We are driving to Orlando and will have our own vehicle at Disney World. Staying at POR. 5 of our 7 days we have PPO ADRs, none on an EMH morning. Advantages/disadvantages to driving our own vehicle vs. waiting for the shuttle bus? How far is the general parking lot from the park entrances? Do the buses drop you off right at the main entrance?
From what I gathered Yes they drop you off in the front. MK you have to park then take the monorail or boat to the park. If you drink you might not want to drive but you can take a bus. I’m driving into DW but I need a ECV to get around and the one I need I can’t put in my car, and I’m not about to try to walk from parking lot to the parks to pay 4-5 times more to rent one of their’s. Also I think Disney transport is a added ride, (WEEE) and a part of the Disney experience.
When driving your own car, where you end up depends on the park.
For MK, the buses or a Minnie Van are the easiest way to get dropped off at the entrance. Driving your own car to MK means parking at TTC and taking transport to the gates.
For the other parks, where you wind up parked depends on what time you arrive, but if you are there for PPO ADRs you’ll be ahead of the crowd and will probably be pretty close to the gate.
For buses you generally end up relatively close to the gates, but you could be very close or only kind of close depending on where you’re staying and/or where the bus is headed next.
For a PPO ADR at EP, HS, or AK, if I had my own car I’d take it since early buses can be a bit unpredictable. For a PPO ADR at MK I would probably take a Minnie Van (the only case in which I would do so).
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We always take our own car to the parks simply because we prefer to have a little more control over our coming and going rather than being at the mercy of the timing of the buses. We used the bus one time to go to DS and back from AS Sports and we waited over an hour for a return bus. I am sure that was an anomaly, but it further convinced us that our own car is our preference. As for the walking distance from the parking lots, we always arrive pre-rope drop when the parking lots are pretty much empty, so the walking distance is very reasonable for us.
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Yeah that would be an anomaly, alright.
I will say that I enjoyed having my own car in January, which was the first and only time to date that i have had one. I used Disney Transport mainly when I was going out for dinners and knew I would be enjoying some beverages.
Of course now with the parking fees, I don’t expect to bring a car on property again.
Is there a charge for the Minnie Van? We have PPO at BOG & I don’t want to be late.
Yes Minnie Vans are $25 per ride from any point in WDW to any point in WDW. Which is why I wouldn’t ordinarily suggest them, but for MK PPO ADR it may be worth it to you. Otherwise Bus.
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Bus is best for the MK. As you will need at least the monorail or ferry to get to the MK and maybe a parking tram.
AK, EP, HS driving yourself can be good as you can walk from the park to the car.
At POR you will be one of multiple bus stops. So it may take a few busses to get a ride depending where you will be.
We drove to all parks. You will have to walk a bit further than you would if you took the bus but we still prefer to be in control. Driving to MK early can be tricky because they don’t always have the monorail open yet so you take the ferry which can take forever. So I do think bus is best there. Buses should start at 6:30 or 6:45.
We have a royal room if that helps provide any info
We always drive to the parks because we like the freedom. I don’t like relying on Disney transportation (but I know lots of people love it). I especially think for PPO ADRs driving to the park would be much better than relying on the bus (the exception might be MK). If driving you will be getting to the park early for the ADR, so you will likely be close to the entrance when you park–more than likely close enough to just walk.
It has been years since I have been to the riverside. This website migjt help you some.
If you opt to do Lyft/Uber , no Minnie for MK PPO ADR where do they drop you off TTC? or maybe do CR?
Only Minnie Vans can get you to the bus depot at MK, which is why I would recommend them in this one case only. All other services (taxi, lyft, uber) will take you to TTC
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Only Minnie Vans can get you to the bus depot at MK, which is why I would recommend them in this one case only. All other services (taxi, lyft, uber) will take you to TTC
What if you take a Lyft or taxi to the Contemporary (or Bay Lake Tower)? It’s only a couple of minutes to walk from there to the bus depot
Such a thing can be done.
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