Car rental question

[westcoastgirl]

My family is doing a Disney cruise out of Miami and then going to rent a car to drive up to WDW for a few nights. I was looking into cost and it’s showing close to 400.00 right now for a car rental for 2 nights/3 days, which seems high. My question is...I see Disney has a Car Care centre that has rentals. Could I rent in Miami for the day and then drop off at Disney that afternoon?We would then just Uber to the airport which is showing about 20.00? Anyone do this? Does this make sense? Thank you

 

[disneycruise100]

Researching this it looks like the Disney Car Care Center rents through Alamo and National. So if you rent through those two companies, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to drop them off in Orlando.

 

[westcoastgirl]

Researching this it looks like the Disney Car Care Center rents through Alamo and National. So if you rent through those two companies, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to drop them off in Orlando.

Those were my thoughts exactly....we always use Alamo anyways....hmmmmm

 

[disneycruise100]

Those were my thoughts exactly....we always use Alamo anyways....hmmmmm

I've never used Alamo so I don't know if they pick you from the port. But if they don't, that's the only time I see you needing an Uber.

 

[bumbershoot]

You need to arrange the rental with pickup in Miami and drop off at Ccc. The price might be good and might be bad. Gotta check it out though.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Just a comment - if your trip is more than a month away, I recommend checking the price daily, even a couple of times a day until at least 2 weeks before your trip. I've gotten my best rates (like half off) at odd times around 2 weeks before needing the car. Make the reservation you're happy with and keep checking back. If you see a better rate, book it and then cancel the old one (but not the other way around - always books first, then cancel). If you have a Costco membership, check their site, too, as they sometimes have better prices than Alamo and you get a free second driver usually.

 

[YawningDodo]

I did this exact thing last month. I rented from Alamo and arranged to pick up the car from Miami International Airport and drop it off later the same day in WDW. I took the DCL ground transfer back to the airport on debarkation day for simplicity's sake (though with multiple people that's probably not going to be a cost effective approach for you). Something pointed out to me in the WDW subforum is that you can arrange drop off your Alamo rental at the Dolphin resort instead of the Car Care Center if you so choose. You just drive up to the valet parking line, tell them you're returning a rental, and they'll write you a receipt and take the car from you right there. That was what I did, but in hindsight I think dropping it off at the Car Care Center would have taken the same amount of time or less even considering that I might have had to wait to have a shuttle arranged to take me back to my own resort (you can arrange it in advance but I wasn't 100% sure when I'd arrive). There's a gas station literally next door to the CCC, so it's quite convenient to fill it up right before you return it.

EDIT: I'm not certain from your post whether you're staying onsite in WDW, but I'm guessing you are if you're planning to spend several days there without a car. You can still take the Magical Express to get to the airport even if you didn't arrive in Orlando by air! I don't remember exactly where in the online reservation system it is, but if you poke around on My Disney Experience you should be able to add return-only Magical Express to your booking and save the money you'd spend on the Uber.

EDIT 2: I hope you're from an area with intense traffic and accustomed to dealing with it, because I'm not used to it and thought I was going to die before I ever got out of Miami.

 

[westcoastgirl]

We would just

I did this exact thing last month. I rented from Alamo and arranged to pick up the car from Miami International Airport and drop it off later the same day in WDW. I took the DCL ground transfer back to the airport on debarkation day for simplicity's sake (though with multiple people that's probably not going to be a cost effective approach for you). Something pointed out to me in the WDW subforum is that you can arrange drop off your Alamo rental at the Dolphin resort instead of the Car Care Center if you so choose. You just drive up to the valet parking line, tell them you're returning a rental, and they'll write you a receipt and take the car from you right there. That was what I did, but in hindsight I think dropping it off at the Car Care Center would have taken the same amount of time or less even considering that I might have had to wait to have a shuttle arranged to take me back to my own resort (you can arrange it in advance but I wasn't 100% sure when I'd arrive). There's a gas station literally next door to the CCC, so it's quite convenient to fill it up right before you return it.

Awesome! Thank you!! Fabulous information! I thought the bus back to the airport from WDW (we are flying out of Orlando for the way home)was free but maybe I misread. First timer in Disney World....we are cruisers.

 

[YawningDodo]

We would just


Awesome! Thank you!! Fabulous information! I thought the bus back to the airport from WDW (we are flying out of Orlando for the way home)was free but maybe I misread. First timer in Disney World....we are cruisers.

