One of the things Disney World does really well is provide multiple forms of complimentary transportation, especially to their guests staying on property at a Disney World Resort hotel.
While the buses, Skyliner, monorail, and boats all provide ways of getting around, there’s a strong case to be made to bring your own car.
Next time you visit Disney World, consider renting a car — we’ve got four reasons why you should!
You can get off property easily.
If any component of your vacation involves leaving Disney World property, whether that is to visit a nearby theme park like Universal or to go to the beach, you will have a MUCH easier time getting around in your own rental car.
You can truly come and go at your leisure.
Depending on crowds and how big your resort is, Disney’s complimentary transportation can add a significant amount of time to your travels. For example, if you are staying at a large resort like Saratoga Springs or Caribbean Beach, those internal bus loops can sometimes take an additional 20-30 minutes. Having a rental car means that you have FULL control over when you leave and return to the resort, and you can park in a lot closer to your Resort building. This makes park hopping a lot easier, too.
Check out these tips for making your decision between using Disney World’s complimentary transportation or renting a car.
It’s way easier to take a mid-day break.
On that same note, many folks prefer to separate their days in the theme parks into two halves. We recommend you consider incorporating a mid-day break into your itinerary. And having a car makes it way easier to do so. Like we said before, Disney World transportation can be time consuming, and your time at Disney World is a precious commodity!
A car provides an added convenience that you have at home.
While the monorail is a truly iconic mode of transportation, and the Skyliner can be a lot of fun, there is a certain amount of inconvenience that goes into utilizing these services. If you are a family with young children who need strollers, the constant folding down can be a burden, especially in large crowds. Using your own rental car means you can easily get to and fro with all of your gear and all of your crew on your own timeline — and with a lot more convenience in many cases.
Ultimately, renting a car is an additional trip expense that you need to account for. In addition to the cost of renting the car itself, you need to figure in factors like overnight resort parking fees, additional parking fees at theme parks (especially if you leave Disney property), gas, etc. There is something to be said, however, for putting a price on convenience, and if your ultimate goal is that, then having your own car gives you a sense of freedom that relying on Disney transportation does not.
Do you prefer to have a rental car with you when you travel to Disney World? Or do you rely entirely on Disney transportation? Let us know in the comments!
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I like to go out to eat “off property” for at least meal a day so it makes sense to me. I also like the convenience of not relying on WDW transportation. It is also a good idea to go to Walmart or Target and stock up on essential supplies for your family’s stay. Disney wants a “captive guest” so it can milk you for even more money than it already does.
On my last trip to Disney, I had my own car with me. Drove from the North of the country but didn’t want to rely on transportation. I am planning a second travel soon and didn’t want to drive there but car rentals are so expensive that I couldn’t decide yet if renting a car or not. There’s a lot to consider
We’ve made about ten trips to WDW from the west coast and on all but one we stayed off property in condos. We definitely appreciate the savings and the large amount of space that the condo allows. So, we have no choice but to rent a car. It is convenient for going to Universal, Sea World, the Space Center, Busch Gardens and just to make a quick trip to a Publix. We have a trip planned in early December and the poster Mark is correct, we are paying more this time for the rental. But, even with parking fees we come out so far ahead of trying to have a comparable rental unit on property.
There are a few other details you need to bear in mind when renting a car for your Disney trip. Right now, there is a national shortage of rental cars. As a result, it’s harder to get a reservation and you’ll wind up paying a premium for the privilege. Additionally, you need to take into account the extra time required to pick up your rental at the start of your vacation and the time you’ll need to budget to return it. Between these inconveniences and the other additional costs referenced in the article, I find it’s generally better to not rent a car unless I’m spending a significant amount of time off Disney property. Otherwise, bus transportation supplemented with Uber or Lyft is (for me) the better option.
I had not rented a car in years- but this past April we went and stayed at Coronado Springs in the Tower. I was very concerned about the wait time for the buses since COVID protocols were still in effect. I have to say- I will never use Disney transportation again! I know there are alot of factors to consider-including costs- but we really enjoyed having our freedom to come and go as we pleased, and the 10-20 min drive time to all the parks was so much better than the buses. if time is important to you- and you can handle the expense- I say do it!