December 2012 Car Rentals

Whoop whoop! I checked the Costco Travel website (I am a member) and looked up my standard over-Christmas dates. My DH has some free National days that he has to use, so local locations were OK with me too because we can rent from National at the airport and switch cars around WDW mid way through our vacation. I saw Budget's Worldgate Resort location came up SUPER cheap and it's right near the Sherbeth Road and 192 which is the "back way" into Animal Kingdom. As an added bonus, it's also less than 3 miles from the house we are renting!

The rate for a week picking up in Kissimmee and dropping off in Tampa was (drum roll please) $144.47 including ALL taxes and fees for a Standard size car! I prepaid (saving $23) and used the Costco BCD and the Costco $40 off coupon. I was also offered a free 10-month subscription to Family Fun Magazine worth $10 that I accepted but I can send in a form (you need to take the link under the offer to print the form) and a copy of my reservation and they will send me $10 instead of the magazine. My DD is too old for that magazine, but I'm willing to fill out a form for an extra $10 savings. So, I'm really getting my car for $135 :).

I had been sitting on a 2-week reservation with National using 7 of my DH's free days and his corporate code for $225. I really didn't think I could do better. My new 2 week total is $176 and it only uses 6 free days :cool1: (we have to pay taxes and fees on the free days).

ETA: My Costco membership is up for renewal at the start of the year and the savings on this reservation just paid for another year!

SCORE !!!!:cheer2:
 
I just got $174.88 for a compact from 12/8-12/12 through Alamo. A little more then I had at Enterprise but I love Alamo so I don't mind paying a bit more.
Jay
 
I just got $174.88 for a compact from 12/8-12/12 through Alamo. A little more then I had at Enterprise but I love Alamo so I don't mind paying a bit more.
Jay

did you use a coupon code ?? thry AD2338FDF (visa code) or AFA4623ANZ (free day)

NEVER MIND, we don't have the same dates :(
 
I just got $174.88 for a compact from 12/8-12/12 through Alamo. A little more then I had at Enterprise but I love Alamo so I don't mind paying a bit more.
Jay

Try ID: CARSLAND !! I think it brings yours down to $163.22
 


I just got $174.88 for a compact from 12/8-12/12 through Alamo. A little more then I had at Enterprise but I love Alamo so I don't mind paying a bit more.
Jay
Thrifty and Dollar are both $119 with taxes for your dates for a Compact. Heck, Payless is $79 with taxes for an intermediate. A car is a car is a car is a car :confused3. I think it's worth a little bit more for me to pick my car from the Alamo aisle, but not $100 more. YYMV. I used the car search at http://www.carrentalsavers.com/index.html to check rates.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice and codes! I went back into the Alamo site and the rate jumped up another $50 in a matter of minutes so the codes you gave me wouldn't of made much of a difference. I appreciate all the advice though!

Looks like I'm going to spend my week playing the rate game. Constantly checking the Alamo site and hoping the rates crash.

Last year on this very week (I go the first week of December each year for a conference) I had reserved a car through Alamo for $49 total for 5 days. That is not a typo, $49 total with taxes!!! I was hoping for the same this year but looks like I'm out of luck!

Jay
 
Nice to see everyone getting some good deals today!

I am still looking - we want 12/25 - 01/06 at MCO but we will take a local pickup/drop off if its less.

Right now we are booked 12/25 with an MCO pick up dropoff 1/01 at Doubletree through Alamo. We are at $267 (minus $25 at return)

I'd love to be under $300 with a 1/06 return at MCO or 1/05 in the Lake Buena Vista area...
 


Thrifty and Dollar are both $119 with taxes for your dates for a Compact. Heck, Payless is $79 with taxes for an intermediate. A car is a car is a car is a car :confused3. I think it's worth a little bit more for me to pick my car from the Alamo aisle, but not $100 more. YYMV. I used the car search at http://www.carrentalsavers.com/index.html to check rates.
How do your think Dollar compares to National/Alamo, Robin?
 
How do your think Dollar compares to National/Alamo, Robin?
The biggest advantage of National/Alamo IMO is being able to select your own car. I admit that it takes me an embarrassingly long time to pick my car :lmao:off of the aisle. My husband and I are both National Executive Elite (his earned, mine by signing up on a link I found years ago) so we book a midsize and can select anything from the midsize, fullzise or elite aisle.

