off site transportation options? staying at Comfort Suites Maingate

[Mr2channel]

OK I know this has been hashed and re-hashed and I know someone will suggest calling the hotel...already did that, not very helpful...wife has pulled the trigger on the trip and we are all excited to go and will leave soon, but as I dig into the transportation thing it seems to be a vague quagmire of how to get around...so anyone have any suggestions on an EASY and affordable way to get to and from Disney? any private transportation services that will not require my first born? seems that renting a car is not always a good bet based on what I have read....I greatly appreciate any advice or insight from those that have been down this road.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Personally I always stay off site and I always get a car, then I am not forced to always eat on Disney property, I can pick up food at Super Target/Walmart, bring in my own lunch and even shop for cheap souvenirs at the outlets.

I first go to Orbitz just to see who the lowest cost rental companies are. Then I go to mousesavers.com to look for saving codes, plus I look for coupons with BJ's and my Entertainment Book. Go directly to the company's website and start plugging in codes. You can always cancel a rental car up to the last minute, so if you find something cheaper you can typically get out of the reservation. A lot of people try Priceline just before they go, but I haven't done that yet since I have always been confortable with the rate I have gotten.

Personally, I don't know of any drawbacks to renting a car except having to pay to park at WDW.

 

[Marionnette]

OK I know this has been hashed and re-hashed and I know someone will suggest calling the hotel...already did that, not very helpful...wife has pulled the trigger on the trip and we are all excited to go and will leave soon, but as I dig into the transportation thing it seems to be a vague quagmire of how to get around...so anyone have any suggestions on an EASY and affordable way to get to and from Disney? any private transportation services that will not require my first born? seems that renting a car is not always a good bet based on what I have read....I greatly appreciate any advice or insight from those that have been down this road.

Doesn't the hotel have complimentary transportation to and from the theme parks? You might want to check into that if saving money on ground transportation is important to you.

 

[Mr2channel]

Doesn't the hotel have complimentary transportation to and from the theme parks? You might want to check into that if saving money on ground transportation is important to you.

Yes and they do, but it is very limited and I was looking for options (other than a car rental) that would offer more freedom to come and go to the park.

 

[disneysteve]

seems that renting a car is not always a good bet based on what I have read

I was looking for options (other than a car rental) that would offer more freedom to come and go to the park.

What have you read that made renting a car sound like a bad idea? I can't imagine going to Disney without a car (even if we were staying onsite but absolutely not offsite).

The only option that will give you freedom to come and go as you please is having your own car. I'd find the cheapest rental you possibly can and do that. If you can't find a great rate, try bidding on Priceline.

 

[Marionnette]

Yes and they do, but it is very limited and I was looking for options (other than a car rental) that would offer more freedom to come and go to the park.

Convenience comes at a price.

You could use the shuttle to get to the parks and then call a cab to return to the hotel when you're ready to leave the parks (or visa versa). It might be cheaper for the occasional cab ride than it would be to rent a car.

Central Florida's public transportation is called Lynx. You could check their website (golynx.com) to see if they have buses that run between your hotel and the parks. No guarantees that they do. Or if they do, they may not conform to your schedule. But it might be a possibility if renting a car or taking the resort shuttle is absolutely out of the question.