Best way to get from Sandord Orlando Airport to Disney Wolrd (and back)?

[dfurst05]

Sorry if this post seems redundant. I tried searching for similar threads but the last I found was about a year old so I thought a newer version was warranted. If this has been posted/discussed more recently please link the thread and I will be happy to review it.

So we (my wife and I) are going to visit the mouse in February. Flying Allegiant from Fargo, ND to Sanford Orlando Airport (please withhold your comments/opinions on Allegiant as I have already booked my airfare and this is not the thread for this type of discussion).

I looked at getting a private town car. Round trip is $175 - not a bad price. I have also heard Lyft/Uber is an option which can be booked 60 days in advance (according to Uber website) and is about $50-$60 each way.

There are many people on these boards who have much more experience than I so I came here and was hoping to see what you thought of these ideas, or if maybe there is another option I haven't even considered!

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Probably cheaper to do two one-way car rentals, price it out.

 

[powellrj]

We have just always rented a car.

 

[disneyseniors]

My grown daughter flew into Sanford last year, and rented a limo before arriving. The driver was waiting with a sign with her name. She felt safe, and had a quick ride right to the resort. They picked her up at the exact time she needed with the same driver, and she had no problems or worries with them. She had peace of mind traveling alone and using a limo. She researched all of the ones in Disney, read reviews, and was satisfied.
It is an option to consider, if you want.

 

[JimMIA]

Probably cheaper to do two one-way car rentals, price it out.

I would price this out, and compare to Uber/Lyft. Also research how you go about returning the car at WDW so you don't get any surprises.

You can book Uber 60 days ahead, but there is really no reason to do so. It's actually a bad idea. All that means is that they "schedule" dispatching your ride in advance. If you have a flight delay, your ride gets dispatched anyway, you're not there, and you get hit with a cancellation fee ($10 for scheduled rides, I think).

The MUCH better plan is to arrive, get your luggage, step up to the curb ready to get in the car, and THEN order your Uber. With just two of you, you will only need an UberX.

Also, if one of you doesn't already have an Uber account, check to see what kind of promotions you might be eligible for.

There is one other option with Uber/Lyft that you might want to explore -- UZURV. It's a free app that allows you to actually schedule a ride. Your scheduling request goes out to all drivers in the area whenever you place it (I would do it 2-3 days in advance). Interested drivers then respond, you can review their summary, see what kind of car they drive, etc, etc, and you can ACTUALLY pick the driver and make arrangements directly with them. There is a small fee ($3, I think) for each scheduled ride.

For pretty accurate Uber/Lyft fare estimates, check RideGuru.com -- and of course, you'll get an actual estimate from the company as part of your actual ride request process.

 

[dfurst05]

Probably cheaper to do two one-way car rentals, price it out.

We have just always rented a car.

For liability reasons I am not interested in renting a car. I do not want the stress of getting myself to from the airport and when I am on vacation I like to have other people do the work for me. When it comes to transportation that means people who know their way around town.

My grown daughter flew into Sanford last year, and rented a limo before arriving. The driver was waiting with a sign with her name. She felt safe, and had a quick ride right to the resort. They picked her up at the exact time she needed with the same driver, and she had no problems or worries with them. She had peace of mind traveling alone and using a limo. She researched all of the ones in Disney, read reviews, and was satisfied.
It is an option to consider, if you want.

A town car is similar to limo service but it is for two people rather than a full size limo. That is the option that I was looking at that is $175 round trip.

I would price this out, and compare to Uber/Lyft. Also research how you go about returning the car at WDW so you don't get any surprises.

You can book Uber 60 days ahead, but there is really no reason to do so. It's actually a bad idea. All that means is that they "schedule" dispatching your ride in advance. If you have a flight delay, your ride gets dispatched anyway, you're not there, and you get hit with a cancellation fee ($10 for scheduled rides, I think).

The MUCH better plan is to arrive, get your luggage, step up to the curb ready to get in the car, and THEN order your Uber. With just two of you, you will only need an UberX.

Also, if one of you doesn't already have an Uber account, check to see what kind of promotions you might be eligible for.

There is one other option with Uber/Lyft that you might want to explore -- UZURV. It's a free app that allows you to actually schedule a ride. Your scheduling request goes out to all drivers in the area whenever you place it (I would do it 2-3 days in advance). Interested drivers then respond, you can review their summary, see what kind of car they drive, etc, etc, and you can ACTUALLY pick the driver and make arrangements directly with them. There is a small fee ($3, I think) for each scheduled ride.

