Should we drive to the parks?

[Crazy4DisneyandTink]

We're staying onsite for our Thanksgiving visit, so of course parking is free at the parks, but should we drive to the parks? We plan to stay from Rope Drop until closing, so I wondering if it will be better to drive and park.

 

[Klayfish]

This will be a personal decision and you'll find strong opinions on both sides. It really depends on how you view driving and the WDW buses.

We stay offsite, so we have to drive no matter what. However, even if we didn't have to, we would. We love having the freedom of coming and going when we please and going where we want, when we want. We'd never use the WDW buses, it would be a deal breaker for us. But then there are some that it would be a deal breaker to have to drive, and that's the right answer for them.

I know that sounds like a generic answer, but I truly think it just depends on what you want. If you would view driving as a chore, then don't do it. If you would enjoy the flexibility it offers, then do it.

 

[RescueRanger]

My vote is no. We drive to WDW but we leave our car parked at the hotel the entire time. That's what I like about Disney transportation. I don't have to drive. Especially during the holidays. Traffic is horrible. If you are staying rope drop to close, that is when the transportation is at its best. JMHO

 

[mom2rtk]

I'd probably drive everywhere except to the MK.

 

[Ds4angels]

MK always take the bus or you'll have to deal w/ taking the ferry or the monorail to MK. The other parks it's a personal choice. We take the bus to all the other parks and the only time we had a problem was at Epcot, but I think that's b/c a high school band was leaving the same time we were.
Traffic can be confusing around WDW and at the end of the night, you're tired, it's just as easy to hop on the bus and let someone else drive. If you stroll through the shops at parks close and let the mob leave first, you'll find it less stressful

 

[Fangorn]

Right now, you might want to seriously consider driving to DHS. With all the construction, the bus area has been relocated a very long way from the park entrance (nearly a mile from entrance to the last bus stop) . The tram stop is much closer to the entrance than the bus stops.

Steve

 

[Tomh]

As a PP stated, it is likely going to come down to personal preference.

We stayed on site at POR for 7 trips. For probably the first 5 of those trips, we used the bus exclusively. The last couple of trips, on occasion we drove, but only a day or two out of 10 days in the parks.

We too are rope drop to park closing kind of people. If you go early for Rope Drop, generally the buses aren't terribly busy. If you are a bit later, shooting to arrive at the park right around park opening time, the buses will be super busy, so getting a seat is hit or miss. Leaving the park at park closing means waiting in a long line for the bus, and being packed in like sardines.

I have found that even at Magic Kingdom, where it is necessary to take the Ferry, or (better choice usually) the Monorail over to TTC, we can almost always make it from the park to our offsite accommodations in about the same amount of time we would have spent taking the bus to get to our onsite hotel. Additionally, our own vehicle always has good AC, it is never hot and sweaty inside, and we always get seats. For those reasons, we prefer driving ourselves.

 

[FastPasser.]

With all the construction, the bus area has been relocated a very long way from the park entrance (nearly a mile from entrance to the last bus stop).

Is there a map or diagram showing that one mile path way?

 

[Mikey15]

I'm with others in this thread. It's going to depend on where you're staying onsite, and which park you're going to. DHS bus loop right now... screw that. Taking bus (or boat or monorail) to front of MK instead of TTC? Good idea!

 

[Mikey15]

Is there a map or diagram showing that one mile path way?

I don't know if someone's done a measured map, but here's some aerial photos:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/a...theme-parks-new-aerials-11-9.3573399/page-105

The last bus stop, either Pop or AoA, IIRC, is either the bottom left of the first picture or even farther. You're routed along a narrow pathway outside of where they're constructing the new bus loop and the Skyliner station. Near the top right hand corner of the first photo is a T-intersection where the path from the buses meets the path from the parking lot trams. Then everyone's still got to walk from there past the Sorceror Mickey statue thing, past bag check, to the gates:

A mile is exaggerating, but it's still far. Based on the pedometer on my phone I walked 0.67km (2,200ft, or ~0.41mi) from 8:57pm to 9:07pm after leaving the front of DHS to the AKL bus stop (All-Stars/Pop/AoA on the far side would have been farther).

 

[AMK53]

taking the bus to Magic Kingdom leaves you right at the gate. If you'd like the monorail or ferry experience, then driving is fine but at the end of a long day it's nice to just get on the bus and not have to get to the TTC.

The other parks are personal preference. if you rope drop you should get a spot at the front of the parking which makes getting back to your resort easier. but if you park hop, driving from one park to another puts you toward the back of the parking lot

 

[fizbobunny]

We drive to every park, even MK. I dont like having to wait for a bus or having to stand on the bus at the end of the night. Especially if my kids are with me cause they get tossed around.

We did a trip with extended family that used the bus exclusively once and we were back in our room at least 20 minutes before them every time. This was at POR which i think has four bus stops

 

[Best Aunt]

OP, where are you staying? "Onsite" covers a lot of territory.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

We're staying onsite for our Thanksgiving visit, so of course parking is free at the parks, but should we drive to the parks? We plan to stay from Rope Drop until closing, so I wondering if it will be better to drive and park.

We have driven a lot because we often stay offsite but we’ve never been there during a major holiday. That said, we would probably still tend to drive because it’s always worked for us. We go very early though. I’m tempted by the bus but worried it won’t come early enough for us, or it will be full. Please let us know what you did and how it worked for you. My next trip is onsite so I have the same question.

 

[ice cube]

Like others have stated personal preference....so with that...if staying in MK resort area take boat/monorail to MK and drive to all others,
if staying Epcot resort area walk to epcot and drive to all others and staying anywhere else drive to all parks...