New to Car Rental - Advise

DisneyNevous

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 29, 2023
We are 60+ years old and have never rented a car. We are totally overwhelmed with all the reading and researching we have done. We think we want to rent a car at Port Canaveral on a Saturday and return it to the Disney World Car Care Center on Tuesday - 4 days. Would it be cheaper after the cruise to go to Disney World and rent the car and drive back to Cocoa Beach to stay for the 4 days and then drive to Disney World and return the car to the same place we rented it. What is the traffic like between Port Canaveral and Disney World? How long does it really take to drive it? What is the easiest way to pay tolls for out of state people in a rental car? Are there cash lanes or debit card lanes? Is there a better company to go with in the area? What would you tell / share with a new to car rental family? TIA !!
 
- most companies do not charge a fee for a one way rental in the Orlando / Port Canaveral areas but it is worth ASKING when you book ..... folks do one way rentals here ALL THE TIME

- The drive from the port/Cocoa Beach to WDW is about 75 ~ 90 minutes ... it is mostly toll roads

- on the toll roads you'd probably take, cash tolls remain an option (not so in other parts of Florida) ... IF you go direct Port to WDW. Exiting someplace in between however COULD be a cashless situation .... There are attended and exact change lanes on the main highway ... exact change is usually faster (could be a queue at the attended) ... a roll of quarters will get you one way EASILY. No checks, debit or credit cards. (recommended route from Port to WDW is SR-528 (toll) west towards the airport then 417 (toll) 'south' and follow the signs to WDW property. If you find you're on I-4 from 417, you missed Disney and are on your way to Tampa! There are multiple ways in to WDW from 417 as the property is HUGE. be careful if using a phone map 'app' as every time I go there it seems they've changed the roads so app is inaccurate and I find the place 'over signed' to the point of confusion!!)

- IF choosing to pay cash be aware that on these toll roads the electronic lanes go 'straight' and the PAY lanes look like an exit ....
toll 1.jpgtoll 2.jpg

- In general EVERY RENTAL CAR is set up to pay the tolls electronically so the rental company never gets a ticket for non-payment of a toll. They use a third party service to collect the tolls from you. How much they charge you for this 'service' varies widely. Some charge a daily fee only on days you use the service (encounter a toll) and the fee covers you for 24 hours from first payment. Others charge a daily fee for every day of the contract ..... does not matter if you USE the service or not. This website provides information about who charges what for the major rental companies and options for rentals in general. https://www.sunpass.com/en/tolls/rentalVehicles.shtml

- You can order a Florida SUNPASS online and have it mailed to you and use it in the rental car ...... if you will return with any frequency it is a good thing to consider.

- Personally I find Enterprise/National/Alamo to have the most reasonable cost system with a $4 fee ONLY on days you encounter a toll - plus the tolls at cash rate ...... you need do nothing ahead of time to set this up. It just happens like magic!

- your choices at Port Canaveral / Cape Canaveral:
> Enterprise / Alamo / National > shared office and shuttle IN the port <but not walkable from DCL terminal>
everyone else is outside the port but no more than a 10 minute ride in provided shuttle
> Budget
> Dollar/Thrifty > shared location
> AVIS

be sure you book the Port Canaveral or Cape Canaveral location. Some have offices in Cocoa as well but these locations are further away from the port.
 
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Captain BJ - Thank you for your service to our nation. Thank you for being so helpful. We have gone back to your response many, many times today. Your information was very helpful and critical to our understanding and booking our rental car. Thank you does not say enough. We will be sure to pass on any knowledge we have to someone posting a clueless shout out for help on another Disney trip topic, of course! This is part of a big Florida trip - WDW, Disney Cruise, NASA, Cocoa Beach. We are from rural Kansas and our daughter is graduating high school. This is a celebration and reward trip. She is a wonderful person and terrific student. We are Disney Lovers, but do not get to go much with the cost to get to Florida. Thanks Again, The Lowe Family
 
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If you have never rented a car before, there are a few things I would keep in mind. You do NOT need to pay extra for the so-called 'insurance' they try to make you purchase. Decline any of the add-ons they typically try to push on you, none of those things are really necessary. Normal car insurance (or even coverage from one of your credit cards) already covers you when driving a rental car. Always return the car with a FULL tank of gas to avoid excessive fees/charges from the rental company.

