If you've gone to WDW without a car...

[Chicago526]

Never had a car at WDW, never will. To me (and this is just my opinion) it's a waste of money that can be better spent on souvineers and character meals.

In the past, I've either taken Mears (this was before Magical Express) or a town car to/from the resort/airport, and then used Disney transport the rest of the time.

If you have dining reservations at resorts other than the one you are staying at, and you don't want spend 45 minutes to an hour and at least one bus change to get there, then cabs are a great alternative. Fast, cheap, and convienant. If you are staying at Disney the whole trip, but plan on visiting non-Disney parks for a day or two, Mears offers cheap transport between WDW and other parks, and the 2x I've done this it's worked out perfectly.

To me, you only need/want a car rental if you are going to spend a good part of your trip off Disney property, like shoping at the outlets or going to the beach for the day. Even if you want to pick up groceries, it's not a problem if you dont' have a car. If you opt for town car service, then they will stop at the store on the way there, free of charge for a 20-25 minute stop. If you want to take Mears, then you can arrange to have your groceries delivered to the resort.

One note. If you plan on using the free Magical Express service this year, then plan on it taking one to two hours to get from the aiport to WDW, and the same on the return. This can cut into your vacation quite a bit, depending on your flight times and touring plans. If time is a factor to you, I'd get the town car. Last time, we landed, met our driver, picked up our bags, did the grocery stop, and were standing in line to check into the Poly in about an hour and 15 minutes. Had we not stoped, it would have been about 45 minutes door to door. Worth the money for the towncar and cheaper than a car rental. ($120 roundtrip with tip. A town car fits upto 4 people, you can get a private van pickup if you have more people, but it is more expensive, of course).

 

[mport]

We have never rented a car, it easies ones mind and much less stress.

Here is a tip we use, we pack one extra suitcase, medium size, and fill it with snacks, juice boxes, whatever we want, keeping in mind the weight restrictions for flying, and try to take only what we will eat. Then on the return trip home there is room for souvenirs!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

When I stayed at POFQ this year I thought I would never not have a car again! We waited for over 45 min for a bus back from Epcot. When you have a toddler it is not fun!!

On the other hand, when we stayed on the 3rd leg of our trip at WL we had a car, and we did not use it as much, but we enjoy the freedom of not having to wait for a bus. We only left the property two times in 10 nights

i agreew it this
plus i like to tour resorts and eat at resorts adn transfering buses wastest ime
i would rather rent a car
its quicker and i feel better about my not wasting time

 

[gonga]

We never have a car......What for??

It is so much fun to take the WDW transportation.

For airport transportatoin we always use a limo....


Once at the hotel the first trip is monorail to the MK

 

[llb]

We have never rented a car. Part of the vacation we enjoy is Not driving anywhere. Thru the year we are always dropping off and picking up somewhere someplace. Its nice to have someone else pick us up and drop us off and we just go along for the ride. I think you will enjoy not having another job.

 

[Bugsmom73]

Most of the time when I went as an adult, we did not have a car. DH rented a car for one day on our HM when we went to USIOA. My sister and I had one when we stayed off site and that was invaluable. My 2 trips to the CRB, we did not have a car but on our last trip we did, as we drove our van down. We used the van one day to drive to DD. When we go back, we are looking at a one day rental to go to the ocean.

 

[wdwrich]

We've done it both ways (with and without a car), and we much prefer having a car. It's usually the fastest transportation to all of the parks except MK, and we really enjoy having dinner at various resorts, which without a car, can be a pain.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Before kids I never rented a car and we'll probably stop once we're done with strollers.