Thursday's Tip

If you're lucky enough to live within driving distance of Walt Disney World (and "driving distance" is a relative term...for some that means 200 miles or less, while others consider 600 miles an easy trip), you know the advantages of having a car on Walt Disney World property. Sure, there are buses and monorails and boats (oh my!) to take you almost anywhere you need to go on property, but it's nice to have the option to see outside the Mouse compound too. Our family has its favorite off-property restaurants and shops that we wouldn't want to miss on any given trip.

Here's a tip for those of you who have a car on site: drive to the Parks each day. Yes, Disney transportation is almost always safe, reliable, convenient, and it is ALWAYS free. But is it the most safe or most reliable? I'm not trying to sound macabre, but consider the number of accidents on Disney transportation in just the last year or so. We've seen a definite increase, which many Disney followers are attributing to lax standards within Disney's transportation department--including training of new Cast Members. But putting safety aside, our family has found that it can, indeed, be more convenient to drive ourselves.

First, we never have to wait for a bus or monorail. We just hop in the car and go. And often, if you arrive early enough, the parking area for cars can be nearly as close as the drop-off zone for the busses! (Note: you still have to take a monorail from the TTC to get to the Magic Kingdom, since there isn't a parking lot at the MK. All other WDW Parks have their own lot.) And one final bonus involves park hopping.

We almost always visit more than one park each day of our Walt Disney World vacation. And since we always bring in a few snacks and drinks, we keep a cooler in our car to "refresh" our stash before hopping to the next Park. And there have even been a few times when we took the opportunity to drive just a short distance off property to have a meal outside the Parks before returning. (This works especially well with Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is not far from a few of our favorite off-site restaurants.)

For us, it's the only way to go. We love the freedom of having our vehicle nearby. And, just in case you thought we were shelling out $$ to park, parking at the WDW Parks is free to all registered guests at Disney Resorts.

(Obviously, there are special instances when this does not apply. For example, when staying at a Resort that has a more direct transportation route--a monorail or even a boat--we take the most direct method.)