SSR rent a car or take buses?

[sandy0904]

We'll be staying at SSR in a month for the first time. We have stayed at BWV, OKW and BCV and have never rented a car. Our favorites are BCV and then BWV largely due to location and ease of getting to Epcot and DHS. From your experiences would you rent a car or just take the buses? We do not need a car otherwise.

 

[DisEye]

We've stayed there twice and used the buses both times. We never had any problems.

 

[Anal Annie]

Personally we've never wasted money on a car rental when DME and the park transportation buses are free. I just don't see a 5 or 10 minute difference being worth the money it costs for a car. We had zero bus problems when we stayed at SSR. We found the water taxi a convenient way to get to DTD from SSR too. ONE time we used a car service because we were also going on a cruise after WDW & we wanted a grocery stop and to use them to go to the port early. I was so bummed - we easily spent about an hour waiting on our luggage in the baggage claim area. I don't get why people think going to baggage claim & then renting a car is THAT MUCH faster than just taking the DME bus & let them get you luggage FOR you. With a car you still have to deal with parking etc. With the bus they drop at the park entrance. Nothing is going to be as fast as walking to the back entrance of Epcot from BCV but I guess we're just not in THAT much of a hurry that we can't wait for the bus.

(PS) our worst bus transporation EVER was at OKW. OMG S-L-O-W!!!

 

[Donna M]

Since you don't need the car to get to/from the airport or to make grocery stops then I would agree that just because you're staying at SSR, you will be just fine with the buses. Cars are convient for leaving when you want and not waiting for the buses, but you have to pay for that. We haven't had problems with the buses at SSR.

You can walk to DTD.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Hopefully, it shouldn't be too crowded when you go, so the buses should work out just fine. Those times that I've stayed at Saratoga Springs, I tend to ask for the Grandstand section since it's the first stop on and the first stop off.

 

[skelooch]

If you have a lot of time to waste, then by all means use Disney Transportation.

Allow 60 minutes to get to the parks. And then back.
And if you have ADRs at other resorts allow 90 minutes to get there as you will have to transfer buses somewhere. Then 90 minutes to get back. And make sure you plan in advance how you're going to go about getting there and back.

The above times are pretty much the consensus here of what you should plan around. Some may be less and some more.
Add those up over the course of a week and decide if it's worth wasting that much of you vacation time.

As I have said many times here my vacations are too short and way too expensive, But I would rather spend a little exta money to save as much of my families time as possible.

I'm not aware of any parks where the bus drops you off right at the entrance, the distances between bus stops and park entrances average close to a quarter mile. I'm not suggesting a car will get you any closer to the entrance, but you will have spent about a third of the time getting there.

You can pretty much drive between any two points within WDW in 20 minutes or less.

 

[Anal Annie]

If you have a lot of time to waste, then by all means use Disney Transportation.

Allow 60 minutes to get to the parks. And then back.
And if you have ADRs at other resorts allow 90 minutes to get there as you will have to transfer buses somewhere. Then 90 minutes to get back. And make sure you plan in advance how you're going to go about getting there and back.

The above times are pretty much the consensus here of what you should plan around. Some may be less and some more.
Add those up over the course of a week and decide if it's worth wasting that much of you vacation time.

As I have said many times here my vacations are too short and way too expensive, But I would rather spend a little exta money to save as much of my families time as possible.

I'm not aware of any parks where the bus drops you off right at the entrance, the distances between bus stops and park entrances average close to a quarter mile. I'm not suggesting a car will get you any closer to the entrance, but you will have spent about a third of the time getting there.

You can pretty much drive between any two points within WDW in 20 minutes or less.

The ONLY trip we ever had where we waited one hour + for buses was when we stayed at OKW. A one hour wait was the norm on that trip. We were in the Grandstand section at SSR and never waited more than 15 - 20 min. for a bus. I agree it's the best section to request.

When I said the buses drop you at the entrance I meant that where the buses drop you off is a heck of a lot closer than the parking lots. It's as close to the entrance as you can get without an additional 10 minute walk on top of all the walking you do at the parks.

I'd rather spend the car rental money on a couple of nice TS ADR's..... Yes, vacation time is important but so is money - and that's why we bought DVC - so we could go again & again & take our time and not feel like we have to rush everywhere all week. I'd just MUCH rather eat a nice dinner than spend money on a car when the bus is FREE.

