Age old question: Rental or Towncar

[rupprath]

I'm trying to determine whether I should go with a rental or a towncar. I'll be staying in DTD for 5 nights, and will be arriving around midnight and leaving around 10 AM. I'd like to visit WDW and Universial while I am there.

Here are my estimates on cost:

Rental:
Priceline ($22 per day + taxes) = 135
Parking at Hotel ($5 per day * 5) = 25
Parking at Universal = $5
Total: $165

Towncar:
Roundtrip towncar = $85
$10 tip each way = $20
Roundtrip cab from DTD to Universal = $50
Total = $155

So they are about the same price. Any suggestions on which would work better for me?

 

[sgtdisney]

What hotel are you staying at that charges a daily parking fee? Personally I like the freedom of having my own car as I go off property for shopping, etc. It really is a personal decision however.

 

[cassie]

The towncar of course. Also I would use them to Universal instead of a cab. It would be $5 cheaper. We used a a towncar to take us from CBR to DC for $45.

Yes, I want to know too where are you staying that you have to pay to park? Unless you would use valet parking.

Yourride is $80 plus they have a $5 coupon, so that's another $5 saved.

 

[inkkognito]

Hubby and I are extremely lazy when we are on vacation, so we always opt for a towncar. Even before we knew that towncars were an option, we used to use Mears. Then we discovered that there was something better! Now it's always Happy Limo, whether going to WDW or Port Canaveral. When we're on vacation, we don't want to have to worry about how to get anywhere, traffic, where to park, etc....the Disney bus service is usually decent and occasionally awful (worst was at Caribbean Beach), but all in all the fact that we don't have to do the driving makes up for it. After being in FL for a week or two, it always feels strange coming home and having to drive again! I know that many people like the freedom of having a car, but my vote is definitely for a towncar.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[J&D]

Usually I can find a rental car that is cheaper than what it would cost for the towncar/cabs. There are a lot of codes out for rentals right now, especially at Dollar. If interested, try entertain, fvg, fish, or mcc. Like sgtdisney said, a rental gives you the freedom to go more places and do more things. We have always gone with a rental car, but again it is a personal decision.

 

[AZKathy]

If there is just that little bit of difference, I would opt for the rental car. I like having the freedom of coming and going as I please. Don't forget to add the gasoline costs into your budget, though!!!

In our trip in May, we were there for two weeks and have a family of five, so a full size was the smallest we could go with. We did not get a single decent price for a rental car; the prices jumped $200 in one year for the same car, same time period, and same amount of time! I refused to pay what I felt was price gouging from 9/11, so we used a towncar and rented a small car for a weekend to check out central Florida homes. We still saved over $200 doing it that way.

Certainly, if the prices get better, I would much prefer having the rental car the entire trip!