Common advice ignored

I can't image relying on WDW transport to get to the GF from the Swan for instance, unless I had the time and proper footwear to do the above referenced route. Towncars/Uber FTW.

A lot of WDW fans tell first-timers to now worry about renting a car and just take DME and the Disney on-site transportation.

Um, no.

To me, the convenience of being able to drive wherever and whenever far outweighs the expense.

THIS. I just skimmed this thread but I totally agree with amberpi on this one. Haven't been back to try the "Minnie Vans" but tried the buses while staying at POP Century and swore them off immediately. We used Uber for the remaining 7 days of our trip, got to everywhere we needed to MUCH faster, and spent about 30% less than renting a car. So much more convenient and we never had an issue with any of the Uber drivers. I don't get Magical Express. It makes no sense to me (maybe I'm a snob?). We sprang for an Uber XL on our way back to the airport and let me tell you, I'd MUCH rather pay $50 to $60 for this option each way (which isn't much when you're spending $5k+ on a week or more vacation), than be bogged down by the Magical Express. We used it once when traveling from the airport to the resort. It was ok, but for us, time is money and we want to maximize every minute we have. If that means dropping around $100 on the round-trip to/from the airport to get back several hours or more of time in the parks its money well spent in my opinion. The convenience factor here really does pay for itself. That being said, Uber was $5 to $10 per ride. Disney is charging $20 per Minnie Van ride. I'm wondering if Lyft is going to get in on this action and allow non-Minnie Van drivers/cars to serve the area.

Anyone remember "Boil in a Bag" food? Usually a gooey, disgusting, and generally icky product if ever there was one. That is exactly what I turn into wearing a poncho in the hot, humid Florida climate. A lightweight umbrella is my very best friend.

It's gross but true for so many, myself included. Solid advice on the small umbrella. We hated the cheap ponchos we bought for our first trip and we don't ride water rides.


Thank you for being sensible! People go through all these lengths to get water, when there are fountains everywhere. Yes, the water tastes a little funny in central FL, but it's safe. You get used to the taste really quickly.

We used the fountains to refill a hydration pack on our last trip every day and it worked quite well. We realized with a pack per person (which can get expensive), we don't need to refill at all, but I agree, the water fountains were ALWAYS open, and we never had anyone rush us along when filling a 3L hydration bladder although we did look a bit odd standing there filling up this huge plastic bag with a hose running out of it lol.
 
A lot of WDW fans tell first-timers to now worry about renting a car and just take DME and the Disney on-site transportation.

Um, no.

To me, the convenience of being able to drive wherever and whenever far outweighs the expense.

This times 3. I will tell people to take the bus...so there is more parking for us :-D

Seriously though, we found the convenience of having a vehicle to be well worth the cost for several reasons. It was a time saver. In some ways it saved a few bucks, quick trip to Walmart on the way to the resort, or realized we forgot something, just drive to walmart during downtime. It saved some headaches..the one time we took the bus it was a late night leaving crowd and we ran into a couple of rude pushy people...not what I want to deal with at 11PM when I am holding a sleeping child getting on a bus.

Everyone one is different, and one of the great things about Disney is you can do things so many different ways, and for us that means renting a car.

The other thing is the dining plan. Many people swear by the convienence, but for me it is not convenient to pay all that up front, still have to worry about tips and any extras while there, and feel like I am getting way more food han I need...just cus I have the plan.
 
We never take a "down" day and hang out at the resort all day. Those tickets are expensive and we want to get every nickel out of them!

That's what we do as well.

However on our next trip, there will be a first for us: We are going to take a day and not do anything Disney related. We'll visit other attractions in the Orlando area instead. In the past, we would have just spent an extra day at WDW, but not anymore.
 
we only buy the number of days we will enter the park,and the other days are our relaxing days...so no wasted money there- I prefer it that way over every day in a park..... it's just too tiring. for an 8 night visit we might go in the park 4-5 days.(and that's a lot for us on our upcoming trip)
 


Seriously! Who has even 40 bucks per person, per day to blow going to the park especially for only a few hours? Most people on here will say buy a bunch of tickets and only go for a while each day, but uh, I don't have that kind of skrilla to blow.
which is why we always buy a certain number of days-and maximize those inpark days.
 
We are going longer so that we can take our time. Early start ( an hour before opening for most my days so 6 am for my earliest.) Each day we plan an afternoon rest. We as a family know what is important to us. We love the nighttime shows. So we go back for evening things. I am worried about doing too much at one time. As well as taking to much of a rest. However, I would rather be able to stay late at night or go early then be in the heat of the day.
 


This times 3. I will tell people to take the bus...so there is more parking for us :-D

Seriously though, we found the convenience of having a vehicle to be well worth the cost for several reasons. It was a time saver. In some ways it saved a few bucks, quick trip to Walmart on the way to the resort, or realized we forgot something, just drive to walmart during downtime. It saved some headaches..the one time we took the bus it was a late night leaving crowd and we ran into a couple of rude pushy people...not what I want to deal with at 11PM when I am holding a sleeping child getting on a bus.

