There will be a couple of outlier Disney hotels that will absorb the conference overflow rooms. If you stay at one of these hotels, you can catch complimentary shuttle service to and from the conference. Otherwise, the shuttles at Disney start very slowly in the mornings. Plus, you will have to transfer a couple of times to get to the Coronado.
Let’s Do A Scenario: You stay at one of the All-Star Resorts. Your best bet is to hop a Disney shuttle to a central point like Disney Springs or Magic Kingdom (Animal Kingdom starts too late). Then take the Disney shuttle to Coronado Springs. Since all the busses run slowly due to lack of capacity that early in the morning (we’re talking 7am), you’re probably looking at a commute of at least an hour. Unfortunately, Starbucks at Disney Springs opens at 8am–too late for your conference itinerary!
You can find some great member perks, including discounts on car rentals, right here on our website. Go to "My AAPC", under "My Account", click on "Savings Center", then "Savings Connection", then click on "Car Rentals" in the column on the left side. In the "Near" search bar at the top of the list, type in the city you want to pick up your vehicle (like Orlando), then search the offerings for what works best for you. You can expect to save 15-20% on your car rental that way.
But here’s a different option that will save you even more money if you want to be a little more adventurous….
Every year the car rental companies position their fleets according to need. During the Fall, they move cars from the interior parts of the country, down to Arizona and Florida to accommodate the influx of "Snowbirds" and other tourists taking advantage of the milder Winter temperatures. This is called the "Fall Flock". Every Spring, they re-position their fleets back into the interior parts of the country, because less people visit Arizona and Florida during the hot Summer season. This is called the "Spring Exodus".
They don’t want the added expense of paying for special drivers to move their fleets back and forth so they offer us special deals if we play along and help them out–it still puts money in their pockets! AVOIDS EXPENSE AND ADDS PROFITS–GENIUS STRATEGY!!
The Spring Exodus special deals are what we can take advantage of during HealthCon. The caveat is that you have to pick up the vehicle at certain locations (many Florida airports) and drop it off at different destinations (specific airports in the Midwest and on the East Coast–I think the lowest they go is Atlanta, GA). If you are willing to spend the last leg of your vacation on a road trip, then this may be for you.
Sometime around February, most of the big car rental companies (Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Dollar, National, etc.) will start flying this promotion. The details vary depending on the company:
Date They Start Offering–In the past some started as early as April 1, others started April 15. Because Easter lands on April 1, I don’t expect it to be offered so early. But, all I’m saying is, watch the dates carefully!
Types of Vehicles Offered–You can get almost every vehicle they offer at this discount. The most common vehicles (compact, economy, mid-sized) have been available for $ 5-12 per day! AWESOME PRICE!! But you can also get special vehicles like convertibles and vans with this deal too, so don’t box yourself in!
Locations That Offer This–Locations differ. Some companies may not offer this discount at certain locations but others may, so check with each of the car rental companies to see if your needs work with their availabilty.
PROS: You can get a pretty nice car rental for a steal–if you can work within their parameters. You get the autonomy of having a vehicle and not being dependent upon the constraints or the availability of public transportation, Disney transportation, or your roommate (I speak from happy experience with all three). This also works great if you have little kids, or if your group also wants to go explore different attractions in the area or eat at less expensive venues outside the Disney Bubble, or require trips to the market due to food allergies. You get to see the surrounding countryside if you have to fly into a different airport than you are used to, and drive to a different airport to fly out of. I LOVE ROAD TRIPS so that’s not an issue for me–but it may be for you!
CONS: They may not even offer the Spring Exodus deal until a date AFTER you need to rent a car (you may still be able to work it into the last part of your trip). You can only keep the car for 14 days (21 days with one company). If you want the convenience of buying a round-trip ticket and flying into and out of the same airport, then this is not for you. You may have already bought your flight and don’t want the hassle of reworking it. The extra day(s) tacked on to the last part of your vacation shuttling the vehicle to an interior destination may not work with your time constraints. If you want to check into a Disney hotel and spend all your time on Disney property, then this is not for you because you can solely depend upon Disney transportation for your trips from and back to the airport, and using the Disney shuttle service for all your Disney adventures and to get to the conference (see warning above).
I just wanted you to know about these options so you can save as much money as possible on your trip. Have an awesome trip! See you at HealthCon!! 😎