First Time - Car Rental

[rachdd]

Looking for any advice! We are renting a car for the first time (mainly for convience so I can visit the different resorts) for our December trip that DH and I are only bringing our 5yr old. We are flying Jet Blue and should land at MCO around 7:40 PM. I have reserved a car using a code from Budget but I noticed that it is about the same amount using Alamo Disney Car Care. My initial thought is it will be more convenient to just for-go ME and get the car at the airport but we are getting in so late that we really wont use it that night. So... what would you do and am I not thinking of something??

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Donna M]

I would rent the car the night you arrive so that you can just go straight to your hotel and not deal with getting to Alamo later. You can stop at a grocery store too if you need to pick up anything.

Most likely you don't need to get the extra insurance they will try to sell you. Be very careful and attentive when you are talking to the rep at the counter, they could try to sneak one by you. That almost happened to us, but I caught it when they said, "So you'll only take the basic whatever.." We didn't want anything extra!

You don't need any toll transponders. You can pay any tolls going to WDW by staying to the right and paying cash which you should get a receipt for in case you have a problem later, which happened when they said my BIL didn't pay.

Keep checking prices as your date gets closer, since the price could easily drop.

If you drive into a park make sure you have the hotel pass in your window since you get free parking.

 

[ajpa]

I have reserved a car using a code from Budget but I noticed that it is about the same amount using Alamo Disney Car Care.

In that case then the Alamo at the airport should be even cheaper? If you join Alamo Insiders (free) you get the second driver free btw.
Also I know you didn't ask but if you are a costco or bj's member, check their site for coupons.

 

[iluveeyore]

We just rented from Alamo at MCO for a week, and returned it to the Car Care Center at Disney so we had the ease of taking the Magic Express back to the airport - I had reserved a car at the CCC for a day for $42, but through the help of the DIS, using codes posted on here and through Mousesavers.com, I used a great deal of patience and just 3 weeks out from our trip, was able to get a mid-size for $80 all in! And when we got to the airport, they even offered us a bunch of mini-vans in the midsize row, but it was just the two of us, so we opted for a Chevy Malibu, which we loved. So go ahead and book, but keep checking and you'll be able to get a great rate I'm sure!