Driving to DW..should we really drive to all parks except MK?

PurplePizza1

PurplePizza1

Active Member
Original Poster
RandomPrincess said:
We drive ourselves even to MK. My DH likes to stay out of the crowds as much as possible and even during down times of the year the buses can be packed. We like parking and taking the Ferry or monorail over to MK. My favorite is the Ferry I love standing int he front and watching the castle get closer and closer.
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Where do you catch the ferry to MK? Assuming we drive?
 
lunchbox1175

lunchbox1175

Well-Known Member
Personally, I just don't want to be in the car, have to look for the car, and keep up with car keys, the only thing I carry on me is my phone case, which has sleeves that I can put my KTTW card and AP in. I don't want to keep up with anything while I am there.
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
lunchbox1175 said:
Personally, I just don't want to be in the car, have to look for the car, and keep up with car keys, the only thing I carry on me is my phone case, which has sleeves that I can put my KTTW card and AP in. I don't want to keep up with anything while I am there.
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That's not a problem for us. We are literally the only car left in our "section" each time we leave the MK. We're in it to win it!!
 
popcenturylover

popcenturylover

Well-Known Member
nepalostparks said:
Art of Animation does not share bus service with any other resorts. It should be a direct trip to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. I believe it is two stops on the Animal Kingdom route (with the second stop being to Blizzard Beach), the and Downtown Disney route also makes a stop at Typhoon Lagoon.

On average, it is generally quicker to drive yourself to the parks than taking the bus, with the exception of Magic Kingdom for the aforementioned reasons. If you don't drive to the Magic Kingdom, be sure to take the monorail around the lagoon at least once - I know for us, the monorail is part of the Disney World experience.
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This is pretty much what we experienced on our split stay AOA/POP this past September. The busses at POP seemed to be a bit more efficient though. Since the two resorts are right next to each other you can grab either bus!
 
ddrongowski

ddrongowski

Well-Known Member
Britt said:
Driving to MK sucked!!!! You park, take their little parking lot tram over to the transportation center and THEN the monorail over to the parks!! If you take the bus, they drop you at the gate and you're good to go!

Personally, I hated driving around WDW property! Lots of lights, lots of busses and slllllllow drivers. LOL
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The county sheriff would disagree on this....
 
R

RedBaron

Active Member
I would drive everywhere, including the Magic Kingdom. Taking the monorail or ferry was not that big of a deal. The only way I would ever take the Disney Buses again would be if I fly down and did not rent a car. I still remember the last trip when we used the bus (5 years ago) one morning we timed it, and it took 50 minutes from our bus stop to get to Epcot (this time included waiting for our bus, driving over to another resort and stopping at their 4 bus stops and then finally on to the park). Not magical at all. On that same trip, one night we had to watch at least 6 buses come and go before we finally got on one to take us back to our resort, and that wait was well over an hour. Needless to say our resort was the one one backed up, all the other bus stops were nearly empty.
 
luv

luv

Well-Known Member
Drive everywhere except the MK. Drive to the MK, too, if you'll be leaving when it closes, if you have somewhere to go when you leave there...or if you just want to ride the monorail in, lol.

I'm assuming that, like most people, you prefer to not take the bus. If you like taking the bus, by all means, do that!!
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
My goodness reading this thread is an exercise in just how different all of us are. If I had my car, onsite, (which I would and did) I would drive ESPECIALLY to MK. When I first went in 83 the excitement of riding the trams to the TTC (only took a couple of minutes) and then hopping on the Monorail or the Ferry was as much a part of the fun as the park itself. The design, particularly on the Ferry is that you stand up front and watch MK getting closer and closer, the castle is in view, Space Mountain is in view, you hear the train whistle and if the wind is right you can even hear the howling from Haunted Mansion. You look to the left and you see the Poly and the Grand Floridian. Look right and there in all it's glory is the Contemporary. If you take the Monorail you even go right through the middle of it. Or you can take the bus and ride on a road that eventually pulls up to the entrance of MK and you get out and go in. BORING! Anyway the parking lot, tram, Monorail or Ferry ride are as much a part of the MK experience as Main Street in my opinion. Wouldn't do without it. When I stayed onsite I tried the bus once, and never did it again.