For pretty accurate Uber/Lyft fare estimates, check RideGuru.com -- and of course, you'll get an actual estimate from the company as part of your actual ride request process.

You seem to know about Uber/Lyft so I hope you are comfortable if I ask a few more questions. My biggest concern with Uber/Lyft is with availability. Specifically, when we get in on Saturday, February 2nd we will be arriving around 9:30pm. If I order an Uber/Lyft when we get to the main concourse (10:00pm estimate) will there be cars available that are willing to take me to Disney World?

The same concern remains for our return trip. On Thursday, February 7th our flight leaves at 6:40am. By my calculation we will want to leave our resort around 3:30am to give us enough time to get to the airport to check in and everything. How likely is it an Uber/Lyft will be available at this time for our needs?

If someone with more exprience than me is confident I will be able to hail an Uber/Lyft at the appropriate times without issue then I will likely go that route but my main concern is that when the time comes I will be high and dry without transportation if I don't book something in advance.

Thanks for all of the help so far everyone!

 

[maxiesmom]

I used Tiffany Towncar for my dad to get to Orlando/Sanford. It wasn't cheap, but it was super convenient.

 

[JimMIA]

You seem to know about Uber/Lyft so I hope you are comfortable if I ask a few more questions.

Yes, I drive for Uber/Lyft... but in Miami.

Joel, Rideshare Rob, and probably a couple of other DIS regulars drive for them in Orlando and will be able to give you more accurate information.

My biggest concern with Uber/Lyft is with availability. Specifically, when we get in on Saturday, February 2nd we will be arriving around 9:30pm. If I order an Uber/Lyft when we get to the main concourse (10:00pm estimate) will there be cars available that are willing to take me to Disney World?

Saturday at 9:30 PM is one time when there should be abundant Ubers available. Most airports have a waiting area and a FIFO queue, so there are drivers waiting for rides. And a ride from Sanford to WDW would be a real prize, so I don't think you'd encounter any resistance.

One caution, tho. Do NOT order your ride until you have all your luggage, are in the pickup location and are ready to go. If you order before that, you stand a very good chance of not being ready and getting charged a cancellation fee.

The same concern remains for our return trip. On Thursday, February 7th our flight leaves at 6:40am. By my calculation we will want to leave our resort around 3:30am to give us enough time to get to the airport to check in and everything. How likely is it an Uber/Lyft will be available at this time for our needs?

In Miami at 3:30 AM, there would be tons of Ubers (a LOT of our clubs don't even open until 11 PM); but at WDW? I'd rather let Joel or someone else with local info answer that one.

That very early ride might be a great candidate for a scheduled ride via UZURV. The ride is still conducted through the Uber app, so you're fully covered with insurance, etc, but you are dealing directly with the driver and both of you know what to expect.

Or...you could Uber from Sanford to WDW and take a town car for the early AM ride if you feel more comfortable that way.

 

[dfurst05]

Yes, I drive for Uber/Lyft... but in Miami.

Joel, Rideshare Rob, and probably a couple of other DIS regulars drive for them in Orlando and will be able to give you more accurate information.Saturday at 9:30 PM is one time when there should be abundant Ubers available. Most airports have a waiting area and a FIFO queue, so there are drivers waiting for rides. And a ride from Sanford to WDW would be a real prize, so I don't think you'd encounter any resistance.

One caution, tho. Do NOT order your ride until you have all your luggage, are in the pickup location and are ready to go. If you order before that, you stand a very good chance of not being ready and getting charged a cancellation fee.

In Miami at 3:30 AM, there would be tons of Ubers (a LOT of our clubs don't even open until 11 PM); but at WDW? I'd rather let Joel or someone else with local info answer that one.

That very early ride might be a great candidate for a scheduled ride via UZURV. The ride is still conducted through the Uber app, so you're fully covered with insurance, etc, but you are dealing directly with the driver and both of you know what to expect.

Or...you could Uber from Sanford to WDW and take a town car for the early AM ride if you feel more comfortable that way.

Wow - thanks for the great info!! Hopefully someone with more experience in Orlando can chime in also for additional help.

We are not checking any luggage but we will wait until we are curbside to order a ride to avoid any issues.

I will take a look at the app you recommended, but I will also consider the idea of Uber one way/Town car the other as a good compromise so I will have to think on that. A lot of options to go through.....

 

[Capt_BJ]

baggage claim at Sanford airport .....

 

[joelkfla]

baggage claim at Sanford airport .....

