Please help me decide - car rental or buses?

[kidsgobears]

I know this has been discussed over and over, but I still can't decide. I just reserved a car at Dollar (6 days, $134 total, compact - is that a decent deal?), but we're also all set with DME and have our tags. We leave in 2 weeks. I guess the real deciding factor is if having a car will save us much time. DS8 and DS6 will probably think the buses are part of the Disney experience (at least at first). I won't mind waiting for a bus unless it gets to be 15 to 20 minutes, then I'll start the "we could've been there already" thinking.

The type of info that would probably help me the most is differences in where you park to where the buses let you off. If you have to park way out and take a tram, then maybe the time saved driving is a wash. By the way, it's just me and DSs (DH opted out). I typically have no problems driving in unfamiliar areas. Here's our itinerary so you can see how/when we'd be using the car.

Staying at POFQ
Day 1- Arrive MCO at noon. Check in and swim. Head to Epcot around 4 p.m. Leave Epcot by 8 p.m.
Day 2 - MK at 8 a.m. for CP breakfast. Stay all day. Leave by 7 p.m. to beat the 8 p.m. Wishes crowd. My understanding is we should take the bus to MK whether we rent a car or not. Correct?
Day 3 - AK at 8 a.m. for Donald's Breakfast. Stay until after parade at 4. Head to Boma (AKL) for Dinner. Depending on how we feel, either go to MK for Spectro at 8 (leaving immediately after before Wishes at 9) or back to resort if tired. If we have a car, would we want to use it this day since we may be going to MK? If we don't have a car and decide not to see Spectro, we'll take a taxi from AKL to POFQ.
Day 4 - MGM at rope drop. Stay until tired. Head back to resort (probably late afternoon)
Day 5 - Epcot at rope drop. Stay all day. Stay for Illuminations.
Day 6 - Free morning. Sleep-in, cane fishing at POR, swimming, whatever. Head to MK sometime in afternoon. Stay for Wishes at 8 p.m.
Day 7 - Free morning. Kids pick which park to get in a last few rides if they want. Flight out of MCO at 3:30 p.m.

So what do you all think? Car or Buses? Thanks for any input?

 

[LoraJ]

If you don't like waiting more than 15 - 20 minutes for a bus, I'd say get the car. It is easier to use the bus for MK, but IMHO, I love riding the monorail from TTC. That's more Disney to me than a bus.

 

[SteveMouse]

Please DON't view it as an "either" solution- you may very well want to consider using both.

Given that you are at POFQ (and you didn't mention DTD in your itinerary) you can always float over.

There are NO resort-resort buses and you are not supposed to park at a resort other than your own for the day- this may impact your AKL dinner ressies- if you use Disney transpo, you will HAVE to go either to DTD or (assuming a park is still open and a bus is going TO a park, to a park to get back to POFQ.

-steve

 

[safetymom]

I always found using my car was faster than using a bus. The only place to use the bus is going to MK since it drops you closer to the front of the park. We would park the car at Epcot and take the monorail to MK.

 

[Jeanne B]

I got a rate of $141 on an intermediate from Dollar for 5 nights in late Nov/early Dec so it sounds like you got a good deal, keep watching though as your trip gets closer because it may drop some more.

 

[alyssa810]

We only went to WDW once without a car, and for us, having a car is worth the additional expense. I've said it before, and I'll say it again- nothing beats being able to sit down in your OWN car at the end of a long day standing in lines. There are ankle biting strollers on the buses too. We too, utilize both our car and Disney Transportation, but we prefer not to rely on Disney Transportation exclusively.

 

[jodifla]

You'll have 15 to 20 minutes waits IF YOU ARE LUCKY. I always plan on at least a half-hour.

Get the car, and take it everywhere but the MK, where taking the bus is a better deal because it bypasses the Ticket and Transportation Center.

 

[kidsgobears]

Thank you for all the responses!

I'm pretty sure I'm going with the car. Not long after I'd posted this and I was telling DH my dilemna, he told me I was a car person and not a bus person. Who knew?

So, if I have a rental car, what should I do on day 3? I can drive to AK, then drive to AKL (BOMA for dinner), and then drive to MK for Spectro, and fianlly drive back to POFQ (leave immediately after Spectro so we should be ahead of the mass exodus after Wishes). If we're too tired we'll head back to POFQ after dinner. So I'm not sure if I should use the car this day since we might be going to MK. Before I was going to have a car, I was planning on using the buses and taking a taxi from AKL to POFQ if we were too tired for Spectro. What do you think? Bus or car this day? Thanks.

Also, does the parking lot at AK open early enough to make it to an 8:00 a.m. ADR if the park doesn't open until 9:00? Thanks again!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Since - especially at peak times like mornings, evenings, after parades, at/after closing, etc - the buses run every twenty minutes if not more often depending on need, so a wait of a half hour or more (unless say a bus comes but it fills while you're in line and you choose to wait for a bus where you can sit) is unusual.
As for day three, if that's your exact plan I would say use Disney transportation all day. You're right, you MAY have trouble getting into the parking lot that long before the park opens. Check with POFQ's Lobby Concierge, or I think there's a button on the phone in your room for Transportation, but you should be able to get a bus to AK in plenty of time for your reservation. Then take the Disney bus from AK to AKL, then one from AKL to MK after dinner, then bus directly back to the hotel.

 

[PlutosFriend]

I prefer having my own wheels That is my vote! I like to go when I want to go and not wait around. Drive off site if I need to etc.

 

[kidsgobears]

Can anyone describe the difference between where the buses let you off and where you park your car in relation to the entry gates. l'd like this info for Epcot, MGM, and AK. If you can estimates times that would be great. For instance, it takes 5 min to walk to gate from where the buses drop you off at AK and 10 min to wait for a tram and take it to the front gate. Anything along those lines would be very helpful.

I hate to say it, but I'm leaning toward sticking with the buses again. I'm making myself dizzy. It's not a cost issue, it's solely about what will be easiest. Thanks for any and all help!!