As for the rest of the parks, I think driving is always quicker. The parking areas are close to the entrance with just a short tram ride or walk. I will be out of the parking lot and almost back to the resort before most people even get on the sweaty, smelly and hot buses. I once had some friends staying at POP, I was staying offsite on Rte 192. We left MK at exactly the same time at the end of the day. They headed toward the bus stops and we headed toward the Ferry. We crossed the lagoon and walked to the trams, boarded, listened to the endless safety spiel and went out to the lots. Got in the car and drove out to World Drive to 192. When we got to our hotel we called our friends to see if they got back alright and they were on the bus about halfway to POP. I had a comfortable car and they were crammed on the bus like a tin of sardines. How magical. Anyway, that is why I will now and always say, if you can drive to the parks whether onsite or off, do it. It will save time and will be so much more comfortable. If you're not sure try it once...it is easy to see how much nicer it is, in my opinion.
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
lilclerk said:
If I rent a car (which is just about all the time now) I drive to every park. Yes, it's faster to take the bus to the MK, but I like driving so I have an excuse to ride the monorail. The other parks, it's definitely faster to drive yourself.
The Disney buses aren't bad at all, but there can be some long waits. I prefer driving now, especially if I have to be somewhere at a certain time. I've even gotten to the point where I like the parking lot trams, but the music on the buses is fun.
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I agree with this 100%. We fly to FL. On our first trip ever, we used the buses, and they were fine but I didn't enjoy the waits (even during non-peak season) or having my kids have to stand up on a bus ride at the end of a long day because they were usually crowded. Ever since then, we have rented a car every trip to avoid buses. It is definitely faster to drive yourself to and from all parks except the MK. Parking is free if you stay on property. We also drive to the TTC and take the monorail to the MK since we want to ride the monorail anyway. Just allow for extra time if you want to get there at rope drop.
 
Tomi-Rocket

Tomi-Rocket

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I'd just do the buses. WDW is exactly that a "world" and until you become much better acquainted with the property you're better off leaving the driving to them. And at the end of a LONG, HOT day the last thing you'll want is the frustration of finding you way back to your hotel.
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Definitely take the bus to MK. Since you have a car, drive to AK. The buses take forever to AK. Using WDW traansportation saves you the hassel of sitting in traffic, dealing with maps, etc. If you head to Downtown Disney, I would also drive that.

Also, if you are staying at an Epcot resort (Yacht/Beach Club, Boardwalk, or Swan or Dolphin, you can walk or take a boat to both DHS and Epcot)
 
StarWarsGirl

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
BiffyClyro said:
I'd say if you're staying on site to just get the buses. They are quick and easy to get and i may be wrong, but i think you still have to pay for parking even though you're a guest. I may be wrong about that. But even so, your petrol etc (It's not much, but it will add up i guess). Take the buses and leave your car at your hotel :) The buses drop you right near the entrance, yes, except for Magic Kingdom, it drops you off near the monorail/ boats.
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You are in fact incorrect. Parking is complementary at the parks for resort guests;)
 
draybook

draybook

Well-Known Member
bethram said:
We take a picture of our row in the parking lot when we go in, that way it will be easy to find our car when we leave :)
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Good idea. For us, we're usually just about the only ones left in the entire parking lot. However, if there happens to be other people there I just keep hitting the lock button and look for the flashing parking lights.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
bethram said:
We take a picture of our row in the parking lot when we go in, that way it will be easy to find our car when we leave :)
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That reminded me of my first time at MK. We got on the tram and the guide repeated over and over what row we were parked in and then made us repeat it over and over. He did it comically and we all had a good time. 30 years ago and I think I still remember what the row we were in. I believe it was Goofy 16. He told everyone to write it down and put it in their pocket because when they get back out to find the car after a long day at the park, you really don't want to have to be walking up and down the isles until you find it. He said that someone would be there to help, but you didn't really want to be doing that at that time.:D
 

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