Just signed up

[Callum]

Hi everyone

Just signed up and looking forward to sharing info and experiences with all of you out there in cyber land!

We bought into AKV on the last day of our April trip earlier in the year but it looks like it will be next year before we experience DVC. I promise not to forget to bank the points next month!

One question, however. Has anyone spent time at a DVC resort WITHOUT hiring a car? We are regular visitors and always pick up a car at the airport but were considering doing without for the week we will spend at AKV.

 

[saratogagirl]

Hi Welcome Home !!

We have not done a full holiday at DVC without a car. We normally use Magical Espress to get us to Saratoga and use Disney transport for all our Disney needs. we do however, get a car for the last week or so of our stay for shopping off property and return to the airport

 

[squitty]

Welcome Home!

We have never stayed on property and not hired a car, we like the freedom it gives you.

 

[TinkTatoo]

Hi and welcome home - we stayed on site over Christmas and didn't hire a car for the first week. We used Magical Express to get us from the airport to our resort then when we moved from AKL to the Contemporary we hired a car from the car care centre and dropped it back at Orlando International when we went home. It's so easy to get around when you are at Disney that you don't really need one

 

[Tiggery]

11 trips to Disney and never hired a car. Can remember 2 times where we had an excessive wait for buses otherwise the bus service is just fine.

 

[Minniespal]

Welcome home

We always stay on-site and always hire a car. We like having the freedom of being able to do and go where we like.

 

[Callum]

Thank you all for a warm Welcome Home

Got plenty of time to think about the car or no car option.

TinkTatoo - How did you go about picking up a car from the Car Care centre? Did you arrange a drop off here from one of the large rental companies prior to your arrival? Or was it something you arranged whilst at AKL?

 

[jns]

Hello and welcome
we have always hire a car too love the freedom of having both
the only time we never take the car is to MK

 

[TinkTatoo]

.....TinkTatoo - How did you go about picking up a car from the Car Care centre? Did you arrange a drop off here from one of the large rental companies prior to your arrival? Or was it something you arranged whilst at AKL?

We used Alamo through http://www.usrentacar.co.uk/ before we went and entered the pick up location as Disney's Car Care Centre (which is very close to the Contemporary) and the drop off location as Orlando International. You can have the front desk of AKL call Alamo on the day you start the rental and they will send a mini van to collect you - it's free apart from a tip for the driver

 

[spm23]

Welcome Home.

We have not had a car and used Magical Express.

The questions you need to ask are: How much do you want to visit not Disney locations such as other parks and also shops for cheap food and also the retail shopping.

If you like that then you either condense those days and use taxi's, or pay for the car.
You can get cheap annual insurance for the car which saves money and makes hiring a little more manageable.

 

[Callum]

TinkTatoo

Thanks. I think this is just what we had in mind. Use Magical Express to get from OIA to WDW and then pick up a rental car when we decide to move on. Past visits have usually been in villas or hotels with some of the time spent driving the Gulf Coast. Seeing more of FL is still in our plans.

spm23

Thanks also. This will be the first time we have actually stayed in WDW and yes, shopping and off site restaurants will certainly be on the menu (no pun intended!!). It's beginning to look like a few concentrated days in WDW and then picking up a car to go off site.

Thanks to everyone else for their useful comments. We will be able to book AKV in November (for a stay in October 08) and the car hire options will be explored at the same time.

 

[mark&sue]

We do fly drives. Once we did not hire a car but ended up doing so for a couple of days to go shopping.


Susan