rent a car?

[carm424]

So after reading that it can take nearly an hour to get from AKL to the Grand Floridian and the same to Magic Kingdom (Is that true?? Never stayed at AKL) We are thinking about renting a car. Should we and where? Airport or onsite somewhere? We are staying 5 days the last week of Nov.

 

[parkhopping]

Driving is nearly always faster than taking buses at WDW. The buses often make multiple stops, must load and unload passengers (frequently with strollers or wheelchairs/ECVs), and tend to drive slower than cars. Many times you can drive to your destination in half the time it would take for a bus.

The only time a bus would likely be faster is when going to MK, as it drops you off at the gates instead of the TTC. However, riding the monorail is a big part of the Disney magic for me and I'd rather do that anyway

If you are staying onsite, you will get free parking at all the parks. And with a few exceptions, signage is clear and abundant across WDW. I never use GPS or directions to get around - just follow the signs. It's pretty easy to navigate.

For these reasons, I would recommend renting a car if it's within your budget.

 

[mesaboy2]

So after reading that it can take nearly an hour to get from AKL to the Grand Floridian and the same to Magic Kingdom (Is that true?? Never stayed at AKL) We are thinking about renting a car. Should we and where? Airport or onsite somewhere? We are staying 5 days the last week of Nov.

It can take an hour or so to get from many onsite resorts to any of the parks, but often it takes less. I figure about 45 minutes personally, and I'm not sure renting a car is worth it if that number doesn't scare you. Often times those times figure in waiting up to 20-25 minutes for the right bus to pull up. Sometimes one pulls up in minutes and you're there in 20.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~I would take a Town Car or cab, especially if it's only for one visit & you don't have an hour to spare, I don't like the idea of renting a car. We've stayed at AKL before and used the buses for the whole week. During our week at AKL, the buses were very efficient and ran like clockwork.

~I guess it could take an hour to get to the Grand Floridian, but it's not that bad. You would just have to catch a bus from AKL to MK and then take the resort monorail to the Grand Floridian! We had a blast at AKL, it's a fabulous resort! Have fun!

 

[kdog_1981]

AKL buses did a great job IMO.

 

[2binak]

It can take up to an hour from the time you leave your room to get to a park.

Example - you could wait 20 mins for a bus to arrive at the resort bus stop, then the bus could make multiple stops within a resort or at other resorts (in the case of BW which shares buses with Dolphin, Swan, Yacht & Beach Clubs) which can take up to 20 minutes and then you make the 15-20 minute ride to MK.

We've stayed at AKV a few times and never had it take more than 20 minutes to ride a bus to MK.

 

[ColoradoDis]

We tried the buses for a day and didn't like them. We much prefer to rent a car - we can always go where we want when we want.

 

[4butlers]

We rented a car the last time we went and won't go without one next time. We rented from Budget at the Doubletree near DTD. You can drop off at MCO. It only took us an average of 10 minutes to/from anywhere. Well worth it to us.

 

[TiggersBuddy]

Definitely rent a car. Try National at MCO, but join the free Emerald Club prior so you can use the shorter members only check-in line. Have stayed at AKL and used the busses and felt like we were staying at the edge of The World, which we were. Individual experiences will vary.

 

[leeg229]

It all comes down to budgeting if you ask me. First, does a rental car fit into your budget? Second, can you budget the time to rely on the buses?

As others have pointed out, the buses are great for mass transportation if you're not in too much of a hurry, but they are slow. If you have your own car you will need to pay for parking and gas so keep that in mind. If you need to go anywhere off property you'll need a car for that.

As long as it is in the budget having a car can save you a lot of time and frustration and offers much more freedom than relying on the buses.

 

[4butlers]

If you have your own car you will need to pay for parking and gas so keep that in mind. If you need to go anywhere off property you'll need a car for that.

If you're staying onsite, you won't have to pay for parking at any of the parks.

 

[aubriee]

We rented a car the last time we went and won't go without one next time. We rented from Budget at the Doubletree near DTD. You can drop off at MCO. It only took us an average of 10 minutes to/from anywhere. Well worth it to us.

