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player ready...Most of the inexpensive Orlando hotels — and those are the ones not located on Disney or Universal Studios property — offer “daily shuttle service” to some or all of the major theme parks. For many families, staying at a hotel that provides theme-park shuttles can make the difference between an affordable vacation and one bogged down with expenses for a rental car.
Nevertheless, it’s important to understand some of the drawbacks (and how to overcome them) of booking a hotel with a shuttle.
1. At almost all hotels, you will have to make reservations for your ride. This is easy enough, but it can happen that the departure you want is booked, leaving you to scrounge for a less desirable time. Considering most shuttles make return trips to a given park only two or three times a day, this can constrict your schedule. You also usually are not permitted to change your reservation, so if you’re having such a good time on the roller coasters that you want to stay a few extra hours, you usually aren’t guaranteed a later shuttle. Just one late-night taxi ride back to your hotel can wipe out all the money you saved using the shuttle.
2. Many shuttles are run by outside companies, so they maximize profit by serving many hotels. That means they might take circuitous routes. Ask your hotel which company provides its shuttle service, and then ask that company where your chosen property fits in on the route map. You might decide to switch to a hotel closer to the park gates.
3. Some shuttles’ timings don’t match up with the theme parks’ opening and closing hours. Always ask your hotel for the shuttle schedules during the days you plan to be in town (the timings change regularly), and compare them to the operating hours of the parks you plan to see.
4. Some motels provide shuttles to some parks, but not others. Ask for a full list of the parks served by your prospective hotel’s shuttles and make sure that it matches your plans.
5. Some hotels advertise “free” shuttles but in fact build their cost into a “resort” or “facilities” fee. The charge is not usually more than $10 a day, but be deeply suspicious of such a property. Ask about this before booking.