Renting a car?

[BelleNJ]

Do you rent a car when you have little ones? We are going with our 2 yo next week and can't decide. We rented one when she was 6 months, but are debating this time. How is it to take strollers on the bus? We are staying at BCV so we are close to Epcot and MGM.
Thanks!

 

[Barbday62]

I have been 4 times and twice rented and twice didnt. I decided I will never go with out a car again. I like the idea of having it when we want. Mostly we use the Disney Transportation but when time is tight, and for going to Downtown and any other stores off site its so nice to have it. We had no problem with buses but some of the places we went would have meant a longer wait than others. A perfect example was our Typhoon Lagoon day. A storm rolled in and they closed a near capacity park because of the thunder and lightning. Everyone pushed out of the park and those on buses had to wait for their bus to get there and I guarantee there were so many waiting some of the buses couldnt possible take everyone with them. We were lucky and got into the car and the strollers put away before the rain came. It poured in buckets of rain but at least we was sitting in our dry rental van.

 

[BevS97]

we wouldn't consider going without a car, but we stay for 2 weeks and like to visit shops and restaurants offsite as well as on.

Normally we will drive to all the parks but MK, (The TTC setup at MK means it's much easier to use the bus, elsewhere driving is very easy). we like to put dd into the stroller and then we just walk to the park - we have never been so far back in the parking lot that walking to the park was a problem - at Epcot and MGM by the time you have walked to the tram you are more than halfway there anyway, at AK it's a bit further but not an issue.
On the way back when we are tired, DH will usually push baby and stroller back to the car, while DD and I will use the tram - DH nearly always gets back first.

Anyway - I mentoin this, as the hardest part with the stroller is negotiating the tram, so we just don't bother.

We really like the car as we can keep stuff in the boot - cold drinks in a cooler, change of clothes, swimming gear etc, and we can get so much more done that we could possibly manage on the bus.

For example - we go to Epcot in the morning, after lunch we might decide to head out, hop in the car and go to Typhoon Lagoon for a few hours, maybe play some mini golf after TL, and head offsite for a pizza, or to Downtown Disney to shop, and then finish up at MGM to watch Fantasmic - there is no way you could do that on the bus - you would spend the entire time waiting for buses, trying to work out transfer schedules etc.

OK - I admit that's an extreme example and we would be exhausted at the end of that day - but the point is, you COULD do it, the flexibilty you get with the car is huge. Also, as soon as we get in the car, then the baby is in the carseat and she falls asleep - even if she only has a catnap and wakes up when we get to the next place, that sleep does her a world of good - she would never sleep on the bus, so that's a big advantage too.

 

[all4fun]

I have to say I agree with the previous two posters. We have done one trip without a car (but before ds also). We had an afternoon at the end of our trip and had used up all our passes so just for something to do we took the bus system around to the different parks until it was time to leave for the airport (we had an evening flight). We were amazed at how long it took to get from point A to point B on the bus. That pretty much cinched it for us that we would probably always rent a car. We also take longer trips and like to do some things offsite so that plays into it as well. Like Bev said, you could do without, but having the car just gives you so much more flexibility.

I would like to add, though, that we usually stay at the Boardwalk and do take advantage of the boat system to get to MGM. Epcot is close enough a lot of the time, we just walk. That is one case where the system is convenient and it's nice not to have to go get the car, etc. But getting to MK and AK on the bus could take quite a bit longer and that's when we like to have the car.

HTH,
Cheryl

 

[Amirah95]

We always rent or take our own car because it gives us flexibility. We don't like being tied down especially with a young child.

 

[ahutton]

For where you are staying, think about how often you will actually drive... I know we use it for a grocery stop, and sometimes will venture off grounds for a meal. But from there you can walk or boat to EPCOT and MGM. Would you actually drive to MK? I won't because of the parking. We usually will bus over there (2 kids and 2 stroller were okay - we had easy/light strollers) and then will take the monorail back, and work our way back through EPCOT unless we are in a hurry. So for us, that leaves driving to AK. We go there maybe once or twice a trip - is a week + in a rental car worth that? Not to us. If we fly we take a towncar in, and if we need to grocery shop and don't stop on our way in then I'll rent one for a day.

From BCV you can stroll over to Dolphin to pick one up, or you can call Alamo (I think they are the ones) and they will pick you up at the hotel and you rent from the Car Care Center over by the main entrance. They will also drop you off when you return the car, either to a park or your hotel.

 

[ErinInCT]

We're renting mainly due to the inconvenience of getting the stroller (and 2 kids & all the stuff in the stroller) onto the buses. After pricing rentals I found a full size that is only a few dollars more then the cost of the town car service from/to the airport. It is worth it for the convenience. We're only using it for one grocery store, FW, MGM & Epcot, the rest of the time it will sit.

 

[Acklander]

We also always rent a car, I love to go to the restaurants at all the different resorts and it's so much easier when you have a car.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

We have never rented a car for any of our trips. We get a car service from the airport to WDW. You can have the driver stop at a grocery store (for ~30 minutes) while you run in to stock up. We have stayed at BWV our last two trips and will be there again in January.

As with BCV, you can walk to both Epcot & MGM. The only buses we took were to MK, AK, and DTD. Sometime we take the monorail back from MK and tour a little more at Epcot. If you go to DTD before 4pm, you may have to wait a little while longer.

One child on a bus with a stroller will be no problem at all. Every once in a while, you will have a long wait for a bus. I have no complaints with the WDW transportation system.

We also don't venture off property or go to water parks. For us, we don't need a car and would find renting on a hassle.