Courtyard Lake Buena Vista, Port Orleans Riverside and Universal’s Cabana Bay.
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GO YOLO TRAVEL · THE REAL TRIP GUIDE
Orlando without a hire car:
what worked for us.
We pulled the practical bits out of every episode: where we stayed, how we got around, which Universal ticket we picked, the weather curveballs and what our family actually spent.
Our family of three · August 2026 · prices are what we paid then, not live quotes.START HERE
The quick answers.
Our real trip is one example, not a one-size-fits-all itinerary. Use the prices as a dated reference and check today’s terms before booking.
We used Uber for most longer journeys and walked to some nearby food and shops.
Park-to-Park tickets let us ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks.
Our recorded total for the 11-day family trip, including day-to-day spending.
A PRACTICAL ORDER TO PLAN IN
Build your Orlando plan step by step.
Start with the decisions that shape the rest of the trip. Each stop below takes you to our first-hand details and the parts to check for your own dates.
01Choose your baseCompare our main hotel with the two one-night resort stays.Hotel stays ↓02Map transportCheck what’s walkable, what the shuttle covers and the longer rides.No-car travel ↓03Match the ticket to the dayDecide whether one park or both parks fit your Universal plan.Ticket choice ↓04Set a real budgetUse our recorded costs as a reference, then price your own trip.Our spend ↓05Watch the relevant episodeGo to the trip moment that shows the room, route or decision.Episode guide ↓
THREE STAYS, THREE DIFFERENT USES
Where we stayed.
We used one main base, then moved closer to the parks for shorter stays. That gave us different experiences without changing hotels every night.
Courtyard by Marriott Lake Buena Vista at Vista Centre
Our base for most of the trip. The room had a fridge and microwave, the breakfast was included in our rate, and there were pools and restaurants nearby.
- We paid just over £800 for 10 nights at the time.
- Breakfast was useful, though the same menu became repetitive.
- The hotel described a limited Disney shuttle; it did not run to Universal or SeaWorld.
- We paid a $10 nightly resort fee and received a $5 daily hotel credit. Parking was quoted at $20 a night.
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
We stayed here around our Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon plans. Our room tour shows the theming, storage and how far some rooms can be from the main area.
- Allow time for the resort grounds and room location.
- Ask the hotel about luggage help if you need it.
- We used the boat towards Disney Springs; check that service for your dates.
- Breakfast was not included in our stay, so we paid separately.
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
A one-night stay before our Universal park day. We were upgraded to a suite at check-in, which gave us a separate living area and more room to spread out.
- The upgrade was a bonus, not a room type to assume you’ll receive.
- The resort itself has pools, a lazy river, bowling, an arcade and a diner.
- We recorded the room at £127.32 for our stay.
- Check the current transport and early-entry details for your room and rate.
OUR NO-CAR EXPERIENCE
Getting around Orlando without a hire car.
We made it work with rideshares, walking and resort transport where it suited us. The trade-off was that longer trips and peak pickup times could get expensive or slow.
Airport to hotel
Our first Uber from MCO to the Courtyard was about $43. We arrived late and very tired, so having the pickup planned helped.
Theme-park days
The Courtyard shuttle was limited to Disney services; it did not cover Universal or SeaWorld. We used Uber and found it useful to leave buffer time around park closing.
Short local trips
We could walk to some International Drive and Lake Buena Vista restaurants and shops. Crossings were not always obvious, so check the route on foot before setting off.
Long day trips
Our Clearwater Uber was about $129 one way, with a roughly two-hour drive. Compare the return journey too — a tour, shuttle or rental may suit your plans better.
Our biggest transport lesson
Compare airport transfer options ↗At around 9–10 pm, after crowds left the parks, an Uber took about 45 minutes to arrive and a pickup was cancelled. Check the live wait, book ahead where possible, and have a safe backup plan. Never count on getting a ride instantly after a show.
THE TICKET WE CHOSE
Universal: one day, two parks.
For our family’s day, we chose one-day Park-to-Park tickets for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
OUR PRICE THEN · 3 TICKETS£471.96£157.32 per person
Why Park-to-Park worked for us
It let us visit both parks on the same day and ride the Hogwarts Express between them. If you only want one park, or plan to spend a full day in each, compare those ticket types against your own itinerary.
- We visited Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
- The Hogwarts Express was part of the experience we wanted, so access to both parks mattered.
- We stayed at Cabana Bay the night before, then returned to our main hotel afterwards.
- Our recorded price is from our August 2026 trip. Ticket prices and terms change; check today’s offer and park access before buying.
At Three Broomsticks, we ordered and paid for food through the Universal app.
Our souvenir refill cup was about $21, or roughly £15 at the time.
We were especially keen on Hagrid’s and VelociCoaster. Decide your must-dos before the day so queues don’t take over.
OUR BUDGET PLANNER TOTAL
What our family spent.
These are our recorded costs for this trip, not a forecast for your dates. The trip was 11 days for two adults and one teenager; exchange rates, fares and prices will differ.
WHOLE TRIP · FAMILY OF 3£7,896.38Our final tracked total
Including flights, hotels, insurance, tickets and day-to-day holiday spending.
