Do You Really Need a Golf Cart?

[Lex33]

I am still contemplating a golf cart for the end of August, assuming Kenny still has availability.

We will most likely only be at the campground for 2 full days. The rest we will be at the parks. We tour the parks commando style and don't often, i.e. never, return in the middle of the day. I don't want to rely on the buses for internal travel and we will have a car to get to the parks (other than Mk.)

Does it make sense to rent a golf cart for the entire time for 5 of us or will I regret having to walk everywhere in the heat if I don't?

 

[retired and happy]

Personally, I never drive to the parks. The WDW park busses do a great job and the internal Fort busses can get you everywhere, except looping. We rented a GC twice, then bought one, primarily for the Fort. If you just need it for two days, one of Disney's will probably suffice, and be very convenient. The Fort is large and unless you really like to walk or bring bikes, the bus or GC are good alternatives. Laundry, trading posts, beach visits, Trails End, etc are easy to get to by GC (or bus...but you may have to wait a while for one to come by). I don't know about Kenny access, especially with the changes they are making in the overflow parking lot. Maybe someone who has seen the new construction there can chime in...

 

[DisCamper]

Yes you need a cart I can't think of doing the without one

 

[Disneylitch]

I agree with never driving to the parks. The bus transportation is very reliable and it is relaxing to let someone else do the driving. We bring our bikes and have never considered renting a golf cart. We also walk, and walk, and walk. You get the drift.

 

[des1954]

Eh...this is a subjective question, and one for which you will get many opinions. Me personally, would never go to FtW and not have a GC. We have owned our own cart since 1998 basically for use at the Fort. Then again, we gave up commando park visits years ago.

If the two days you will be spending at the Fort are back to back, you just might like to have that cart. It's a convenient way to get to all the amenities, and well, it's just gosh-darn fun to drive around all the camping loops & "see how the other folk live".

Is it necessary to have a cart? No. The internal bus system is fairly adequate and rarely do you have to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus to come by a loop. That being said, the buses don't go into the loops, so you won't have the fun of seeing a lot of different ways to do things.

August is hotter than the hinges of ....well, you know. If you've not been to Florida in August, you might just reconsider the "commando style" of seeing the parks. An afternoon trip back to the Fort to take a swim and cool off is a good thing to do.

The overflow parking lot (where Kenny delivered carts to) has now been closed off for outside access. You MUST go through the guard or KTTW gate to get into FtW. I honestly don't know how this has impacted Kenny. All you can do is call and find out. Otherwise, you might want to reserve one of the carts at the Fort. You can always cancel without any retribution.

I hope you have a great vacation!

 

[medic9016]

We have only taken our cart once. We found there was not a need for it. We prefer our bicycles. Disney transportation is efficient enough to get around.

If you do decide on a cart for only 2 days it may be easier and better use of time to rent from Disney. I do not know how early and off site company delivers. If they can't get to the Fort until early afternoon you have wasted a have day waiting for delivery and pick-up.

 

[mgsmom]

We just got back from the Fort and found the internal busses as well as the park busses to be great! I'll be surprised it we waited any longer than 5-7 min on the internal bus. They are air-conditioned and clean. We never learned the color code thing - they'd just open the door and we'd ask if weren't sure. They have the destination on the front anyway.

I would recommend a golf cart for the 2 days you are staying at the Fort and not going out. It is a lot of fun and a quick way to "dash" here and there. Plus, you really MUST cruise around some loops and check out everyone's setups.

But, if you are going to be in parks all day and don't mind busses or driving your car, then don't bother for those days.

The boat ride to MK is very nice and doesn't take long at all!

 

[Lex33]

Thanks for the input. As usual, there are varied opinions. It does sound like the golf carts will make things easier. Anyone know if there are AP discounts for golf cart rentals?

 

[lathamary]

We didn't rent a cart. We brought our bikes and biked everywhere around the Fort.

I've heard people say that once you rent a cart, you never go back to doing the Fort without one. I suppose they are that fun!

 

[BradyBz12]

Thanks for the input. As usual, there are varied opinions. It does sound like the golf carts will make things easier. Anyone know if there are AP discounts for golf cart rentals?

Unfortunately no more discounts of any kind on GC rentals through Disney.

If you end up renting for more than a few days, there are offsite rental companies that are much cheaper though. Lots of info in THIS THREAD.

 

[jenscourt]

IMO, no, you do not need a cart. Like someone said, bus transportation is very reliable and you could get around using that (which is what I always do). If it is in your budget, it is nice to have a cart to get around. There are a couple of companies that you can rent them through that are a little less expensive if you are staying more than a couple of days.

 

[SCtigercock]

We just got back and rented from Kenny. He was wonderful! If we ever rent again we won't hesitate to use him again. We had the cart 5 days and enjoyed it. However we found the internal buses great. We have decided to try our bikes next time. We have also decided that there will be no more WDW during the summer months. NEVER.