Is this the year to rent a car? (need a Minnie Van alternative)

[DisneyJade]

Seeking transportation opinions. We have two small children who are still in car seats (full seats, not boosters). This is our first WDW trip with kids, and I was really looking forward to using Minnie Vans, especially for getting to and from Magic Kingdom. Since the MV fleet seems to be gone for good (or at least indefinitely), I'm wondering if we should rent a car. We're staying at Caribbean Beach, and I am very wary of the bus situation. But is it worth the cost of a rental (AND renting two car seats) just for the convenience of MK/AK transportation?

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Seeking transportation opinions. We have two small children who are still in car seats (full seats, not boosters). This is our first WDW trip with kids, and I was really looking forward to using Minnie Vans, especially for getting to and from Magic Kingdom. Since the MV fleet seems to be gone for good (or at least indefinitely), I'm wondering if we should rent a car. We're staying at Caribbean Beach, and I am very wary of the bus situation. But is it worth the cost of a rental (AND renting two car seats) just for the convenience of MK/AK transportation?

Remember there’s a parking fee at the resort nightly,BUT you do not have to pay to park at the parks .

 

[Sherrilatte]

I would rent a car.

 

[Ross Kratter]

If you'd only be using the car to get to and from MK and AK, then I'd pass on it and just use the buses. That will save you paying for both the rental and for parking at your resort ($20/night at Caribbean Beach).

 

[gharter]

We used to use Black Car and then used Disney transportation. Over the last 5 years, we have rented a car. This gives us the option to drive to some of the parks and use Disney transportation when we wanted to. We are DVC members, so there is no cost to parking. YMMV.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Seeking transportation opinions. We have two small children who are still in car seats (full seats, not boosters). This is our first WDW trip with kids, and I was really looking forward to using Minnie Vans, especially for getting to and from Magic Kingdom. Since the MV fleet seems to be gone for good (or at least indefinitely), I'm wondering if we should rent a car. We're staying at Caribbean Beach, and I am very wary of the bus situation. But is it worth the cost of a rental (AND renting two car seats) just for the convenience of MK/AK transportation?

also remember you will have to use either the monorail or ferry from parking lot to MK gate unless you plan the very long walk from TTC around using the new walking path.no direct walkway from MK parking lot to the park

 

[DisneyJade]

also remember you will have to use either the monorail or ferry from parking lot to MK gate unless you plan the very long walk from TTC around using the new walking path.no direct walkway from MK parking lot to the park

Thank you. I had not considered this, as I'd never considered driving before so forgot about MK parking. I think this decides it for us. No rental car. We'll take our chances with the buses.

Thanks to all for the opinions. Much appreciated!

 

[Lilsia]

Thank you. I had not considered this, as I'd never considered driving before so forgot about MK parking. I think this decides it for us. No rental car. We'll take our chances with the buses.

Thanks to all for the opinions. Much appreciated!

Why do you feel like you are "taking your chances with the bus"? What are you imagining will happen? We started taking our kids to WDW when they were 1 & 2(they are 13 months apart and are now almost 19 & 20). I took them solo the next year when they were 2 & 3 years old. We have always used Disney transportation and have never rented a car. The busses are great.

 

[DisneyJade]

Why do you feel like you are "taking your chances with the bus"? What are you imagining will happen? We started taking our kids to WDW when they were 1 & 2(they are 13 months apart and are now almost 19 & 20). I took them solo the next year when they were 2 & 3 years old. We have always used Disney transportation and have never rented a car. The busses are great.

Taking our chances with not getting to rope drop in time, mostly. From what I've read, depending on the number of internal stops, trips from CBR to MK or AK can take an hour. I'm sure that's not the norm, but I always seems to have bad luck with Disney transportation. I'm also concerned about stories I've read of buses being too full to accept more riders, due to COVID distancing restrictions, and backup buses not arriving. I just don't want to miss out on rides or experiences because we couldn't make rope drop.

 

[Lilsia]

Taking our chances with not getting to rope drop in time, mostly. From what I've read, depending on the number of internal stops, trips from CBR to MK or AK can take an hour. I'm sure that's not the norm, but I always seems to have bad luck with Disney transportation. I'm also concerned about stories I've read of buses being too full to accept more riders, due to COVID distancing restrictions, and backup buses not arriving. I just don't want to miss out on rides or experiences because we couldn't make rope drop.

When are you going? I went in October and arrived well after park opening and was able to do everything that I wanted. The crowds are low enough(except for holidays) to where you can get a lot done. With the change to how the boarding group for ROTR is now, you can do that in your room and don't have to be part of the crowds. DHS is the only park that I went to before opening because of the boarding group. There were way too many people in one area to be safe. Have fun.

 

[DisneyJade]

When are you going? I went in October and arrived well after park opening and was able to do everything that I wanted. The crowds are low enough(except for holidays) to where you can get a lot done. With the change to how the boarding group for ROTR is now, you can do that in your room and don't have to be part of the crowds. DHS is the only park that I went to before opening because of the boarding group. There were way too many people in one area to be safe. Have fun.

Thanks! Going in just a couple of months (if we don’t push back our reservation.) Hoping we have the same scenario you had in October. Fingers crossed!

 

[JimMIA]

A couple of young kid considerations from someone who drives to Disney and has a car anyway.

First -- doing Disney with small children is very different from going by yourself. Little kids have a "best used by" limit. On our first trip to WDW with DD, she was 2. We ran her into the ground, and one night at Epcot she made us pay. Little kids have very real limits -- not like "rope drop to close" adults at all.

