Just need to vent for a minute....

[disnut8]

Plus, offsite shuttles to the parks can be really unreliable ... and sporadic. Unless I were staying ONsite, I would never want to be without a car.

Agree. We drive to Disney World so always have our own car when staying offsite (and onsite). This last trip, we recommended the offsite place we were staying at to friends whose daughter was going to be there for a quick trip. We were asked to get detailed free shuttle info from the hotel to the parks. So we did and my husband came back and told our friends that their daughter should rent a car. The hotel was a mile from Disney property and the shuttles went to the TTC and Epcot twice in the morning and came back from each place twice at night. The only rope drop anyone was going to make was Epcot right at 9:00 AM. And if anyone wanted to stay at a park for the nighttime stuff, they would have to take the last shuttle at 11:00 PM. From the TTC. There were NO afternoon shuttles available at all.

So PLEASE ask your offsite resort to email you a copy of their current shuttle schedule.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

theres only two of us...so nothing is really cost effective. wahhh ...we thought about renting a car (we are actually getting one for our second part of our trip to visit family), but our hotel is 17$ a day for parking. I know I need to just suck it up and get a shuttle or convince myself the ease of a taxi is worth it...but i don't want to lol. luckily, our hotel offers a shuttle to the parks for free, just not to the airport.

Idk where you're staying, but like itchin2go said above, some of the off site shuttles are VERY unreliable. We stayed off site once and relied on the free shuttle, and it was a nightmare. Waiting in the middle of a parking lot for at least 30 mins to an hour with very little idea if we were in the right place (there were also no bus schedules that we could find), seriously overfilled buses, stopping at a bunch of different resorts,... NEVER again. As frustrating as some people claim the WDW buses can be, this resort shuttle made them look like a dream.

 

[soniam]

I completely agree about the cab prices in Orlando. I grew up in Oklahoma and Texas and still live in Austin. The first cabs I took were to the Austin airport (between $10-20) and around San Francisco. So, I thought cabs were supposed to be cheap everywhere. As I take them more in other places, like Europe and Vegas, I realize that you guys in the big cities, like NY & Chicago, have it easy, well as far as cab prices go. However, you pay through the nose for parking. I guess it evens out somehow.

 

[Alfalfa]

I agree that it's ridiculous Uber has been locked out of MCO by the taxi lobby. But then that protects the cab's ability to charge outrageous fares.

One thing you could do is take a cab from MCO to the Marriot Lakeside (it's only 2 miles) and have Uber pick you up from there.

 

[cowens02]

Idk where you're staying, but like itchin2go said above, some of the off site shuttles are VERY unreliable. We stayed off site once and relied on the free shuttle, and it was a nightmare. Waiting in the middle of a parking lot for at least 30 mins to an hour with very little idea if we were in the right place (there were also no bus schedules that we could find), seriously overfilled buses, stopping at a bunch of different resorts,... NEVER again. As frustrating as some people claim the WDW buses can be, this resort shuttle made them look like a dream.

Agree. We drive to Disney World so always have our own car when staying offsite (and onsite). This last trip, we recommended the offsite place we were staying at to friends whose daughter was going to be there for a quick trip. We were asked to get detailed free shuttle info from the hotel to the parks. So we did and my husband came back and told our friends that their daughter should rent a car. The hotel was a mile from Disney property and the shuttles went to the TTC and Epcot twice in the morning and came back from each place twice at night. The only rope drop anyone was going to make was Epcot right at 9:00 AM. And if anyone wanted to stay at a park for the nighttime stuff, they would have to take the last shuttle at 11:00 PM. From the TTC. There were NO afternoon shuttles available at all.

So PLEASE ask your offsite resort to email you a copy of their current shuttle schedule.

Thanks! We're staying at the Hyatt Grand Cypress. I already got their shuttle schedule from one of their guest relations people (they have been great; any questions I have had they were quick to answer!) and it is running all through the day (their usual schedule is only the 2 in the morning & 2 in the evening runs)--I'm guessing they upped the amount of trips because of spring break. I'm the only one in our group that drives (my mom refuses), so I was kind of glad to not have to drive to the parks every day.

Now I'm conflicted....I don't want to be on a super shuttle that stops multiple times (I know, I'm spoiled). I guess we just need to cough up the dough for the convenience.

 

[cowens02]

I agree that it's ridiculous Uber has been locked out of MCO by the taxi lobby. But then that protects the cab's ability to charge outrageous fares.

One thing you could do is take a cab from MCO to the Marriot Lakeside (it's only 2 miles) and have Uber pick you up from there.

That is a very intriguing solution...will have to price it out. I was thinking originally maybe we could just walk out of the airport gates & get an uber there LOL. I'm not sure that's even possible & I bet my mom wouldn't go for it...

 

[Alfalfa]

That is a very intriguing solution...will have to price it out. I was thinking originally maybe we could just walk out of the airport gates & get an uber there LOL. I'm not sure that's even possible & I bet my mom wouldn't go for it...

