Using a car while staying on site - did you save time?

[missypie]

I've read several posts from people who stayed on site but rented a car and drove from their hotel to the various parks because they had been previously upset by long waits for busses, etc. If you have done this, do you think you actually saved time? It seems like by the time you walk to your car in the parking lot, drive to the park of choice, park your car, then walk or ride in a tram to the main gate, it would have been just as quick to wait for and take a bus, even if the wait was a bit long. What are the time differences? Are there times of the year and/or on-site locations where you wait for a bus and then have to let it go by because it is full?

 

[novafan]

I'm glad you asked this. We are staying at the CR for the 2nd half of our trip in September. Of course we'll ride the monorail for MK and Epcot, but I was wondering if we should drive to MGM and AK?

 

[annamonte]

We're staying at WL in October and renting a car. The plan is to take a boat to MK and to use car for others. I wonder what the best thing to do is....

 

[missypie]

Hopefully we will get some good answers about transportion. The thing I like about DLR in CA is that if you stay onsite you can easily walk from any of the 3 hotels to either park. I am a "first in line at rope drop" person and it would drive me insane to be sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting for a bus as time ticked away and the park opened.

 

[DrTomorrow]

We always stay on-site and always rent a car, primarily due to the sense of control it gives us - stopping a store, eating offsite, resort-resort hopping, etc. It always saves us time going resort to resort - even Disney tells you to plan some ungodly amount of time. Resort to park is a different issue - I'm certain it depends on the resort you're staying at. We're staying at the Polynesian (double digit dance!) so we'd only benefit from AK and MGM - but since we're near the TTC, even those two might not help. If you're at the AKL with a bus to every park, you might save more time - a 25 minute wait, plus a 15 minute ride (or more, if your bus stops elsewhere) is probably longer than it would take for you to drive to MK. I've been at resorts (PO) where we were first, then passed folks by at DxL stops because we were full. Worse, in my opinion, can be the lines at park close - I've had busses fill up and leave with us still in line.
That said, I have nothing but respect for Disney Transportation, and for me (principal driver in family), a big part of the vacation is taking the monorail, ferry, launch or bus - but some situations just scream out for a car.

 

[SAWYERMAW1]

We usually rent a car but only use it when we go to the outlets or eat off-site. I think part of the Disney fun is going by bus or monorail. We take the Disney transportation everywhere we go.

 

[BostonMouse]

I don't really understand the logic of NOT getting a rental whether you're on-site or off. You have to get to/from the airport. For a family of 4, that's a minimum of $90-100 when you figure in the cost of transportation and tip for a limo and $96 for Mears. (Unless you can take the public trans. which is not practical for anyone with kids). That's at least half the cost of a rental car. With the rental car you get much more flexibility.

You can dine off-site if you want and get better meals at a more reasonable cost. Count that toward the rental. Also, you can come and go as you please, no waiting for busses. I find this especially handy when leaving the parks at closing and the bus lines are at their longest.

So in my opinion, the benefits and cost of a rental car are outweighed by savings in ground transportation/meals and the flexibility you gain with a rental car.

For those who don't agree, fine. The more people taking the busses the easier the driving will be for me!

 

[NTDIANE]

DD AND I ALWAYS TAKE THE BUSES, EVEN IF YOU WAIT 15 TO 20 MINUTES FOR THE BUS WHAT IS THE RUSH, WHEN I AM ON VACATION I TRY NOT TO RUSH, I DO THAT ENOUGH 51 WEEKS OUT OF THE YEAR.
WHEN GOING BACK TO THE RESORT AFTER A HOT DAY, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A HOT CAR AND DRIVE BACK, I RATHER GET INTO AN AIR CONDITION BUS AND HAVE THEM DRIVE ME.

 

[scarlett873]

when we were on our honeymoon last september, we had a rental car. we had initially agreed not to use it and to rely on the disney transportation except for evenings at PI. but after the first day of having to wait ungodly times for busses and having to transfer to get to where we wanted to go, it became easier for us to use our own car...the only time it was a big inconvenience was our last night there...we went to the MK and waited until well after the fireworks and when we went to get our car, we had to wait for 4 groups of people for the ferry over, then we waited another 30 to 45 minutes for the tram to the parking lot...that put a big dent in our evening plans...but other than that, i prefer to have my own car. it's just as easy to park hop with my car as it is to take disney's transportation!

