Shuttle bus or rental car?

[Lott2912]

My fiancé and I are coming back to WDW for our honeymoon in September and can't decide if it's worth it to get a rental car! Last year on our trip we just used disneys own buses and mears taxis shuttle bus to and from offsite locations.

Is it really worth it getting a rental car?

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Is it really worth it getting a rental car?

Disney Transportation - Take you everywhere within WDW, pretty reliable, sometimes quite packed. Also means that you can have an alcoholic drink (or two) with your meal and don't have to worry. Can't get you around offsite.

Taxis - Take you everywhere you want to go (at a price). You are reliant on the reliability of others to arrive on time and collect you on time.

Rental Car - Take yourself everywhere that you want to go, leave when you want, return when you want, even offsite. Restriction with alcoholic intake during meals if driving.

The questions are - How often would you use a rental car while on vacation ? How much will that add to the cost of your vacation ? Would taking a taxi on those same journeys be dearer or cheaper ?

My thoughts would be Disney transport in and around The World and if you need to go offsite then book a taxi. Surely this is the cheapest option ?

 

[SDisney90]

My fiancé and I are coming back to WDW for our honeymoon in September and can't decide if it's worth it to get a rental car! Last year on our trip we just used disneys own buses and mears taxis shuttle bus to and from offsite locations.

Is it really worth it getting a rental car?

I've been going back and fourth with this question since we started planning our 2016 trip. We've taken the Magical Express to and from the airport, buses, shuttles, boats, monorails you name it throughout Disney property. In one aspect we can go wherever we please and not have to wait for any buses, leave when we want, arrive when we want. If we want to leave the Disney bubble? No problem, we have a car and can do so. Yes, you can do that with a taxi but from what I've heard/read those taxis can be a little ridiculous.

Biggest question, do you think its worth spending another 200,300,400,500.00 on your vacation to have a car? It can be worth it or not. I'm still stuck on this question for myself personally. As of right now for my girlfriend and I it's really not worth it. With that money we can spend it on a tour, souvenirs, or whatever else we want to. Especially with no children, that would be a deal breaker if that was the case, a rental car is the way to go IMO.

 

[BigHero4]

Hands down - use Disney transportation. No need for taxi or rental unless you need to leave the Disney bubble.

 

[Lott2912]

Thanks, yeah we have already said the rental car would only be used when leaving the disney bubble, for Walmart and a possible shopping mall day out.
Trying to decide if £400 is worth it for a possible few trips out.

 

[HollyAD]

I personally don't think the cost is worth having a rental. You could get a taxi for pretty cheap compared to the rental. We even did a taxi a few times on WDW property when getting to dinner reservations during busy bus times. Taxis are outside of every resort 24/7.

 

[SAV]

We always get a rental car for our trips. I'd rather be in control of my own transportation than relying on someone else. I like being able to go to my rental car instead of waiting in another line to catch a bus at the end of a long day.

But we also use the car after the Disney portion of the trip to head to the Gulf Side beaches.

The one day I needed to get to DHS with my son for the Jedi Training Academy so I took the car with him and my DW and DD took the bus from the resort. Here reply to me when I asked how it went..."It was fine, but I don't want to do it again". I asked why and it wasn't a matter of something going wrong, in fact they had a very short wait for the bus. She just didn't like it.

 

[flynnibus]

400 pounds? Def not worth it for that. When you can get a car for 200-300usd/week that's when it's a convenience cost.

Driving to the parks is often much better than the buses... But there are a lot of factors involved that steer how much each people gain. For instance some resorts the parking is much further from your room .. While others the car is closer than the bus

 

[Clamman73]

Thanks, yeah we have already said the rental car would only be used when leaving the disney bubble, for Walmart and a possible shopping mall day out.
Trying to decide if £400 is worth it for a possible few trips out.

Yikes! I just did the conversion and that's like $600! How long you plan on staying? Through Priceline last fall, I got a Ford Focus hatchback for 10 days for around $190 - Budget.

 

[Lott2912]

We are in Florida for 14 days and that's the cheapest I can find from the UK for it! We have no issue with the resort transportation and its part of the fun of the parks, so I think we've agreed we will just get taxis and use wdw transport.

Thanks!

 

[draybook]

The only Disney transportation we care to use is the bus from POFQ to the MK. Other than that we'd rather save the time and be able to head off-site for whatever need be.

 

[MajesticHandz]

We always get a rental car for our trips. I'd rather be in control of my own transportation than relying on someone else. I like being able to go to my rental car instead of waiting in another line to catch a bus at the end of a long day.

But we also use the car after the Disney portion of the trip to head to the Gulf Side beaches.

The one day I needed to get to DHS with my son for the Jedi Training Academy so I took the car with him and my DW and DD took the bus from the resort. Here reply to me when I asked how it went..."It was fine, but I don't want to do it again". I asked why and it wasn't a matter of something going wrong, in fact they had a very short wait for the bus. She just didn't like it.

Handz down! Fully with you on this. I love to do my thing my own way and at my own time, in my own convenience.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

I drive to Disney everytime from just about an hour away and as soon as I hit the resort I don't see my car again till check out. I want nothing to do with driving there haha use the Disney transportation

 

[Mouse_Trap]

How often do you plan on going off-site and where to?

If you're only talking about once or twice to the nearest supermarket and nearest mall then there's no point. However a couple of days at Universal, a trip to Millenia maybe I-drive or if you want a nearby restaurant then the car may even be cheaper not to mention far more convenient. Parking at the parks is also free if you stay on-site.

The car would make things a lot easier but unless you're going to use it a few times then it's not worth the cost.

Personally I can't imagine a trip where I was stuck on-site for a fortnight. I would find it very restrictive and not enjoy it so much. Visiting the other parks and attractions, eating at different restaurants, visiting different malls etc and having the freedom to do what we want is to what makes the holiday.
Maybe for <7 nights its different, but for 7+.......

For me an Florida/Orlando holiday is not just Disney. Yes Disney is a major component, but do nothing else and you miss out on so much. I would come home and be disappointed at all the things I hadn't seen. Besides, I don't find there is enough at WDW for 2 weeks for me, even though I go every 2 years at most. So little has been added in the last 10 years.

 

[MorganKelly]

It can be a tedious process traveling from resort to resort using Disney transportation. I am a patient person, but it can be painfully slow. . And if you miss a connection.....well, it's pretty frustrating. And missing an ADR is now a costly proposition. I would say Disney transportation is a good choice IF you budget enough time for travel. It has taken us well over an hour at times. And think about a taxi especially if you're going from one end of the property to another.

When our kids were younger, a car was almost mandatory. We could leave the parks quickly for afternoon lunch and naps. Struggling with a stroller on a crowded bus is no one's idea of fun. Zip forward a few years and now a rental makes life easier and more comfortable when the young-at-heart grandparents travel with us (the spirit is willing, but the bus steps are too steep for arthritic knees --theirs as well as mine!). No doubt, it is an added expense, but it is a marvelous convenience. Assuming you want to drive on vacation.....some folks like a break from that too.