I have phobia of busses, other options?

[lkneller]

Due to previous bad experience with a bus I have a phobia and can no longer ride any bus. Can not take advantage of disney express service. Must rent car instead. We will be staying at POR and parents will be at POL. Want to spend evenings together just hanging together. Also have res at various resorts for dining.

Anyone know disneys latest policies for driving, parking, $$. We would like to get together to play cards after parks close. Either way someone will have to visit the other to do that. Will we have a problem parking at each others resort? Is it still free to park at theme parks for resort guests? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Eeyore2003]

Since we drive we always have our car. We actually use our car more than Disney transportation. Just faster and easier. We never take Disney transportation to the resorts for meals. It just takes too long. You'll have no trouble going from resort to resort for meals, we never have. I would think they also would be the same for spending evenings with your folks. No extra cost. You get a paper to stick in your window, from your resort, and we've never had any questions asked.

 

[Keebles]

What about the bus-trams you take from the parking lot to the park entrance? Will you be OK with that? I feel for ya!

Hope you have a magical trip!

 

[lizanne]

We've been to WDW many, many times and my DH has yet to ride a bus (except to get to Hoop Dee Doo).

I don't think you'll have any problem. Actually I prefer to drive to all the parks, the exception is MK. We usually visit all the resorts while there and haven't had any problems parking. When we go to a monorail resort, we use valet parking and that seems to work well.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You may have a problem parking at the Polynesian if you are not staying there nor dining there. That parking lot is small and they don't usually let many non-Polynesian guests park there.

 

[ericafny]

WHen are you going? Do you have enough time to do some behavior modification therapy to get rid of your phobia? Systematic Desensitization Therapy is very effective and it helps millions of people everyday!

If that is not an option then renting a car in Disney is easy and probably at times better than using the busses. Whatever you decide--Good Luck

 

[Eljay]

For another trip, you might want to consider staying at one of the Epcot resorts. From the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan or Dolphin, you can walk to Epcot or MGM or take a pleasant boat trip to either park. To get to MK, you can walk through Epcot and catch the monorail. You are out of luck for transportation to AK unless you have a car though. The only way to get there is bus or car.
I feel for you, although I don't have a phobia, I hate to ride the busses, so the Epcot resorts are always my preference!
You would also enjoy all the great restaurants and nightlife on the Boardwalk!

 

[AJKMOM]

I think if you have reservations at a resort restaurant, they have to let you park there. Make them ahead of time, and your name should be on a list. Most of the time, they give you 3 hours. Parking just to play cards might be more difficult. Maybe you could drive over and get your parents. The most difficult thing to do bus-wise is to go from resort to resort, unless they are on the same bus line. So, for your parents to visit you requires them to ride a bus from Poly to a park and transfer to a bus to POR. We always rent a car, and always drive everywhere except to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Eeyore2003]

You may have a problem parking at the Polynesian if you are not staying there nor dining there. That parking lot is small and they don't usually let many non-Polynesian guests park there.

We've eaten at both Kona Cafe and O'hana's with no problem parking.

The truth is, if I had to use Disney transportation to get from resort to resort it would bum me out. Just takes too long. You can be at any resort within 15 minutes from another resort. Also nice for Downtown Disney. We always drive to Downtown Disney. We also always take the car in the AM when we go to the parks. We go before the park opens and get a good spot in the front of the parking lot. Easy in and easy out.

The only time we really take Disney transportation is after our afternoon break if we go back to a park. Then you might have to park further out, BUT we've even taken the car then also, and they have those little trams which are very convenient. I've sometimes also waited for a bus for almost an hour at park closing, a car gets you out of there quicker. I think you'll be just fine and I really don't think you'll have any problem visiting your folks either. If worse comes to worse, tell them you're eating at the restaurant at that resort.

The truth is that I'd really hate to have to rely completely on Disney transportation. I know many people like not having to drive around, but we find that we have much more time to relax or spend in the parks by driving ourselves. One time we flew and we rented a car just so we'd have one there.

