Buses from airport, hotels etc

[Spaceman101]

Hi all , brand new user here so hi to everyone, 1st time ever travelling to the magic kingdom we have visited orlando before but just universal for 1 week , my question is regarding transport from MCO airpirt to the clarion inn at lake Buena vista , can we use the regular city bus as the shuttles and taxis seem very expensive (5 of us travelling) any help on this hugely appreciated thanks

 

[Alesia]

You can, but plan on it taking quite a while.


How are you planning on getting to the parks?

 

[Master Fastpasser]

You can but I wouldn't.
I'd recommend Uber/Lyft or Mears.
Also be sure you know what type of transport there is from your hotel to the parks because some are quite bad with limited drop off/pick up times and locations.

 

[Spaceman101]

You can, but plan on it taking quite a while.


How are you planning on getting to the parks?

Hi thanks , we plan on using the free shuttle from clarion inn lbv to Disney

 

[Master Fastpasser]

BTW out of curiousity I checked the shuttle service and indeed its pretty bad.

 

[Spaceman101]

BTW out of curiousity I checked the shuttle service and indeed its pretty bad.
View attachment 422318

Oh ... why so ?

 

[Master Fastpasser]

Oh ... why so ?

Check it out. Its extremely limited drop off and pick up times and locations.

 

[Spaceman101]

Check it out. Its extremely limited drop off and pick up times and locations.

Seems ok to me and a booking guarantees a seat , we used the universal shuttle the last time staying at Rosen pointe which is a lot less frequent but once you book prior to leaving you are fine

 

[sam_gordon]

Oh ... why so ?

Look at it. Let's say you want to go to MK for the day.

First bus leaves at 7:45a and takes you to Epcot. So then you'll need to bus or monorail to TTC, then monorail or Ferry to MK. I'm guessing you'll get to MK no earlier than 9:30. It's OK, you can catch the bus back to the hotel at 11:30p from TTC. That's not absolutely terrible.

But, what if you want to go to HS? Hey, look, a direct bus there and back! Great! Leave the hotel at 10;25am, and be picked up at 4:30pm. Five 1/2 hours at the park? Not so good. Of course, you could leave HS later and make your way to Epcot to be picked up at 8:55 or 9:45, or TTC and be picked up at 11:30p. Not so good.

And if you want to go to AK? I wouldn't even want to try to guess the hoops you'd go through.

Many of these off site hotels use the "free shuttle" lure to get people to stay with them. But, it doesn't take long to realize any $$ savings (no rental car, no parking fees) just isn't worth it.

 

[Spaceman101]

Look at it. Let's say you want to go to MK for the day.

First bus leaves at 7:45a and takes you to Epcot. So then you'll need to bus or monorail to TTC, then monorail or Ferry to MK. I'm guessing you'll get to MK no earlier than 9:30. It's OK, you can catch the bus back to the hotel at 11:30p from TTC. That's not absolutely terrible.

But, what if you want to go to HS? Hey, look, a direct bus there and back! Great! Leave the hotel at 10;25am, and be picked up at 4:30pm. Five 1/2 hours at the park? Not so good. Of course, you could leave HS later and make your way to Epcot to be picked up at 8:55 or 9:45, or TTC and be picked up at 11:30p. Not so good.

And if you want to go to AK? I wouldn't even want to try to guess the hoops you'd go through.

Many of these off site hotels use the "free shuttle" lure to get people to stay with them. But, it doesn't take long to realize any $$ savings (no rental car, no parking fees) just isn't worth it.

What would you suggest as an alternative ?

 

[Master Fastpasser]

Seems ok to me and a booking guarantees a seat , we used the universal shuttle the last time staying at Rosen pointe which is a lot less frequent but once you book prior to leaving you are fine

If you're ok with it then you do you but its pretty limited.
It doesn't even look like it does a drop off at TTC.
So what you'd need to do is take it to Epcot at 7:45am and then take the monorail to the TTC and then transfer to the MK express monorail or ferry. Seems like a big hassle to me.
If you want to stay at HS until park close you'd then have to what get to Epcot for that pick up shuttle or get to Epcot and then MK for the 11:30pm pick up.
At that point I'd just take an uber or lyft.

 

[Master Fastpasser]

What would you suggest as an alternative ?

Staying onsite or at least at an offsite that has excellent shuttle service. I believe a couple of the DS area ones have shuttles that run about every half hour. Not sure which ones as I haven't done the full research.

 

[Alesia]

I wouldn't stay offsite without renting a car.

 

[Spaceman101]

I wouldn't stay offsite without renting a car.

Unfortunately we don't drive ! Kind of stuck with buses / shuttles or expensive taxi services

 

[Tink9721]

Wow that shuttle schedule is really awful This is why we stay on property. I want to be able to come and go from the parks when I want to, and we don't want to drive. There isn't even an easy way to get to MK or AK with that shuttle schedule

 

[sam_gordon]

What would you suggest as an alternative ?

If you don't drive, that rules out rental cars. So I see it as three possible options...
1) Uber/Lyft/Taxi. As you mentioned, this cost could add up. So if this is cost prohibitive, I would...
2) Stay onsite and use the free transportation. Would need to see the cost difference between on site (Value or Moderate) vs. using option 1.
3) Just deal with the transportation offered by Clarion Inn. Maybe supplement it with occasional uber/lyft/taxi.

I personally would lean toward #2, but would need to see the cost difference.

 

[Spaceman101]

If you don't drive, that rules out rental cars. So I see it as three possible options...
1) Uber/Lyft/Taxi. As you mentioned, this cost could add up. So if this is cost prohibitive, I would...
2) Stay onsite and use the free transportation. Would need to see the cost difference between on site (Value or Moderate) vs. using option 1.
3) Just deal with the transportation offered by Clarion Inn. Maybe supplement it with occasional uber/lyft/taxi.

I personally would lean toward #2, but would need to see the cost difference.

I think option 3, a mixture of free transport and uber etc. As the price difference was quite noticable between onsite vs offsite

 

[kaytieeldr]

And if you want to go to AK? I wouldn't even want to try to guess the hoops you'd go through.

Nah, that one's easy. Direct bus Epcot -> AK, then depending on the time, direct bus from AK to Epcot or MK - depending which time and location the OP reserved.

 

[kaytieeldr]

a couple of the DS area ones have shuttles that run about every half hour.

All seven of them. Not just a couple. Two sets of buses, one for each side of the street.

 

[Ohanaof3]

For transportation from the airport to your hotel and back, it might be worth getting an estimate from Tony Hinds. We booked him last year based on what others on the disboards said about him. He did a grocery stop and was cheaper than the other options I looked at. We booked him again this year!