Help! Towncar + Taxi Fare, or Car Rental?

[ScarletIndigo]

I need some pros/cons on car rentals for our 8 day visit to WDW, please. Originally I thought we'd just use a towncar service for roundtrip service between the resort and the airport, but then I got to thinking about the other things we'll be doing during our trip (visiting US/IOA, going to Downtown Disney for "La Nouba", etc.) and I wondered if the cost of taxi fare combined with the $100 cost for towncar service (approx. cost + tip) would end up being more or equal to the amount we'd spend if we just rented a car ...

I'm not crazy about the idea of having to drive around WDW, but it sure would make getting to and from US/IOA much easier, not to mention Downtown Disney. When we made our "La Nouba" reservations, the lady on the phone told my DF specifically that we'd need to allow approximately 2 HOURS to get from our resort (ASMu) to DD. That sounds crazy to me, and I don't want to have to pay taxi fare just to ensure we get to the show on-time without having to go super early. It's a dilemna!

What would you all suggest? I've checked into some preliminary costs for car rental, and even with some discount codes from MouseSavers.com, we're still looking at around $180 or so for the week for an economy-grade car. Any and all ideas you could give would be fantastic!

 

[CarolMN]

I think that you will find it less expensive to just rent a car. You don't say how many people are in your party, so it's hard to do any comparisons for you. Have you checked out the cost to travel between your resort and US/IOA? That ought to add a big chunk to the cost of the towncar. If you weren't going there, my advice would be to go with the towncar service. FWIW, there are buses that travel between the resorts and DD/PI. I think 1 hour is plenty of time to allow for that.

 

[ScarletIndigo]

Originally posted by CarolMN
I think that you will find it less expensive to just rent a car. You don't say how many people are in your party, so it's hard to do any comparisons for you. Have you checked out the cost to travel between your resort and US/IOA? That ought to add a big chunk to the cost of the towncar. If you weren't going there, my advice would be to go with the towncar service. FWIW, there are buses that travel between the resorts and DD/PI. I think 1 hour is plenty of time to allow for that.

Hi Carol!

There will only be two people in my party (DF and I) and I know if I was travelling with a bigger group, the thought of renting a car would definitely be top priority. I'm sort of leaning towards just using WDW transportation for the both of us, although I've not yet been able to get an idea on the cost of taxifare between a WDW resort and US/IOA from anyone on the DIS. I've heard it's something like 10-12 miles to US/IOA, so I'd imagine with inflated taxi prices in the Orlando area, it will probably cost a pretty penny to get us there and back!

Thanks for the info, it's much appreciated! ;-)

 

[CarolMN]

Since there are only two of you, you might want to check into Mears for your trip to US/IOA from ASMu. According to their web site, the cost is $13 RT per person. FWIW, their website is not very friendly for finding out rates to other attractions (or booking them online). If you go this way, I'd use the phone.

Mears

FL Tours (towncar service that sponsors this forum) charges $ 65 RT plus tip for that same trip. That includes both of you. My "guess" is that the towncar $$ are approximarely equal to taxi fare.

http://www.fltours.com/faq.htm#10

HTH.

 

[ScarletIndigo]

Thanks, Carol! I never even thought of Mears -- I was under the impression they only provided transportation between MCO and the various resorts.

I appreciate the links and the info!