Flying into Tampa?

[christine8603]

I purchased airline tickets from AirTrans Airlines at a great price but we had to fly into the Tampa airport. We are staying in Kissimmi just 3.5 miles from WDW. We will be spending 7 or 8 days at WDW and 2 at Sea World. We are renting a car because we are staying off property. Now I'm having second thoughts. Has anyone flown into Tampa and found it to have been a good choice?

[Jeri Lynn]

We have flown into Tampa before and spent a few days with my parents before heading to WDW. We never had a problem. We usually fly Southwest, so both times we actually flew into Tampa and home from Orlando Intl. Airport.

The first time we rented a car for a week and never used it while staying on-site...the second time we rented a car and returned it upon our arrival to WDW and took the ME back to the airport.

[mdricks]

The thing that has kept me from doing this is the car rental issue. If i need a car anyway, (i.e. would have rented a car no matter where i flew into to), i would do this in a heartbeat.

The tampa airport i would use is small (usa3000
has great rates to tampa vs. orlando) and you can get in and out rather quickly. I have flown into Tampa on business with a side trip to orlando and found it to be a nice short trip with no big worries of getting in and out.

ME makes the car/taxi not necessary and the cost differential is no savings (for me) unless you need the car. Staying off property, this sounds like a great idea and i would go for it.

[merlinmagic4]

We just did it and it was fine :) I would do it again but I would choose an earlier flight and drive right in to Orlando. We stayed at the airport Marriott the night before our flight home and that made our early morning flight a lot easier!! We walked right out of the hotel into the airport:thumbsup:

[King Triton]

You'll be fine. I've done this too. The drive from Tampa to Kissimmee is pretty easy. If you don't hit rush hour, its about 1.5 hours. There was some construction on I-4, but I imagine it would be done by now.

By the way, I think you've already booked your flights on AirTran, but I've sometimes flown into Orlando and out of Tampa or into Tampa and out of Orlando and there is generally no penalty dropping a rental car at a different airport within Florida (However, sometimes coupon terms specify the drop off must be the same as pick up)

[DDuck66]

We live in Tampa Bay and the drive takes us about and hour and 20 minutes from the west side of Tampa to reach DTD. The worst it has ever been was 2 1/2 hours and that was on a Friday afternoon about 5:00 pm. From the airport you are only about 5 minutes from 275 which leads directly into I-4. I have been to many airports including Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore and Houston and the Tampa airport is one of the easiest to get in and out off.

[TikiGoddess]

DItto on the above posts. We love flying into Tampa -- smaller and less crowded than Orlando (although there is no mini-monorail and Disney Store!). The drive from Tampa to Orlando is easy as long as you don't hit traffic. Remember to bring some Disney music to listen to in the car for your trip!

TikiG

[mudpuppysmom]

Just something to think about:
Originally I was going to do this too.....SWA had fares to and from Tampa for $29, so I jumped on them immediately!! The rental car was going to be less (still is) and then we were going to have to stay at a hotel the night before so we would not have to get up with the birds to get to Tampa. The best hotel rate I could get was $99 at the time, and I shopped around a bit, but didn't want to do Priceline or Hotwire because I thought it was a bit risky and not knowing the area would be bad for me (I'm nuts about knowing where I'm going and how I'm getting to and from wherever).

Anyway, I kept watching and watching and FINALLY SW came out with a DING fare from PIT to MCO and it was $46 each way.......so our airfare went from $157 for two of us to $237 which is $80 difference.......I don't have to drive the 1.5 hours each way now, our flights are early in the morning (not in the afternoon as before) on day of arrival and late in the evening (early morning before) so I actually "gained" two days of travel time. The hotel stay just about offset itself, so I'm really paying more, but again, I gained two extra days that would have been "wasted" on travel....That to me was worth the $80 more for the flight and the car is about the same now (I've been watching and rebooking each time the rate goes down!).

Would I fly to Tampa if I could do it cheaply???? In a heartbeat......getting there is basically all the same, so why pay $$$$ for flying???? I see no reason for it.....that just leaves more money to spend on DS when we are at the world......so this time he'll not get as much, but we'll have two more days to enjoy!!