Walk around the car BEFORE driving off to inspect for any obvious damage. Either refuse to take that car or request a different one if you notice any obvious exterior damage. ALWAYS get a printed receipt when you return the vehicle. Major rental companies have employees with those small/handheld devices at the return area to print you a receipt. Verify the ending mileage is correct, no added fees were charged and that the car indicates FULL when returned. Never leave the car without getting a receipt from one of their employees.
 


It's possible but not likely that there would be a one way charge between Port Canaveral and MCO. I and many others use www.autoslash.com to see rates and book a rental. You enter when and where you will pick up and drop off, they look through thousands of publicly available discounts and find you the lowest price. Car rental companies can pretty much be put into tiers, you want to stay within the two highest tiers, the major companies and their subsidiaries. The majors are Hertz, National and Avis. The subsidiaries are Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Alamo and Budget. Once you book a rental, have Autoslash track the rental to look for price drops.
Join the loyalty program of whatever company you choose before you book the rental. You may get different perks or discounts by being a member.
I take my cell phone and take a video walking around the car so that even if I don't see any damage I can compare what the car looks like when I picked it up, dropped it off and any pictures of damage the company tries to bill me for. I've never had a damage claim on a rental, they aren't that common, but they do happen occasionally.
Do you want easiest way to deal with tolls or the cheapest? The easiest would be to just drive through and let the rental company bill you later. The cheapest is to bring a transponder from home, sign up for one while you're in FL or add an extra 30-45 minutes to take a route that doesn't have tolls. If you have a K Tag, that will work in FL.
I haven't found traffic to be bad between Port Canaveral and WDW, but it can be horrible at both places. I usually zip along 528 at 70-80 MPH.
Check your personal auto insurance and see how well it covers you in a rental. Take a look at what credit cards you hold and what coverage they have. Some Chase cards have Primary rental car insurance automatically, most AMEX cards have Primary insurance you can purchase for a very reasonable rate. By being primary, if something happens you wouldn't even have to tell your insurance company at home.
When you return the car, I always take another quick video of walking all around the car as well as the odometer reading and fuel level.
 
I'm going to disagree with PP. I think car rentals HAVE started charging for one way rentals in Florida. I rented in Tampa last January, and was charged more to drop off at the Bradenton airport than to return to Tampa.

Just for grins, I did a online check w/Alamo. Picking up at Port Canaveral and Returning to Disney Car Care Center:
1680181062942.png
Compare that to pickup and return at PC:
1680181090051.png

Here's pickup/drop off at Car Care Center:
1680181193907.png

Quite a difference. Yes, same dates, same pickup/drop off times. It's easy to compare on line. The above took me less than a minute.

However, the distance between PC and WDW is ~ 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. I'm personally willing to spend the extra money to not have to make a 2-3 hour extra RT to pickup/drop off at the same location.

As far as tolls, I agree with @EACarlson, either get/bring a transponder with you (Epass, Sunpass) or just accept the extra charge from the rental agency. I think most charge you a flat fee for each day you USE a toll. So if you have the car for four days, but only go through tolls on one day, you only pay one day of the fee. Check that though (also available online).
 
I'm going to disagree with PP. I think car rentals HAVE started charging for one way rentals in Florida. I rented in Tampa last January, and was charged more to drop off at the Bradenton airport than to return to Tampa.

However, the distance between PC and WDW is ~ 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. I'm personally willing to spend the extra money to not have to make a 2-3 hour extra RT to pickup/drop off at the same location.

