Rental Car vs Ride Share or Disney Transportation?

[lmmantini]

I am debating whether to get a rental car, use a ride share, or Disney transportation for our upcoming trip for a variety of reasons and could use some help figuring it all out. We're flying into MCO (3 adults) and will have 4 park days with hoppers. Our last night we'll be at MNSSHP. Staying at AoA.

If we rent a car we'll have transportation to and from the airport and will be able to visit Disney Springs for a couple of hours on our check out day. My understanding is that there is no luggage storage at Disney Springs and you can't walk around with your luggage. Since Disney Springs opens at 10 a.m. and we'd have to leave for the airport around noon it seems like it would really cut into our time at Disney Springs if we had to travel back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. A rental car means we could go straight from Disney Springs to the airport. The downside is we'd have to pay for parking.

We plan to rope drop using ETPE for onsite guests. MK will open at 8:30 a.m., Epcot 8 a.m., HS 8 a.m. and AK at 7:30 a.m. for onsite guests. To ensure we make it to the parks in time to take advantage of ETPE would it be better to use a rental car, rideshare or Disney transportation? I'm mostly concerned about long lines for Disney buses or the Skyliner. Also, do the buses and Skyliner start early enough to get us to the parks in plenty of time for ETPE? Would a rental car or Lyft/Uber be quicker? I've read you have to line up for transportation 90 minutes before the park opens so on our AK day that would be 6 a.m.! Could we leave a little later if we rent a car or use Lyft/Uber or would we still need to leave the resort 90 minutes before park opening to ensure we arrive in time for ETPE? What time do the parking lots open? Overall, what is the quickest and most efficient way to get to the parks to take advantage of ETPE?

Our last night we'll be at MNSSHP so the park closes at midnight. I assume there will be long lines for the buses with everyone leaving the park at the same time. If we don't get a rental car will there be plenty of Lyft/Uber options so we don't have to wait in long lines for the buses?

Where do ride shares pick up/drop off at the parks? Should we consider a rental car and use it only for certain parks?

Thanks!

 

[rwdavis2]

I would rent a car if it’s not crazy expensive.

 

[_19disnA]

I would rent a car. Gives you more flexibility if you want to go out to dinner or shopping off of Disney property. Those on-line taxis can be expensive and the price quickly adds up. How to get around on the Disney property is mostly a matter of where you are staying, personal preference and which form of transportation works best for you. Some people dislike Disney busses or the monorail or the Skyliner............so just depends on who you ask.

 

[robinb]

I read one of your other posts and you are there for only 4 nights. It might be worth it to you to be more agile and drive yourself to most places. Be aware that it will be crowded at the MK at closing no matter how you get there.

 

[CarolynFH]

A rental car means we could go straight from Disney Springs to the airport. The downside is we'd have to pay for parking.

There's no charge for parking at DS.

 

[CarolynFH]

We plan to rope drop using ETPE for onsite guests. MK will open at 8:30 a.m., Epcot 8 a.m., HS 8 a.m. and AK at 7:30 a.m. for onsite guests. To ensure we make it to the parks in time to take advantage of ETPE would it be better to use a rental car, rideshare or Disney transportation? I'm mostly concerned about long lines for Disney buses or the Skyliner. Also, do the buses and Skyliner start early enough to get us to the parks in plenty of time for ETPE? Would a rental car or Lyft/Uber be quicker? I've read you have to line up for transportation 90 minutes before the park opens so on our AK day that would be 6 a.m.! Could we leave a little later if we rent a car or use Lyft/Uber or would we still need to leave the resort 90 minutes before park opening to ensure we arrive in time for ETPE? What time do the parking lots open? Overall, what is the quickest and most efficient way to get to the parks to take advantage of ETPE?

The ETPE thread can answer a lot of these questions. Read Post #1 and then the last few pages.

 

[lmmantini]

There's no charge for parking at DS.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant we'd have to pay for parking each night of our stay.

 

[leebee]

We usually get a car when at Disney because I hate waiting in line for a bus at the end of a long, hot day in the park, hate being crammed in with everyone else, hate wasting the time of waiting for the bus. Having said that, since covid we've not rented a car. Prices are stupid and Disney is charging for parking at their already overly-priced hotels. They claim it's "industry standard" but we travel every 2-3 months, staying in hotels (Hilton/Marriott) and never pay to park. It's a dilemma for us, but at $300-$400 a week for a rental car, plus gas, tolls, and parking, I'll put up with the inconvenience of the Disney bus system. Of course, now that Magical Express is no longer in the equation, it makes a rental car look more attractive.

On our trip next week, we are doing a one-way rental from Alamo. We arrive at MCO at 11:30pm so will pick up a car and drive to our airport hotel. The next morning we'll meander over towards WDW with a grocery stop on the way. We'll maybe have lunch somewhere non-Disney, eventually check into POFQ, and return the vehicle to the Car Care Center at 6:30pm. $94 with all taxes and fees. Bus from MCO would have been $32, grocery delivery was $35 with tip. For the convenience of not having to take the hotel shuttle from the airport to our 1st night hotel and back, as well as being able to do our own shopping, I'll pay the extra $27. We'll take Sunshine Flyer back to the airport.

 

[Parkhopstacker]

Rent a car but don’t drive to MK. Take the bus there. Too many transfers and walking to where a bus is best to MK. Drive and park at AK and take sky liner to the other 2 parks.

 

[jennab]

I think it depends on cost for car rentals. For the week we are there, the lowest rentals I've seen are still around $400. For us to do a private transfer to/from MCO is about half that and then even if we did ride share once per day we would still be under the rental car rate plus nightly parking fee. We don't mind taking busses though either (except to DS).

 

[tobikaye]

Have you considered doing a one way rental back to the airport? Maybe from one of the rental agencies at the Car Care Center. You could either pick it up the morning of check out or the the day before, maybe before going to MNSSHP. Then you could park at TTC and be ready to go after MNSSHP. If you pick up early the morning of check out, one person could go to get the car and then come back and pickup everyone else and luggage.

I have driven to the parks the last few trips and I would have done better for early mornings by taking WDW transportation. I seemed to always get held up at the parking booths at the parks.