Off Property Without a Car--Is It Even Possible?

[lotus14]

Traveling August 2012 with DH, DD5, DD8, and MiL and trying to figure out our costs now. We've always stayed on property, but now that we have 5 with us, Disney is making that very difficult.

We've looked at Florida Sun Vacation Homes and that looks like a good option. However, we'd really like to go without renting a car. We are too far to drive to FL and saving money is very important. I see that many off property hotels offer shuttle, but are they any good? Downtown Disney hotels seem to have a better shuttle...Will they get me there before rope drop or will we have to wait for many buses to go by before we get on one?

If we're not renting a car, we'd like to be within walking distance of a place to get groceries....even a convenience store as all we'd need is water, milk, and cereal. Is there anything that fits that bill at $100-$125 per night or are we fooling ourselves?

 

[harding0010]

My advice to anyone staying off site, or visiting Florida, is to have a car. I either drive down from Maryland or rent a car. One can rent a car for less than $200 a week in Orlando. I'm getting an economy car for $125 a week and thats with taxes.

 

[Daisy-J&D]

Honestly, I wouldn't do it. We did it ONCE and would NEVER rely on an off-property shuttle again, EVER.
I'm sure some people will disagree but for us the schedule didn't work. If for some reason you wanted to come back to the resort it wasn't as easy as catching a bus in 30 min. For example, they'd drop you off at timeslots in the morning but they wouldn't start picking up again until 2:00 pm and then after that not until 5:00 pm, etc. I assume this is because they figure you've just arrived in the AM or early afternoon and that is the earliest you'd want to come back.
The shuttle we took serviced more than one off-site hotel. It sucked becuase we were tired and just wanted to get back to our hotel and we had to stop and stop and stop....also, depending on where you are in the route, getting off the bus was pretty crappy. Pushing past people standing in the aisle (Highway style bus, so small aisle) was difficult.
The shuttle was ALWAYS packed to standing room and unlike the argument of "just wait for the next bus" you HAD to get on the bus that came because the next one could take forever getting there.
We felt like we were being held hostage.

 

[spiceycat]

never stay offsite without a car.

it is not a good plan.

now the DD hotels do have a good shuttle. also Wyndham Bonnet Creek has one. Never rode it so not sure how good it is. It is definitely better than most offsite ones.

before you made any reservations see if you can't get a shuttle schedule from them. see if it works for you. It probably will not because the bus system is a pretty poor one

 

[7165red]

I agree, you need a car.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't think I would even consider any off-site resort except for a DTD resort without a car. And even the DTD buses don't run as often as the Disney resort buses. Plus there are only 2 bus lines, each one has 3 or 4 of the DTD resorts on it. No thanks.

 

[Macprincess]

We are a family of 5. Boy do I hear you with how traveling to Disney on a budget gets a whole lot more complicated with that fifth person.

Is off site doable without a car? Well, it’s doable but your time is going to be very limited. By DTD, on Hotel Plaza Blvd, is a Double Tree Suites that sleep 6. This hotel uses the buses on the DTD resort loops. There is also Bonnet Creek where you can rent condos. They offer a shuttle service to and from the parks. The main issue with these resorts is going to be getting to and from the airport. If you want to use a car service it will cost you but the up side is most will do a stop at a local market before dropping you at the hotel/ condo. If you’re up for a walk you could do Gooding’s market from The Double Tree but be forewarned it’s really expensive.

For fun I just looked up both a 2 and 3 bedroom condo at Winsor Hills via vacation central Florida.com I have booked with Dave Robinson before and have never had any issues. All was well and condos (all 4 times) were clean, well maintained and in a very nice neighborhood. Both condo renatl dates were for 8/11/2012-8/18/2012 the rates were $299.00 plus a $75 cleaning fee plus tax of $48.62. The grand total for the entire week was $422.62. The down side they only book Sat-Sat. The price and location are great. It’s a very easy drive to and from Disney. Even with car rental and parking at the parks mathematically we have always come out way ahead staying here for a week instead of onsite. I also like having a in room washer and dryer and full kitchen. I don’t do a lot of cooking but it’s nice to have the option and the car to eat offsite a few meals over the high price of onsite dining for every meal.

 

[mshoo1]

I strongly recommend renting a car. My wife and I tried staying off-property without a car about 10 years ago. We quickly got fed up with the hotel shuttle and spent more money on cabs than we would have spent to rent a car. If the quoted rates seem high, try using Priceline or Hotwire. We are typically able to get rental cars for around $12-$14 per day.

To be perfectly honest, I recommend getting a rental car even if you are staying on-property.

 

[lotus14]

We are a family of 5. Boy do I hear you with how traveling to Disney on a budget gets a whole lot more complicated with that fifth person.

