Car rental on property.

[fireman17]

On all of our WDW trips we have used Disney transportation and have really enjoyed it. We are heading down to WDW in November and have decided to rent a car for this trip and possibly future trips as well due to size of our family and ease in getting around. My question is, can you rent a car on property or must you rent a car at Orlando airport and drive to WDW. We still love DME and thought we could use DME and once on property rent a car from there.
Appreciate any help.

 

[princessfansmom]

That is what I did for the first time this past Jan and am going to do again this Nov. If you rent from Alamo there is a location right on Disney property near the entrance to the MK.
For me, it was so much simpler than having to deal with renting at the airport and the hassle of returning there.
We simply used DME and while at resort called Alamo and arranged for a time for a shuttle bus to pick me up and bring to car rental location. They also gave a map of Disney property and I had brought a AAA map of FL with me.
When it is time to return the car, you just drive there and turn it in and a shuttle takes you back to your Disney resort. Very simple. And there happens to be a Hess gas station in their parking lot for filling up the car before return! Still the convience of DME yet having a rental car too!

 

[Schmeck]

Dolphin/Swan has rental offices as well, and you don't have to wait for a shuttle to take you there.

 

[Spanky]

And the icing on the cake is that the car is cheaper than renting at the airport. Also if you are paying with your Disney visa card there is a current discount that is good through the end of the year. I am getting $30 off my price for a Nov. 9 rental.

 

[Faline]

Also, at the hotel plaza next to dtd are other car companies that will pick you up and take you to your car. I currently found a much better price at Dollar at the Wyndham right next to DTD. Sometimes, what I like to do is take ME to hotel, rent car onsite or near, and return the car to airport. That way, I can leave when and from where I want to go to the airport. ME takes care of luggage on the way to the hotel since you are using it that way. Use airline check-in at the hotel, and you don't have to worry about luggage on your way back. And it is still cheaper because you are renting it away from the airport. Doesn't matter pricewise if you return it to the airport.

 

[Iceman10]

Faline, that is exactly what I usually do! Though the last 2 times we have driven down from VA....ugh

 

[ghtx]

Sorry to rain on your parade... but doesn't taking the bus from the airport and then renting a car when you get to WDW kind of defeat the purpose (or at least half the purpose) of renting a car in the first place?

I guess I understand if you really like taking DME... But then wouldn't you also really like taking Disney transportation during your stay?

 

[ruzer28]

Renting and returning a car at the Orlando airport is super-easy, we've done it for 11 or our 12 trips. The first trip we took the Mears shuttle (now DME, but just plain old Mears then, and they didn't pick up your luggage). It was sort of a hassle. The cars are directly across from the rental desks in the airport garage, and upon return, there is clear signage as to where to drop off. As you pull the car in you're greeted by a rental employee who checks the gas and mileage and prints you a receipt on the spot. That's it. I can't imagine that it would be easier to use DME and rent on-site.

 

[fireman17]

Renting and returning a car at the Orlando airport is super-easy, we've done it for 11 or our 12 trips. The first trip we took the Mears shuttle (now DME, but just plain old Mears then, and they didn't pick up your luggage). It was sort of a hassle. The cars are directly across from the rental desks in the airport garage, and upon return, there is clear signage as to where to drop off. As you pull the car in you're greeted by a rental employee who checks the gas and mileage and prints you a receipt on the spot. That's it. I can't imagine that it would be easier to use DME and rent on-site.

ruzer28,
Thank you for your reply that is what exactly what I'm after wanted to see how convenient it was to rent at Orlando and want it to be as easy as can be. Have had a few too many bad experiences with rental car locations. We'll be doing the rental from the airport as it sounds very easy to do..

 

[jalpert]

Thanks for the return info. Returning cars at some airports is a hassle, you have to wait in line then it could take 20-30 minutes to wait for a shuttle / drive to the terminal.

Leaving only 5-10 minutes instead of 45 for return is good info.

 

[ghtx]

Thanks for the return info. Returning cars at some airports is a hassle, you have to wait in line then it could take 20-30 minutes to wait for a shuttle / drive to the terminal.

Leaving only 5-10 minutes instead of 45 for return is good info.

The deepest pit of hell cannot be worse than having to check out or return a rental car at the Denver airport.

 

[cassie58]

We rented from the Dollar at DTD hotel and it was much cheaper, avoiding the airport fees. On our 1st trip we were only staying 2 nts. at ASMo before moving to Bonnet Creek TS w/ in-laws. We used ME to resort, and didn't rent until in-laws arrived - they had a car, so we're able to drive us to pick up car, but we could have taken the bus to DTD and walked across to hotel, or used MK center. If you take ME and don't need the car the whole trip, you can sometimes save by renting for less days. Try Mousesavers for discount codes, and play with different scenarios of renting and returning off and on airport and see what's cheapest for you. We used a code from there and found Dollar rental at DTD returned to Tampa airport (we flew home from there for cheap flight) was best deal for us. Also, you can rent now and always cancel/rebook if better deal comes along since there is no cancellation penalty in most cases, so you can know you have something booked. HTH!

cassie58
11/08 - ASMo & Timeshare
8/09 - CSR
11/11 - CSR

 

[wdwpirates]

Renting a vehicle at MCO is so EASY!!! I make a ressie beforehand using Enterprise or Avis (those are the 2 I prefer). The line is typically no longer than 5 mins. They check you in and send you over to the garage which is a very short walk! Once at the garage a rep shows you your car (or you just pick one depending on the co). And you are off!! From rental counter to airport exit it is seldom more than 20 minutes.

