Taking away from the magic?

[la79al]

We may end up keeping our rental car for our whole week at Disney. Would it be any more convenient to drive the car to the parks and would driving the car instead of taking the bus take away from the magic?

 

[Robo]

Which RESORT?

 

[warpdarkmatter]

i think it would the buses are so hassle free i enjoy riding them. thats not to say having the car for the week is a bad thing there are a couple of hess gas stations/mini marts that you can buy beer soda and snacks a lot ceaper than the gift shop at the resorts and there only a few min away

 

[Anna114]

Which resort was my first question. My other train of thought is if you are spending long days at the parks it might be nicer to take Disney transportation, it might take a little longer but you don't have to drive and perhaps take the chance of getting lost.

Have a magical day,
Anna

 

[Schmeck]

If you are staying onsite, the parking is free (once you check in and get your parking pass) and I think it's fun to drive around WDW, looking at the signs, etc. You can take little side trips - do the loop around the EPCOT resorts, drive up to any of the resorts (just show the pass at the gate) park at the TTC and take the monorail. It's all fun!

If you are offsite, it's even more exciting - you get to go past the best signs of all, each day, the welcoming signs! I get goosebumps just thinking about driving onto WDW property...

 

[justKim]

For us, driving to the parks and getting lost at least once is part of the magic.

It just wouldn't be a trip to WDW without arguing at least once which is the best way to get to AK from Saratoga Springs...


ETA
This is not meant to scare anyone from driving around the World. For some resorts, we prefer to drive to certain parks. The distances to drive are no big deal. My husband and I just have different philosophies about navigation. That, and it's hard for him to find DTD on his GPS.

 

[CarolynFH]

except for going to MK! We stay BWV most of the time, so we usually do walk or take the boat to the Studios and Epcot. But on days when we want to visit two parks in a short period of time, epecially if one of the parks is AK, having our own transport is faster than waiting for the bus. The exception is MK, because the bus lets you off right next to the entrance while you have to park your car at the TTC and still ride the ferry or monorail to the park.

 

[3AmigosMom]

We also rent a car. The other nice thing about having a car is being able to easily get to other resort restaurants. Without a car, it's could be a couple buses, and such to get from resort to resort (which navigating a course with WDW transport would be fun for some, just not us with 3 little ones!!)

 

[justKim]

I agree about MK -- takes a lot longer when you have to park a car at TTC.

 

[rgoble5972]

Believe it or not, I've never been on a Disney bus at WDW. Everytime I've gone I've either had my mom with me (she uses an ECV so its just easier to load it in the rental car and drive it to the park), or we've stayed at an Epcot or Magic Kingdom resort and walked/boated/monorailed to the parks. So, I don't think driving to the parks is much trouble at all.

I have used the busses at Disneyland Paris, so it's not like I have anything against them. I've also vowed that when I go to WDW again (hopefully in August) I'm making a point of taking the bus!

I do agree about parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center for the Magic Kingdom however. People have died in that vast wasteland of a parking lot--I'd avoid it at all costs!

 

[ChrisFL]

Is this under the assumption that Disney buses feel magical? Because I've never thought of them any more special than a regular bus with Disney advertising in them.

Waiting 30+ mins for a bus from MGM to Epcot didn't help either

 

[Micca]

I think the bus from resort to park works pretty well, but it sure is nice to have a car to go around the property and maybe make a beer or food run off property.

 

[shafke]

The only park I have never driven to while staying on site is MK since you are going to have to take either monorail or ferry after parking anyway. At MGM or Epcot we usually do not even take the tram to the entrance since we usually arrive early enough that it is quicker to walk to the entrance. AK we have found it quicker to drive but that is because both times we have been when AK is open we never had a direct route. One year it was WL which first made a stop at FW and the next time we stayed at CBR which has multiple stops before heading to the park. Also, with a stroller we find it easier to use a car than to fold the stroller, unload all the souvenier/baby paraphernalia.

 

[DebbieB]

My last few trips I've had a rental car and loved it. I think if I had to ride busses the whole trip it would take away from the "magic". The worst is when the park closes and you are jammed in like sardines, many times having to stand. Or when a kid throws up on your shoes (it happened on the way to MVMCP). Not very "magical".

 

[poohraedopey]

We had a rental last trip stayed at DTD Courtyard and drove oursleves DAILY! They had busses but we didn't try it. We managed to NEVER get lost everything is pretty well marked we thought. This time we will be driving to FL and staying at AKL and we really plan to drive to parks except for possibly AK since that will be a shorter park day anyways. I think it's so much easier to come and go as we please by driving. I personally hate busses PERIOD I am getting my bus fill on DD's field trip Thursday thank you very much LOL!

 

[la79al]

Last year we stayed off property and drove the rental car to the park everyday. This trip we are staying at ASMo. Also, we are getting the dining plan and making a grocery run before we get to the resort.

 

[mdoc]

We always rent a car and drive to the parks. Occasionally we'll take the ferry from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom, and last year DD and I took a bus over to Epcot one evening. Let me tell you, I don't feel like I was missing out on any "magic." On the way back the bus was late, crowded and standing room only. DD got thrown several feet when the bus lurched and she couldn't hold on from her standing position. That kind of magic I can skip.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Years ago, we always took the WDW buses, but lately we've found that we enjoy the freedom and control that a rental car gives us - except when going to the MK. Of course, sometimes we do take the bus as sort of another Disney Attraction....

 

[MinnieGi]

We always have a rental car with us too. However we use a combination of the rental car and Disney transportation. This past trip we stayed at VWL so we always took the boat to MK and drove to the rest of the parks. This upcoming trip we are staying at BCV so I know we will just walk to Epcot and take the boat to MGM. We may or may not take the bus to MK. That usually depends on how late we are staying. Sometimes at closing the lines for the buses can be VERY long and you are squished into the bus like a pack of sardines. If we have no plans to stay till closing we'll take the bus as my DD (age 5) does love to ride ALL of the Disney transportation options.

The rental car is great for making runs to the grocery store and going from resort to resort. It is fun and easy to drive the WDW rodes (although at times we make large loops b/c we missed a sign).

 

[HappyLawyer]

Nothing can ever take away from the magic, magic is what you make of it.