Off site w/out car??

[DisneyMominMTL]

How does one manage staying off-site without a car?

I've been comparing prices, and it does not make any sense to stay off-site without a rental car, which dramatically adds to the bill, and makes staying onsite look like the better deal!

Am I not looking in the right places for ''cheap' car rental? (we'll probably need a mini-van if we want to make it from the airport with all the luggage, stroller, etc.)

I have found the prices of Liki Tiki Village interesting, but the shuttle to Disney has a fee per person (there is 5 of us) and I can't get the info whether there are shuttles for return in the afternoon (we'd be doing half-days in the park, taking it easy in the PM, and maybe going back a couple of nights for fireworks). In addition, we"d have to figure how to get from the airport (MCO) to the resort.

Any info would be great!

 

[4forMe]

I would suggest posting this question on the transportation forum regarding how to get a good rate. Everyone there posts different combinations of codes, etc and tells you which codes are good for which companies.

This website may also be of assistance to you:

http://www.carrentalsavers.com/florida-car-rental.html


I would NOT go off-site without renting a vehicle. I've thread too many horror stories about the poor shuttle service from off site hotels. I will try to find the old thread and post it for you.

Good luck with your search. I am also trying to find a good deal on a minivan for our March 2011 trip.

 

[4forMe]

Here is the thread I mentioned regarding off-site shuttle service:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2515322

 

[ChickenCarlos]

thanks for the link i was just going to ask the same question about finding good rates on rental cars.

 

[4forMe]

Here is another link for good rental car codes:

http://www.mousesavers.com/rentalcar.html

If you click on each car company on the right, it will give you the specific codes available. Make sure to keep checking since many of the current codes expire this year, and they don't yet have codes posted for next year (but they will!).

We usually have a lot of success getting our minivan rentals through National or Dollar.

 

[ChickenCarlos]

do you know if national and dollar have a drop off at Port Canaveral??

 

[Upatnoon]

Here is another link for good rental car codes:

http://www.mousesavers.com/rentalcar.html

If you click on each car company on the right, it will give you the specific codes available. Make sure to keep checking since many of the current codes expire this year, and they don't yet have codes posted for next year (but they will!).

We usually have a lot of success getting our minivan rentals through National or Dollar.

With 5 people, I would want a 2 bedroom. On property, the cheapest option is to rent DVC points for a stay at Old Key West during Adventure Season for about $300 a night for a 7-night stay.

Off-site, I can stay at Bonnet Creek for $100 a night. That's $1,400 less than on-property.

That should pay for the rental car and a few other things.

And what if you want to go in the summer? A Magic Season stay at DVC will cost $422 a night. And I can still stay at Bonnet Creek for $100 a night. That's a savings of $2,254 by staying off-site.

 

[ChickenCarlos]

With 5 people, I would want a 2 bedroom. On property, the cheapest option is to rent DVC points for a stay at Old Key West during Adventure Season for about $300 a night for a 7-night stay.

Off-site, I can stay at Bonnet Creek for $100 a night. That's $1,400 less than on-property.

That should pay for the rental car and a few other things.

And what if you want to go in the summer? A Magic Season stay at DVC will cost $422 a night. And I can still stay at Bonnet Creek for $100 a night. That's a savings of $2,254 by staying off-site.

i am planning a trip for the same amount of people for Jan. 11 were looking to stay on property but a price for a 2 bed villa is to expensive so we are now looking into the sheraton villages, but i never thought of trying to rent DVC points, is it possible to rent DVC points if i am not a DVC member?

 

[Brian Noble]

I would never, ever stay offsite without a rental car. Never.

I've been comparing prices, and it does not make any sense to stay off-site without a rental car, which dramatically adds to the bill, and makes staying onsite look like the better deal!

If the bottom line is the bottom line, and you have four people or less, it's hard to beat a Disney Value room.

But, for just a few dollars more, you can have a 2BR, with a full kitchen, a washer/dryer, etc.

I wouldn't put the four of us in a single 260 sq. ft. Value room if you paid me. But, that's my personal preference. Lots of people do it.

 

[4forMe]

i am planning a trip for the same amount of people for Jan. 11 were looking to stay on property but a price for a 2 bed villa is to expensive so we are now looking into the sheraton villages, but i never thought of trying to rent DVC points, is it possible to rent DVC points if i am not a DVC member?

Yes, you can rent points from a DVC member even if you are not a member.

Here is the link to the sub-forum on this board re: DVC rentals - please take the time to read the sticky threads at the top of the forum:

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

 

[Pineapple Whip]

I would never, ever stay onsite without a rental car. Never.

I just prefer to have the car. Shop around and try to pick up a car at or around WDW during the weekdays where you will find a great deal.

Try your price club (sams, bj's, costco) AAA, AARP, and even Military ID for discounted rate codes.

I once had a Charger for $10/day after a $30 coupon and double upgrade.


There is also local bus service in the area but I'm not sure how fast it is... it's the Lynx bus system.

Mears transportation arranges nice cabs and has a fare estimator on their website.

If you can get to DTD, you can then take Disney buses wherever you need to go. In my experience they are very slow though, especially if they are stopping at all the resorts on the way.

 

[DisneyMominMTL]

I am actually considering staying at AKL (with a pin).
We are 5 people, myself, DD14,DD11,DS1.5 and my mom.
When we went 2 years ago we stayed at the Movies (my DS wasn't born yet) and we didn't feel crowded! We were only at the resort for a shower and sleep...

Now I agree that with the baby, we will need more space. If i was travelling with my husband, we would want more privacy, but for now, i don't feel the closed bedrooms are that necessary!

I'm not quite certain we would truly benefit from all the amenities (kitchen). At this point it is still a vacation and I don't feel like cooking everyday!

Thanks for all the info. In a couple of years I want to drive down the East Coast to Orlando (we live in Montreal-26 hours drive!) and stay in Orlando for a while. I guess off-site will make sense then!

 

[Brian Noble]

At this point it is still a vacation and I don't feel like cooking everyday!

Just because there is a kitchen, doesn't mean you have to cook. I almost never do. We normally just use it for DIY breakfast and snacks. But, it's nice to have cereal in real bowls, coffee in real mugs, etc. and to have a table that everyone can sit at to eat.

 

[Grog]

I did off site w/o a car once and would never do it again. The hotel we stayed at had a shuttle, but you were stuck on their schedule. They would get you to WDW at either 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, and would take you back to the hotel at either 2:00 pm or 8:00pm (Or thereabouts. This was quite a few years ago).

If you wanted to stay for any of the after dark shows such as Illuminations, you had to take a taxi back to the hotel. We did this once and it was about $25. Not bad once, but could eat into your budget if you do it too often.

Just because there is a kitchen, doesn't mean you have to cook. I almost never do. We normally just use it for DIY breakfast and snacks. But, it's nice to have cereal in real bowls, coffee in real mugs, etc. and to have a table that everyone can sit at to eat.

Same here. Our last trip when we rented a house, we still ate out out most of the time. Over six days we maybe did breakfast at home a couple of times (cereal and pastries, nothing fancy) and did dinner at home a couple of times (Used the grill on the patio. Once again, nothing fancy and no big mess to clean up).