Renting a car if staying at OKW?

[M2DD's]

I posted this ? over on the trasportaion site but I thought the DVC pros maybe better and helping me out. It will be my DH and our 2 girls 3&6 and me.
Were staying in a 1 bdroom at OKW and have never been there before.I have been gathering as much info as I can before our trip. I need some help on the trasportation part of our trip.Should we went a car or not.We can get a compact car for around 200$(including tax) for 13 days. We do not plan on leaving disney property during our stay.We have the dinning plan so we don't need food.I may order water from staples.The only time we would drive off property is if we went and got a few items from walmart. We have always stayed at one of the disney resorts and have never needed or rented a car in the past.After reading several post it seems like having a car at OKW may be needed.Mousesavers web site also recommend that a car at OKW is a must.
Help me decide. I hate to have the car just sit in the lot and not get used.
TIA
M2DD's

 

[Kim&Chris]

I would rent a car. Here's why: I've read SO many posts discussing problems with the Disney buses. Either they're late, too full, make too many stops, etc. With two little ones, it may be worth it to simply rent a car and come & go as you please instead of waiting at bus stops or riding around on a bus when you could be enjoying the parks or your pool.

 

[flyerron]

Are care rentals available fro,m the DVC site after check in?

 

[dianeschlicht]

A lot depends on WHEN you are traveling. If it is a busy season, it wouldn't hurt to have a car if for nothing else than going back and forth to the airport. Sure, you can do Disney's Magical Express, but I'm always a bit too impatient for that.

We have never had any huge issues with the buses at OKW, and we have stayed there nearly 30 times. Oh sure, once in awhile there will be a glitch in the system. We had that happen on the last New Year's Eve trip. DH had to wait an hour for a bus to come when he went back to OKW to pick up something our DD forgot. That is unusual though. Most times, we wait only a couple of minutes or up to 15.

We do NOT take a car to the parks from OKW. We find it is more trouble than it is worth. That is especially true to the Magic Kingdom. The bus drops you right at the gate, while driving, you have to go through the TTC first....big waste of time. We are usually perfectly happy to do the buses, but we do have a car for those trips to the other resorts for our dinner reservations. We particularily like to visit WL and AKL for dinner at Artist Point and Jiko, so a car is much more efficient to take in those dining spots than Disney transportation. It CAN be done though.

 

[Chuck S]

There are car rental agencies that will pick you up at your resort, if you decide later you need a car. Including National/Alamo.

We usually have our car, because we drive to Disney. We have occasionally flown down without a car, and had no problems at all. I would definately use the busses for MK, even with a car, as at MK, if you drive, you need to transfer to tram, then monorail or boat, so it takes time, either way.

We like the convenience of a car because we usually stay 9 to 12 days, and have it handy for shopping. I also recommend, at OKW, that you take the boat to DtD rather than drive or bus. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to find a decent parking place at DtD.

$200 seems like a decent enough price for a car, though. You may want it just for the convenience of shopping or dining at other resorts.

 

[DVC Grammy]

If you are the same OP from the Transportation board, you wrote there that 70% of your time is spent at MK. If that's so, MK is the least convenient with a car. The bus from OKW will probably be much faster (and cooler). How important is the car for the other 30% of your time?
An occasional cab would probably work well enough for you and your family.

 

[laughinplace199]

OKW is a very spread out resort. We always rent a car when we stay there. We stayed there in April and our room was very far from the HH/main pool area. Although technically you could walk to the HH fromn our room, it would take a while. Like you, we have small kids. If we had to walk from our room to the main pool, it would have taken forever.

 

[ILuvDVC2]

If your rental will be as inexpensive as your post says, I say rent the car. We usually stay at OKW and have done it with and without a car, and we liked having a car MUCH better. But, the time we didn't have the car we were staying very close to HH and the bus stop, so it wasn't that bad.

At MK sometimes you have to wait a LONG time for the OKW bus to arrive, so while it drops you close to the park, be prepared to entertain the kids if the bus doesn't come quickly.

 

[Snookies]

There are car rental agencies that will pick you up at your resort, if you decide later you need a car. Including National/Alamo.

We usually have our car, because we drive to Disney. We have occasionally flown down without a car, and had no problems at all. I would definately use the busses for MK, even with a car, as at MK, if you drive, you need to transfer to tram, then monorail or boat, so it takes time, either way.

We like the convenience of a car because we usually stay 9 to 12 days, and have it handy for shopping. I also recommend, at OKW, that you take the boat to DtD rather than drive or bus. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to find a decent parking place at DtD.

$200 seems like a decent enough price for a car, though. You may want it just for the convenience of shopping or dining at other resorts.

