We are staying at the all-stars movie resort. Can we drive our car to the different parks?

Question

I read that the bus takes 30 minutes to get to the parks. Can we drive? If so, are we charged for parking? If not, is there a better, faster way to get there? We are not going to the water parks.

Answer 1

Disney says it takes about 30 minutes to get to the parks, but most of the time I don't think it takes quite that long, it just depends on the situation. However, there is quite a bit of distance between the value resorts and the actual parks, it is definitely not something you could just walk in a few minutes, it is much further than most people realize.

You can drive yourself. Since you are staying onsite, parking is free for you. When you check in, they will ask if you have your own car and if so give you a parking pass to put in your window so you don't have to pay the extra money for parking each day.

If you aren't use to a lot of traffic and/or busier roads, driving in Orlando can be a little more difficult. There is usually a lot of traffic with a lot of locals and then a lot of people that aren't very familiar with the roads, making the driving a little dangerous. It can be a little stressful if you aren't use to these type driving conditions, if you are used to traffic, it shouldn't be a problem. When the parks close at night, it can be especially bad, where the buses seem to be able to get through the busier traffic with ease.

The buses are not the fastest way to get around, but I would say they are the most convenient. You don't have to deal with the traffic, parking, walking to the gates, etc. they take care of everything and drop you off right at the gate, saving you that much time in parking and getting up to the gates.

They both have their good points and bad points, so it just depends what will offer more to you. As far as a better faster way, there are ways, but it depends if you wanting to spend any more money. You could take a taxi or a private transfer, but this will increase your cost quite a bit, so I'm not sure if you are wanting to spend more.


The best thing to do would be to try both and see what works better for you.


Have a great time!

Answer 2

You are staying at the All-Stars, so I wouldn't even think of taking your car to the parks. One of the many perks of staying on property when at Disney is the transportation system. I have stayed at the All-Star Movies resort myself twice, both times during peak season and never had problems with the bus running long, in fact I saw more busses for the All-Stars then anywere else. However, we did have quite a crowd that were going to the All-Stars, so that did take a while once or twice. The fact that the All-Star resorts are more often than not full is one of the few downsides to the resorts. I think your best bet is to relax, enjoy being at Disney with all it has to offer, use the transportation system and let someone else worry about getting you where you want to go.

Have a great trip!

Answer 3

As long as you are staying at a Disney Resort, you will NOT be charged for parking as some people have mentioned on here. Your hotel will give you a pass to place in your car so that the $10 parking fee is waived. Since you are staying out at the All Star, the busses may take 30 minutes to get to the parks (with the exception of Animal Kingdom or Blizzard Beach which are your closest parks). However, one of the best perks of staying at a Disney hotel is the free transportation. So unless you wish to visit the beach, Kennedy Space Center, or another non-Disney attraction or historical site, I recommend you save your money and stick with the Disney transporation.
If you still decide to go with a rental car, book with Enterprise or Avis. They have the best customer service in Orlando! Have a great vacation!

Answer 4

You can drive to the parks without getting charged just show the parking voucher the hotel gives you. It is better to wait on the bus because either way you have to wait to park and wait for the tram if you have to park far away from the main entance. I have did both and found it waorks better to wait on the bus. It does not take 30 minutes to get to the parks you may wait that long to get on a bus. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

NO! You will not be charged for parking if you are a guest staying on property. You will get a parking pass when you check into the resort and whenever you go to the parks they will not only see the parking pass but may also ask to see your room key to verify you are staying at Disney. One of the perks of staying at Disney is that you get free parking or the option of not having to drive at all because transportation is provided.

Answer 6

You will be charged for parking. It's a much better option to take the busses...

From All-Stars your only options are WDW bus or driving... Plus there is NO parking near the Magic Kingdom. If you drive to the Magic Kingdom lot you will be parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center and forced to transfer to either boat or monorail in order to transit to the park. The bus on the other hand drops you just steps from the Magic Kingdom gates...

You can drive to the Downtown Disney area, you will not pay for parking, but depending on when you are going to be in the area, parking MAY be a bit of a challenge... This still makes the bus a better option...

Answer 7

I just got back last week from staying at the All Star Movies Resort. We didn't rent a car we took advantage of the bus transportation. It worked out great for us. The average bus ride was about 20 mins and that was to Magic Kingdom. Buses run about every 20 mins but sometimes sooner. One time we were waiting for MGM bus and saw 3 Magic Kingdom buses stop at the hotel bus stop in about a 5 min time. You can drive your own car and for resort stay guests its free to park. But I would totally recommend the bus transportation. It worked out great for us. And saved us a ton of $$$ Have fun

Answer 8

Don't drive to the parks. You will be charged for parking. Take the buses that go by your hotel. Its free and easy. That way at the end of the day you won't have to worry about driving back to your hotel. Not to mention trying to find a parking spot both times! Other then that have fun!

Oh, and it does not take 30 min. for the bus to get to the parks. They are right there. The longest you may have to wait is 5 min. to get to the parks. My husband and I heard the samr thing. NOT TRUE!!

Answer 9

Oh no, stay away from the buses! For example. I had to go from the spa at the Grand Floridian to the Boardwalk hotel to meet my husband. The buses were not busy or full and it took me over an HOUR! Also, we took the bus from the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness late at night, back to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom to get our car (we took the boat from the MK to the FT. Wilderness) and it took over an hour. Some rave about them, but we've had the worse luck when we've had to use them. You lose precious vacation time! When we went last time a few years ago, parking was free if you stayed at a resort hotel. Driving is absolutely, without a doubt the fastest way to get around, and you can come and go when you want to, not when the bus decides to show up.

Answer 10

You can drive, you shouldn't get charged to park because you are staying on property, just make sure when you check into your hotel to tell them you have a car so you get your window tag to park at all the different parks. I would suggest tho busing to Magic kingdom parking is crazy, or else driving to Epcot and taking the monorail to Magic Kingdom, less parking at Epcot and it is faster to hop on the monorail and get your car when you done! It takes 8 minutes to get From Epcot to the Transportation and Ticket center, from there you can get on the EXPRESS MONORAIL right to Magic Kingdom, ALSO A hint for parking, leave your windows cracked a smudge and put something on your Front window for shade or it will be one hot car!!! You can buy a thermal window cover for like 11$ its WORTH IT!