Driving from park to park

[AndreaDM]

We are leaving this weekend for our 5th trip, however it will be our first with a rental car since we are staying at AKL and also our first with potential hoppers, still haven't decided on that one. So my question is, how long should I plan on taking to drive from park to park? Is it a hassle getting out of a parking lot? If we go say from Epcot to DHS should we leave our car at Epcot and take the boat over? We also have an ADR for HDDR one night, should we drive to FW or take the boat from MK or CR?

Thanks!

 

[skelooch]

We will also be at AKV this weekend, checking in on Friday.

FWIW we always use the car to go everywhere on site including MK, we prefer the convenience it affords us to go where ever we want when ever we want.

In your example of Epcot and DHS in the same day I think you would be better off driving the car from one to the other, getting from one to the other by boat is not that big of a deal and will probably take about the same amount of time as driving. However you then have to get back to the park you parked the car at, this could cause problems if one of the parks is then closed. I don't mean to imply it can't be done it will just be a bit of a pain that you might not want at the end of a long day.

I would also drive and park at the Outpost at FW and take the internal bus to HDDR. When the show is over you won't have to get back to MK and then to the TTC to get your car.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

If driving, the park that is the least appealing destination is MK.

If you drive--- you have to park your car in the lot, take a tram to the TTC, walk to the Monorail, and then ride it to MK. It takes a lot of time and effort.

If you take a Disney bus to MK, they drop you off just outside the actual park for MK.

We often drive from park to park and that includes the waterparks. For us it is a function of how hot the car might be when we get back to it and/or if we are pushed for time.

And yes, it is sometimes a pain if you do "both" because you always have to go back to your car and then drive to your resort.

Sometimes it is nice to drive so that when you leave a park you can go straight offsite for a meal out in town. Usually for us this is an evening thing.

The only big hassle getting out of a parking lot is if you are doing it when the masses leave in the evening after fireworks etc.

 

[AndreaDM]

Thanks to both of you!

I guess I was a little nervous about HDDR because I've heard their internal busses are a nightmare. I'm sure we'll figure all of it out!

 

[SoccerDad]

We took the boat from MK to FW for HDDR our last trip. It's definitely a smaller boat than what you take from the TTC to MK.

It was a nice ride over to the HDDR, but if you do it then don't linger around HDDR after it's over or you're likely to stand in a big line waiting for the boat back! We were ready to boogie when it was over so we headed straight to the dock, and just a few minutes later a huge swarm of people was waiting for a boat!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You will actually find having a rental car is better than Disney transportation and not a hassle at all. We did an experiment this past May. DH took the car from DHS to the SSR I decided to take the bus. We wanted to see how much time it saved by having a car. So we took note of what time it was when I headed to the bus and hubby headed to the car. It took me an extra 37 minutes to get to the resort by bus compared to the time it took my hubby. If you have any ADR's planned I wouldl highly recommend a rental car.