Is a car necessary?

[queendisney]

Well I am in the 'no need for a car' camp..BUT and its a big BUT, I wouldn't stay off resort without one. On resort its easy and cheap to get off resort for the amt of times you need to ie shopping, Seaworld. But staying off resort getting to Disney is a nightmere having to get taxi's and buses all the time. If we hired a car it would just sit in the car park all the time virtually, its just not worth our while as we always stay on resort and do mainly Disney. Also I would get a car on resort if we had small children but we don't, its just us two adults.

 

[scoobydooby]

I would never stay off site without a car, the hassle been tied to irregular buses or public transport would, for me, ruin the holiday. But that is me.

I have stayed on (Disney) site with and without a car. If I was seriously counting the £'s then on site is very doable without a car. Easy in fact. To and from the parks from your Disney hotel is generally pretty efficient. Go from hotel to hotel and add two hours to every two way trip on the buses as opposed to a car. Not a deal breaker but it does take a while. So now. I'd never stay on site without a car either because I can afford not to. It wouldn't be a deal breaker though I'd happily stay on site without one and use taxis for a few days as Universal etc.

Can you stay off site without a car? Sure. Would I personally? Never.

 

[Sam1]

We're going to go for a car. The hotels are just as close as some of the Disney hotels and the transport at one of them seems very good, but the 'you might not be able to go to the cheesecake factory if we don't rent a car' conversation swayed my husband more than anything else. He's already worrying about how he's going to choose what to eat and thinking he'll have to go back more than once.

I was looking at Hertz last night. We can pick the car up from the first hotel and drop it back at the second one, which would be really convenient, but it's about £40 more expensive than Alamo. Is it worth it with Hertz for the convenience? Alamo is to pick up at the Disney Car Care place and I don't have a clue where it is, how to get to it, or if we'd need a taxi to get there? Would the saving be wiped out with the cost to get there?

 

[wayneg]

I was looking at Hertz last night. We can pick the car up from the first hotel and drop it back at the second one, which would be really convenient, but it's about £40 more expensive than Alamo. Is it worth it with Hertz for the convenience? Alamo is to pick up at the Disney Car Care place and I don't have a clue where it is, how to get to it, or if we'd need a taxi to get there? Would the saving be wiped out with the cost to get there?

If you let me have dates, hotels, times, size car and price you have found I will look and see if I can find better.

Alamo have a collect/drop off service from Disney hotels, not sure about Non-Disney.

 

[Sam1]

If you let me have dates, hotels, times, size car and price you have found I will look and see if I can find better.

Alamo have a collect/drop off service from Disney hotels, not sure about Non-Disney.

Oh thanks!

We're starting off at the Hyatt regency grand cypress and leaving from the Hilton bonnet creek. We're just wanting a small basic car from the 23rd of October at 8am, until the 6th of November at 3pm.

So far we've got Hertz, hotel to hotel, for £293. Then Alamo from Disney Car Care for £266. That's not including a car seat, we've been adding one and that's why one was coming out at about £40 more than the other. We're thinking about taking our own now.

 

[Laurafoster]

Oh thanks!

We're starting off at the Hyatt regency grand cypress and leaving from the Hilton bonnet creek. We're just wanting a small basic car from the 23rd of October at 8am, until the 6th of November at 3pm.

So far we've got Hertz, hotel to hotel, for £293. Then Alamo from Disney Car Care for £266. That's not including a car seat, we've been adding one and that's why one was coming out at about £40 more than the other. We're thinking about taking our own now.

We always take a car seat with us as the car hire ones are very expensive. We got a cheaper lightweight one from Asda (£25 in their baby and toddler event online) and we use this just for holidays - it's cheaper than renting and we know its not been in any accidents.. A friend had theirs damaged on the return flight so now I won't take my big expensive one.

 

[Sam1]

We always take a car seat with us as the car hire ones are very expensive. We got a cheaper lightweight one from Asda (£25 in their baby and toddler event online) and we use this just for holidays - it's cheaper than renting and we know its not been in any accidents.. A friend had theirs damaged on the return flight so now I won't take my big expensive one.

That's another thing I was worried about. I'll have a look for a cheaper lightweight one to take with us.

 

[wayneg]

Oh thanks!

We're starting off at the Hyatt regency grand cypress and leaving from the Hilton bonnet creek. We're just wanting a small basic car from the 23rd of October at 8am, until the 6th of November at 3pm.

So far we've got Hertz, hotel to hotel, for £293. Then Alamo from Disney Car Care for £266. That's not including a car seat, we've been adding one and that's why one was coming out at about £40 more than the other. We're thinking about taking our own now.

What you doing about to and from the airport?

 

[Kath2003]

Can you stay off site without a car? Sure. Would I personally? Never.

We do and find it very simple, and in many ways less hassle than having a car. But for us, the key is the price - we paid £80 TOTAL for four adults for two weeks' transport. That includes to and from the airport. The buses are so good that we didn't actually take a cab during the entire trip. Parking alone during that trip would have cost us over £100. We went to 5 parks, Disney, and 4 malls - and The Cheesecake Factory

 

[Laszkowicz]

Hello Everyone, sorry to jump on this thread.
I've just had the daunting realisation that we need a car, just to save a fortune in taxi's and loads of time.

can anyone point me in the right direction.

