Exit 1 off I-595 is where every Davie group's trip to a Panthers game either stays easy or falls apart. That off-ramp dumps everyone onto 136th Avenue at once, the road becomes Panther Parkway, and by the time puck drop is 30 minutes out, the general lots at Gates 2 and 3 are already backed up with cars hunting for a $40–$50 spot. The question that actually matters before you leave Davie: where does a bus drop your group, where does it sit during the game, and what does the whole arrangement cost compared to five or six cars doing the same trip separately?
Short version: a charter bus or party bus enters through Gate 1 or Gate 7 and parks in Lot D2, one vehicle instead of a scattered caravan, one parking arrangement instead of five separate $40–$50 charges at the gate. Below is exactly how that works, using Amerant Bank Arena's own directions and parking page, plus the drive from Davie, what a group should expect to pay, and what's actually on the calendar at Amerant Bank Arena worth building a trip around.
Why Rent a Bus to Amerant Bank Arena From Davie?
Davie sits right along the I-595 corridor that feeds directly into the arena's own exit, so the drive itself isn't the hard part — the parking gate is. A Davie group of six friends taking two or three cars to a Florida Panthers game pays $40–$50 per car at the gate before anyone's even inside. Split six people into three separate vehicles and that's up to $150 in parking alone, on top of whoever draws the short straw and has to stay sober for the ride home.
An Amerant Bank Arena charter bus rental collapses all of that into one vehicle and one parking arrangement. The group leaves from one pickup point in Davie, rides together up I-595, and the bus enters through the same gate a single car would use — except it's carrying the whole party instead of a fraction of it. For a Panthers playoff run, a Weezer or Journey show, or a Monster Jam weekend, that's the difference between everyone walking in together and half the group circling for a spot on Panther Parkway while the opening faceoff happens without them.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Amerant Bank Arena
General parking at Amerant Bank Arena is split between two lots: D Lot, reached through Gates 1 or 7, and A Lot, reached through Gates 2 or 3. Both run $40–$50 plus tax per car at the gate for hockey games, per the arena's own directions and parking page, with prepaid options sold in advance through SeatGeek. A charter bus, party bus, or minibus doesn't use either of those general lots — it has its own lane entirely.
Bus and Limo Parking at Amerant Bank Arena
The arena's directions page states it plainly: “Buses enter through Gate 1 or 7 and park in lot D2,” with oversized vehicles charged per additional space they occupy beyond the standard rate. That's a separate, purpose-built area for coaches and minibuses — not a scramble for a compact spot in the general lot next to a line of cars. If part of your group is riding in a 14-passenger Sprinter limo instead, know going in that limos occupy two spaces and pay double the general parking rate at the gate.
The arena also tells pedestrians exactly how to walk in once a vehicle parks: access the grounds through Gate 6 and follow the pedestrian sidewalk to the stairs leading up to the arena's front entrance. It's not a remote off-site lot with a long hike back to a rideshare zone — it's the same walk any general-parking guest makes, just without five separate cars needing five separate spots first.
ADA Access at Amerant Bank Arena
Accessible parking is split across two zones: North ADA through Gates 1, 2, or 5, and South ADA through Gates 1 or 7, both first-come, first-served with a valid placard displayed. Groups traveling with a member who needs accessible seating or an accessible vehicle should flag it when arranging pickup so the bus and the drop point line up with that gate.
Amerant Bank Arena Transportation: Every Option Compared
Not every Davie group needs a bus for a trip up to Sunrise. Here's an honest look at what actually gets a group from Davie to Amerant Bank Arena and back.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Where you land | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus / party bus rental | One flat rate, split by the group | Yes — one vehicle | Lot D2 via Gate 1 or 7 | 15–56 |
| Rideshare (Lyft) | Per car each way, plus post-event surge | No — multiple cars | Gate 3, North Pedestrian Walkway | 1–4 per car |
| Everyone drives & parks | $40–$50 + tax per car at the gate | No — separate lots, separate spots | D Lot or A Lot, cards only | 1–2 cars |
The arena runs its own Lyft partnership: “Utilize Gate 3 for rideshare entrance,” with guests dropped at the North Pedestrian Walkway and transportation providers routed out through Gate 2, according to the directions and parking page. That's a fine plan for a couple heading up from Davie on their own. For six people or more, splitting into three or four separate rideshares — each one subject to post-game surge pricing while 19,000 fans try to leave Sunrise at once — is exactly the coordination problem a single bus removes.
What Amerant Bank Arena Parking Actually Costs
Parking at the gate for D Lot and A Lot runs $40 to $50 plus tax per car for Florida Panthers games, and the arena takes “credit or debit cards only. No cash will be accepted,” per its own A-Z guide. That same guide notes vehicle access typically opens about two hours before an event, and the property holds 7,200 total spaces, including 200 enclosed in the garage — so finding a spot usually isn't the issue.
Paying for one, car by car, is.
Run the math on a Davie group of 20 heading up for a Panthers game. Driving in means five or six cars, each paying $40–$50 at the gate — $200 to $300 in parking alone, before anyone buys a hot dog. A 25-passenger minibus or a 40-passenger charter bus covers the same 20 people with one vehicle entering through Gate 1 or 7 into Lot D2, splitting a single flat rate across the group instead of stacking six separate parking charges on top of six separate tanks of gas.
