car care center/mco/me questions

[alicat8]

I was hoping to have a rental car for half of my trip. So here are my questions:
1. Can I get a car at the airport (national or Alamo) and drop it off at the car care center in DW a few days later?
2. Is it easy to get back to the resort or a park from the car care center?
3. Can I use magical express to get back to the airport if I don't use it to get TO the hotel??

Also-is there a trick or go-to website for car rental coupons or special deals?
Thanks!!

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

For me I found it to be more expensive to return off the airport. Then you waste time going back and forth to the airport for ME with split rental.
With signing up for benefits with Alamo, Thrifty, Enterprise.
The last trip for 8.2 days it was about $130.00 with the Thrifty, enrolled in the blue card I went right to the garage, the car was ready as long as I found it was fine.

I was out of the garage in minutes. Return was a no hassle, no checking fuel levels for a receipt within miles of the airport.
Once I did a weekend rental onsite with Enterprise for $55 but that was 7 years ago. They picked me up, I used it for Universal and picking up food, then returned it Monday.

 

[alicat8]

For me I found it to be more expensive to return off the airport. Then you waste time going back and forth to the airport for ME with split rental.
With signing up for benefits with Alamo, Thrifty, Enterprise.
The last trip for 8.2 days it was about $130.00 with the Thrifty, enrolled in the blue card I went right to the garage, the car was ready as long as I found it was fine.

I was out of the garage in minutes. Return was a no hassle, no checking fuel levels for a receipt within miles of the airport.
Once I did a weekend rental onsite with Enterprise for $55 but that was 7 years ago. They picked me up, I used it for Universal and picking up food, then returned it Monday.

Ok thanks, I'll check out Thrifty. We're there for 9 days, and there are 4 adults and a carseat, so we'll need something bigger than the compacts. That's what's killing me on the money for the whole trip. If I can find something for $130, or even close, I'd be happy!

 

[Chirple]

I was hoping to have a rental car for half of my trip. So here are my questions:
1. Can I get a car at the airport (national or Alamo) and drop it off at the car care center in DW a few days later?
2. Is it easy to get back to the resort or a park from the car care center?
3. Can I use magical express to get back to the airport if I don't use it to get TO the hotel??

Also-is there a trick or go-to website for car rental coupons or special deals?
Thanks!!

1. Yes
2. Yes, Alamo has a shuttle that will drop you at a resort or park. In May I asked to be dropped at Magic Kingdom, which would have been a drop at the Lost & Found at the TTC. The driver suggested dropping me at the Grand Floridian to make it one monorail stop.
3. Yes, this is exactly what we did. Picked up the car at MCO on Saturday afternoon and dropped off the next Saturday morning at the Car Care Center. Took ME back to MCO on Sundat.

We are BJ's members and used the discount rate from there. Alamo Insider wasn't much better. Paid less than 200 for an compact car.

 

[LisaS]

We usually want a car for just one or two days so we book with Alamo with pickup at MCO and drop off at the Dolphin. This works well when we are staying at BWV. If staying elsewhere, we just plan to go to Epcot on the dropoff day. You can walk to either BWV or Epcot from the Dolphin. There is also a boat between those locations but walking is often faster.

A few times we have made an Alamo reservation with pickup at MCO and drop off at the Car Care Center. In that case, we take the shuttle from the CCC to the Grand Floridian and then take the monorail to the MK.

We take ME back to the airport.

 

[alicat8]

Great, thanks!!

 

[LisaS]

If you plan to use either the Car Care Center or the Dolphin, make sure you are aware of the hours each office is open each day. The Dolphin's Alamo counter closes earlier than the one at the CCC, however you can still drop a car off at the Dolphin after hours by handing over the car and the keys to one of the valets there. They will give you a receipt. I don't think you can drop a car off at the CCC after hours and even if you could, the shuttle stops running just before the office closes for the day.