Buses or Car Rental with a 2 year old?

[laughinplace199]

DH & I used to use WDW transportation every trip, but once we had kids, we started renting a car. We liked being able to come and go on our schedule and not have to wait in line in the heat for a (possibly overcrowded) bus. Also, we didn't like the idea of having to fold up the stroller (and remember to take everything out of the basket and cupholders) to get on the bus. We always stayed onsite and went back to the resort for mid-day breaks, which is much easier with a car.

 

[DisneyOma]

DH & I used to use WDW transportation every trip, but once we had kids, we started renting a car. We liked being able to come and go on our schedule and not have to wait in line in the heat for a (possibly overcrowded) bus. Also, we didn't like the idea of having to fold up the stroller (and remember to take everything out of the basket and cupholders) to get on the bus. We always stayed onsite and went back to the resort for mid-day breaks, which is much easier with a car.

Don't you have to fold up the stroller to get in in the car?

 

[laughinplace199]

Don't you have to fold up the stroller to get in in the car?

LOl! Yes, but not while in a line of people rushing to get onto the bus.

 

[DisneyOma]

LOl! Yes, but not while in a line of people rushing to get onto the bus.

That's why you fold the stroller before the bus arrives.

 

[Runner225]

Would he be charged parking fees (about $13/day) with the new parking changes or does that only apply to trips not already booked?

Sometimes the buses can be a pain with a toddler. There have been a few occasions at closing where I've had to stand on the bus holding my sleeping toddler or baby with the other hand on a pole. Not the safest thing to do. If money was not a concern I would rent a car and use it to non-MK parks. My wife prefers the buses and found the parking lot shuttles a bit of a pain.

Thankfully, I am under the impression that since we booked in January, the new parking fee should be waived for us. I am actually speaking with a CM tomorrow since I e-mailed Bob Chapek to voice my opinion on the new parking fee (of course, my e-mail was forwarded to a guest services CM). Our first day we will be going to HS, so we will have the car for that...so it will be 3 days of buses as opposed to 5. Hopefully it won't be terrible!

 

[cubed]

I debated renting a car for my upcoming trip with my two boys, 6 and 3, and my mom. DH always wants to have a car on hand so when I planned a trip with my mom, I figured we would just use buses since neither of us like to drive. Fast forward to now, where we are about two weeks away from leaving and I panicked and booked a rental. I will be 21wks pregnant and the thought of holding a stroller with a book bag strapped to me while standing on a crowded bus at peak spring break time made me want to cry. I was hoping to rely on Minnie Vans but have read way too many complaints of high demand and still low supply.

So, I say you should extend your rental if you are going during super crowded times. We were at Disney first week of April last year, the week of Thanksgiving last year, and will be there again first week of April this year. Those weeks are peak crowd levels so I’m not going to take chances. If we were going say first week of March, then I would probably do the bus and Minnie Vans.

 

[michbaron]

We don’t use the buses and since you’ll already have a rental I would just extend it. We’ve had our car with us twice because we drove from NY and we rented once and on our next trip in April we’ll be renting again. Half the time our kids fall asleep in the strollers leaving the parks and my husband and I just power thru and walk to the car and skip the trams so we can transfer them right into their car seats. Plus I’m car seat safety crazy and worry about them being on a bus so young. I know plenty of people use buses all the time but personally the idea of no seatbelts and safety seats makes me nervous which weighs heavily on our decision to use a car. Plus it’s nice to be able to come and go as we please and make stops off property if we want.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Vacation for me means no driving and no cooking. I do the buses while at WDW. Well next trips we are staying at BWV so buses will only be for MK and AK. When we go to other vacation destinations we use Uber or cabs.

We did Disney when the kids were toddlers and drove from NJ. We parked the car and never used it again. No having to deal with a hot car, hot car seats, strapping them in, etc. I live in a city area so public transportation doesn't bother me. Also, the whole little speech that comes on in the bus when you reach the park is part of the magic for me.

 

[CricketMa]

My daughter was freshly two years old last year and I took a trip just her and I. We used the bus system.

Now we did go during early February - so keep that in mind. But the bus was pretty easy. She loved it. It wasn’t THAT much of a hassle breaking down the stroller and holding it. People were pretty generous and often gave up a seat so I could sit and hold her if there were a lot of people.

I vote no car, personally.

 

[happymommy]

I found the best bus service was at Pop!

I would rather leave the driving to Disney!

I've brought double and single strollers, never had an issue folding it up. I just advise others to have your stroller folded up while you wait. It is annoying if you have to gather all your stuff out of it, fold it up, etc, once the bus arrives. The driver would rather have the passengers ready to board once the others leave the bus.

 

[rg35]

Car is the fastest and easiest way to get around WDW. Buses can sometimes save time getting to MK because you get right to the gate instead of going to the TTC first, but this depends on where you are staying and how long you waited for the bus.

You also might not always get a seat on the bus, you'll have the additional hassle of dealing with folding/unfolding a stroller, etc.

WDW buses are a perk, but they are not the fastest way around the world. While I am generally a huge proponent of mass transit (esp. here at home in NYC), at WDW I am pretty car-centric.

 

[Beprepared]

Another vote for the buses! It was really nice to rest with my kids on my lap after a long day at the park.