To rent or not to rent...

[webhead]

Ok here's the deal...

DW and I (no kids) will be at WDW for 14 days starting November 30. I don't want to rent a car - I think we can use the disney busses to get anywhere we need to go. My wife does want to rent a car because we are planning to eat dinner at a different resort each night and she thinks the bus transfers will take forever.

I'm beginning to think she has a good point...

If we are planning to go to a different resort for dinner each night, would we be happier renting a car? Cost isn't really a consideration - I just didn't want to mess with the hassle of renting a car. What do you guys think?

 

[Letsbgoofy]

We always rent for that same reason. It can take a long time (and a lot of thought) to get from resort to resort. If cost isn't a factor, rent a car and only use it between resorts if your wife really wants to use the busses.

 

[sgtdisney]

Now, this is just my personal opinion, but I would get the rental car, especially if cost is not a consideration. Typically there is no direct transportation from resort to resort except between the monorail hotels. You usually have to go another location and make a transfer say if you want to go from the Polynesian to Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you plan on going to different resorts every night I would get the car. I like to walk out of my resort, hop into my car and get to where I am going without the wait for a bus, and then transferring somewhere and waiting again. It really depends on how leisurely you want to vacation I suppose.

 

[DisneyKidds]

We never go without renting a car. We also like to move around a lot. Breakfast in one resort, off to a park, back to our resort, dinner at another resort, finish the night at another park, or miniature golf, or DTD, or...... so many options. Having a car makes it soooo easy to take advantage of them. The buses may work fine from your resort to the main parks, but other than that forget it - especially resort to resort.

 

[hercamore]

l4 days in Orlando without a car?

No way. Your dw is right.

Herc..

 

[djanssen]

Renting a car in Orlando is really not a hassle either. National and some others are located right across the street from the luggage pick-up. If you join National's Emerald Club (free if you are a DC member) then you can skip the counter and just go across the street and hop in a car and drive out. Check out at their gate takes less than 5 minutes and check in when you get back is also usually less than 5 minutes and you are again right across the street from teh terminal. No shuttle buses and no lines at a counter.

Go to mousesavers.com to look for discounts on car rentals. I use National but others have discounts also. In addition to the free Emerald Club membership the Disney Club membership will qualify you for about 20% off on your rental car rates w/ National. That alone may pay for the Disney Club membership. Last year I had a 1 week rental for no more than we otherwise would have paid just for round trip transporation from the airport to DW.

 

[ncligs]

No doubt about it........RENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[beattyfamily]

Rent a car! We didn't once and it was alright but we hardly visited any resorts. Since then we always rent and can't imagine going back to no car!

 

[Pumbaa_]

I know I am in the minority, but I hate renting a car. Especially when at Disney. I love getting picked up in the towncar!

When we go to resorts, it is usually easy to get there if we are leaving a park and then going there. When we leave, we just grab a taxi. This is the easiest for us. (I should say me because DH hates to drive, so I end up doing all the driving!)

This way too, if we want to have a couple of drinlks with dinner, no one has to worry about driving back to the hotel.

But a rental would be very convenient to go offsite, grocery store, outlets, etc. (I have to admit, I have never left the property! We usually go for 5 or 6 days, and have no time to do anything but Disney!)

 

[Peg]

imho....rent...have been sorry every time we didn't!
Peg

 

[DebbieB]

We always rent a car, even when we're staying at Boardwalk. It's great to have the freedom to come and go as you please. No crowded busses where you have to stand and make a bunch of stops. Alot of people say they take the bus to MK because of the TTC, I timed it 2 weeks ago. From our door at OKW, to the MK parking, monorail to the MK Gate, it was 25 minutes. I don't think the bus would have been any quicker, considering it takes 10 minutes just to get around the stops at OKW (after waiting for the bus to come).

 

[webhead]

Thanks for all the great comments! You guys have settled an argument. We will be renting a car. My wife wins... as usual.