M.E. Question

[sneetch]

Staying at POR 8/20-8/25; however we will be flying into MCO a couple days early to visit with family that live in the Tampa area. We will need to rent a car for those couple of days. Once in Disney we don't want the car. So I'm thinking we could rent a car at the airport then on the day we're scheduled to check-in at POR return the car at MCO and take the magical express. Can this be done? Or does Disney only allow you to utilize the M.E. on the day you're actually flying in? Is there an easier way that I'm just not thinking of?

 

[zurgswife]

If you are checking into the Disney hotel for the first time that day, there shouldn't be a problem.

If you will be renting the car then staying at Disney, why not pick one of the local companies and return it there onsite or DTD. National, Dollar are ones off the top of my head I can think of...rather then going back to MCO

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

If you are checking into the Disney hotel for the first time that day, there shouldn't be a problem.

I agree.

If sneetch is going off-site for several nights and then moving to an on-site Disney-operated resort for a number of nights, sneetch could return the car at the airport on the day that sneetch is checking in at a Disney resort, and could use Magical Express to get there (and to return to the airport at the end of the stay).

If you will be renting the car then staying at Disney, why not pick one of the local companies and return it there onsite or DTD. National, Dollar are ones off the top of my head I can think of...rather then going back to MCO

If sneetch is renting the car at the airport, it may be cheaper to return it to the airport too.

For example, by returning my Hertz car to the airport location rather than to the Hertz WDW-Kissimmee location on Irlo Bronson Hwy, my rate is over $100 lower for my 5-day car rental prior to our WDW stay. So it makes sense for me to swing by the resort on check-in day, unload my family and luggage, return the car at the airport Hertz location, and use Magical Express to get back to the resort. I called Magical Express to make sure that it would not be a problem; I was told I could use Magical Express to get from the airport to my resort on my check-in day regardless of how arrived at the airport.

On the other had, if the car rate had been similar if I ended my rental at the Hertz WDW-Kissimmee location, I would have done that. Hertz has a shuttle to take customers to WDW resorts.

Something that isn't possible is to take Magical Express to Disney several days before checking in, in order to rent a car at Disney (so that the car can be retuned at Disney).

 

[sneetch]

Thanks for the information. I didn't even realize you could rent cars in Disney World. Will probably just rent at the airport if it's cheaper like Horace says it is.

 

[goofy4tink]

Besides the fact that you will have to drive right through WDW on the return to MCO...adding a bunch of time to the trip...25 minutes past WDW back to MCO, wait for the bus, 30 minutes back to the resort.
I would just plan on returning the car to one of the spots around WDW, as long as they have transport to get you back to your resort. You can also head to POR and unload your stuff.
Too bad you didn't fly directly into Tampa...that would have been ideal. You could still use DME for the return to MCO.

 

[sneetch]

I haven't actually booked airfare yet. Why do you think it would be ideal for me to fly into Tampa? If I fly into Tampa and rent a car there, I would have to keep the car the whole week, in order to have transportation back to the Tampa airport. I was also thinking that it would cut into time on our last day there, cause we would have to leave extra early to make it to the airport on time.

 

[goofy4tink]

I haven't actually booked airfare yet. Why do you think it would be ideal for me to fly into Tampa? If I fly into Tampa and rent a car there, I would have to keep the car the whole week, in order to have transportation back to the Tampa airport. I was also thinking that it would cut into time on our last day there, cause we would have to leave extra early to make it to the airport on time.

You can book arrival into Tampa and the depart from Orlando. We flew into Orlando last month, did our WDW thing, rented a car from the Dolphin on a Friday, drove to Tampa first thing on Sat, spent two days visiting my ds, dropped the car off at Tampa Intnl, and flew home. It was really a great way to do it.

So, you could fly into Tampa, rent a car, visit the family, drive the 90 minutes or so to WDW. Go to POR, check in, then drive to the Dolphin, return the car and head to MGM or Epcot and take a bus back to POR when you are ready. Or return the car to the CCC and they will shuttle you back to POR. Then you can take DME back to Orlando Intl for the flight home. But you do have to let DME know that you will be riding with them...you can get in touch with them a day or two before you leave the resort.

 

[zurgswife]

I have also flown into Tampa rented a car for a few days and returned at the local office. Previously I found dollar worked out great price wise for this type of rental. I then returned car enjoyed my WDW vacation and then took ME to the MCO airport for my return flight home.

 

[sneetch]

That's a good idea, I'll have to look into doing that.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thanks for the information. I didn't even realize you could rent cars in Disney World. Will probably just rent at the airport if it's cheaper like Horace says it is.

sneetch,

You've received a lot of good advice in this thread, including the idea of flying into Tampa, returning the rental car at or near WDW, and then flying home from MCO.

In my case, the Hertz rate (for my dates, car type, and rate plan) was much lower if I rented and returned at MCO. However, you may have a different experience.

Another factor will be the cost of flying into Tampa instead of MCO. I've seen Tampa higher, lower, and the same price as MCO.