Drive my car or take the bus to parks?

[KappleB2]

I'm sure some info like this must be somewhere on these forums but i'm not seein' it so....

My mom and I will be at All-Star music Sept. 7-12. We were originally going to drive down there but have discovered a flight for cheap that would cost about the same as driving. How easy is it to navigate the bus system (if we fly or drive down there I guess) or is taking my car just as good or better?
Thank you!

 

[Master Yoda]

If you can fly for the same price driving, by all means fly. The bus system is incredibly easy to navigate. The only thing that is not in your face simple is using the buses to go from resort to resort. The general rule of thumb for resort to resort transportation is go to the closest park and transfer from there.

Driving yourself is more consistent as your travel times are not effected by multiple stops and waiting for a bus to arrive.

 

[Mikester71]

Even though we drive down there, we still take the Disney buses to all the parks and stuff located on property. We figure we are on vacation, might as well leave the driving to somebody else. We do use the van to venture off property though.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Even though we drive down there, we still take the Disney buses to all the parks and stuff located on property. We figure we are on vacation, might as well leave the driving to somebody else. We do use the van to venture off property though.

I agree. I would go with the buses.

 

[real mad hatter]

Take The Bus!

I'd opt for the bus,we don't hire a car anyway but the bus system is simple.Each bus has a display on the front telling you where it's going,tho I did have a woman in front of me getting onto a clearly marked Magic Kingdom bus asking the driver," are you going to downtown Disney "like whit! Also the drivers usually have good patter.:wave:

 

[ShookieJones]

1.If the flight is as cheap as driving....Grab the Flight!
2.Yes as other posters mentioned the buses are relatively easy to navigate...

BUT -

3.If you're planning on park hopping ---put aside about 80 bucks - go to hotwire.com and rent a car!
-You can pick up and drop off your car right at the airport.

Although the bus system is indeed easy to use, I'm a huge proponent of renting a car to get around the parks. No waiting for buses, no multiple stops..no standing...holding bags (and\or children).

You're there for 5 days - use your time wisely. you can gain about 6-7 hours of your vacation back.

If you're not park hopping - the bus can be an ALMOST comparable choice....but I'd still go with renting a car.....


Either way - HAVE A BLAST!

 

[woodardfamily]

BUT -

3.If you're planning on park hopping ---put aside about 80 bucks - go to hotwire.com and rent a car!
-You can pick up and drop off your car right at the airport.

Although the bus system is indeed easy to use, I'm a huge proponent of renting a car to get around the parks. No waiting for buses, no multiple stops..no standing...holding bags (and\or children).

You're there for 5 days - use your time wisely. you can gain about 6-7 hours of your vacation back.

If you're not park hopping - the bus can be an ALMOST comparable choice....but I'd still go with renting a car.....


Either way - HAVE A BLAST!

Agreed. I have used a rental and personal car and used the buses. Having a car is simply more convenient and it will buy you more time. However, my method of getting to and from the parks is always secondary to the fun I have in the parks! Have a great trip!

 

[KaneMarko]

I'm sure some info like this must be somewhere on these forums but i'm not seein' it so....

My mom and I will be at All-Star music Sept. 7-12. We were originally going to drive down there but have discovered a flight for cheap that would cost about the same as driving. How easy is it to navigate the bus system (if we fly or drive down there I guess) or is taking my car just as good or better?
Thank you!

Everyone has their preferences but I'd HIGHLY recommend allowing Disney to shuttle you around. The shuttle system is very easy and shuttles normally come around every 15-20 minutes or so (might be a little longer during closing times when everyone is leaving the parks at the same time).

But going from park to park or back to your resort is very easy and convenient. Now, if you want to resort hop, that might be a little less convenient. We resort hopped on our last trip because we were curious to see the other deluxe resorts. We just located the nearest park and used that as a go-between when we went from resort to resort. Or, if you're in the Magic Kingdom area, just use the monorail to travel between the Polynesian, Contemporary and the Grand Floridian.

But, as mentioned, I'd highly recommend letting Disney do the driving for you.

 

[Patrick_Ears]

If you are not familiar with there roads as in knowing where to go.. Yes they have signs up but you can get turned around very quickly, I would use the Disney buses.

 

[annawilliams]

The bus system is AWESOME. We used the monorail for the most part, but I definitely recommend the bus over cars.

 

[phlydude]

IF you are going during a "free dining" promo and are eating at different locations, fly BUT get the rental car.

Nothing can ruin a day like not knowing how long it will take or when the next bus will be coming when you need to leave where you are to get to a dining reservation somewhere else on property.

