Here is how our Sea World/Busch Gardens trip is shaking out:
- Flights: via SW with CP, DEN-MCO Wed PM, TPA-DEN Mon AM - 18k RRs RT or $278pp (Wednesday is only $49pp!)
- Hotels:
- 3 nights at Universal's Endless Summer Resort, Surfside Inn & Suites - $295 cash with AP rate
- 2 nights at Hampton Inn across from Busch Gardens - 68k Hilton points or $275
- Busch Gardens/Sea World tickets from 2 Park $75 Daily Getaways deal
- Rental Car: Alamo a few minutes down the street from SI&S, midsize car - 6600 URs or $99
Quoting myself here for more details.
I agonized way too long over the first hotel and car rental. Originally I wanted to use my Marriott FN certs at a hotel that offered quick queue, etc. I looked at the Renaissance but was feeling cheap over the $30 resort fee and $28 for parking. Then the other Marriotts were on the other side of the park so no walking (we're weird, okay?). Plus I was struggling with the idea of using a 35k cert when they were 20k points a night, or barely over $100 before tax. Then I switched to Hilton... had settled on the Hampton that
@Haley R reviewed for their SW trip. I was planning on arrival night doing the MCO Hyatt for 12k URs since we land around 12:30am.
Then I looked at rental cards
If we picked up the car from the airport the morning after arrival and turn it in at Tampa, everyone wants $250+ PLUS a $75 one way rental fee
And we don't even need the car the first two days. So I look at picking it up the morning we actually need it by SW... closest is Hertz in Renaissance and they want $350 for half the time?
There are options across the road by the convention center and all that, they want about $100, but then I need to get over there... They are a bit far for walking so uber? Wait then on our first day where we plan on Universal we will need to get to SW hotel and drop bags and then uber… that's time consuming... What if we uber to a car rental place by Universal, we can put bags in the trunk and park there... parking is $26
And then do we drive back for the evening after our SW day? Cause we were thinking City Walk. At least parking will be free then? Rental from near Universal means no one way fee but basically the same price, plus parking cost.
And finally I think, why don't we just stay at a cheap Universal hotel and uber to SW??
Bingo!
So we ended up with Endless Summer... decided we can just uber over there after landing late vs using 12k URs at MCO Hyatt so we are already there. Just uber to SW and back for the day. And there is Avis in the hotel and Alamo almost next door for a car rental. Ended up with Alamo because I could use URs plus it was cheaper - Avis cash price looked the same originally but it was before taxes/fees which added almost $50 so we can take a 3 minute stroll with backpacks.