Park and Use Bus from All Stars or Drive Yourself?

[zebrastreyepz]

For those that drive and stay at All Stars: do you park and take the bus or drive your vehicle to the parks?

This will be for a summer trip and we want afternoon breaks at the resort. Trying to figure out the best plan of attack and whether or not preferred parking might be a good choice.

2 grandparents and a 15yo and 8yo that have never been.

 

[Disneylover99]

When we have a car we drive to all parks except the MK.
We take the bus to the MK.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

When we have a car we drive to all parks except the MK.
We take the bus to the MK.

That is what was on my mind, as well. Do you ever pay to upgrade parking to preferred or simply use the tram?

 

[Disneylover99]

That is what was on my mind, as well. Do you ever pay to upgrade parking to preferred or simply use the tram?

We generally use the tram or sometimes walk.
But if we were travelling with grandparents, I’d probably consider upgrading to preferred.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

From All Stars you can take skyliner to HS and Epcot. Would probably bus to MK because you get dropped off close. Driving or bus to AK are about the same. Are either grandparents going to be renting a scooter? Renting from off site will guarantee they will have it in the park and will make it easier to around the resort.

 

[Disneylover99]

From All Stars you can take skyliner to HS and Epcot. Would probably bus to MK because you get dropped off close. Driving or bus to AK are about the same. Are either grandparents going to be renting a scooter? Renting from off site will guarantee they will have it in the park and will make it easier to around the resort.

No Skyliner from AllStars. You must be thinking about Pop.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

We generally use the tram or sometimes walk.
But if we were travelling with grandparents, I’d probably consider upgrading to preferred.

Well, I am now the grandparent so that's what I'm thinking...LOL

 

[zebrastreyepz]

From All Stars you can take skyliner to HS and Epcot. Would probably bus to MK because you get dropped off close. Driving or bus to AK are about the same. Are either grandparents going to be renting a scooter? Renting from off site will guarantee they will have it in the park and will make it easier to around the resort.

No scooter on the horizon.

 

[OKW Lover]

Agree with the PP's that driving to the parks, except for the MK, would be the best method. Driving has the advantage of going when you are ready to go instead of waiting for a bus. The reason the MK would be different is that the bus drops you off close to the MK rather than having to take a monorail or ferry from the parking lot.

 

[Dhanna22]

This puzzles me. I can't see why anybody would stay inside the bubble and not take advantage of the Disney transportation options...

 

[Disneylover99]

This puzzles me. I can't see why anybody would stay inside the bubble and not take advantage of the Disney transportation options...

We’ve done trips where we solely rely on Disney transportation and trips where we mostly use our car.

If you like to take afternoon breaks, we find using the car is faster and way less draining than waiting in the sun mid day for your resort bus that you just missed. Sometimes those waits were 25+ minutes.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We’ve done trips where we solely rely on Disney transportation and trips where we mostly use our car.

If you like to take afternoon breaks, we find using the car is faster and way less draining than waiting in the sun mid day for your resort bus that you just missed. Sometimes those waits were 25+ minutes.

Agreed. This is us, too. Driving will often give us the flexibility we need, especially if park or resort hopping. We definitely avoid the Disney trans during the busy times when everyone else is using the Disney trans! That's a part of the Disney bubble that's a little too up-close-and-personal for us, so we avoid it whenever possible! Driving makes for a much better experience!

 

[EACarlson]

This puzzles me. I can't see why anybody would stay inside the bubble and not take advantage of the Disney transportation options...

I do for park hopping. When the wife and I were there in October, we drove to AK first thing in the morning, then drove to DHS. Much faster than waiting for a bus to one of the close resorts and it was before the park hopping buses started that day.

 

[jimmymc]

Bus for Magic Kingdom, car for everywhere else.

This puzzles me. I can't see why anybody would stay inside the bubble and not take advantage of the Disney transportation options...

At most of the value and moderate resorts, the parking lots are closer to your room than the bus stops. Plus you don't have to wait or stand in a crowded bus. And IMO, driving around property is being in the Disney bubble. There's sadly nothing magical about the busses.

 

[Castlequeen5]

If we drive, we always use the buses. I consider it part of the perk for staying on property. It is especially helpful when part of the group wants to go back to the resort and the other part wants to stay. But for me, I don’t want to mess with traffic or parking. Once our vehicle is parked at the resort, we don’t move it until we go home.

And we usually stay at All Stars and ride the bus to each park except Epcot. For Epcot, we ride the bus to HS and then get on the Skyliner. We love riding the Skyliner and we’re dropped off at the back of the park!

 

[loves to dive]

I always drive to WDW and always park my car at the resort and don't get back in it again (unless I'm doing a split stay and that's to move it) until I leave. I hate driving on Disney property worse than taking I75 through Atlanta in a dually pulling a 5th wheel. That is a lot of hate right there. I also like to indulge in a refreshing adult beverage now and again and am not going to drive after doing that. I do park hop every single day, some days to more than two parks. I always take a mid-day break back to the resort. I am a 68 year old grandma and have been with my then 2 1/2 year old grand daughter and took her on the buses with a stroller by myself while her mom and dad went out for the night. The only time I've waited more than 20 min. for a bus was at DS and maybe after the FW at MK. I use the buses, the boats, every now and again the sky liner and my feet sometimes if going between HS and Epcot. Big fan of Disney transportation.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Isn't it great there are so many transportation options to meet everyone's needs?! We all have our own favorites and do it the way we prefer. Same with favorite resorts, parks, restaurants, pools!! The more people driving, the lower the crowds on the buses, boats, etc. The more people taking the buses, the closer my parking space in the morning when we drive to the park!!

 

[pr1840]

Agreed on the "drive to all parks except MK." The extra step that TTC and monorail adds makes it less efficient.