Having a car puts you 20 minutes at most from anywhere else on property (once you get to the car - the MK adds about 10 minutes to that leaving the park in actually getting to the car)

There are plenty of rental deals out there...shopping warehouses, wal-mart, airline loyalty programs, etc all have discounts (mousesavers.com has a great list) - shop the rentals now and make reservations that DO NOT require a deposit and then keep checking them and modifying as the rates drop. For Sept, the rates WILL go down and will really start dropping about 1 month out up to about a week before your trip (but check frequently and apply different offer codes to see how the prices change). I personally have made reservations for intermediate, standard or full size cars for UNDER $100 for a week, under $120 for 10 days (incl all taxes and fees). I find that the coupons offered by BJs.com (BJs Wholesale Clubs) are some of the best and I have NEVER been asked to produce my BJs membership (and if asked, I would just say I left it at home - they really don't have any way of verifying that you are a member or not).

 

[Princess_Minnie]

We drive there every year, so we always have our own car. We used to drive to every park, but after some experimentation we have some parks we bus to and some we drive.

I would reccommend:

Epcot: Drive or take the monorail. The bus stop for this park is soooo far away from the entrance, and the parking lot is a pretty easy walk. The monorail is close to the front of the park, but you would have to go to the TTC for this method and it would be easier to drive.

Magic Kingdom: Bus, always bus. Just so much easier than driving to the TTC and riding the monorail or ferry.

Hollywood Studios: We always drive, but I'm sure the bus is easy. The stop is close to the park entrance.

Animal Kingdom: We always drive, but the bus is just as easy.

 

[slappy magoo]

Since you found a flight that costs about the same as driving, definitely take the flight! The drive from TN is long and tedious. Make sure that you sign up for Disney's Magical Express to transfer from the Orlando Airport to WDW.

There are some caveats there. I don't know which airport the OP's party would be leaving from, but they should find out if it's a nonstop flight or not. Even a 1-stop flight can make the trip more than 4 hours, plus the time it takes you to get to the airport, PLUS the time it'll take you to park your cr at the airport if you have to drive, PLUS you have to get to the airport 2 hours before your flight for the fun-filled security probe, PLUS however long it takes to get to Disney itself from Orlando Airport. If all goes well - you get a ride to the airport, it's a nonstop flight, you get right on a Disney's Magical Express bus - that could be around 6 hours. If it's a connecting flight, maybe an extra 2 hours on top of that, so 8 hours total.

I don't know where in TN the original poster hails, or how close he/she is to an airport. I had family that used to live in Rockwood for a few years. From there, a drive to WDW is under 11 hours if you drive more or less nonstop.

So from there, you can decide whether or not the drive (so you have the choice of using your own car to get to the parks) versus flying (and relying on Disney transportation). Now if the difference in time is 5 hours each way, that's more tempting to choose to fly than if it's 3 hours...


But also consider this - unless the OP or his/her mom has to go to work the very next morning that they return from their trip, they can leave WDW whenever they want on their departure day, IF they have their car. They can close the joint if they want, take advantage of EMH if they want. You can't do that flying, you're expected to be back at your resort to be picked up...what is it, three hours before your flight? And if the reason the flight is cheap is because the returning flight is earlier in the day, your entire last day at WDW is relegated to a couple of hours, if that.

Finally, if the OP and his/her mom intends to visit other resorts for meal or just to be looky-loos, they are potentially waiting for 2 modes of transportation each way. If they want dinner at Boma, it's a bus ride to AK or one of the other parks, plus a bus ride to AKL. Whispering Canyon Cafe, a bus ride to MK followed by a bus or boat to WL. Times like that, it's much more convenient to have a car.

Just throwing all that out there. The TOTAL time of flying (not just the flights but getting to/from airports and the wait time) and whether or not they're nonstop flights, AND whether or not they plan on visiting other resorts, can play a deciding factor in whether or not driving is or is not "worth it." Now, we tend to drive anyway, and we live in NJ. But going from Tennessee, it'd be a no-brainer for us to drive. Leave the house when we want, stop when we want (IF we want), no worries about setting off security scanners, no having to sit next to a Tuberculosis Tommy on the flight, be able to visit the other resorts whenever we want without worrying about extra buses, and being able to stay as late as we want on our last day is more than worth the extra couple of hours in the car.

EDIT - based on the pic on the OP's profile, I'm guessing she's a she, so sorry for all the gender-neutral stuff before.

 

[phlydude]

We drive there every year, so we always have our own car. We used to drive to every park, but after some experimentation we have some parks we bus to and some we drive.

I would reccommend:

Epcot: Drive or take the monorail. The bus stop for this park is soooo far away from the entrance, and the parking lot is a pretty easy walk. The monorail is close to the front of the park, but you would have to go to the TTC for this method and it would be easier to drive.

Magic Kingdom: Bus, always bus. Just so much easier than driving to the TTC and riding the monorail or ferry.

Hollywood Studios: We always drive, but I'm sure the bus is easy. The stop is close to the park entrance.

Animal Kingdom: We always drive, but the bus is just as easy.

Here is something...
We drove last year to AK from All Star Sports with my wife's cousin that lives in Orlando (he was 5). When it came time to leave during the mid-day, he was adamant about taking the bus back. We waited over 1/2 hour for a bus to show up to take us back to the resort (which is pretty much around the block). We might have walked faster...then to top it off, once we were on the bus some folks that got soaked on Kali River Rapids sat next to us and by association, I would up being wet by the time I got off the bus.

