Driving to WDW and using their transportation

[Cruella 66]

Are we the only ones who do this...we drive to WDW, park the van, lock up the keys, and use WDW transportation for the duration of our stay.

I embrace not having to drive all week!

 

[2BOYMOM]

Nope, we do the same thing. Just a SUV not a Van.

 

[broberts]

We do the exact same thing. It is wonderful to be able to park the car and not have to worry about it until time to leave. We either caught the buses or (on one occasion) took a cab. It was worth the $20 from Pop to GF.

 

[DisneyNutinNJ]

I do it from the airport on... I am in love with the Magical Express

 

[WDW Princess 71]

We’re a bit of a mix. We drive our SUV down from NJ, and upon arrival we use some Disney transportation and sometimes drive our own car—we always use the Disney transportation to/from the theme parks, it is just too much of a hassle for us to drive and park in those huge theme park lots. We do drive to our dinners though because aside from 2 that are walking distance, the other places are in other Disney resorts so we have to either drive or take a cab, so of course we drive. We also drive to DTD and the waterparks because we find the bus transportation too slow/too far between for us. But honestly, even if we did what you are saying, drove down and then not use the car for the whole time in WDW, I still think driving is awesome because we saved SO much money not doing airfare, especially with the baggage fees, the assigned seat fees, and then we also have room to bring our own alcohol, bottled water, snacks, etc…it is just so convenient!

 

[Leleluvsdis]

We do the same thing!!!

Drive 14 hours, park the van, lock it up, and don't look at it til the day we leave lol. The good part is if we decide to go to sea world or what not we can take ourselves and not have to take a taxi, or we can go to the grocery store if we chose and not have to do grocery delivery for just odd and end stuff, or things we forgot.

 

[loperella]

We drive too, as DH hates flying. It's nice not having to worry about baggage/luggage claims & searches/scans etc. Also nice to have the vehicle if needed---for whatever. Don't know how much we'll drive while there, but it'll be nice having the option, especially with ADR's.

 

[sherry_car]

We did this while I was growing up, whenever we stayed on site (about half the time). Now, I plan to fly. We will use their transportation most of the time, except when there is no direct bus. Then, since my parents are driving down to join us, I'll let them drive

 

[GGOOFY1]

We have done the same thing. We drive down from Chicago and park the car for the week. The only time we use the car is when we need groceries

 

[copper0426]

We do the same thing. Park it and leave it. It doesn't feel like vacation if we get in our own car and drive ourselves around. Also you don't have to worry about loosing the keys. I know we can leave them in the car and use the buttons, but it is not the same.

Diane

 

[SheenaXena21]

We do!!! Why waste our gas when we can waste Disney's!

Our truck actually tore up 15 miles away from Orlando in 2007. It was awful. We had to drive 20 mph on the shoulder of the highway. It took us 2 hours to get to SSR. People were giving us the "bird" and cutting us off. We couldn't help it! At the end of the vacation, we thought the truck was fixed, but we were wrong! We had to stay at a hotel, and leave the truck there and fly home! Thank God my BIL's dad hauled big trucks, it was a F-150.

Make sure your vehicle is up for the trip!!! Now we only fly.

 

[stephie1012]

in march we did that...drove the 20hrs down and parked the van and it didnt move out of that spot until we left to come home. The drive was too much for my DS tho and DH so we are flying in sept...i liked having my van there tho as storage lol

 

[java]

Nope not us. We don't drive everyday- but if we are going to AK or DTD or MK we drive! other than that we walk.

We loathe the bus. (16 candles anyone???)

Really with 4 kids it's just to hard to keep track of everyone on a bus. We do love the monorail though.

 

[make.it.blue]

Nope, we do the same thing. Just a SUV not a Van.

Same here Occasionally we'll drive over to Celebration on a whim, but otherwise we stick to Disney transportation

 

[summermac]

When we were planning on driving, this was definitely our plan.

 

[kadesha]

We do this too. After driving almost 10 hours to get there, its nice to put the keys up for a week!

 

[mef78]

We often do this when we're staying at a monorail or boat resort. When staying at AKL, though, we gotta use the car! ;-)

 

[Tomh]

Last summer, I drove to DTD our first day, and then made two trips to Wal Mart during the stay, both using our van. Other than that, the van stayed parked for the entire trip, and we used Disney transportation to get about.

This year, we're staying at POR, so we'll have the boat directly to DTD, and I don't plan on making any trips to Wal Mart, so once we are at the resort, the van will stay parked for the entire stay,

 

[Cruella 66]

Whew, sounds like I am in good company! I have read so many threads about people driving down and then driving all over...that is not my idea of a vacation fighting traffic, walking on the black hot asphault trying to find your vehicle, using your own gas, etc.

Last year was the ONLY year in over 20 that we flew (we also have 4 kids' and it can get $$$ but we got a great deal) and it was a royal nightmare! I was a nervous wreck coming and going because it was SW and you can't get your seat assignments until 24 hours before the flight and I am not a fan of flying and was terrified I'd be separated from the kids' and they'd have to sit with strangers! We did get good seats but the worrying was not worth it.

Then while we were there, the day before we left, one of our daughters became sick...ear infection. I had to use a taxi; $50 there and back. Plus I had use the pharmacy attached to the dumpy, dirty Urgent Care Center and they wouldn't take my insurance. They wanted to charge me a few hundred dollars for an antibiotic and ear drops, plus I had to by some fever relief medication. I talked the pharmacist into giving me a couple days worth only of the antibiotic (literally and it cost me just over $100). After we got back to the hotel, she took one dose, and threw up the next dose...then I remembered it's the medication that makes her sick. Not only am I a bad Mom but I am a RN to boot! I should have remembered that!

So, we're flying out the next morning. My son gets sick, throws up all night, in ME on the way to the airport, and in every bathroom in the airport. So, now two of them are sick! I was SO afraid they wouldn't let us on the plane...and the SW employees were watching us like a hawk! Luckily the kids' calmed down before the flight, I called our pediatrician from the airport and once home, drove from the airport to the doctors office!

Besides the kids' being sick, ME takes you at least 3 hours before your flight and ours was around 9 a.m. They took us to the airport at 5:30!!! Not only that but bell services called at 3:30 a.m. to see if they could pick our bags up!

I am SO looking forward to driving, parking, and if any of this nightmare happens again with sick kids', I'll have more control over where we go, pharmacy, etc.

10 more days and we're trying it again!!!

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

We also do this. Park the car and give it a vacation for a week or more too.

The only time we see the car is when we run out of water in the room and go to the trunk for another case.