Driving to Disney> SunPass worth it?

[Melani]

I was thinking of getting a SunPass mini.
Anyone with real life experience can give me details.
http://www.sunpass.com/index.cfm

http://www.sunpass.com/MiniWebPDF_E.pdf
Is there a set-up charge to open an account?
Is there a fee to "re-load"
How long are they valid?
Are there any other hidden fees?
(like annual serv. chrg. or inactivity fee)
Are they sold in Alabama or online?

 

[Tink901]

It is a easy way for tolls since some tolls don't have staff and if you don't have exact change - you will be mailed a ticket.

I know they are sold in Publix and CVS in FL not sure about online. Also they are sold at the service plazas on the turnpike.

I suggest you call them and see what they say about purchasing it since you are out of state.

There are no fees or surcharges - best to link to a credit card for replenishment so it always has money on it.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[perdidobay]

I live in Tennessee and bought one online. I bought the one you can move from car to car though, as we come down in different vehicles plus we fly and rent cars from time to time. It saves time and money as many tolls are less if paid with a sunpass transponder. Example, several of the 50cent tolls are 25cents with the sunpass.
It's also nice to drive on through at 65 mph instead of having to stop at a booth especially when you are in a hurry.

Just remember the mini is fine as long as you don't remove it from your windshield, doing so ruins it.
I have my account set up so I can add funds via credit card online. Makes it easy as pie. You can check your balance online too and see where your toll was used.

There are no fees to set up the account or maintain it other than the money to reload for the tolls themselves.
They are only sold in Florida and you can't buy the mini online. I see you are in lower Alabama, maybe if you know someone who is heading over to Pensacola or Cantonment or the nearest town to you over the Florida line you can have them buy one at a CVS or Publix while they are there.
Of course if you drive through Florida on your way to WDW you can stop and get one yourself.

 

[SandrA9810]

Just a few reminders.

If you set up the account before 10am, it'll be active by 4pm that day. Anytime after 10am, it'll be active by 6am the following day. I had a heck of a time setting it, even had a couple calls dropped right near the end. I already had it in the windshield and Kari needed it to get home. The guy told me, that if you go through the sun pass lane, it'll take a picture of your tag, then cross refrence it to all accounts, if one in found, then it'll come off your account. And you won't see anything differently.

The min set up is 10$. And you can only add from a start of 10$. If you do the automatic payments, if your account is at 5.00$ it'll charge 10$ to your CC or how ever much you set it up at. Problably not a good idea if you're not going to using the roads often.

The online payment is easy, and it shows you every use and how much the toll was. So you might want to start off online checking your routes and how much the tolls are. Then when you set it up, give yourself about an extra 5$. And don't do the automatic payments. Put a little sticky on your dash some place and mark how many tolls you go through, and for how much. Then at night you can check it against your account by calling or going online.

The one frustrating part is, with the mini stuck to your windshield, if you ever go through a toll and you know there's not enough in the account, it'll still let you pass. If you pay the toll, then you have to send in your reciept and all this other hassle to prove you paid it. One night when I knew the account was low, but didn't know the balance, I waited to go through the toll to pay the lady, and when I got up there, the transponder hit the mini and turned the light green. When I got home and check... my account was under like 2$.

 

[Green Tea]

For driving every day it seems to be a timesaver, but it seems like a lot of trouble to just miss a couple of toll booths on vacation.

 

[horseshowmom]

I live in Tennessee and bought one online. I bought the one you can move from car to car though, as we come down in different vehicles plus we fly and rent cars from time to time. It saves time and money as many tolls are less if paid with a sunpass transponder. Example, several of the 50cent tolls are 25cents with the sunpass.
It's also nice to drive on through at 65 mph instead of having to stop at a booth especially when you are in a hurry.

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. We fly about as often as we drive, and I was concerned about one thing. Don't you have to notify them when you move it from car to car (something about the tag #)/ I thought I read that they only update the system once a day, and I knew there wouldn't be time after I picked up a rental car. From what you're saying, it sounds like you haven't had any issues.

 

[perdidobay]

I've only rented a car once since I got it and had no issues. Once our friends from GA picked us up at MCO to go to Port Canveral for a cruise and I put it in the window of their car for the tolls on 528 and had no issues there either. So far, no problems.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The current price, at most stores, is $25.00 plus tax for the transponder purchase and $25.00 for the initial load to the account. Then you can set up the account online for tracking. My account is set so that any time my balance is under $10.00 it will automatically charge my credit card $40.00.

Mine is held to the windshield by two Velcro strips. If I have reason to use another car, such as a rental, I only have to remove the transponder from my car. I will usually put a couple of Velcro strips on the rental's windshied and attach the transponder behind/above the mirror.

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

We decided to buy one several FLA trips ago. Love the convenience of not having to slow down/stop to pay the many tolls along the way. I only wish EZ-PASS in NY would allow for high-speed passage through the booths!

