Staying in downtown disney, is a car really necesary

[rxsuperwoman]

I've lurked the boards for the last few months and I've seen similar questions to this. In May me and small kid (as she is refered) are staying at the Royal Plaza. I heard it is in walking distance of DTD, but it is one of the further hotel in the downtown area. Pretty torn , the eternal question continues, car or no car.

 

[MinnieForMe]

I would want a car!

 

[Alesia]

The shuttles at off site hotels aren't usually great.

As far as walking to DTD to use Disney Transportation, there is no direct transportation between DTD and the parks, so you would have to transfer at a resort to get to a park. Also bus service from DTD doesn't start until later in the morning and it it notoriously slow.

If you're staying off-site, you really should rent a car.

 

[Hannathy]

Car! There is no way I would stay off site without a car, especially with a child.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels share a bus system that runs on a reasonable schedule during all park hours (every half hour or hour, depending on the time of day and the park). Information is available at each hotel, bus passes are (or were, when I stayed there) provided, and the schedules are posted. Now, granted, they don't get to go where the Disney buses go (so the MK bus stops in the TTC parking lot), but they're much more reliable than your typical off-site, three-times-a-day, no vehicles added shuttles

Even the Downtown Disney bus runs during the hours that area is open.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Our last trip to the Hilton (nice hotel btw) we only made it 1 day with the buses and went to rent a car. We are spoiled as we like to stay at the Dolphin so we may not be as patient as we should about transportation - so keep that in mind. But I wouldn't go back to one of the offsite hotels with out a car. The buses are too far apart and I didn't like being dropped off in the middle of the parking lot at MK.