DME to on site National Car Rental

[dsnyl4nd]

We are going to Florida in June. National has a better rental car rate than MCO. But, we are going to Sarasota for a few days before staying on site at WDW. Can we use the DME to get somewhere close to the car rental center (at Disney's Dolphin Resort) even though we are not staying on site right away? If not, we could spend the first night at one of the resorts. Then we have an issue going home. We have an early morning flight. We would like to spend all day in the parks, then take DME to the airport. We would keep our bags with us, then take an airport shuttle to a hotel near the airport. The next morning, we would get up early and head to the airport for our flight. Will DME give us a ride to the airport if we aren't flying out until the next day? Thanks for your help.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

You eligibility for Disney's Magical Express (DME) is based on dates of your WDW resort reservations, not on your flight dates.

You can take DME from Orlando international (MCO) to your resort on (or after) you check-in date. You can take DME back to MCO on (or before) your check-out date.

If I'm reading your questions correctly, you want to take DME to WDW several days before your resort check-in date. DME won't let you do that.

Then, you want to take DME back to MCO on your check-out day (later in the day), but you won't fly home until the following morning. That's fine.

 

[goofy4tink]

You get to use DME if you have an active WDW owned resort reservation. Let's put it this way...you are staying at Pop from June 4-8. But you arrive in Florida on June 1. You can use DME from June 4-8, but not before that, nor after that. If you want to use DME to get back to MCO on June 7, you can. But you won't be allowed to use it to get to the WDW area prior to June 4.

Now, if you arrive at MCO on June 1, and need to get to the Dolphin? You can book the Mears shuttle, for about $20 one way, pp. You could leave everyone else at the airport and you could go to the Dolphin, get your car and drive back to pick everyone up.

Or, just rent the car at MCO....you will have to weigh the various costs.

 

[dsnyl4nd]

Thank you. The answers here are a,ways very helpful.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Just wanted to mention if you are looking at car rental rates this far out from your trip you are going to see some high rates. You will find better deals as you trip gets closer. I never book my car until 7-10 days before we leave and my last 5 trips - including the one we just took 2 weeks ago, I have NEVER paid more than $100 for a mid-size weekly rental with Alamo.

So have patients the rates will get better. In the mean time look on the board for June discount codes. Some one will start a thread for June car rental if they haven't already.

I would join the free Insiders program with Alamo. They give better discounts/coupons than the offer to the general public.

 

[Greysword]

This seems like a lot of extra travel time. How much would it cost to fly into Sarasota/Bradenton or Tampa, then do a one-way rental?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Another problem is the 'spend all day in the parks" DME works off of flight schedules. They don't have a 10 PM bus for folks who need a ride to an airport hotel. SORRY, but I have tried this

 

[dsnyl4nd]

Thank you for the advice regarding watching the rental car rates and coupon codes. I will check that out.

When we made our flight reservations, we did check out flying into Sarasota. When we first looked, it was a better deal. But we waited too long, and the good rate went away.

Good point about the bus schedule. How can I find out when the last bus departs?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Good point about the bus schedule. How can I find out when the last bus departs?

Call Disney's Magical Express Guest Services at (866) 599-0951.

There are DME motorcoaches heading from WDW back to MCO well into the late evening to pick up arriving passengers. Usually, such motorcoaches are empty because there are very few late departures from MCO. But what you're doing is not that unusual. The regular WDW resort reservation agents might not know the answer, but DME Guest Services should be able to help you.

The only time I ever booked a late departure from WDW was when DME was brand new. I had no trouble reserving a 9:30 p.m. pickup from my resort, but I was warned not to be late because a later departure would be very unlikely. Things might have changed since then.

Please let us know what DME Guest Services tells you.