Where to stay dilemma - Please Help

[steveyjc81]

Hello - Travelling from UK with my wife and (will be) 18 month old daughter.

Need hotel Wed-Sat (3 nights), then going on DCL cruise (7 nights), then need orlando hotel 4 nights (Sat-Tues)

I want to rent a car, but not from my arrival in the US, but the next day. Whilst I have done this many times before, I wouldn't be happy "driving on the wrong side of the road" with my young child having travelled for so long, and been on the go for nearly 17+ hours.

Any ideas where I should stay the first 3 nights? We had thought about one of the cheaper DCL resorts, which would mean I could get the Magical Express, then pick the rental car up the next day from Alamo on site. We probably won't be in the parks on those first few days, just acclimatising etc and getting the toddler used to the heat. Is it a bit daft spending the extra money on a WDW hotel?

We'd definitely like to stay on property after the cruise, as we'd like to go to MNSSHP - it will be one of the first dates, so hoping this would be a good idea to take my daughter to the MK when (hopefully) less busy.

So so hard to know what to do. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Problems I've thought about:

- Staying off site for that first stint would through up the problem of getting from MCO to the hotel safely with the baby.
- Staying off site - would it be problematic getting the car on day 2?
- Is it crazy spending the extra money on those early days on property if not going to parks?

Just don't know what to do!!

 

[writerguyfl]

First off, thank you for putting the safety of your family before convenience. Hopefully, the folks on this forum will be able to provide some help to make doing that easy.

Certainly, staying at a Disney resort will eliminate the transportation issue. It's hard to say if that's smart, as hotel rates can vary greatly. Also, a reasonable price can vary based on the person.

An alternative option would be to arrange for a shared-ride van or personal car. When I lived in Orlando, I always used Mears Transportation. They are a huge, well-respected company. (They actually run the Magical Express service for Disney.) If you book through their website, you can get 10% off. A one-way ticket to the Disney Springs hotel area in a shared-ride van is $20.70 per adult and $16.20 for a child. Total price is $57.60. (All prices in US Dollars.) With shared-ride service, you may have to make several stops prior to arriving at your hotel. However, For about $14 dollars more, you can get a towncar that will take you directly to your hotel. Total price for that is $71.20.

You may want to check out the seven Disney Springs hotels. These hotels are located on Disney property, but are independently operated. They are within walking distance of Disney Spring (formerly Downtown Disney). They provide transportation to the theme parks ever 30 minutes. Although, it sounds like you may not use that. You can check out the different hotels and possible discounts at their website: http://disneyspringshotels.com

I've stayed at 4 of the 7 hotels. Other folks on here will be able to answer questions about all the hotels. The only one I'd avoid is the Buena Vista Palace. That hotel is under renovation that is ongoing through August 2016.

If you end up at a non-Disney hotel, be sure to check to see if the hotel has a mandatory resort fee and/or a parking fee.

As far as rental cars go, you shouldn't limit yourself to Alamo. National is owned by the same group (although they tend to always be more expensive than Alamo). Also, there are other rental companies at the different Disney Springs area hotels. Those companies: Avis, Dollar, Budget. Hertz has a location at the Hilton Bonnet Creek, which is also on Disney property but a little harder to get to if you're not staying right there. Sixt has a location just off Disney property, too.

Finally, since you are going to stay at Disney after the cruise, you also might consider avoiding the Disney area for your first three nights. There are many large hotels/resorts in Orlando that would be restful. You also might consider spending the first night near the airport and then the next two nights on the beach near the port. Lots of options.

 

[steveyjc81]

Really appreciate your feedback.. Thinking maybe a value is the best option before cruise and a moderate afterwards.

I chose Alamo as I believe thats the car rental people on site?

Thanks again for your reply - some tough decisions to be made over the coming days!

 

[writerguyfl]

This forum seems to get a little less traffic than the other ones. Other folks may be able to provide a different perspective in the next few days.

Alamo will come pick you up at a Disney resort to get your car. Avis is located at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista, which is across the street from the Disney Springs bus area. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you can take a Disney Spring bus and then it's a short (5 minute) walk to the Hilton. Dollar is about an 8 minute walk to the Wyndham. Budget is the furthest, about 12-15 minute walk to the DoubleTree Suites. I only mentioned them because rental car rates can vary dramatically.

Also, there is an Alamo/National location at the Buena Vista Palace. That hotel is also across the street from the Disney Springs bus stop. They always have the same rates as the Alamo location at the Disney Car Care Center. If you're going to be at Disney Springs and renting from Alamo, it might be easier to pick up your car there (instead of waiting for Alamo to pick you up). Alamo is also located at the Dolphin hotel...although that's not as easy to get to via the Disney World buses.

 

[steveyjc81]

Great info - thank you for your reply.