I've created a transportation mess....help!

[ws33]

Hello all, in my panic and craziness leading up to my family's first ever trip, I've created a transportation nightmare....Please advise.
We were going to drive down, stay at Grand Floridian Sunday-Wednesday nights. Something came up where we needed to stay in town an two days so I bought a room on Priceline for the day before and after. Then I got really crazy and looked at flights...I got a killer deal and booked. My questions are concerning transfers to and from the airport to the non-disney priceline hotel, and the non-disney priceline hotel to grand floridian...
How much should I expect to pay? Non-Disney hotel doesn't offer free transfers.
Would it be cheaper to try and book a disney value hotel and just eat the cost of the non-disney hotel as it's nonrefundable?
What companies that do transfers are reliable and prompt?
Am I making any sense?
Thanks in advance....I'm tired and getting worked up.

 

[vicki_c]

Mears transportation offers shuttles from the airport all over the Disney area/Orlando area. I would call them and find out what they would charge. I haven't used Mears for years, so I don't know the current rates.

Car services run about $100-140 from MCO to Disney, round trip - just to give you an idea of what that type of service runs. We just used a car service this past weekend to Disney from the airport.

 

[vacationclub]

Hello all, in my panic and craziness leading up to my family's first ever trip, I've created a transportation nightmare....Please advise.
We were going to drive down, stay at Grand Floridian Sunday-Wednesday nights. Something came up where we needed to stay in town an two days so I bought a room on Priceline for the day before and after. Then I got really crazy and looked at flights...I got a killer deal and booked. My questions are concerning transfers to and from the airport to the non-disney priceline hotel, and the non-disney priceline hotel to grand floridian...
How much should I expect to pay? Non-Disney hotel doesn't offer free transfers.
Would it be cheaper to try and book a disney value hotel and just eat the cost of the non-disney hotel as it's nonrefundable?
What companies that do transfers are reliable and prompt?
Am I making any sense?
Thanks in advance....I'm tired and getting worked up.

Mears. In fact DME is Mears, just with pretty paint jobs and Disney logos. You can still pay them for transfers just as we all did before DME. But, I would just call Disney and explain exactly what you are doing and see what they say. Technically you are owed a DME ride to and from the airport since you are staying with them, but I think you still have to get yourself to the airport somehow. Maybe the non-Disney hotel has free airport transportation.

 

[sammielynn]

If your priceline hotel has airport transportation how about taking it to the hotel and back the next day and hop on DME. Then that the DME back to the airport and then to the new hotel if they have a shuttle. Or you could just rent a car. If you look around you can find a decent price on a car.

 

[ToddyLu]

We always use Tiffany Towncars and paid $109 round trip last week. Always have excellent service. Waseem picked us up and Steve took us back. You also get a 30 minute grocery stop if needed. They are very prompt.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would check and see how much you can get a value resort for....should be about $100 a night or less. You can get a car service or cabs to get you around....from MCO to priceline hotel, then back to MCO to get DME (or just directly to WDW) and then reverse it all at the end. BUT...that's going to be costly as well as time consuming. If you book a value resort, you can take DME directly to the resort, then the resort can transfer your bags the next day....at the end of your stay, you can again have them move your bags and then you can take DME back to MCO.

I would sit and run the numbers....what are you losing with the priceline hotel and the cost of transport from the airport to that hotel vs the cost of a value resort (and no transportation costs).

 

[seashoreCM]

Since you booked one Priceline night before and one Priceline night after ...

Airport to first Priceline hotel is already cast in stone time-wise and necessity-wise, whether it's the hotel's shuttle or a taxi.

Last Priceline hotel to airport is also already cast in stone.

So the only dilemma is the leg from first Priceline hotel to Disney and the leg from Disney to last Priceline hotel. If either Priceline hotel is near the airport, I would use Magical Express for that leg.

Unless I were to rent a car for the entire vacation.

 

[Lewisc]

What are you paying for your PL hotel(s)? What hotel did you "win". Do you otherwise have reason to rent a car? How many people are in your group.

Many of us would have used PL for an airport zone hotel. Those hotels generally offer complimentary shuttle service to MCO.

 

[NancyIL]

Rent a car on each end of your trip: airport to somewhere on/near WDW property, and the reverse when you return.

*A towncar service would get you from the airport to your Priceline hotel, but not to WDW the next day.

 

[Singinglizzie]

Here is the link to Mears: http://www.mearstransportation.com/ they charge aprox. $19 per adult from MCO to a downtown hotel one way. There is also a taxi estimator on their site, so you could price out a taxi from your non-disney hotel to the GF, or puchase a RT fare for $30 per adult from MCO to your non-disney hotel, then return to MCO where you can take the Magic Express to the GF. I don't know if that will save you $$, but it is an option. You can also look into renting a car. There are several codes floating around on this site, and I wound up booking a 6 day rental for under $60. The rental deals are last minute, for non holiday weekends, and not always available but you might find something in your price range. Check out the November car rental thread. Have a great first trip!