You’ve planned the perfect Walt Disney World vacation.  Assuming you are staying on property, you’ve got your flights planned out as well as your Disney vacation package (complete with tickets, hotel and dining plan).  Now you’re faced with another tough decision: should you get a rental car or not?

If you are staying onsite at a Disney resort hotel and are flying into the Orlando Airport, Disney will take care of your transportation.  Disney’s Magical Express is a bus service that will deliver you from the airport to your resort (and back again at the end of your trip), including transporting your bags.  When staying onsite, Disney also provides transportation options that you can take advantage of during your vacation. Once you arrive at your resort, you can take the Disney Transportation system consisting of buses, boats, and monorails to get anywhere on Disney property.  This is all included in the price of your resort room.

Here are the pros and cons of car rentals:

Pros

• Freedom to come and go as you please without having to wait for the bus
• Not having to shove onto the bus with a few dozen of your newest friends
• No need for double bus transfers if going from resort to resort (which you may want to do to enjoy the dining locations at the other resorts)
• Ability to go off site for less expensive dining options in the Orlando Area
• Ability to drive to the grocery store (or drug store)
• Disney resort hotel stays include complimentary parking at the parks
• If you drive to a Disney park rather than taking the bus, you get to ride the parking tram (one of my favorite things to do)
• The car is convenient if you’re traveling with young or old family members, and provides easier options for transporting strollers and bags

Cons

• Additional expense of renting a car, as well as costs associated with gas and tolls
• Not getting to experience Disney’s Magical Express
• Parking further away from the gate at the parks and having to take the tram in
• Having to walk out to a hot, hot car at the end of the day
• Finding your car in the giant parking lots (or finding out you left the lights on all day and needing a jump before you can get going 🙂 )
• Taking care of any car seat needs for the rental vehicle

The Orlando airport usually has a lot of rental car availability.  I’ve never wanted a car and not been able to get one, but I tend to plan things on the early side.  One of the best sites I’ve found for getting a great rate on rental cars is costcotravel.com.  It is only available for Costco members, but it has great prices (in my opinion).  Once I’ve booked the car, I usually check the rates once a week or so until my trip to see if the price drops.  If it does, I book the rental again, then cancel the old booking.  I’ve had rental rates drop from $250 to $120 for a 10 day rental.

* Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Email!