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Convenince: Car Rental vs Resort Busses?
- Thread starter CaptinEO
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yensid67
Well-Known Member
I always like to have a car for freedom sake to do some other things off property! But now if you are staying on property with a car, Disney charges you for it NIGHTLY! Depending on where you stay, depends on how much you will pay! The deluxe resorts you will most likely pay a few hundred JUST for your car! For this reason, we stay off property! Disney gets enough of my money! I will pay for parking for park days, but that's all the extra money they are getting from me!!!!
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kayawildfire
New Member
We had been asking ourselves this very question before our lastest trip. Before this, our last several trips had been on-site with no car. We drove to Disney this trip and had our car and tried driving. We are literally saving hours of time doing this. Especially since we like to eat dinner at different resorts. Our car is closer to our room than the bus stop at Sports.
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JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
For us, we drive down and have the vehicle available for off property visits. But I prefer putting my keys in the room safe and take the Disney transportation. I may be annoyed at times by having to wait some but I'm not stressed out by having to wait. I'm on vacation and wont let a wait bother me. The times I find a vehicle might suit me more is at park closing times when I am tired, I want to get back to the resort and the crowds really slam the bus lines. I still dont think I'd have enough reason to rent a vehicle... I'd rely on Disney drivers.
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SaltyD
Active Member
I say take the buses. I've had a car numerous times at Disney and find the Disney transportation much easier to take. Even though there may be long waits, I like not having to deal with traffic, parking, and finding my way home at the end of long days. I'm on vacation, Disney transportation is a part of the Disney experience!
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
We've never rented at car at WDW and have never regretted not doing so. DME has always gotten us to our resort from the airport promptly and efficiently, even during crowded vacation weeks. Once onsite, we enjoy the ease of Disney transportation, although in an average week (involving at least 30+ trips on Disney buses, boats and monorails) we'll typically see 1 or 2 long waits for transport, and on occasion will have to stand on a bus due to space constraints. (I define any wait over 10-15 minutes as a "long" wait.) When we have the occasional dinner at a far-flung resort, or want to go off-property for something, we take an Uber or Lyft, as they are convenient and inexpensive.
Now that the resorts are charging for overnight parking, our desire not to rent a car is more firmly cemented.
Now that the resorts are charging for overnight parking, our desire not to rent a car is more firmly cemented.
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John park hopper
Well-Known Member
Just remember if you rent a car and stay on property you will be paying for parking at the resort could add 100+ bucks to your expenses . We drive because we have to (no direct flights/expensive) and wind up taking the buses. Next trip we will try driving to AK HS EPCOT see if its any better than using the buses
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DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
If it's just a matter of convenience... renting a car is far more convenient. You come and go as you please.. no waiting and no cramming on to full buses that don't have a spot for you to sit. The big exception is MK, where you're waiting for monorail or ferry to take you back to the TTC, but it's not like taking the buses home after HEA is a pleasant experience, either.
Renting the car will also be quicker than Magical Express as you don't have to stop at several resorts on the way. Not to mention the return trip on Magical Express, which forces you to leave 4 or so hours prior to your flight.
All of the resort parking lots I've encountered are fairly close. I don't recall any long walks that would off-set the convenience. It's also really easy getting from park to park and resorts. Most of the year the traffic will not be significant within the property. That said, I've used the buses plenty of times and don't have an issue with that approach. If I don't have a car, I'm using Uber at least a few times per trip when buses are a little too inconvenient.
Renting the car will also be quicker than Magical Express as you don't have to stop at several resorts on the way. Not to mention the return trip on Magical Express, which forces you to leave 4 or so hours prior to your flight.
All of the resort parking lots I've encountered are fairly close. I don't recall any long walks that would off-set the convenience. It's also really easy getting from park to park and resorts. Most of the year the traffic will not be significant within the property. That said, I've used the buses plenty of times and don't have an issue with that approach. If I don't have a car, I'm using Uber at least a few times per trip when buses are a little too inconvenient.
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aliceismad
Well-Known Member
I like vacations to be as relaxing and hassle-free as possible. Driving in theme park traffic to giant parking lots is a hassle in my book. Even if it take more time, I'd rather take Disney transportation. If I'm behind schedule and really want to get somewhere quick, I'll Uber.
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bigorangeandy
Well-Known Member
We drive from the Atlanta area and mostly take the buses. Now with the app to let you know when the next bus will be arriving at your resort that makes decision making easier. We will drive at times to all parks but the Magic Kingdom, as not having to take the boat or monorail takes lots of time. Now I can look at the app, see the bus is a short wait we will get on the bus. When the bus wait is 15 plus minutes to the truck we go.
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righttrack
Well-Known Member
I've done both and also have used Uber. It's like this. My first choice for convenience and money were no object would be Uber, except to Magic Kingdom directly. You're going to get point-to-point more quickly and guaranteed. It's going to cost you though. Second choice would be to take the transportation (buses, etc). Just allow time. Third choice would be to have a car. You're going to find that WDW driving is best handled by the professionals. It's rough out there and the idea is to have fun. You'll face having to take a shuttle from the parking lots to the parks. It does come with a lot of control which people like.
In the end, I do a hybrid solution. I take Magical Express. I don't take a car. I allow extra time to get where I am going and I use Uber for resort-to-resort hopping (unless I'm on a boat loop with a resort-to-resort boat).
In the end, I do a hybrid solution. I take Magical Express. I don't take a car. I allow extra time to get where I am going and I use Uber for resort-to-resort hopping (unless I'm on a boat loop with a resort-to-resort boat).
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DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
Concerning parking for MK, parking at the TTC and taking either Monorail or Ferry(my preference) takes more time, but the bright side is it's quite a romantic way to approach the park. It's pleasant (getting back can be a whole different story).
People have gotten away with parking at GF/Poly and then walking/taking monorail to the MK, but Disney has tightened up it's parking policies and, most importantly, their enforcement of parking policies over the past year. I would definitely not recommend this strategy. You should be able to take an Uber to GF and walk to MK from there if you really wanted to. However, if you have a dining reservation at the Poly or Grand Floridian, you should be able to drive and park there no problem.
On the issue of Disney's Magical Express, I'd encourage you to rent a car instead for one trip and see how you like it. The wait at the baggage claim at MCO is certainly no worse than waiting for your DME to arrive, and the convenience factor of not having to arrive so early for your return flight is freeing. I come from an area where traffic is crazy all of the time (DC) and find driving in WDW to be relatively easy.
I used to think that DME was the bees knees... until I finally rented a car for a trip. Now I just think it's really overrated and inconvenient compared with other methods.
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DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
If you have a dining reservation, they will not charge you for parking. If you do not have a reservation, they might outright deny you entrance to the lot, but your mileage may vary (Some people have success at Poly by saying they are going to eat at Captain Cook's or Trader Sam's, which don't take reservations).
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kayawildfire
New Member
This is our last day of our trip so we were here Christmas week and I will say traffic was far better than we anticipated. No terribly long backups or anything. We typically don't use Uber because we have six kids and we don't fit in one Uber. No charges at hotels to park any of the nights we went.
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Depending on what kind of trip I am there for (business or leisure) it can go either way. I do use Lyft a lot when I am there depending on where I am going. It's cheap and to me convenient because if I am limited on my time it's my go to.
Pam
Pam
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