If you have your car, should you use bus or drive?

[MrsDuck]

It's usually just me and my fiance so we take the bus!

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

We drive.

 

[momimouse27]

I think tndisneyfan laid out pretty much all the pros and cons. The only thing I might think to add is another con of riding buses. Some of the buses stop at multiple locations depending on where you're staying, so you might make 2 or 3 stops before you reach your destination. If they let on more people, you end up packed in like sardines.

We have done a combination. Since we always drive there, we always have the car, but sometimes just to save gas or because we feel like it we'll ride the bus. It usually isn't worth it. I hate waiting in long lines for the bus at the end of a tiring day.

Oh, and a warning. (you sound like it may your first time at Disney) Driving in Disney can be really confusing. I've been close to 30 times and driven every one and I STILL get lost getting back to my resort. Make sure you have a landmark you look for near your resort. Although there is a lot of signage in Disney, sometimes the signs are a bit confusing.

BTW, hi from a fellow Atlantan!

 

[POB14]

I drive for my job. A lot. I drive to the airport, I drive to our relatives' place on the Gulf, I drive to Orlando.

When I'm at Disney, THEY can drive! (I HATE driving!)

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We have done both and prefer busses 10:1 over driving. We have never had major delays or waits with the busses and while we do have to stand sometimes it's still better for us than tramming or walking to the car in the parking lot and driving back and finding a space at the resort. When we have drove we have found that espically at the mods and deluxes we end up parked further away from the rooms at night so that adds to the return time as well. We like the convience of parking the car and not worrying about having to figure out how to get from place A to B. We also hop and use the busses for that even when our kids were little (and in strollers) and we didn't have any issues.

 

[whitneyNC]

We find it easy to drive to all parks except MK. Too much transferring there.
Have fun!

 

[Shmily1]

We always drive to WDW since we are only 4 hours away but once we get to WDW, the car never moves again until time to go home. We love Disney transportation so we use that.

 

[willowsnn3]

We are here now and there is NO WAY I would stand at a bus stop for 20 minutes waiting to take a bus that is still going to take me 20 more minutes to get where I am going. We have driven ourselves every where, even to the Magic Kingdom.

Buy yourself a AAA Diamond parking pass off Ebay for $10 and get yourself up close parking in all 4 parks.

We always get to the parks early but I hate when we park too close & don't get to ride the trams!!! And then when leaving the park if you are tired, have aching feet, sleepy kids you have to walk to your car even if you park close. Much rather ride that tram to the car......

 

[willowsnn3]

We always drive to the parks unless staying at a monorail resort. All I ask tho if you drive to WDW & then use only Disney transportation......please don't take parking places closest to the resort & leave your car there the whole time...

 

[willowsnn3]

I prefer the busses to be honest. It's so nice to get on the bus and not have to worry about traffic or anything.

Mmmmm, the first time we rode the bus at night it was full of tired,sweaty, smelly people. Some happy, some grumpy, lot having to stand. I had a seat but when bus was loaded and took off the lights went out & really freaked me out being in the dark on a crowded bus.

 

[MVC1225]

My last trip onsite we just used busses and it was generally good (especially for MK) although one morning the wait was over 20 minutes at the resort and it was at the height of love bug season so waiting in line was awful. We were two adults (with one ECV) and a 2 year old so it was easy to not have to get her in and out of a car seat and she LOVED the bus especially since the first ride we were alone and the bus driver gave her Mickey stickers.

My trip next weekend is just two adults and we both have to use ECVs so the bus travel will be much harder. We just plan to use the car.

Generally though, I have always done a mix of bus and car.

 

[Albytaps]

I would just drive. I love being in my own car instead of a crammed bus or monorail, and you won't have to wait on lines for them (well, except the trams.)

The only time I wouldn't drive is if we're going to Epcot and plan on drinking

 

[LisaTC]

I'll tell you about our recent experience which was last week. I cannot relay any information about any other times of the year as this was our first time, so this is from a first timer, in October, who hated the thought of buses because of bad memories from riding buses when younger. I had my car rented before I even made my ADR's! We knew we'd need a car because we flew into TPA instead of MCO. However, we kept it because I got such a ridiculously low rate, it was pathetic. I was bound and determined that in no way was I gonna ride a bus.

That said, I read on the board here that MK can be more easily accessed by bus/monorail, whatever, even though many choose to drive, etc. We did have AAA and the diamond parking card. When checking in, I had a good CM and she asked if we had a car and I said yes and she asked about our itinerary and I told her and she said take the bus to MK (as was suggested on this board) as well as to our HDDR ressie by taking the bus to MK and boat to Fort Wilderness, even though driving there would be fairly close from POR we'd end up taking a bus back to the dinner anyway. Having never been to WDW, I followed the suggestions of this board and this CM. **An additional note, my DD7 wanted to ride a boat and she never has ridden a bus, we take her to school. So, I thought, ok...this one time, I'll indulge her curiosity.

