[MerlinMatt]

We look at it this way: we'd rather fall asleep standing up on a crowded bus than behind the wheel of a car...

Since we became "repeat offenders" in 2003, we've never rented a car. We've always hired a car (QuickSilver Tours) to pick us up at the airport. We typically don't use the grocery stop, although we often stop at Earl of Sandwich on the last day on the way back. The cost of a round trip car is WAY less than renting.

To us, we basically looked at the key pros of renting vs. hiring a car:

PROS for renting:
- able to leave Disney and visit other parks easily (don't really care much about other parks)
- easier to travel directly from one resort to another
- no lines for busses

PROS for hiring:
- someone is waiting in the terminal for us and we're typically onsite less than 30 minutes after getting off the plane (we rarely check bags)
- never have to worry about finding a car in a parking lot...
- or getting into a hot car
- never have to worry about being too tired to drive (or possibly having one drink too many)
- parkhopping between MK and Epcot on a monorail or between DHS and Epcot on a boat or just plan walking is MUCH better
- as annoying as crowded busses can be, some of the best memories we have are of meeting folks on the busses, especially at night on the way home. One time, the entire bus sang songs all the way back to the resort.