The free upgrades are nice and worth a few $$ per day for me, but I am all about the bottom line. I remember being sooo nervous a few years ago about booking with Thrifty. I got an awesome rate of $79 for Christmas week and they upgraded us to a Taurus :thumbsup2. I have rented from Dollar and Thrifty many times since. The cars that I have been assigned by Dollar (and Thrifty) have been current, roomy and clean. IMO, there is really little difference between a Nissan Versa offered by Alamo/National and a Ford Focus offered by Dollar. It's a car that will get from from point A to point B. As long as my family and my bags all fit to/from the airport I'm good to go!
 
Thanks, Robin.

May try Dollar this time out. Leaving now for Milwaukee, early flight out tomorrow. :cool1: Enjoy your trip, New Years again? :thumbsup2
 
Dan Murphy said:
Thanks, Robin.

May try Dollar this time out. Leaving now for Milwaukee, early flight out tomorrow. :cool1: Enjoy your trip, New Years again? :thumbsup2

Have a great time! Our APs expire on 12-29 so we are seeing my in-laws after Disney and spending NYE in Tampa. I heard the pier in St Pete has a nice show. I'll miss Disney but well have fun the week before
 
I am going December 7-10 and just got a car through Costco travel, with Alamo for $82 after taxes!!! I booked one last week and it was $176. Doubled checked today on a whim and cancelled an rebooked!

It's down to $52!!!!!! Thank goodness for this thread. I never would have thought to go through them otherwise. I'll never give up my Costco membership now!
 
I got our 16 day MCO to RSW rental down to $277 using costco codes through Avis. My goal was below $300, so I'm happy. We started at over $800 and at one point we were down to $500 by making a stop at RSW during the drive through. It pays to keep looking. We pick up the car on Thurs, and our rate dropped $40 overnight.
 
Could use some advice on where to look. My 24yo daughter wants to pick up a car in Orlando, drive to Richmond for the holidays, then I want to drive back with her to Orlando (and then fly home).

So we need a small car from Dec 21 for about a flexible # of days in the 10-16 day range, that will allow an under 25 driver. Other option would be two one-way rentals.

Any car rental experts out there? I'm having sticker shock!
 
Could use some advice on where to look. My 24yo daughter wants to pick up a car in Orlando, drive to Richmond for the holidays, then I want to drive back with her to Orlando (and then fly home).

So we need a small car from Dec 21 for about a flexible # of days in the 10-16 day range, that will allow an under 25 driver. Other option would be two one-way rentals.

Any car rental experts out there? I'm having sticker shock!
Those are my dates and they are really, really high. Add the 25-under fee to the mix and no wonder you have sticker shock!

You're going to have to work for a good rate. I would start over on Fat Wallet: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-discussion/790643/ and their car rental matrix that includes codes that waive the underage fee. Be aware that many of those codes require some kind of affiliation so make sure that you understand if you can use a code when you book.

I would also google "underage car rental" for ideas. You may have to go with a code that isn't as good as another to avoid the daily underage fee. Good luck!
 
Is this a good deal?

Last minute rates aren't out yet...arriving late 12/13. Changed my dates to pick up on 12/14 8am (staying at a nearby hotel) and drop off 12/18 8am. Thrifty with no codes or coupons $117 including taxes for the Wild Car. I've never rented for a weekend, so not sure if this was a good rate or not...thanks for any information/advice!
 
Is this a good deal?

Last minute rates aren't out yet...arriving late 12/13. Changed my dates to pick up on 12/14 8am (staying at a nearby hotel) and drop off 12/18 8am. Thrifty with no codes or coupons $117 including taxes for the Wild Car. I've never rented for a weekend, so not sure if this was a good rate or not...thanks for any information/advice!
I would go ahead and book that while you continue to look. Payless has an intermediate for $82.54 including everything, but you'll have to take a shuttle. You might be able to find something onsite at MCO with a free weekend day over on Mousesavers: http://www.mousesavers.com/transportation-for-disney-vacations/rental-car-discounts/
 
Thanks for the reply! yeah, I wanted something onsite, and I have Blue Chip so I was more familiar with Thrifty. I'm still hoping to snag a last minute deal in a few days...
 
Just booked an intermediate with Budget through Costco for $122.35 out the door! Much better than the $170 rate I had with Enterprise before that. :cool1:
 
Tee it Up said:
Just booked an intermediate with Budget through Costco for $122.35 out the door! Much better than the $170 rate I had with Enterprise before that. :cool1:

What are your dates?
 

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