Transportation with little kids

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Hi all, I could use your advice.

We are hoping to go to Disney World next spring when our kids will be 3.5 and 1.5 and stay in an all star resort. We will be on a budget and need advice on whether we should rent a car or use the buses.

Originally I planned to use buses to save money. We live paycheck to paycheck and don't have a lot of extra money. However, I'm worried we'll spend hours waiting for buses (we want to go to water parks, too), dealing with cranky kids who don't want to wait, and having to stand on crowded buses while balancing kids and our stroller. So yesterday my husband suggested we rent a car. However, I'm worried our luggage wouldn't fit in the trunk. We will probably have 3 large suitcases and our double stroller. What rental car class do you think would fit that? I can't afford to rent a minivan or SUV. Renting a car also means we have to bring 2 car seats through the airport. Also, is Disney going to start charging to park at hotels if you are a guest? I heard a rumor about this a while ago.

So what do you think is the best option?
1. Take buses
2. Take magical express to Disney and pick up a rental car there (seems time consuming?)
3. Have husband take luggage on magical express while i rent car and navigate Florida highways by myself?
4.Is there an affordable rental car that will fit our luggage?

Will the rental car be worth the extra money and logistics? What are your experiences with young kids on the bus?


Thanks!

 

[elaine amj]

5. Tag bags with Magical Express tags and skip getting on the buses with all of u proceeding straight to the rental car. Let bags go with Disney staff.

6. Take ME to the resort and rent a car onsite at WDW - u can cut the rental days to just when u need it . Maybe only a few days instead of all week (may or may not save money).

 

[Shanti]

Hi all, I could use your advice.

We are hoping to go to Disney World next spring when our kids will be 3.5 and 1.5 and stay in an all star resort. We will be on a budget and need advice on whether we should rent a car or use the buses.

Originally I planned to use buses to save money. We live paycheck to paycheck and don't have a lot of extra money. However, I'm worried we'll spend hours waiting for buses (we want to go to water parks, too), dealing with cranky kids who don't want to wait, and having to stand on crowded buses while balancing kids and our stroller. So yesterday my husband suggested we rent a car. However, I'm worried our luggage wouldn't fit in the trunk. We will probably have 3 large suitcases and our double stroller. What rental car class do you think would fit that? I can't afford to rent a minivan or SUV. Renting a car also means we have to bring 2 car seats through the airport. Also, is Disney going to start charging to park at hotels if you are a guest? I heard a rumor about this a while ago.

So what do you think is the best option?
1. Take buses
2. Take magical express to Disney and pick up a rental car there (seems time consuming?)
3. Have husband take luggage on magical express while i rent car and navigate Florida highways by myself?
4.Is there an affordable rental car that will fit our luggage?

Will the rental car be worth the extra money and logistics? What are your experiences with young kids on the bus?


Thanks!

1. Take buses. We always do this and always have great trips. It's not even a matter of money. It's a matter of letting someone else do the driving during my vacation. If money were an issue, I especially wouldn't even consider renting a car. On a Disney trip, that's an easy expense to cut. Plus, no car seats, etc.

Your kids are small and Magic Kingdom will likely be their favorite park. Realize that Magic Kingdom does not have a parking lot within walking distance. So you'd have to drive to the Ticket & Transportation Center, maybe even have to take a tram from your car to the TTC in that huge lot, then take a boat or monorail to Magic Kingdom. Hopping a bus from your resort is easier than all that.

I recommend staying at Pop Century rather than an All Star, as Pop Century has dedicated buses, which will make the bus service even more efficient.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would just take the buses. We rented a car on DS's first trip (he was 13 months) and between lugging the stroller and car seat through the airport, renting the car and installing the car seat, it was a serious pain. As PP noted, if you are going to MK a lot, renting a car won't give you much of an advantage as you will have to park at TTC and then still take a tram or walk to the monorail or ferry to get to the park. The park bus will pull up much closer to the MK entrance.

I second PP's suggestion to stay at PoP. WDW is about to introduce a "Minnie Van" service with car seats to make transportation a little faster than taking the bus. It's rumored to be $20 a ride, which isn't great, IMHO, but if you could use that for the park that will be the most difficult to get to (the waterpark) and bus the rest of it, perhaps consider that.

