Yet another "should I rent a car" thread, please cast your votes!

[jpessa]

Hi all,

I know this has been done to death, and I'll get 2 sides of the coin on answers, still interested in opinions. I have been to WDW lots, but 2 times in the near past with my DH and DD.

This trip: September 25 - October 5 - 10 nights (11 rental days), just me and DD3. 5 days at POP, 5 days at AoA (LM room).

Of my last 2 trips, we did not rent one and rented the next. I LOVE having the car. Freedom, leaving when I want, liberty to choose to use it or not (MK), going off property, no waiting around for DME, etc. It was a no brainer, I was getting it again. Then I extended my trip from 6 days to 10, and my rental went from $150 to $300! I can do most of it on points (I have $200 on points, so would pay $100 OOP), but not sure if it's worth it! With DH it's a must (he's a Grumpy and hates waiting and crowds - hence why he's not coming this trip), but since it's just myself and DD, we're more go-with-the-flow. I have ADR's but just at the parks or at resorts on the monorail and none super early.

What would YOU do? $100 OOP isn't huge, but it would buy a princess dress and a doll! Gotta have those priorities... Then again, the freedom of the car... Hmmmm...

TIA!!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Sorry, my input is not like most .... 48 trips to WDW, all stays on property and never rented or used a car while in vacation...

We used Disney transportation only, it has its ups and downs, for us very few downs.... We're not in any hurry, last trip from POFQ , bus to any kg the parks took less than 20 minutes with minimal bus depot waiting... It's free...

We never go off property, if we drive to WDW, we hit the grocery store in route, park the car and forget it... Eating at other resorts doesn't interest us so for us, renting a car and spending that extra on what we can get for free is a no brainer...

 

[bumbershoot]

You could have it for part of the trip; is there a time during trips that you are most likely to go offsite for food, etc? Have you priced it out at the various non-airport locations? On our last trip it was much cheaper to pick up at the airport then drop off at the Dolphin, weirdly enough.

I love the car, even to MK. I do not love the bus to anywhere. Last trip when we didn't have a car, or the morning we left the car in the lot to take the bus to MK, we ended up using taxis. None of us could deal with the bus line or the bus again.

 

[2009CAN]

For all the reasons you stated that made you like renting a car are the reasons I would. I've been to Disney three times ... all w/o kids and on Disney property and rented a car every time. We're going this fall w/our three toddlers and there's NO WAY I'd to it w/o a rental. I have zero desire to be waiting on busses or anything else when my kids are tired or hungry.
I say splurge for it, or at the very least, do it for the amount of days you can afford.

 

[jpessa]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'll look at perhaps a partial rental. DME does have its perks. I like the idea of ditching my luggage in Buffalo. Hmmm.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Big rental car fans here. Long trip, short trip, doesn't matter. We definitely use the Disney transportation to the parks, but don't hesitate at all to use the rental to get to the parks if needed. The biggest advantage is we find it gives us more flexibility for things like hitting the grocery store (DVC members and that's important to us), resort hopping (for dinner reservations at other resorts), getting to/from the water parks more conveniently and with only a bathing suit on and without packing giant totes, heading to excursions like mini-golf, DTD, Fort Wilderness (hoop-dee-doo), etc.

Overall, it cuts down on a lot of wasted time with transfers, etc. We'll NEVER visit WDW without a car of our own to use as we please!

 

[jkl2000]

I'd definitely say rent one if you like having a car there!

Personally, if I'm awake in time and I miss a rope drop, I want it to be because of a bus driver's fault, not my own fault. I don't want to be lost at WDW, trying to find Animal Kingdom or whatever. Of course, having grown up and lived most of my life in NYC I'm used to waiting for transit and used to the length of the rides, etc. To some people who don't use public transit much, that kind of waiting is intolerable.

 

[Wood Nymph]

If the only thing you would do with the rental car is to drive to the parks and resorts within WDW, then I would say no to the rental. But if you plan to go to Sea World, eat at restaurants outside of the park, etc, then I would day yes.

But if it was me and a 3 year old all by myself, I would stick with ME. It is just easier to hop a bus then go to the parking lot. And you won't have to strap her in her car seat the whole time you are on vacation.

 

[gilsan]

We are going the same time as you, and we always rent a car. I think in September when it is hot and muggy getting in your own car to get get back to the resort is fantastic especially compared to a full bus. For $100 I would get the car.

 

[mdinme]

We'd never go wo it. Like to get groceries for the room, have a cooler with us all the time and a change of clothes esp when we hit the water parks which we do a lot of.

Cant handle waiting for a bus even if its two minutes.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just got back from yet another WDW trip. And this was the time that I was constantly saying...'Oh God..I need to rent a car from now on!!'. And do you want to know why?? Not because of the buses, but because of the people on them. There was the time that dd and I got onto the bus, and were told that there was no room, so had to get off. Of course, if those idiots standing in the middle of the bus had moved to the back of the bus, as they had been instructed to do, we would have been able to fit 10 more people on the bus!!! I saw one bus driver tie down a jogging stroller....that took up 3 seats, while the parents and their child plopped down and took up another 4 seats between them. No, there was no issue with the child.....the parents just pleaded with the driver to let them leave it open and tie it down like an ecv!! Seriously?? They said something about it's being broken and it wouldn't fold up. How the heck did they think they were going to get it home?? And that child? Fairly old....at least 6 or 7, judging by his size.
I just got so tired of it all. I'm thinking about keeping my car in Sept and not returning it when I make the trip from Vero Beach to BWV!!

 

[mdinme]

The other part is that it is pretty cheap. Ill put the four of us in an econ if its cheapest but that was only once. Every other trip ive gotten bigger just as cheap.

A car adds $250 to a ten day vacation that costs $4k. Worth it.

Priceline, priceline, priceline within a week of departure.

 

[mckelvey72]

I think being it is just you and your daughter and she is young you would be better with a car. you don't have to worry about crowded busses if she is cranky or tired and you can just come and go when you want. Plus you can leave her doll/blankie etc in the car and if she is tired she will hit the car seat and be done. Easier than dealing with a sleepy kid on the bus. Or a crying one for that matter if that were to happen.

 

[Tara]

Rent the car. Just do it. Now that you know what it's like to have the car, it's hard to go back! But keep watching rental prices and threads here to see if you can get a better price!