Disney with NO CAR???

[LisaLuvsDisney]

I'm planning a trip in December and don't want to rent a car. Is it really bad doing Disney with no car? I lived in Orlando for 5 years and don't really need to travel off property, we've seen everything else...

[DizneyRox]

We've been doing no car for the past few years, used to add about $700 to our trips. Got one in August so we could drive ourselves to the port for a DCL cruise, and other than the drive there, we didn't use it at all, and still didn't miss it.

If you're not leaving property, there's really no need. Although, a few trips back we bought something and wanted to mail it back (couldn't have it sent when we purchased it) and it was a pain. Luckily it did fit in the suitcases. If push came to shove, I guess we could of rented a car and taken off, but for the most part, it's not needed.

[Christine]

If you are staying at a WDW resort, I say no way , do not rent a car. If you are flying in, use Disney's Magical Express, the new free shuttle service they are starting next week. Read all about at at wdw.com. We drove one or two times, and we NEVER touched our car!
The WDW transportation is so much easier...I feel bad for those people walking for miles to get to their cars and sitting in bumper to bumper traffic while the WDW transport uses it's own lanes and gets you back to your hotel quickly. Part of a vacation for me is to NOT drive a vehicle at all...no stress and no road rage! [img]smile.gif[/img]
By the way, December has been my FAVORITE time to go! We were there this past December and LOVED Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the wonderful Osbourne Lights, and Epcot's holidays around the world. Plus it was a trip to be there and not be sunburned and sweaty! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[SoccerMom]

We like the fact that we are able to drive down, park the car and not see it again until departure day. You miss so much of the magic if you drive yourself everywhere. Being on vacation means not driving too.

[alpro2]

On all my trips that I have stayed onsite, I have never rented a car. Even if you want to spend a day at those "other" parks in Orlando, a round trip taxi ride won't be as much as a daily rental.

Who needs the hassle? (Just my humble opinion.)

[faline]

We only rent a car if we have some off-site committments. Even when we have a car, it sits, alone and unused, in the parking most of the time

[winky]

There are some people who feel the need for a rental car. They don't like to wait and don't like to be on other people's schedules. I'm OK with relying on the transportation. I don't feel the rental of a car for a week would be worth it.

If you tend to be impatient and will be stressed out waiting for the bus to arrive, it may be better to rent a car. Some times the buses to take awhile, and don't always take the most direct route, but imo it's so much better than having to drive!

If we're really in a rush, we can take a taxi for one or two trips.

[ryca1dreams]

For me, one of the ways to "get away from it all" and really be immersed in the Disney magic is to leave the car behind. Even the Disney buses run on a little pixie dust.

[Squeaky Mouse]

When we fly to Orlando, we very seldom rent a car. While it's nice to be able to drive to a resort for a meal or the water parks with no wait, it's also very nice to let someone else do the driving -- especially after an evening at PI.

[Carolanne]

I've been to WDW 10+ trips, stayed on site for every trip, and never used a rental car. About 4 years ago I went with my mom, my sister, and my nephew; my sister pursuaded my mom to rent a car. We landed at MCO, picked up our luggage, picked up our car, drove to our Disney resort (Port Orleans, the French Quarter), unpacked, and while unpacking we realized that we were never going to use the car while we were in WDW. My sister & I took the car back that very day. During that trip we did "stray" to Universal, but for that we used Mears, which we also used for the trip back to the airport (we now use Happy Limo for getting to & from the resort/Universal). Oh, we did get our money back for the rental car--we didn't even ask about getting it back! Ever since that one time, we never rented a car again. We're good using the Disney bus/mono system.

[*NikkiBell*]

Out of all my trips, we have never used a car. There is absolutely no need to. And yes, it DOES take away some of the Disney magic to drive to the parks. I do not wanna see a parking lot while on vacation. The transportation makes it that much more special. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Sweet_Hidden]

Well we are Flying in and we are not getting a rental... it is our first trip but I can't see a reason to get one right now.....

Have fun..... we hope too...

