Another Trip Change

[ashmarie06]

Dbf's dad was supposed to pick us up at our Disney Resort on our last day and take us to their home in Sarasota. Now they want us to rent a car and make the drive ourselves. What is the best/cheapest way to get from our Disney Resort to the Airport to pick up our rental car?

 

[SteveMouse]

Cheapest? Disney's Magical Express is free, and you don't need to fly out, just pick a flight number with a departure time 3 hours after you want to leave the resort.

But

You can also pick up a car at the Car Care Center on Disney property (national or Alamo, free shuttle), the Swolfin, the Hilton across from DTD, and several other Good Neighbor hotels. Someone will likely be along in a few minutes with specific location codes.


Steve

 

[ashmarie06]

Cheapest? Disney's Magical Express is free, and you don't need to fly out, just pick a flight number with a departure time 3 hours before you want to leave the resort.

But

You can also pick up a car at the Car Care Center on Disney property (national or Alamo, free shuttle), the Swolfin, the Hilton across from DTD, and several other Good Neighbor hotels. Someone will likely be along in a few minutes with specific location codes.

Steve

Can Disney track if you are or aren't flying out?

 

[SteveMouse]

They're not interested. there's no penalty: you are entitled to the airport ride- its part of your resort reservation, not an airline ticket. You could rent a car, get on a bus to a cruise, have a friend pick you up, or get on a plane. They're all the same, as far as ME is concerned.

 

[Shagley]

Cheapest? Disney's Magical Express is free, and you don't need to fly out, just pick a flight number with a departure time 3 hours before you want to leave the resort.
Steve

I'm sure this is what you meant to say, but I am just clarifying for the OP. The flight time should be about 3 hours AFTER you want to leave the resort since ME picks you up about 3 hours before your flight. For example, if you want to leave the resort around 8am, pick a flight number for a flight that leaves about 11am.

 

[SteveMouse]

Removed double post

 

[ashmarie06]

Do you just tell them you want to check your luggage yourself?

 

[Shagley]

Just take your luggage with you when you get on the Magical Express and they will put it under the bus and retrieve it for you when you get to the airport. We always do this rather than using the luggage check in service.

 

[ashmarie06]

Thank you guys so much!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Do you just tell them you want to check your luggage yourself?

You don't need to Tell DME about your luggage plans in advance. Just show up at your scheduled DME pick-up time with your bags. The DME drive will put them in the motorcoach's luggage bay for you. When he retrieves your bags at the airport, a tip is customary and appropriate.

The drive from MCO to Sarasota goes right by WDW. If you must rent a car at MCO, it would be easier to have only one person take DME to the airport and then swing by your WDW resort to pick up your bags and the rest of your party.

The only way I would rent a car at MCO instead of at WDW is if the rate were SUBSTANTIALLY lower. Otherwise, why waste an hour with DME and then drive an extra half hour (from MCO to or past WDW) on your way to Saratoga?

For more information on renting a car at WDW, see http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2927109

 

[ashmarie06]

Unfortunately the car is already reserved, we didn't book it. The only location is at Mco

 

[francie57]

If the car is already reserved and you aren't the ones that reserved it, I would still check with Alamo/National and see what the rates are from the S/D or CCC at Disney. If its the same or cheaper just have who ever cancel the other reservation and make the new one. Sounds like a lot of wasted time to do it by taking ME to MCO and then having to backtrack past where you just came from.

 

[SteveMouse]

Often, the car can only be picked up by the person named on the reservation.

The driver almost always must have a credit card in their name (depending on company- a few may take a debit card).

-steve

 

[ashmarie06]

Often, the car can only be picked up by the person named on the reservation.

The driver almost always must have a credit card in their name (depending on company- a few may take a debit card).

-steve

DBF is on the reservation. We are under 25 and his dad was able to talk the guy at the rental company into not charging for the 25 and under fee. And just booked the reservation under dbf's name. So it's a really good deal. DBF is putting the reservation on his CC and being reimbursed by his dad.

 

[dudspizza]

Another option is for the person who is picking up the car take DME to MCO to get the rental and drive back to WDW. It would save having to get the whole family with their luggage on the bus. I did this last trip and it was simple. You will be coming right near WDW anyways as you go towards Tampa on I-4.

Duds