A couple of Orland car rental questions

[Megsie1000]

Hi all. I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked, but I can't seem to find them.

We are doing a split on-off Disney trip in June. The first part of the trip will be offsite and we will be renting a car. The second part of the trip we will be moving on-site to the Beach Club and ditching the car.

Our first thought was to get a car from Alamo or National so that we could drop the car off at either the Swan or the Car Care Center and avoid needing to go back to MCO to drop off the car. However, I quickly realized through my rental searches that the cars were coming back TWICE as much that way. Does anybody know why that is? Is there a way around that (like booking it round trip through MCO and then calling and changing the drop-off location?).

My second questions is this: If we do have to drop the car back at MCO, can we take the ME back to the Beach Club since we are staying there? Or does the ME have to be linked to a flight?

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Sorry more than likely if you call and change the drop off location you will have to pay a higher fee.
I believe the reason your rate is so high is that you are looking for a car too soon. Being a seasoned Disney visitor I know that to get the best car rates you have to book two weeks before your arrival date. The past two years we have rented a midsize car from Alamo and we have paid just under $100 for a 7 day rental and both of those reservations were books just before we left!

If you must return the car to the airport yes you can take the ME to your resort. You do not have to arrive by airplane in order to take the ME you simply must have a reservation at a Disney resort. But you will have to make prior reservations to take the ME. My cousin arrived at the airport by the Red Coach bus and was able to take the ME to her resort.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

You might find that by keeping the car the entire time you will pay less than ditching it half way through your vacation.

Parking is free if you are staying onsite. Be sure to sign up for your rental car agencies' frequent renter program. These programs are free and often send out discount emails.

 

[Megsie1000]

Thank you both!!

My plan was to make a reservation now (refundable) and then re-book if the rates get lower and I am very happy to hear that I am looking too soon because right now the rates are outrageous.

Thanks for the tips on all of it. We will compare keeping the car, too, although the majority of our party wants to take the Magical Express back to avoid having to schlep our bags back into the airport with all the kids on the way home.

 

[webworm]

Hi all. I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked, but I can't seem to find them.

We are doing a split on-off Disney trip in June. The first part of the trip will be offsite and we will be renting a car. The second part of the trip we will be moving on-site to the Beach Club and ditching the car.

Our first thought was to get a car from Alamo or National so that we could drop the car off at either the Swan or the Car Care Center and avoid needing to go back to MCO to drop off the car. However, I quickly realized through my rental searches that the cars were coming back TWICE as much that way. Does anybody know why that is? Is there a way around that (like booking it round trip through MCO and then calling and changing the drop-off location?).

My second questions is this: If we do have to drop the car back at MCO, can we take the ME back to the Beach Club since we are staying there? Or does the ME have to be linked to a flight?

You might want to check expedia.ca. I don't know your dates but just checked Jun 9 - 16th and I a full size for $144, Midsize $137, Compact $134. These rates are with Budget and include taxes. Even a US resident can book this prepaid rate and even if you cancel you get a refund within 24hrs.

 

[TheWog]

Thank you both!!

My plan was to make a reservation now (refundable) and then re-book if the rates get lower and I am very happy to hear that I am looking too soon because right now the rates are outrageous.

Thanks for the tips on all of it. We will compare keeping the car, too, although the majority of our party wants to take the Magical Express back to avoid having to schlep our bags back into the airport with all the kids on the way home.

On the way home you can do that. You don't need to use ME to use the RAC process. You can check your luggage on your return day and they will ensure it gets on the plane home, provided you are using a participating airline.

Look here: http://www.mousesavers.com/magicalexpress.html


Resort Airline Check-in Service
All Disney resort hotel* guests, regardless of whether they are using the Magical Express buses, can get a boarding pass for their return trip home and check in their luggage at their hotel, subject to various restrictions (see below). This luggage check-in and boarding pass service is usually located in the lobby or just outside the front door of the hotel. It is only available for selected airlines.

The Resort Airline Check-in service is operated by a third party company, Baggage Airline Guest Services (Bags), not by Disney. Essentially the Resort Airline Check-in is like using curbside check-in at the airport, except that you get to do it at the hotel. Plan to tip the baggage handlers who take your bags, just as you would for curbside check-in.

Participating airlines for the resort check-in/boarding pass service are AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United and USAirways.

The Resort Airline Check-In desk daily operating hours are 5:00 am to 1:00 pm. Since you must be checked in 3 hours in advance, you can't use the resort luggage and check-in service for your return to the airport if your flight departs before 8:00 am.

You must pay any excess baggage surcharges that apply to your luggage IN ADVANCE. If you're flying in Coach/Economy on any airline other than Southwest (2 free checked bags per person) or JetBlue (1 free checked bag per person), ALL of your checked luggage requires a surcharge, typically $25 or $35 per bag. This fee is charged by the airline but collected by Bags. To make your advance payment, call Bags at (407) 284-1231 between 7:00 am and 11:00 pm and pay by MasterCard, Visa or American Express.

The Resort Airline Check-in staff cannot accept any baggage surcharge payments. If you don't pay the surcharges in advance, you'll have to check any "excess" bags in at the airport, paying the fees at that time. That means you must take any unpaid bags with you on the Magical Express bus or in your rental car and check them in at the airport counter yourself.

Only normal-sized bags (generally no more than 62 inches in overall dimensions [length + width + height] and no more than 50 lbs) will be accepted by the Resort Airline Check-in Service. They will NOT accept overweight or oversized luggage -- you'll have to take that to the airport and check it in yourself.

 

[Megsie1000]

Thank you! That helps a ton.

 

[S'sMom]

Hi all. I apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked, but I can't seem to find them.

We are doing a split on-off Disney trip in June. The first part of the trip will be offsite and we will be renting a car. The second part of the trip we will be moving on-site to the Beach Club and ditching the car.

Our first thought was to get a car from Alamo or National so that we could drop the car off at either the Swan or the Car Care Center and avoid needing to go back to MCO to drop off the car. However, I quickly realized through my rental searches that the cars were coming back TWICE as much that way. Does anybody know why that is? Is there a way around that (like booking it round trip through MCO and then calling and changing the drop-off location?).

My second questions is this: If we do have to drop the car back at MCO, can we take the ME back to the Beach Club since we are staying there? Or does the ME have to be linked to a flight?

We will be at the World in June as well. I reserved a car (today) through Costco for Alamo for $149.04. We pick up from the CCC June 13 and drop off at MCO June 17. Of course this is a smaller car but more than enough for what we need it for.

Does anyone know if the CCC shuttle will pick up at Downtown Disney? We are staying at BWV, but I wanted to make a trip to DTD before we pick up the car. No worries, I am sure that we can get there.