So it isn't always convenient...my wife was back at the hotel, got changed, grabbed a snack and was sitting by the pool by the time we got back.

Just on the crowd factor, the car is a better option for me (I just don't like being that close to so many people, especially when it is over 80F and they are sticky and hot bodies).

 

[vjgraham]

If you use the bus system, especially to the parks, you will find it much easier. Fox example at MK, if you park your own car, you may experience long trip to get to the front gates. The busses will drop you off within 200 yards of the main gate in most cases. If you need to drive to another resort, then using your car makes some sense.

 

[Princess_Minnie]

Here is something...
We drove last year to AK from All Star Sports with my wife's cousin that lives in Orlando (he was 5). When it came time to leave during the mid-day, he was adamant about taking the bus back. We waited over 1/2 hour for a bus to show up to take us back to the resort (which is pretty much around the block). We might have walked faster...then to top it off, once we were on the bus some folks that got soaked on Kali River Rapids sat next to us and by association, I would up being wet by the time I got off the bus.

So it isn't always convenient...my wife was back at the hotel, got changed, grabbed a snack and was sitting by the pool by the time we got back.

Just on the crowd factor, the car is a better option for me (I just don't like being that close to so many people, especially when it is over 80F and they are sticky and hot bodies).

Well, the buses can be inconsistent, but aside from a long wait at the resort I've never had a problem riding the bus to AK. :shrug:

 

[KappleB2]

Wow! Thank you! These are just the kinds of things I wanted to know! We are in Knoxville and the flight is non-stop but into Sanford airport, so no DME. That makes me kinda uneasy but I know once we got there I would be fine (It is the happiest place on earth after all!) My concern isn't how fast we get there but how much time we lose waiting and riding the bus compared to driving and between my mom and I we are pretty easily lost :ROFLOL:. I want to get every second I can!
All these things are factoring into my decision, we'll see how it goes!

 

[slappy magoo]

In all the years we've used Disney transportation, we got on the wrong bus exactly once; as we got on a bus that said "Disney Studios," my wife and I were talking to each other, navigating a stroller, and missed the bus driver saying something like "my sign is broken but I'm really going to the Magic Kingdom." This only stunk because we had end-of-day fastpasses for Toy Story Mania, and unlike other people's good luck with bus drivers who go the extra mile, the only thing he could do was drive us to the TTC so we could wait for another bus.

Only problem ever, though.

Having said that, we do prefer using our own car as much as possible, with the main exception of when we go to MK, since driving there requires parking at the TTC and taking yet another mode of transportation - monorail or ferry - to the MK itself. We usually arrive at a park early enough or late enough that we can find a spot relatively close to the main entrance ("late enough" because the early birds split and those parking spots often go unfilled the rest of the day unless you look for them). Both your car or the buses have their pros - it's nice to not have to drive, but you have to wait until the buses show up, you might have to wait for more than one (especially at park closing), you may be around people you would rather not be around for various reasons (the 2 biggest being attitude or odor). Driving, you have to deal with more traffic getting in or out, but the seats are (or, should be) more comfortable, you can listen to the music or want, have the conversation you want without eavesdroppers. Having kids, we have to choose between lugging strollers on buses, or on trams if we drive and can't park close enough to walk. There's no all-purpose perfect solution, but we generally prefer our car (and our next stay will be at BLT, so getting to the MK won't be as hard a choice as to how to get there, plus we can also monorail to Epcot if we want).

But again, I'd suggest before you choose to fly (if you wind up leaning that way) check the departure times for both departures in TN and Sanford. Factor in how much taxi or a car service would be (unless you rent a car). If departing TN is later in the day, and departing Sanford is earlier in day, you could be losing almost an entire day in the parks. Heck, what *I* would choose to do were I you, is drive to Orlando starting in the night, to be in WDW by rope drop or close to it, and at least get some park fun under my belt first day, arrange ADRs for an early dinner and call it an early night. And on "departure day," arrange one more night in a hotel in Downtown Disney or somewhere else in Orlando, close the park du jour, crash at the new hotel for the night, then start driving home the next morning.

 

[Philhar-Fanatic]

We drive to WDW from Texas (14 hours). When we get there we park the car and don't look at it again for a week. It's so nice to hop a buss and let someone else worry about directions and traffic for a week!!

 

[KappleB2]

This will help you compare bus vs car transportation. The associated touringplans.com just posted an article about Sanford Airport:

http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/03/08/cheap-flights-orlando-sanford-airport/

They also have an article comparing travel times of a theoretical trip:

http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/0...spending-the-least-amount-of-time-in-transit/

The Unofficial Guide / touringplans.com, really are excellent sources for WDW information, well worth the cost. (I have no affiliation with them, I just think they are great!)[/QUOTE]

Great links! Thanks for sharing! And I stumbled upon this book one day and picked it up. You're right! It is great!