I will tell you, I can be hard-headed! I wasn't thrilled about the bus scenario, etc. We got on @POR -- we always departed at the south depot (by main parking area) it was the same distance as the North Depot for us and no stops on the way out. We were warned to give yourself an hour transportation time for buses to make your ADR's. We gave ourselves extra because we were newbies and didn't know where we were going and heard horror stories about the buses. Well, no kidding it was 25 minutes tops from POR to MK to Fort Wilderness (by boat) Coming back was just as easy and quick. Driving and taking the bus back, I was told would be 15-20 minutes.

The next day (Sunday) we decided to go to DTD before MNSSHP. We took the boat from POR - really a no brainer if you are staying in that area. We decided to take the bus back to MK again since we had such a good experience. We went to MK around 2:30 - 3 and were the only 3 on the bus. At the end of the night, we left MNSSHP around 11ish and there were 2 buses waiting to go to POR. From then on each time we went to MK we took the bus and it worked great for us. I was waiting for the nightmare, but it never happened. We had an ADR at the 'Ohana and one at Narcoosee's and took the monorail to them from MK and that worked great as well and my daughter liked riding it. "Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas" I still hear that in my head!

We drove to both Epcot and AK. We had the AAA diamond card and parked really closely in the first spot for Diamond parking and it was so very close, but we had arrived early for ADR's around 8-8:15. We had 1 ADR at Rainforest and another at Akershus. Getting there seemed like 10 minutes, seriously.

We were a mix of car/Disney transport and it worked out so well. I had my car in the event bus issues became unbearable or I needed to run to the store, but that never happened. THAT SAID, I know there have been horror stories, just didn't happen to us. We were fortunate, we were there in a less busy (?) time and we had nothing to compare it to, as it was our first visit.

All told for gas, including driving from Tampa and returning the car to MCO, we spent $28.00.

FWIW

 

[john1928]

As in most other domestic locations driving will be on average faster and more closely aligned with your schedule and desired start and end points than public/mass transit.

Which option is "best" for you depends on your relative weighting of various aspects of transport. For someone who hates driving at night, or in an unfamiliar location, etc. even if they could save half of their transportation time it may still be better for them to take the bus/boat. For somone who makes ADRs at multiple different parks/resorts on a given day, driving may save a ton of time. For folks flying in, saving the cost of the rental car may equate to an extra day or two on vacation.

So, there's no right answer, but driving is our desired approach. In head-to-head comparison with my sister's family (staying in the next room), it was usually a 10-20 minute time saver per trip with easy accomodation for strollers, a cooler in the trunk, and a change of clothes close at hand but not being carried around all day. We also had several meals at other resorts, which would have doubled or tripled those time savings for those trips.

 

[medman1025]

Wow - what detailed information! Much appreciated.

 

[kwdw]

Drive.

I've do both - trips on the buses (when not renting a car) and trips driving (when renting a car).

The vacation has a different feel to it depending upon which type of trip it is. Both are fine - but as long as there is enough of a reason to rent the car for a trip and I get a great price - my preference will be driving.

 

[Wadecool]

Buy yourself a AAA Diamond parking pass off Ebay for $10 and get yourself up close parking in all 4 parks.

Yeah, that AAA parking pass you bought on eBay is fraudulent , since it is only valid for the person AAA originally issued it too. It is also against the rules to discuss rule breaking on the DIS.

 

[mkarizona]

We love disney transportation and think taking the bus is fun. Part of the WDW experience.

 

[minnie mum]

We've driven to WDW the last few trips. But since it's 3 days each way (we're from Canada) we park the car when we arrive, and leave it there for the week. DH much prefers to leave the driving at WDW to the pros. This allows him the freedom to enjoy a beverage or two at a resort or park, and he doesn't have to try to navigate through unfamiliar, busy roads late in the evenings. We are never in such a rush that we can't wait an extra 10 to 20 minutes for a bus. Actually, on our last trip (Sept.) we only waited 20 minutes once, and that was at a MK closing. The line was long and we caught the 4th bus (so they were averaging a bus every 5 minutes- not bad IMO).

I realize that everyone's tolerance for waiting for a bus, standing on the bus, carrying strollers and little ones, close (sometimes too close?) proximity to lots of strangers, will be different. So driving may be the best choice for them. But Disney transportation is just fine for us.

 

[KimK2006]

We love disney transportation and think taking the bus is fun. Part of the WDW experience.

I do think it is a personal preference. My DD always wants to take the bus. That is part of the experience for her. We don't mind the bus in the morning, but HATE waiting in line at park closing. Then, when you do get on, you are packed in with a lot of stinky people and normally have to stand. (I know I am one of the stinky people, too.) YUCK. Give me a car any day!