He's gotten some bad reviews on Yelp.

 

[JimMIA]

He's gotten some bad reviews on Yelp.

Joel, can you help OP out on the 0330 AM pickup availability at POFQ? It's a Thursday morning pickup, and I'm thinking everybody at WDW will have been asleep for about 5 hours, lol.

 

[disneyseniors]

For liability reasons I am not interested in renting a car. I do not want the stress of getting myself to from the airport and when I am on vacation I like to have other people do the work for me. When it comes to transportation that means people who know their way around town.



A town car is similar to limo service but it is for two people rather than a full size limo. That is the option that I was looking at that is $175 round trip.



You seem to know about Uber/Lyft so I hope you are comfortable if I ask a few more questions. My biggest concern with Uber/Lyft is with availability. Specifically, when we get in on Saturday, February 2nd we will be arriving around 9:30pm. If I order an Uber/Lyft when we get to the main concourse (10:00pm estimate) will there be cars available that are willing to take me to Disney World?

The same concern remains for our return trip. On Thursday, February 7th our flight leaves at 6:40am. By my calculation we will want to leave our resort around 3:30am to give us enough time to get to the airport to check in and everything. How likely is it an Uber/Lyft will be available at this time for our needs?

If someone with more exprience than me is confident I will be able to hail an Uber/Lyft at the appropriate times without issue then I will likely go that route but my main concern is that when the time comes I will be high and dry without transportation if I don't book something in advance.

Thanks for all of the help so far everyone!

Yes you are right. Since it was just one person,they used a town car. She was really impressed with the service.

 

[Best Aunt]

I used Tiffany Towncar but that was before I had ever used Uber.

 

[joelkfla]

Joel, can you help OP out on the 0330 AM pickup availability at POFQ? It's a Thursday morning pickup, and I'm thinking everybody at WDW will have been asleep for about 5 hours, lol.

Not much.

I was up late the other night, and just for fun checked availability around 4:30 a.m. There were cars around, but I don't know how they'd feel about driving to Sanford.

I think that was Friday night. Nevertheless, I haven't seen any complaints on this board about not being able to get a car in the wee hours. I would advise the interested party to stay up late on the same night of the week, and put their desired pickup point into the app to get a feel for availability.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another option would be Lyft/Über to Disney, and a town car back. Florida Town Cars is a DIS sponsor, and (for another option) Tony Hines gets great reviews.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've used Tiffany Towncar to, and from, Sanford. Yes, it's expensive, but it's a sure thing. Nice way to go. I've used Uber but that was at pretty normal hours, around the WDW area. I've used Tony Hinds many times...great guy, great service, with pricing at the towncar level.
I like Katieeldr's idea of Uber from Sanford, towncar to Sanford.
When flying in, and out of, Sanford, you always have to consider the cost of getting to your destination. You may be getting a terrific airfare, but when you add the cost of transportation, especially to WDW, it can make it the same as flying into MCO and using DME. Not aimed at the OP but for those reading and thinking of using Sanford. I've rented a car at Sanford, and driven to WDW. If you don't mind renting a car, it's probably the best way to go.

 

[dfurst05]

Based on the replies here I may just go with the town car for the convenience and piece of mind.

I've used Tiffany Towncar to, and from, Sanford. Yes, it's expensive, but it's a sure thing. Nice way to go. I've used Uber but that was at pretty normal hours, around the WDW area. I've used Tony Hinds many times...great guy, great service, with pricing at the towncar level.
I like Katieeldr's idea of Uber from Sanford, towncar to Sanford.
When flying in, and out of, Sanford, you always have to consider the cost of getting to your destination. You may be getting a terrific airfare, but when you add the cost of transportation, especially to WDW, it can make it the same as flying into MCO and using DME. Not aimed at the OP but for those reading and thinking of using Sanford. I've rented a car at Sanford, and driven to WDW. If you don't mind renting a car, it's probably the best way to go.

FWIW I priced it out before I booked my trip and the savings on the airfare were enough to justify even the cost of the town car to/from WDW. I understand this isn't always the case but we got a great bargain on the flights.

 

[goofy4tink]

Based on the replies here I may just go with the town car for the convenience and piece of mind.



FWIW I priced it out before I booked my trip and the savings on the airfare were enough to justify even the cost of the town car to/from WDW. I understand this isn't always the case but we got a great bargain on the flights.

Excellent!!! I've had some terrific rates flying into Sanford. Sadly, no airlines we use fly there anymore!