Is off site doable without a car? Well, it’s doable but your time is going to be very limited. By DTD, on Hotel Plaza Blvd, is a Double Tree Suites that sleep 6. This hotel uses the buses on the DTD resort loops. There is also Bonnet Creek where you can rent condos. They offer a shuttle service to and from the parks. The main issue with these resorts is going to be getting to and from the airport. If you want to use a car service it will cost you but the up side is most will do a stop at a local market before dropping you at the hotel/ condo. If you’re up for a walk you could do Gooding’s market from The Double Tree but be forewarned it’s really expensive.

For fun I just looked up both a 2 and 3 bedroom condo at Winsor Hills via vacation central Florida.com I have booked with Dave Robinson before and have never had any issues. All was well and condos (all 4 times) were clean, well maintained and in a very nice neighborhood. Both condo renatl dates were for 8/11/2012-8/18/2012 the rates were $299.00 plus a $75 cleaning fee plus tax of $48.62. The grand total for the entire week was $422.62. The down side they only book Sat-Sat. The price and location are great. It’s a very easy drive to and from Disney. Even with car rental and parking at the parks mathematically we have always come out way ahead staying here for a week instead of onsite. I also like having a in room washer and dryer and full kitchen. I don’t do a lot of cooking but it’s nice to have the option and the car to eat offsite a few meals over the high price of onsite dining for every meal.

If we didn't have a car, we'd have to take a van from the airport and I'd pick one that would allow us a grocery stop for free. I hadn't thought of that before.

But then, if we're paying for round trip from the airport ($125 at a minimum for the 5 of us and that's assuming we all fly in at the same time which we may not), we might as well rent a car, really. I haven't found good rates on cars though. I know people talk about them, but maybe it's still too early?

Which condo rental place were you talking about? I've been looking at floridasunvacationhomes.com and they have very good rates and nice places as well. If we're renting a car, we'll likely rent through them or another condo place as it seems you get a LOT for what you pay for.

 

[Macprincess]

I was talking about Winsor Hills. The units I punched in were 302 (2 bedroom) and 203 (3 bedroom). I didn't look at others for priceing as I was just messing around with the site to get a ballpark figure for the dates I punched in.

I don't know if this always hold true in the summer but last July we had a very large family reunion in Orlando. The biggest issue my family members were having was finding decent car rental prices. They were sky high for months before.Those that held bookings with out pre-pay did much better with getting last minute deals. About a week or so before the trip car rental rates dropped a great deal. The family members that held bookings without pre-pay just booked the new rates and canceled the old ones. Also, look at Mouse savers site for discount codes. I have found great info in the transportation section of this board as well for car rental discount codes and ideas to help save some money on car rentals.

 

[4forMe]

We stay in a 4 BR home in Windsor Hills and use Florida Sun Vacation Homes for our trips (including our upcoming Spring Break trip). I highly recommend them!

I was talking about Winsor Hills. The units I punched in were 302 (2 bedroom) and 203 (3 bedroom). I didn't look at others for priceing as I was just messing around with the site to get a ballpark figure for the dates I punched in.

I don't know if this always hold true in the summer but last July we had a very large family reunion in Orlando. The biggest issue my family members were having was finding decent car rental prices. They were sky high for months before.Those that held bookings with out pre-pay did much better with getting last minute deals. About a week or so before the trip car rental rates dropped a great deal. The family members that held bookings without pre-pay just booked the new rates and canceled the old ones. Also, look at Mouse savers site for discount codes. I have found great info in the transportation section of this board as well for car rental discount codes and ideas to help save some money on car rentals.

I agree with the prior posters who said you must have a car off-site. As the previous poster mentioned, I have found the best deals through mousesavers.com as well as the transportation forum on this board. There will be a thread titled "August 2012 car rentals" on the transportation board starting about three months prior to your trip. Subscribe to that thread and read all the codes and deals people have found. Even if you have a rental car reserved, you can always cancel if you come across a better code (I found a great code the week before our Spring Break trip last March).

I would also suggest you try this code through Budget rental cars: BCD code X474200 used with coupon code MUWZ023 (that's a zero in the code). People have posted great rates using this code. The coupon code will take an extra $25 off when you return your car (you do not need to present a physical coupon).

Here is the direct link to the transportation forum of this board to help you as well:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

 

[BrerMama]

You have to look at the money you save vs. the time you'll waste waiting for shuttles. You have to budget for transportation from/to the airport, and you need to budget for taxis in case you miss a shuttle.

You don't say when you're going, but I've been reading the transportation board and it seems the prices for rentals start coming down about 3 months before your rental date. So if you're three months out still, you need to wait until closer to when you want to rent. There are more coupons available closer to your dates as well as lower rates. If nothing else, you can try Priceline or Hotwire to get a lower price on your rental. Get the smallest rental that you can comfortably use.

Personally, the convenience of having my own car is worth the price involved.

 

[crazelion]

If I had go without a car I would go with the Doubletree DTD because it sleep 6 and have decent shuttle service. We also family of five and WDW makes it hard for us to. But I find offisite suites hotel saves alot money when they offer free breakfast. Then I only have buy lunch and dinner. I also drive to Orlando from TN so I will have my own car.

