traveling within the world for a first timer

[bterrier518]

Hello All! First thank you for all your tips and advice. I am a first time visitor and reading your posts is very helpful. We are planning our family's trip in Dec 2013. We are staying at Art of Animation for 6 nights. We have a 6, 4, and 2 year old and will have strollers. We are driving. Never being on property before...I'm confused about traveling between parks/resort/downtown Disney. Do I avoid the buses at all costs? Take the bus to MK and not our car? Any apps that would help to have installed on my phone? Any advice is very much appreciated.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Hello! I was just in your area during the storm last Thursday.
With that many tiny ones I would avoid the buses at peek times, only because of the larger stroller and finding seats for little ones. I feel so bad for the parents of small ones sleeping on their shoulder at the end of a long day finding standing room only.

Give a try on the bus to MK though, if your at the end of the line, wait for the next bus. It is just very challenging to get parked, find a shuttle to the monorail, then get through the security line.
By taking the bus you are dropped curb side.

The APs I downloaded are Disney World, the my experience APP for all the confirmation contacts and dining links. WDW Maps which has the attraction wait times, WDW hours, and for fun the Disney World Hidden Mickey.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hello All! First thank you for all your tips and advice. I am a first time visitor and reading your posts is very helpful. We are planning our family's trip in Dec 2013. We are staying at Art of Animation for 6 nights. We have a 6, 4, and 2 year old and will have strollers. We are driving. Never being on property before...I'm confused about traveling between parks/resort/downtown Disney. Do I avoid the buses at all costs? Take the bus to MK and not our car? Any apps that would help to have installed on my phone? Any advice is very much appreciated.

No need to 'avoid buses at all costs'...they work very well for what they are. Now, having said that, if you are using multiple strollers and have a car? I would use the car most of the time. It's easier to take the bus to MK though. The resort bus will drop you just a short walk from the entrance to MK. If you drive your car, you will park at the TTC, possibly have to take a tram ride over to the ferry/monorail area. Then, off the tram and to either the big ferry or the express monorail line to get over to MK.

You will find that there is transportation between the parks. It's the resort to resort transportation that is convoluted and time consuming. It's all pretty easy to understand once you get there. If you have specific questions about getting from point A to point B, just ask.

 

[NC Disney Fan]

Here are my thoughts. We dont' have young children anymore (and even when we did on our first Disney trip, they didn't have strollers) but we avoid the busses at all cost. we have found that if you have the AAA Diamond parking pass, you get to park close to the front of the parking lot and it is just a short walk to the parks. After about 2 years of struggling with the busses, the waits and honestly some very rude people who don't give up their seats for women, the elderly and especially parents with small children, it just doesn't seem worth it. I always gave up my seat but have seen many a parent standing, trying to hold on to a strap, a sleeping child and a stroller (and you have 3). Additiaionlly they pack them in like sardines. WIth all you have to manuever, I think that it will not be a good situation unless you travel at off times. Additionally having stayed in the values every year for the past 6 years, for some reason, the lines are always the longest--and I mean long. We have waited with very tired kids at the end of a day through 5 or 6 buses. SOmetimes close to an hour. This is brutal.

Again, if you can drive and not fight the crowds, this is huge!! WIth such little ones, it may just save your sanity. And make your experience better. Again, the parking is a breeze at every park except for the MK as someone already stated. That is the only day we do take Disney transportation just because of the extra trips. However, with 3 strollers, you could board the monorail without breaking them down and the same holds true for the Ferry which means your little ones can be sleeping as you work your way to the car. Plus, it is a pleasant boat ride.

Hope this helps.

 

[rwdavis2]

We always rent a car and drive to each park. Since hit rope drop the parking is usually close enough even for MK.

 

[Sugardimples]

With multiple strollers and several children, your life will be much easier if you use your car.

 

[bterrier518]

Thank you all! Very helpful! My kids and I thank you

 

[Tara]

I always rent a car and pretty much always drive to every park, including MK. Yes, you have to park, then take the monorail or ferry, but we like doing that. In fact, most trips we'd never take the monorail otherwise, so it's worth it. Plus I like being able to get back in my own car and go wherever I want when I leave MK, like offsite to grab something I need at Target, or pick up pizza for dinner or something.

For driving around, the signage is very good I think. Just remember that for most resorts, you are going to the resort area, not the park area. So Boardwalk is an Epcot area resort, but DO NOT try to get there by following the signs for Epcot...follow the ones that say "Epcot Resort Area."

 

[Tara]

I always rent a car and pretty much always drive to every park, including MK. Yes, you have to park, then take the monorail or ferry, but we like doing that. In fact, most trips we'd never take the monorail otherwise, so it's worth it. Plus I like being able to get back in my own car and go wherever I want when I leave MK, like offsite to grab something I need at Target, or pick up pizza for dinner or something.

For driving around, the signage is very good I think. Just remember that for most resorts, you are going to the resort area, not the park area. So Boardwalk is an Epcot area resort, but DO NOT try to get there by following the signs for Epcot...follow the ones that say "Epcot Resort Area."

 

[NC Disney Fan]

For driving around, the signage is very good I think. Just remember that for most resorts, you are going to the resort area, not the park area. So Boardwalk is an Epcot area resort, but DO NOT try to get there by following the signs for Epcot...follow the ones that say "Epcot Resort Area."[/QUOTE]

Here point is well taken. And to add to that for the OP, we have our GPS with us which has saved us many a time. Despite the fact we have gone there every year for 6 years and driven around, we still get lost from time to time. If you can bring your GPS and go ahead and program in the various park and/or hotels, you will have no troubles driving around the "world".

