Newbie in need of help, Is car hire essential ?

[mickeymousemad]

Hi Guys
Im trying to plan for our familys first trip to orlando and would like to know if car hire is essential?
we are 2 adults 2 children 5 and 6 and will hopefully be staying in the LBV area. We only really plan on doing disney and will prob stay in the LBV/ DTD area.
my Friend went recently and stayed in DTD area and recomends a car even though she used shuttles to the parks. It just seems alot of money to hire a car for 14nts just to use for visitng restaurants and a few shops

We would stay onsite but prefer a 1 bedroom apt

Sorry for rambling just after a little advise

thanks

 

[luke]

I guess it really does depend on the person.

I would NEVER go WITHOUT a car personally, it offers freedom and flexibility. Around the LBV area you'll be fine for the Disney Parks, but will require more planning for the other great stuff Orlando has to offer. As you're staying offsite I'd definitely say go for a car.

We're having our first on-site stay this August but the option to not get a car and rely on Disney transport didn't enter my head for even a minute!

But like I started, it really depends on the person so I fully expect to get posts following this one that will say the exact opposite

 

[mickeymousemad]

Thanks Luke for your very quick response, I will hire a car if needs be just dont want to hire one then it be wasted.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I am saying exactly the same.

We always stay off-site so have to rent a car, however would never be without one as we like the freedom & flexibility it gives and to be able to go where we want when we want.

Many manage without a car, but I can't imagine a holiday without one.

 

[wayneg]

I am same as Luke and Johnny, a car is essential for us, wouldn't even goto Florida without one but we don't just stick to theme parks, we have friends out at Hunters Creek, drive to coast, over to the Port for a cruise, last year drove upto Savannah, Georgia 4-5 hours each way to see friends. Like an evening at Old Town or Celebration, our hobby is Geocaching, wouldn't be possible without a car.
Even going to the parks, we don't mix well with buses, not been on a bus in UK for 25 years, I like my car.
Saying all that many people enjoy their hoidays over there without a car, everyones different.

 

[luke]

Thanks Luke for your very quick response, I will hire a car if needs be just dont want to hire one then it be wasted.

You could maybe not hire a car at first then maybe get one for the last week and do some of the offsite stuff?

I'm planning on not even using the (more reliable than offsite's shuttles) Disney Transport that much when staying onsite and will most likely drive to the parks (free parking if you stay onsite )

Let us know what you decide in the end

 

[luke]

not been on a bus in UK for 25 years, I like my car.

I got on a bus in Málaga last night for the first time in years, wow I'm glad I don't have to take buses at home

 

[~Piglet~]

Hi, have a read of this thread about using Orlando buses, it might help you to decide

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2406874

We have stayed onsite before and besides trips to US/IoA, SW and DC (and the odd trip to Walmart) and driving to and from Clearwater we probably didn't use our hire car that often over our 18 day holiday. This year we are thinking of trying out public transport - if we don't like it we can always hire a car (although it may work out dearer than hiring before we go)

 

[wayneg]

if we don't like it we can always hire a car (although it may work out dearer than hiring before we go)

Works out approx double there compared to buying online so if you do decide to rent try get internet access a couple of days before you want it and prebook on a UK site.

 

[barnaby1]

Everyone is different on this subject.

In 11 years (1-2 trips per year) we have never hired a car. Have done the trip with and without children. Stayed on I-drive and in DTD hotels. You can get anywhere with the lynx buses and the shuttle buses from the DTD hotels take you to WDW parks.

 

[torsie24]

We stay onsite, and would never consider a car as long as we do so.

But then we go only for Disney and are sad if we do leave property!

We love the buses and other Disney transport so enjoy a couple of weeks with other doing the driving for us.

 

[Zeebs]

We would always have a car also, part of the trip for us is visiting other places, I love Walmart etc of all places We don't have a problem with taking public transport (I use to live and work in London you get use to it) but certainly find the ease of having a car so much better with 2 soon to be 3 small children.

Plus no where else would we get to drive "cars" like Bertie the Beast which we hired for a road trip from LA to Vancouver.... I miss Bertie

Look at it dwarfing another SUV. That other SUV was thinking it was pretty big until that point.

Side view of Bertie.

Kirsten

 

[Elise79]

We have done both with & without a car - and now we would never go without the car!

we considered it for this upcoming trip but then we thought about and decided we'd miss going where we want when we want.

We generally stay onsite but like to eat at a lot of offsite places too and I do not want to waste my precious holiday time waiting for a bus/taxi!

 

[kevin harrison]

If you want to try more than just Disney, you need a car.

I love the idea of waking up and deciding there and then to travel where ever we fancy, without a great deal of planning.

One day, we had decided to go to Animal Kingdom the evening before, but on the day we just drove over to Clearwater instead. A car brings you freedom.

 

[Hilary]

We stay onsite, and would never consider a car as long as we do so....

...We love the buses and other Disney transport so enjoy a couple of weeks with other doing the driving for us.

That describes us, too If we hire a car we never use it for getting around within WDW. Whereas others enjoy the freedom of having a car, we enjoy the freedom of letting someone else do the driving!

When DDs were younger and we went to the parks every day we had a few trips without a car at all, using WDW buses for WDW and a taxi for the odd trip to Universal / SeaWorld - much less expensive than having a rental car sitting in the resort for 90% of the time.

In recent years, we tend to spend only a part of our trip in Orlando, and only a day or so in the parks, so we do rent a car, but it still stays in the parking lot if we can use WDW transport instead!

Next month eldest DD and I are going to WDW and wouldn't even think of having a car (DH does all the driving when he goes, even though I'm always included on the policy). We plan to get the Lynx bus or a taxi for a trip to Florida Mall.

 

[mickeymousemad]

thanks for all your advise, think we will hire a car, compared to the total cost of the holiday its not actually costing that much extra and if it makes things easier it'll be worth it

 

[Kath2003]

You don't need a car if you are staying on-site at Disney, on-site at Universal or in the International Drive area. We save hundreds by staying on I-Drive and using public transport; well worth it

 

[luke]

Glad to hear you're getting a car. Think it will be best with it being your first trip so you can really get the most out of it

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree, you have so many options with your own transport.

 

[stba2006]

we didn't get a car the last time we went and it was a little restricting.

We found that a lot of our time was spent travelling or waiting for buses, and it wasn't so easy to get to places like the mall.

It wasn't too bad, but I think we would always get a car from now on.