Rental car or no?

[travelmom23]

We will be flying in to Orange County Airport and staying at the Great Wolf for one night then heading over to Tropicana Inn/Disneyland for 4 nights. Should we rent a car or just use a service? If so who do you recommend? Thanks in advance!

 

[Imdboss]

No need for a car if just going to DL, more of a hassle than it's worth. We fly into SNA also and use Uber. When my parents came with us we used Lansky's and they were great.

 

[mjallemand]

If you're sticking to Disneyland renting a car is a waste since it'll just sit in the parking lot of your hotel for 4 days (plus you'll likely have to pay a parking fee).

You're best off going with a Taxi, Uber, or Shuttle of some kind. I've been comparing prices and it looks like SuperShuttle has the best price for a trip from LAX to our hotel.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Id get a car to go to great wolf and return it the day you get to your hotel near dlr.

 

[Becca1007]

No need for a rental car. Depending on the number of people in your party and the amount of luggage you have Uber or Lyft are the cheapest options.

 

[travelmom23]

Thank you! We have 6 in our family and I'm sure lots of luggage so a shuttle usually works best for us. Renting a car for Great Wolf lodge then returning it once we move over to Disneyland sounds like a great idea.

 

[wildflower329]

We are opposite of most... we like to rent a car. It usually ends up cheaper (or at least the same) for us to rent a car than to pay for a shuttle for all four of us to Disneyland. We usually stay at HoJos or PVI, so free parking is included. Our first trip, having a car was super useful, because our daughter ended up with an ear infection and we could easily get tot he urgent care clinic. We also often end up doing something (Aquarium of the Pacific or something else) on our arrival day. We LOVE the flexibility of having a car.

 

[GoBears 1980]

It depends on what you are doing and want to see.

If Disney is all you are doing you don't need a car, use Uber to get to good dining in the area and to the Outlets.

If you want to go to the beach or anyplace outside the Anaheim GG area, rent a car.

There is no need to rent a car to get to the GWL, just use a shuttle like 4Most Coach or Zippy.

How old are your kids?

 

[BatBunny]

Another vote for a rental car.

 

[Rubygoose]

We like to have a car at the beginning of our trip, since we stop for groceries and then do some non-disney activities. Then we drop it off in the Anaheim area and take a taxi back to the airport. We don't like the hasle of dropping off the car at the airport, and it's much easier to have a taxi drop us off. Since you're a family of 6, you will need to rent a mini van, so you're probably better off taking a shuttle or taxi. If you do decide to rent a car for the first part of your trip, you can pick up from the Alamo at the airport and drop it off at their location in DTD. Budget will work as well, as they have a location on S. Harbor. I don't know if Great Wolf Lodge charges for parking, though, so you might want to look into that before making your decision.

A previous poster mentioned having a car for medical emergencies - we had a medical emergency once when we didn't have a rental car, and we took a taxi to the emergency room. Much better than driving ourselves, since we wouldn't know where to go or how to get back!

 

[thatgrljme]

I always get a rental car because I get horrible motion sickness if I'm not driving, although I'm fine on rides at the park lol I also get one especially if our son is coming in case we need access to medical care.

 

[travelmom23]

Thank you all for being so helpful.
We've decided to rent a minivan. Its actually about the same cost if we do that or get shuttle for the times that we need one. Also then we can do a little exploring. I want to see the Pacific Ocean