Driving versus Bus

[wcpamotm]

Purely in terms of travel time, with the exception of commuting to MK driving will get you where you want to go faster than the buses will, much faster for traveling resort to resort. Of course, my transportation mantra is "Disney transportation will get you wherever you need to go, sometimes quickly and always at least eventually."

I do prefer having a car available to drive from place to place whenever I like. I can pump up the a/c however high I like, I get a nice comfortable seat, I can put soothing music on (miss you, WLOQ!)

With rental car rates spiraling upward, it may not always be readable to have a car though. We didn't on the last trip, so we got to watch the MK bus at Jambo House, already at least half-full of Kidani guests, get thoroughly mobbed. Not my idea of relaxing.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We drive as often as possible. Some of the reasons are, we're all guaranteed a seat and we're not pressed against smelly sweaty strangers. We don't have to stand at the resort bus stop waiting for an Epcot bus and watching 3 MK buses go by(that's happened to us at Pop twice). We get in our car at the resort and go, no waiting 20 or 30 minutes for a bus.

We don't plan every minute of our vacation so sometimes we might want to leave a park and visit another resort for lunch or dinner. In our car it just takes 10 or 15 minutes to get there, sometimes less. Then heading back to our resort we just get in the car and go. Try that with Disney transportation. You'll spend a lot of time waiting for buses and transferring from one bus to another.

Once per trip we take a Disney bus just to see if the experience has improved. It hasn't.

You'll have people tell you they just LOOOOOVE Disney buses. I'm glad somebody does otherwise the roads and parking lots would be too crowded.

Edited to add: We're not in a "big" hurry or mad rush to get anywhere. But we also don't like to waste time. In fact it's more leisurely for us to drive. I see people running to the monorail and buses all the time. I take my time and go when I want to. There are threads on these boards all the time asking How do I get from point A to point B point C in time for my reservation. Then the answers come; take a bus to here then take a boat there and transfer to a bus and you're there. Those people are in a hurry. My answer is get in your car and go; easy.

EpcotBill pretty much explained why we prefer having a car and driving to the parks, other resorts or where ever while at Disney. It's especially nice to get in our own car after spending time at one of the water parks. I hate getting on public transportation after being in the water like that. Not to mention the added freedom of going off sight to eat or pick up groceries.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We've done both many times. For starters, I've been going to WDW since long before there was a ME, also we sometimes are crazy enough to drive to WDW.


We like a mix of transportation. It kind of depends what your point A and Point B are. It helps that you said POFQ.

In your case, I'd most certianly take the boat to DTD. I'd also walk or take the boat to POR.

I'd generally take the bus to MK. The drop off is closer to the gate. The wait for the bus at night is generally not all that bad. It helps if you aren't at a huge resort and aren't coming and going at a peak time (like right after the frieowrks end) Even than, we've done the bus many times. But maybe on the day you ahev the early ADR, drive.

It's actually the mid day returns that are sometimes easier with a car. At the other three parks, generally you can park fairly close, esp if you arrive fairly early. The parking lots are pretty huge, so you will likely have to take the shuttle to your car or walk a fair bit. If you have a scooter, use WDW transport.

If you are going to dinner at another resort, except the ones very close to you , then it is good to drive. Any Disney transport that requires two buses, it's faster to drive.

It's not always easy to drive around WDW, and there are frequently speed traps. Miss one turn, and you may have to drive a good distance out of yoru way. It's not especially driver friendly, IMO. (I think Disney WANTS guests to use the buses) If you have a GPS in your phone, use it. If you hate navigating, use the buses. If you hate sitting with strangers, drive. If your point A and Point B are (easily) walkable, then that is often your best choice. Like if you want to go between Epcot and the BC resort (via the back exit). You won't get much chance to take the monorail if you are at POFQ, but the monorail is much better than the buses.

With the buses, you don't need to worry about a designated driver. That's a big plus if you plan to have a a bottle of wine with dinner.

The buses are always very clean, and folks are usually fairly polite. They are on vacation. That doesn't mean they willl always willing to offer an old lady a seat. There are lots of debates on that sort of thing.our experience is generally positive, so long as youa llow many buses to get full.

 

[Jennasis]

We drive (because that's how we get to Florida) and then we usually drive around WDW except for MK (because that lot is so far away).

I disagree that driving means you're not on vacation or that somehow because we drive instead of take the bus that we are "in a mad dash". It's nice to not have to wait on a long line, or get puked on by car sick strangers (it's happened), or make multiple stops to drop off/pick up, or stand on a crowded bus after a long day.

I totally appreciate the transportation system Disney has and use it plenty. However, for the most part, we have found that driving ourselves is much more relaxing.

 

[flamom]

Just returned from our Disney trip,didn't drive once,only used busses and they were great. So relaxing having someone else do the driving,little to no waiting,we had a bus all to ourselves going back to Pop from downtown disney,busses were only crowded a few times, no big deal, also had very nice bus drivers. disney transportation is the only way to go for me when i'm at disney.

 

[Ed J]

I like to bus it to the MK, after that I'll drive.

