Magical Express vs. rental car

[MainSt1993]

My friends and I are planning a trip to WDW soon, and I'm torn on renting a car or taking ME and using resort transportation. We're either going to stay at the Poly or AKL. What are the pluses/minuses?

 

[Nemo14]

Is there? Huh... when I first heard of MG, I looked up the website and could have sworn there weren't any around. I'll check it out again, thanks =)

*edit - Just looked it up again, and there is one there! I'll have to convince the boy to make a trip to Warwick with me.

I'm pretty sure there's one there - I've never eaten there, but I hear it's good. ... like we don't have enough Italian restaurants here...

 

[lilclerk]

I'm pretty sure there's one there - I've never eaten there, but I hear it's good. ... like we don't have enough Italian restaurants here...

I know, we're already headed to Vinny T's for a birthday dinner tonight. I'm not a huge fan, but it's tough to mess up fetuccine alfredo.


Anyway, I'd take waiting for a bus for free over having to pay to drive around Florida (which I know nothing about) any day. :animwink:

 

[Ridge]

You can get away without the car, but we have always got one.

The wait for the bus can be frustrating and it can take a while to get from one place to another.

Sometimes you just want to get away from the crowd or maybe you decide that you would like to make a quick run to Pleasure Island. It's just a lot easier with the car.

Of course if you stay on the monorail or maybe at the beach club you can get to MK or Epcot quickly and the car sits unused for a day. That can seem kind of expensive.

 

[Amber]

I know, we're already headed to Vinny T's for a birthday dinner tonight. I'm not a huge fan, but it's tough to mess up fetuccine alfredo.


Anyway, I'd take waiting for a bus for free over having to pay to drive around Florida (which I know nothing about) any day. :animwink:

Never eaten at Alfredo's at Epcot, eh?

 

[MSTCrow]

On renting a car, I don't think you can really make a wrong decision. There are benefits and drawbacks to whatever you do.

If you're planning to eat at various resort restaurants, having a car can save you a lot of time. The "hub and spoke" bus system can turn a 10 minute drive into an hour long bus trek. If you're dining late, you might end up having to take a bus from the restaurant site to downtown disney, and then from downtown disney to your hotel. It can also be a little awkward dressing up for a place like , say, Victoria and Albert's, then hopping a bus. You also don't have to worry about rushing to the bus stop after fireworks to beat the crowds. And believe me, there are crowds. At the end of a long day of walking, this doesn't go over well with some children.

Then again, the bus is free and by and large the system is efficient at moving large numbers of people in a short amount of time. Another hidden cost to renting a car at the airport is the tolls you'll have to pay. Central Florida loves its toll roads! And if you're not a frequent visitor, it's nice to let someone else worry about getting you to the right place.

My advice--try it without a car. As someone already posted, you can rent a car on property if you find you really want an alternative.

 

[lilclerk]

Never eaten at Alfredo's at Epcot, eh?

Haha, point well taken. I'd heard some stinky reviews and we were already planning on skipping it.

 

[coltow]

There are pros and cons for each. We rented a car on our last trip mainly because the other family we were traveling with were going to have one so it made more sense to also have one. Cars are great if you plan to do alot of park hopping or if you plan on going to other resorts. I will NEVER drive to the Magic Kingdom. Buses or boats drop you off at the main gate not the TTC so that saves precious time coming and going from there. Any other park, we found the car to be easier. However only at the AK first thing in the morning. If you're not there bright and early the parking lot fills up FAST. We were traveling with 2 2yos and we did find that the car was far less stressful getting around. However, if you choose to stay at Poly, you can take the monorail to the MK and EPCOT and the car may not be worth the money spent.

Also as someone else pointed out DME is very useful getting from the airport, but not necessarily getting back. They do send you to the airport at least 3 hours before your flight home.

 

[slappy magoo]

It's a luxury for us if we fly down instead of driving down, but I prefer having/renting the car, even if you don't use it all the time. The more you plan on visiting various other resorts, the better it is to have a car. When it comes to the end of the night, you risk a hassle whether you're waiting for a bus or waiting for a tram to take you to your car. BUT, once you're in your car, you don't have to deal with anyone else. More comfortable, no resort guests of, shall we say, questionable hygeine habits sitting next to you, your tunes of choice on the radio. And of course, if you do plan on going offsite, it becomes more important to have the car, too.

There is another option though. There are places on-property where you can rent a car. The Car Care Center near the Magic Kingom has an Alamo rental center, as does the Dolphin, and the Sheraton on International Drive does, too. If you sufficiently plan, you could use DME to get to WDW from the airport, spend a few days without it, then rent a car for the days on your vacation where you could really use it. It'll cut the cost of renting down considerably, and you still don't have to worry about driving back to the airport.