If you do rent a car, I, too, would suggest having one parent and the kids get on Magical Express to go to the resort while the other parent picks up the rental. Your luggage would be sent on DME, so all the rental car designee would have to do is install the car seats and get to WDW. You could do the same in reverse. Then you could just rent an economy car and wouldn't need to worry about fitting the luggage. On check-out day, you can check your bags in at the resort and Disney will transfer them to the airport for you to pick up at your destination.

 

[Capang]

Buses. Easiest transportation. Yes, you will have to empty and fold up your stroller. Yes, you will wait for a bus. You will also spend the same amount of time, if not more, getting out of the parking lots of the parks with a rental car. Take the bus, and if you must, take the Minnie vans to the waterparks. Easy peasy.

 

[unrequited23]

We relied solely on Disney transportation when our kids were 5 & 2.5. We stayed at POR and the only memorable/crazy bus experiences were on our AK day. Both ways we had to wait for a second bus. Any stress I felt about using the bus system was self imposed--Are we going to make it to our PPO BOG ADR early enough for SDMT? Oh no, what will we do if both kids fall asleep in the stroller while we're waiting for the bus? People seemed to try to want to keep families together and shifted toddlers to laps to make more seats. No one minded if they were bumped with a stroller.

If you are on a budget, the savings from not getting a rental car could almost cover the cost of QS lunch each day. (We ended up splitting meals/ordering 3 kids meals and one adult meal for our group so YMMV.)

 

[JamboHeart]

We traveled to WDW often when my kids were small because we had 4 children within 4 years of each other, and it was so easy for us as parents to keep everyone safe, happy, and enjoy our vacation, too. The buses are far preferable to renting a car. My advice to make waiting for buses or rides easier with is to make sure that you keep your scheduled activities minimal, and go with the flow. Also, plan a mid-day break at the hotel, and start heading back before the melt-downs. It's hard to leave when everyone is having fun, but we found that if we went earlier, did a few hours, had a meal and then went back for some down time, everyone had a much better time than trying to do something after lunch. After a few hours swimming at the pool or a water park, we were refreshed and ready for more fun in the theme parks.

 

[pooh4evr]

If you want to rent a smaller car, then have DH get the car and drive it to the resort, then you and the kids take Magical Express. We have done it that way before, for the same reason as you, we have too many bags for a small car, and don't want to get a van for the week. Dh arrived just ahead of us when we stayed at All Star Sports. I just recommend taking the bus to MK, it is closer than the parking lot.

 

[shellyj]

Personally, I would take the buses and save whatever money you would have spent on a rental car for your next vacation.
We drive from VA to FL, so we have our car onsite, but we use the buses. Even if you have to wait for the bus, you don't spend much more time than you would if you drove. The bus stops are closer than the parking lots at the parks and the resorts. There might be a few long waits, but I can probably count on one hand the number of negative bus experiences. The buses do get crowded at peak traveling times, but I never had to stand with the baby. I don't worry about carrying on the stroller - all the other families are in the same boat. My kids have always enjoyed the bus rides and they make for a nice transition from the park the room.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Buses, buses and buses.

Instead of waiting in line with everyone else, wait in the park. If you are staying late enough to leave with the masses of people, stay 15 - 20 minutes longer. The lines will be mostly gone, and you will get a seat on the bus. Just stroll through the park, don't rush. And people watch or "shop." Play I spy with the kids. Do whatever you need to, so you are at the back of the line, instead of the middle.

 

[Gracie09]

With a little planning riding the buses is very easy with kids. We had the "backpack" rule. We brought one backpack to the park. If it did not fit in the backpack we did not bring it. This helped cut down on the oh we might need this or that. A couple times we needed a bandaid or juice but we were always able to find what we needed in the park.
Make use of the time in line for re packing your bag and fold your stroller. Don't wait until you get to the front to decide you need to pack up and fold. One parent is responsible for the kids one for the stroller. The stroller parent heads to the back to get out of the way. Do not stand right in front with your family. You are just in the way.
If you get to the front and there are no seats, stand aside. If it's a busy time, it is likely another bus will be along in a few minutes. (We have only had to do this a couple times. We can usually plan our travels on nonpeak times. Early mornings and early evenings worked well for our family.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I feel better about the buses and like the Minnie van option for difficult bus times.