And return is super simple too....drive into the garage, pull into the appropriate co's lane, rep checks you out, gives you a receipt and you are on your way.....it's a very short walk back into the airport. Super simple.

We take this approach on every trip. I actually just got a standard rental for an 8 day trip in December for $190 including taxes through Enterprise!!

Best of luck! Have fun!

 

[ruzer28]

ruzer28,
Thank you for your reply that is what exactly what I'm after wanted to see how convenient it was to rent at Orlando and want it to be as easy as can be. Have had a few too many bad experiences with rental car locations. We'll be doing the rental from the airport as it sounds very easy to do..

Happy to help. I agree with other posters that renting a car at some airports is an absolute nightmare. MCO has it down to a science, though. I've never had a bad experience. Whatever you decide, be sure to check for coupon and discount codes online and try each combination of codes at each rental agency. Time consuming, yes, but the savings are well worth it. Also, check back regularly to see if the car rental rate has gone down for your dates. My rental for December started at $550, and I've cancelled and rebooked several times as it has dropped and dropped and is now down to $239. I don't think I'm allowed to post the website that I use to find the discount and coupon codes, but I'm sure if you do an internet search of Disney rental car discount rates you'll find it. In fact, if you're on the DIS, you're probably already well aware of the site that I'm referring to. Have a great trip! (And you're going to love having a rental car).

 

[LisaTC]

We actually flew into TPA, rented a car had it for our stay and returned/departed MCO. It was easy/peasy on both ends. Actually, we thought about flying into MCO, but got a better deal the other way that almost paid for our rental car! MCO return was easy. TPA pickup just as easy and flawless. I think you won't have ANY trouble.

 

[Schmeck]

Sorry to rain on your parade... but doesn't taking the bus from the airport and then renting a car when you get to WDW kind of defeat the purpose (or at least half the purpose) of renting a car in the first place?

I guess I understand if you really like taking DME... But then wouldn't you also really like taking Disney transportation during your stay?

If you take DME, you don't have to schlep your own luggage through the airport, or wait for it at the carousel.

When taking DME, you get a nice comfy seat and let the bus driver deal with the nasty Orlando traffic, multiple exits, and crossing turnpikes. (Not to mention the road construction they were doing in August!)

OTOH, onsite buses can be extremely crowded, hot, smelly, and time consuming.

 

[Mary*Poppins]

If you take DME, you don't have to schlep your own luggage through the airport, or wait for it at the carousel.

When taking DME, you get a nice comfy seat and let the bus driver deal with the nasty Orlando traffic, multiple exits, and crossing turnpikes. (Not to mention the road construction they were doing in August!)

OTOH, onsite buses can be extremely crowded, hot, smelly, and time consuming.

I just came back from a trip to disney last week and we rented a car, there was no road construction, traffic (we arrived at 9 am also), crossing turnpikes, or anything difficult about the ride to disney.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We are considering renting from onsite mainly due to the fact that there are 5 of us, and I don't think all of us with all of our luggage will fit in a standard vehicle, and the other larger vehicle options are pricey.

I guess one of us could always get the rental and drive while the others and the luggage go on ME. I'll be keeping an eye out closer to the date to figure out our best option. We are going late Jan, so I'm sure there will be some deals to be had.

 

[gwb]

If you take DME, you don't have to schlep your own luggage through the airport, or wait for it at the carousel.

When taking DME, you get a nice comfy seat and let the bus driver deal with the nasty Orlando traffic, multiple exits, and crossing turnpikes. (Not to mention the road construction they were doing in August!)

OTOH, onsite buses can be extremely crowded, hot, smelly, and time consuming.

I totally agree We use DME then rent at WDW. It's much more convienent to let DME handle the luggage and let someone else drive from MCO to the resort. Also agree about the Disney buses. All it took was 1 small ride on te bus instead of using our rental car , with the screaming kids, impatient parents and the wait to get me back to the rental car.

 

[jvptravels]

I used Alamo in August from MCO. I got a great deal on an 8-day rental. The pick-up is just outside of the terminal, and return took about 2 minutes. Driving to Disney is a breeze, and worth $3 in toll each way.

The best thing about renting a car is that you can come and go as you please, without being dependant on busses. One day I took a Disney bus from Epcot to Hollywood Studios. The long walk from Spaceship Earth to the bus stop, the wait and ride, followed by the walk to the entrance to Hollywood Studios took about an hour. On another day I did the same trip with my car in about twenty minutes.

In planning my trip, I got a better rental car rate at the airport than what was available at WDW. The hours were more convenient too. And besides. Who wants to pause their vacation to pick-up a rental car. If you have a large group, I think splitting up the group with DME is a good idea. You will probably get to your resort faster with the rental car, and can check in to your room before the others arrive on the bus.