I've also rented from Thrifty at MCO several times and had great experiences each time.
HINT: Join the Thrifty Blue Chip Club! It's free and easy to join, and allows you to skip the line (and the hard-sell for extra insurance) and check out right at the Blue Chip counter. Fast and way easy!
I have some questions about Thrifty too, please help if you know. Thanks.
1. Where is their closest office to WDW?
2. If I return the car at MCO, how long does the shuttle take to go back to the airport?
3. I found a very good deal if I use American Express Card to pay, $41/day for mini-van. Should I still need to pay any hidden cost? car insurance?
1) Other than the airport, the only location that comes up in Thrifty's search for Orlando is way over on International Drive. Terribly inconvenient if you want to go there from WDW and not rent immediately when you land at MCO.
2) You may wait for the shuttle to arrive for about 15 minutes, then spend 5 minutes loading, and about 5 minutes drive time back to the terminal. However, I have also gotten to the shuttle stop just as it was arriving, and I was back to the terminal 10 minutes later.
3) Depends. When you see a quote from a car company, the quote is usually the daily rate BEFORE taxes and fees. These are not "hidden" charges; they are simply add-on charges required by law when you rent a car in Florida.
If you go to Thrifty's web site and make a ressie (no deposit required, easy to cancel with no penalty until 48 hours in advance), the web site will take you through the process of selecting a vehicle class and then give you a total, with a breakdown of all of the taxes and fees, so you will know exactly what you will pay when you pick up the vehicle.
Check with your own insurance company to be sure that you are fully covered when renting a car, and whether you should pay for extra insurance. The answer for most people is a resounding NO, but only your own insurance agent can tell you for sure.