Driving around Disney (rental car)

[knlasv]

I am completely new to renting a car and driving around WDW property. We have always relied on Disney transportation for everything.
What's it like to rent a car at MCO? How much extra time should I allow for pick up and drop off? Is it easy to do all this? Or do you rent thru another place? I'm clueless.
Is it easy to drive between resorts at WDW? This is a very short trip for me (1.5 days). So I'm doing 1 park day (WDW buses) and half day shopping/resort hopping. Is it easier to drive between resorts or do WDW transportation? Staying at All Stars, might visit either Boardwalk area or monorail resorts.

 

[mel&me]

Getting a car at MCO is easy.
I will usually go down and get rental while wife waits for luggage.
Generally out of the airport faster than using a service or bus.

 

[loves to dive]

Driving to the resorts could be iffy. Some, especially the monorail and Epcot resorts are not allowing you to park there unless you have an ADR. To take a bus, you are going to have to go to a park then the resort, they don't have resort to resort buses. From All Stars, you would probably bus to AK then bus to whatever resort you are interested in. By shopping do you mean DS? If so, you could park at DS then bus to a resort but I don't know if parking at DS is free and I do know the buses to and from DS are not the most reliable. It's the only place on Disney property that it has always taken me at least a hour from start to finish and sometimes longer.

 

[mel&me]

What's it like to rent a car at MCO? we always get onsite so don't know what offsite is like.
Easy out, how fast just depends on if there is a line at who you rent from.
Returning is fast, follow the signs at airport lead you right to the drop off.
Pull up park grab your bags and walk across to terminals and do you normal airport stuff.
Is it easy to drive between resorts at WDW?
I think so, things sort of circle around but not hard, and way faster than buses.
We always drive to parks also. way easier for us getting out especially at closing time.
No waiting for bus.
You are on a short stay but we always get a rental because we go to places off site also.
There is a lot to do besides Disney. Just came back last week. only did 2 park days and was down for 8 days

 

[knlasv]

Driving to the resorts could be iffy. Some, especially the monorail and Epcot resorts are not allowing you to park there unless you have an ADR. To take a bus, you are going to have to go to a park then the resort, they don't have resort to resort buses. From All Stars, you would probably bus to AK then bus to whatever resort you are interested in. By shopping do you mean DS? If so, you could park at DS then bus to a resort but I don't know if parking at DS is free and I do know the buses to and from DS are not the most reliable. It's the only place on Disney property that it has always taken me at least a hour from start to finish and sometimes longer.

Thank you. If we do DS, I'll probably just do WDW bus. If we visit other resorts and drive, I'll be sure to have an ADR. We don't know what our plans are yet!

 

[knlasv]

Getting a car at MCO is easy.
I will usually go down and get rental while wife waits for luggage.
Generally out of the airport faster than using a service or bus.

I will just have a carry on so I'll be even faster!
Is drop off at MCO pretty smooth too? Is the drop off area easy to find/navigate?

 

[mel&me]

I will just have a carry on so I'll be even faster!
Is drop off at MCO pretty smooth too? Is the drop off area easy to find/navigate?

Just follow the signs to your rental drop-off leading into airport. Pay attention to signs going up ramps they split off to the various rental companies.
You just pull up in line with everyone else dropping off. can get out right there and they will check car in.
Last week when I dropped off there was a huge line. We grabbed our things and walked across to security check area..
They had not ever got to my rental car yet when we walked away. I got an email a little bit after that the car was checked in.
Added note you can look into the Visitor Toll Pass.
Less than tolls thru rental company but for only a couple days it might not matter to you.

 

[EACarlson]

Only use one of the 10 companies with vehicles on site. Sign up for their loyalty programs and do what you can to skip the counter. I used Enterprise in January and was out of the garage less than 5 minutes from walking out of the terminal.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I would highly recommend that you NOT rent from Budget unless you are arriving at the airport early in the day and have set up Fastbreak. Under any other circumstances you will be waiting in the line at the counter for a very long time....as in an hour or more. I learned the hard way....I knew that Budget was not good but the price was significantly less so I figured why not. Our flight was delayed and by the time we landed they had closed the Fastbreak counter. We had to stand in the line for more than 2 hours. They had only 2 staff working the counter and a computer system that is cave man era. This was just in January.

With Fastbreak you go directly out to the garage where they are supposed to have all your paperwork prepared and waiting. There is a Fastbreak counter out in the garage but they close it at 11pm....the sign said midnight though. So with that in mind I would only give them another shot if my flight was arriving by 1-2pm. Second, the price would have to be soooooo much lower than the other companies.

 

[mel&me]

I would highly recommend that you NOT rent from Budget unless you are arriving at the airport early in the day and have set up Fastbreak.

I have rented from several companies at MCO but used Budget last 2 times. Was done before wife had luggage both times. The price was considerably lower when I booked thru undercover tourist.
You did mention early arrival.
Maybe that had to do with it. Landed once at 9 am and last time landed at 730 am
I think it is just luck on timing. I never used fastbreak, but like the way it sounds, have to look into it for the fall-time.
I did use the Visitor toll Pass last couple times and that is great we drive a-lot. Do things off site and Ambers grandfather lives in St cloud. always visit him.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I have rented from several companies at MCO but used Budget last 2 times. Was done before wife had luggage both times. The price was considerably lower when I booked thru undercover tourist.
You did mention early arrival.
Maybe that had to do with it. Landed once at 9 am and last time landed at 730 am
I think it is just luck on timing. I never used fastbreak, but like the way it sounds, have to look into it for the fall-time.

I too have rented from them many times in the past without issue. However, I’ve read lots of comments in the past year on how bad things were. I took the chance and lost. I saved $150 on the rental but it was not worth even a penny after the experience we had. The Fastbreak counter said it closed at midnight but based on what people in the line had said it had been closed since before 11pm. There was a person walking away from the counter when I joined the line and she said she had waited for 2 hours and the line was shorter when she joined it than it was at that moment. There were people screaming at the staff about the wait…which was wrong, but the staff laughed back at them. The whole thing was awful and since then I’ve come to discover that this is what happens on the daily.

 

[StAugustine]

We always rent from Alamo. Sign up for the loyalty program and choose Skip the Counter. You can go directly from baggage claim to the garage, then directly to the cars. There will be someone there to direct you, but no lines. Choose your car, show them your paperwork and license at the gate and be gone.

The other companies at the airport have similar loyalty programs, but Alamo is still faster. Costs a bit more but worth it to us.

If you are flying JetBlue you will arrive at the new Terminal C and the process is a bit more complicated because of the size and layout of the terminal.

Stay away from the off-airport companies. You have to wait for a van to pick you up, drive to their office and go through the paperwork.

 

[DL1WDW2]

You plan 1 1/2 days for Disney ?
Unless you need a car for other plans or it is a business expense…
Why do you want to add to a list of things to figure out for such a quick visit ? We have no control over flight delays, and so many rental issues besides the lines and type of rental cars available on the lot…
I would worry about the delay when you return the rental car, especially if somebody scratches or dents in a parking lot… also traffic and road construction delays going to & from your destinations.
There are other options to simplify .