 

[kikiq]

We pretty much use ME and Disney transportation. We've been lucky and haven't had to wait a long time. Usually stay at Congress Park or Grandstand, have always found a seat. If you think of WDW as a triangle, then MK is the top angle, SSR is at one bottom angle and AK at the other. DHS and Epcot are between AK and SSR. Our longest ride is to MK. We usually go in the summer with the heat and crowds, and we have been lucky, it hasn't taken an hour from waiting, bus ride to any park yet.
We have friends that always rent a car. We're not convinced that it saves that much time depending on where you park and how far you are from the tram in. But the advantage of SSR is that you can park your car right by your building.

 

[rlovew]

We have a car with us whenever we are Disney because we drive but we rarely take it to the parks- SSR is my husband's favorite so we have stayed there a few times. I have stayed in Carousel and Paddock sections (we have never made a request when staying at the resort). I found the bus service here to be very good and I only had 1 bus I had to wait a bit of time for (15 min for Epcot at 9:10 am) other than that both of the last 2 stays my bus came within 10 minutes and normally within 5 minutes of arriving at the stop.

 

[skelooch]

The ONLY trip we ever had where we waited one hour + for buses was when we stayed at OKW. A one hour wait was the norm on that trip. We were in the Grandstand section at SSR and never waited more than 15 - 20 min. for a bus. I agree it's the best section to request.

When I said the buses drop you at the entrance I meant that where the buses drop you off is a heck of a lot closer than the parking lots. It's as close to the entrance as you can get without an additional 10 minute walk on top of all the walking you do at the parks.

I'd rather spend the car rental money on a couple of nice TS ADR's..... Yes, vacation time is important but so is money - and that's why we bought DVC - so we could go again & again & take our time and not feel like we have to rush everywhere all week. I'd just MUCH rather eat a nice dinner than spend money on a car when the bus is FREE.

I didn't say you you would have to wait an hour for a bus, but it's interesting to know you did once, I said to allow an hour to get from your resort to a park and 90 minutes to get from one resort to another resort for an ADR.


Actually where the bus drops you off is a lot farther from the entrance than where the trams drops you off if using a car. That's pretty much the case at all the parks except MK where it's about the same.

I understand that money is important, it is to me as well. But I would rather be relaxing at my resort or at my favorite watering hole than waiting for a bus somewhere. All the money in the world can't buy back those hours I might have wasted.

I'm a DVC member also and go to WDW 5-6 times a year, so I'm not in a rush to do anything either, I guess I would just rather be doing something I enjoy doing and waiting for and riding on buses isn't one of them. And I'm sure it's not the highlight of very many vacations.

I was simply responding to the OPs request for opinions on the subject.
Whether they rent a car or not is totally up to them, and makes no difference to me or any others who have reponded. But I would think it would be good if they heard different opinions before making their decision. If everyone here agreed on everything it would be a pretty boring place, wouldn't it.
And if we all said use Disney Transportation, and they did and hated every minute of it, we would have done them a disservice.

 

[DMKEDM]

We're bus fans. But I dislike driving. And I know I may have to wait for buses...bus waits occur at every resort...every few trips there will be one looooong wait (usually it's at the park waiting for a bus to get back rather than at the resort waiting for a bus to get to the park, but that has happened too)...

Trip before last I "discovered a secret:" If your wait gets longer than you'd like, there are cabs right near the buses at the parks, and at the check-in spots at the resorts...a cab or two once or twice is a whole lot less expensive than daily car rental charges...

I, too, average 4-5 trips of 5-8 days each annually (am lucky in that I can work while at Disney)...in my experience, SSR bus service is probably the best of any of the resorts (still haven't stayed at Wilderness Lodge, but have stayed once at BLT and multiple times at each of the others)--but I've had a few waits of more than 30 minutes at all of them...

Am at SSR now, on day 5 of 6...had one wait of 15 minutes this morning; otherwise, a bus has come (at the resort and at the parks) within 5 minutes of my arriving at the bust stop all week. I agree that that is pure luck. But it's more often than not closer to the quick, convenient service it's been this week...

I also agree that the choice really depends on your tolerance for waiting--and your expectations. I "expect" a wait of 15-20 minutes, so anything less seems like pixie dust...30 minutes is "only" 10 minutes more than I expect, so doesn't seem so bad...to me. And given that I dislike driving, relying on ME and Disney's buses is a no-brainer for me.