Sorry, I probably should have written a new comment instead of editing the one above -- it occurred to me to address that specific point after I posted. The Magical Express is included with WDW resort bookings, and you can arrange to take it only one way if that's what you need.

 

[westcoastgirl]

[

EDIT 2: I hope you're from an area with intense traffic and accustomed to dealing with it, because I'm not used to it and thought I was going to die before I ever got out of Miami.[/QUOTE]

Ughhh....that’s what I’ve been reading that traffic is crazy! Based on your experience, any idea how long to expect from Miami to WDW?

Thanks for the updated response. Good to know I can save a bit of money on the drive to the airport

 

[YawningDodo]

I allowed 3.5 hours, and I want to say I was either right on or got there fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. You'll be taking toll roads most of the way; if you use the express pass from Alamo you can just drive through and they'll send you the bill later. Despite the efforts of their various pamphlets I was still really unclear on the process and worried I was racking up fines from doing it wrong (and had no idea how much it was costing me even if I'd done it right), but the toll bills I got from Alamo in the couple of weeks after my trip added up to less than $20. You'll still want to keep some cash on hand; I ended up on a different toll road as I was entering Orlando and they took only cash, no express charges, no credit cards -- I ended up getting a written warning because I didn't have any cash to give them.

The good news is that there are regularly placed areas to stop along the toll road between Miami and Orlando, with gas stations, bathrooms, fast food, etc.

 

[westcoastgirl]

I allowed 3.5 hours, and I want to say I was either right on or got there fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. You'll be taking toll roads most of the way; if you use the express pass from Alamo you can just drive through and they'll send you the bill later. Despite the efforts of their various pamphlets I was still really unclear on the process and worried I was racking up fines from doing it wrong (and had no idea how much it was costing me even if I'd done it right), but the toll bills I got from Alamo in the couple of weeks after my trip added up to less than $20. You'll still want to keep some cash on hand; I ended up on a different toll road as I was entering Orlando and they took only cash, no express charges, no credit cards -- I ended up getting a written warning because I didn't have any cash to give them.

The good news is that there are regularly placed areas to stop along the toll road between Miami and Orlando, with gas stations, bathrooms, fast food, etc.

Thanks soooo much! This information was so helpful and I was going to post about the tolls and what to do about those! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. Very helpful!

 

[dskib]

costcotravel.com has great car rental rates.

 

[su_A_ve]

Port of MIA is very close to the airport and transportation is readily available. You could look at pickup options at the port or even at the airport instead, if the cost is lower.

For drop off, you can do it at the Car Care Center or Dolphin with Alamo or Enterprise. But check for drop off options in Disney Springs. Typically the rates are cheaper. You can then Uber from there to your hotel (should be $6-$10).

If you are staying onsite at WDW, book Magical Express (included with your stay) to your airport. Note that they will pick you up about 3 hours before departure.

 

[westcoastgirl]

Port of MIA is very close to the airport and transportation is readily available. You could look at pickup options at the port or even at the airport instead, if the cost is lower.

For drop off, you can do it at the Car Care Center or Dolphin with Alamo or Enterprise. But check for drop off options in Disney Springs. Typically the rates are cheaper. You can then Uber from there to your hotel (should be $6-$10).

If you are staying onsite at WDW, book Magical Express (included with your stay) to your airport. Note that they will pick you up about 3 hours before departure.

Fabulous!! I can’t thank everyone enough!!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I have picked up an Alamo rental at the MIA car rental center after cruises each of the last two Januaries, driving to WDW and dropping off the car at the Dolphin. Each one-day rental was less than $65 including taxes and plus gas and tolls, booked on costcotravel.com. The Miami-area toll roads use toll-by-plate and once you’ve incurred a toll Alamo charges a $3.95 service fee for the 24-hour day plus the cost of the tolls, billed to your credit card on file sometime in the month to six weeks after the trip. In 2017, we took a taxi from the port to the car rental center. Cost was about $35 including tip and much more convenient than wrestling with luggage to take the Alamo shuttle or the DCL bus to the airport (which then requires taking the light rail from the airport to the car rental center). This year, I used Lyft at a cost of about $18 including tip. For both the taxi and the Lyft pickup, the porter who assisted us with our luggage took us right to the vehicle and was tipped accordingly.

Rental rates were the same for a full 24-hour day as for anything over 4 hours when I booked, so we kept the car overnight and dropped it off the following morning at the Dolphin.

