Worth Bringing a Car?

[NYC2Disney]

I was going to originally book our trip at BLT at the recommendation of this board. However based on other factors, I’ve now decided to do one of the boardwalk resorts. The downside is that on our MK and AK day we will have to trek there. Is it worth having a car to avoid the buses? Or is this being ridiculous? It’s cheaper obviously to drive but I have 4 young kids and we can fly out of a small airport pretty inexpensively. But if the car saves me a huge hassle with 4 kids and a double stroller, then perhaps that’s worth it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is always better to bus to MK than drive. The parking lot at MK is the size of a small island nation and you will still be taking the monorail or ferry from the lot.

 

[NYC2Disney]

It is always better to bus to MK than drive. The parking lot at MK is the size of a small island nation and you will still be taking the monorail or ferry from the lot.

Perfect. Just the answer I needed. Thank you!

 

[Uh_Oa]

It is always better to bus to MK than drive. The parking lot at MK is the size of a small island nation and you will still be taking the monorail or ferry from the lot.

It's actually the second largest parking lot in the world, only getting beat by the Dubai airport parking lot. Things you learn on Disney boats.

 

[supersnoop]

The Magic Kingdom parking lot is larger than Disney Land. Like, the whole campus; park, parking lot; everything.

 

[drusba]

As noted taking the bus to MK is usually better than driving, and that is despite the fact that MK currently has trolleys that take you from where you park to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Also, in the morning, traffic to get to the MK parking lot can be very heavy, and thus just getting to the parking lot can take a lot of time.

The other three parks still have no trolleys (they have been gone since the pandemic started) and you must walk to the park from wherever you park and that can be a long way to the park entrance. From an Epcot Resort, you can take the boat (or walk) to Epcot or Studios and thus do not need a car for those. However, the walk from where you park in AK to the entrance can be a very long distance. When the trolleys will return to other parks is an unknown.

 

[NYC2Disney]

I think this entire post is pushing me towards just flying. I guess it will depend on cost for flight but it seems like there’s no real benefit for a car for our group.

 

[Her Dotness]

If anyone in your group has a disabled placard, driving isn't as much of a disadvantage as indicated thus far.

Yes, you do have to deal with traffic to the parks, but once you get into the car park, show the placard to CMs directing traffic. You'll be directed straight to the disabled parking near the park entrance.

Be certain you hang the placard once parked, or your car will be towed and fined.

 

[AliceIn]

We always have a car. Walking to the car isn’t an issue. We do go off property quite a bit, so that likely factors in for us because 5 people don’t fit in most Uber or Lift. I get really cheap car rates through my job, so we fly in and rent a car at the airport

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

Things you learn on Disney boats.

Now that's a thread starter if I have ever heard one! Boat captains way superior than the bus drivers. Boat info is always top notch.

 

[oswald1]

I think this entire post is pushing me towards just flying. I guess it will depend on cost for flight but it seems like there’s no real benefit for a car for our group.

I don't think I am understanding your question. Flying from where to where?
General information for you:
I just parked preferred at MK yesterday, it was $45, and I waited in long lines to get into the lot, to cross over to TTC, security through TTC, for the ferry to MK, and to get into MK. I live 16 miles from MK and I clocked from my house to MK, Main St, at 1 hr and 50 min. Partly my fault for leaving too late. If you choose to drive to MK, always be at the parking lot as it open. Be first! No other theme park has more irritating parking than MK, IMHO. Walking from preferred parking to TTC to MK is over 1 mile. Actually, it is 1 mile on the way in and 10 miles on the way out If I am staying onsite, I am a DVC member too, I always take Disney transportation to MK. Hope that helps you.

 

[NYC2Disney]

I can fly from Trenton to Orlando. It’s on frontier and often delayed/canceled but it would be very affordable and easy for my family of 6 versus driving 19 hours. If there’s no need for my car on-site then I’m leaning towards just flying and taking Disney transportation. So I was just questioning here if there was any benefit to bringing my car and it seems there is not.

 

[Marionnette]

I can fly from Trenton to Orlando. It’s on frontier and often delayed/canceled but it would be very affordable and easy for my family of 6 versus driving 19 hours. If there’s no need for my car on-site then I’m leaning towards just flying and taking Disney transportation. So I was just questioning here if there was any benefit to bringing my car and it seems there is not.