 

[davewasbaloo]

Agreed with a number of these posts. I think in future we will use DME, use cabs when going to resorts for dinner, and rent the cars any time we want to go off site. This is probably the most convenient way of doing it!

 

[mikeanabean]

I'm actually the opposite. We've tried both several times and this last time we decided we're always going to have a rental car from now on. A few reasons:

- You never have to worry about the massive wait for a bus at park close. That can be BIG TIME frustrating, especially if you've got little ones that are worn out.

- There are some places that are just down right a PAIN to get between using Disney transportation. Direct routes aren't always possible. This can take a lot of time to get where you're going. For example, resort to resort. MAJOR pain. And if you're on the Dining Plan, some of the best hidden gem restaurants are in resorts. Get me from Wilderness Lodge to the Beach Club for dinner at Yachtsman's using Disney transport. Better budget an hour at LEAST. With a car, it's 10 minutes.

- Magical Express is great for going TO your resort... But you have to leave your resort HOURS before your flight when the trip is over, picking up people at multiple resorts. We're the type that squeezes out every minute we can, and we like to head to the airport as close to our flight time as is safely possible.

- We like to park hop quite a bit. We're usually there for 10 days, so about 5 days in, we'll just hit a few favorites in a park, then head to another. With your own car, you can usually buzz in and out of parks quickly, and don't have to wait for a bus to pick you up.

- If you want to do anything off-site (Sea World, Pirate Golf, go to the beach for a day) you can't do it without a car. Not easily, anyway.

That being said, when we have a car, we don't ALWAYS use it everywhere we go. It's based on what we're doing that day, and where we're staying. If we're at Poly, there's no way I drive to MK or Epcot. There's nothing better than the Monorail. But if I'm staying at Poly and I want to get to AK??? I'm hoppin' in the minivan. Staying at Port Orleans and going to Downtown Disney? I'm taking the boat, just because it's different and fun.

Edit: Parking at the parks is free to resort guests.
Anyway, hope this helps! :wave:

I second this. We were @ WDW last week and it was a 2 1/2 hour wait @ the airport and it took 3 hours to get to the airport fro Port Orleans. We ended up taking a taxi from the airport and Disney credited me back the $50 bucks. Never again will I magical express!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MainSt1993]

Thanks for all the great advice!! I have the patience and self control of a 7 year old when it comes to Disney, so knowing the pros and cons of each really helps. I've never actually stayed on property, so this will be our first time. I have friends who work there so I usually stay with them and ride into work with them.

 

[Rosenrot]

Thanks for all the great advice!! I have the patience and self control of a 7 year old when it comes to Disney, so knowing the pros and cons of each really helps. I've never actually stayed on property, so this will be our first time. I have friends who work there so I usually stay with them and ride into work with them.

Well, I hope you have a really great time xD Magical Express was a very good experience, and it was a releif to not have to worry about your luggage.

Plus, the added bonus of being able to use your hotel's transportation will be a welcome change to you, I think. We only had a few problems with it last month.

I think you'll enjoy staying on-site. Things do run a lot smoother.

 

[CleveRocks]

We were @ WDW last week and it was a 2 1/2 hour wait @ the airport and it took 3 hours to get to the airport fro Port Orleans. We ended up taking a taxi from the airport and Disney credited me back the $50 bucks. Never again will I magical express!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not quite understanding what you're saying. Could you please clarify?

Are you saying that when you arrived at MCO, you waited at the DME Welcome Center for 2.5 hours until you got on a bus to go to your resort??? You WAITED, the the AIRPORT, for 2.5 hours??? How did this happen? What were the circumstances? This just sounds outrageous.

And could you also please exlain what you mean when you say it took 3 hours to get from your resort to the airport but then took a cab? It sounds like you were on the bus for 3 hours but then took a cab -- what do you mean???

I also can't understand how Disney can give you a "credit" after you've already checked out and settled your account. I can understand them sending you a check for $50, but how can they "credit" you? Please explain so we can understand your experience, and hopefully learn from it.

THANKS!

 

[Nicole220]

Hmmmm tricky one. If you are staying at the Poly or are only planning on park days, I would use DME. If you are planning on checking out resorts or going off site, you may wish to rent a car.

We just got back from 2 weeks at AKL and loved the place. But the bus service was a joke (this is something that is better in Paris, unbelievable!!!!). 40 -50 minute waits. A bus breakdown. One day 4 MK buses arrived and picked up a handful of passengers while about 30 of us waited for a bus to the Studios. In the end, we started to take cabs on the last few days (btw - Minivan cabs have baby seats!!!).

It's all down to how you like to do it. DME itself was excellent though.

We were at AKL in Nov, and never had any problems with the bus service. The longest wait we had was about 10 min, and this was during Thanksgiving week.
2 weeks at AKL? You're so lucky! We really needed another week there, we absoultely loved it!!