Looks like a cab is $15 for that 2 miles, then Uber is just $17 from Marriott Lakeside to Hyatt Grand Cypress.

Total around $32.

 

[Satchmo128]

Even though I don't like paying for parking (and rental car prices can vary a LOT), we really enjoy having a rental car when we are in Orlando. Makes things a lot easier when you have your own transportation. We stay off-site in Kissimmee with friends.

 

[mjkacmom]

Seriously! I live in NYC, so I am used to sticker shock (which is why I think I won't be blown over by food prices in WDW), but a 20 minute ride for that much?!

Does anyone know if it is cheaper to just hail a cab rather than arrange one prior to arrival?

I was able to find a 10% off code for Super Shuttle...so maybe that is the best option?

...I can't complain, because in 5 days I will be in the happiest place on earth!!!!

I live 10 miles outside NYC in NJ. A taxi from Newark airport to home is $45, no more than 20 minutes. A car service from my house to the NYC cruise port is $70, 10 miles. Cabs are cheap IN NYC, but not in the area. How much is a cab from midtown to Laguardia?

ETA - just google mapped it, and I'm 11 miles from the airport - $50 with tip. Orlando is a popular vacation spot - they can charge that much because they can.

 

[Otter49]

Or you can take our fine local bus system - Lynx for $4.00 per person.

You'd change buses at Sea World and then be dropped off a mere .6 of a mile from your hotel.

Not counting the walking part, the trip only takes 1 hour and 47 minutes.

 

[ibob52]

QUOTE:The fares to and from the NYC airports are pretty high too. JFK/Manhattan is a flat rate of $52 plus tolls plus tip. ****Roughly the same distance as MCO to WDW area***

QUOTE:Agreed that it's high...but I think I can justify that price because it is a much longer than 20 minute ride

**** Generally ~ the price of cab fare is charged according to the *number of miles* that are traveled ***

*not by the number of minutes*

 

[MillauFr]

They should just extend the People Mover to the airport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Supply....demand. The cabs can get those prices because people continue booking them. There is no way I would book a cab when I can book a towncar for just about the same fare, and get a free grocery stop!
Nothing in Orlando is inexpensive. You just have to accept that and be done with it. Time is money in Orlando. If you want to get to the resort quickly, you are going to have to pay for it. You want cheap? It will take you awhile. All about choices and what's important.

 

[cowens02]

Can anyone suggest a town at service they've used in the past and liked?

 

[BigTigger]

One way to get Uber is to get off airport property and get picked up. You can take a free shuttle to the hotels just north of the airport and get Uber to pick you up there. Yeah it's a bit back handed, but it gets around a policy put in place to protect the establishment at MCO.

I hear you on parking fees at hotels doubling the cost of your rental car too. All non-Disney properties seem to charge parking and resort fees these days. Sooner or later Disney will monetize these itmes and charge them too.

 

[goofy4tink]

Can anyone suggest a town at service they've used in the past and liked?

I've used Tiffany Towncar in the past. More recently, I've used Fl Tours...a DIS board sponsor. I've had very good experiences with them.

 

[bumbershoot]

Taxis use a combo of miles and time spent waiting in traffic. Plus whatever chunk of money is charged when the meter starts.

I see the route is 17.9 miles and right now an approximate 27 minutes traveling on the toll road north o the airport then 4.. So there's probably toll charges wrapped up in the fare as well as what seems to be some traffic on 4.

Just went to my local area taxi site, and a 21.6 mile ride to our airport is estimated to be just over $60. And there's no tolls. And it could be as quick as 25 minutes depending on airport and road traffic.

So I don't see it as being very expensive at all in orlando.

Uber scares me. Regular people in their cars and not regulated? I like the regulations on cabs and cabbies. Makes me feel better about setting my rear in a stranger's car.

 

[hsmamato2]

OP I think if you are staying offsite and using the hotel shuttles, you might as well get used to the idea that you will be giving up quite a bit of parks time to travel,so it should be simplest just to book a mears shuttle for the 2 of you at around 40.00 which is cheaper than a taxi..... If it were my $$$ to spend I'd pay for a car instead,then just drop it near your hotel to avoid the fees that first day -or pay for the shuttle which has discounts for booking online- or just pay to keep the car,

 

[maxiesmom]

theres only two of us...so nothing is really cost effective. wahhh ...we thought about renting a car (we are actually getting one for our second part of our trip to visit family), but our hotel is 17$ a day for parking. I know I need to just suck it up and get a shuttle or convince myself the ease of a taxi is worth it...but i don't want to lol. luckily, our hotel offers a shuttle to the parks for free, just not to the airport.

I hope you know that most off site shuttles have very limited schedules. And don't drop off at all of the parks. They typically drop at the TTC or Epcot, and you have to make your way to the Animal Kingdom and Disney Studios. You may want to rethink that rental car. It will save you a ton of time. You don't want to be so budget conscience that you end up wasting a bunch of time.

 

[Meliechick]

We used FL Tours several times and have always been happy.