Why do you opt not to rent a car?

[ncbyrne]

I just got back last night. We rented a car as we always do. After AK closed, DD and DGkids wanted to hop over to MGM to ride ToT and RnR with short lines while everyone was at Fantasmic. I wanted to go back to the resort, so I opted to take the bus, and let them take the car to MGM. I had to wait about 15 min. for a bus, and then I had to stand on the bus because there was no seat left for this grandma. Oh and BTW...chivalry IS dead! Then, I had to walk all the way from the front of the resort to my room. I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would prefer this form of transportation over renting a car! Once was enough for me.

 

[mmeb144]

I like not having to figure out how to get to and from the resort. All I have to figure out is where the bus picks up at the theme park. I just plan in the extra time for the travel.

Also, if you had been on my bus and I was sitting, I would have given you my seat. It just depends on who you ride with. Sometimes you just run into jerks.

Marie

 

[dcmbshafe]

I'm with you. We stayed at BWV last time were surprised at how difficult and time consuming Disney transportation could be. The worst was MK, one day it took us about 45 minutes to get there and the ride home, though shorter, was even more brutal because the buses were packed, our kids were sleeping, and we had a lot of stuff. I've stayed on the monorail before and that is pretty great, but if we ever stay on-site again and it is not on the monorail, we will be driving to the parks in our rental car.

 

[dirkus]

We opted to not rent a car this time because I want a vacation too! It might seem trivial but I am the one that does all the driving. When I am driving, I limit myself to one drink at the most and it just generally seems like a bit less of a vacation.

This time we are taking a towncar to and from WDW and will use the busses or cabs when the busses aren't convenient. I won't have to worry about whether I want a pint at the Biergarten, etc.

Anyway, those are my reasons. (BTW, I also would have let you have my seat on the bus.)

 

[klahr]

Ultimately it becomes an issue of cost-benefit analysis. My family rented a car for our first two trips. Since then we never have; we still think the added wait time at a bus stop out weighed the hassle and cost of car rental.

Admittedly we also gave up the option for efficient park hopping, none the less, it was worth it.

Drew

 

[Peter_noPan]

I think most people had it right.

1. Cost - I can save up to $200.00 by taking a towncar.

2. I don't want to drive everywhere.

3. When we stay at BWV we can walk to MGM and Epcot (or take boat, why drive to MK when you have to take the boat or monorail from the lot.

There is the fact you can go other places more easily, but most of the time we just go to the four parks.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

We actually enjoy using the buses. It's a vacation from start to finish for us-no driving, directions, traffic, parking, stress and most of all-no additional cost. We love taking the buses and prefer it-for us it is part of the vacation!

 

[reedycreek]

we were gonna rent a car, but opted not to because of reasons mentioned above. 1) cost 2) not having to think about driving 3) convinced disney transportation is a pretty good system 4) didnt want the hastle of parking (extra time for trams and walking to and from the car) 4) cost cost cost

 

[DebbieB]

Your experience sums up why I prefer to rent a car. Seems like I always get stuck hanging onto a pole for dear life in a crowded to the doors bus. As for the cost, my 7 day reservation for next month is $142 (National, Emerald Aisle, Intermediate, Priceless Code, $20 Entertainment Coupon). If you figure what a town car would cost from the airport including tips, the difference is very little. You could save money with Mears, but talk about a hassle. I don't find the rental car a hassle at all (go straight to the garage with Emerald Club) and actually like driving around WDW, beats city traffic any day. We use the car to go grocery shopping when we get there, we like to go to the outlets, we go to some offsite restaurants. I would never be without a car again (last time without was 1999).

 

[gigi1313]

because we LIKE it! to my kids the bus, boat, monorail is another "ride!" we meet lots of great people on disney transport! it's cheaper! we don't have any worries or hassles or remembering where we left our car! we won't get lost or need to stop to ask directions! we can have a cocktail or two w/no worries! i often ponder the reverse question... why rent a car?!

(although we do typically rent at the airport, go visit my elderly aunt 45 mins away from wdw, and then return the car as fast as we can so our vacation can begin!)

 

[plutolovr]

I personally cannot be without a car in DW.