 

[davewasbaloo]

We were at AKL in Nov, and never had any problems with the bus service. The longest wait we had was about 10 min, and this was during Thanksgiving week.
2 weeks at AKL? You're so lucky! We really needed another week there, we absoultely loved it!!

I think we were really unlucky. But the bus service was aweful for us. And I'm used to taking buses at DLP and in London, so it wasn't the culture shock of public transport.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Well I cant speak to some of the bad experiences that have been stated on here, however I can tell you I have used DME 5 times this year and probably 3 times the year before, including 20 days after it's inception and I have NEVER had to wait more than 20 minutes for a bus. 2 1/2 hours is CRAZY. I cant imagine what circumstances would have caused that to be true. Were you given any explanation for the delay? It would be interesting to hear what caused such a massive delay considering that Disney isnt that far away from the airport (30- 40 minutes) Also in all of my times with DME I have never had anything other than a pleasant experience. Belle

 

[ryguy]

I am surprised at how many people think the bus system at Disney is great. If you look at the majority of complaints at Disney I gurantee the Bus system is in the top two or three. Now DME I have heard great things about, but thats only a small part of your vacation. The majority of time you will be waiting around for the bus. That gets old real quick. We just stayed at the CBR a few weeks back and we always rent a car. We have two children who should be in car seats when driving so we rent the car. My son wanted to ride the bus so on the last day of our trip my wife and son took the bus from the hotel to the marketplace. I drove the car over, which was a 5 minute drive. My wife showed up a good 45 minutes later. She said they had to make stops throughout the hotel and also Typhoon lagoon. Needless to say she was a little miffed. Truthfully if your two choices are Poly and AKL than money isn't really an issue so spend the extra $200.00 bucks and make life easier for you and your family. In the grand scheme of a Disney vacation a couple hundred is a drop in the bucket. I think its worth having the freedom of a car. Plus parking is free if you stay at the resorts. :xmas:

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Thanks for all the great advice!! I have the patience and self control of a 7 year old when it comes to Disney, so knowing the pros and cons of each really helps. I've never actually stayed on property, so this will be our first time. I have friends who work there so I usually stay with them and ride into work with them.

I was thinking about this thread over the weekend, and I think I can sum it up this way: To me, my time is money, vacation time included. The less I stand in lines waiting to be taken somewhere, the happier I am. If I spend even just an extra two hours waiting around for busses over the course of a week, that justifies the $300 for the car in my mind.

And sometimes the busses are fine, and you never have monster waits. But to me, I don't want to chance it. I want to know that I can be where I want to be without relying on someone else to get me there, basically. :wave:

But here's a thread that's talking about the horrors that the bus system can be... In this case, they're talking about Christmas, so someone's going to say it doesn't apply under normal circumstances... But it does. From time to time, with no explaination, you'll find an INSANE wait for a bus to get where you want to go. To me, I just don't want to get stuck in that wait, so it's worth it to me. But anyway: Here's the thread...

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?p=1987517#post1987517

 

[Deadmanwalking]

After hearing all this, I think I'd have a hard time justifying a car if we stay at the Poly. However if we're at AKL, does that change anyone's mind? Do resort guests pay for parking at each of the theme parks?

If you stay at the AKL you need a car, no ifs ands or buts. The bus service to it was horrible. Especially if you were leaving the park late when lots of people are leaving at the same time we waited one a bus and watched as three buses filled and left before we were able to board the forth bus. That’s a lot of time wasted when you are hot and tired.

That said, I would recommend using the Magic express option to get to Disney World. You can save money by using them to get to the park and then renting a car away from the airport. Being a cheap SOB I looked at every option for renting a car in Orlando and found that prices were always higher if I rented it at the airport. It appears they tag on extra charges for cars rented there. In the end I rented a SUV from Hertz at the Marriott Village which was a $23 dollar cab right from the Contemporary and allowed me to drop the car off at the Hertz location at the airport. The SUV would have been almost $300 more if I had picked it up at the airport than by doing it at the Marriott village (so even after the cab ride I saved quite a bit).

You also will want the rental car so you don’t have to leave as early for the airport as when you use the magic express option. You can also justify the rental car by the fact that you can go off-site for lunch or dinner and avoid the over priced Disney food (sure you may justify Disney prices for the upscale meals but for the other range of meals Disney is insanely expensive and low quality).

 

[CheersBoston]

There is never an actual necessity for a car when you stay on property, but it definately makes life a lot easier. It has a lot to do with personal preference too. I went down for 9 days at the beginning of the month and renting a car was the best choice we made. The one day we didn't take the car to Epcot the bus line was so long that we ended up grabbing a cab back to Riverside. I'm 26, but have the ADD of a 6 year old, so it makes the car well worth it. On a side note, any Rhode Islander that's eating at Macaroni Grill or Vinny T's instead of the Old Canteen or Cassarino's should be ashamed of themselves.