Would you hire a car for Disney?

Would you hire a car for Disney?

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Discussion

cay

351 posts

155 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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I believe Disney have now started to charge for parking at the hotels, previously you got free parking and didn't have to pay to park at the parks which meant a saving of $20+ per day.

One option is to use the busses / monorail etc for a few days then hire a car. Disney have a hire car pickup centre near Disney World, you can get a free bus from your hotel there and pick the car up. We did that for the second week then dropped the car back at the airport. The busses are pretty convenient and go between all the parks, only pain is coming back after a late night when they can be very busy - they are well organised though.

Coming from the airport is easy on the Disney Magical Express and saves the hassle of picking up a car and driving while knackered after the flight.

We spent our first week doing most of Disney then hired the car and went off to Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gardens etc.

Try to get over to Busch gardens, it has great rolller coasters and animal exhibits. Best park in Florida IMO.

marshallbrown

23 posts

62 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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I also think hiring a car in Disney is pointless.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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RammyMP said:
Check your parking charges though, I stayed in a Disney hotel over Christmas and was charged $30 a day.
Where you using valet parking?

Self parking is still free for UK residents until 2020. For everyone else it's:
Disney Value Resorts: $13 per night
Disney Moderate Resorts: $19 per night
Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: $24 per night

OP's resort is a Moderate.


I've been loads of times and wouldn't dream of not having a car, even though it's sometimes unused for a few days at a time. The ability to 'escape' at will is invaluable. Yes, POFQ has a boat service to Disney Springs but it gets very busy.

The busses are pretty random too - we've had whole trips where the busses have been great with short waits and direct runs from resort to park, and others where they've been a nightmare. From POFQ in a car you can be at any park in about 10mins, which is great if you want to be at the park early for "rope drop" or if you're just popping back for a couple of hours in the evening.

Countdown

39,685 posts

195 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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rufmeister said:
RicksAlfas said:
For two weeks? You might think that now, but when you get there... biggrin
I second that!
I unsecond that biggrin

If it's the 1st time the OP has been I think there is plenty to keep the family occupied within the Disney Parks. IMHO.

OP - if you're staying onsite and not intending on travelling out and about theen I'd not bother hiring a car.

We usually stay in a Villa as it works out much cheaper (plus we do tend to go into Orlando and to universal) so we normally get a hire car.

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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Countdown said:
I unsecond that biggrin

If it's the 1st time the OP has been I think there is plenty to keep the family occupied within the Disney Parks. IMHO.
Me as well. Stay onsite and do a Disney foucused holiday and you don't need to do much else. Big advantage is you can take it easy and pop in and out of the parks for a few hours at a time - get fast passes for the key rides, do those and wander around for a bit. If you try and pak too much in and do parks in a day you'll spend a lot of times in queues, and get very tired.

I said earlier I disagree about having a car though - it's generally a lot quicker to get around Disney by car, the possible exception being Magic Kingdom as parking is more remote and involves a shuttle and a monorail ride.

RammyMP

6,729 posts

152 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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Sheepshanks said:
RammyMP said:
Check your parking charges though, I stayed in a Disney hotel over Christmas and was charged $30 a day.
Where you using valet parking?

Self parking is still free for UK residents until 2020. For everyone else it's:
Disney Value Resorts: $13 per night
Disney Moderate Resorts: $19 per night
Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: $24 per night

OP's resort is a Moderate.


I've been loads of times and wouldn't dream of not having a car, even though it's sometimes unused for a few days at a time. The ability to 'escape' at will is invaluable. Yes, POFQ has a boat service to Disney Springs but it gets very busy.

The busses are pretty random too - we've had whole trips where the busses have been great with short waits and direct runs from resort to park, and others where they've been a nightmare. From POFQ in a car you can be at any park in about 10mins, which is great if you want to be at the park early for "rope drop" or if you're just popping back for a couple of hours in the evening.
Yes, valet at Contemporary. $30 is a drop in the ocean TBH.

4Q

3,347 posts

143 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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skilly1 said:
Thanks for the reply. We don’t have to pay for parking due to staying at a Disney hotel.
I'm sure I had to pay for parking at the hotel when I stayed at a Disney Hotel last summer

Sheepshanks

32,519 posts

118 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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RammyMP said:
Yes, valet at Contemporary. $30 is a drop in the ocean TBH.
It's $33 but it's going to be no-brainer when you've got to pay $24 to self park.

