Extended stay, rental car, Disney Visa, and insurance

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We spoiled ourselves three or four years back by getting a rental car. Now that's become ingrained in our way of DVCing, and I'm reluctant to go back to Disney transportation. On most of our extended trips, we spend a week with just the two of us in a studio, and a second week in a larger unit with family or friends. This has meant that we've usually swapped out a car for a mini-van (or vice versa) mid-trip.

In May, we're doing a rare "just us" trip where we'll be in a studio for the entire stay. We're checking out on Memorial Day, so that's also added an extra day on top of our typical 3-weekend stay. We'll be there 17 days.

Here's the dilemma I'm dealing with. I've always waived any insurance from the rental car company. Between my personal auto insurance policy and using the Disney Visa to rent the car, I had all the bases covered. My insurance extends all of my normal coverage to rental cars. The Disney Visa provides excellent supplemental insurance for rental cars (including loss of use coverage). However, the kicker is that the Disney Visa coverage is only good on rentals of 14 days or less. I've talked to my insurance company, and they don't offer loss-of-use coverage as an option. If not obtained free from the Disney Visa, I'd have to purchase it from the rental car company.

So, do we:

(a) Go back to using Disney transportation. Heck, it was good enough for the first five years we owned DVC. Why do we need a car, now? We're in a studio, so we probably won't be making a big grocery run. Using a cab to get to Sea World isn't that bad, and there aren't any absolute "must do" restaurants out in town that we couldn't live without. On the other hand, it's really, really, really nice to have a car.

(b) Make two rental car reservations and make a trip out to the airport mid-trip to do the swap. This is essentially what we do when we're picking up friends and family from the airport on past trips, and changing the size of the vehicle we had.

(c) Still use two rental car reservations, but ride Magical Express to Saratoga Springs from/to the airport and get rental cars from one of the on-site rental locations. This would make for a shorter drive on the swap-out day, but could impact rates.

(d) Ride Magical Express and use an on-site rental location to get a car for just 14 of our 17 days.

(e) Make a single reservation for airport pickup and live with the lesser coverage of my auto insurance instead of the Disney Visa coverage. Figuring a maximum of one month that the car would be out of service for repairs, what's the max we're talking about for a loss-of-use charge? Maybe $1000? $1500 at the outside? (I'm not a big risk taker, and this would literally weigh on my mind every time I drove the car.)

(f) Pay the rental car company for loss-of-use coverage. (This one's a non-starter because I know they charge an arm and a leg for it. I just include for the sake of covering all the options.)

How have others handled this, or am I the only one who stays up at night thinking about silly stuff like this?

 

[Kidanifan08]

I think I would figure out a way to make it a 14 day rental and just have one vehicle the whole time, with full coverage. We enjoy the DME trip to the resort, so I would take DME from MCO and then probably pick up the vehicle at the Dolphin at the end of the first or second day of my trip. I would try to make that day an Epcot or DHS day, so that I could just walk or boat to the Dolphin to get the car. I would then end my rental on a day that I want to go to Epcot or DHS so I can just drop the car off in the AM and head to one of those parks.

I would definitely be like you, worrying about the liability the whole time. I am not sure what the rental companies charge for loss of use coverage, but I am sure that it would end up being a substantial amount for a 17 day rental.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

There are rental pickup/drop-offs in the Downtown Disney hotel strip, so you would not need to go all the way to the airport. The AAA Car Care Center has Alamo right by MK, and I think there is a shuttle to/from the resorts. I say take ME in, pick up a car a few days later, drop a car off a few days before you leave, and take ME back to the airport. You might find you really only need it a week or so.

 

[Chuck S]

In truth, while I agree having a car is convenient...and when there is more than one person on the trip I drive to WDW if they have the extra time, so I have my own car...the last few trips have been solo. I've flown, and used Magical Express and Disney transportation without any major problems at all.

While I do like having a car better, it really isn't a necessity unless you must do something offsite. Why not use Disney transportation, and then, if you want to go elsewhere rent a car onsite or at a Downtown Disney hotel, for only a few days?

 

[bumbershoot]

(b) Make two rental car reservations and make a trip out to the airport mid-trip to do the swap. This is essentially what we do when we're picking up friends and family from the airport on past trips, and changing the size of the vehicle we had.

First, thanks for bringing it to my awareness that the CC coverage might have limits like that.

Second, the above is what I would do. We do a lot in the area, and could EASILY come up with an errand that could take us past the airport to swap the car out. For us it could be after a Weight Watchers meeting in Hunters Creek, etc etc.

Plus it's fun to try out different cars.

 

[disneynutz]

We rent from Alamo at the Dolphin, and get the car only for the days that we need it for shopping or to go off-site for a meal or other reasons. We also tend to stay at a resort that is close to the park for that vacation. We don't need to hit all of the parks every trip and to be honest, we are in the parks less and less, they never change other than getting more crowded.

Bill

 

[Hopefully]

Did you price the cost of renting on site or did you assume it would cost more?
We have done a one way rental from the Dolphin returning to MCO when we went from BCV to Vero to MCO. I priced it expecting it to be outrageous and planning a trip via ME to MCO to pick up rental on check out of BCV day. The rental from Dolphin returning to MCO was cheaper than the MCO to MCO rental. I don't know if this helps, Maybe I hope so