 

[Spartan]

The last few times we've gone, we've rented a car. Our strategy is since we are not early-entry people, we always take the buses in the morning since they're never very crowded at the time we go. We usually come back in the afternoon for a rest or swim, then take our car back to the park for the afternoon so we can drive back after the park closing. Since we like to stay out late, often we'll want to go to DTD after the park closes, so we can just drive there directly. It also comes in handy for resort-hoping, DTD, or the water parks. We typically never go off site while we're there, but still get a lot of use out of the car. I'd say the only parks we don't drive to are MK - because it seems like a hassle driving in yourself, and AK - because it's not open late and we're never fighting crowds when we leave.

Another reason is that the last couple of times we've gone - I've found cheaper flights into Tampa than into MCO. The savings from the flight practically paid for the rental, and it seemed like an easier airport to get in and out of. It's certainly not a necessity, but a nice little perk that we like to have available.

 

[mrsltg]

The rental car is definitely the way to go IMHO. We don't usually need to take the tram, so no waiting there, and the only park where you still need some transport is MK. I think it definitely takes a lot less time to get from place to place.

Erin

 

[zcomic]

We've gone with and without car and getting one is the only way to go. If for no other reason the cost of a week's rental can be cheaper then paying for a family of 4 to take the Mears bus to and from the airport (at least it was in 2000 & 2001). In addition it gives you the freedom to go off property to Universal or just hitting a grocery store. While we still make use of Disney transportation in some cases (we'll be using the boats from WL to MK & CR in July) we use the car to get to and from most places.

 

[dennisnlisab96]

We ALWAYS rent a car when we go to Disney. We find it much eaiser to have a car. There is always a long wait for the bus to the resort and the last time we used the buses we had to leave the resorts 2 or 3 hours before our flight. I found that to be crazy. We also use our car to go everywhere except the MK. (usually stay @WL) We have 5 kids 11, 9, 6, 4, 1 (6th due in 3 weeks). Getting on and off the bus with the double stroller, diaper bag, kids, and any other stuff we might have is a real pain. Sometimes when it is busy there are not enough sets for everyone in our family. I hope this helps.

 

[brubaby1]

Greetings,
I agree with the others that renting our car gives you the freedom to come and go as you please. It also offers you options for dining, shopping and other local attractions (Universal, Sea World, Kennedy Space Center, etc) without having to arrange for transportation outside of the World.

Kevin & Paula

 

[missypie]

Great responses!

Two more questions:

1. How much does it cost to park your car at the various Disney parks?

2. I remember a guy from work going to WDW a few years ago. It was at a busy time - either spring break or summer. All he could talk about was the hour + wait he had to pick up the rental car. Is this common?

 

[MrsPete]

We are close enough to Florida to drive, so we have our own car. Still, we use Disney transportation. Consider your ENTIRE travel time in your car:

Walk to the parking lot (quite a hike from some resorts)
Get into your hot car
Drive to the park (hope you're better at navagating than we are)
Go through the pay-gates (even though you won't have to pay since you're an on-site person, you're going to have to wait while the cars ahead of you pay)
Search for a parking place
Walk to the entrance (could be some distance if you're going mid-day)

Don't forget: after your park day, you still have the fun of searching through that huge parking lot for your hot car.

No thanks, I'll wait a few minutes for the bus! I think people who say Disney transportation are the ones who have trouble waiting for things in general. I've seen plenty of people arrive at the bus stop, stand there two minutes and declare, "Where is that bus? We've been waiting 15 minutes!"

We've always had great luck with the busses. Here are my hints for making Disney transportation work:

If you're using Early Entry, go out early. There'll be a crowd waiting for transportation. This is the only time we have ever seen a bus pull away full.
Don't leave the parks immediately after fireworks in the evening. You'll get into a huge crowd. Either leave just before or have a snack and wait until the crowd has left to make your own exit.

 

[taylor1293]

Driving your own car will beat the bus most everytime.

It's an easy drive to any of the parks, and they have trams to escort you up to the front. You'll be at the front of the park in less time that it's takes to wait for a bus.

