Cheaper option than renting a car?

[JuliaK+3]

I think we should just rent a car and DH thinks we shouldn't. What do you think?

This is what we're doing:

-Flying into MCO on a monday evening.
-Staying at Four Points Sheraton/ Universal Studios until Thursday
-Thursday, we need to head down to Port Canaveral for a 3 night Disney Cruise.
-Sunday, we have a late flight so we planned to go to gatorland zoo and then need to get back to MCO to head home

DH thinks we should take a cab or shuttle from MCO to the hotel ($70) , rely on the hotel shuttle or cabs to get back and forth from Universal, rent a car on Thursday to head down to the port and either drop it off at the rental place or park it at the cruise terminal ($60) and then have a rental for the day and to get back to MCO.

I say we should just rent a darn car at MCO ($170 for a premium car or $250 for an SUV) and have it with us from start to finish.

Of course I think my idea is best but if anyone knows of a better plan, please enlighten me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

$130 is cheaper than $170, and much cheaper than $250. What else would you be planning to do with a rental car?

 

[JuliaK+3]

I honestly haven't priced the day rates for the rental cars but we would still need to rent one for Thursday to get to the ship and Sunday to get back so that would add at least another $50 - $100. I just don't know any other way to get back and forth without renting.

 

[sam_gordon]

Check on the hotel shuttle's schedule. It's possible it's only a couple times a day.

Personally, with your schedule, I would do two rentals Mon - Thurs & Sun. Or see if DCL provides a post cruise "excursion" that ends @ MCO.

 

[Donna M]

If you can get a car for $170 for the whole trip, than I say rent. You're on vacation; budget the rental in. That will be a hassle to get cabs, shuttles and pick up drop off the car at the port. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again.

It's nice to have a car to go off site to a restaurant, drive to/from the airport, run to the drugstore if needed along with getting to parks when you want to get to them, not on some schedule.

Keep crunching the numbers then decide if the money will be worth the hassle.

 

[MrMarv]

^^^I agree with this 100%; renting one car on Monday evening and again on Thursday would blow a hole in your wallet, because the first rental will be substantially more expensive than the second one.

$170.00 for a one-week rental from start to finish sounds plenty reasonable to me as well.

 

[JimboCh]

I think 2 rentals is the way to go.

Your $170 rental from start to finish, did you include the $60 to park the car at the port for the cruise?

That would make the total $230. I bet you can do better then that with 2 rentals. How many people in your party?

What are your exact dates and I can look for you? Renting the car one way from MCO to the Port from Monday evening to Thursday noon time and then when you return from your cruise, you jump on one of the rental agency's shuttle from the port to pick up the car Sunday and drop it off on Sunday Night at MCO

 

[wdwrich]

If you can get a car for $170 for the whole trip, than I say rent. You're on vacation; budget the rental in. That will be a hassle to get cabs, shuttles and pick up drop off the car at the port. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again.

It's nice to have a car to go off site to a restaurant, drive to/from the airport, run to the drugstore if needed along with getting to parks when you want to get to them, not on some schedule.

Keep crunching the numbers then decide if the money will be worth the hassle.

This!
You're on vacation and don't need the logistical hassles associated with shuttles, cabs, and multiple car rental pickups/drop-offs.

 

[mickeynut1]

I think we should just rent a car and DH thinks we shouldn't. What do you think?

This is what we're doing:

-Flying into MCO on a monday evening.
-Staying at Four Points Sheraton/ Universal Studios until Thursday
-Thursday, we need to head down to Port Canaveral for a 3 night Disney Cruise.
-Sunday, we have a late flight so we planned to go to gatorland zoo and then need to get back to MCO to head home

DH thinks we should take a cab or shuttle from MCO to the hotel ($70) , rely on the hotel shuttle or cabs to get back and forth from Universal, rent a car on Thursday to head down to the port and either drop it off at the rental place or park it at the cruise terminal ($60) and then have a rental for the day and to get back to MCO.

I say we should just rent a darn car at MCO ($170 for a premium car or $250 for an SUV) and have it with us from start to finish.

Of course I think my idea is best but if anyone knows of a better plan, please enlighten me.

I agree with the others that I would rent a car for the whole time. It would be less hassle, IMO. We are taking a 3 night cruise in December with WDW resort stays before and after. I priced out the car service we usually use for R/T airport transfers to/from Disney and a R/T transfer from Disney to PC. I found a full size rental car for the whole trip that is $62 cheaper than the transfers with gratuity, and that's including paying $60 to park at the cruise terminal. I thought I was set on the car service just for the ease of being picked up and dropped off, but the car will actually be more convenient as we are free to come and go as we please and be on our own schedule. We aren't planning on using the car while at Disney, but since it's cheaper than the transfers, it wouldn't bother me if it sits in the parking lot when we're at the resorts .

