Car Help for 8 people

[Laurajeremy]

We will be traveling to WDW in May--There will be 8 of us in total and we would like to stay in one car--
There are 2 couples, 2 kids, 1 infant and a grandmother so to split up would leave both men to driving all the time--we are staying offsite at OLCC so a shuttle would not be an option as we would need the car on a daily basis--

Suggestions on how to find something affordable-- from the posts I read it seems that rental cars wont guarantee an 8 seater car

Has anyone been successful with this? Any help would be appreciated

Laura
ETA- I meant 4 adults not 4 couples --oops

 

[jel0511]

You could try to rent a 12 passenger van from one of the car rental ageancies, but most likely 2 cars would be MUCH cheaper. Budget at MCO rents 12 passenger vans. Any thing else wouldn't be guaranteed with seats for 8 people. Even a minivan or full size SUV most likely will only have seats for 7 people.

 

[DVC-Don]

We will be traveling to WDW in May--There will be 8 of us in total and we would like to stay in one car--
There are 4 couples, 2 kids, 1 infant and a grandmother.............

I'm counting 12 people here. You'd need a couple of cars at least, or a van and a car. We had 6 people once in a 7 seater minivan. With luggage we had most sitting with luggage in their laps.

 

[swilphil]

I've stayed off-site with a group of 9. You definitely will want to have two vehicles, especially with an infant. If the baby needs to sleep, etc., the others in the group may want to go to the parks. Plus what if somebody gets sick or hurt? I also am assuming you will have a stroller and the luggage for all those people. It will be hard to fit everything in one vehicle. If you want to save a little money, get one full-size car or van and one economy car.

I don't understand the thing about the men only being able to drive. I assume their wives could drive, too. If nothing else, she can follow the other car, and if you get lost, she will be willing to stop to ask for directions

 

[Laurajeremy]

Thanks for the suggestions but again we only want one car-- so looking for anyone who has done this in the past to get an idea on price--
I have found numerous vehicles that will hold 8 passengers, as well as looked into the larger vans (12 &15) but having difficulty finding a good deal--not looking for anything amazing but also dont want to spend $800 on a car rental

So for those who have BTDT I would love some suggestions

As for the driving- the "women" me being one dont want to drive-- I would be fine with it but I know my SIL would in no way shape or form be comfortable driving in an unfamilar area-- and with the possibility of traffic to and from the parks we would rather be dealing with one vehicle rather than 2

Thanks again for any help

 

[jel0511]

Thanks for the suggestions but again we only want one car-- so looking for anyone who has done this in the past to get an idea on price--
I have found numerous vehicles that will hold 8 passengers, as well as looked into the larger vans (12 &15) but having difficulty finding a good deal--not looking for anything amazing but also dont want to spend $800 on a car rental

So for those who have BTDT I would love some suggestions

As for the driving- the "women" me being one dont want to drive-- I would be fine with it but I know my SIL would in no way shape or form be comfortable driving in an unfamilar area-- and with the possibility of traffic to and from the parks we would rather be dealing with one vehicle rather than 2

Thanks again for any help

Just remember if you can find a rental company that will guarantee either a van or a full size SUV that will seat 8 people, your luggage space is going to be SEVERELY limited. You most likely will not be able to place all your luggage in the rear, and it will either end up in the main area, squishing everyone, or not fit at all. Usually there is no more than 18" of cargo space in either a van that seats 8 or a full-size SUV. something else to consider. If you really want one car, you're probably going to have to go with the 12 seater so you have room for everyone and all your luggage.

I'm just letting you know, because when we went to WDW with family, we had 7 but did get a minivan that sat 8. There was ABSOLUTELY no room for all our luggage, and luckily we had that extra seat to use. We had luggage all over the place, and if I could do it over again, I'd definately rent two cars or get a larger car if we really needed to stay together. We were 4 adults and 3 children, so a pretty similar party to yours.

 

[Laurajeremy]

Thanks the luggage suggestion really helps-- my brother was concerned about that as well--
I found a good deal on 12 and 15 passenger vans but am trying to find info on the company since it is not one of the big recognizable names

Thanks again