Drive to the parks or DVC bus?

[mmmcq]

We were there last August for 6 days and I don't remember going through one....or do you mean being checked at the gates/turnstiles?

 

[jekjones1558]

Just one more vote for bus to MK and cars otherwise. We have on occasion, during busy times, driven to a park early and parked up close, then taken a bus back for a swim/nap, then bused back for the evening, then driven home (fast when you're dog tired). Like MiaSRN62 we avoid TTC.

 

[jaysue]

To be honest, I find the buses and monorail pretty darn flexible and easy to use and get around

For example we were at TL, DS wanted to go to MK and I wanted to get back to OKW. Since it was a trip for DS, we popped onto the bus to WL and then grabbed a bus to the TTC and then the ferry to MK - he thought it was great and funny that we as he put it "we bus hopped, Daddy!"

Then we took the Monorail to Epcot, experienced some attractions, walked out of WS to BCV and grabbed a bus to DTD and the eventually got back to OKW on a bus

Nothing against car people, but while I am on vacation, I want to drive as little as possible.....and Disney makes it quite easy to take the bus and monorail

Half the fun is getting there to us

Thanks
jaysue

 

[DeeP]

Half the fun is getting there to us

I agree. It is amazing how creative you can get when navigating around WDW. Where else can you ride a monorail, bus, several different types of boats, a train & horse drawn trolly(the last 2 in MK), all in one day?

 

[skelooch]

Jaysue, I'm glad you had good luck with the buses but it sounds like you spent and awful lot of time on the bus or waiting for one.

Time is precious when your on vacation.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Time is precious when your on vacation.

Now this is my perspective exactly. There are so many other ways I'd prefer to spend my time than riding on (or waiting for) WDW transportation. Sometimes it's good (monorail and boats I enjoy), but generally the bus service is what I find lacking. I can't tell you how many times we've driven out of Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (i.e.) and passed the same people we exited the park with still standing at the bus stop with no bus in sight and long lines forming.......
At times, I am quite certain we are back at our resort before they've even set foot on the bus.
The busses aren't for me, but it is nice that so many enjoy and are satisfied with the Disney transportation......there's something for everyone

 

[mmmcq]

"It is amazing how creative you can get when navigating around WDW. Where else can you ride a monorail, bus, several different types of boats, a train & horse drawn trolly(the last 2 in MK), all in one day? "

This was what I was getting at originally in my first post. We love the meandering to and from the monorail and boats. Truth be told, my 3yr old probably enjoys the transportation to and from our hotels and in the parks more than she enjoys the parks themselves!

But the car does come in very handy most days. We are spoiled and can't live without it. I think if we didn't get great deals on them, however, we wouldn't rent them. I couldn't see paying an arm and a leg for a vehicle that would spend most days sitting in a parking lot waiting for us.

 

[Granny]

Looks like the numbers are holding pretty consistently. About 60% of the people use the Disney transportation system all or most of the time.

Just a guess, but I bet the numbers would change if you broke them out by home resorts. I just get this feeling that the OKW folks like to use their cars on site more than others? But maybe that perception is driven by just a few.

Nice poll and interaction.

 

[jaysue]

Granny, I agree, given the location of OKW, ease of access to car and the spread out nature of the design, I am fairly sure that more people there drive relative to the other WDW DVC resorts.

skelooch, during our two trips this year, the only time we waited more than 10 minutes was during a major downpour at the Disney-MGM Studios and waiting to get back to OKW. Traffic was pretty slow and I do not think transportation was prepared for a flash mid-May afternoon significant rain storm. In that case, we waited just over 20 minutes. While we waited, DS and I had a puddle jumping contest....

On an average day, would say we spent about 1.25 to 1.5 hours on the buses/monorails (except of course when DS and I sat in the front of the monorail and went around the resort loop twice in a row at night). when we went to DTD, tack on another 30-45 minutes.

Sure the car is faster (except to MK) - no doubt about that but since we are early risers and can handle the parks all day, I never feel like we have a time issue to deal with. I will also be the first to say, if we we have a car and we just missed the bus to where we are going, we will (and have) hop in the car rather than wait for the next bus

As I stated before, a big part to me is for my DS to see that he is part of a community of people and the WDW transportation system let's him see that in a way that is not possible where we live

thanks
jaysue

 

[anniet]

Originally posted by jaysue
Half the fun is getting there to us

I must admit that some of my most memorable experiences have been on WDW buses. While we usually take the car to parks, on those occasions where we have been on WDW buses I have had some of the biggest belly laughs thanks to not only the bus driver but the passengers as well. I think Jaysue's last line says it well. Often there is a sense of community on those buses, and DBF and I have often given our seats over to parents carrying toddlers and they seem soooo grateful when we do.

The timing may stink on the buses, but once on-- the experience, imho, has never been a horrible one.

 

[luckytso]

Often there is a sense of community on those buses, and DBF and I have often given our seats over to parents carrying toddlers and they seem soooo grateful when we do.

Annie, good for you!!!! I wish there are more people like you on the bus. That is why people are so grateful, because many people don't.

 

[crisi]

I agree with jaysue. I've always gotten to the park using the bus by park opening, and waiting at the bus stop or waiting by the turnstyle is one in the same to us. On occation, we've had longer waits, but never when we were in a hurry. We also do the flex thing - having watched the bus to Epcot at WL pull away while we were walking to the stop, we took the bus pulling in to the TTC and the monorail over. Takes a little longer than catching an immediate bus, but less time than waiting for the next bus. And, my last airport car rental experience took over two hours - that's a lot of waiting for buses. (I can assure everyone that any Disney bus stop is more pleasant waiting experience than the the garage Budget uses for pick up.)

The kids LOVE the buses, to them they are another attraction (along with the monorails and the boats). We don't take buses at home, so the kids think its a real treat to take buses all week.

But I travel differently than a lot of people. The inconvience of a Disney bus is a cakewalk compared to trains in Ireland or Italy, buses in Thailand, air travel in the former Soviet Union (oh, sorry, plane isn't leaving today, come back tomorrow, it might leave tomorrow, all communicated in some mix of my bad Russian and their bad English). I've never had to sleep at a Disney stop, or walk eight miles up the mountain to get to my destination once the Disney bus drops me off.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree with Granny that which resort you stay at might determine if you take the bus or not, but my take on it is a little different. I think I would (as I do) always take the bus from OKW, but would be less inclined to do so from some of the other resorts. I thought bus service was bad at WL, and it doesn't sound great from BWV and BCV either. We usualy take the bus to the parks from OKW, but always drive to a different resort for dinner ressies etc. We also drive or walk to DTD or take the boat since it is so close to OKW and the bus takes a lot of stops around DTD.

The few times we have had some of us driving to a park and some busing, we have had the bus folks get back to the villa sooner than the car folks.