 

[Gracie09]

I'm going to buck the trend here. We like the buses. We travel with a double stroller and one backpack. Dh is in charge of the stroller and back pack I take the kids. We get to the parks around rope drop and at least once per trip stay for fireworks. We haven't had an issue going to the parks at closing if the bus is too full we wait for the next. It usually comes in less than five minutes.dh drives over an hour each way to work. Any chance not to drive he takes.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, in the interest of gathering info, I'm going to drive to parks next week!!! I have never, ever done this. If you all hear about some crazy tourist, fouling up traffic in the WDW area next week, you'll know it's me!!! I have a car rented for the entire time...was going to just use it to get from Palm Beach to Vero Beach and then to WDW and have dh return the car to MCO when he leaves, after 4 days at WDW (I get to stay an addtl 3 days!!!
So, I think I'll take a shot at driving to the parks...just to see why you all love it so much. Will report back..either from my BWV room or the nearest jail or hospital!!!!

 

[Lewisc]

Okay, in the interest of gathering info, I'm going to drive to parks next week!!! I have never, ever done this. If you all hear about some crazy tourist, fouling up traffic in the WDW area next week, you'll know it's me!!! I have a car rented for the entire time...was going to just use it to get from Palm Beach to Vero Beach and then to WDW and have dh return the car to MCO when he leaves, after 4 days at WDW (I get to stay an addtl 3 days!!!
So, I think I'll take a shot at driving to the parks...just to see why you all love it so much. Will report back..either from my BWV room or the nearest jail or hospital!!!!

Please have your DH or one of your kids take Disney transportation. Interesting to know which is faster, and by how much

 

[NC Disney Fan]

Okay, in the interest of gathering info, I'm going to drive to parks next week!!! I have never, ever done this. If you all hear about some crazy tourist, fouling up traffic in the WDW area next week, you'll know it's me!!! I have a car rented for the entire time...was going to just use it to get from Palm Beach to Vero Beach and then to WDW and have dh return the car to MCO when he leaves, after 4 days at WDW (I get to stay an addtl 3 days!!!
So, I think I'll take a shot at driving to the parks...just to see why you all love it so much. Will report back..either from my BWV room or the nearest jail or hospital!!!!

You are too funny. If you end up in jail, at least it will be DIsney jail right? I bet that has to be a magical place too ! I will be interested to hear your opinion though. Where have you stayed in the past that you enjoyed the Disney transportation? We have always been in the values which, even when leaving at night, seem to be the most crowded. Having to wait through 3 or 4 bus loadings after the end of a long night, driving won out long ago for us. I was always amazed at the lines for the other resorts. Why so short? More buses? More transportation options? Disney fairies flying them back so they don't have to wait in lines and stand on sardine packed buses? Give us your thoughts in relation to where you have previously stayed. It should be an interesting experiment.

 

[pepe of ohio]

You are too funny. If you end up in jail, at least it will be DIsney jail right? I bet that has to be a magical place too ! I will be interested to hear your opinion though. Where have you stayed in the past that you enjoyed the Disney transportation? We have always been in the values which, even when leaving at night, seem to be the most crowded. Having to wait through 3 or 4 bus loadings after the end of a long night, driving won out long ago for us. I was always amazed at the lines for the other resorts. Why so short? More buses? More transportation options? Disney fairies flying them back so they don't have to wait in lines and stand on sardine packed buses? Give us your thoughts in relation to where you have previously stayed. It should be an interesting experiment.

We've never driven or rented a car at WDW, always stay on property ...and never, repeat, never waited for a second bus...

We're headed down for trip 50, yes 50 and always relied on Disney transportation... Most trips were deluxe but last 3 and up coming were at POFQ... Again, for a moderate, never had to wait for second bus... and last 3 trips we had our car with us and it sat in the lot....want no part of Disney parking lots....so it may take 5-10extra minutes to go by bus or boat ... what's the big hurry. Isn't 10-12 hours in a park enough?

 

[momjeeps]

Not knowing for sure what time in Dec you're going, if its around Christmas, most definitely the car! We prefer the car for all parks as well. Even MK. We had a AAA parking pass though. Never had to collapse the stroller until we got to the car.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'll have to see if dh is willing to take the bus. We're staying at the dread BWVs, so it will be a good test. I have a decent idea of how long the bus would take though.


I've stayed at almost every WDW resort so far. It's not that I 'enjoy' using Disney transportation, but more of a 'I'm on vacation and don't feel the need for speed' , so to speak. I've usually had fairly good bus experiences. But, recently, they have been less than wonderful. Should be interesting to see how this works out.

 

[NC Disney Fan]

Like I said, this was how it was for the value resorts. When I say 3 or 4 buses, I am serious. And at the end of the long over 12 hour day on our feet, waiting for those with young kids can be brutal. we have been lucky enough to have better success with driving. I will be interested how it is with the moderate resort POFQ this year in terms of waits. We will be taking the bus for MK and will see. Being smaller, maybe it will provide a nicer Disney transportation experience. We'll keep our car just in case (of course, we need it to return home).

 

[Missyrose]

I'll have to see if dh is willing to take the bus. We're staying at the dread BWVs, so it will be a good test. I have a decent idea of how long the bus would take though.

I've stayed at almost every WDW resort so far. It's not that I 'enjoy' using Disney transportation, but more of a 'I'm on vacation and don't feel the need for speed' , so to speak. I've usually had fairly good bus experiences. But, recently, they have been less than wonderful. Should be interesting to see how this works out.

You'll probably find it's nice to leave when you want vs. wanting to leave and waiting for the next bus. It ends up feeling like much less transportation time with a car.