Check Davie bus rental prices for a sense of what that flat rate looks like before requesting a quote.
Getting to Amerant Bank Arena From Davie: Routes and Drive Times
The arena's own directions page lays out the exact route from anyone approaching on I-595 westbound: take I-595 west to Exit 1 (136th Avenue) and head north — the avenue becomes Panther Parkway, and the arena sits about a mile north of Sunrise Boulevard. Since Davie sits directly on that same I-595 corridor east of Sunrise, that's the identical route a Davie pickup uses.
| From… | Approx. distance | Typical drive time (off-peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Davie (University Drive / State Road 84) | ~11–13 miles | 20–30 minutes |
| Downtown Fort Lauderdale | ~15 miles | 25–35 minutes |
| Plantation | ~7–9 miles | 15–20 minutes |
Those times stretch on game nights, and Exit 1 is the reason why: it's the single off-ramp nearly everyone coming from the east funnels through to reach Panther Parkway, general parking, and rideshare alike. Arriving inside that last 30 minutes before puck drop means merging into the same queue as everyone else headed for Gates 1, 2, 3, and 7 at once.
A charter bus takes that same Exit 1 approach, but it only has to make the merge once for the whole group instead of once per car. Build the vehicle's arrival time backward from the arena's roughly two-hour pre-event lot opening, and the group is parked in Lot D2 and walking in through Gate 6 well before the last-minute rush stacks up on Panther Parkway.
What Size Charter Bus or Party Bus Rental Fits Your Amerant Bank Arena Group?
Group size and how much gear is coming along — jerseys, signs, a cooler for the ride home — decide the right vehicle for an Amerant Bank Arena run.
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Small groups, suite holders, quick trips up I-595 |
| 25-passenger minibus | ~25 | Mid-size groups splitting one parking arrangement |
| 35-passenger minibus | ~35 | Larger groups, still an easy fit for Lot D2 |
| Party bus | 15–50 | Groups that want the pregame energy started before the puck drops |
For a full-size group headed to Amerant Bank Arena for a concert or a Panthers playoff game, browse the complete Davie vehicle lineup to compare seating and pricing side by side. Whatever the headcount, the vehicle still funnels through the same Gate 1 or 7 approach into Lot D2 — the only thing that changes is how many people are on board when it gets there.
Amerant Bank Arena Bag Policy and Rules Your Group Should Know
Amerant Bank Arena keeps its bag rules tight, and knowing them before the trip means nobody's turned away at the door. Per the arena's own security policies page:
- Small bags only. Clutches, crossbodies, and wristlets smaller than 4″ x 6″ x 1.5″ are permitted. Clear bags are encouraged but not required at that size.
- Backpacks and coolers stay behind. Anything larger than the small-bag limit, including hard-sided bags, backpacks, and coolers, is not allowed inside — which means that gear rides in the bus's storage, not into the arena.
- No outside food, drinks, or alcohol. Bring what's needed for the ride; anything meant for inside the arena has to be purchased there.
- Cameras and recording gear are limited. cameras with detachable lenses, GoPros, and other recording devices are prohibited, along with selfie sticks and laser pointers.
- Masks and disguises are restricted. The policy defines a prohibited mask as any “form of disguise or concealment worn over or in front of the face,” a detail worth knowing before a themed group outing.
Anything the group can't carry in stays with the vehicle in Lot D2 during the game — one more reason a bus beats trying to juggle bags between five separate cars.
Leaving Amerant Bank Arena After the Final Horn
Getting out is where a private vehicle earns its keep. When roughly 19,000 fans head for the same handful of gates at once, the rideshare queue at Gate 3's North Pedestrian Walkway backs up fast, and everyone parked in D Lot or A Lot is funneling back toward the same Exit 1 on-ramp at the same time.
A charter bus staged in Lot D2 skips that scramble. The group walks out together through Gate 6, the vehicle is already sitting in the same lot it parked in before puck drop, and it pulls back onto Panther Parkway toward I-595 without anyone standing in a surge-priced rideshare line or hunting through rows of cars for the right one. Agreeing on a pickup window before the group splits up inside the arena keeps the exit just as coordinated as the arrival.
Flying In for an Amerant Bank Arena Game or Show
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is the closest major airport to Amerant Bank Arena, roughly 18 miles east via I-595 — the same corridor a Davie pickup uses, just starting further down the highway. Ground transportation at FLL is handled from designated curbside areas on the lower arrivals level at each terminal, per Broward County's FLL ground transportation page, with rideshare, taxi, and limousine/van pickup all staged separately from baggage claim.
For a group flying into FLL for a Panthers weekend or a concert at Amerant Bank Arena, one vehicle gathering everyone at the terminal and running the group straight to a Davie hotel or the arena itself removes the arrival-day scramble entirely. See the Davie airport transportation page for how that pickup gets arranged.
