1st Trip to WDW - Trying to figure out if we should rent a car or Uber

sb_sparky

Earning My Ears
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Hi

We would love advice, this is our first trip to WDW.

There are 5 of us flying in to Orlando arriving close to Midnight. We are trying to figure out if we should rent a car for 2 days before checking in to Saratoga Springs and then returning the car.

Or... should we Uber? We are staying off property that night and will have a lot of luggage for 5 people.

Thank you!
 
I'm going to go against the grain here- first where do you plan on staying the first 2 nights (understanding correctly that you will have 2 nights before check in at SSR?). If it's two nights and that late flight yeah - get a car and go to offsite hotel. Then you have the freedom to have move around, get groceries etc, explore offsite shops etc. turn in car on day of check in after dropping luggage and groceries at Saratoga springs. Moving luggage around for five without a car is a bit of a pain.
 
I'm going to go against the grain here- first where do you plan on staying the first 2 nights (understanding correctly that you will have 2 nights before check in at SSR?). If it's two nights and that late flight yeah - get a car and go to offsite hotel. Then you have the freedom to have move around, get groceries etc, explore offsite shops etc. turn in car on day of check in after dropping luggage and groceries at Saratoga springs. Moving luggage around for five without a car is a bit of a pain.

I was in a hurry trying to get my kids from school so I forgot to add we are moving places 3x. I know...not idea at all. It is how we could afford to fly 5 of us and stay the length of time we wanted too.

We fly in late as I said and will be at the Mystic Dunes all day Sat and move to Saratoga on Sunday. We are at Saratoga Springs from Sunday - Sunday. We move to the Grand Beach Sunday and fly home Wednesday.

Sorry I should have been more detailed. We are thinking we will have to get a car for sure the last few days.

Thanks
 
We really prefer uber/lyft on vacations, we've compared the cost and for us we end up spending less by ubering places. But if you have car seat/booster seat age kids, that will be difficult.
 


I'd rent a car for the 1st few days. Are you then planning on going back to the airport to check ME? If not, then I'd try to rent from a company where you can pick up at the airport and drop off at a local office. May of the companies will allow - some will even drop you off at your next location. Just a thought.
 
I am going completely against the grain here.... I would rent a car for your whole stay. I don't take public transportation, much less during a vacation. Being cramped up in a bus with a bunch of other people, possibly needing to stand, being pushed, having to fold up the stroller....no thanks. Ill rent a car and enjoy my legroom and personal space. I really do find it baffling that people use Disney transportation as much as they do. It takes forever to get to places like AK or if you have an ADR for somewhere like Boma or Sanaa, you have to take a bus to AK then another bus to the resort. Your days are spent waiting in bus stops. We get everywhere so much faster. When we have ADR's at the monorail resorts, we pay for valet. Often we will park there and pay for valet instead of parking at MK. WDW vacations cost a lot of money and I'd rather spend a bit more and be on my own schedule.We also always get a preferred parking spot to avoid the trams which would mean -- you guessed it, folding up the stroller which is a big pain. That's just my two cents, most people don't do this...and renting a car or van depending on your family size from MCO isn't cheap.

ETA - I know a lot of people say they like Disney transportation because they like to have some drinks. If this is the case for you, then of course renting a car isn't an option. I have either been pregnant or breast-feeding since we started going to WDW, so if my husband has a drink or two, I am DD.
 
I was in a hurry trying to get my kids from school so I forgot to add we are moving places 3x. I know...not idea at all. It is how we could afford to fly 5 of us and stay the length of time we wanted too.

We fly in late as I said and will be at the Mystic Dunes all day Sat and move to Saratoga on Sunday. We are at Saratoga Springs from Sunday - Sunday. We move to the Grand Beach Sunday and fly home Wednesday.

Sorry I should have been more detailed. We are thinking we will have to get a car for sure the last few days.

Thanks
Haha-we have done stuff like that too! In that case-get the car. You won't have to pay for parking at the resorts you are staying at I believe.
This past trip we went from Fort Wilderness cabins-condo at Cocoa Beach-Marriott Cypress Harbour. We ended up driving but even when we were thinking of flying I was going to get a car for the whole 2 weeks. While we didn't use the car much on property the couple times we did I am so glad we had the option.
 

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