Taxi- to & from the parks?

[everylastbreath]

Ok, I have to admit, this is the 1st time doing disney w/out staying on property and I'm having a little anxiety about it. Going w/my daughter & GS (4) and they wanted to stay at the Nick Hotel, so we are doing a few days in Disney w/out staying on property - usually we do only Deluxe Disney hotels, so we are use to monorail access or just walking right into the parks (Boardwalk, my fav) - soooooo with that being said- trying to figure how the easiest ways in and out of the parks will be - we will be renting a car, but I have major panic attacks thinking about those Disney parking lots, they are so big and the potential to never find your car again is scary to me, so I thought maybe we would just "cab it" back and forth-

Now the questions- how much do you think the cab right would cost? approx. (don't want to go for $100 cab ride) and 2nd- I know we can get a cab there, but do all the parks have taxi stands or someplace to grab a cab back??

This is a totally new thing for us, so I'm very nervous about the whole idea! HELP.

 

[vicki_c]

If you go to the Mears website, they have a fare calculator where you can enter in the start/end locations and calculate a fare estimate.

If you already have a rental car, I would use that. Paying $14/day for parking is going to be less expensive than a cab both ways. When you get on the tram in the lot - make a note of where you parked - they're all named with characters and things, and numbered. It's really not a big deal - I either take a digital photo of the parking sign or put it in a note on my phone.

Also, doesn't think Nick have some kind of a shuttle to the parks? I wouldn't do that myself, personally, because I don't like to be on anyone else's schedule and most hotel shuttles do not run at frequent or convenient intervals, but it's another thought.

 

[KPetty725]

I wouldn't recommend a cab. The cost is prohibitive and it wouldn't be nearly as convenient as your rental car. The Nick hotel has shuttles that are supposed to run every 30 minutes during peak season but there's still no guarantee that they'll be there on time or that they won't be full (especially early in the morning or at closing time).

Driving your rental is the best option. I liked the previous suggestion of taking a pic of the parking sign. It'll be better b/c you can easily head back to the resort in the afternoon for a nap and/or a quick swim before starting your evening activities.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

You can take a taxi to and from any of the parks. They do have taxi stands. We had to use them last year due to an incident with the Disney buses and my niece would not use the buses again.
I have no idea what the cost would be if you are staying at the Nick hotel. It was costly just for us to get from ASMO to DD which was the furthest we went.

But if you take into consideration the cost of renting a car and the parking fees then maybe a cab is cheaper. However if you are renting a car anyway, I would just pay the $14 to park. If you pay attention to where you park, you will be able to find your car again. Just put something on the antena just to recognize your venhicle. Rentals seem to all look alike.

 

[Tara922c]

The parking is nothing to be afraid of IF you remember where you parked!!! We always write it down, or I text the lot to dh. I don't care how well our memory may be, I have forgotten where I parked at EPCOT, and it took 2 hours to find my car, and that was the last time I forgot!!! Really it is easy if you rememer. They have names like Daisy 7, and the tram drops you off pretty close to your car. I wouldn't spend the money to take a taxi, I much rather spend the 14 bucks to park.

 

[bleeps]

An important note about taxis--

the only park that you cannot take a cab directly to or from is MK. The cab stand (for getting a cab) as well as the drop-off point is the TTC. The other parks do have cab stands and cab access at/near the front entrance.

 

[dburg30]

If you go to the Mears website, they have a fare calculator where you can enter in the start/end locations and calculate a fare estimate.

If they have it working properly. Month or so ago when I tried to use it, it wasnt working for addresses.

 

[Robo]

An important note about taxis--

the only park that you cannot take a cab directly to or from is MK.

Yup.

From MK via cab, I'd walk to the Contemporary Resort and grab a cab from there.

To the MK via cab, I'd ask the cabbie to drive to the Contemporary Resort then, I'd walk to MK.