Second -- having a car is magical for making midday trips back to the resort for nap/pool time. Absolutely magical. It expands the day and multiplies the enjoyment of the trip.

 

[Lilsia]

A couple of young kid considerations from someone who drives to Disney and has a car anyway.

First -- doing Disney with small children is very different from going by yourself. Little kids have a "best used by" limit. On our first trip to WDW with DD, she was 2. We ran her into the ground, and one night at Epcot she made us pay. Little kids have very real limits -- not like "rope drop to close" adults at all.

Second -- having a car is magical for making midday trips back to the resort for nap/pool time. Absolutely magical. It expands the day and multiplies the enjoyment of the trip.

I completely agree that you can not tour with little kids like you can with bigger kids, or by yourself. We never set an alarm when we went and waited for the kids to get up naturally. No reason to have them start the day out tired and cranky. I have seen so many little kids crying and exhausted by 11 am. Also, a good point is that you will NOT be able to do everything with little kids. And that is OK, the more important thing is that everyone is having a good time. We spend countless time just letting our toddlers look at the ducks. LOL

 

[JimMIA]

Also, a good point is that you will NOT be able to do everything with little kids. And that is OK, the more important thing is that everyone is having a good time. We spend countless time just letting our toddlers look at the ducks. LOL

Yeah, and when you come home after spending thousands on a Disney vacation, what do they talk about?

"Those ducks were SO cool!"

 

[Cheburashka]

Seeking transportation opinions. We have two small children who are still in car seats (full seats, not boosters). This is our first WDW trip with kids, and I was really looking forward to using Minnie Vans, especially for getting to and from Magic Kingdom. Since the MV fleet seems to be gone for good (or at least indefinitely), I'm wondering if we should rent a car. We're staying at Caribbean Beach, and I am very wary of the bus situation. But is it worth the cost of a rental (AND renting two car seats) just for the convenience of MK/AK transportation?

We've been twice since the pandemic started and at this time, wouldn't consider going without a car. You can ride maskless in your car- the same can't be said for a bus. And in a car, you're not in an enclosed space with strangers, unlike in a bus. That's without even considering the reportedly longer waits for buses due to distancing requirements. We never used to rent a car at Disney and look forward to future visits where we can again just hop on Magical Express at the airport instead of picking up a car rental, but for now, we much prefer having a rental car. The fact that Magical Express no longer delivers luggage straight to your resort room is a plus for car rental, too, since you'd have to handle your luggage regardless.

 

[DisneyJade]

We've been twice since the pandemic started and at this time, wouldn't consider going without a car. You can ride maskless in your car- the same can't be said for a bus. And in a car, you're not in an enclosed space with strangers, unlike in a bus. That's without even considering the reportedly longer waits for buses due to distancing requirements. We never used to rent a car at Disney and look forward to future visits where we can again just hop on Magical Express at the airport instead of picking up a car rental, but for now, we much prefer having a rental car. The fact that Magical Express no longer delivers luggage straight to your resort room is a plus for car rental, too, since you'd have to handle your luggage regardless.

Yes, the ability to spend a little less time masked up was definitely a consideration for us as well. Based on the feedback in this thread, we’re leaning toward not renting a car, though you make a good case for it!

 

[EACarlson]

I would rent a car, but I would bring your seats from home. They can either be used on the plane or checked, but having something your kids are used to and comfortable in can make a big difference. I'm also a fan of leaving midday to both let everyone have a rest, and being able to leave property for food.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

A couple of young kid considerations from someone who drives to Disney and has a car anyway.

First -- doing Disney with small children is very different from going by yourself. Little kids have a "best used by" limit. On our first trip to WDW with DD, she was 2. We ran her into the ground, and one night at Epcot she made us pay. Little kids have very real limits -- not like "rope drop to close" adults at all.

Second -- having a car is magical for making midday trips back to the resort for nap/pool time. Absolutely magical. It expands the day and multiplies the enjoyment of the trip.

not so much from MK as you will still need Disney transportation to get to your car. our grandson fell asleep on way back to resort and has been our worst day ever at Disney

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Yeah, and when you come home after spending thousands on a Disney vacation, what do they talk about?

"Those ducks were SO cool!"

or the rides on the buses. had one cry cause she couldnt take bus home

 

[KrazeeK120]

I realize my story is purely anecdotal, but I did not have a good bus experience when I stayed at CBR. This was in 2015, so things could be totally different now.

Our first day, we went to MK. We got to the bus stop at 5:40 AM for a 6 AM rope drop (knowing full well we wouldn’t make it in time), but the line was huge. There were people on phones trying to call Disney because they’d been standing out there for an hour and there had not been a single MK bus. We had a rental car and decided to just take it. We passed a few other CBR bus stops on our way out, also with huge lines.

Later that day, we’d taken a break and we’re heading back to the park. We once again went to the bus stop. An MK bus came by, but it was full and only stopped to let people off. We went back to the car...I just wasn’t in the mood to mess with it.

Obviously, this is just a snapshot of one day 5 years ago. But it’s easy to see how buses can get full at the first stop or 2 there and not have room for anyone else. Combine that with COVID and yeah, I’d want my own transportation. Not having to wear my mask on the way to or from the park or be in an enclosed space with strangers would be worthwhile to me (I’d opt for the ferry at the TYC in order to be outdoors).