Everyone one is different, and one of the great things about Disney is you can do things so many different ways, and for us that means renting a car.

The other thing is the dining plan. Many people swear by the convienence, but for me it is not convenient to pay all that up front, still have to worry about tips and any extras while there, and feel like I am getting way more food han I need...just cus I have the plan.
It's like I wrote that response myself. I agree on all points made, and these are the reasons we have a hire car for the whole stay too.
 
Right, but a lot of people will buy the amount of tickets they need minus days they don't go to the park.
The problem with that is that each additional day is so cheap once you go past 5 or 6 day tickets, that I view it as a waste not to add more days. But we are fortunate that we stay more than two weeks. We do ten week days at the parks and weekends at the resort.
 
Last edited:
The problem with that is that each additional day is so cheap once you go past 5 or 6 day tickets, that I view it as a waste not to add more days. But we are fortunate that we stay more than two weeks. We do ten week days at the parks and weekends at the resort.

We feel the same way! The problem with any discussion on the “best way” to do something is that what might work best for you, won’t work best for someone else. I’ve Stayed at WDW 3 times and they were all for a week with my brothers family and we have always bought tickets for the length of our stay. I think my brother bought a fewer day package years ago and bad weather made it a nightmare for them. After that experience he’d much rather pay a few extra dollars per ticket and not have to worry about it.

It's the same way with Park hoppers, many people feel it's waste of money and for them it might be, but for us it’s one of the best decisions we make every trip. Our first two trips we stayed at the Swan Dolphin, so obviously Park hoppers made a lot more sense. We stayed at the POP Century this summer and it was the first time I could see the benefits of not buying the hopper, but still glad we did. :thumbsup2
 
The parade at 2 pm is throwing off some plans. However, as we get closer. I start trying to figure out what is most important and making sure to give my poor hubs. (who has recently been called into work more and more, due to accident at work taking someone out of work for 3 months) He asked me to promise him this is a vacation for him too and to make sure we do not go so fast that he doesn't have off time to rest, and yes sleep in some. So Now I am looking at maybe only RD animal kingdom one of our (3 ak mornings) and let the crazy crowd get in before we go to dino land and Everest one morning, and trails the next if. say forgo Pandora 2 mornings, I think I could give him 2 more hours of sleep. We could be walking in the gates by park opening, and by then most the Pandora crowd would be passed. (so no shoving and running)

I am also trying to think how early we will really need to be in line for HS on an early morning. I don't think I need to be there an hour+ before opening like AK. But we as a family enjoy getting the most out of rope drop too.

Also, we have lots of umbrellas were taking two, and we have three ponch's I bought a few years ago from a small $ store, but there thick, and not clear plastic they look really sturdy. If they fail ill pony up 30 and get us the Disney ones, everyone here who has spoken of them, mostly think they're worth it and reusable.Perhapse its worth it.

Water- always carry water bottles with us, though it may be a pain I think we are so used to it here in AZ , that we couldn't go without one. We will get free ice water and pour it in the bottles as we need, but also bringing some flavor stuff too. I have a husb who hates H2O, so I have to find a flavor he will drink so he stays hydrated. My son and I will drink a good 5 + refills of our big cups daily at home, so we will drink plenty of water walking around. My son had a hydration problem early at one his bday party's, so I think that stuck with him too and he never goes anywhere without his water.
 
Thank you for being sensible! People go through all these lengths to get water, when there are fountains everywhere. Yes, the water tastes a little funny in central FL, but it's safe. You get used to the taste really quickly.

We never bring water bottles or buy them. Why should we when we can get free ice water just for the asking? Will NEVER drink from the fountains after seeing some of the nasty things people do there.

Have never had to wait more than a few min. at most at the CS for water and it's filtered so tastes great. It's rarely more than a short distance away from where we are at any given time.
 
I think people turning down free iced water in lieu of buying it is just silly for two reasons;

1) Aside from free, it makes for a great cup for a mixed drink
2) There are filtered water bottles you can get off amazon that fulfill everyone's reasoning for buying ones in the parks for $3.


I'm glad I read people's thoughts on transportation. For now, budget is a concern of mine so I will continue to take the DME round trip. It's also apart of the experience for me. It's rather unpleasant though having TSA pre-check and then having an hour and forty five minute wait till flight departure. I rely heavily on ride sharing to and from the parks. Disney's shuttles are - obviously - very uneconomical. I personally think it's a matter of time before a bus time is added to the app. For instance, I'm at MK and I log onto my app to see when the next bus is departing to my resort. This would help people optimize their time better as it seems more of a waiting game even with tempered crowds.
 
I think people turning down free iced water in lieu of buying it is just silly for two reasons;

1) Aside from free, it makes for a great cup for a mixed drink
2) There are filtered water bottles you can get off amazon that fulfill everyone's reasoning for buying ones in the parks for $3.