I've always been one to say the buses aren't that bad, but last May I went down there with a friend who rents a car and could not believe the difference. So when I took my mom down there both Sept 1st-8th and then again Oct 27th-Nov 4th, I rented a car. I'll never be down there without a car again. I loved being able to drive from resort to resort or to any park in just a few minutes and not having to worry about getting a seat on a loud crowded bus. Getting around WDW is so so easy and I loved being able to run over to Wal Marts or Publix to pick up a few items to keep in the room, eating offsite for so much cheaper, if we want, being able to run out to the outlets, and over to Universal. I also liked being able to leave from the resort to get back to the airport when I wanted to. Using discount codes I paid like $125.00 for a midsize car for the Sept trip and $212.00 for a premium car for the Oct/Nov trip. My friend found a full size car for like $98.00 for the week last May. Well worth the expense.

 

[sephorachick]

So after reading that it can take nearly an hour to get from AKL to the Grand Floridian and the same to Magic Kingdom (Is that true?? Never stayed at AKL) We are thinking about renting a car. Should we and where? Airport or onsite somewhere? We are staying 5 days the last week of Nov.

WE normally rent from Hertz or Enterprise. The rental car area is really easy to find & signs are everywhere. We bring our garmin w/ us & use that on trip but we know our way around for most part. WE only used bus once our whole week. We like being able to go when & where we want quickly

 

[rock_doctor]

You can pick up and drop off the car in DTD so that means you can rent it only for the days you need it. Like park days or days you want to run to walmart or the local character stores. We drive everywhere and i haven't ridden the buses since the mid 80s so i can't comment on time in transit to the parks or other resorts... You have to decide if it is worth the money to you. Make sure to check the mouse savers newsletter and some of the other disney sites. Sometimes there are discount coupons and codes for car rentals. Plus check retailmenot.com for codes.

 

[butsy113]

I've never understood the need to rent a car My kids LOVE the buses. You are able to interact with other people and the bus drivers. My husband LOVED the buses because he didn't have to drive. I LOVE whatever keeps them all happy!

Getting to the MK could take longer because you will park at TTC then bus or monorail in. When we stayed at AKL we had no issues with buses. The AKL buses only stop at Kidani and Jambo house (Kidani being first except the DTD bus) so if you are at the lodge you won't have another stop.

The only place it would make sense to our family is to get from resort to resort, and then I don't think it is worth the cost. If we are running behind we simply snag a cab. It was less than $20 to get from AKL to Ft Wilderness last year. That was the only cab we had to use.

Really, it's a personal preference. To each his own!

 

[carm424]

Thanks! You guys are awesome! I love the Magical Express pick up and not having to worry about your bags, but I like the convience of getting to the parks and resorts when we want. It looks like I can get a car for about $12 a day. Budget is not really an issue in regards to a car or not, however I am big on convience and time! Two more weeks!!!!!pirate

 

[michsig]

We always rent a car, even though we use Disney transportation during the day to get to the parks. We like to go to DTD and other resorts for dinner at night, so it's just easier and more convenient for us to have a car as well. We have always rented from EZ Rent-A-Car at MCO, they've always proven to be the cheapest for us.

 

[carm424]

We always rent a car, even though we use Disney transportation during the day to get to the parks. We like to go to DTD and other resorts for dinner at night, so it's just easier and more convenient for us to have a car as well. We have always rented from EZ Rent-A-Car at MCO, they've always proven to be the cheapest for us.

I saw them, but I didn't know what type of cr we would get. Meaning is it a shady rental places. I have heard horror stories about the off airport places.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Honestly I didn't have a problem with buses to and from AKL - but I am used to taking buses. I found the longest time to get say to the Magic Kingdom or DTD was more like 30 minutes.

On the other hand I have rented numerous cars for WDW trips and enjoy driving on Disney property - it is fairly easy to navigate and is generally quick though there are some more congested times here and there. I have rented my cars through hotwire (almost always got Alamo or Budget) to and from the airport - very convenient and even for as little as $6.95 a day - $8.95 is more usual plus add some extra fees in there - but usually a week for about $100. I haven't rented from DTD, Dolphin or Car Care Center only because hotwire was always much cheaper for me from the airport - but I would probably choose any of those options. I do LOVE Magical Express from the airport!

Anyway - have a great trip whatever you decide - AKL is a very magical resort!

 

[Bullseye]

Rent a car and drive everywhere...including the MK. It's so much faster and more convenient. Plus driving around WDW is a breeze. Even if you get lost or miss a turn, just turn around and there's signage everywhere for everything.

Although it's slightly more expensive I always rent at the airport so when it's time to go home, I don't have to leave for the airport until the last minute.