Our Car or Disney Transp? Dolphin to AK to WL?

[Shercara]

I'm asking the experts -- We are staying at the Dolphin, and will have our car with us at WDW

Our first day Mon 11/4 we have PS at AK, Breakfastasaurs 8:30am, then 6:30pm PS, at Wispering canyon cafe at the Wilderness lodge. Should we use our car or WDW Transportation? If we use our car - will we have to pay for parking if we have park hopper passes? What would you suggest?

Thanks,
Sher

 

[drusba]

As long as you are staying on site (which includes the Dolphin), parking is free at the parks and WDW resorts, except they charge for valet parking if you desire to valet park; having a multi-day ticket does not matter. I would recommend using the car for those trips. Though the bus is OK from Dolphin to AK, it stops at YC/BC and BW before going to AK. Thus, bus trip can take 35 minutes. You can drive it in 10. As to WL, I assume you want to first return to Dolphin. From there, the drive to WL is about 10 minutes, the trip by Disney transport would be close to an hour as you have to first go to a hub (another park or Downtown Disney) and then switch transports there to get to WL. Note even if you are going straight from AK to WL it is better to take car -- bus trip from AK to WL is fairly quick but when you leave WL to get back to Dolphin you will have an hour trip by Disney transport. In fact, staying at Dolphin I would recommend the following -- walk to Epcot and MGM or take boat. Bus to and from MK. Drive everywhere else. Note many swear by never having a car for trips within WDW, but I am going by time differences, which can be huge between driving and using Disney transport for going to places other than Epcot, MGM, or MK from the Dolphin.