We are heading to Disney in a little over a month on our 1st trip as
DVC owners. We are staying at VWL and I have a few questions about having a car as in the past we have always flown. First how is the parking there?Do we pull up and check in like at a normal hotel and then park andunload? Also, we will obviously take the boat to the MK but would it be faster to drive or take the buses to the other parks and Downtown? I imagine the parking at the parks can be a mess but so can the buses so I wonder which you would recommend? Thanks for your help!
VWL is my home resort, and I always have a car. Check-in, as others mention, isn't the most convenient, but it's not awful, either. You have three basic options:
1) As Cisco says, pull up and unload, then have someone wait with the luggage while you park. You walk back and check-in.
2) Park in the WL lot, grab your luggage, and all of you walk to the check-in line.
3) Pull up, unload with the help of bell services, let them take the luggage. Go park the car, walk back, and check-in (or let a valet park the car for you for a fee). Bell services will deliver the luggage to the room within a few minutes, just don't forget the tip.
I prefer this option since after driving for so many hours, I'm more than willing to pay a few dollars in tips to have someone transport my bags to the room.
For MK, I definitely recommend the boats if you're going directly there from the Lodge. When you come back, however, try to leave the park slightly ahead of the park closing or the wait to get on a boat can be extremely long. As for the other parks, overall, I've had good experiences with the buses, but it is faster and more convenient to drive yourself, especially since parking is free. I'd rather face the parking lot crowds than stand in line at the bus pickup. For what it's worth then, drive to the parks except for MK.
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