On our last stay we decided we would take the bus one morning to MK on an Early Entry day. We were at the BWV. We get to the stop around 7:30 and there were quite a few people already there. One family said they had been waiting since 7:05!

We waited 10 minutes and a bus came along (now remember the other family had been there 35 minutes already) and when the bus arrived, it was standing room only! Only a handful of people got on! What a joke! The park opens in 20 minutes and there is no on time transportation provided!

We walked back up to the valet and got our car and drove over.

Waiting 30 minutes for a bus is not how I want to spend my vacation time. What a waste

Teresa

 

[JLS]

I had been to WDW staying on-site 3 times since 2000 NOT renting a car. I really thought that I liked the Disney buses and other transportation. But we went in May and rented a car because we also stayed on-site at Universal for a couple of days, and we split our on-site Disney stay between the WL and the AKL. So we decided to go with a rental car to see how we liked it. I am converted - I will never go again without a rental car!! It was SO nice to have the freedom to just hop in the car and drive over to another resort (we like eating at and checking out other resorts) and it is so much easier to get to Downtown Disney with a car. I also like that if you are going to be away from your room all day, you can store things in your car such as a change of clothes or shoes without having to take them into the parks with you and get a locker.

We were VERY pleased with the fact that valet parking at Disney Resorts is only $6 per day (compare with $12 per day at Universal and more at many other hotels we have been to). If you are an onsite guest, you can use the valet at the other resorts too free of charge (provided you are paying for valet at your home resort). And self parking is free, and not very difficult in our experience. Parking at the parks is FREE (not words you hear often at WDW) for on-site guests. And car rental in Florida is very cheap. For 8 days with a mid-sized car, including gas and tax, it was $210. So you can't beat it.

--Jenn

 

[Majestic]

We always rented a car because it is nice to plan your schedule and be able to stick to it with less chance of something holding us up.

We used bus transportation a few times and found that it was not our cup of tea. Heck, glad Disney has it because it works for LOTS of people. Just not for us.

We stay at the WL all the time so we use the boat transportation for Magic Kingdom days and to go to Chef Mickeys. It's really convenient and you rarely have to wait for a boat. Besides, the ride is nice. Last year, my DD was only 2 and was still using a bottle. She dropped it and it slid out one of the portholes in the floor. The captain of the boat comically scolded her for littering then jokingly asked us if he should stop the boat to retrieve the bottle!! It was a real gas.

Any other time, we just get in the car and go. It's really nice if you know your way around or can read a map. Especially if you plan to go off the property. We used our rental car to go see the shuttle Discovery launch. The wait for the launch was the longest part. Those that came on buses suffered in over 100 degree weather. We just sat in our car with the air on. (By the way, the launch was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life. I got some great pictures and video of it too!)

Get the car. Trust me. If anything, my DW and DD love the fact that I drop them off at the door before I go to park.

Fred

 

[safetymom]

We always rent a car while at WDW. We take the Greeneway to get to the resort. It is a nice beautiful highway with hardly any traffic. It is much better than I-4.

We never wait for our rental car at Hertz. We never wait more than a minute or two for the shuttle and we are driving away in our car in less than 10 mins.

I was just at WDW several weeks ago for business. I wasn't authorized to have a car so I had to use the Disney transporation system from CSR. I wasn't impressed. I had to wait almost 1/2 hour for the bus to MK. The driver was wonderful though. The walk from the bus into Magic Kingdom was longer than if I had parked my car, then rode the monorail over. The tram was always right there when we drove.

I then went by monorail to Epcot, quick and easy. We usually when driving park at Epcot, then we can visit MK and MGM. Only park once and get to visit 3 parks. Then when it was time to leave I waited almost 1/2 hour again for the bus. I was checking my watch because I knew if I mentioned it people would say it only seemed like I waited a long time. That bus driver was wonderful with talking and telling us trivia.

I find driving in WDW not hard at all. I like the freedom to come and go as I please. Since I am a resort guest they just wave me through when they see the card on my dashboard.

So it wasn't a bad experience with the Disney transportation but I would rather have my car. I stay at the moderates and don't feel like I am missing something by not staying at a monorail hotel. Of course I would like to stay and experience all the hotels but we have a great time when we drive a rental car at WDW.