should we rent a car?

[dumbo_buddy]

hi everyone! dh and i are taking our son who will be 7 months old at the time the last week in january! sure, we may be crazy for taking him so young but i need a vacation and disney is the best place to do it!

i've never had a car in disney. we have always just used the buses. but with a baby i'm wondering if we should rent a car?

is it really all that more convenient? we're staying at POFQ. can you park close to the room and the park entrances? ds gets up at the crack of dawn now so we'll definitely be at park opening.

do you have to take a tram to the parking spots?

what about carseats? will the rental place provide one?

thoughts appreciated!! :mickey:

[DVC2004]

Well, it just depends what you prefer. While getting on the buses you will have to fold up a stroller and hold the baby; that is true of the trams as well. When you park in the lots it is possible to walk to the entrances and not take a tram. As far as proximity of parking, it's all first come first served. Yes, you could park close if there is available space but that doesn't always happen.

You can rent a carseat from the car rental company but we brought our own (this was years ago). We also brought our own stroller as we liked to have it while walking back to our room. When my kids got older and were able to do more walking we rented the ones at the park.

Personally we like renting a car- can come and go when we want without waiting. With little ones you may havge to change your plans and it's nice to know you won't have to wait for the bus and possibly not have a seat on it when it arrives. And since we had 2 small kids in tow, it was hard for us to hold them and wait for the bus and manage folding/unfolding the stroller. If you are staying on property you will get free parking at all the resorts and parks.

[megustamex]

I think I answered your previous post and suggested the car. We always brought a car seat anyway because if the plane isn't full you will get a seat for your infant for free. If the plane is full you can just check it, and I don't believe that it counts against the luggage limits on most airlines. It's very expensive to rent one from the rental car companies - usually about $8 a day.

We LOVE having a car because we don't have to hop on a bus from the airport, and it is very easy to get to the rental cars in Orlando if you book with one that is in terminal. Even easier if you use one like Alamo that has a kiosk. We also hit the grocery store or Walgreens several times during a trip, so we don't need to pack diapers/wipes/food for the whole week. And as I mentioned before, it is awful to wait in line for a bus to the park or particularly back to your resort, and then take your kid out of the stroller for the bus ride when they are crabby. Our experience has always been that once they are in their familiar car seat, they are pacified.

We never tram. We always walk from any parking lot because it is easier than taking the stroller apart. It gives you a great feeling of control over the meltdowns that inevitably occur. So the only time we have to take Disney transport is to MK, and that is only a Monorail or a ferry from the TTC. So we never have to fold the stroller except to get it in the car. If you get a minivan you don't even have to do that!

It's worked great for us, but the one caveat is that driving around Disney can be confusing. They have a great transportation map at the resort they will give you that makes it easy - just don't forget to ask for it or you will have to rely on their signage, which is very vague.

[Seasonscraps]

I don't have a baby but I love having a car in Disney. It's so much more comfortable then the bus. You are guaranteed a seat. No waiting. No stopping at other resorts. You can go to local stores if you need something instead of going to the gift shop which is generally more expensive.

Here's the resort map:
POFQ Resort Map (http://www.intercot.com/resorts/disney/maps/images/pofq07.JPG)
The river side of buildings 2, 5 & 6 look like the furthest from the parking area.

[NJGIRL]

Even when we stay on property we get a car. We get to and from the parks a lot quicker with our own transporation than using Disneys. I hate having to stand at a bus stop even for 15 mins waiting for a bus to come when we can get in the car and be at the park in 5 mins. Stopping at other resorts to load and unload is also time I could be doing something else. Driving in the Lake Buena Vista area is very very easy. Everything is marked so well. With a car you are also not confined to doing Disney things only. You can shop, eat or visit other attractions not owned by Disney.

[dumbo_buddy]

thank you! i think we may go the rental car route.

megustamex - yes, you suggested the car earlier! we'll be using your advice. thank you! you mentioned something about having to use the monorail for mk...why? mk has a parking lot...right? is it better to park at TTC?

also, how much is parking at the resorts and at the parks?

another plus is not having to leave way too early for the airport using ME! they always make you leave too early!

[dumbo_buddy]

sorry, i see that the parking is free. thanks.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

you mentioned something about having to use the monorail for mk...why? mk has a parking lot...right? is it better to park at TTC?


The TTC parking lot is the MK parking lot. You have to take the ferry or the monorail to the park entrance. Only the Disney busses go right to the entrance.

[jillluvsdisney]

If you are staying at POFQ, the parking lots are close to the buildings.

I've done it both ways at Disney. I would go with the rental car. You won't eat up as much of your day waiting for buses.

[dumbo_buddy]

The TTC parking lot is the MK parking lot. You have to take the ferry or the monorail to the park entrance. Only the Disney busses go right to the entrance.

gotcha! i never thought about that - there aren't any cars parked near the entrance!

[megustamex]

thank you! i think we may go the rental car route.

megustamex - yes, you suggested the car earlier! we'll be using your advice. thank you! you mentioned something about having to use the monorail for mk...why? mk has a parking lot...right? is it better to park at TTC?

also, how much is parking at the resorts and at the parks?

another plus is not having to leave way too early for the airport using ME! they always make you leave too early!

That's true about the airport and ME. We always like to hit one more park on our last day too, so we pack up the car and leave everything inside and then head right to the airport from the park. But we always think it takes less time to get through the airport than it does and then we're racing! Now we've vowed to leave the parking lot 3 hours before the flight so we're not cutting it so close. It can take a long time to get through security at Orlando.

[SandmanGStefani24]

:car:

It will ALWAYS be a car for me! I have done both, but let me tell you the car at WDW is the best! I love the idea of sleeping in a little bit and taking off when I'm ready. No waiting in the sun for the shuttle buses, and when you're done, no waiting when you're dead tired either. Plus, no noisy buses to ride in. You have A/C, your choice of music (or silence) and no worrying about standing room only. I'm a little harsh on the buses, I know, but I got spoiled when I rented the car so I'll never go back. (and that's as an adult, i can only imagine if i had little ones in tow.) Take the car, it's worth it! :mickey: