EA dilemma, paying vs. waiting?

[skeezixspud]

We're arriving very late on a Friday night, which is something we do fairly often. In the past, we have always been able to reserve a compact and get a larger car than we paid for because there is little choice left by that time, and the cheaper cars go quickly. However, the last 2 times we landed on Friday night, it took us 3 hours to get out of MCO because there was only one clerk on duty and a party of intl. passengers in line in front of us. All of the haggling and insurance discussions took them forever, and they always seem to want to discuss the specifics of the various car models in great detail. We checked in at 3 am with the prospect of our only MK early-entry day staring us in the face 4 hours later (with a preschooler, it's Dumbo or Die). This trip will be the same kind of schedule.

Now I have joined EC, but I'm hesitant about reserving and paying for a full-size just for the convenience of bypassing the counter, when it's almost a certainty that we could end up with that size or better, anyway, while paying for a compact. What do you think? Is it worth the extra $30?

 

[sgtdisney]

Only you can really decide whether the 30.00 is worth it to you. For me, if there is a risk of waiting in line for 2 hours, I think I would opt for the more comfortable car with no wait, and just pay the extra price. Everyone's budget is different though. For me, my time in Orlando is worth the 30.00. Plus you are not only getting the convenience of EA, you are getting a larger and probably more comfortable vehicle.

 

[robinb]

Given that you arrive very late at night when the counter is poorly staffed, I would say that it's worth the extra $30. It took me less than 5 minutes to check out at the gate once I picked my car off the EA.