Please Help! Planning trip from the UK (hopefully!)

[c3h3a3r]

Hello

We are looking to plan our 3rd trip from the UK. We did our first 21 day trip in May/June 2011 with our 2 DS who were 8 and 6 at the time. We were lucky enough to return for 14 days in June/Aug in 2016.
The boys have said they are not fussed about returning so will just be DH and I!
We are looking at visiting sometime between mid Oct and mid Nov 2022. It seems so far away.....

I would love to stay at a Disney hotel but I just don't think we can afford it - what is the minimum amount of nights you can stay at a Disney hotel?

I would also quite like to stay 3/4 nights at a Universal hotel then stay at a cheap motel near WDW for the remaining nights.

Hubby drove the last 2 visits and doesn't want to this time, so I figure the closer we stay to WDW, the cheaper it would be for an Uber etc.
Does anyone have a rough idea how much an Uber would be from say Magic Kingdom to Disney Springs?

We are planning on getting the Disney and Universal Combo ticket. We are not fussed on revisiting Seaworld or Busch Gardens.

I'm on the fence about Discovery Cove as it includes Seaworld etc and feel it would be a waste of money as we probably wouldn't go back to Seaworld. But I would like to swim with dolphins

We have stayed at Maingate, Lakeside before and thought the location was ideal. Can anyone recommend accommodation in this area?

Thank you in advance for any advice


2011

 

[c3h3a3r]

After reading a few other threads...

Are we mad not to drive if we can?

DH drove both our previous trips. He hated it. Too much pressure on not getting lost (no sat nav) and just uncomfortable on the roads.
I am far too scared/anxious to drive on the opposite side of the road.
Was hoping the cost of parking/petrol along with car hire, would work out about the same as getting an Uber/lyft etc.
Any advice greatly appreciated...

 

[I_love_Cruising]

After reading a few other threads...

Are we mad not to drive if we can?

DH drove both our previous trips. He hated it. Too much pressure on not getting lost (no sat nav) and just uncomfortable on the roads.
I am far too scared/anxious to drive on the opposite side of the road.
Was hoping the cost of parking/petrol along with car hire, would work out about the same as getting an Uber/lyft etc.
Any advice greatly appreciated...

I don't like to drive to Disney either, that is the main reason why we stay onsite. If I add up the cost of rental car, parking, petrol to a decent hotel in the maingate area it is about the same as a value Disney hotel.
If I add the time we waste driving and the nerves I lose, Disney hotels come out way ahead.

 

[c3h3a3r]

I don't like to drive to Disney either, that is the main reason why we stay onsite. If I add up the cost of rental car, parking, petrol to a decent hotel in the maingate area it is about the same as a value Disney hotel.
If I add the time we waste driving and the nerves I lose, Disney hotels come out way ahead.

Thank you

 

[I_love_Cruising]

https://www.uber.com/us/en/price-estimate/
You can use this site to check uber prices. It's quite accurate.

Maingate area hotels- to Magic Kingdom is about 15$. I think the other parks are closer so, that's not to bad.

 

[Plague]

After reading a few other threads...

Are we mad not to drive if we can?

DH drove both our previous trips. He hated it. Too much pressure on not getting lost (no sat nav) and just uncomfortable on the roads.
I am far too scared/anxious to drive on the opposite side of the road.
Was hoping the cost of parking/petrol along with car hire, would work out about the same as getting an Uber/lyft etc.
Any advice greatly appreciated...

I used Lyft four times in 2018 to go from All Stars to Publix and back (a bit further than Disney Springs - to catch the coach to Busch Gardens) and also to Sea World and back. It was about $12 each way on average and I usually tipped a couple on top. (It was about half the price of a yellow cab.)
Just be aware that most of the drivers couldn't speak English enough to converse, but with the app it doesn't really matter (and I'm no good at small talk anyway).

 

[c3h3a3r]

https://www.uber.com/us/en/price-estimate/
You can use this site to check uber prices. It's quite accurate.

Maingate area hotels- to Magic Kingdom is about 15$. I think the other parks are closer so, that's not to bad.

