Cashless toll roads around WDW?

[anonymousegirl]

Hoping for some first hand advice here. Renting a car from MCO, driving to WDW, driving to the parks for a week then driving down to Vero Beach for a couple of days before returning the car to MCO. I am worried about the possibilities of the new cashless unmanned toll booths. I usually carry two dollars in quarters for tolls but was wondering if I need to make alternative arrangements if the cashless system is in effect.

The rental car companies are charging $6.99 per day which I have no intention of paying!
Thanks

 

[seashoreCM]

All the toll booths in the Orlando area accept cash although some are exact change oinly.

At some locations you must go down what looks like an exit ramp to pay tolls using cash (e.g. coins). Slow down and watch for signs. There the main lanes are for electronic tolls only.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Thanks SeashoreCM. I have driven there before and was familiar with the toll exits but I was worried about the rumors of those toll exits going cashless. Thanks for allaying my fears! I'll just throw a roll of quarters in my purse!

 

[gmeh1]

Hoping for some first hand advice here. Renting a car from MCO, driving to WDW, driving to the parks for a week then driving down to Vero Beach for a couple of days before returning the car to MCO. I am worried about the possibilities of the new cashless unmanned toll booths. I usually carry two dollars in quarters for tolls but was wondering if I need to make alternative arrangements if the cashless system is in effect.

The rental car companies are charging $6.99 per day which I have no intention of paying!
Thanks

No cashless tolls in the area yet. Not all car companies are charging 6.99 a day. Alamo, National and Enterprise charge 2.00 a day, max. 6.00 for the entire rental plus your tolls.

 

[OKW Lover]

No cashless tolls in the area yet. Not all car companies are charging 6.99 a day. Alamo, National and Enterprise charge 2.00 a day, max. 6.00 for the entire rental plus your tolls.

Avis is $2 (or maybe $2.50) per day with a maximum of $10 per week. Plus actual tolls of course.

 

[mikehn]

Budget vehicles (at least the one I got) are already equipped with toll transponders mounted on the windshield, right underneath the rearview mirror. The transponder has a toggle switch on it that toggles the unit on/off. At pickup, it should be in the off position as expected. For the duration of our trip, I kept it off and just paid my own tolls. However, you can toggle it on for the convenience if you dont mind paying the convenience fee.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I went with Dollar because it came up with the lowest prices for a van for the 6 of us (using a travel agent discount).

 

[Fire14]

Budget vehicles (at least the one I got) are already equipped with toll transponders mounted on the windshield, right underneath the rearview mirror. The transponder has a toggle switch on it that toggles the unit on/off. At pickup, it should be in the off position as expected. For the duration of our trip, I kept it off and just paid my own tolls. However, you can toggle it on for the convenience if you dont mind paying the convenience fee.

Interesting. WE rented 2 cars from Budget last Sept/Oct and I didn't see a transonder mounted in car and I even said something when I picked up car at mco as I have a sunpass.

 

[Weluvdizney2]

Is it still the case that you can pay with exact change at tolls around WDW?
Thanks!

 

[seashoreCM]

Interesting. WE rented 2 cars from Budget last Sept/Oct and I didn't see a transonder mounted in car and I even said something when I picked up car at mco as I have a sunpass.

There is or was a somewhat manual system where some rental companies had a pre-arranged quantity discount for toll violations. Then, cars had no transponders. The turnpike authorities sent listings of violations every month. The rental companies paid the violations in full first, then matched up the violations with the rental customers, added a surcharge, and sent out invoices to customers.

At least one rental company offered a flat rate plan for a daily rental surcharge; the rental company just absorbed the tolls for that car for that rental period.

One company called their program "plate pass" since the method of matching the tolls to the cars was via the license plate as photographed by the toll booth cameras.

 

[Greysword]

If you go to WDW (or Florida) frequently (annually or more), it may be worthwhile to get a portable SunPass transponder. I picked one up two weeks ago at Publix (live in OR), set it up online, and it is ready to go for our next trip to Orlando. It even allows you to enter expiring car info (start & stop dates), so I could put the rental car info (plate #, make, model, etc) in case the transponder doesn't register and it reads the plate.

I'm keeping the transponder in our Disney box along with the lanyards, gift cards, and other trip stuff.

No soup for you, Mr. rental car company! LOL!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Hertz uses PlatePass, Dollar/Thrifty uses P24, Avis/Budget uses eToll and National/Enterprise/Alamo uses TollPass.

Details for SunPass rates and how it works can be found here:

https://www.sunpass.com/rentalcar

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Is it still the case that you can pay with exact change at tolls around WDW? Thanks!

