I WANT YOUR ADVICE

[yensid1967]

I have a trip planned in December 2-10, 2023. I wanted to get your advice on my plans...

Amtrak, Hotel, Avis Rental Car, Tickets OR we may decide to drive!!

December 2- Board Amtrak 11am WVA
December 3- Arrive Orlando 10:30am
Taxi to AVIS for Rental Car- 355.25
TOUR until 4pm when room is ready.
December 4-7- Park Days
December 8- FREE DAY
December 9- Board Amtrak Orlando 1:36pm
December 12- Arrive Home 5:45pm(lay over DC- 7:25am-4:05pm)

Parks: 1 Day each- $1300.36
-Universal Park to Park
-Discovery Cove
-Sea World
-Magic Kingdom(or MVMCP

HOTEL: Rosen Inn Universal- $573.28
GAS(if we drive): $329.00
So based on this, what are your thoughts? Am I missing something?

GAS: $1078.00/per person
AMTRAK: $1364.50/per person

 

[Worldlover71]

Food, souvenirs, tips and miscellaneous (Always budget for miscellaneous!)

 

[yensid1967]

Food, souvenirs, tips and miscellaneous (Always budget for miscellaneous!)

I didn't add Spending Cash in because we will save for that separately. But we are planning on $1,000.00 for food, souvenirs, tips and Misc

 

[Weather_Lady]

Gas, over $1000 per person? One day to get there by train, but 4 days to get back?

I think I'm missing something. I want to give useful feedback but I don't believe I understand the plan.

 

[SplashJacket]

Unless Amtrak is something you really want to do, for $1300 per person (if that’s correct) you can fly down from pretty much anywhere around West Virginia for a lot cheaper and faster. Could get you multiple extra days in the parks.

Here’s a flight from Cincinnati.

Nashville May be closer though, which has much cheaper flights. More information on what you’re trying to do would be helpful, and if you’re flexible at all, because people on here can help you book the most glamorous (but expensive) or most bang for your buck, or cheapest for a long duration, etc.

 

[yensid1967]

Gas, over $1000 per person? One day to get there by train, but 4 days to get back?

I think I'm missing something. I want to give useful feedback but I don't believe I understand the plan.

$1,000. 00 is for food, souvenirs and miscellaneous
Gas to drive is only $329
To Take Amtrak is only $500

I'M GOING TO REDO MY PLAN SO ITS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE (even I was confused when I read it)

 

[yensid1967]

EDIT: Redid so it's more understandable! Sorry!

December 2-10, 2023 (we actually are going in 2026, but will make plans each year to have the current prices and adjust as we need)

Amtrak, Hotel, Avis Rental Car, Tickets OR we may decide to drive!!

AMTRAK (if we take Amtrak)- FOR 2 ADULTS- $500.00
GAS (if we drive)- $329.00
HOTEL- ROSEN INN UNIVERSAL- $573.28
AVIS Rental Car- $355.00
TICKETS- 1 Day Each(Universal, Discovery Cove, Sea World, Magic Kingdom)- $1300.00
SPENDING CASH- $1,000.00

December 2- Board Amtrak 11am WVA
December 3- Arrive Orlando 10:30am
Taxi to AVIS for Rental Car
TOUR until 4pm when room is ready
December 4-7- Park Days
December 8- FREE DAY
December 9- Board Amtrak Orlando 1:36pm
December 12- Arrive Home 5:45pm(lay over DC- 7:25am-4:05pm)

IF WE DRIVE IT WILL BE AROUD: $1078.00/per person
IF WE TOOK AMTRAK: $1364.50/per person

So, from this plan, your advice please. Did I miss something!?

 

[Weather_Lady]

If it were me, I'd drive: you'll get there faster and won't need the added expense of the train, taxi, or a rental car. Then again, we generally enjoy road trips, and I know some people would rather pay more not to have to worry about driving long distances, so you'll have to decide what works best for you.

My only other suggestion would be to consider putting your "free day" in the middle of your trip rather than at the end, so you have time to rest up and reset partway through your itinerary. I imagine with the number of different parks you're covering, those park days are going to be pretty hard-hitting.

 

[yensid1967]

If it were me, I'd drive: you'll get there faster and won't need the added expense of the train, taxi, or a rental car. Then again, we generally enjoy road trips, and I know some people would rather pay more not to have to worry about driving long distances, so you'll have to decide what works best for you.

My only other suggestion would be to consider putting your "free day" in the middle of your trip rather than at the end, so you have time to rest up and reset partway through your itinerary. I imagine with the number of different parks you're covering, those park days are going to be pretty hard-hitting.

Thanks Weather_Lady! I appreciate the thoughts

 

[nickys]

I’m still not clear why it takes so long to get home - leaving on the 9th, arriving on the 12th. Are you sure those dates are correct? If so, you’ll need spending money for food etc for those 4 days too.

