Rent a car with 2 small kids?

[Ragnrok23]

going to WDW in October with a 2.5 yr old and a 1 yr old. For adults it will be me, my wife and my mom. We're staying in a 1 bedroom at BLT. Trying to decide if it's worth it to rent a car. On one hand I like being able to stop at target and pick up food, but on the other hand not looking forward to lugging 2 car seats through an airport. Looking for people who have done it both ways and pros/cons

Also trying to talk my wife into just ordering everything from garden grocery (or similar)

 

[tami82]

If you don't feel like carrying around the car seats then maybe do Garden Grocer instead to make it easier. We plan on getting a car for just one day later in the afternoon so we can stop at Walmart and go out to eat, then we will have the car for a few hours the next day if we need it before taking it back. I don't have car seats to lug around so it's easier for us.

 

[lady_hlh]

We never had a car when our DD was little. We just used the ME to get to the resort and ordered food from the GardenGrocer. You'll be able to walk in to MK with the strollers which is where I'm assuming you'll spend most of your time with such little kids. You can also take the monorail to eat at all the other resorts on it.

 

[lchicago]

If you just need the car for grocery runs, I'd skip it. I hate lugging our car seats when traveling.

 

[tcufrog]

The sole reason my dh convinced me to go to WDW the first time was because we wouldn't have to monkey with two car seats in a rental car. If you get groceries delivered not only will you not have to monkey with a rental but you won't have to drag two kids through a grocery store you don't know and you'll get more park time. Don't forget you'll save $$ by not paying for a rental car.

 

[Gracie09]

Garden Grocer and Magic Express

 

[Realfoodfans]

I know there's negativity around the rental car seats but on the occasions we have then we've picked our own from a huge pile and had no problems. We like having a car as I hate coach travel and also we like to visit the shopping outlets (not necessarily with the littlies) as we don't have them on that scale in the UK!

 

[Ragnrok23]

Thanks everyone! I am leaving towards not renting a car, but the wife really wants one (I think it's really so she can go offsite to get Starbucks every morning!)

 

[MunchkinSweetPea]

Thanks everyone! I am leaving towards not renting a car, but the wife really wants one (I think it's really so she can go offsite to get Starbucks every morning!)

There are Starbucks locations in the parks

 

[happymommy]

I agree with ditching the idea of a rental car. That's one if the biggest perks of staying on site - not needing to deal with a car!

You can get Starbucks many, many places at Disney. You can make coffee in the room (I need my coffee first thing in the morning). I'd hate to drive just to get coffee - it would be a TOTAL pain!

Garden Grocer is great. I've used them many times. Even used their app last trip, as we decided after the first day we wanted more water, beer, and wine than we ordered (but then did end up with too much water, but we drink a lot of it, so no big deal - gave the extras to the housekeeping). Sitting by the pool, relaxing, and using the app to order was so much nicer than getting a car, driving to the store, loading it all up, lugging it back to the room. Having bell services deliver it for you is so much nicer!

 

[westie55]

I also would skip the car rental. Staying at BLT, you can walk to MK and take the monorail to Epcot. Taking a stroller onto the bus for the other parks really isn't that bad. To me, it is so much more convenient being dropped off by the bus close to the park entrance than having to walk a great distance from a parking spot, and maybe even taking a tram because it's so far from the main gates. I've traveled with and without car seats and there's no question that small kids and babies need so much stuff that you'll have your hands full even without car seats! I'd ditch them and use Disney transportation.

 

[BlueHippo]

We travel a lot and think one of the best parts of traveling to WDW is not going to baggage claim with the kids and not renting a car/ dealing with car seats!

 

[mm1971]

To rent or not is always based on your needs.

If you plan to spend all of your time on property, I would tend to agree with most that have posted. Save the $$, use Garden Grocer and Disney transportation. A quick stroll to MK from BLT is the best way to get there and back. The buses and taking the carriage(s) can be just as much a PIA as bringing a care seat sometimes, but no trams from the parking lot evens it out some.

We usually rented a car, even when we had young kids. Mostly because we planned to go offsite a few times for some meals and to do some other activities like Gator Land, Universal and beaches. We have gone to Daytona Beach, Busch Gardens Tampa and other places as well. It was nice sometimes to go offsite for a good meal without having to pay TS prices (when not on dining).

I know, a lot of things to consider. Good luck making the final decision.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We ALWAYS have a car when we go to WDW. My husband insists on it, won't do without. Every time I try to talk him out of it, telling him we'll save money, but he won't have it. I have to admit that by a couple of days into the trip, I'm glad we got one and I have to bite the bullet and tell him he was right.

 

[cblgirl2001]

I will be staying at CSR in December with my 2 DDs ages 8 and 5. I am renting a car. I know this may sound crazy but the idea of being able to get where I need to go if there is some sort of issue is important to me. If my kid gets sick and I need to get to a doctor or pharmacy I don't want to have to rely on a cab. I probably won't use it so much to get to the parks, so I will get the smaller, cheapest car they have. The piece of mind is worth it to me. If I didn't have the kids I wouldn't bother with the car.

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

Why not rent a car from the care center for 1 day and have your mom watch the kids while you do a grocery trip. Otherwise Garden Grocery is a great way to get things. So much easier.

 

[JC Butterfly]

Won't you be bringing the car seats for them on the plane anyway? I liked my boys having their own dedicated space on the plane but maybe you are choosing to have them set on your laps?

For most times we've flown, we've lugged two car seats through the airport so they could have them on the plane. It's a PITA no way around it but I do love having our own rental car to go offsite, go to Target, go to Disney Springs when I want to but I understand why others avoid it. The last time I flew with my 4 year old, I brought his old car seat along. We checked it under the plane on the return trip. It returned to us wet and further ripped. I didn't need it for my return trip home and we had planned to dispose of it after this trip so it was no big loss that it happened, but it would have been a bigger deal if I had needed to use it at that time.

You didn't mention how long your trip was. if only for a few days, maybe less essential. If for a week or more . . .you might just need to get out of the Disney bubble for a bit.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[happymommy]

I never bothered with car seats on a plane. My kids were fine in the airplane seat (only used one twice; once was when my daughter was 3 months old, and I was traveling alone with her and my son who was 2, so I had her in her infant seat, and the other time he was 1 1/2 and we were flying overnight from Hawaii to the mainland so he could sleep on the flight).

Stroller was essential though!

 

[Vijoge]

I'd want a car seat for kids that age on the plane anyway. We took DGD's car seat when she was three. . .took her stroller, too. . but no rental car. We rented a car once and DH said never again-let the Mouse drive us around! so it's been Disney transportation ever since. Can't say I'm upset about no one needing a car seat or a stroller for our upcoming trip, though. (I'm in a wheel chair, so that's close enough.)