Should we drive rather than bus?

[katieam1]

We are driving to Disney again in August. We will be staying at POFQ. We stayed at POP in January and were very disappointed with the bus system. We used that the whole trip. We were thinking of driving to the parks instead of taking the bus this time. Do you get good parking if you drive or is it more of a headache than it is worth? We have two little ones so looking for easiest way with them. Carrying the stroller (double stroller) on and off the bus was a pain! So looking for advice!

 

[dbmarie]

It depends. Depending on how early you get to the parks and how busy the parks are you may have to take the tram which can be a hassle to load and unload the stroller.

 

[serene56]

Carrying the stroller (double stroller) on and off the bus was a pain! So looking for advice!

You will still have that hassle getting on the trams to get to your car-

I thought that renting a car would be more of a convenice for us since we wouldnt have to wait for a bus. But the pros far outweighed the bus over the car.

 

[brendaziz]

Well- we enjoy having a car, but even w/ a car still utilize the bus transportation.

Basically we'll use the car for resort to resort travel for meals and such, and always when we go to downtown disney- as parking there is not an issue and I love just being able to put my bags in my car and stuff.

We did on this last trip do ONE day wehn we went to Magic Kingdom via car- cuz the bus line was insane!!! It paid off for us that one time, but most times- we enjoyed taking the buses and not having to worry about parking and trams and such.

I do think it's nice to have hte option. But I still wouldn't count on wanting to use the car all the time.

 

[HGD24]

We've always used the buses, but on our last trip, we had a few very long waits of over 45 mins for a bus from our resort to the parks. It was our first trip with our DD who was an infant and those long waits were not fun for any of us and ruined parts of our days/nights. For our trip this Fall w/DD, we're renting a car to see how we like it.

 

[WillCAD]

I prefer to drive myself everywhere at WDW, even to MK.

Most of the time, I am able to park close enough to the gates that I don't need to use the tram; I don't have to worry about a stroller, but if I did, I wouldn't have to worry about it on the trams, because I don't usually take the trams.

Driving everywhere saves me tremendous time over using the WDW transportation system. No, I'm not in a hurry, but when I only have 5 or 6 days of vacation, I don't want to spend an hour or two each day sitting at bus stops or monorail stations, waiting for them to arrive. By driving myself, I get where I want to go in a reasonable amount of time, without rushing, and without much waiting.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I prefer to drive myself everywhere at WDW, even to MK.

Most of the time, I am able to park close enough to the gates that I don't need to use the tram; I don't have to worry about a stroller, but if I did, I wouldn't have to worry about it on the trams, because I don't usually take the trams.

Driving everywhere saves me tremendous time over using the WDW transportation system. No, I'm not in a hurry, but when I only have 5 or 6 days of vacation, I don't want to spend an hour or two each day sitting at bus stops or monorail stations, waiting for them to arrive. By driving myself, I get where I want to go in a reasonable amount of time, without rushing, and without much waiting.

What time do you get to the parks to be able to park close to the gates? We are staying at CR so I'm thinking of driving our car when we go to DHS and AK. And we will have a dreaded stroller.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you get to the park about 30-45 mins before it opens, you should be able to get a pretty decent parking spot. I don't normally drive, but I have to tell you...if I had a stroller, there is no way I would drag it on the bus. Just way too much hassle for me. Obviously, others have no problem with it.
If you can get a close to the entrance spot, fine. Otherwise, you may end up riding the trams..not a huge issue simply because it isn't the same dynamic the buses are. You won't be clogging up the aisles when someone is trying to get past you on that bus.

 

[puffkin]

We used our car most of the time the last few trips, even to the MK. My DS loves riding the "trains" so he thinks the Tram and Monorail are rides. I personally really enjoy the Ferry boat into the Magic Kingdom. We have never had much of a wait for the trams or hit any traffic going into the parks.

 

[Robert P]

We use the car for DTD, AK, and HS (sometimes). We do not drive to MK, due to the extra steps required to get over to the entrance. It's nice to have the car option, but at MK, we feel that you trade off bus wait time for extra transpo time (tram and then the monorail/ferry) to get across the lake to the front gate.

 

[kydisneyfans]

As for a bus vs tram argument, I've never had to stand to ride a tram.

With the tram system, no parking spot is a real bad spot.

I like to drive also due to exorbitant bus waits.

 

[WillCAD]

What time do you get to the parks to be able to park close to the gates? We are staying at CR so I'm thinking of driving our car when we go to DHS and AK. And we will have a dreaded stroller.

Depends on the time of year.

In the summer peak season, you have to get to the parking lot at least an hour before park opening to get a spot that close. In the off seasons, you can get to the parks after opening and still get a good spot.

Just remember, no matter where you are in the lot, you always have the option of walking rather than waiting for the tram.

 

[katieam1]

If you get to the park about 30-45 mins before it opens, you should be able to get a pretty decent parking spot. I don't normally drive, but I have to tell you...if I had a stroller, there is no way I would drag it on the bus. Just way too much hassle for me. Obviously, others have no problem with it.
If you can get a close to the entrance spot, fine. Otherwise, you may end up riding the trams..not a huge issue simply because it isn't the same dynamic the buses are. You won't be clogging up the aisles when someone is trying to get past you on that bus.

We have a lot of early morning ADR at the parks, does it get crowed in the parking lot as people are coming in at opening? I think for us it will be easier to drive but I want to give us enough time.