 

[JimboCh]

I agree with the others that I would rent a car for the whole time. It would be less hassle, IMO. We are taking a 3 night cruise in December with WDW resort stays before and after. I priced out the car service we usually use for R/T airport transfers to/from Disney and a R/T transfer from Disney to PC. I found a full size rental car for the whole trip that is $62 cheaper than the transfers with gratuity, and that's including paying $60 to park at the cruise terminal. I thought I was set on the car service just for the ease of being picked up and dropped off, but the car will actually be more convenient as we are free to come and go as we please and be on our own schedule. We aren't planning on using the car while at Disney, but since it's cheaper than the transfers, it wouldn't bother me if it sits in the parking lot when we're at the resorts .

You would save a bundle then just using the ME to get you from MCO to your resort and then just a one day rental from an car rental agency on hotel row to the Port for your cruise and then just another one day rental at the port back to disney......and then ME to take you back to MCO at the end of your vacation. That is if your plans are to really just let the car sit in the parking lot.

The rental car agencies down my the port have it down pat, they have done it over and over. It runs smooth, not a hassle at all. They know when to be down at the port to pick people up and they have people to take people to the ship.
Budget really works well. Our favorite.

 

[mickeynut1]

You would save a bundle then just using the ME to get you from MCO to your resort and then just a one day rental from an car rental agency on hotel row to the Port for your cruise and then just another one day rental at the port back to disney......and then ME to take you back to MCO at the end of your vacation. That is if your plans are to really just let the car sit in the parking lot.

The rental car agencies down my the port have it down pat, they have done it over and over. It runs smooth, not a hassle at all. They know when to be down at the port to pick people up and they have people to take people to the ship.
Budget really works well. Our favorite.

I'm familiar with DME, but we prefer to use a car service or rent a car. I would rather get off the plane, get my luggage, and get in a car and be on my way rather than (possibly) waiting for a bus to fill up and/or making multiple stops before getting to my resort . We usually use a car service, but when I'm able to get a car for the same price or less, we opt for the car rental. But thanks for the suggestion .

 

[JuliaK+3]

This!
You're on vacation and don't need the logistical hassles associated with shuttles, cabs, and multiple car rental pickups/drop-offs.

That's MY thinking (and I'm the cheap one).

From what it sounds like, our hotel isn't as close to Universal as we thought so we would most likely be taking cabs back and forth. If we had a rental, I can easily see us looking at each other and saying "Let's just drive". I have to find out how much parking is at Universal. Of course, we could also go out and get lunch somewhere cheaper than in the park so we would save there....

 

[puffkin]

That's MY thinking (and I'm the cheap one).

From what it sounds like, our hotel isn't as close to Universal as we thought so we would most likely be taking cabs back and forth. If we had a rental, I can easily see us looking at each other and saying "Let's just drive". I have to find out how much parking is at Universal. Of course, we could also go out and get lunch somewhere cheaper than in the park so we would save there....

Just an FYI, but it's a pretty far walk from the Universal parking structures to the parks and back. Not sure how much you would save going offsite for lunch given the time it would take.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would definitely rent a car for the whole trip. I don't think there would be much, if any, savings by taking shuttles and cabs instead of using a rental car. And I'd be willing to live with the cost to offset the inconvenience of keeping to shuttle schedules.

 

[mahannie]

Just an FYI, but it's a pretty far walk from the Universal parking structures to the parks and back. Not sure how much you would save going offsite for lunch given the time it would take.

Factor in that you have to walk through part of the City Walk area (which has a bunch of all kinds of restaurants/fast food) to get to the parking structures.

Also, where the parking structures begin is where the taxi stand is on the ground level. Technically, you can walk back and forth from the Four Points to Universal, but it adds a lot of extra steps and time spent. It's over a mile each way, so add at least 30 additional minutes if you want to walk.

I stayed at the Four Points near Universal back in 2012. I was happy to spend my $10 (fare+tip) for an quick ride. I was dropped off in the morning so only had the trip back to the hotel to pay for. That being said, I did see several people walking the suggested route.

For convenience sake, I would rent a car. Parking at Universal runs $16.00/day. Given that a round trip taxi would cost you $20.00, that would save you a bit of money.

 

[lauradis]

Bet he just doesn't want to drive.