Published: 20 June 2026
Can You Visit Orlando Without Hiring a Car?
Conventional wisdom says you need a hire car in Orlando and after seven visits, I would have agreed. However, on our most recent trip we spent two weeks relying entirely on Uber and spent just £264 on transport, significantly less than the £700 it would have have cost of having a car, including fuel and parking.
Isn’t car rental in Florida really inexpensive?
Florida used to be the most competitive car hire market in the world. Pre 2020, you could usually pick up a fortnight’s rental for £200 but when covid hit, the rental companies sold off many of their vehicles so when everything opened up again, prices had tripled and have never really got back to the level seen before the COVID pandemic.
Planning our 8th holiday in Orlando
We had already decided to split our trip over two locations and had booked a week each at Disney and Universal. As we had been to Florida a number of times before, we decided not to visit further away attractions such as Kennedy Space Center or Busch Gardens.
Walt Disney World
The Disney World complex is HUGE – at 43 square miles it is equivalent to the size of Manchester – and around 20 miles from Orlando Airport (MCO). There are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks and 30 Disney-operated hotels, all located within an area that is effectively controlled by Disney itself. The big plus with staying at a Disney Hotel is that whilst you get free parking in the parks, this is not really needed as there is an extensive transportation system between the parks and the resorts (ie hotels). The main downside is the price premium you pay for staying on site, prices that have increased significantly over recent years.
We booked Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, this is our favourite place to stay at Disney as it is offers the balance of the moderate price category but is also on the Skyline gondola system which makes for super easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Universal Studios
The Universal parks are located around 10 miles North of Disney, at the end of International Drive. There are 3 theme parks, a water park and 11 Universal resort hotels – some of which are immediately adjacent to the Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure parks, whilst others are a short bus ride away. We chose Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn, this was a slightly more basic hotel than at Disney but it offered a two bedroom suite which was a lot cheaper than our separate rooms at Disney. The Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure parks were around 25 minutes walk away although there was complimentary transport on offer to both attractions plus the new Epic Adventure park.
Let’s do the trip without a car
Without any significant travel involved when we arrived in Orlando, we decided against hiring a car. The rationale was that as long as the cost of taxis and Ubers came in under the £700 we would have likely paid in car hire, fuel, tolls and parking, we would have a less stressful holiday.
Uber
We used Uber for all our ground transport – although a lot of people also recommend Lyft when visiting the US. Our requirements were to travel from the airport to our hotel at Disney, go from Disney to Universal at the end of the first week, travel back to the airport at the end, plus the odd trip around the Orlando area for shopping and meals. Despite planning on doing the entire second week at Universal, we actually returned to Disney on two occasions and used Ubers for those trips too.
With one exception, I don’t think we ever waited any more than 5 minutes for an Uber to arrive, and the ride-share collection points were generally well located.
How Much Does Uber Cost in Orlando?
This is what we spent (excluding tips) on each trip:
| Day 1: Orlando Airport (MCO) to Disney’s Caribbean Beach | $74.07 |
| Day 5: Disney’s Caribbean Beach to Vineland Outlet Mall | $12.98 |
| Day 5: Vineland Outlet Mall to Walmart | $10.94 |
| Day 5: Walmart to Disney’s Caribbean Beach | $13.93 |
| Day 8: Disney’s Caribbean Beach to Universal’s Endless Summer | $28.36 |
| Day 10: Universal’s Endless Summer to Mall at Millennia | $11.95 |
| Day 10: Mall at Millennia to Universal’s Endless Summer | $12.93 |
| Day 13: Universal’s Endless Summer to Hollywood Studios | $20.91 |
| Day 13: Epcot to Universal’s Endless Summer | $20.97 |
| Day 14: Universal’s Endless Summer to Disney Ticket & Transportation Center | $23.97 |
| Day 14: Disney Ticket & Transportation Center to Universal’s Endless Summer | $22.91 |
| Day 15: Universal’s Endless Summer to Orlando Airport (MCO) | $40.47 |
| Total | $294.39 |
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We spent around £264 on Ubers – including tips
$294.39 plus 20% tips is $353.27, making the cost around £264 at $1.34 to the £.
Compare that to £500 car hire (although costs currently vary between £400 and £600 for a fortnight) plus fuel costs and road tolls. In addition, we would have had to pay at least $25 a night for parking at our Universal Hotel. I believe that if we had hired a car, we would have spent at least £700 on rental, fuel, road tolls and parking.
Any issues?
We had two small issues, neither were a major problem. The first was on arrival, a thunderstorm hit just as we collected our bags meaning that due to Uber’s surge pricing mechanic, what would normally have been a $35 fare, cost $74.
On the other occasion we were a bit behind time and wanted an Uber to take us from our Disney hotel to the Disney Springs entertainment complex. The weather was not great that evening and the Disney buses were operating a delayed schedule so we tried to order an Uber without success. In the end the bus arrived and we were on our way without a huge inconvenience.
Can this strategy work for everyone?
Of course, if you are planning to explore more of Florida outside Orlando, a rental car would be a big advantage. Visiting Kennedy Space Center (60 minutes from Orlando) or Bush Gardens (90 minutes away) without your own transport (or a large Uber bill) will require booking a bus transfer and being tied to the operator’s timetable.
My example was for flights into Orlando (MCO) but Tampa (TPA) and Orlando Melbourne (MLB) airports are much further away and visitors using those facilities will have to consider booking an airport shuttle if they are not hiring a car.
We stayed on-site at Disney and Universal but there are lots of other hotel options in the area. Many people choose to stay on International Drive where most hotels offer shuttle services to the parks (some even complimentary) which also lessens the need for a car.
So, do you need a Rental Car in Orlando?
From a financial perspective, it was definitely worth not hiring a car this time. By staying on-site at both Disney and Universal, we were able to take advantage of their internal transport services and only needed Uber for airport transfers, shopping trips and occasional journeys between the two resorts. £264 on Uber trips is far less than the £500+ it would have cost to rent a vehicle – plus we avoided paying for parking, fuel and road tolls.
Furthermore, not having to drive does bring the option of using the ride-share collection points in the parks, which are typically conveniently located near the park exits. Plus of course, not driving means you can relax on holiday, let someone else do the driving and you can enjoy a drink with your evening meal.
That doesn’t mean a rental car is never worthwhile. If you’re planning to visit attractions such as Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens or other parts of Florida, having your own vehicle can provide valuable flexibility.
However, for visitors focusing primarily on Disney and Universal, particularly those staying on-site, Orlando is far easier to navigate without a car than many people realise. Even if you do want to visit further afield, my advice would be to consider if you really need a car for the entire duration of your stay.