I prefer to not rely on Disney bus transportation whenever possible. There's no way that we would take the buses with a double stroller! We stayed at VGF in December with a 6-month old baby and we rented a car. We walked to MK and also to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Took the car to HS and AK. And getting to ADRs at other resorts was so much easier with a car. And getting to/from the airport now that DME is gone is another cost and hassle that you can avoid if you have a car at your disposal.

 

[NYC2Disney]

I prefer to not rely on Disney bus transportation whenever possible. There's no way that we would take the buses with a double stroller! We stayed at VGF in December with a 6-month old baby and we rented a car. We walked to MK and also to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Took the car to HS and AK. And getting to ADRs at other resorts was so much easier with a car. And getting to/from the airport now that DME is gone is another cost and hassle that you can avoid if you have a car at your disposal.

That was my initial concern….the double stroller. However if we stay at boardwalk we will be able to walk to two parks and it sounds like even if we drive to MK we end up needing a bus from our car?

 

[Marionnette]

That was my initial concern….the double stroller. However if we stay at boardwalk we will be able to walk to two parks and it sounds like even if we drive to MK we end up needing a bus from our car?

Well, that was our reason for staying at VGF. We knew that we could walk to the MK from there. And we could walk through Poly to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail.

If you're stay at BWV, you have to park in the MK lot but you don't take a bus from there. Transportation to the MK is via monorail or boat and you don't have to fold your stroller up for either of those. However, you do have to fold it up to board the tram if you don't want to walk the distance from car to the boarding areas.

 

[Chuck96]

I love having a car at Disney. Even when we fly, I rent a car. I've used MDE in the past, and certainly used busses (even with large groups) to and fro Disney properties; in the end, though, I'm happy to pay for a car (and premium parking at the parks) for a few days. I wait enough inside the parks that I am not interested in waiting to get to and from parks. I like being able to control my comings and goings. We stayed in POR a few years back and used the busses, and it was usually fine early in the day, but coming back to the room with an exhausted wife and 11 year old at 9 PM on a packed bus that makes 4 stops before ours was too much for me. Come to think of it...that may be my actual last time on a Parks bus.

This is all personal preference. Now that MDE is gone, the cost-benefit analysis is more in my favor as well.

 

[thank_the_phoenicians88]

I also love have a car when I'm on Disney. We often stay at the Polynesian so we can walk to Magic Kingdom or to ticket transportation center to take monorail direct to Epcot. Then we drive to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios. Plus having the car is so nice because we can drive to Target and Disney Springs and are not handcuffed to taking a bus. You definitely don't need a car, but its a creature comfort I've grown accustomed to having.

 

[2boysmommy]

We always have a car - the one time we didn’t my husband declared he would never come back without one. Which parks we drive to depends on the day but usually driving wins - especially to AK!! The exception is MK and why we are usually at a MK resort for at least part of our stay. Since we don’t pay for parking as DVC members it’s a no brainer for us and that’s with us renting a car. If we were close enough to drive I guarantee we would just to have our own vehicle. We also make at least one off property trip (either a stop on our way from the airport or sometime on our first day) to buy a few gallons of water and some easy breakfast items like yogurt and bananas.
If you are not Type-A(+) and enjoy the journey and having someone else do the navigating and driving, no car may work out best for you.

 

[RoseGold]

MCO is no joke, and a car might be worth it just to avoid that and the Lyft situation, depending on how far you are driving. I might drive to AK, because the parking isn't terrible. Bus transportation to Epcot resorts will be fine from MK, even with 4 kids and a double stroller. I've done it alone with a double stroller plenty.

Edit: 19 HOURS?!!! Nevermind. Just fly and take the bus. Try not to check bags, just use the DVC laundry. It's better than baggage claim at MCO.

 

[J-Dog]

We always rent a car. I'm way too impatient to wait for buses and certainly too impatient to wait for Mears or whatever the replacement for DME is.

Even if we just park the car at the DVC resort and take Disney transportation, it's still worth it to us to be able to leave property whenever we want. And, other than MK, we usually just end up driving to the parks anyway. MK we take the bus since the parking lot is such a hassle.

That, and I drive every "regular" day of my life, and I feel weird not driving for multiple days at a time. Maybe that's just me...?