Thank you very much. I will check this out

 

[c3h3a3r]

I used Lyft four times in 2018 to go from All Stars to Publix and back (a bit further than Disney Springs - to catch the coach to Busch Gardens) and also to Sea World and back. It was about $12 each way on average and I usually tipped a couple on top. (It was about half the price of a yellow cab.)
Just be aware that most of the drivers couldn't speak English enough to converse, but with the app it doesn't really matter (and I'm no good at small talk anyway).

Haha. OK- good to know. Thank you

 

[csimon]

Are we mad not to drive if we can?

For much the same reasons as you outlined, I don't drive over there. I've been 3 times solo to WDW and haved stayed onsite all times. I take Disney Magical Express to and from airoport and use Disney transportation on site. The onsite transporationm gets a lot of stick soemtimes, the buses can be a pain, but I love the transportation as a whole and the convenience it offers me over driving myself and the extra expense. It just depenws what you want to do, where you want to stay and go to, and how comfortable you are with driving.

2014 Wilderness Lodge, 6 nights. I had one excursion door-to-door to Universal via Mears shared shuttle (phone number widely known to book).
2018 Pop Century, 9 nights. One excursion door-to-door to Sea World, again with Mears shared shuttle.
2019 French Quarter, 10 nights. Excursions to the two nearby Fun Spots, using Lyft, and a coach trip to Busch Gardens via the Busch free-with-a-park-ticket service that picks up at Publix, took a Lyft to get there.

There is no minimum stay for a room-only reservation (I booked a single night at French Quarter to extend the holiday when Virgin moved my arrival flight) but I believe there is a minimum 5 nights for a package.

Uber/Lyft across Disney property? Well, I think my Lyfts from French Quarter to off-property were in the region of $7-$15. But the special Lyft-operated Minnie Vans are much more expensive.

 

[c3h3a3r]

Thank you very much. I will check this out

So I've just checked out the website - I am from the UK so requesting an Uber is new to me when clicking on the info button it says 1 rider. Do you get an option to change the amount of passengers?

 

[csimon]

Does anyone have a rough idea how much an Uber would be from say Magic Kingdom to Disney Springs?

NB. For clarity, unlike the other parks, only Disney transportation (Monorail, Ferry boat & launches, buses, Minnie Vans) can pick you up at Magic Kingdom. To get an Uber or Lyft you have to get one of those forms of transport to somewhere else first, most obviously the Transportation & Ticket Centre, but there's no reason why you can't get a lovely boat launch to Wilderness Lodge, or Grand Floridian, or the monorail to Polynesian, Contemporary or Grand Floridian, or walk to Contemporary (and soon Grand Floridian). Obviously, you could also get a bus directly from Magic Kingdom to Disney Springs. Depending on time, you could also monorail from MK to TTC, then monorail to Epcot, and Lyft/Uber from there to Disney Springs as it's closer and therefore cheaper!

See this for some useful information about Uber/Lyft in WDW. https://www.mousehacking.com/blog/using-uber-at-walt-disney-world

 

[c3h3a3r]

NB. For clarity, unlike the other parks, only Disney transportation (Monorail, Ferry boat & launches, buses, Minnie Vans) can pick you up at Magic Kingdom. To get an Uber or Lyft you have to get one of those forms of transport to somewhere else first, most obviously the Transportation & Ticket Centre, but there's no reason why you can't get a lovely boat launch to Wilderness Lodge, or Grand Floridian, or the monorail to Polynesian, Contemporary or Grand Floridian, or walk to Contemporary (and soon Grand Floridian). Obviously, you could also get a bus directly from Magic Kingdom to Disney Springs. Depending on time, you could also monorail from MK to TTC, then monorail to Epcot, and Lyft/Uber from there to Disney Springs as it's closer and therefore cheaper!

See this for some useful information about Uber/Lyft in WDW. https://www.mousehacking.com/blog/using-uber-at-walt-disney-world

Thankyou so much for the information

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Having not had a car and then had a car on visits, I would have a car every time. I like to get out and eat at different places, have a car for grocery and shopping trips. That said, the latest parking prices around WDW are making that decision much more difficult.

