Driving vs Disney Bus to theme parks...

[bauzkraut]

Which is the better option - driving rental car or taking Disney transportation? And why?

We are going week of January 5 and staying at ASSp. It will just be DH, DD16, and I.

 

[MEK]

I prefer driving, except to MK. For MK I take the bus because it drops you off within walking distance to the entrance. If you drive to the MK you have to take the boat or monorail.

Some people don't like to drive on vacation and I get that. However, you know you are never going to have to stand in your own car. Parking is fine at all the parks.

That's just my opinion. Others will differ.

 

[willowsnn3]

Ohhh, you're gonna get so many pro/con answers, lol.
We prefer to drive. Even to MK.
Can't miss out on riding the trams. They are my favorite ride, lol.

 

[bookgirl]

I've done both. I usually stay onsite but in July I was offsite so drove in. I had an AP or was on site so I've never had to pay for parking, that would be a bummer. I do like driving to the resorts if I have a car because it's easier on the ADR's but I've never had problems transferring and actually the one ADR I was late to...I drove too.

I honestly prefer taking Disney transportation. I like buses and boats and the monorails. I've also been pretty lucky to have had very few problems in all my trips. I don't have to worry about parking spaces, or remembering my section or row number and I can just go to the bus/boat/monorail and get aboard and let someone else worry about lane changes and rain slick roads and get dropped off at the park/resort and just walk in.


That being said, it wasn't so bad driving to the parks. I've been lucky to have never driven on busy nights/days so parking was never a problem nor were the trams crowded. I did remember the first time to look for the row number and didn't have to do the WDW version of Where's Waldo to find the car. That is the biggest problem as far as I'm concerned because all the rental cars look alike in a parking lot of thousands.


By now I'm pretty comfortable driving around Orlando and WDW (I almost always have a rental for at least one day if not all of them) so navigating the area doesn't bother me, but there is just something nice knowing that I won't HAVE to get in a car for 4-5 days. I can just sit back and go with the flow.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've taken 52 trips to WDW, all on property and never used a car... all Disney transportation....for us, it's part of the vacation and part of the fun..

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We always get a rental car. When first planning the trip, I start off thinking we really don't need it but my husband insists on it. He does not want to stand in line and wait for the Magical Express. He wants to get off plane, get luggage and get in car. We went with National with our last trip (signed up for Emerald Isle too) and bypassed the counter and went right to car. It was great. As for the parks, the same thing. Husband doesn't want to wait in the lines for the buses. It's not that we're in a hurry, we just find it easier. We do take the boat to the MK, we stay at the WL. We've never had a problem parking, there's always plenty.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Disney transportation has never failed us. I'm all about not driving on vacation - from the moment we arrive to our local airport it's like all the stress of driving is gone!

PLUS we like to save the money we'd spend on a rental car. I'd much rather put that towards a couple of nice meals!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

We often have a car, but almost always use Disney transportation.

AK

 

[Hopefully]

We prefer Disney transportation - even when we have had a car. DH and I drive a distance to work everyday and not having to drive is part of the vacation. Plus in the evening if we have an ADR, we can have an adult beverage without worrying about having a designated driver. I usually do budget in advance for a taxi or two for evening resort ADR's. Still way cheaper than renting a car

 

[ice cube]

Some people don't like to drive on vacation and I get that. However, you know you are never going to have to stand in your own car. Parking is fine at all the parks.

We always drive/boat/monorail...no bus for us...just can't do it...and yes how true "you know you never going to stand in your own car"...

 

[wdwrich]

Put us in the rental car / drive to the parks category. Having done visits both with and without a car, we always rent a car now. Our main reasons:

1. Getting to/from the parks is faster in our own car in most cases. If staying at a monorail resort, obviously monorail or boat is best to MK. But staying elsewhere on property, we find that it's a toss-up between bus or driving. (We actually split up once to test which method was fastest to MK and we all arrived within one minute of each other.)

2. Standing on a bus back to the resort at park closing that is packed with tired, grumpy, sweaty/stinky others is not our idea of a fun time on vacation.

3. Getting to/from dinner ADRs at resort hotels is far and away better if you have a car. Disney transportation is designed to get folks to/from theme parks, so travel between resort hotels on Disney transportation can take forever.

 

[Sandi]

I like to drive to the water parks, so we rent a car when we do WDW in the summer. Otherwise, we use Disney transportation quite satisfactorily.

 

[bumbershoot]

We prefer to drive. Even to MK.
Can't miss out on riding the trams. They are my favorite ride, lol.

We drive too, even to MK as well.

But when we do so we're there so early OR later in the day, and we have always gotten a spot up close. Still haven't ridden a tram at MK lot as it's quicker to just walk up to the TTC from our parking spots so far.

 

[ice cube]

Put us in the rental car / drive to the parks category. Having done visits both with and without a car, we always rent a car now. Our main reasons:

1. Getting to/from the parks is faster in our own car in most cases. If staying at a monorail resort, obviously monorail or boat is best to MK. But staying elsewhere on property, we find that it's a toss-up between bus or driving. (We actually split up once to test which method was fastest to MK and we all arrived within one minute of each other.)

2. Standing on a bus back to the resort at park closing that is packed with tired, grumpy, sweaty/stinky others is not our idea of a fun time on vacation.

3. Getting to/from dinner ADRs at resort hotels is far and away better if you have a car. Disney transportation is designed to get folks to/from theme parks, so travel between resort hotels on Disney transportation can take forever.

Rich...your spot on with all 3...

 

[maxiesmom]

I never drive, I use Disney transportation. To me, being able to relax and not drive is part of the vacation. If I need to another resort or Down Town Disney for a meal, I take a taxi.

 

[Bamagirl43]

I like to use a combination of driving and using Disney transportation. If we're closing down a park, having our own car is great. You don't have to wait with the masses in long lines for the bus and you won't have to stand after a long day at the parks.

 

[IvyMom]

Are taxis available when the parks close? We are at CR so it's probably only an issue at DHS, right? From Epcot I'm thinking we could just take the monorail to the TTC and switch monorails.

 

[wdwrich]

Are taxis available when the parks close? We are at CR so it's probably only an issue at DHS, right? From Epcot I'm thinking we could just take the monorail to the TTC and switch monorails.

Taxis are usually available right outside all the park entrances except for MK. To get a taxi from MK, one has to monorail or boat to the TTC or walk over to CR.

 

[Newsies]

We don't utilize our cars on a Disney vacation. Sure the buses can be crowded, but at least you're not wasting money/time/resources on gas or parking. At least, that's my family's opinion. If you don't mind investing time and money on parking and gas, and your family would feel more comfortable in a car, maybe driving would suit you better. Or, try a medium- maybe utilizing both at different times would work better.

 

[sam_gordon]

I like letting someone else "take the wheel".