As far as tolls, I agree with @EACarlson, either get/bring a transponder with you (Epass, Sunpass) or just accept the extra charge from the rental agency. I think most charge you a flat fee for each day you USE a toll. So if you have the car for four days, but only go through tolls on one day, you only pay one day of the fee. Check that though (also available online).
I've been checking for a couple of months between TPA and dropping in MCO, and definitely seeing higher prices than MCO/drop off MCO.

The same goes for dropping or picking up at the Disney Car Care Center in WDW to or from MCO.
 


I'm going to disagree with PP. I think car rentals HAVE started charging for one way rentals in Florida. I rented in Tampa last January, and was charged more to drop off at the Bradenton airport than to return to Tampa.

Just for grins, I did a online check w/Alamo. Picking up at Port Canaveral and Returning to Disney Car Care Center:
View attachment 749621
Compare that to pickup and return at PC:
View attachment 749622

Here's pickup/drop off at Car Care Center:
View attachment 749623

Quite a difference. Yes, same dates, same pickup/drop off times. It's easy to compare on line. The above took me less than a minute.

However, the distance between PC and WDW is ~ 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. I'm personally willing to spend the extra money to not have to make a 2-3 hour extra RT to pickup/drop off at the same location.

As far as tolls, I agree with @EACarlson, either get/bring a transponder with you (Epass, Sunpass) or just accept the extra charge from the rental agency. I think most charge you a flat fee for each day you USE a toll. So if you have the car for four days, but only go through tolls on one day, you only pay one day of the fee. Check that though (also available online).
I think it’s a matter of semantics. There are no separate line item drop off fees for those quotes that use the different pick up and drop off locations, but the rental fees themselves reflect different rates depending on how the rental is booked.

We have had rentals where WDW pick up and airport drop off was less expensive than airport-to-airport rentals, rather than the reverse. I have a reservation for a July rental for such a booking right now, where it’s cheaper to pick up in WDW and drop off at the airport than it would be for an airport pick up and drop off. This is a double benefit in the particular instance, since the pick up will be at the end of a WDW resort stay, followed by another week of vacation where we need a car. I avoid having to pay for transport to the airport to pick up a car and pay less for the rental in the bargain. On the other hand, I will lose the ability to pick my own rental car from the designated aisle, so a somewhat less flexible option in that regard, I think it is all managed by the reservation computer based on how many cars they expect to have at the off-airport location in WDW on the particular day. I saw the weekly rate double from one day (when I booked) to the next (when I rechecked to see of it happened to go down).
 
If you're unsure about implementing all the above tips and tactics, I'd go with what makes me the least nervous about whether I'm doing it right. I'd take that rental company's Collision Damage Waiver insurance--probably cost you $25/day, but you can avoid worrying about whether your personal insurance will cover it or whether you're going to have to run the gauntlet with your credit card company to get things taken care of. And I'd take the rental car company's deal on tolls, too (unless you have time to figure out and receive a Sun Pass transponder). So, for $150 (ish?) you're on autopilot (not like Tesla autopilot....) with respect to the rental car. One other thing--some rental companies offer a "Fuel Option," meaning you pay them upfront for the gas in the car (usually at a very fair price) and you return it with whatever's left in the tank. You can bring it back on fumes if you like. My tips. are more expensive than some of the above, but Disney trip planning is complicated enough that I'll spend a small fraction of the overall vacation cost for a bit more peace of mind.
 
I think it’s a matter of semantics. There are no separate line item drop off fees for those quotes that use the different pick up and drop off locations, but the rental fees themselves reflect different rates depending on how the rental is booked.

We have had rentals where WDW pick up and airport drop off was less expensive than airport-to-airport rentals, rather than the reverse. I have a reservation for a July rental for such a booking right now, where it’s cheaper to pick up in WDW and drop off at the airport than it would be for an airport pick up and drop off. This is a double benefit in the particular instance, since the pick up will be at the end of a WDW resort stay, followed by another week of vacation where we need a car. I avoid having to pay for transport to the airport to pick up a car and pay less for the rental in the bargain. On the other hand, I will lose the ability to pick my own rental car from the designated aisle, so a somewhat less flexible option in that regard, I think it is all managed by the reservation computer based on how many cars they expect to have at the off-airport location in WDW on the particular day. I saw the weekly rate double from one day (when I booked) to the next (when I rechecked to see of it happened to go down).
Yes, you're probably correct, it is just semantics and there's no "one way" line item. BUT, IMO, if it costs more to pick up at one location and drop at a different location vs pick up/drop off at the same location, that's a "one way" charge.