What's on the Amerant Bank Arena Calendar
Amerant Bank Arena stays busy well beyond hockey season, and knowing what's coming up helps a Davie group decide how far ahead to lock in a vehicle. Per the arena's own events page, the near-term calendar includes:
- Monster Jam — August 22–23.
- Florida Panthers preseason — September 20 vs. Carolina and September 26 vs. Tampa Bay.
- Disney On Ice presents Spotlight Magic! — September 10–13.
- Florida Panthers home opener — October 10 vs. Minnesota.
- Weezer: The Gathering — October 13.
- Vamos Gatos night — October 15 vs. Vancouver.
- Journey: Final Frontier Tour — October 16.
- Pink in the Rink — October 17 vs. Seattle.
- GREY DAY 2026 featuring $UICIDEBOY$ — October 18.
With a concert or a Panthers game landing on Amerant Bank Arena's calendar most weeks this fall, general parking and rideshare both fill up fastest on the marquee nights — the home opener, a Saturday concert, a playoff date once the season gets there. Locking in a vehicle for those dates as early as the calendar is set beats trying to arrange one the week of.
How to Rent a Bus to Amerant Bank Arena
Lining up group transportation from Davie to Amerant Bank Arena comes down to three steps:
- Request a quote with the group size, pickup location in Davie, and the event date.
- Compare vehicles and pricing. Davieminibuscompany.com shows options from a large network of bus companies serving Davie, so the right size and rate for the group is easy to see side by side.
- Set the pickup window. Confirm what time the group needs to leave Davie to reach Lot D2 comfortably before the arena's roughly two-hour pre-event lot opening, and when the vehicle should be back in the lot after the final horn.
Fill out the quick online form or call 754-218-8430 any time — there's no obligation, and quotes come back in under a minute. Also planning a trip to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino or a game day at Hard Rock Stadium? Those guides cover their own drop-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amerant Bank Arena Bus Rental
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Amerant Bank Arena?
Buses enter through Gate 1 or Gate 7 and park in Lot D2, per the arena's own directions and parking page. From there, the group follows the same pedestrian route through Gate 6 that any general-parking guest uses to reach the front entrance.
Where do buses park at Amerant Bank Arena?
Lot D2, accessed through Gate 1 or Gate 7. Oversized vehicles are charged per additional space occupied beyond the standard rate. Limousines occupy two spaces and pay double the general parking rate.
How much does parking cost at Amerant Bank Arena?
General parking in D Lot or A Lot runs $40 to $50 plus tax per car for Panthers games, paid at the gate by credit or debit card only — no cash accepted. Prepaid options are also sold in advance through SeatGeek.
How far is Amerant Bank Arena from Davie?
About 11 to 13 miles, roughly 20 to 30 minutes off-peak via I-595 west to Exit 1, which becomes Panther Parkway. That drive time stretches as game time nears and the Exit 1 off-ramp backs up.
Is parking cashless at Amerant Bank Arena?
Yes. The arena's own guide states parking is credit or debit cards only, with no cash accepted at the gate.
What's the bag policy at Amerant Bank Arena?
Small bags, clutches, crossbodies, and wristlets under 4″ x 6″ x 1.5″ are allowed. Backpacks, coolers, and hard-sided bags are not, and outside food, drinks, and alcohol are prohibited.
Can rideshare pick up directly at the arena?
Yes. Lyft pickup and drop-off runs through Gate 3, with guests dropped at the North Pedestrian Walkway. For a group of six or more, splitting across multiple rideshares during a post-game surge is usually more expensive and harder to coordinate than one bus.
What size bus fits our group?
A Sprinter van covers up to about 14 riders, a 25- or 35-passenger minibus handles mid-size groups comfortably, and a party bus or full charter bus scales up to 50-plus. The full Davie vehicle lineup breaks down seating and amenities for each.
How much does it cost to rent a bus to Amerant Bank Arena?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours, and the event date. Compare rates on the Davie bus rental prices page, or call 754-218-8430 for a free quote.
What's the closest airport to Amerant Bank Arena?
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL), about 18 miles east via I-595. One vehicle can gather a group at the terminal curb and run straight to Davie or the arena.
Are ADA-accessible vehicles available?
Yes, through the network Davieminibuscompany.com connects you with — note the need when requesting a quote. At the arena itself, accessible parking is available at North ADA (Gates 1, 2, 5) and South ADA (Gates 1, 7) on a first-come, first-served basis with a valid placard.
How far in advance should we book for a Panthers game or concert?
As early as the date is set, especially for marquee nights like the home opener, a Saturday concert, or a playoff date. Vehicles for those high-demand dates go first, so earlier requests get better availability and pricing.
Book Your Amerant Bank Arena Party Bus Rental Today
Whether it's a Florida Panthers game, a concert like Weezer or Journey, or a Monster Jam weekend, getting a Davie group to Amerant Bank Arena comes down to one choice: a scattered caravan paying $40–$50 a car at the gate, or one vehicle rolling straight up I-595 to Gate 1 or 7 and into Lot D2 together. Davieminibuscompany.com makes it easy to compare charter buses, party buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans serving Davie in under a minute. Fill out the quick online form or call 754-218-8430 any time to get started.
