We have gotten there multiple ways. Driven all the way only once, and we've used the auto train twice as well as the regular overnight train without the car once. But now it has become more convenient (and cheaper) to fly and use ME when we aren't going somewhere else in FL afterward, or rent a car if we are.
We have been renting a car at the airport since we have been splitting stays with the Dolphin to save on weekend points (so no ME coming...). We also visit non-WDW parks during these days, so need the rental for that.
We alternate between driving and flying. If we fly we rent a car. I haven't been on a bus at WDW in about 15 years. I like the monorail and the boats, though.
I voted drive directly, but in fact it is about 50/50 between drive and fly and rent car. If we are going for a week or more, it is drive. It is a shorter, long weekend type trip, we fly. So could have voted for two options.
We fly and rent a car. We flew once and didn't rent a car, never again. It is also exactly a 1000 mile drive door-to-door for us. We also drove once, never again.
Currently we fly and rent a car. However, I can't wait until the day we can drive our own car all the way there because we'll live within 500 miles. I HATE flying-mostly because you can't get there from here without changing planes so we always have to make the "mad dash" between planes. Can't wait til that ends!
We are only 5-1/2 hr drive away so we always drive. DW did have to come back early after one trip so had a one way ticket back to Atl. Rest of family cam back a couple of days later.
We've done several different things...
fly and take a cab
fly and rent a car
fly and my parents pick us up at the airport and drop us off at our resort
Only experience with ME was taking it to the airport on the way home, but we plan on using it when we go to the BCV in August
We always flew and did Mears and now ME. Last January, DH and I went for
a short "impromptu" trip and flew and rented a car. WE LOVED HAVING IT.
I don't know if I'll ever go back...........................
Driving for us would be 30 some hours, so it's NOT happening. We fly, and rent a car when we get there. I just like to have the flexibility to go between resorts for dinner ressies etc when I want to. We do sometimes go off site for groceries and other shopping occationally as well.
We fly and rent a car. It's nice to be able to go off site for groceries or a meal, and I also prefer driving to the water parks and sometimes AK. We drove once, and after 26 hours in the car, each way, we said never again!
We're driving direct (for at least the next few years). We looked at the autotrain. For our family of 5.....too expensive and takes too long. We would have to drive down from CT anyway to catch it...that, plus the cost of seats and accomodations (with young kids, I'm not sure we could do "seat sleeping" on the train....too much stimulation..but they'll "seat sleep" in the car). It just didn't make sense for us over the 20 hour straight shot drive.