But allowing an hour to get to a park and 90 minutes to get to a resort ADR just makes sense...if you "have to" be somewhere at a certain time, that's almost always going to be the time you have to wait for your bus!

Good luck...

 

[sandy0904]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to talk it over with DH. I have been okay so far with the bus transportation so we may just take the buses this time around again.

 

[Madhatter266]

We stay at SSR regularly and always use the buses. Yes, bus transportation could be a bit slower, but it's great to not have to drive. We don't mind at all!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to talk it over with DH. I have been okay so far with the bus transportation so we may just take the buses this time around again.

i haven't stayed at SSR yet but will be staying there in 37 days! my dh can't go b/c of work so it's just me and my son who will be 17 months old. even though i'll have to get on/off the buses by myself with a toddler and a carriage, i still will not be renting a car. i find the buses to be very good and so much easier than dealing with driving. if you park in the lot, you'll still need to take a tram or the boat to the park entrances. the buses drop you off very close. also, it's nice to not have to deal with anything while on your vacation - i like the fact that the buses chauffeur me around

in january, dh and i rented a car b/c it was our first trip with our little guy who was 7 months at the time. we didn't know how things would be taking the bus with an infant, etc. we found having the car to be annoying. we did NOT rent a car on our past trip in September and it was SO much better and more relaxing.

if you don't rent a car but find that you need one, alamo has a rental place on disney property. you can always rent one mid-stay. if you rent a car but find that you don't need it, well, you're probably stuck with the cost.

have fun whatever you decide!!!

 

[castleri]

We often have a car and it stays parked where we put it when we first arrived unless we are going to a mall or grocery store offsite. I agree that SSR is one of the best bus routes. I can't think of once it ever took me an hour to get to a park from the time I left my room while staying at SSR. We actually like riding the buses - last trip we were at BWV and sometimes were the only ones on the bus which was great. My biggest reason for not driving to the parks is the congestion in the parking lots and on the roads if you stay until park closing especially the MK where you also have to wait for the ferry or monorail to take you to the parking lot.

 

[jodifla]

If you have a lot of time to waste, then by all means use Disney Transportation.

Allow 60 minutes to get to the parks. And then back.
And if you have ADRs at other resorts allow 90 minutes to get there as you will have to transfer buses somewhere. Then 90 minutes to get back. And make sure you plan in advance how you're going to go about getting there and back.

The above times are pretty much the consensus here of what you should plan around. Some may be less and some more.
Add those up over the course of a week and decide if it's worth wasting that much of you vacation time.

As I have said many times here my vacations are too short and way too expensive, But I would rather spend a little exta money to save as much of my families time as possible.

I'm not aware of any parks where the bus drops you off right at the entrance, the distances between bus stops and park entrances average close to a quarter mile. I'm not suggesting a car will get you any closer to the entrance, but you will have spent about a third of the time getting there.

You can pretty much drive between any two points within WDW in 20 minutes or less.

yes, I agree completely! We (almost) always have a car. We like to go to different resorts for dinner, and that is such a shlep with multiple buses.

 

[webcs]

Personally we all spend so much on trips, the extra hour per day is a lot if you add it up so a car is very useful. On top of that you have access to exterior groceries and also the two official disney outlets.

If to add up those savings the cost of a car is a wash. We always use one for longer trips and for shorter we use Disney.

 

[webcs]

I would also add that of you want to explore a car is great. Spend a day and go see many of the resorts. There are a lot of hidden jems, two of the worlds best mini golf courses (no sorry 3). I would recommend a car to at least do once just to experience things.

 

[Dean]

We'll be staying at SSR in a month for the first time. We have stayed at BWV, OKW and BCV and have never rented a car. Our favorites are BCV and then BWV largely due to location and ease of getting to Epcot and DHS. From your experiences would you rent a car or just take the buses? We do not need a car otherwise.

I think the answer is "it depends". For larger groups and longer stays, a car is very helpful. Add to that if you plan on needing to get to other resorts where it's more difficult with transportation. For 2 people for a week it's likely not worth it unless you plan to eat in most times (even then there are other options), travel to non Disney locations or arrive at an airport other than MCO. The economy of scale of a larger group for getting around and groceries makes the option more reasonable. ME and the bus system are free but rental cars for Orlando tend to be cheap as well.

 

[Rania]

You will be fine with the buses. Don't spend your money on a rental car.