every minute at WDW is costing us money, I like to get something for that money and that something isn't bus waits.

DAVE

 

[Daitcher]

Geeze wdwgoofeee,


Just say NO NO NO to the WDW bus system.


DAVE

 

[CleveRocks]

Just say NO NO NO to the WDW bus system.

EXCELLENT! With you not on there, there should be room to put my feet up! I wish more people rented. They can be happy in their cars, I can be happy in Disney Transport.

It's all in the perception. If either of your blood pressure numbers resembles your SAT score, you'll hate Disney Transport. I, on the other hand, enjoy one blessed week out of my life when I can leave the responsibility to everyone else. Not only as a parent, but in my job I'm making decisions about people's lives every day, every hour. It weighs on me. Anything that is DIFFERENT from real life is a wonderful time to me. The very first thing I do when I'm on vacation anywhere is take off my watch. AAAHHH, I'm starting to feel free from the shackles already! Leave the car key in the hotel room ... AAAHHH, another ball and chain gone, and so on.

To each's own. But I can't see getting so ANGRY about it, Dave. Better watch that diastolic!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Gotta agree with Eric. Feeling that every minute of your vacation is costing you money is, in my opinion, stressful. Note that this is different from feeling that every minute spent inside a venue for which one has paid admission is different - that IS costing me money and of course I want to get the best value for my dollar. Using Epcot as the simplest example: A ten day non-expiring hopper (because that's the best value for MY money, ymmv) costs $384 from Maple Leaf. That's $38.40 per day. If I get to Epcot before it opens and stay until it closes, based on that park's standard twelve-hour day, it's 'costing' me $3.20 per hour (or $0.053 per minute). Less, actually, because even though the park closes at nine some attractions stay open until ten even on non-EMH days. But if my plane lands at say 7 PM, and by the time I get to Epcot for EMH it's 9 already, that day's park touring costs me $12.80 per hour.
That's once I get TO the park, of course. If getting there takes me a little longer than it takes Dave, so be it. I commute into Boston every day. I'm a firm believer in letting somebody else handle the stress of transporting me on vacation

 

[Daitcher]

Eric and Kaytie,


I respect those opinions and can understand where you guys are coming from. The poster was asking which to use bus or car. At least the OP has read a few different view points here. I'm not trying to stir the pot or act like I'm in a big hurry when on vacation. For a guy like me, that has a young son, time can be precious. Getting back for nap/bed time, etc. That is where this is coming from on my end. A few to many times when my son has been tired and ready to get home spent waiting for a bus. Well the meltdown with the tears ensued. A car lets us have a little more control I guess.


DAVE

 

[NCRedding]

On my last trip, I did both. I used ME to get to the resort, and started using the disney buses. But, since it was January, park hours were limited, we were only there a few days, and wanted to park hop; we grew frustrated waiting for the buses, so I rented a car from the Car Care Center, and drove ourselves all over.

It was cool coming out of Epcot at midnight, after EMH and being 1 of 3 cars left in our parking area--very easy to get back to the resort, even though they were lining up ALL of the buses for the 1/2 marathon the next day, as we were leaving (that was some sight to see--I've never seen so many buses in one place)