It's funny though to see what people recommend. In one post they will say you can get to point a to point b in 15 or 20 minutes on the bus as they love the bus. But if you ask them how long it takes to get from point a to point b if your going for a ADR, then it's 90 minutes or more.

There is no "correct" answer to which is better.

But the best use is a mix of both.

 

[Funky Chicken]

I prefer to drive, even to MK.
We usually stay at AKL. If we drive to MK from there, we are usually in the lot well before rope drop. On more than one occasion, I have gotten parking in the first couple of rows directly across from the underpass to the TTC and we walked from the car to the ferry or monorail. We can take a mid-day break and use WDW transportation when it is least crowded, and then at the end of the day not suffer thru waiting for the scooters to load onto a standing room only bus. You can get anywhere from the TTC in a single bus ride, so it's a sensible place to park the car first thing in the morning even if you are unsure how the day will unfold.
A car also gives us flexibility to move from resort to resort for meals. Last trip after a park day at AK and a swim at AKL we drove from AKL to the Beach Club for dinner and then went to the Poly for a cocktail and fireworks. How could I possibly have done that on the busses?
I fully understand that not driving is part of many people's vacation. My preference is maximizing my fun time at WDW and fitting as much of what we like to do into our time there as possible. Driving saves a lot of that precious time IMO.

 

[Tara]

I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere on vacation, either. But being in a hurry and being able to travel on my schedule are two different things. I prefer to leave in my own car when I want to leave, not when the transportation system dictates. I like the privacy of my own car, the ability to decompress, control my own a/c (no matter how hot it is outside, I am usually shivering on Disney buses), listen to music, plug my iPhone in and get a little bit of charge, or simply do something like go from a park to Target to my hotel. It isn't about rushing or being impatient...it's about having the vacation I want. That means I drive and enjoy every minute of it.

 

[karenklo]

We love the buses! We have met a lot of fun people on the bus! I have never waited longer than 20 min for a bus. Yes they are crowded at closing, but we either leave a little early or take our time on the way out so the crowd has gone down. I love not having to drive, make sure I don't lose my keys, or find a parking place!

 

[nkereina]

We stayed at POR last week of September and did exactly as you are planning - hit rope drop, break in the afternoon, back at night. We did not have a car so we used the buses every day. We got to the bus stop around 8am for a 9am park opening and always made it on top. There were some instances where we had to stand. Likewise for when we left the parks during the evening.

During the day, the buses were just fine. Occasionally, POR would share with POFQ but it did not make it any more crowded in our opinion.

 

[mrsltg]

We take the bus, even when we have a car. Traffic in NoVA and commuting to DC (DH) makes it so that we don't want to drive.

How funny - we, too, are from NoVA, and my husband has been doing the DC commute for 22 years. I did it for 10 years. That said, we always rent a car, and drive everywhere but the MK! It just goes to show, two similar experiences can result in two different perspectives. I enjoy driving around Disney just because it's Disney! Different strokes I guess .

 

[glaserjm]

In the mornings we do rope drop and like to drive ourselves so we are in control (except for MK), we then drive back to the resort for our afternoon downtime and then it's 50/50 on whether we'll drive or take the bus back to the parks for the evening. In October we plan on doing F&W several evenings so we will definitely be taking the bus as we'll want to sample the beverages!

 

[Xennia]

I use the buses all the time. I have never stayed there so I am not sure what the bus drive time is back and forth to the parks.

 

[btk2333]

My wife and I always use the buses, we have no desire to drive ourselves anywhere on vacation. We get to MCO, take the DME to the resort and never worry about driving ourselves anywhere. We always make a lot of ADR's (usually 2/day) and frequently dine at resorts other than the resort at which we are staying. We just take a bus to the park closest to the resort we are staying and then transfer over (example: Cali Grill, bus to MK and walk, Yachtman's, bus to DHS and walk, etc). I know a lot of people prefer to drive, but that's just not how we want to spend our time on vacation (worrying about if we're going to get lost, trying to remember where we parked, getting into a hot car vs. an air conditioned bus etc).

 

[andrea1978]

Hi!
We use the buses and drive, depending on where we're going, what time of day it is, etc.
My kids love to ride the buses/momorail/boats/etc. and we've never had a huge wait for them but I am also a mom with a huge double stroller, backpack, sippy cups- i.e. a nightmare getting on and off a bus for me.
Having my own car with a trunk, car seats, cold a/c is what I prefer. I don't find it stressful to drive and I like having the option to come and go as I please.
Our last trip we stayed on the momorail line which was perfect for getting to MK almost everyday and this time we're at Pop. We come back in the afternoon for downtime/naps so I have a feeling we'll be driving...
Kristina

 

[im4kycats]

Well, one thing is for sure - people can be passionate about their preferences!

 

[WillAustin]

The one year we drove to WDW, we didn't use the car at all once we were there.

Having to drive ourselves around would take me out of the magic bubble.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I totally agree! We feel like the transportation is part of the fun. Our kids love it all and never complain one bit. Plus I love a good fight breaking out over a bus seat or a late bus. Its like watching Jerry Springer. LOL

This made me LOL