Rent a van or use all disney transportation...?

[MammaT]

I am planning our first trip to disney starting November 8th. We are flying to Orlando and I can't decide if we should rent a van or use all buses. There is a lot to take into consideration....we are going with a 2 year old, 5 year old, an impatient mama, daddy, and 4 grandparents. We staying at old key west and I'm not sure how good/efficient buses run from our resort. I do not want to have to wait long for buses or take forever to get to places. We want to get groceries while there, one way or another. We wAnt to go out a few nights for adults only. We have 2 breakfasts planned at Mk castle and ohana. Thoughts on renting a vAn vs using disney buses/ transportation????? Thanks!!

 

[JillC LI]

Our first trip to WDW was without a rental car. We've rented a car on every trip since then - and always will. That first trip we took many bus trips where our little ones had to stand because Disney packs the buses full of standing people after the seats are taken. Bear that in mind if any of the grandparents in your party are shaky on their feet. To us, the convenience of a car is worth the cost. And we've always gotten some pretty good deals using Costco and AAA or Entertainment Book discounts. But to each his own.

 

[SAV]

Based on what you said, I would think renting a van would be the best for you. It would allow you to come and go as you please and not have to wait for buses. Not to mention give you the ability to stop at the store if you want to. You can always take the bus service for your "Adult" nights when you won't want to drive. That's the beauty of having the car. You can use it or you don't have to. If you are staying on-site, the parking is "free", so that part won't cost you more.

As mentioned, you may want to take a bus to MK since it is a bit more to get there from the parking lots.

A tip from a frequent renter at WDW. Go ahead and book your car/van at a comfortable rate for you. As long as you don't do the pre-pay option, the rentals are cancelable without penalty. Then as the time gets closer, keep on checking the rates. I have found they go down as you get closer. Also check out all of the discount codes on Mousesavers.com. An example is for my trip on Monday. I was getting over $300 for my 10 day rental(including all taxes and fees which are about $85). I then looked and it dropped to about $250. Then I got an email from Thrifty about a week ago with a 30% off code and it was down to $235. On a whim I checked last night and I am now at $180 out the door and only 4 days away. I will check it again and see if it drops one more time for me.