Also are you sure you need a rental car? If it’s just 2 of you, you could take an Uber or Lyft each day. I’m sure that would be cheaper than $355.

Also I’d reconsider a free day. What are your plans? A 1 day ticket is expensive for the parks, I’d pay the extra and get a 2-day ticket to one of them. Look at each park carefully and see where your interests lie. Star Wars? Epcot - which despite the fact they’ve made some awful decisions is still totally different to other parks. Harry Potter - you could spend a day doing HP and a day doing the rest of the Universal park(s). Also if you are HP fans you’ll want a 2-park ticket at least to cover Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Weve driven since we had horrible airline issues repeatedly. I dont mind the long drive and have resigned it as part of the trip adventure, never seeing it as a burden other than running into stop and go construction areas or being suck creeping past accidents. But theres just something about a train ride thats relaxing and peaceful. I'd take an Amtrak trip over driving if we could do it.

 

[Figgy1]

Weve driven since we had horrible airline issues repeatedly. I dont mind the long drive and have resigned it as part of the trip adventure, never seeing it as a burden other than running into stop and go construction areas or being suck creeping past accidents. But theres just something about a train ride thats relaxing and peaceful. I'd take an Amtrak trip over driving if we could do it.

I love a good train ride, heck I like some not so good ones lol. That said I probably wouldn't take one to Orlando because time is money, and trains onto there often run late and getting around the area can get expensive without a car as I like getting outside the bubble
I have a friend who always took the auto train until moving there and had nothing but good things to say about it

 

[JIMINYCR]

I love a good train ride, heck I like some not so good ones lol. That said I probably wouldn't take one to Orlando because time is money, and trains onto there often run late and getting around the area can get expensive without a car as I like getting outside the bubble
I have a friend who always took the auto train until moving there and had nothing but good things to say about it

Late trains can happen but it’s a gamble whether driving, flying or riding a train. Any conveyance to WDW can turn into a late arrival. Cancelled flights, missed connecting flights, backed up roadways, breakdowns, anything can alter a planned arrival. Some trips driving down I’ve arrived well before my scheduled arrival and others well behind due to things completely out of my control. Some people just enjoy a relaxing train ride and don’t want the pressure of a drive that makes all the difference. I’m looking forward to when I’m retired and there’s no caring about being under the pressure of time.

 

[LeighM]

Have you looked into costs of driving to a larger airport that has more affordable airline options like JetBlue? My city has an airport but the flights with Delta, etc are very expensive with connecting flights. But, if we drive to a larger city an hour or two away, we can take JetBlue with a direct flight for much cheaper. For me and my husband, the price comes out to what you would pay for Amtrak and you would get there a lot quicker. My concern with both Amtrak and driving is what if you get an early snow or ice in the mountains of WV since you're traveling in December? I'm from the mountains of VA and one early we got hit with an early blizzard on Dec 9th that shut everything down but the airports were up and running faster because it took longer for the fallen trees to be cleared on the train tracks.

 

[Po'Rich]

On a different topic, I don't know why you have 4 park days and then a free day (with leaving not happening until 1:30 p.m. on the next day). If it were me, I would have the free day as an open day to return to the park of your choosing. If this is your plan, then disregard the rest. On the other hand, if the free day is just an open day, then I recommend moving the free day to the middle of your park days. I'd look for a day when I think I might stay late and have the free day for the next day. This will allow for a bit of rest between the park days, especially if you are thinking of being at the parks for most of the day. Just a suggestion.

 

[yensid1967]

I’m still not clear why it takes so long to get home - leaving on the 9th, arriving on the 12th. Are you sure those dates are correct? If so, you’ll need spending money for food etc for those 4 days too.

Also are you sure you need a rental car? If it’s just 2 of you, you could take an Uber or Lyft each day. I’m sure that would be cheaper than $355.

Also I’d reconsider a free day. What are your plans? A 1 day ticket is expensive for the parks, I’d pay the extra and get a 2-day ticket to one of them. Look at each park carefully and see where your interests lie. Star Wars? Epcot - which despite the fact they’ve made some awful decisions is still totally different to other parks. Harry Potter - you could spend a day doing HP and a day doing the rest of the Universal park(s). Also if you are HP fans you’ll want a 2-park ticket at least to cover Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

OK so...we leave on the 9th from Orlando Amtrak at 1:36pm, we arrive at Union Station, DC at 7:07am....we leave Union Station at 4:05pm and arrive at Martinsburg at 5:45pm ON THE 10TH! Not the 12th...my bad!

Uber/Lyft: I will look into it and see the price differences! We may use the car to do other things, not just for the parks!

FREE DAY: I AM planning a FREE DAY during the week, probably in the middle to break it up!

TICKETS: This is just a itinerary that is more still up in the air! Final decisions on what park and how many days will be decided later. But these are the parks that interests us right now!