Yes, cash is accepted at all toll roads in the Orlando area including:
TOLL 408 East-West Expressway
TOLL 414 Apopka Bypass
TOLL 417 Central Florida Greeneway & Seminole Expy.
TOLL 429 Western Beltway
TOLL 451 Apopka Bypass Extension
TOLL 528 Beachline Expressway
TOLL 570 Polk Parkway
Florida's Turnpike
Osceola Parkway

In general, mainline toll plazas are staffed 24/7 and can thus give change while tolls paid on entrance and exit ramps are not staffed and coins are needed.

BobK/Orlando

 

[tkldisney]

We just returned from there and from MCO to WDW via 417 or 528 accept cash & give change. We drove to Boca Raton to visit family via Osceola Parkway to turnpike. There were some exits off Osceola Parkway and the turnpike that DID NOT accept cash. The exit for Vero Beach DOES accept cash. I purchased a transponder and bring with me to use in rental cars when we fly down. The transponder overrides the system in the rental cars so you don't pay any daily fees. I go to sunpass.com on my phone and put in the rental car info (make, model, license numer, & return date & time) before I leave the parking garage. If you don't have smartphone you can call and give them info and you can even do once your at your resort even though you've already gone through toll booth. If you frequent WDW, it's worth getting the transponder just for the convenience of just driving through.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

After reading the description of the Alamo/National/Enterprise portion, I really like this! Since there is no decision to opt in at time of rental, only activates if you go through the pass lanes, I think it will help tourists.

A few years ago, my son and I were in Chicago, scouting apts. for his move and accidentally missed a toll plaza. We were too far in the left lane, and couldn't move 6 or 7 lanes to get to it, too much traffic. I couldn't login online to pay, as we did not have a computer with us, and no smart phones at that time. I got a ticket about a month after the trip, so it was more costly than simply paying the convenience fee + toll.

 

[gmeh1]

After reading the description of the Alamo/National/Enterprise portion, I really like this! Since there is no decision to opt in at time of rental, only activates if you go through the pass lanes, I think it will help tourists.

A few years ago, my son and I were in Chicago, scouting apts. for his move and accidentally missed a toll plaza. We were too far in the left lane, and couldn't move 6 or 7 lanes to get to it, too much traffic. I couldn't login online to pay, as we did not have a computer with us, and no smart phones at that time. I got a ticket about a month after the trip, so it was more costly than simply paying the convenience fee + toll.

It is a great system, but, you should try explaining it to people!!! Even when you hand them the info (we have a small flyer to explain), they still don't get it. It is so simple!!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

It is a great system, but, you should try explaining it to people!!! Even when you hand them the info (we have a small flyer to explain), they still don't get it. It is so simple!!!

OH, my! I hadn't thought of how hard it must be for agents to explain, must make for a long day at times.

 

[gmeh1]

OH, my! I hadn't thought of how hard it must be for agents to explain, must make for a long day at times.

LOL, you have no idea!!! You would think something so simple would be easy, but, it is not. The counter agents don't like to explain it cause they don't make money off it, so, it is left to the exit agents and greeters. And, yes, sometimes it does make for a very long day, especially when you only speak English. We do get a lot of international travelers and that is when it is really a challenge. But, the upside is you get to meet new people.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

LOL, you have no idea!!! You would think something so simple would be easy, but, it is not. The counter agents don't like to explain it cause they don't make money off it, so, it is left to the exit agents and greeters. And, yes, sometimes it does make for a very long day, especially when you only speak English. We do get a lot of international travelers and that is when it is really a challenge. But, the upside is you get to meet new people.

What a great attitude! I'm a people person, too.

Even though the program is simple (what could be easier - you only use it if you want to, no sign up involved!) I can imagine the concept must seem confusing to many, especially those who are in a foreign land. We traveled to Europe after DD graduated high school, and even in London we felt like fish out of water at times.

And then, of course, there are those who are looking for a scam around every corner, lol. We've tried to give away unused fast pass tickets on our way out of the parks, and so many think we are trying to put something over on them.

 

[gmeh1]

What a great attitude! I'm a people person, too.

Even though the program is simple (what could be easier - you only use it if you want to, no sign up involved!) I can imagine the concept must seem confusing to many, especially those who are in a foreign land. We traveled to Europe after DD graduated high school, and even in London we felt like fish out of water at times.

And then, of course, there are those who are looking for a scam around every corner, lol. We've tried to give away unused fast pass tickets on our way out of the parks, and so many think we are trying to put something over on them.

It is a shame that we have become a society of having to be wary of any nice gesture. While it is sometimes difficult to explain the program to our foreign visitors, I find that the US folks are the ones that have the most difficult time getting it. I get the " well xxxxx company charges xxxxx amount" and I have to tell them that we are not that company and this is our program. I think it goes back to what you said, people are looking for a scam, not all, but many. Have a GREAT day!!