 

[bnbtravel]

It is very difficult if you don't have a car. It can be done, but you will be very confined.

 

[Disney DieHard]

Hey there Lotus14!

Off-property without a car ... is it possible? Certainly it is ... ... ... ... BUT!

You can absolutely go down to Disney, stay off-property, and not rent a car ... there are TONS of people who do and some of them have probably responded to your post all ready. My question and the question I ask to anyone I help plan out their vacation is "Is it worth it to you?"

Now, obviously if this is a strict money concern and you have no way of pulling the money together then the whole conversation is moot because you have to do what you have to do.

The best thing about having a car with you is that you are on nobody's schedule but your own! Being able to come and go as you please and not worrying about missing a shuttle is a nice personal comfort! Consider that after a LONG day in the park you've done everything, are completely exhausted from the heat and activities, and are slowly starting to understand why some animals eat their young and all you want to do is get back to the room and crash ... but no ... you have to wait for whenever the shuttle shows up! And do you really want to be jammed against other hot, sweaty, stinky people for the ride back?

I also pose hypotheticals to people as well because you need to consider everything ... I'll use your stats just as an example! Let's say everyone's geared up for a fun day at Epcot ... you've been in the park for about an hour or two and suddenly one of the girls gets sick on a ride, or has an accident in their pants, or let's say your MiL suddenly feels horrible and fatigued from the heat ... how long before your shuttle circles around again and can get you back to the room?

Also, consider that when we stayed at the Royal Plaza we noticed that the buses and shuttles were not just servicing our hotel but were on a loop of a hand full of stops.

Ultimately, it IS YOUR decision to make ... I just want you to consider everything and all scenarios before you make any decisions. You don't even have to rent a huge truck or car ... will it be tight with all the luggage the first and last day ... probably ... but you suck it up for those two times then the luggage is out and that's the end of it. Having a car also gives you the freedom to go off-property to eat at a cheaper restaurant like Perkins rather than springing for expensive Disney food all the time.

I hope I helped you ... or at least gave you something to think about! Regardless of what you decide I hope you have a Magical Vacation ... and do let us know what the verdict was ^_^

Frank
Disney DieHard

 

[Branabb]

I haven't found good rates on cars though. I know people talk about them, but maybe it's still too early?

Which condo rental place were you talking about? I've been looking at floridasunvacationhomes.com and they have very good rates and nice places as well. If we're renting a car, we'll likely rent through them or another condo place as it seems you get a LOT for what you pay for.

It is really early to get any realistic discounted car price. Car rentals are one of the few categories that you actually want to wait until very close to your arrival date. I would recommend waiting until at least 60 days out. It sounds scary but that is when the rates will be lower as rental companies try to book inventory.

One thing I want to mention is the crowd levels in August. For obvious reasons, the first two weeks of August are peak times. People are trying to get their vacations in before school starts back. If you can travel in the 3rd or 4th week, your overall cost should be a bit lower. With your group, I am assuming 3 separate bedrooms would be the ideal scenario.

This is easy to do thanks to all the references available from the great DISers here. Just spend some more time reading reviews and other threads here.

We are staying offsite for our first time this December, and I was in the same spot as you early in the planning stage. We DO want to use shuttle service when possible, but we were able to rent a full size car for almost the same cost of round trip airport transport. You might need to consider that too.

For around $20 more, you can probably just get a car that will provide freedom for little to no extra cost. Ultimately, the best rate for my trip came off Hotwire. I used what seemed like a million code combos on all the rental company sites. It just worked out cheaper on Hotwire.

In case you are interested, we chose Bonnet Creek over Windsor Hills for this trip. We just prefer the resort type of vacation. Both can be had for $100 or less per night. Some for much less. We are staying in a 2BR Presidential suite for less than $750 for 5 nights (all fees inclusive). A 3BR Deluxe can be had for under $500 at times.

I found several Windsor Hill owners renting 3BR condos and town homes for that or less too. I still have some of the Windsor Hills sites saved if you want to PM me for them.

 

[LisaBCanada]

Interesting thread. We will have a rental car and will be staying off site. How much is parking at Disney? Is it a problem getting in and out?

 

[crazelion]

Interesting thread. We will have a rental car and will be staying off site. How much is parking at Disney? Is it a problem getting in and out?

I think 15 bucks.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

We stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek last year, our family of 5 and we stayed in a 4-bedroom condo there with extended family (party of 12 in total). None of us rented a car and we had no complaints. Wyndham's shuttles do not run as frequently as Disney's, but we always had a shuttle schedule with us and planned for our departures from the park accordingly. We split up into smaller groups and we all left the parks on different schedules, so it would have been hard for us to rent a car and still leave at different times.

 

[cjaqtt]

Well written, thank you to share! !