 

[westcoastgirl]

I have picked up an Alamo rental at the MIA car rental center after cruises each of the last two Januaries, driving to WDW and dropping off the car at the Dolphin. Each one-day rental was less than $65 including taxes and plus gas and tolls, booked on costcotravel.com. The Miami-area toll roads use toll-by-plate and once you’ve incurred a toll Alamo charges a $3.95 service fee for the 24-hour day plus the cost of the tolls, billed to your credit card on file sometime in the month to six weeks after the trip. In 2017, we took a taxi from the port to the car rental center. Cost was about $35 including tip and much more convenient than wrestling with luggage to take the Alamo shuttle or the DCL bus to the airport (which then requires taking the light rail from the airport to the car rental center). This year, I used Lyft at a cost of about $18 including tip. For both the taxi and the Lyft pickup, the porter who assisted us with our luggage took us right to the vehicle and was tipped accordingly.

Rental rates were the same for a full 24-hour day as for anything over 4 hours when I booked, so we kept the car overnight and dropped it off the following morning at the Dolphin.

Fabulous! Thank you! Thank you! I’m so happy this can be done and will save us hundreds of dollars!!

 

[YawningDodo]

Something that occurs to me is that if it's your first time in WDW, dropping off at the CCC and arranging a shuttle may be easier for you than dropping off at the Dolphin and having to find your own way back to your resort. WDW is enormous, and navigation can be a little overwhelming on a first visit.

WDW has a transportation system that's free to use, but the buses do not ever run directly from one resort (hotel) to another. You can take a bus between a resort and a park, or between a resort and Disney Springs. So if you drop the car off at the Dolphin and want to use the buses, you have to either walk, boat, or bus to one of the parks before you can get a bus back to your own resort (the only park you can walk to from the Dolphin and get to the bus stop without entering the park is Disney's Hollywood Studios -- there's also a boat service that goes there from the Dolphin, also free to use). Otherwise you'd have to get a taxi or an uber if you wanted to go directly to another resort from the Dolphin (assuming you're not staying in an Epcot-area hotel -- if you're staying at Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, or Swan, those resorts are all walkable from the Dolphin). The Dolphin is mostly more convenient if you're staying at one of the resorts walkable from it or if you want to go directly to DHS or Epcot after dropping off your car and don't mind a twenty minute walk (or if you want to hang out in the Boardwalk area between those two parks, which has shops and restaurants).

 

[westcoastgirl]

Something that occurs to me is that if it's your first time in WDW, dropping off at the CCC and arranging a shuttle may be easier for you than dropping off at the Dolphin and having to find your own way back to your resort. WDW is enormous, and navigation can be a little overwhelming on a first visit.

WDW has a transportation system that's free to use, but the buses do not ever run directly from one resort (hotel) to another. You can take a bus between a resort and a park, or between a resort and Disney Springs. So if you drop the car off at the Dolphin and want to use the buses, you have to either walk, boat, or bus to one of the parks before you can get a bus back to your own resort (the only park you can walk to from the Dolphin and get to the bus stop without entering the park is Disney's Hollywood Studios -- there's also a boat service that goes there from the Dolphin, also free to use). Otherwise you'd have to get a taxi or an uber if you wanted to go directly to another resort from the Dolphin (assuming you're not staying in an Epcot-area hotel -- if you're staying at Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, or Swan, those resorts are all walkable from the Dolphin). The Dolphin is mostly more convenient if you're staying at one of the resorts walkable from it or if you want to go directly to DHS or Epcot after dropping off your car and don't mind a twenty minute walk (or if you want to hang out in the Boardwalk area between those two parks, which has shops and restaurants).

Thank you! We are staying at Coronado Springs so think we will do CCC and then just take an Uber! With 2 kids in tow, I think it will be easier and faster! Thank you for your help! I’m lost planning this trip. It slowly learning

 

[YawningDodo]

Thank you! We are staying at Coronado Springs so think we will do CCC and then just take an Uber! With 2 kids in tow, I think it will be easier and faster! Thank you for your help! I’m lost planning this trip. It slowly learning

This is just getting uncanny. My stay was also at Coronado Springs. My method was to go there first, drop off my stuff, then go return the car...I ended up taking the long way of doing things a couple times that day; hopefully you'll do better than I did (I've been to WDW quite a few times but don't normally drive while I'm there, so that aspect was new to me). I don't know if Coronado will still be under construction when you get there, but if it is, be aware that because the new building is going up right at the front of the resort, it looks a lot worse on arrival than it really is. Once I got to my actual room the impact of the construction was minimal.