Do we need a car?

[PeightonsMama13]

Hi I had a quick q for evrybody. Me & DD4 are going on our 1st trip to Disney World this July! We are so excited. We just love Disney and everything Disney! I found myself having a lot of q's as I was trying to plan so glad I found this board!

The main thing I am wondering about right now is this. Do you think we need a rental car? I know about how they have their own busses and there is the monorail and all that but is it easier to just have a car? I can swing the xtra cash if it is going to be easier that way I want this to be a really special trip for us & I don't want to be thinking I wish we had a car all week.

Any help please. Thanks!

 

[wiserabbit]

Having a car available has its pros - for one thing - which resort are you staying in? Some have quicker/more direct bus routes with less stops to pick up and drop off - so driving yourself to a park can be quicker You won't have to pay for parking if you are a WDW resort guest so that is another plus.

If you want to get off property - having a car is certainly the most easy way - so you could go find somewhere to eat, or do a little grocery shopping for water, snacks, etc. OR - if you have an emergency of any kind - you can run to the nearest drug store/clinic/ER - (we've had to do this too ).

In the end, it's up to your personal preference - Disney transportation is completely doable if you know in advance you may be waiting a little or long while for the next bus/monorail/boat, etc. But it frees you up from having to navigate and find your way around unfamiliar surroundings - have fun on your upcoming trip

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We wouldn't do Disney without a car. I hate buses and there is no way I would enjoy my vacation having to wait on and take buses all week.

We always rent a car from one of the rentals places in terminal at MCO airport. You can reserve car very cheaply using Priceline and not even have to pay for it in advance.

Just know, if you do use Priceline to book a car at MCO that the cer rental place ADVANTAGE is no longer in terminal there. They are offsite and you have to take a shuttle to get there. Not worth the trouble.

Another very cheap rental place is E-Z car rental and they do have a counter in terminal.

If you book far enough in advance you should be able to get a mid sized car for around $15 a day.

My suggestion is to have a GPS with you so you can use your GPS to find your way around.

I have a list of all the parks and resorts and their addresses and we use those to get from place to place.

ALthough after having been there 5 times now DH really does know his way around for the most part I still use the GPS.

But if you don't want the hassle of trying to find your way around and you are staying on Disney property, you can take the Magical Express bus to and from the airport and then just use Disney buses to get back and forth to the parks. Some ppl swear by not driving on vacation.

But my recommendation is to YES get a car.

 

[HopperFan]

I drive to WDW and if staying on property it's not unusual for me to not get in my car for days even a week. I find Disney transportation very do-able. Note I travel with a disabled child and for years he would not ride a bus so then I did drive all over. I would much rather catch a bus!

Depends on what you want to do and where you are staying. Do you plan to book meals at other hotels? is probably my biggest question because getting to your reservations could take a long time by bus as you'll need to transfer to other buses.

Do you want to leave property and go to non-Disney locations? Do you want to go shopping off property?

 

[DebbieB]

Hi I had a quick q for evrybody. Me & DD4 are going on our 1st trip to Disney World this July! We are so excited. We just love Disney and everything Disney! I found myself having a lot of q's as I was trying to plan so glad I found this board!

The main thing I am wondering about right now is this. Do you think we need a rental car? I know about how they have their own busses and there is the monorail and all that but is it easier to just have a car? I can swing the xtra cash if it is going to be easier that way I want this to be a really special trip for us & I don't want to be thinking I wish we had a car all week.

Any help please. Thanks!

Where are you staying?

 

[ldnoggle]

If you're staying on property, you certainly don't HAVE to have a car. We fly in, take the Magical Express to the resort, and rely on Disney transportation to get around. For the few ADRs we have where that would be a hassle (for example, early morning breakfasts at other other resorts) we take a cab. For us, not having to drive is one of the best parts of being at Disney, but some people feel differently! It totally depends on your preferences and plans.

 

[danceintherain]

We used to be in the Disney transportation for everything group.
We rented a car for 2 days during our last trip, because we planned a day at Universal.
DH wants a car every time we go now. We'll probably still use Magical Express, and rent a car from one of the places on the Disney property, so we don't have to deal with our luggage.

Now...I hate driving, so if it was just me going, I'd probably skip the rental car and go with the buses, even if it meant a little more waiting around.
I think DH likes having the control though, and he has some health issues, so I think it made him feel more comfortable that he could have gone off to an urgent care clinic or something if needed.

 

[FortCanadaGirl]

We rented a car one year when we were in the cabins at FW, used it for a day (or less) and realized it was more of a burden than anything so we returned it early.

Either way, you shouldn't be locked into your decision. . .but Disney transportation is fabulous

 

[Three cats]

We always rent a car when we go. So much easier for us to be able to come and go at our leisure and not have to rely on the buses.

 

[taylor3297]

We never rent a car and we always stay on property. While we are on vacation, we like not having to worry about driving. Never had any major issues with WDW transportation for me to even consider renting a car.

