Lakeland airport?

[kirs10a]

I found unbelievable airfare for June between Springfield, IL and Orlando/Lakeland airport. Has anyone flown into this airport? Did you use the airport endorsed transfer company? I'm looking for any and all reviews!

(Airfare for 5 tickets, June 11-18= $751 total!!!!) I'd LOVE to be able to take advantage of this deal, but I've been spoiled by the Magical Express!

 

[OKW Lover]

I had never heard of that airport so I googled it. It looks like its ~60 miles from there to WDW. I'd guess that a car service will cost you >$100 each way. You may want to consider renting a car instead...if there are car rental places there.

 

[kirs10a]

There is a Hertz rental counter....but DH is opposed to having a rental on vacation. There is an airport affiliated shuttle with the following prices for our family of 5:

Private Shuttle (one way), $175
Shared Shuttle (van, one way), $135

 

[kirs10a]

This would still make our transportation costs well under the other airfare I've priced.....

 

[kirs10a]

I got quotes from:

Happy Limo (time estimate, approx. 45 minutes--1 hour; car seat charges of $5/trip) $308 roundtrip + $10 carseat= $318

Town Car Now, $250 roundtrip in a luxury SUV, plus use of free booster/car seat

 

[Sunnywho]

what about a one-way, one-day car rental picked up at lakeland and dropped off at the disney car center or the dolphin?

 

[Lewisc]

what about a one-way, one-day car rental picked up at lakeland and dropped off at the disney car center or the dolphin?

Alamo/National is the rental agency at Disney but Hertz (and U-Save) are the only agencies which service Lakeland airport.

 

[pigletto]

Alamo/National is the rental agency at Disney but Hertz (and U-Save) are the only agencies which service Lakeland airport.

But Hertz has a location at Bonnet Creek which is ON Disney property, so really it's still pretty convenient.

Our plan is to rent from Hertz. However we are going straight to Universal and there's a Hertz desk at our hotel onsite.

Then we'll get another rental from there a few days later and take it to Disney, keep it for the week, and drop it back off at Lakeland before we leave.
It's still going to cost less than the shuttle, and we'll have our own car to stop for groceries or explore offsite a little bit.

 

[webworm]

I got quotes from:

Happy Limo (time estimate, approx. 45 minutes--1 hour; car seat charges of $5/trip) $308 roundtrip + $10 carseat= $318

Town Car Now, $250 roundtrip in a luxury SUV, plus use of free booster/car seat

Would cost you $59 for a one way rental to Disney with Hertz dropping off at Noon next day.

 

[pr surfer]

I suggest renting a car and driving. Lakeland isn't far from WDW. It's only 2 counties over from most of WDW, and a town where quite a few people commute to Orlando from every day.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

But Hertz has a location at Bonnet Creek which is ON Disney property, so really it's still pretty convenient.

Hertz has desks at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, both of which are on Bonnet Creek Resort Lane. However, these hotels are NOT on Disney property, and these hotels are NOT served by the Walt Disney World Transportation system. (Hertz has a desk on Disney property, but it's at Shades of Green Resort, the Armed Forces Recreation Center near the Polynesian, which is not served by the Walt Disney World Transportation system either.)

Hertz and the other better known car rental companies have numerous facilities just off Disney property, with pick-ups and drop-offs at Disney resorts.

 

[Lewisc]

Hertz closed their desk at SoG, Alamo is now at that location.

edited to add Forget about using the location list at Hertz.com Try to make a reservation with SoG as your pickup location.

Hertz has desks at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, both of which are on Bonnet Creek Resort Lane. However, these hotels are NOT on Disney property, and these hotels are NOT served by the Walt Disney World Transportation system. (Hertz has a desk on Disney property, but it's at Shades of Green Resort, the Armed Forces Recreation Center near the Polynesian, which is not served by the Walt Disney World Transportation system either.)

Hertz and the other better known car rental companies have numerous facilities just off Disney property, with pick-ups and drop-offs at Disney resorts.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Hertz closed their desk at SoG, Alamo is now at that location.

edited to add Forget about using the location list at Hertz.com Try to make a reservation with SoG as your pickup location.

Thank you for the update about Hertz at SoG. It's still listed as a valid location at Hertz.com. Also, Shades of Green still has a webpage claiming they have a Hertz kiosk: http://www.shadesofgreen.org/hertz.htm

But trying to make a Hertz.com reservation for a car at SoG produces the message, "PICKUP LOCATION PERMANENTLY CLOSED [DE554]."

There are a number of Hertz locations just off Disney property, with pick-up and drop-off on Disney property.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

It's kind of pointless saving a ton of money flying into Lakeland (or Sanford) only to give it all back paying a car service to deliver you both ways. Rental cars are so easy to use, get the job done and one way prices are so comparatively cheap. IMO, of course.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Lewisc]

It's kind of pointless saving a ton of money flying into Lakeland (or Sanford) only to give it all back paying a car service to deliver you both ways. Rental cars are so easy to use, get the job done and one way prices are so comparatively cheap. IMO, of course.

BobK/Orlando

Not everyone has a drivers license. OP is a family of 5. One way rentals out of Lakeland for mini-vans can be pricey.

I agree it's pointless saving money flying into Lakeland (or Sanford) and wind up spending most of your savings on ground transportation.

edited to add Lakeland is closer to Tampa then Orlando. Calling it an Orlando area airport is a reach.

 

[kirs10a]

Thanks for all of the input. DH drives ALOT for work, and has no interest in renting a car on vacation. Even when we factor in the car service, this airfare is below any other airfare I can find by $500. For our family of 5, that's significant.

 

[dukesmama]

kris10a-
We took that flight in September and will be taking it again in February.
If you haven't already purchased, they're having a 50% off sale.

The rumor is that the flight is almost always late, and in our experience they were delayed by about an hour leaving Springfield. Our return flight was on time and very nice. The Lakeland airport is clean and quiet, security line was short (but only a small snack counter on site).
That said, we loved it and are doing it again. It was a large plane, the service was fine and it was CHEAP. This time we got the $59 fare.
My husband was excited because it was an older plane, you know, built when they still had seats with legroom that didn't cost extra.

We rented from Hertz and are doing that again. We've also flown into MCO and with the size/craziness of MCO we found that it was about the same amount of time for us to get a car and drive to Orlando from Lakeland as it took us to get our car, get out of MCO and get to our hotel.

Could your husband be won-over to renting a car if he knew the money you'd save?

 

[kirs10a]

kris10a-
We took that flight in September and will be taking it again in February.
If you haven't already purchased, they're having a 50% off sale.

The rumor is that the flight is almost always late, and in our experience they were delayed by about an hour leaving Springfield. Our return flight was on time and very nice. The Lakeland airport is clean and quiet, security line was short (but only a small snack counter on site).
That said, we loved it and are doing it again. It was a large plane, the service was fine and it was CHEAP. This time we got the $59 fare.
My husband was excited because it was an older plane, you know, built when they still had seats with legroom that didn't cost extra.

We rented from Hertz and are doing that again. We've also flown into MCO and with the size/craziness of MCO we found that it was about the same amount of time for us to get a car and drive to Orlando from Lakeland as it took us to get our car, get out of MCO and get to our hotel.

Could your husband be won-over to renting a car if he knew the money you'd save?

Thanks SO much for the input! We didn't buy tickets yet---my sister-in-law can't commit to dates. (ARGH!!!!) Truthfully, with the price we found for car service, we'd definately go that route if we decide to fly from Springfield.