Drive to the parks OR use the bus?

[autismgoesdisney]

We are having a disagreement. My kids and I love driving to Disney, parking our car AND NEVER SEEING IT AGAIN until we go home. However, my husband is not a fan of Disney transportation. Getting to the parks is fine, BUT when we leave after fireworks/shows/closing time, it drives him nuts to wait all that time with the tired kids, hurting feet, etc. Especially since our van is just waiting at our resort and would take a fraction of the time (he says).

I see his point, truly! However, I just love that we park the car and not use it. My kids said they feel the same way.

So what's everyone take? Do you use your car or park it and leave it?

 

[mesaboy2]

We are having a disagreement. My kids and I love driving to Disney, parking our car AND NEVER SEEING IT AGAIN until we go home. However, my husband is not a fan of Disney transportation. Getting to the parks is fine, BUT when we leave after fireworks/shows/closing time, it drives him nuts to wait all that time with the tired kids, hurting feet, etc. Especially since our van is just waiting at our resort and would take a fraction of the time (he says).

I see his point, truly! However, I just love that we park the car and not use it. My kids said they feel the same way.

So what's everyone take? Do you use your car or park it and leave it?

Common question. My answer is bus to MK, drive everywhere else. YMMV. ()

 

[willowsnn3]

Drive everywhere even MK.

 

[Robo]

One of THE most-asked questions.

And, the advice runs EITHER way, depending on each poster's preference.

Pick one and see what you think.

 

[Eoywin]

We ride the bus to the parks - it works pretty good for us. If we are going to eat at another resort or go to DTD, we take our car.

 

[kaligal]

I'm with your DH. I don't like taking the bus during my normal life, much less on vacation.

Just not a fan of public transportation.

To each, his own.

 

[Victoria3]

Drive. Wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[skriegerjr]

We are having a disagreement. My kids and I love driving to Disney, parking our car AND NEVER SEEING IT AGAIN until we go home. However, my husband is not a fan of Disney transportation. Getting to the parks is fine, BUT when we leave after fireworks/shows/closing time, it drives him nuts to wait all that time with the tired kids, hurting feet, etc. Especially since our van is just waiting at our resort and would take a fraction of the time (he says).

I see his point, truly! However, I just love that we park the car and not use it. My kids said they feel the same way.

So what's everyone take? Do you use your car or park it and leave it?

We've done both, and we always book with AAA and get the diamond parking pass so may change our answer but, here's what we do...

We drive to the park in the morning for RD and park in diamond parking which is right next to handicap parking. At EP, for instance, the diamond area is closer to the entrance than the bus drop! We enjoy the park, then take a bus back to resort in afternoon for rest/swim. Then bus back to park for evening touring...at end of day, we just get in our car, drive back to the resort, sometimes in so much less time that the kids want to swim before bed , which we all prefer, rather than spending that time waiting in line for a bus at the end of the day when we are all tired. What cemented this method for us, was on our 10th anniversary trip, at the MK closing, we waited 2+ hrs for a bus back to POFQ! To me, that is time wasted.

The only park this is really not the best way is MK because of TTC parking. But we do it anyway,.and enjoy a boat ride or monorail ride to the TTC to end our day.

I can appreciate how parking your car for a week adds to the vacation resort feel, and we've tried that but in the end, decided this is what works best for us.

Try asking the kids if they'd rather spend time waiting on a bus or swimming at the end of the day, unless they aren't much for swimming!

Hope you enjoy your trip...33 days till our first POR trip!

Sent from my HTC HERO CM7.1 using the DISBoards App

 

[Scubee]

We drive unless we are both going and coming to a park at off-peak hours of the day. We do not consider driving a chore and it doesn't adversely affect our vacation. You can have your cram-packed end-of-night buses every single time. We've given too much time to standing in bus lines during earlier trips and simply don't do it anymore.

 

[Ariel on Land]

We relied solely on Disney buses last trip for the 1st time and DH HATED it. So we'll be driving from now on!

 

[stormer]

We drive. Sometimes we take the bus to MK, but only if we don't plan on leaving at closing when the masses leave!

 

[AJKMOM]

I say to drive to all parks except Magic Kingdom. Sometimes if you get there early, depending on the time of year, you can walk to the park without waiting for a tram. Especially at Epcot, they seem to park you within walking distance to the front gates.

Last trip when we stayed at AKV, we decided to watch Wishes, and paid for it by waiting 90 minutes for a bus to take us back. Sure wish we had driven.

 

[ChipnDalebowl]

We've used the bus system when we don't plan on entering/leaving when everyone else does...so that means we don't go at the opening or closing of a park. Never had a huge problem with the wait, and you don't have to pay to ride it. Younger kids, I can see by the end of a long day, a wait for a bus is kinda lousy....so young kids...drive...if you're older, fit, in shape, and don't mind waiting--bus it because you will have to wait.

 

[Robo]

Last trip when we stayed at AKV, we decided to watch Wishes, and paid for it by waiting 90 minutes for a bus to take us back. Sure wish we had driven.

A bus back from where?

 

[hooch11bear]

We rent a car and drive everywhere!! I sure wouldn't want to have to wait for the busses at the end of the night, that would be awful!! We really wouldn't do it any other way. The only time we don't drive is to take the boat to DTD from POR. It is so peaceful!!

 

[saturn5]

Even after something like Wishes, we always take our time, stop for dessert and people watch while everyone makes a run for the busses. It is better that way because our feet get to rest, while we fill our stomachs with a yummy dessert. You may have to still wait a bit at the bus depot, but it's better than standing for 90+ minutes.

 

[AJKMOM]

A bus back from where?

We waited in line 90 minutes at the MK for a bus back to Animal Kingdom Villas. I didn't quite word that right, did I?

 

[Robo]

We waited in line 90 minutes at the MK for a bus back to Animal Kingdom Villas. I didn't quite word that right, did I?

I figured that's what you meant. (Didn't know if you watched Wishes from a resort.)

But, if MK exiting was so busy that the bus to a relatively lower number of rooms resort like AKL actually took 90 minutes.

I'd have to conclude that the monorails and ferries back to TTC would be busy, as well as the trams to the parking lot, as well as the parking lot exiting to the road.

If it was a case of a screw-up on your particular bus dispatch, then all bets are off.

 

[AJKMOM]

I figured that's what you meant. (Didn't know if you watched Wishes from a resort.)

But, if MK exiting was so busy that the bus to a relatively lower number of rooms resort like AKL actually took 90 minutes.

I'd have to conclude that the monorails and ferries back to TTC would be busy, as well as the trams to the parking lot, as well as the parking lot exiting to the road.

If it was a case of a screw-up on your particular bus dispatch, then all bets are off.

DH doesn't like AKV, so it was a perfect time to complain "If we had stayed at the Boardwalk, this would never happen."
Since it was the first week of October, I guess it was a bus snafu.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

The first 4 vacations we used the Disney Transportation only.
Then we rented a car....HUGE difference for us! So much more freedom and we felt a huge time saver.
We would never, ever go without a car again.