Locking into rising gas prices?

[Pooh's Pal]

Anyone used the lockin prices for gas on car rentals lately?

A few weeks ago I looked into a reservation for Alamo or National (checked both) and gas was $2.71..I asked a friend and she said, No, don't do that....you'll only use about 1/2 tank MCO-WDW and return. Now looking at those same sites, it's up to $3.02.

Anyone used this before and if so good deal? Should I bother to add it onto my reservation...I'm thinking prices will go up another 10cents by Sunday!!

Thinking maybe ME is a better option, but I do love having a car.

 

[Michael623]

The problem I have with the gas prepay is you're paying for an entire tank so unless you can coast it in on fumes when returning you're never really getting your money's worth.

 

[Pooh's Pal]

Thanks for the reply...that's how I feel also.
I just checked on gasbuddy.com and the prices near Disney are anywhere from 2.81 to 2.89 so, hopefully by next week they won't raise that much, but the summer scares me...no matter where you are!

 

[katallo]

We just returned. We filled up before we returned the car. We found that there were good prices on 535 (by the Walmart). I was apprehensive about filling up close to Disney, but tank still registered full when we arrived at the airport.

 

[seashoreCM]

I estimate that the cheapest gas station in the vicinity must have gone up to be more than 40 cents above the tankful price you locked into with your car rental in order for you to win.

Example (math Ph.D. required): You lock in $3.00 per gallon. A typical rental car holds 15 gallons so you are charged $45. for the tankful. Generally if you make a reasonable effort to use up the gas but not experience the anxiety and fear of running out of gas, there will be two gallons left behind so the 13 gallons you used really cost you $3.46 per gallon.

My experience with rental cars has been about 30 miles per gallon for Disney type driving including some freeway driving. You would need to put about 400 miles on the car, this means considerable off site activity, to make good use of the prepaid tankful.

>>> apprehensive ...

Fill up at Disney the night before. If time permits which it should if you plan reasonably carefully, top off close to the airport. When we say to leave Disney 2-1/2 hours before flight time, that means having the rental car in gear and moving out of the parking space, not starting to walk from your last ride to the park exit.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Cheap gas station? One's at the northwest quadrant of the interchange (#9) of 528 and Conway Rd., 2 miles from the airport. Leave Disney via I-4 East to 528 (Beach Line fka Bee Line) to get there.

Then take the little side road that runs north of and parallel to 528 to complete the journey to the airport and you will have paid just one 75 cent toll.

 

[Michael623]

I typically rent a mid-sized or below and I usually hit one of the 3 Hess stations on property before heading for the airport and the needle has never moved. That being said when I rented form Dollar in December I was told that I need to show a receipt from a station within 5 miles of the airport. Although I was never asked for it, it made me nervous. If you're concerned about this and you take the southern route (417?) back to MCO when you get off at the airport exit instead of going left towards MCO take a right and there is a 7-11 about a mile down on the right.