Chuck S's post here is an accuarate summary of my views of car rental. We also usually stay between 9 and 14 days and like having the car handy for shopping, particularly offsite. The only time parking at the DtD Marketplace (the east side) is easy is early in the morning. As the day progresses, the difficulty of finding a parking place other than on the West Side increases significantly. So, taking the boat to DtD if your destination is the Marketplace is excellent advice. The only difference between his post and our usual practice is that we usually drive to MK because we're usually heading over from some other activity. We also do this for early morning MK days. If you arrive early enough, you'll park in Minnie section (i've been able to snag the 2nd spot on the 1st row but to date the quest for the illusive 1st spot on the 1st row has eluded me), so no tram ride is necessary and there won't be a line for the monorail. Bottom Line: I don't think a car rental is necessary, but if one doesn't regard it as a major expense and likes to drive (or at least doesn't mind driving on vacation), it is a nice convenience.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We drive down, and even after 7+ hours of being in the car, we still choose getting back into it and getting to the parks rather than using the bus transportation in OKW, or really anywhere other than Fort Wilderness, where we have to take busses to get to the beach and Trail's End.

The odds that somebody throws up, throws a temper tantrum, kicks you in the shins, swears colorfully in front of your kids, sits next to you and sweats on you, sits ON you because they're too big to fit in one seat, or spends ten minutes arguing with the driver about whey they shouldn't have to fold up their stroller because their kid is asleep, are very good. And that's if the bus shows up when it should.

Now, if it's the monorail, in which all of the above also has happened to us (except the stroller), I don't care because, hey, it's the *monorail*!

But busses, eh, what a waste of time and pixie dust!

The boat from OKW to DTD is very cool, though. Highly recommended. Bring a sweater if it's nightime anytime other than summer, though.

 

[WEDway2002]

Here's my 2 cents on the subject ...
We are serious veterans with close to 30 trips to WDW and at least 20 have included stays at OKW (members since '94). First of all ... I am SO excited for you guys!!! You're going to have a great time!
We *always* rent a car and have never regretted it. It's an added expense, yes ... but the ability to just get up and go to exactly where you want to go and when is great!
OKW is our favorite and is a bit spread out. If you are in an area away from the main pool you can just hop in the car. Supplies are a must and it's fun to visit an area Publix or Wallmart to stock up on favorites. We have also had to make late night trips to drug stores and, unfortunately, early morning trips to the local clinic. I don't know if it's just my independent nature or my adventurous spirit, but I love the freedom a car gives you.
I know many love the bus system, but bus stops and waiting and extra stops are the last thing I want to deal with when I'm hot and tired!
Best of luck deciding ... either way you're gonna love it!
We leave in 4 days for OKW ... when are you going?

Dave

 

[Doctor P]

We have had a car on all but one of our trips to WDW in recent years since we drove. Our last trip, we flew and we switched resorts in the middle of the trip. We did not rent a car except for a one day rental to go to Kennedy Space Center. On our trips where we did have a car, we have only used it one time in all the trips--to go to AKL for dinner and then to WL for a fireworks cruise. Other than that we have used Disney transportation to go EVERYWHERE including resort-to-resort and resort hopping. I think we have maybe had one long wait for a bus in all the times we have been using the transportation. It takes patience and ingenuity, but using the transportation system is fun. If you are going to be there a long time, a car WILL be useful to go to the grocery store. Otherwise, save the money. Take a cab when you need to, and you will still generally come out ahead in terms of cost in our experience.

 

[brianm27]

I think it depends on what you are used to and what your expectations are. If you usually depend on disney transportation, you will find OKW no different than other resorts. I have had some of the best overall bus experiences at OKW, but it's also the only resort where I had to wait over 30 minutes for a bus. The odd thing was, on that trip, most of the waits at OKW were less than 5 minutes.

We usually have a car because we rented for years before Magical Express and are used to having it. Some days it sits, but we like it for waterparks, Downtown Disney, resort dining, and visiting friends. We also usually start with a trip to Publix and Walgreens.

We enjoy the car most at OKW and the Cabins at FW, and to a certain extent Saratoga Springs, because you can park at your door.

For the price you quoted, I would take the car. We are going in a few weeks and were not going to rent because of the cost, but we just found a good deal so we will probably have a car this time too.

 

[JimMIA]

I posted this ? over on the trasportaion site but I thought the DVC pros maybe better and helping me out. It will be my DH and our 2 girls 3&6 and me.
Were staying in a 1 bdroom at OKW and have never been there before.I have been gathering as much info as I can before our trip. I need some help on the trasportation part of our trip.Should we went a car or not.We can get a compact car for around 200$(including tax) for 13 days. We do not plan on leaving disney property during our stay.We have the dinning plan so we don't need food.I may order water from staples.The only time we would drive off property is if we went and got a few items from walmart. We have always stayed at one of the disney resorts and have never needed or rented a car in the past.After reading several post it seems like having a car at OKW may be needed.Mousesavers web site also recommend that a car at OKW is a must.
Help me decide. I hate to have the car just sit in the lot and not get used.
TIA
M2DD's

With the plans you describe, I don't think you need a car to do the basics. However, that doesn't mean you wouldn't be better off with a car. It really depends on what you intend to do.