The deciding factor for us is getting on the bus at the end of night at MK with all the cranky parents, their crying kids with smelly diapers, and strollers. Sometimes the strollers get their own seats while others have to stand.

I have actually found my own little routes around the World. I love driving around there. If we go to PI to drink, we will take the buses if we can. I do take them occasionally, but I feel I have more freedom with a car.

Plutolovr

 

[InstImpres]

ALWAYS need a car in WDW. Funny thing though, I never drive to MK, since you can't park and not take 2 modes of transportation I bus it there (or prefere monorail from Epcot if staying at BCV or BWV).

 

[ahoff]

If you are comparing costs, we have found it is more economical to rent a car compared to the cost of other transportation from the airport.

But having siad that, once we are at WDW we don't usually use the car, except to go to DTD. Like several posters said, it is much easier to take a bus to MK rather than park and have to deal with getting from the lot to MK. Haven't really had much problems with any form of Disney transportation. Except it is faster to walk rather than take the EPCOT boats

 

[tjkraz]

We ALWAYS like to have a car. Most often we drive, but even if we fly, we'll rent a car for at least part of the trip. Note that the Dolphin resort has an Alamo return desk. Last time we stayed at the Boardwalk, we rented only for our arrival day and departure day. We only paid for 2 single-day rentals (about $80, which included an upgrade to a convertible one way).

The rental car enabled us to stop at the grocery store after checking-in at the resort. We also made stops that the Premier and Belz outlets, saving a few bucks on souvenirs.

Oh, and it was nice not having to take a bus to AK on our departure day, either.

 

[ladydancer]

We had rented a car the first couple of times @ WDW. We ended up using WDW transportation and not the car. To us using the bus as someone else posted is like another ride. Also I don't want to drive while on vacation. To me it is a chore.

If were really tired or want to get somewhere fast, I'll call a cab.

 

[F1Julie]

I drive to WDW and once I'm at my resort, my car stays in the same spot til it's time to drive home. I like using Disney transportation. It's nice being dropped off right at the front of the park, not trying to find my way around, look for a parking space, and then try to remember where my car is at the end of the day. I find it much more relaxing to let someone else do the driving while I'm on vacation. I've never had any problems with the buses and always found them to be very prompt.

 

[goofyernmost]

OK, I'll wade in here and say that I always rent a car but then again I never stay on site. The money that I save by staying off site pays for the car rental and then some. That is my preference and I don't try to project that on anyone else. I know there are ton's of reasons for staying on site...it just doesn't fit in my needs column.

Having a car allows me to come and go as I please. Go to nice, lower cost, restaurants off-site. Go to other venue's (yes, there are some) without a transportation hastle or just explore Florida on whatever days that I decide I need to rest my tired, acking feet.

Since COST has been mentioned many times the only comment I would like to make is someone pays for those buses, boats and monorails and that would be one of the reasons that a Disney Resort is up there in price. Because I feel I am paying one way or the other I opt to have the convenience of personal transportation. I'll bet that, at closing, I can be in my car (even with the additional tram ride) and at my hotel on 197 before some of you have even gotten on the bus.

Whatever way you do it...if it works for you, then that is the way to go.

 

[dixiegirl]

Everyone is going to have their own opinion on this topic - depending on their preferences and their family's needs. For DH and I, we truly prefer to use the WDW busses - we do not want to have to drive anywhere on vacation and since we don't leave WDW during our vacations, we choose to use the busses and enjoy them. For us, it's all part of the experience.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We like the convenience of the car so we always get one for the entire stay. For our family of four it is negligibly more than the Mears would be so cost is not a factor (of course, we shop around for the best rates and use coupons, etc...). Being able to grocery shop and eat off site saves money, too. We also like to keep a styrofoam cooler in the trunk filled with ice cold drinks so when we leave the parks we drive off comfortable and refreshed. When our kids were little they would often fall asleep in the back and we would drive around and look at all the resorts which was fun for us newbies back then. As stated previously, to each his own!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

We rented a car, but we're not planning on using the car to get to the parks. We're going to use the busses for that. It's much less of a hassle. This is my first time staying onsite, so I'm assuming that's true. Anyway, we rented the car because we like to eat offsite sometimes and we like to visit Old Town and this neat mall we discovered on our last trip. Among other things.