Hotel bus or drive to parks?

[KSR0330]

We are renting a car because we also want to go to US/IofA during our trip. We are staying at the DoubleTree in Disney.
I know there's benefits to both, but overall, will it be best to take the hotel bus to the parks/Downtown Disney or to drive?

 

[devinfl]

I dont have any experience with doubletree buses, but if you drive you will have to pay for parking everyday.
I know we stayed at a hotel like that, in Downtown disney but not a disney hotel and the buses ran on a pre determined schedule instead of every 20 min or so like Disney buses. The area they dropped off was also farther than the disney buses.

 

[Dis703]

I'm not familiar with that particular hotel but in the days we stayed offsite the shuttles ran at very set times for example 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am and noon and then there was a big gap in the afternoon and they returned in then they picked up in the evening at say 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm.

So they didn't leave much room for flexibility going in and out of the parks. After the first couple stays we always drove when offsite. But then you do pay for parking.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would drive and pay the parking (you'll be paying for parking at Universal, too). I have no interest in being on someone else's schedule while visiting themeparks.