 

[SandrA9810]

If you get the box, that can be moved from car to car, you generally won't have an issue going thru the plaza. But if something did happen, they would take a picture of the tag and send it to the owner. (I've heard you can go through up to three times before you're sent a ticket)... I won't take any chances though.
In the long run, transponder doesn't work. They send a notice to the rental company, they either pay it or pass it off to you. If they pass it off to you, just give them your account number... and hopefully be done with it.

You can always call and notify them you're driving a rental car and give them the tag number.

I wanna say I heard on the news recently that most rental companies are going to start adding them to the cars, and charge like a 5$ fee to use them. Some say they'll tally the toll charges to be added to the bill, others won't. But orlando has a ton of toll roads, and unless you've got a city map, it might not be easy getting around those tolls.

 

[MomtoGKC]

We got one just for our Disney trips. I think it saves us something like $7-8 each way?

 

[mickeysaver]

For driving every day it seems to be a timesaver, but it seems like a lot of trouble to just miss a couple of toll booths on vacation.

You must have never driven the turnpike before. OMG, I was sweating bullets that I was going to run out of cash. Some of the booths are like less than a mile apart and you are paying such odd varied amounts. Trust me, I will be buying a Sun Pass before we drive down in December.

 

[horseshowmom]

You must have never driven the turnpike before. OMG, I was sweating bullets that I was going to run out of cash. Some of the booths are like less than a mile apart and you are paying such odd varied amounts. Trust me, I will be buying a Sun Pass before we drive down in December.

Also, besides the tolls, another issue is time. When we were there last Christmas, the lines were backed up really far. We were with my mother (who lives in FL and has one in her car), but I remember commenting that I was glad that I wasn't in that line and having to worry about getting back to the airport to turn in a car and get checked in for a flight.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

How does this work? I think going 75 to Wildwood to FL turnpike for about 40 miles and then 429 to Disney we pay less than $5 in tolls.
Do I buy the mini for like $5 and then drive through the special lanes and then reload the return trip through the tolls?
Is it basically a prepaid toll to avoid the lines?

 

[nowellsl]

When I bought my mini I paid $4.99 and got a credit for $4.99 when I registered it. It is definately worth it for me, it was free. Plus you get a discount when you go through the toll booths. For example when you pass through the tolls on the turnpike and it costs $2.50 it only deducts $2.00 from your account. So, it's cheaper and faster. Hard to beat that! You'll need to pick one up before you go - you have to register it and load money into your account and as someone has already mentioned it won't be active until the next day. I bought mine at the Okahumpka service plaza which is a few miles past the entrance to the turnpike at Wildwood.

 

[pixiemagic30]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. We fly about as often as we drive, and I was concerned about one thing. Don't you have to notify them when you move it from car to car (something about the tag #)/ I thought I read that they only update the system once a day, and I knew there wouldn't be time after I picked up a rental car. From what you're saying, it sounds like you haven't had any issues.

I wanted to comment on what I've made bold. You do not have to notify them each time you switch cars. We have two transponders and three cars. We are able to list all the cars on each account (each transponder has it's own account). When we have family down to visit, all we'll have to do is take a transponder out of the window, enter their license plate number and off they go...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

WOW....I didn't know that SunPass had transponders that could be transfered to different cars! I live in SW Fl and we have the LeeWay system. It works with the SunPass tolls, but our transponders are assigned to one car and one car only. You must purchase a transponder for each car you want to use them in. They run $40 per year set up for the first one, then $20 for each additional..then there is a limit on the total per family, before they make you set up an additional account. Then they want $50 on your account to use for the tolls & if you fall below $10 (with auto replenishment) they charge your CC $50 again. They renew every Nov. 1st.... I think I paid $26 each for the actual transponders. I can't remember... Lee County rips you off anyway they can.
FYI..anyone thinking of coming down to visit us over night may be paying a higher bed tax fee too... they are trying to increase it to generate revenue .... instead of making it more inviting to come, they will be pushing tourist away...

 

[horseshowmom]

I wanted to comment on what I've made bold. You do not have to notify them each time you switch cars. We have two transponders and three cars. We are able to list all the cars on each account (each transponder has it's own account). When we have family down to visit, all we'll have to do is take a transponder out of the window, enter their license plate number and off they go...

I think I need to purchase one of these before my next trip. It would be worthwhile for us since we go somewhat regularly.

 

[nowellsl]

How does this work? I think going 75 to Wildwood to FL turnpike for about 40 miles and then 429 to Disney we pay less than $5 in tolls.
Do I buy the mini for like $5 and then drive through the special lanes and then reload the return trip through the tolls?
Is it basically a prepaid toll to avoid the lines?

I just put $20.00 on mine each time and it lasts me several trips. I wouldn't want to have to reload while I'm down there. Yes, it's a way to prepay, also a way to get discounted tolls.

 

[disneyfreak71]

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