Drive to parks or take the bus?

[IslandAdventure4]

to me that is the best part of the trip. Once we get to the airport I dont have to drive at all until we get back. Very enjoyable to let someone else do the driving

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Transportation board.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

One more pro for the bus is not having to remember where you parked. About day 3 you are thinking, okay was today Mickey 71 or Goofy 35 as family says, no that was the morning. In the afternoon, we were in Minnie 42. No that was Monday.
Are we the only ones who traipse through the lot trying to remember where we last left our car?
Bus stops are well marked. We always remember what resort we are at!

 

[SDSorority]

On our next trip we have a lot of meals planned at resorts, so I figured the best way to make this work is to use our car. The only place I'm no too thrilled about using our car is MK, but whatever. What I am wondering is are there road signs to tell you how to get from place to place? ie. One morning we have breakfast planned at 1900 Park Fare. Will we be able to figure out how to get to GF from ASMu or should I print out directions before we leave?

Same boat.

I will be printing off directions from every single location. We're not getting a GPS or anything for our rental.

I mean seriously... I have directions from MCO to DTD, DTD to Kissimmee Walmart, Kissimmee Walmart to Westgate, Westgate to AK, AK to MK, etc. etc. etc.

Call me crazy... or way over planned

 

[tntarmijo]

I agree with the PP that said taking the bus takes less time. Also, neither DBF nor I love driving, and part of vacation for us is relaxing and letting someone else do the driving. We usually stay from rope drop to close, and I shudder to think about trying to get out of the parking lot at the end of a long day!
Also, one of our big "pro's" for taking the bus is meeting people! You never know who you'll sit next to. We love striking up conversations with people at Disney, and the bus is a great place to do so. I love exchanging Disney info with people!

Couldn't agree more. I have met some of the nicest people on the bus. The only bus I may not take in the future is to downtown. We waited over an hour for a bus last time only to be left off at the wrong side (at the advice of the driver) and walk to the other side. Between the two we missed our dinner reservation by 30 minutes. At least while on vacation and at Disney, didn't let it bother us.

 

[sharadoc]

As I started writing I realized we preferred the bus:

Our reasoning:
For us driving around Disney was such a headache. Our GPS and the Disney signs never agreed about which way to go. When Marathon Weekend was going on we got lost a few times. So for us the time evened out.


:

This is important to realize. Disney signs and directions are set up for the "best" traffic control and NOT the most efficient way of getting from Point A to Point B. You need to get a detailed road map of Disney World and take some chances until you figure out the best way for you and your resort. Road signs will almost always take you out onto the main roads, circling around to the major exits. But there's lots of other ways around, usually following your GPS will be correct if you're willing to chance it.

 

[ipodluvr287]

Same boat.

I will be printing off directions from every single location. We're not getting a GPS or anything for our rental.

I mean seriously... I have directions from MCO to DTD, DTD to Kissimmee Walmart, Kissimmee Walmart to Westgate, Westgate to AK, AK to MK, etc. etc. etc.

Call me crazy... or way over planned

I guess that's what we're going to have to do because according to some other posts on here, the road signs aren't very helpful. We are driving to WDW (because we live in GA), so we'll have our own car, which has no GPS. Mapquest here I come!

 

[Bork]

For us, riding the monorail to the MK is part of the magic. We really missed the monorails the last couple times, when we stayed at the All Stars and took the bus everywhere. It just seems strange to get dropped off by a bus next to the entrance. We love riding the monorail.

"por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas"

And as for remembering where to park, we plan to take a picture of our parking area with our digital camera. Then we can just check the picture if we forget.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Oh... after day 2 or 3 you won't need your directions unless you go off-site. If a Disney bus driver can remember how to get around, lord knows you can.

We save well over an hour a day by taking the car as opposed to using the buses. It takes no more than 8-10 minutes to get anywhere on WDW property driving a car. You can spend 8-10 minutes waiting for a bus, and it's usually more.

I love being able to keep the trunk of the rental car stocked with water bottles, sun screen, towel, change of clothes, swimsuits if we feel like heading to a waterpark, whole fruit, granola bars, extra pair of sandals, etc. Fabulous way to carry things you may need without having to tote them on your back all day. The ability to zip over to wal-mart or the market in case we need anything is invaluable.

My daughter's favorite reason to take a car? She says it's fewer tattoos she has to look at. Out of the mouths of babes.

