When does Renting a Car make Sense?

[Gizmo74]

We have a Universal Trip for 3 nights/4 days. I can rent a car for $170 and add parking at hotel at $30/night. As I see it, taking a Uber round trip MCO/Universal area estimate ($40/each way). On one of the days, we plan on doing a day trip to Epcot which I estimate Uber $40 round trip.

Uber - $120
Car Rental - $260

These numbers are just estimates as I might see a surge pricing in Uber. We have a season pass so parking at Disney would be free. But then I would also need to fill the car rental up with gas. I guess this trip makes sense on taking Uber for us. Anyone else going back on forth on renting car vs Uber?

 

[sam_gordon]

We have a Universal Trip for 3 nights/4 days. I can rent a car for $170 and add parking at hotel at $30/night. As I see it, taking a Uber round trip MCO/Universal area estimate ($40/each way). On one of the days, we plan on doing a day trip to Epcot which I estimate Uber $40 round trip.

Uber - $120
Car Rental - $260

These numbers are just estimates as I might see a surge pricing in Uber. We have a season pass so parking at Disney would be free. But then I would also need to fill the car rental up with gas. I guess this trip makes sense on taking Uber for us. Anyone else going back on forth on renting car vs Uber?

If your estimates are accurate, Uber makes sense to me. However, $20 between Universal and Epcot one way seems low to me. Granted, I haven't gone on ride guru or anything, so maybe that's a good number.

Car rentals can make some sense... how many people, how much luggage, car seat needed? Will you go off site for meals/shopping?

 

[Gizmo74]

If your estimates are accurate, Uber makes sense to me. However, $20 between Universal and Epcot one way seems low to me. Granted, I haven't gone on ride guru or anything, so maybe that's a good number.

Car rentals can make some sense... how many people, how much luggage, car seat needed? Will you go off site for meals/shopping?

Thanks.....it's just three of us and no car seats needed. It's a quick trip for us so not much luggage and we plan on eating all the meals at the parks/hotel. your right and my estimate from Epcot/Universal might be low but even if a little higher still cheaper then renting a car. I like having the freedom of having a car but it also comes with some headaches. We are planning on eating at Grand Floridian for breakfast and then hit Epcot. If I drove, I would have to move the car after we ate. We might also park hop from Epcot to HS. So I was thinking it might be more of a headache having the car because I can have Uber pick us up anywhere we are.

 

[lockets]

Disney Coronado Springs hotel to Universal last Saturday was $29.95 there at 11:43 AM and $35 back at 10 pm. No rain or surge pricing either time. I still prefer no car over car rental if it’s in the same “range” for convenience.

 

[DLgal]

It makes sense to rent a car when you want to have the flexibility and freedom of having a car at all times. Otherwise it doesn't ever make financial sense. Using ride shares will almost always be cheaper.

 

[Gizmo74]

Disney Coronado Springs hotel to Universal last Saturday was $29.95 there at 11:43 AM and $35 back at 10 pm. No rain or surge pricing either time. I still prefer no car over car rental if it’s in the same “range” for convenience.

Thanks for letting me know how much you paid recently. I agree with not having that car if it being in about the same "range" for convenience.

 

[sj3mark]

We were at Universal last weekend and ended up heading to Disney two afternoons. We took Lyft and paid $16 from Universal to DS and $24 from CR back to Universal. The next day was about $18 each way from Universal to DS. Both days we left about 3PM and came back around 9PM.

 

[_19disnA]

Price is only one of the considerations. With the whole covid situation still an issue (you didn't say exactly when you are traveling), there is also the issue of feeling safer in your rental vehicle without someone outside of your family being involved. Some also don't care for those online taxi companies or getting into the car of a stranger. Both of those are less easy to quantify. If you decide to go shopping, sightseeing or eat out somewhere, having a rental car also gives you more flexibility to do those things on short notice.

 

[DLgal]

Price is only one of the considerations. With the whole covid situation still an issue (you didn't say exactly when you are traveling), there is also the issue of feeling safer in your rental vehicle without someone outside of your family being involved. Some also don't care for those online taxi companies or getting into the car of a stranger. Both of those are less easy to quantify. If you decide to go shopping, sightseeing or eat out somewhere, having a rental car also gives you more flexibility to do those things on short notice.

Yeah, this is me. I always feel uncomfortable in an Uber or Taxi. I like driving and don't like giving up control like that. I also don't always feel 100% safe as a woman. So, I usually rent a car. The money isn't ever really a factor for me, but I know it is a deciding factor for many.

 

[Rich M]

For me it always makes sense to rent a car. I don't want to be on anyone else's schedule. I don't want to take a bus during my regular day and have no desire to take one on vacation. Even when staying at BoardWalk or Beach Club or Yacht Club I still rent a car. If I want to go to the store or anything I can just go. I will always rent a car when going anywhere on vacation. I trust myself not others.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I liked having a car because we often had split stays between 2 hotels. I also would like to shop at a local outlet. But a bigger reason was that sometimes my adult special needs adult son needs to get back to room fast. He can have accidents, or start yelling, its complicated (Autism and Downs). In those cases its a relief to get back quickly and in private. HOWEVER the prices now are just insane. I had reluctantly accepted about $300-400 for a 6 day rental, SUV (he has a WC too) but it has climbed way past that. So we may have to just deal with the consequences.

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, unless you are renting over a holiday/special event period, rental car prices are mostly on their way back down from their peak last fall, though I have a feeling they will remain to some degree higher relative to the before-times.

Put me in the "I don't feel safe alone in a car with a stranger" camp. I'll do it if I'm staying in the central-city of a major city like London, NYC, or Chicago and the alternative is walking at night, but other than that, no. Add in contagion considerations and I'll pony up a fair amount of cash for having my own rolling bubble.

 

[georgina]

We don't usually rent a car for Universal since it is so compact/walkable. We do rent at Disney World because we don't like Disney transportation and are frequently off site.

Paid $31 for Lyft from RPR to MCO on Dec 5. They bundled our 2 trips on Dec 2 but from MCO to RPR was about $36.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Disney Coronado Springs hotel to Universal last Saturday was $29.95 there at 11:43 AM and $35 back at 10 pm. No rain or surge pricing either time. I still prefer no car over car rental if it’s in the same “range” for convenience.

Coronado is on the far west side, and toward the south, of Disney, though. EPCOT is toward the east and the north, so it’s several miles closer to Universal. It’s also pretty much right off of I-4. You have to cut all the way across Disney property to get to Coronado no matter which exit you take from Universal. Thus, the ride to EPCOT should be a few dollars less expensive.