Should we keep our car?

[WDWorld2003]

We have two reservations for a car this upcoming week and need to cancel one.

The first res is just one day to get us from the airport to the resort as we have a very late arrival. We can then grocery shop that day - Cost $32.00

The second is for seven days and would cover the bulk of our visit. Cost $140.00. Still using Magical Express for return to airport.

The problem is there are eight of us so we cannot all fit in one car... van is way too expensive. The other party does not want to reserve a car. They are only staying part of the trip.

My first thought was to just return the car after grocery shopping and save the $100... but then I started thinking it might be useful for a grocery run, or a quick hop to another resort or park for some of us, or just to meet up.

I also thought of just returning it after renting it one day and re-renting later in the week if needed but the cost is the same or more.

Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with and without a car with a larger group. We are staying at BWV.

 

[FreeTime]

If you don't plan on going offsite, I would cancel it. Have the groceries delivered to your room and enjoy the relaxing ME ride. Our last several trips we have went without the car and had a much more enjoyable trip.

 

[dbs1228]

Our last trip we did not have a car for the 1st 24 hours and I hated it! We returned it 2 days before we end home (10 day) trip and that was fine because we were at BLT and did not need to use buses and had all our excursions out of the way. I would not bother to return and re-rent too much time wasted for saving nothing! I like having a car just a personal preference but did enjoy using the ME to and from the airport. We plan to do local rentals in the future, much cheaper and no hassle getting to and from the airport! Enjoy

 

[MrShiny]

I have done many trips with and without cars. It is definitely nice to have a car. It makes things so much faster, especially if you like Downtown Disney.

I don't mind driving on vacation (in fact enjoy it mostly), so when I can afford it I get a car.

If can also matter where you are staying - for instance if at BWV or BCV with great transportation to half of the theme parks and the BW area, then it is much less useful.

 

[LSchrow]

depends....
are you spending almost all your time with the "other party"?
do you think just your group might want to eat or shop offsite?
DTD?

we always take DME, and rent a car at the dolphin (staying at the BWV) for our vacations. first day is groceries, then we use the car to eat b'fast offsite (do not like most WDW b'fast options), lunch/dinner at flippers (YUM!) or other resorts, shop at the outlets, pick up small neccessities and/or prescriptions at walgreens, shop at DTD (dislike DTD buses), etc.

if the group is too large to fit in the vehicle for the length of vaca, i would just rent it for the day. BUT if you think the smaller group might use it after they are gone, keep it.

have fun!

 

[Anal Annie]

We always use DME both ways and have never rented a car. We get a grocery delivery thru Garden Grocer. Last summer we went over to Universal to spend 1 night & just took a taxi so we wouldn't have to pay parking at the HRH. Worked out fine. We always opt for the cheapest way to go. This summer we're going to DL, Aulani and Maui and will need to rent cars on Oahu and Maui and it's NOT going to be a cheap process. Not looking forward to that bit.

 

[Chuck S]

Most of the time, the car is likely to sit parked, but that said...I've had a car since I drove to Disney, for the last several years.

My last trip in November & my upcoming trip in May/June I am flying down, I didn't/won't have a car...but I am a solo traveler.

With a group, it kind of makes sense to have it for grocery shopping and if you want to meet up for dinner after maybe going to separate parks during the day. For the $140, I'd keep the car.

 

[taaren]

We also had a party of 8, but only got a car that fit 5 for half the trip. This was because the van was too expensive and only 4 of us "needed" the car to go to Port Canaveral. We took ME on the way in and out, and picked up and dropped off the car in the World and had groceries delivered for the not-missing-park-time feature.

Having the car for the majority of the trip was great, even though we spent most of the trip as a party of 8. If we were all going to the same park, we took the monorail/bus. For the special occasion stuff, (eg we did a IllumiNations cruise at BCV and had to get there from BLT,) DH would just drop half the party off and then go back for the other people. Or we would all go to DTD together via bus except DH who drove, then half the party would return via car and the other half would mosey and shop and return via bus. We also did a few things separately though ... a guys day at Gatorland while girls went resort hopping.

I'd say keep the car. It'll come in handy when you don't want to do stuff together and you may find a few occasions when 2 trips on your schedule to transport your party of 8 may work better than 1 trip on the Disney bus schedule, especially if you're trying to do a point-to-point that would require multiple buses, etc.

 

[tjkraz]

At BWV a car is of minimal value...even less since you can't transport everyone in the group to Animal Kingdom (the only park where it's really useful.)

I'd keep it for the arrival day only. If you need a quick ride somewhere on Disney property, just take a cab. It would take 3-4 cab rides to equal the cost of the additional rental car days.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Thanks everyone.. .. we have the same situation as you taaren. I really go back and forth on this. Being able to drop off and pick up would be great for Downtown Disney and a quick run here or there. Taxis can get expensive. I have one more day to mull it over.