Best time to book ? October holiday
Best Co ?

Small car would be ok
2 ad 2 kids
ideally pick up in Disney, drop off in Disney (got airport coach trfs already)
damage waiver
sat nav
2 weeks

Thanks in advanced.

 

[scoobydooby]

I always use Alamo as we have always had very good service. I'm a bit lazy about shopping around. Their cheapest four door car from 12 to 26 Oct, fully inclusive insurance is £251 today. Pick up an collect at Disney car care centre. They do go up and down within £50 quite regularly you need to check every day for a month. A sat Nav is $139 more. I would say you could buy one cheaper!

 

[Laszkowicz]

I always use Alamo as we have always had very good service. I'm a bit lazy about shopping around. Their cheapest four door car from 12 to 26 Oct, fully inclusive insurance is £251 today. Pick up an collect at Disney car care centre. They do go up and down within £50 quite regularly you need to check every day for a month. A sat Nav is $139 more. I would say you could buy one cheaper!

Thanks, I'm similar, don't shop around too much, just try the first 2 or 3 most reputable Co's.

I'll keep an eye on Alamo.

Not sure what to do about a sat nav. Don't really wanna buy one, but don't wanna get ripped off to hire.

 

[scoobydooby]

Thanks, I'm similar, don't shop around too much, just try the first 2 or 3 most reputable Co's.

I'll keep an eye on Alamo.

Not sure what to do about a sat nav. Don't really wanna buy one, but don't wanna get ripped off to hire.

Where are you going to? We don't venture far but manage Sea World, Discovery Cove and Universal without a sat Nav. I've got a great Orlando map on my I pad. Can't remember if unpaid for it but if I did it wasn't much.

 

[Sam1]

What you doing about to and from the airport?

We've got coach transfers through Virgin Holidays.

Oh now sat navs have been mentioned as well, what do people usually do about them? We'd need one, but I'm assuming we can buy the maps for the one we've already got ( European TomTom). I think I've read on here that people buy them though. Is it cheaper to buy a whole new thing out there, or is it cheaper to just buy the maps for the one we've already got?

 

[MrRomance]

Everyone has their own opinions on this, but whenever anyone asks me I give them the same answer.... You can manage without a car very easily if you're staying on-site and you don't plan to go too far too often. If you're off-site, or you want to venture to lots of other places, getting a car will probably be a lot cheaper and it will definitely be a lot easier.

 

[chmurf]

Is it cheaper to buy a whole new thing out there, or is it cheaper to just buy the maps for the one we've already got?

Of course you can buy one once you're in Florida, but I always thought this strategy had a major flaw.

To buy a satnav in Florida, you have to go to a store in the first place.

How do you find your way to the store without the GPS ?
(It's actually easier to get from MCO to WDW than going from MCO to the nearest Shopping Mall)

So before knowing if it's cheaper, it might be useful to plan how you're going to go to the store, should you decide to buy one, because that's going to be the next question.

 

[Elise79]

Thanks, I'm similar, don't shop around too much, just try the first 2 or 3 most reputable Co's.

I'll keep an eye on Alamo.

Not sure what to do about a sat nav. Don't really wanna buy one, but don't wanna get ripped off to hire.

Most recently a couple of months out has had the best deals - Wayneg usually posts any he sees. If you post dates and details someone will check for you too.

We've got coach transfers through Virgin Holidays.

Oh now sat navs have been mentioned as well, what do people usually do about them? We'd need one, but I'm assuming we can buy the maps for the one we've already got ( European TomTom). I think I've read on here that people buy them though. Is it cheaper to buy a whole new thing out there, or is it cheaper to just buy the maps for the one we've already got?

Yes you can buy the add on maps for TomTom and that's probably your cheapest option.

Personally we have never used or needed a Sat Nav around the Orlando area. Sign posting is generally good and a map does the rest.

 

[wilma-bride]

Personally we have never used or needed a Sat Nav around the Orlando area. Sign posting is generally good and a map does the rest.

We don't usually use the Sat Nav in Orlando. We just use Mapman's map for finding where we need to be and, as Tracy says, the signs are pretty good. FOr example, all along the 192 are 'markers' so, if you know, you need to be near marker 10, it is just a case of keeping an eye out.

 

[Cyrano]

We just use Mapman's map for finding where we need to be

Same here

I quite like having the TomTom on even if it is going from OKW to DTD, but agree that it is not necessary. Gives a bit of comfort if you are travelling any place late in the evening.

DW loves the Mapman map for seeing where places are in relation to our location and also for nearby restaurants.

 

[wayneg]

We have only used Satnav for the past 3 or 4 years as we have explored further afield, our first 20+ trips were using signs and a car rental map.

I bought this from Walmart about 2 years ago, cost £35(now probably £40-45 with todays exchange rate) http://www.walmart.com/ip/TomTom-XL330-Portable-GPS-w-4.3-Screen/9914615

I will try help with rental quotes but busy weekend, Theatre last night to see Cats, relatives visiting this morning to plan our August trip, going to Rugby this afternoon, visit DMIL this evening. Not enough hours in a day.