WWYD? Vacation transportation

[redmomof4]

We will not be utilizing Magical Express this time because we will head to Daytona Beach from the airport (so definitely renting a car) for a few days...

Then to Disney on property so thought of ditching the rental until we needed to head to the airport 7 days later...however we will be switching to a Universal Hotel halfway through this and need to have transportation to make the switch...

Would you
1) get a car service/taxi to switch hotels after dumping your rental car on day 2?
2) Keep the rental all 9 days ($$!)
3) Keep the rental while on WDW property and then ditch it after making the switch? and then either car service or another rental to MCO 4 days later?
4) or rent for two days and then taxi/service it the other two transfer times.

ARGH! Maybe I don't want to do a three way split vaca!!

 

[Lynne G]

I'd price it out. I find keeping the car for days that I don't use it, generally doesn't cost me that much more, and I like being able to be mobile if I want to. Plus, that means twice getting a car. I am not one to stand in line.


For our vacation this past Christmas, it was cheaper to keep the car the whole time we were in Florida, even parking the car in a lot near the port while we took a 4 day cruise.

However, many people rent a car from the car care center at Disney for a day, to get to Universal, or vice versa. Many of the rental cars have locations around Universal, most in nearby hotels.

It's a pain, rental car rates sometimes are cheaper from one location to another location. I'd try all different ways to see if there are any differences in rates.

Have a great vacation! For us, it's a split stay between Disney and Universal this year.

 

[Metro West]

Moving to the Transportation board for more responses.

 

[Alesia]

You're going to have to just run the numbers.

My guess is that keeping the car for the entire time will end up being the cheapest option.

 

[redmomof4]

I was up until 2, pricing it out and trying to figure it out. Right now, it isn't the cheapest option. The cheapest I can get a van for the whole 10 days is $501.(+ the $72 to park at Portofino Bay) I know that's a decent rate, but I can get a 2 day van + transfers to Universal + transfers to the airport for $260 (from what I can tell). I agree with the convenience of having the car the whole time though. We usually like that, to be able to jump off site to eat if we want, etc...

So... I went as bold as to "pretend" rearrange our plans to still go to Daytona Beach first but then straight to Portofino Bay with our rental car and drop it off outside of Universal. Take a service to the Yacht Club at the end of our vaca and ME back to the airport. (of course everyone on the US boards say to do that at the end as its more relaxing!) That would save me $387 but then we would not have the convenience of the car. Hmmmm. Lots to think about. On top of that, by changing my dates, POR became available instead of YC which could save us almost another $500. So I could drop my vaca budget by $887 if I rearrange and go to a less appealing resort (for me, I've always wanted to stay at those resorts outside of Epcot)

ARGH! Lots to think about! I know POR would be nice (& it would be nice to have a dedicated trundle for my daughter-am I right that the YC doesn't have that?) I was so looking forward to hanging at the pool area and Boardwalk area one day/eve. I should just "walk away from the computer...stop comparing..."

 

[keishashadow]

We will not be utilizing Magical Express this time because we will head to Daytona Beach from the airport (so definitely renting a car) for a few days...

Then to Disney on property so thought of ditching the rental until we needed to head to the airport 7 days later...however we will be switching to a Universal Hotel halfway through this and need to have transportation to make the switch...

Would you
1) get a car service/taxi to switch hotels after dumping your rental car on day 2?
2) Keep the rental all 9 days ($$!)
3) Keep the rental while on WDW property and then ditch it after making the switch? and then either car service or another rental to MCO 4 days later?
4) or rent for two days and then taxi/service it the other two transfer times.

ARGH! Maybe I don't want to do a three way split vaca!!

Any possibility of switching up the order of your trip?

Rental car @ MCO to Daytona

Daytona to Universal (be aware they will charge for parking so factor that into your budget)

Universal to WDW, turn in rental car @ the dolphin (national) or car care center (they will pick u up).

ME back to MCO

Rates ebb & flow all the time re rental vehicles, you need to keep checking ur rates. I have a 10 day standard (full sized) booked w/Alamo now for the end of the month for approx. $220. If I didn't want the free 2nd driver could book a midsize w/Dollar for $25 less.

good luck

 

[redmomof4]

Any possibility of switching up the order of your trip?

Rental car @ MCO to Daytona

Daytona to Universal (be aware they will charge for parking so factor that into your budget)

Universal to WDW, turn in rental car @ the dolphin (national) or car care center (they will pick u up).