 

[Eeyore2003]

You may have a problem parking at the Polynesian if you are not staying there nor dining there. That parking lot is small and they don't usually let many non-Polynesian guests park there.

Sorry, didn't see you had SAID dining there!!! My mis-understanding. Didn't read carefully.

 

[WillCAD]

I always rent a car and drive just about everywhere. I don't have a phobia, but I really hate the Disney busses because they are so overcrowded.

Parking at the theme parks is free to all on-site Guests.

Parking at other resorts is free, and when you have a WDW resort parking pass in your windshield, they simply wave you in to any of the other resorts.

While MK is open, parking at the monorail resorts is limited to 3 hours for people who are not staying there. This is to prevent off-site Guests, and especially locals, from parking at the resorts to avoid the trams; if off-site Guests filled up the parking lots, there would be no spaces for those paying $200 a night at monorail resorts! But after MK closes, they don't bother with the 3-hr limit, especially for those with WDW resort parking passes.

 

[lkneller]

thank you everyone. Last time we had both families in Disney, parents were at Poly and we were at BC. Dad ended up on route 4 trying to get to us! So we will be the ones doing the driving while dad will be staying put in his parking lot!
I am OK on trams. thanks for the support and kind words.
Yes we do have all our dinner res made already. First night is Kona at 5:30.
I am so grateful that this board is available for information sharing and there are so many people out there willing to help and support others!

 

[twotoohappy]

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you
If your parents don't have a car, then when they check in you could use their parking pass for days when you're going to stay at the Poly for longer hours. Just remember to put your resort pass back in the window for your resort parking. We had family visit us and we just asked for 2 parking passes when we were at the Contemporary. That way they could stay and visit for the day without worries.
(not sure if you're doing the HDDR - but you can get there without a bus - take the boat from the Poly - switch boats at MK and take the FW/WL bus to the HDDR- it's about a 3 min. walk from the boat )

 

[CAD3655]

Due to previous bad experience with a bus I have a phobia and can no longer ride any bus. Can not take advantage of disney express service. Must rent car instead. We will be staying at POR and parents will be at POL. Want to spend evenings together just hanging together. Also have res at various resorts for dining.

Anyone know disneys latest policies for driving, parking, $$. We would like to get together to play cards after parks close. Either way someone will have to visit the other to do that. Will we have a problem parking at each others resort? Is it still free to park at theme parks for resort guests? Any info would be appreciated.

If both you and your parents each have a car, upon check in tell the desk that you have 2 cars and you will get 2 parking permits for each resort. When going to the POR, put that one on the dash, when going to the POL put that one on the dash....You won't have a problem at all.

We had a similar situation last year with 1/2 the group staying at OKW and 1/2 at POR...we just got a parking pass for both resorts and cruised right through

Have fun!

 

[milmore104]

Due to previous bad experience with a bus I have a phobia and can no longer ride any bus. Can not take advantage of disney express service. Must rent car instead. We will be staying at POR and parents will be at POL. Want to spend evenings together just hanging together. Also have res at various resorts for dining.

Anyone know disneys latest policies for driving, parking, $$. We would like to get together to play cards after parks close. Either way someone will have to visit the other to do that. Will we have a problem parking at each others resort? Is it still free to park at theme parks for resort guests? Any info would be appreciated.

I feel your pain so deeply. I have (what everyone thinks is the weirdest phobia) a phobia of very large things ie... Airplanes, Ships, Const. Equipment, anything that is really lg. freaks me right out. You want to talk about a panic attack you should have seen me the first (and only) time I was at TL at the Shark Reef...Didn't expect there to be a ship there. (my heart is racing thinking about it ) Well that ruined the rest of the day for me. I tried to go down a water slide but was to affraid there would be a ship at the bottom. And even though the wonderful CM's tried to tell me there wasn't I had to book it out of the park!!!!