I guess that's what we're going to have to do because according to some other posts on here, the road signs aren't very helpful. We are driving to WDW (because we live in GA), so we'll have our own car, which has no GPS. Mapquest here I come!

 

[miprender]

Taking a bus has no "pros"--if you have a car, DRIVE!!

ITA... with three children and strollers renting a car for us is the only way to go.

Some posters mentioned more walking but I never found that to be too much of a problem. Someday when the kids are older we will probably use the buses again. But for now this is our better option.

 

[goofy4tink]

Oh... after day 2 or 3 you won't need your directions unless you go off-site. If a Disney bus driver can remember how to get around, lord knows you can.

We save well over an hour a day by taking the car as opposed to using the buses. It takes no more than 8-10 minutes to get anywhere on WDW property driving a car. You can spend 8-10 minutes waiting for a bus, and it's usually more.

I love being able to keep the trunk of the rental car stocked with water bottles, sun screen, towel, change of clothes, swimsuits if we feel like heading to a waterpark, whole fruit, granola bars, extra pair of sandals, etc. Fabulous way to carry things you may need without having to tote them on your back all day. The ability to zip over to wal-mart or the market in case we need anything is invaluable.

My daughter's favorite reason to take a car? She says it's fewer tattoos she has to look at. Out of the mouths of babes.

Well....I actually prefer to be driven around WDW...by someone else who knows where they are going. That is the best of both worlds. Being able to have that water, right there, sure is a handy thing!!!

 

[DanG07]

Your entire response blows me away. I totally get that everyone has their own opinion and many like that you don't have to worry about driving. I get that and done that even w/ a car there.

However, the first time I had to wait in a ridiculously long line that took over an hour to just get on the bus when leaving the MK and then the ride back was awful b/c it was packed w/ people and we had a 15mth old and stroller and a cake box b/c we had been to eat at the Poly and I had order a specialty cake. That was the turning point. We had been getting tired of waiting and waiting for buses and stuff in past trips and this was just the breaking point. We called enterprise that night and the next morning they came and picked us up. Like I said things really changed when we had little kids w/ us.

Now we always drive when not taking the monorail. It absolutely does NOT add a lot of extra time. Extra walking yes. And then we don't even take the trams. The problem w/ the buses and the trams is you have to fold down your stroller, hold all your stuff that was in the stroller and hold a kid or two. We go in the summer, b/c that's the only time we can go. We drive unless we can take the monorail and we don't use the tram. Even when we've been parked far away, not once has a tram beaten us to the park drop off area. We always beat them, even if one is sitting there and waiting for us. Yes, it is extra walking, but we expect that.

I do miss the carefreeness of the buses and using only Disney's transportation. But maybe we'll give it a try again when we are out of the stroller ages.

Off topic, but the other thing I cannot believe isn't a deal breaker for others is the moderates that don't have elevators. I didn't realize some did this until we stayed in one for one night. That was a giant pain w/ little ones and strollers. Especially when you come back from the parks and they are sleeping. NEVER again will we make that mistake. I'm just surprised that know one seems to think that's a problem.

Ok, just had to put in my opinion w/ the others. I didn't read past this post so it may be a duplicate as to what others have already said.

I forgot, we also love to go shopping and the Orlando area has fantastic shopping that we would miss out on if we didn't have a car. We often buy work clothes for the next school yr while on vacation. Ok, now I'm done.

I agree 100% with maxsmom. Her post could have been written by my wife and I. With our family of four young children and two strollers, it is much more time-consuming and frustrating to take the buses. I even agree with maxsmom's views on the tram. We walk to the park entrance and avoid taking the trams as those are usually not worth the hassle (unless of course you have parked in the nether regions of Epcot's parking lot). Also, the outlet malls in Orlando are great as well.

Now, if the vacation was just my wife and I, my views would be different. However, anyone with a family of young kids should drive whenever possible.

 

[Pembo]

We just returned from an offsite stay after always staying onsite. I was dreading having to drive to all the parks especially the MK. We found that by arriving at park opening or a little before we had a great parking spot very close to the front.

We left the parks at midday and upon return had an even better parking spot than the one we had in the morning even at the MK.

After Illuminations at Epcot we were at our condo in only 20 mins. The parking lots at Epcot are much closer than the buses. We also noticed that the tram for the Studios picks up much closer than any bus stop and the trams run all the time...very little waiting.

That said...I missed riding the bus first thing in the morning, that says Disney to me. However I loved the quick rides to and from the park in our own car and we had no trouble finding where we needed to go.