ME back to MCO

Rates ebb & flow all the time re rental vehicles, you need to keep checking ur rates. I have a 10 day standard (full sized) booked w/Alamo now for the end of the month for approx. $220. If I didn't want the free 2nd driver could book a midsize w/Dollar for $25 less.

good luck

OK, I did change some things around. Still arriving and renting a car to drive to Daytona. We will drive back two days later and check into Portofino Bay and return our car at the Four Points. Will have three days there and take a town car to the Yacht Club an then can use ME to go to the airport after 4nights there. Whew! That took a lot. I may still end up using a service to get us to the airport just so we don't have to leave so early, we'll see.
Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[bumbershoot]

You truly have to sit down with a notebook and pen, and do the math for your exact trip.

Sometimes a 9 day rental will be cheaper than a 4 day rental. Or if not cheaper, relatively cheaper.

Add in the actual cost of what transfers will be; look that up, too. I think there's a link to fltours.com here on wdwinfo.com somewhere, gives you some sort of deal. And I think mousesavers.com has a deal with happy limo (though I recently read some not-so-great reports about them on the Transportation forum). Find out the costs of each part, and piece it together based on your exact trip, not just an estimate.

And then book something. And once you book that rental car, as long as you've gotten one that can be modified/cancelled, keep on checking that price. They have been known to come down the closer you get! So book something with a price you can live with (they don't ALWAYS come down) then see IF it goes lower. And if it does, change it.

So make sure other transportation parts of your trip are cancellable as well, in case suddenly keeping it most of the time is a great deal.

Lastly...remember that there are parking fees at the Loews hotels. I used to think they were high until I stayed at the Sheraton Seattle for a convention held at the Westin last weekend. Nearly $50 per day for parking. Made the $20/day* at Portofino/Royal Pacific/Hard Rock seem like nothin'!

*though not really per DAY. They charge at midnight, so if you leave before midnight on checkout day you're not charged beyond midnight the night before.

 

[redmomof4]

You truly have to sit down with a notebook and pen, and do the math for your exact trip.

Sometimes a 9 day rental will be cheaper than a 4 day rental. Or if not cheaper, relatively cheaper.

Add in the actual cost of what transfers will be; look that up, too. I think there's a link to fltours.com here on wdwinfo.com somewhere, gives you some sort of deal. And I think mousesavers.com has a deal with happy limo (though I recently read some not-so-great reports about them on the Transportation forum). Find out the costs of each part, and piece it together based on your exact trip, not just an estimate.

And then book something. And once you book that rental car, as long as you've gotten one that can be modified/cancelled, keep on checking that price. They have been known to come down the closer you get! So book something with a price you can live with (they don't ALWAYS come down) then see IF it goes lower. And if it does, change it.

So make sure other transportation parts of your trip are cancellable as well, in case suddenly keeping it most of the time is a great deal.

Lastly...remember that there are parking fees at the Loews hotels. I used to think they were high until I stayed at the Sheraton Seattle for a convention held at the Westin last weekend. Nearly $50 per day for parking. Made the $20/day* at Portofino/Royal Pacific/Hard Rock seem like nothin'!

*though not really per DAY. They charge at midnight, so if you leave before midnight on checkout day you're not charged beyond midnight the night before.

Thanks, Bumbershoot! That's exactly what I"m doing. I won't pay $500 so I've book a cancelable two day and I have done my research on the transfers, not too bad of a price. I just know my husband will want the car the whole time, me? I could care less. But it will allow him to hit Starbucks and us to eat off site if we so choose. I'll keep looking. Guess i need to let alamo start blowing up my in box again

 

[robinb]

I can get a 2 day van + transfers to Universal + transfers to the airport for $260 (from what I can tell).

Do you have a Costco membership? If so you can get a minivan for your first 2 days from Alamo dropping off at the Four Points for $170 with taxes.

 

[redmomof4]

Do you have a Costco membership? If so you can get a minivan for your first 2 days from Alamo dropping off at the Four Points for $170 with taxes.

Funny! That's exactly what I have! Plus transfers from UO to WDW & WDW to MCO! Great minds think alike! Nope, I lied. I did see a mv for $170, but instead booked the intermediate SUV for $136. I was racking my brain trying to figure out how i had two transfers for $90, well... I don't! I've been quoted a decent price for transfers, but for the right price, i'd rather have a rental the whole time and pay the $60 to Portofino Bay for the convenience.