Only the deluxe resorts have valet parking - it doesn't make sense in most of the others as the resorts are spread out and you can usually park pretty close to your room.

EddieSteadyGo

11,717 posts

202 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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4Q said:
skilly1 said:
Thanks for the reply. We don’t have to pay for parking due to staying at a Disney hotel.
I'm sure I had to pay for parking at the hotel when I stayed at a Disney Hotel last summer
We were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge in July 18, and we didn't pay. Although it sounds like the rules are changing.

Driver101

14,376 posts

120 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
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There's too much to see and do not to have a car.

I would never do Florida without one.

LuS1fer

41,080 posts

244 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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You definitely need to visit Old Town in Kissimmee.

RicksAlfas

13,354 posts

243 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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LuS1fer said:
You definitely need to visit Old Town in Kissimmee.
We did. Once.
Each to their own and all that, but it was a bit like an Amercian car cruise in Blackpool.
biggrin

RammyMP

6,729 posts

152 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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RicksAlfas said:
LuS1fer said:
You definitely need to visit Old Town in Kissimmee.
We did. Once.
Each to their own and all that, but it was a bit like an Amercian car cruise in Blackpool.
biggrin
Yes, we went at new year, Blackpool is an accurate description!

Black can man

31,816 posts

167 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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Driver101 said:
There's too much to see and do not to have a car.

I would never do Florida without one.
This


ThunderSpook

3,571 posts

210 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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Parking definitely still free for UK residents. We are doing Port Orleans Riverside in July and have booked a car. We are starting and ending in Miami so need one anyway, but we want to do things like KSC so will want a car, plus as others have said everything I have read suggests apart from Magic Kingdom you will be quicker driving to the parks. Disney residents get free parking at the parks as well.

Saleen836

11,061 posts

208 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
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Just had a read of Disney FAQ regarding parking...
Overnight resort parking charges are applicable to Disney Resort Hotel Guests who booked from 21st March 2018. Guests residing in the UK and Ireland will be charged for overnight resort parking from 1st January 2020.

ThunderSpook

3,571 posts

210 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
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I read a suggestion somewhere that they’d already printed the brochures advertising free parking for the UK hence not changing it yet for us.

skilly1

Original Poster:

2,700 posts

194 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
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Well as the thread is till running (OP here) - what should I go and see in my hire car (Jeep Grand Cherokee)? Ideas for restaurants and days visits please......

Voldemort

6,086 posts

277 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
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Day trip: Go to Mount Dora which has an old time town centre, no chain stores. It's a lovely place to have a wander round if the kids are old enough to take a lazy day shopping and mooching around.

Food: the best meal I've ever had in Florida was at the Disney French restaurant in Epcot. Food is exceptional and if you book for the evening and get a window table you can watch the evening fireworks, have a brandy, and walk out through a deserted Epcot.

To do: if you can afford/justify it have a hot air balloon flight. We used https://www.thompsonaire.com/

EddieSteadyGo

11,717 posts

202 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
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skilly1 said:
ideas for restaurants and days visits please......
We had a good meal in Teppan Edo, Epcot.

The seats are positioned in a horse shoe arrangement around a large grill area. The chef has a routine he goes through to chop, prepare and cook the food in front of you. I thought it was good entertainment and something which is a little different.

You will need to book well in advance as it is very popular.

Liberty tree tavern is at the other end of the scale in terms of flashy dining, but also worth visiting. Simple, "thanksgiving" type dinner. Get the ooey gooey toffee cake at the end of the meal.

Sci-fi dinner in Hollywood studios is worth a visit, just for the unusual design. It is made to look like a US drive-in theatre. So there is a "cinema" screen showing clips from classic 1950's films, and the tables are mock-ups of 1950's open top cars. The food is burgers/chips/beer type food, so nothing exceptional. but perfectly edible.

In terms of excursions, I would go to Discovery Bay for the dolphins. It is expensive, but creates lifetime memories for the kids.

Not sure if you are going to Universal Studios, but if you like water parks, Volcano Bay is the newest (and in many ways) the best with some super rides.