Do you need a HireCar
?
[ Disney Vacation Planner
]
Most holidays include the "free" use of a hire car for
the duration of the holiday, but not everyone can drive, or indeed
relishes the prospect of driving outside of their native country,
so you may well be wondering if you actually need a hire car,
and if you're missing anything by not having one.
First of all, the car is never free, as you're led to believe
in some brochures. The basic hire costs may be free, but the car
is subject to so many hidden additional charges, that even without
additional upgrades and extra insurance cover, it's still going
to cost a few hundred dollars for the basic insurance, airport
tax, state tax, etc.
One interesting point is that recent trends seem to indicate
that tour operators are starting to acknowledge that there's no
such thing as a free lunch (or a free car) and they are starting
to include the real cost of the hire car within the package price
up front, rather than suprising the guest when they arrive to
collect their free car in Florida.
Whether you actually need a car or not largely depends on what
you are planning to see in Florida, and where you are based. Many
hotels in the Orlando area offer a free shuttle bus to the major
attractions in the area such as the Walt Disney World theme parks,
Sea World, Universal Studios, and the very low cost local bus
service can also be used to get around, but you are unlikely to
be able to get out to the Kennedy Space Centre, or Busch Gardens
unless you're going with someone else that is driving. Having
said that, there is still plenty to do and see in Walt Disney
World alone to more than occupy a two week holiday.
Failing the hotel putting on a free shuttle, there are still
options available to allow non-drivers get around relatively easily,
including several companies that provide a range of vehicles with
drivers for day excursions. Also companies like Mears regularly
travel from hotels to the major airports for a reasonable price,
so even without a car you're unlikely to be completely stuck,
although you will be more restricted than you would be with a
hire car.
The only drawback I've found in staying off-site and using hotel
transportation is that the buses run fairly infrequently, and
also there aren't very many buses put on after the parks close,
which is when the most people are going to be trying to get back
to their hotels. (Note this occasional lack of regular buses doesn't
apply to the excellent Disney Transportation available to resort
guests).
If you are staying on Disney property in one of the excellent
Disney hotels, and plan to spend all your time in the Walt Disney
Resort, a hire car may be a complete waste of time, although it
will allow you to get into the surrounding Kissimmee and Orlando
area to do some shopping at the many factory outlet stores, and
flea markets. If you want to travel a little further afield however
to the Kennedy Space Centre, Busch Gardens, or out to the Everglades
or Florida Keys, then a hire car will be an essential ingredient
of your holiday, but check out those additional hidden costs.
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