Should we rent a car?

[AndRu]

Personally I never cook on holiday so my grocery requirements are met by the DVC shops onsite - all we ever need is cereal, juice, cookies, fruit etc so we are happy with that. If you cook actual meals then you might prefer to go with one of the other options.

Seriously? You don't cook a meal on holiday? I know everyoneis different but we a) couldn't afford to and b) don't want to eat out all the time. Sometimes the kids just want beans on toast, a curry or a traditional british dish like spag bol

Anyway, I love food shopping and cooking so Wallmarrt / Win-Dixie / Publix / Walgreens are just another fun aspect of my holiday!

 

[Miffy2003]

Seriously? You don't cook a meal on holiday?

No. Never have. We prefer to stay in hotels (generally) so the rooms are not conduicive to cooking. I have no intention of cooking when we are in a villa in August, either.

As to cost - I have done Orlando on a real budget a few times and I can feed my family of four for $50 a day eating out for 2 meals.

I also enjoy having a poke around WalMart etc, but not for the purposes of cooking a meal.

I would be surprised if I was the only one to not cook on holiday, too.

 

[AndRu]

Wow - $50? That's good going for 4 people twice a day. It cost us almost that much for 1 meal of pizza / hot dogs / drinks (i.e. junk food) for 5 of us in Blizzard Beach! I think the best value meal we had was a breakfast in a Perkins where we had some great food for about $33.

$50 a day is still a big chunk of spending money though so I'm gonna stick to food shopping & cooking with the occasional restaurant visit as a treat.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We cook regularly on holiday, which is why we stay in a villa , for us cooking facilities are essential as Joshua doesn't really have the patience for restaurants.
We do visit the likes of Ponderosa now and again, and get take-away from the Outback a few times, as well as the likes of KFC and Chik-Fil-A.

I can relate to what Karen says but we are similar to AndRu I guess in that having cooking facilities is great for us and we do cook regularly whilst on holiday.
To be honest we enjoy doing it, providing we get a balance of eating elsewhere occasionally.

There is no wrong or right way - we all do what suits us best.

Having our own car just enables us to do as we please, and as Hilary says and I mentioned earlier, there are so many different types of holiday's, ours has never been a WDW one, more of a Florida one and we like to have the flexibility of travelling around.

 

[wideeyes]

I like to eat out on holiday as to me it is a part of the holiday however If I was staying at a villa I would cook a breakfast in the morning and maybe the odd snack if it saves time if we want to get somewhere. I assumed that a villa would be to big just for three of us so have never considered one. In the brochures we looked at they charge supplements if not used to full occupancy and I am not confident enough yet to book direct.

My family are going in a villa in September as it worked out very cheap for them, they are planning on cooking as it is cheaper and easier with kids who won't be able to eat the massive portions.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I like to eat out on holiday as to me it is a part of the holiday however If I was staying at a villa I would cook a breakfast in the morning and maybe the odd snack if it saves time if we want to get somewhere. I assumed that a villa would be to big just for three of us so have never considered one. In the brochures we looked at they charge supplements if not used to full occupancy and I am not confident enough yet to book direct.

My family are going in a villa in September as it worked out very cheap for them, they are planning on cooking as it is cheaper and easier with kids who won't be able to eat the massive portions.

There are only the 3 of us - but the extra room, cooking facilities, private pool plus being able to relax a bit more gives a villa the edge.
I wouldn't necessarily say having too much room is a bad thing, it's just a big difference from a hotel room or even a 1 bedroomed villa or apartment.

 

[wideeyes]

There are only the 3 of us - but the extra room, cooking facilities, private pool plus being able to relax a bit more gives a villa the edge.
I wouldn't necessarily say having too much room is a bad thing, it's just a big difference from a hotel room or even a 1 bedroomed villa or apartment.

I was worried about where my dd will sleep..I don't think she will like to sleep in a room on her own in a strange place? if we end up sleeping in the same room it seem we may as well choice a hotel.
If my sister came than a villa will be worth considering.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I was worried about where my dd will sleep..I don't think she will like to sleep in a room on her own in a strange place? if we end up sleeping in the same room it seem we may as well choice a hotel.
If my sister came than a villa will be worth considering.

I understand what you mean, however when you see the pool and think of the fun you will have with your daughter, plus all that space/freedom, TVs everywhere etc - I am sure the sleeping arrangements will take care of themselves.

 

[florida sun]

Well I dont cook that much at home, so I dont think im going to do it on holiday

Seriously though, I dont like to cook on holiday, and staying in hotel its just not a possibilty anyway, however even if I had a villa I doubt I would do anything more than breakfast and the odd pizza perhaps.

That said, I do understand that people like to cook whilst away and Johnny is right there is no right or wrong on this, its whatever works for you.

In answer to the original question though I have been 4 times and have never hired a car, mainly because its just me and my daughter and Im terrified of getting lost, but I have used the Disney transportation, and have always managed to go shopping, see Universal and Seaworld,and other places by using taxi's and mears.

 

[ely3857]

Personally if I dont have access to a car at any time I break out in a cold sweat!

For df & I not having a car has never been an option, Last year we stayed in a villa & this time we will be onsite but still aim to be using our car during the day and Disney transport at night so we can both drink.



Jodie