 

[buzznina]

We always drive to WDW and rarely use our car anymore. The first few times we would use our car for most of our trips but found that the little time it saved was not worth it. Both our DD's love the buses and that is part of our vacation, they get excited to go on the bus. Plus if going in the summer time, I would rather get on a cool bus then get into a 150 degree car.

 

[mmmears]

We always stay on property and never rent a car (anymore).

We did rent one years ago -- honestly it's more of a hassle than it's worth, between parking and finding our way around.

When we are on vacation we use Disney transportation (and at times will use a taxi) but we prefer not to have to deal with a car.

 

[MyOtherSS]

I've never stayed at Disney and without a rental and I don't plan on it anytime soon. The convenience of be able to leave the parks/hop at any time as well as have the ability to go off site for whatever you please is worth the cost. We meet up with my girlfriends grandparents every time we are down there so it is a must have either way. We racked up 200 miles this past trip.

 

[maxiesmom]

Even when we had a car we found we hardly used it. Now we don't bother renting one. If we have somewhere we need to be fast, we hop in a taxi. Otherwise the buses/boats/monorails work just fine.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have never rented a car at Disney. So not necessary (for us). We don't mind using Disney transportation. Quite honestly, after repeatedly seeing the hordes of people leaving the MK and staying in the cattle lines themselves....just to get on the tram to get NEAR their car...all as I'm watching from my seat on the bus....DH and I are thinking "that's better???"

To each his own...

 

[alc571]

We always rent a car. As others have said, we like being able to come and go as we please. We also go to a couple of our fav restaurants offsite that we don't have in Canada. We tried the bus to MNSSHP and it was so much faster to get to MK, but the ride back was a nightmare. DS7 was exhausted, it was late, and DH was cranky. We couldn't get seats, and DS just wanted to sleep. From then on, it's only car for is. It may take a little longer sometimes, but at least we have a seat and DS can sleep if he wants to.

 

[Missyrose]

We used to just rely on Disney transportation, but we rented a car in January and loved it! We tend to have lots of ADRs at resort restaurants, so the car made getting to those easier. Add in a couple of trips to DTD (which is an absolute nightmare to get to by bus) and a quick grocery run at the start of the trip, we felt having a car was really worth it.

 

[schoen]

We used to rely on Disney transportation. We spent a lot of aggravating minutes waiting for buses, and then riding on crowded buses with tons of people. We would leave the crowded park and then get on to a crowded bus.

We rented a car in 2008, and we have never gone back! Renting a car is the only way for us! We like to head to the grocery store and pick up drinks and snacks. We like coming and going from the park as we please. We like to head to Celebration for lunch or dinner on occasion. I like listening to my own radio station, and controlling my own temperature. Also, I have NEVER had to be squished up against a sweaty stranger in my car.

You are saying it is not a cost issue, so I would recommend renting one, if you find you don't mind the buses than you will still have options, and it will give you piece of mind that you can quickly get to a store or restaurant if you want to.

Have a fantastic trip!

 

[Zatson23]

It ultimately going to end up being a personal choice for you.

When I was a kid we would drive down to disney, park the car at the resort, and hop on the bus. We always used disney transportation, starting from when I was 2, up to current day with my nieces and nephews. The only time we drive our car is the day we go to DTD, and that's because we save all of our shopping for the second to last day and do it all at DTD so there are a lot of bags that we just leave in the car and don't have to pack later.

The few times I went on my own and flew down I never rented a car. Disney transportation is great, and I would rather save the money for souvenirs or the photo pass pictures.

 

[aubriee]

We used to just rely on Disney transportation, but we rented a car in January and loved it! We tend to have lots of ADRs at resort restaurants, so the car made getting to those easier. Add in a couple of trips to DTD (which is an absolute nightmare to get to by bus) and a quick grocery run at the start of the trip, we felt having a car was really worth it.

Same here. As an AP holder I go WDW 4-6 times a year and never could understand why anyone would rent a car. I was perfectly satisfied with WDW transportation and couldn't understand why anyone would want to drive down there if they didn't have to. Then I joined a friend down there who rented a car and I saw why. It was so easy and quick to get around down there in a car. The last two trips I've rented a car myself and will never go back to using Disney transportation. I love no longer having to wait forever to board a DME bus a the airport and wait forever while it makes multiple stop letting people off, being able to make a grocery stop on the way to the resort to get snacks for the room, not having to allow an hour to get to an ADR, being able to run offsite for a really good (and so much cheaper) meal or shopping at the outlets, how easy it is to get to Universal or Sea World, not having to wait around for buses that make multiple stops to pick others up, and always having a seat in a nice, quiet air conditioned car, instead of standing on a packed bus full of screaming kids and stinky, sweaty people. A car just makes the trip a whole lot more relaxing. I have a GPS, but with all their signs, WDW makes finding your way around down there a breeze, so you don't really need one. We'll be back down there in just a little over two weeks and already have our rental car reserved through Alamo.