 

[disnut8]

Now the questions- how much do you think the cab right would cost? approx. (don't want to go for $100 cab ride) and 2nd- I know we can get a cab there, but do all the parks have taxi stands or someplace to grab a cab back??

This is a totally new thing for us, so I'm very nervous about the whole idea! HELP.

I can tell you from experience that a cab ride from the Boardwalk to about 3/4 of a mile east of Old Town Kissimmee was $21 with tip. The Nick Hotel would be about the same distance (I know exactly where that is because we passed it the next day to get our rental car - LONG story). That's $21 one way. You are looking at about $40-$50 per day to get to and from Disney World.

A MUCH better option would be to rent a car from Enterprise which has a location at the Marriott on World Center Drive very close to the Nick Hotel. That's what we did and they even came and picked us up for no extra charge. That was over Labor Day weekend and our daily rate was $30. MUCH better than the taxi rides. Not much of a car (Kia Rio or something like that) but we had it at our convenience whenever we wanted it.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Transportation board.

 

[Sandy51]

I always take a picture of the aisle marker at the end of our row before we get on the tram. That way I don't have to count on memory to find our car.



Sandy

 

[happymommy]

I can see your point. I also LOVE the Boardwalk, and stress a bit about thinking about driving. We never use a car once we're at Disney either.

Maybe you'd be more comfortable driving to Downtown Disney, parking, then taking a cab from there? Then you can take a cab back, and have a place to shop or eat for a bit before heading back to the Nick Hotel. I don't think it's not allowed.

I'm not saying this to avoid parking fees, but rather that it is probably less stressful to remember where your car is there than at a parking lot at the theme parks.

I do think that odds are there is a shuttle from the Nick Hotel, so maybe give them a call. You could take it in the morning, then take a cab back later.

Even if it's an extra $25 or so, I understand how it can reduce your stress! I've taken cabs a few times at Disney, and the time and stress it reduces is worth $20 or so!

Yes, as you leave each park, it's easy to find cabs. Also at the resorts, we've had no problem finding one. Just let them know where you're heading so they can give you an idea of the fare ahead of time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Maybe you'd be more comfortable driving to Downtown Disney, parking, then taking a cab from there?

Please don't. Downtown Disney's parking lot ISN'T intended to be a centralized or convenenient parking location for Guests going ANYWHERE onsite EXCEPT to Downtown Disney. Parking there with an ultimate destination elsewhere takes a space away from someone whose actual destination is Downtown Disney.

Driving around Walt Disney World is very simple, given all the signage - plus, there's never just one way to get somewhere. If you miss a road or a ramp, there's an alternate route; worst case, just as on any highway, there's a ramp system or intersection where one can turn around safely.

There are SEVERAL ways to be able to locate one's vehicle in a large parking lot:
= Sandy51's is very good - most likely you'll have a camera (touring the world's number one vacation destination ) or a cellphone with a camera;
= There's the old-fashioned, Disney-recommended way of writing your row / section number on your parking ticket and taking it with you;
= Tell the Cast Member directing cars you're concerned about not being able to locate yours and ask if you can park near the beginning (tram-end) of the aisle;
= DON'T select a white rental car if at all possible, it being the most popular/ubiquitous color choice and making it harder to find your specific vehicle even if you do remember where you parked;
= Tell the tram driver WHAT TIME you arrived and they'll be able to determine at least in what section of the lot your car is. You can use the whatchamacallit feature on your key ring to get your car to honk and flash its lights (sorry, not completely awake).

 

[everylastbreath]

Just want to make sure that everyone understand, this is def. not to avoid paying the parking costs, a taxi would cost waaaaay more than the $12 to park the car, it's about the anxiety of being with my daughter & her 4 year old and being unable to locate the car in a HUGE lot. At the risk of being FLAMED to death, can I valet the car at hotel and leave from there? Is there a time limit on the Valet parking? Please don't flame me, this is not to avoid parking costs.