Van or SUV?

[Jfsag123]

Okay, one more question. We've pretty much decided at this point that we'll use a private car service. We've never used one before, so I have no concept of the actual sizes of the vehicles. There will be 5 of us (one in a car seat), 4 full-size suitcases, 4 carry-on bags, and 4 "personal item" bags (generally the size of a medium tote). Do you think we could fit in an SUV or would we need to spring for the van?

 

[EACarlson]

No chance all of that fits in an SUV. You would fit the people or the luggage but not both.

 

[Ross Kratter]

A van is absolutely a safer bet, but with that much luggage, you'll want to advise the company ahead of time. Some of them offer a trailer for luggage, which you may need.
EDIT: I saw from one of your previous posts that you are planning on using Tiffany. If so, their vans can accommodate up to 12 suitcases, so you should be fine.

 

[Jfsag123]

So I guess van it is. I started out thinking we would need to do a van, but on the Tiffany website they said their SUV's can accommodate up to 6 people and 6 suitcases, so I started to think maybe we could fit in one of those and would look ridiculous reserving a van. Of course, an SUV is also a bit cheaper.

 

[Ross Kratter]

So I guess van it is. I started out thinking we would need to do a van, but on the Tiffany website they said their SUV's can accommodate up to 6 people and 6 suitcases, so I started to think maybe we could fit in one of those and would look ridiculous reserving a van. Of course, an SUV is also a bit cheaper.

Call the company and see what they suggest. You will have 8 suitcases, after all.

 

[Jfsag123]

Call the company and see what they suggest. You will have 8 suitcases, after all.

Sort of. Our carry-ons are large backpacks, so not really the size of suitcases and could potentially be held on laps if needed. But I'd rather be sure than trying to squeeze. In the past we've typically only brought 2 large suitcases in addition to the carry-ons, but with a baby, we're needing to bring more. We may end up only needing 3 large suitcases rather than 4, though. In that case, maybe we do only need the SUV. I'll think on it a little more before reserving. Obviously fewer suitcases would be preferable for more reasons than just transportation to and from the parks.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Sort of. Our carry-ons are large backpacks, so not really the size of suitcases and could potentially be held on laps if needed. But I'd rather be sure than trying to squeeze. In the past we've typically only brought 2 large suitcases in addition to the carry-ons, but with a baby, we're needing to bring more. We may end up only needing 3 large suitcases rather than 4, though. In that case, maybe we do only need the SUV. I'll think on it a little more before reserving. Obviously fewer suitcases would be preferable for more reasons than just transportation to and from the parks.

not something you asked about but make sure each suitcase has stuff for everyone in case a case goes MIA on trip there. been there and done that the hard way. case caught up next day but was a rough 24 hours

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

Definitely a van. Will you also have a stroller since you mentioned a car seat? Either way, we had a large 3rd row SUV one trip for 4 people so we folded down the third row for extra storage, and just our luggage (4 full size suitcases, 3 carryons and a stoller) was filling it up.

 

[Jfsag123]

Definitely a van. Will you also have a stroller since you mentioned a car seat? Either way, we had a large 3rd row SUV one trip for 4 people so we folded down the third row for extra storage, and just our luggage (4 full size suitcases, 3 carryons and a stoller) was filling it up.

We're planning on having the stroller dropped off at and picked up from the resort, so no need to transport to and from the airport, thankfully. A stroller would have put it over the top for sure.

We'll play it safe and book a van and just enjoy the extra space. Thanks everyone!

 

[Brett Wyman]

Do you mean full size van? A mini-van can handle all of that.

 

[Jfsag123]

Do you mean full size van? A mini-van can handle all of that.

That's what I would have thought, but on the Tiffany site it actually lists the minivans as being able to transport less than the SUVs - 5 people, 6 suitcases and max 1 carseat vs. 6 people, 6 suitcases and up to 2 carseats. We only need the one car seat, so that's not a concern, but it makes it seem like the SUVs have a larger capacity.

 

[Brett Wyman]

We owned an Odyssey for years and we could easily do all you mentioned. The only thing bigger is a true van or a full size SUV like a Tahoe or Suburban.

Unless the middle row of the minivan has captains chairs(4 people) and not a bench(5 people) the back of a minivan is cavernous with the third row down.