Some of the fixed costs we recorded
- Flights + 10-night main hotel
- £3,440.10
- Travel insurance
- £160.00
- Seat selection
- £204.00
- Port Orleans Riverside · 1 night
- £224.45
- Cabana Bay · 1 night
- £127.32
- Universal Park-to-Park tickets · 3 people
- £471.96
- Bass fishing booking
- £211.01
Fixed costs listed£4,838.84
The rest of our total came from food, local transport, other activities and shopping. Our nightly budget challenge was £150 for all three of us, including food, snacks and local Ubers; some long rides and special purchases were tracked separately. The fixed-cost subtotal is rounded to the nearest penny from the line items above.
A FLORIDA SUMMER REALITY
Leave room for the weather to change the plan.
Lightning interrupted our water-park and fishing plans. The fishing operator delayed departure, then cancelled and refunded our booking; we changed the day when conditions improved. Keep a flexible option in your itinerary and check the policy for the exact activity you book.
WATCH IT, THEN PLAN IT
Every episode, with the useful bits pulled out.
Jump straight to the moments that show the room, route, decision or real cost. Select any episode to watch the full video.
Getting there and choosing a base
▶ WATCH TRAVEL DAYFlights · arrival · budget
Manchester to Orlando: the flight, delay and first Uber
We explain the last-minute worry that nearly stopped the trip, fly Virgin Atlantic from Manchester and arrive exhausted after a long travel day. Our flight was delayed by around three hours and the first Uber from MCO to the hotel was about $43.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗Build a recovery day into your first morning. Our original plan included £150 a day for the three of us, covering food, snacks and local Ubers; breakfast was included at the first hotel.
▶ WATCH DAY 1Hotel · breakfast · transport
Courtyard Lake Buena Vista: our 10-night base
A room and hotel tour, the included breakfast, pools and the nearby restaurants and shops. We had a balcony-room upgrade, a fridge and microwave, and a shuttle timetable for Disney.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗We used Uber for Universal and SeaWorld; the hotel’s advertised shuttle did not serve them. The resort fee was $10 a night with a $5 daily hotel credit, and parking was listed at $20 a night. We paid just over £800 for 10 nights at the time; check the current rate and inclusions before booking.
Days out, weather and getting around
▶ WATCH DAY 2Groceries · activity · Uber
Supermarkets, a helicopter view and ICON Park
We visit Target and Publix, take a short helicopter flight over the Orlando parks and spend time around International Drive and ICON Park.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗The helicopter was a quick orientation experience — roughly 10–15 minutes in the air. Later, park closing time made rideshares harder to get: we waited around 45 minutes and had a cancelled pickup. Leave a buffer after evening fireworks or park closing.
▶ WATCH DAY 3Food · weather · walking
Denny’s, dinner and a very Florida storm
After a few hotel breakfasts, we walk to Denny’s for a change, talk about our planned Shingle Creek bass-fishing outing, head out for dinner and watch a dramatic lightning storm roll through.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗A hotel breakfast can help the budget, but the same menu can get repetitive on a long stay. Check the local lightning and rain forecast, know where you can shelter, and do not rely on a short Uber ride being instantly available during a storm.
▶ WATCH DAY 4Disney hotel · boat · rain
Typhoon Lagoon, Port Orleans Riverside and Disney Springs
Weather interrupts our water-park plans, then we move to Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside for a room tour. We finish by taking the boat towards Disney Springs.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗Disney resort grounds can mean a long walk from reception to your room. Ask about luggage help at check-in. The boat to Disney Springs was a handy part of this stay; confirm operating times for your own dates.
▶ WATCH DAY 5Fishing · cancellations · backup plan
A fishing trip cancelled by lightning — and the backup plan
We had a bass-fishing trip planned, but the captain delayed departure while lightning was nearby. It was eventually cancelled and refunded, so we switched plans and made it to Typhoon Lagoon when conditions improved.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗Put weather-sensitive activities early enough in the trip to leave a rebooking option, and check the operator’s own cancellation and refund policy. Our refund was specific to that booking; it is not a guarantee for other trips.
▶ WATCH DAY 6Day trip · beach · transport cost
Is Clearwater Beach worth the journey from Orlando?
We make the long trip to Clearwater for the beach, food and a walk by the pier, then return late to our Orlando hotel.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗We booked an Uber for about $129 one way. The drive took around two hours on the way out, and our return was also a long ride. Price a full day’s transport both ways before deciding; compare a tour, shuttle or rental as well as rideshare.
Universal hotel and park day
▶ WATCH DAY 7Universal hotel · pools · CityWalk
Cabana Bay: a suite, pools and the walk to CityWalk
We check into Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort and get a suite upgrade. The video shows the extra living space, two pools, lazy river, bowling, arcade, diner and the route towards CityWalk.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗The upgrade was a surprise, not something to count on when booking. We liked the resort as a one-night Universal base before park day; the trip’s recorded room cost was £127.32. Check the transport and early-entry details attached to the exact room and rate you book.
▶ WATCH DAY 8Tickets · two parks · Harry Potter
Universal Orlando Park-to-Park: two parks in one day
We visit Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, ride the Hogwarts Express between the parks, try Hagrid’s and VelociCoaster, eat at Three Broomsticks and stay for the evening show.
Useful for your trip
Watch this moment ↗We chose one-day Park-to-Park tickets for all three of us so we could visit both parks and ride the Hogwarts Express. Our tickets cost £471.96 in total on this trip. We bought a refillable cup in the park for about $21 and ordered food through the Universal app at Three Broomsticks.