We always have a car, because we drive to WDW. We usually stay at OKW, and almost always drive everywhere. I find I can drive to any theme park in 15 minutes from OKW, and even with parking/tramming time, we are no worse off than riding a bus.

We have actually only taken a bus from OKW a couple of times (to MK) and it was fine. However, for our pattern, a car works great and I would rent one if we were flying in.

The difference is the way we do Disney. We like to go to a park in the morning, have lunch, and then return to the resort for pool/nap time. Then later, we go to a park and/or to dinner.

If we were going to a park for the duration -- with no midday trip back to the resort -- buses would work fine for us. 45 minutes or so going out; 45 minutes or so coming back -- doable. But do that twice in one day and you've really spent more time on buses than I want to spend. Especially that last ride at night, the wait would be excruciating! At the end of a long, happy day, I really love going straight to our car, driving 10 minutes, pulling up to that villa and just getting out of the car and going inside!

We often focus on the time it takes to get to the parks from Resort X. The truth is, it really doesn't matter how we do the outbound trip -- I'm fresh and excited, and I can do that trip standing on my head...no matter how I'm traveling. But I think a more important consideration is "What's it like coming home at the end of the day?"

 

[MiaSRN62]

We've done OKW with and without a car. Frankly, I do prefer to have my own car at any wdw resort, but at OKW is really convenient because it's right outside your door. There are only a few areas that are sort of far from the main HH/main pool. Most rooms are an average of 3-10 min walk. There are 5 bus stops so you're never very far from any of them. We've never waited a long time for OKW busses at the MK as ILuvDVC2 said ? We felt they ran great to and from the MK---in fact, felt the MK and Epcot busses ran the best.

OKW is a larger resort....but no more so than SSR, CBR, CSR, POR (in fact, these might be even larger---I know CBR is)......I've been to all of these. Having a car is great for shopping trips offsite (i.e. the disney outlets etc, but we also go to Sea World sometimes and visit relatives nearby at other times). Also like to have my car for resort dining. If I have a meal planned at the BC for example, we prefer to drive there vs taking a bus to a park and then catching another bus to the BC. Resort to resort transportation is seriously lacking in wdw. So I know you're on the DDP. Not sure where you have your meals planned, but a car might be helpful just for getting around to some of those. I personally would rent the car for that price. However, if $200 for the rental tips your budget more than you'd like, you can definitely do OKW without a car. It's no different than if you were at POR or CBR or SSR etc.
Have a wonderful stay in your OKW 1 bedroom

 

[BroganMc]

Mousesavers web site also recommend that a car at OKW is a must.
Help me decide. I hate to have the car just sit in the lot and not get used.

Mousesavers is exaggerating about that, I believe. Having a car is only a must if you are either visiting lots of resorts for dining or traveling in one of the busy seasons (summer and holidays). And even then, a busy season may find you battling for a parking spot with the thousands of off-site guests, which in turn leaves you waiting for a tram to pick you up and take you to the gate. Could be a wash.

For Magic Kingdom, using a car is the most DISadvantageous. I have handicapped parking so can always get a spot up close at TTC no matter what time of day. And yet I find parking for MK troublesome, unless you want to ride the ferry or monorail. The bus is much quicker because it takes you right to MK's gates.

* DTD has the same problem due to a horrid parking lot.

Now it really comes down to when you're going. I know in December it was so cold I couldn't stand to wait for a bus, so always drove. In May, my van sat in the lot for 8 days.

I'd say if you're used to doing Disney without a car, don't let OKW sway you. It's really no different than staying at other Disney resorts, except it has more internal bus stops. Just ask to be near the pool or HH if that's your desire. Or if you do end up farther away than you'd like, you can always hop a resort bus and use it as an internal loop. Or walk. There are maybe two areas that are far walks from HH and both have pools of their own.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Every reason for a car has already been well said. We wouldn't be without one at WDW.

 

[Cee]

The only time we rented was when we stayed at OKW last Jan. It wasn't a
busy time but we really enjoyed the freedom and spontaneity that the car
provided. We drove around to each resort and it was a blast. They aren't
nearly as "far away" as we thought. When we drove to CR for our ADR one
evening, we left 30 min. in advance and got there in 5 min.!

 

[JimMIA]

There is one situation where a car is a huge benefit -- when you want to go to another resort.

There is no resort-resort transportation, so you'd have to bus to a park or DTD, transfer, and then bus to the destination resort. Do that two ways for dinner or a character meal and you have some serious bus time.

OTOH, as someone mentioned above, cabs are another option. And you can take a lot of cabs for $200.

 

[DabsandTroy]

DH and I *always* rent a car.

We enjoy driving ourselves to the parks knowing that we can easily get from point A to point B and not have to schedule the "wait 20 minutes for the bus to arrive and hope you didnt just miss it" time into our day.

You will have a wonderful time!! I am so jealous that I cant go with you!!