[Funcruiser56]

next trip will be our first time not renting a car, Having the free disney transportation from the airport was a deceiding factor for us. Plus we are traveling with 4 other adults, so someone will have to do all the driving and then you are at the mercy of everyone else.
Using the buses will give us all more options as to when we want to come and go.

We do use our rental car alot when we have one, so this will be very different for us. Hope we can learn to love the bus....LOL

Funcruiser

[pedro2112]

We drove down to WDW a few weeks ago, and other than going to the luau at the Poly, we never used the car. Looking back, we really didn't need to drive to the Luau.

[BhamWriter]

I'm in the minority, apparently, on this one. I usually drive to WDW and am very glad to have my car. Driving to the parks does not take away the magic; instead, it gives me maximum flexibility to do what I want when I want. I don't have to wait on a bus (or other transportation) to get me where I want to go, and I don't have to figure out how to get from point A to B, then from B to C, then from C to A.

Today, my son and his mom needed to get to their resort three hours prior to their airport departure in order to be picked up by the non-Disney bus service returning them to the airport. They went to Epcot in the morning, but they waited a long time for a Disney bus to pick them up to take them back to the resort. One bus driver, who came from their resort, shut the door and waved them away without speaking to them. A second came from their resort, but refused to return them, telling them that he had to receive instructions telling him his next assignment. A few minutes later, he returned and told them he had permission to take them to the resort. By this time, some people waiting for the bus had already left.

I don't walk miles through the parking lot. Usually, it's rather easy by parking close (if I arrive very early or late in the day) or using the trams. And, I rarely have a traffic jam (much fewer jams, I'm sure, than some of the lines I've seen waiting for buses or the monorail).

I might not rent a car because WDW is definitely doable without one, but I'm always glad when I have a car with me.

[KylesMom]

As you can see from the varied responses, this is truly a personal preference thing whereby the only one who can decide if you need a car is YOU. [img]graemlins/mickey.gif[/img]

I have to agree with Alison in that if you are ok waiting on transportation - whether it be two or twenty minutes, then you should be fine without a vehicle.

My family, like BhamWriter, always has a car at our disposal and we use it several times a day when we are at Disney. Whether we drive from Illinois and have our own van or we rent from the airport, it is a must for us. We visit enough that we know our way around and are very comfortable driving the interior roads of Disney.

For two weeks it's costing us around $250, which we find infinitely worth it. BUT we normally hop in between two or three different parks or resorts in a days' time.


I can tell you that we would be one of the uptight families, getting impatient waiting!

Good luck in your decision! Most of all, have a great time! [img]graemlins/party.gif[/img]

[Dopey's Girl]

We usually rent a car, and then it just sits in the lot of our hotel. With the great bus service, and the volume of traffic in and around WDW, driving just adds stress to the mix, and who wants that on vacation?

We are not renting in December, we are just going to enjoy Magical Express and let Disney take care of everything for us!

[TheRustyScupper]

1) When staying on-site, we never rent a car.
2) As most agree, WDW transport s good.
3) If you want quicker transport, take a taxi.

[TiggerRPh]

We have never rented a car in 15 years of going to WDW. You can get around fine without one. When we have been in a hurry to get somewhere or at a time when Disney Transportation couldn't accommodate us...we've used a cab.

[Vacation Dad]

Until my last solo visit, I was always accustomed to having my own transportation. I find that I do things that I otherwise wouldn't because of the time involved in getting around WDW aside from the parks.

WDW is an easy driving experience. Rarely have I encountered traffic except at park closings. I have never regretted having a car since the options are greater for the amount of time invested in getting from place to place.

The busses are fine if you are primarily using them to get to the parks and back. You will have to invest a little more time if you want to be more spontaneous about resort hopping or park hopping for specific events. In spite of the obvious convenience, I found that wait times in bus lines are not necessarily as blissful as folks let on.

It pays to consider the pros and cons whether you decide to rent or not. Either method has it's own advantages depending on your plans. Either way, doing one or the other will not ruin your overall experience.