Car rental

[sbevione]

Does anyone have advice on where/how to get the best car rental rate? We are coming in July, and will be there for 8 days/7 nights (Tues-Tues). We have 3 adults and two children, so need a fairly large vehicle. Any way to get rates cheaper than what I am finding on Hotwire/Travelocity/Expedia etc.... ?

 

[Badge]

Are you just staying at Universal or touring the Orlando area?

If you are just going to Universal, you might want to think about just taking a taxi or shuttle service. Universal charges $15 a night if you are staying onsite to park the car. For a 7 night trip, thats an extra $105. We normally never rent a car just for this reason. You have everything you need on Universal Resort grounds (Tons of places to eat) and most of them are not any more expensive than the other Orlando area restaurants. Of course, if you do not have a car, make sure to tell them at check in and they will remove the $15 a night charge from your bill.

If you are not staying onsite or will be going to more places than Universal, I can not be of much help. Try looking at the car rental companies websites directly. Also, google the company with the word discount and you might find some coupon or promo codes you can use when booking online to save some money. Most of the time (not always, but normally) it is the same price (or cheaper) booking from the company direct. Also, most companies like hotwire and orbits require you to pay in full when booking, but booking from the company direct might allow you to pay once you arrive (or even return the car for the week).

 

[sbevione]

Are you just staying at Universal or touring the Orlando area?

If you are just going to Universal, you might want to think about just taking a taxi or shuttle service. Universal charges $15 a night if you are staying onsite to park the car. For a 7 night trip, thats an extra $105. We normally never rent a car just for this reason. You have everything you need on Universal Resort grounds (Tons of places to eat) and most of them are not any more expensive than the other Orlando area restaurants. Of course, if you do not have a car, make sure to tell them at check in and they will remove the $15 a night charge from your bill.

If you are not staying onsite or will be going to more places than Universal, I can not be of much help. Try looking at the car rental companies websites directly. Also, google the company with the word discount and you might find some coupon or promo codes you can use when booking online to save some money. Most of the time (not always, but normally) it is the same price (or cheaper) booking from the company direct. Also, most companies like hotwire and orbits require you to pay in full when booking, but booking from the company direct might allow you to pay once you arrive (or even return the car for the week).

Thanks Badge! We are not staying onsite, we are staying at the Doubletree at the Entrance to Universal. They charge $9/day for parking. We also plan to go to Sea World, Aquatica, Wet and Wild, and Downtown Disney. When I factor in shuttle costs from the airport to the hotel, taxi cost to downtown Disney, and the fact that we would miss out on early entry using the shuttle to get to IOA (because it only runs during regular park operating hours) I think renting a car will be worth it.

 

[Badge]

Yes, renting a car will be worth it for all you want to do.

Also, the early entry is only for On-site hotel guests! If the park opens at 9am, only on-site hotel guests can get into the park at 8am. I think if you book the Harry Potter package from Universal's website and stay offsite you also get this perk, but I am not sure. So, since you are staying offsite, you will most likely not be able to enter the park until it opens at 9am unless of course you booked the Harry Potter Package from Universal.

 

[sbevione]

Yes, renting a car will be worth it for all you want to do.

Also, the early entry is only for On-site hotel guests! If the park opens at 9am, only on-site hotel guests can get into the park at 8am. I think if you book the Harry Potter package from Universal's website and stay offsite you also get this perk, but I am not sure. So, since you are staying offsite, you will most likely not be able to enter the park until it opens at 9am unless of course you booked the Harry Potter Package from Universal.

Early entry is available for Universal partner hotels as well, as long as you book a package (any package, not just the HP) through Universal's website. They confirmed this for me when I booked, and my receipt specifically says that it includes early entry

 

[dd50]

Early entry is available for Universal partner hotels as well, as long as you book a package (any package, not just the HP) through Universal's website. They confirmed this for me when I booked, and my receipt specifically says that it includes early entry

 

[Badge]

Ah, that is good to know. At first I thought it was just for on-site hotel guests, but then I noticed before I submiited my last post that the HP package offers it for partner hotels. Its good to know that any package will offer this!

 

[hpfan100]

keep looking...prices change day to day. Right now I have a car booked for only part of my trip and I found a good rate direct from budget instead of bidding.

Sign up for memberships to car rental places and see if get any good rates that way. I'd try budget, alamo and national in florida first for rates.

good luck!

 

[dd50]

I haven't looked this year but I find that Alamo is usually the cheapest. If you have a BJ's card you can get a discount through them.

 

[ky07]

You can check hotwire.com for good deals on car rentals and I have stayed at doubletree at the entrance to universal and you may want to check those parking rates cause the last time I stayed there it was $14 a night to park there

 

[ky07]

Thanks Badge! We are not staying onsite, we are staying at the Doubletree at the Entrance to Universal. They charge $9/day for parking. We also plan to go to Sea World, Aquatica, Wet and Wild, and Downtown Disney. When I factor in shuttle costs from the airport to the hotel, taxi cost to downtown Disney, and the fact that we would miss out on early entry using the shuttle to get to IOA (because it only runs during regular park operating hours) I think renting a car will be worth it.

Just checked and they charge $12 a day to self park and $16 a day for valet parking

 

[sbevione]

Just checked and they charge $12 a day to self park and $16 a day for valet parking

Hmm... my reservation email from Universal states $9 a day... hopefully that will be the rate, but if not I suppose that the $21 difference is no big deal. :-/ I just don't think we can go without a car...

 

[ky07]

Hmm... my reservation email from Universal states $9 a day... hopefully that will be the rate, but if not I suppose that the $21 difference is no big deal. :-/ I just don't think we can go without a car...

Looks like we will be there a day ahead of you and we will be at the Holiday Inn across the street from you and we have been going to universal for years now and we never rent a car cause in that area everything is close and if we don't feel like walking we either take the shuttles they have or walk and taxi's cost $5 a trip

 

[Lisa0620]

Not sure if this is true for all time frames, but I was playing around on carrentalsavers.com with different pick-up and drop off locations and it was significantly cheaper to rent a car at one of the universal area hotels than at mco even if you returned the car to mco! Transportation from the airport might eat up all those savings, tho...

 

[5by5]

I've had success with Priceline before. You can also use http://www.rentalcarmomma.com/ to find discount codes.

Tony