TPA vs MCO and car rental

[River Country]

Hey just thought i would share this with everyone that rents a car. In December we flew into Tampa instead of Orlando and OMG what a dream it was.

Its great if you dont mind about a 50 minute ride to WDW instead of 30 from MCO. There were no lines checking in when we retunred and the luggage was out before we even got to the turnstyles


Not to mention the airefare from Newark Was about $100/ticket cheaper
Only one draw back is the car rental selection is not nearly as vast as MCO. I use Dollar and had a wider selection of vehicles in MCO than TPA but hey its a rental

So this is now my home airport when going back to the House of Mouse

peace and love

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Once you fly in to TPA you will never want to go back to MCO. It is a calmer airport than MCO.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

In December we flew into Tampa instead of Orlando and OMG what a dream it was.

Its great if you dont mind about a 50 minute ride to WDW instead of 30 from MCO. There were no lines checking in when we retunred and the luggage was out before we even got to the turnstyles

TPA can be a good alternative to MCO, especially for someone who would rent a car in any case. (There's no Disney's Magical Express at TPA.)

The distance from TPA to WDW is close to 80 miles, so claiming that it's a "50 minute ride" sets the wrong expectation.

A driver would have to average 96 mph to make it in 50 minutes!

There are often traffic slowdowns along stretches of I-4 between TPA and WDW. A more reasonable expectation is to plan on 90 minutes, and then to be delighted if it takes less than that.

 

[River Country]

TPA can be a good alternative to MCO, especially for someone who would rent a car in any case. (There's no Disney's Magical Express at TPA.)

The distance from TPA to WDW is close to 80 miles, so claiming that it's a "50 minute ride" sets the wrong expectation.

A driver would have to average 96 mph to make it in 50 minutes!

There are often traffic slowdowns along stretches of I-4 between TPA and WDW. A more reasonable expectation is to plan on 90 minutes, and then to be delighted if it takes less than that.

Well arent you a ray of sunshine. i did not average 96mph and ok it took me 55 minutes. I didn't hit traffic once and i drove it 4 times back and fortha swe have family in the Tampa area. but be that as it may if you prefer DME and the chaos that is MCO by all means

 

[Lionqueen2]

TPA can be a good alternative to MCO, especially for someone who would rent a car in any case. (There's no Disney's Magical Express at TPA.)

The distance from TPA to WDW is close to 80 miles, so claiming that it's a "50 minute ride" sets the wrong expectation.

A driver would have to average 96 mph to make it in 50 minutes!

There are often traffic slowdowns along stretches of I-4 between TPA and WDW. A more reasonable expectation is to plan on 90 minutes, and then to be delighted if it takes less than that.

I agree with you that TPA can sometimes be a better choice than MCO, but not always.

You are also correct that the trip distance from TPA to WDW is a little over 80 miles and depending on the time of day, the traffic in and out of Tampa on I-4can be a nightmare.

 

[Lewisc]

Well arent you a ray of sunshine. i did not average 96mph and ok it took me 55 minutes. I didn't hit traffic once and i drove it 4 times back and fortha swe have family in the Tampa area. but be that as it may if you prefer DME and the chaos that is MCO by all means

According to mapquest driving directions the distance between Tampa International Airport and OKW is 79.09 miles with an estimated travel time of 1 hour 22 minutes. 55 minutes would mean an average speed of 77 MPH. You'd probably have to drive almost 85 MPH on the interstate and hit no traffic. Potentially doable. Certainly not a time you could rely on when driving back to catch a flight. Certainly not a time I'd post as a normal time. You'd make it in 23 minutes driving at

That said Tampa is a good alternate airport, for those guests who are planning on renting a car.

FWIW Mapquest reports the distance from MCO-OKW as 30 miles. Driving time is estimated at 30 minutes, depending on what route you take.

 

[ain0004]

We flew to TpA on Oct it was ok. I am for whoever I can fly to cheapest. Will not hesitate to fly there again. I agree the selection is less in TPA for rental

 

[HelenParr]

I think it is good to explore the TPA option, and if it works for you, fantastic.

We didn't like it as much as MCO, but that might have been just being less familiar. We rent Alamo, and that required a shuttle, which was a bit of a hassle.

The hour-ish drive to DW was fine coming in, but we like to be closer to airport on day of departure.

 

[richmo]

I have to agree that the 80ish miles from TPA to WDW in 50 minutes is a bit aggressive. I usually figure on about 1.25 hours and I figure on more than that going back to TPA.

TPA is a good option and I'll usually look into it, especially if the airfare is a big savings. But, before booking, you should also look at the rental car rates. Often, they're similar to MCO, sometimes cheaper and sometimes quite a bit more expensive. Do factor that in, plus difference in gas...although I believe there are no tolls between WDW and TPA.

Also worth looking into is fly in/out of TPA and out/in to MCO. Seems like airline fares are almost all one way these days, but you have to be careful with rental cars again. There usually is no drop off fee within Florida, but sometimes you won't get the same discounts and sometimes coupons don't work...again, you have to check.

 

[Southernswthrt]

I love flying into TPA! Most times of the year, the tickets are HALF the price of flying into MCO. Twice I have taken advantage of the $98 round trip to TPA for a quick trip to WDW. That said, my strategy with SW is to book into TPA if it is significantly cheaper than MCO. I watch the fares, and if the MCO flights drop within reason (ie, if I can't save $100+), I switch the flights to MCO.

It is a smaller, less chaotic than MCO. The drive is not bad at all. It takes me about 75 minutes from airport to hotel. Traffic can delay you. My first time flying into TPA (on a Friday afternoon) took over 3 hours to get to WDW because I got stuck in rush hour traffic and then there was an accident that shut down the interstate just before WDW, but that can happen anywhere. I have flown in there a few times since and didn't experience anything unusual.

To clarify, Alamo and Budget (as most other companies) are now located in terminal, very close to baggage claim. The car selection is certainly not what it is at MCO, but I've had good luck thus far with rental cars there. Rental car rates have always been comparable for me, so the difference is in the gas, which is usually a lot less than the airfare savings. I'm actually flying in to there in 4 weeks!

I think OP was simply pointing out to others that TPA is viable alternative to save money and also for those who prefer a smaller airport, and I have to agree, especially for those people who are accustomed to a daily hour commute.

And no - there are no tolls between TPA and WDW.

 

[sympatico]

To clarify, Alamo and Budget (as most other companies) are now located in terminal, very close to baggage claim. The car selection is certainly not what it is at MCO, but I've had good luck thus far with rental cars there.

Thanks for that info.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Well arent you a ray of sunshine. i did not average 96mph and ok it took me 55 minutes. I didn't hit traffic once and i drove it 4 times back and fortha swe have family in the Tampa area. but be that as it may if you prefer DME and the chaos that is MCO by all means

You are exceeding the speed limit

Ray of sunshine or not via the interstate it is 76 miles. The speed limit is no more then 70. Basic math says this takes over an hour at the speed limit.

 

[rdevine10]

We flew into TPA for our august trip and we LOVED it. Great airport and we saved a bundle on air- FWIW we needed a rental anyways regardless for other things we did besides disney!