DING-What would you do?

[Ness2289]

I just purchased our flight to Orlando using the Ding fare. ($74 per person) The flight back from Orlando is sold out for the ding fare.

I initially planned to ride Amtrak for this trip, but I felt we would lose out most of our first day in the parks and be exhausted from the trip. The web only price for our flight is $109 per person. (There are two of us.) The amtrak rate is $75 for both with a 13 hour trip back. Would you just pay the extra $70 and fly home or take an Amtrak adventure for less? The train would leave around 7:25 on our last day. The plane would leave at 5:50. Of course ME would have us leave the resort three hours earlier. I can't decide what the best option is.

Please help!
Thanks!

 

[MrsNick]

How would you get to the train station and how much would it cost you?

 

[ancestry]

I personally would fly home. To me the additional $35 per person cost isn't worth the inconvenience of a long train ride (and to me the train ride would be inconvenient).

 

[Ness2289]

How would you get to the train station and how much would it cost you?

I believe Happy Limo would run about $50.

 

[Ness2289]

I personally would fly home. To me the additional $35 per person cost isn't worth the inconvenience of a long train ride (and to me the train ride would be inconvenient).

My co-worker just said the same thing.

 

[Lewisc]

A car service will cost around $56 + tip if you're going to the Orlando Amtrak station. Less if you're going to the Kissimmee Amtrak station.

Mears taxi fare estimator suggests the fare from EPCOT to the Kissimee station is around $33 + tip and about $46 + tip to the Orlando station. Taxi is metered. Traffic and you'll pay more.

Some people will inconvenince themselves for small savings. Your $70 savings will become less then $10 if your train leaves from Orlando and less then $30 if you leave from Kissimmee.

I'd have to save a lot more then $30 before I'd take the train. I don't think $70 would be enough.

There is a (small) chance a SW sale might give you the opportunity to rebook and get a $10-$20 credit.

edited to add a previous poster suggested happylimo. Happylimo was the company that showed a $56 rate. Add a 20% gratuity and your savings is less then $5.

 

[Ness2289]

I'd have to save a lot more then $30 before I'd take the train. I don't think $70 would be enough.

There is a (small) chance a SW sale might give you the opportunity to rebook and get a $10-$20 credit.

The difference between the air/train price and the air/air price would be around $100. You're right! The savings really needs to be significant to sit on a train for 13 hours! And who knows...I may just happen upon a SW sale and save a few dollars to put towards our flights for next year's cruise! I think I'll just go ahead and book the seats for $109 each.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[Lewisc]

The difference between the air/train price and the air/air price would be around $100. You're right! The savings really needs to be significant to sit on a train for 13 hours! And who knows...I may just happen upon a SW sale and save a few dollars to put towards our flights for next year's cruise! I think I'll just go ahead and book the seats for $109 each.

Thanks everyone!!

But you need transportation from WDW. DME will take you from WDW to MCO for free. Transportation from WDW to Amtrak will wipe out most of your $100 savings. I wouldn't do it for $100. Your savings will wind up being $30.

I'm not sure about your dates or your location. Some of the car rental agencies have special one way rates. They want to move cars from Florida to the NE. I don't know if that deal applies for a NC drop off or for your dates.

 

[MrsNick]

I believe Happy Limo would run about $50.

So that effectively wipes out $50 of your $70 savings, no?

Either way, I'd fly. I'd have to save an awful lot more than $70 (and certainly more than $20) for the inconvenience of the train.

 

[andrews_dad]

FLY, of course. I am cheap but my timeis worth WAY more thn that. $70 for a savings of what, 10 hours each maybe? A savings rate of $3.50 per person per hour or so? No brainer to me.

 

[Cptnkirky]

Fly...It would be worth the extra $ for me not to have to sit on a train for so long... purchase the SW tix and just keep an eye on them (especially late at night or really really early in the morn on Mon-Wed specifically) and the fare might drop. Then just change your reservation and get the credit/refund. We did this for our May trip and ended up getting back over $50 per person by catching it at 11:30 on night on sale More $ to spend while actually on vacation!!

 

[Ness2289]

The "sold-out" far opened up, and I got the Ding this morning. After cancelling the $109 tix and rebooking with the Ding fare, I was able to bank $66 total for both tickets to put towards next April's flight. (I'm guessing I'll be able to book those flights in October sometime.)

I'm so happy I won't be on that train. It sounded good at first because I thought I would save money. But now, with SW Ding and ME, my total cost is under what the Amtrak/car service would have been!