If you are staying offsite then you are reliant on shuttles which may not be as frequent or fast as you like. The Uber/Lyft give other options but if you are staying for fireworks then there may be loads of people having the same idea and you may struggle to get a car or end up with premium pricing due to demand.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay near WDW, have you looked at Bonnet Creek Resort? It has its own thread on here but is within Disney Property, great value for money and they do have their own transport if you don't go for a car.

 

[c3h3a3r]

Having not had a car and then had a car on visits, I would have a car every time. I like to get out and eat at different places, have a car for grocery and shopping trips. That said, the latest parking prices around WDW are making that decision much more difficult.

If you are staying offsite then you are reliant on shuttles which may not be as frequent or fast as you like. The Uber/Lyft give other options but if you are staying for fireworks then there may be loads of people having the same idea and you may struggle to get a car or end up with premium pricing due to demand.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay near WDW, have you looked at Bonnet Creek Resort? It has its own thread on here but is within Disney Property, great value for money and they do have their own transport if you don't go for a car.

Thankyou. I have now booked Maingate Lakeside again, as cheap and cheerful. Relatively close to everything. I would much rather have a car but as i won't drive and hunby won't either i guess we don't have a choice lol

 

[Julia Ann]

Excited for you! Our Easter trip was cancelled so we are looking at 2022 also. How have you booked so far ahead?

 

[jf256]

Have you considered the disney springs hotels? Still get a lot of the beenfots but can be quite a bit cheaper.

We were supposed to go in september for the first time.. not sure about next year yet might be the year after but we are going to do a mix of disney springs hotels, disney hotels and universal.

Im saving up as many amex points as possible and hoping to stay in the waldorf for 5 nights...but if you have never had an amex card you and yout husband can get one each for free for the first yeae and use the bonus points for hilton hotel like the doubletree for a few nights?

 

[Kbrb]

October/november is a great time to go. Pricing in disneys value resorts minus the uber costs and maybe the free Breakfast if it comes back (can be used for dinner) might work out not to bad.

I hate driving, the buses and gondola systems make my life so much easier. Can get more done to being able to nip back to the hotel mid day for a break.

 

[c3h3a3r]

Excited for you! Our Easter trip was cancelled so we are looking at 2022 also. How have you booked so far ahead?

Hi, We have booked flights and accommodation (offsite) only. Will book park tickets when they come out

 

[disneyholic family]

Hi, We have booked flights and accommodation (offsite) only. Will book park tickets when they come out

you need to be careful with offsite accommodations.
Some of the hotels add on a "resort fee" when you check in and it can be a hefty amount of money.
They don't include it in the amount they show you when you're booking but it's a required amount that they add on.
They make themselves look very cheap when you book the room and then when you get there, you're shocked to discover the additional fee (usually at least $25/night).
i'm not saying where you're booked has one, but check to be sure.
.

 

[LivCK]

So exciting to hear you have booked a trip for 2022! My boyfriend and I went for the first time (as adults, we went as children) in 2018 and stayed offsite. We had a car and while we found it super useful for Kennedy Space Centre and the outlet malls, we otherwise chose to use Uber or Lyft. In fact, after our Kennedy trip, we returned the car to the rental place! We're also booked for 2022 and won't get a car - we just didn't get the use out of it and we found the driving stressful & Ubers so convenient. From our hotel offsite we found Ubers/Lyfts to be between $12 and $19 to Disney or Universal, depending on where we were going. All of our drivers were American so we had no communication issues (another poster mentioned this).
As a treat, we ended up booking 3 days on property to end our holiday which meant we got the Magical Express back to the airport. I know you have your hotel but I wonder if you could consider spending your first two nights and your last two nights on property - this would save you money on transport from the airport as you could just hop on the Magical Express. Even a Value resort would be great.
Oh and we didn't do Seaworld, but loved Discovery Cove. I think about it a lot and cannot wait to go back. It was expensive but everything from food to beer to sun cream is included and its a beautiful day to relax.