I'm glad I read people's thoughts on transportation. For now, budget is a concern of mine so I will continue to take the DME round trip. It's also apart of the experience for me. It's rather unpleasant though having TSA pre-check and then having an hour and forty five minute wait till flight departure. I rely heavily on ride sharing to and from the parks. Disney's shuttles are - obviously - very uneconomical. I personally think it's a matter of time before a bus time is added to the app. For instance, I'm at MK and I log onto my app to see when the next bus is departing to my resort. This would help people optimize their time better as it seems more of a waiting game even with tempered crowds.
I was under the impression (correct me if I'm wrong) that the buses are allocated to the resort bus stops outside the parks only if passengers are waiting, and wouldn't come if no one is there waiting.
 
Some of the most common tips offered by disney veterans just don't work for me.

I posted in another thread that I never bought cheap rain ponchos. First of all I've hardly ever needed them. Most rain in the summer is over within an hour so we take a break under shelter. Once when the forecast was for rain all day I bought the overpriced Disney ponchos. Turned out to be not a bad investment. They are pretty heavy duty and I've used them several times over the years. I doubt the cheap dollar store versions would have lasted a day.

Another common tip is to get free water from counter service food places. Good advice if you were already planning to buy food but there is usually a significant line to wait in. I'm not waiting 10 minutes for a free cup of water when there's a cart selling ice cold bottles with no wait.

For me convenience outweighs what sounds like good advice.


You can pick up free cups of water at the pick up counter without standing in the order line usually
 
You can pick up free cups of water at the pick up counter without standing in the order line usually

I did try that once, and it was a 5 minute wait around a crowded pick up counter just to ask one of the CMs for a cup of water. I just skip the hassle and carry my water with me.

Beer Me, some tips work, some tips don't. It just depends on your touring style and what you would like to do while at WDW.
 
I think people turning down free iced water in lieu of buying it is just silly for two reasons;

1) Aside from free, it makes for a great cup for a mixed drink
2) There are filtered water bottles you can get off amazon that fulfill everyone's reasoning for buying ones in the parks for $3.

I don't want to haul around a water bottle. I'd rather spend the money.
 
Re: renting a car, the big reason I don't is that I actively dislike driving, especially in unfamiliar places. I'd rather allow extra time for buses than drive while I'm on vacation, and I'm not bothered enough by the extra wait time to bother with Uber. Ditto Magical Express; for me it is convenient because it means not having to drive and not having to make my own arrangements. I loved it when I could take a bus to and from work even though it made my commute 30 minutes instead of 15, because I didn't have to be the one driving and I could attend to other things (got a lot of reading done). So for me the advice I ignore is all this business about how convenient it is to rent a car. :p

The other advice I ignore? Making a touring plan. Never done it, never will. I see where there's value in it if you have a big group to wrangle or if you go at peak season, but when you're solo or with one other adult (as I typically am) there's no earthly reason to plan farther ahead than the next two hours. We just pick what we're going to hit first, do fastpasses as we're able, and make the rest of the decisions on the fly. It's always worked out perfectly well, and despite warnings from certain guidebook authors and their fans, I've never had to wait Two Hours For Everything (because if something has a two hour wait, gee, maybe it's time to go ride something else).
 
When we we at WDW in July- there were many ice water stations set up outside the quick service restaurants for us to grab and go- loved it!!!
 
The parade at 2 pm is throwing off some plans. However, as we get closer. I start trying to figure out what is most important and making sure to give my poor hubs. (who has recently been called into work more and more, due to accident at work taking someone out of work for 3 months) He asked me to promise him this is a vacation for him too and to make sure we do not go so fast that he doesn't have off time to rest, and yes sleep in some. So Now I am looking at maybe only RD animal kingdom one of our (3 ak mornings) and let the crazy crowd get in before we go to dino land and Everest one morning, and trails the next if. say forgo Pandora 2 mornings, I think I could give him 2 more hours of sleep. We could be walking in the gates by park opening, and by then most the Pandora crowd would be passed. (so no shoving and running)

I am also trying to think how early we will really need to be in line for HS on an early morning. I don't think I need to be there an hour+ before opening like AK. But we as a family enjoy getting the most out of rope drop too.

Also, we have lots of umbrellas were taking two, and we have three ponch's I bought a few years ago from a small $ store, but there thick, and not clear plastic they look really sturdy. If they fail ill pony up 30 and get us the Disney ones, everyone here who has spoken of them, mostly think they're worth it and reusable.Perhapse its worth it.

Water- always carry water bottles with us, though it may be a pain I think we are so used to it here in AZ , that we couldn't go without one. We will get free ice water and pour it in the bottles as we need, but also bringing some flavor stuff too. I have a husb who hates H2O, so I have to find a flavor he will drink so he stays hydrated. My son and I will drink a good 5 + refills of our big cups daily at home, so we will drink plenty of water walking around. My son had a hydration problem early at one his bday party's, so I think that stuck with him too and he never goes anywhere without his water.

Jade--have you considered having your spouse meet up with you and your son later? My husband had a bad bout of food poisoning so we set a meet-up location for a few hours after MK opened. He called once he was feeling better & at the bus-stop so we had a better sense of the time. My daughter & I were happy to have the park time and he was happy not to be rushed about.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top