It's very easy to check online what the most cost (and time) efficient options are.
 
Here's what I do;
  1. I go on Expedia/Travelocity/Kayak etc. and CHECK the rental car prices once I've put in my trip. I then;
  2. GO directly to the car rental agency with the best price and book the car rental - I NEVER pay for it up front, because I then;
  3. GO to Autoslash and enter my car rental there to track for better rates. Once they find the better rate, I;
  4. re-book with the better rate, cancel the higher rate rental, then go back on Autoslash and re-enter my rental at the better rate
  5. repeat...
I save $100s this way on nearly every rental.
You might also want to check rentals from somewhere on-the-way or nearby. For example, in Denver I will rent a cheap car from the airport, then drive 1 hour to Colorado Springs and trade the car at the airport there (I am usually headed that way - it's not out of the way). I have saved over $1000 on a week-long rental doing that, and yes, I returned the car to Denver. I even called the rental place (Avis) and told them I was going to do that, hoping they'd match the CS rate in DEN. Their response; sounds like a good idea, go ahead.

As others have mentioned, do not fall for buying insurance - it is usually covered either with your personal car insurance or your credit card. NEVER pay for the gas up front - you would have to bring it in on fumes for that to work out in your favor, and the gas price they list at the counter even for pre-pay is always higher than what you will find driving around.

If you walk into the Rental car building and there is a huge line for the rental place you are using, but nobody is at the one right next to it, take your agreement to the one with no line and see if they will match. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. It does not hurt to ask, and you could save yourself a long wait in line just by doing that. SO many are affiliated with one another these days that they really aren't losing your business if you do that anyway.

Finally, go with the big car rental places. If it has bad reviews on Travelocity etc. there is a very good reason for it.
 
My 'insurance card' has on it: Policy coverages extend to a rental car. But rules differ from state to state and policy to policy so if not SURE check with your company.

The insurance the rental company sells is IMPORTANT if you don't have car insurance ...... but if you DO you may very well be covered ..... they don't make this very clear .......
 
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the 'one way fee' thing may be MOOT post COVID.

B4 COVID you were able to do one day rentals in the port area for under $50 .. often as little at $29 a day. These were the days where the rental companies would advertise a 'day' price but if you did not return to the same location an additional fee was often applied. This mattered in the Port C' to MCO situation and while many said there were no one way drop fees anywhere in FL I did NOT find this to be the case ..... PC to MCO no additional fee but MCO to Tampa yep . .

Post COVID the pricing structure has changed a good bit and as far as I can tell finding a rental for $29 a day in the greater Orlando / Port Can' area is a thing of the past. And rates will vary depending on your specific pickup and drop off locations. IOWs WDW or MCO to PC/COCOA will probably cost different then WDW to Tampa ..... and could vary from day to day!!!

I somewhat routinely use rentals to go 'tween Melbourne International and MCO <cheaper than parking my car for a couple of weeks> and the price varies . . .
 
Here's what I do;
  1. I go on Expedia/Travelocity/Kayak etc. and CHECK the rental car prices once I've put in my trip. I then;
  2. GO directly to the car rental agency with the best price and book the car rental - I NEVER pay for it up front, because I then;
  3. GO to Autoslash and enter my car rental there to track for better rates. Once they find the better rate, I;
  4. re-book with the better rate, cancel the higher rate rental, then go back on Autoslash and re-enter my rental at the better rate
  5. repeat...
Why bother with steps 1 and 2? Why not just go to Autoslash and get the initial quote from them?
 
Let me know if you want some suggestions for your Cocoa Beach stay .... I'm a local . . .
 
at the top right you should see a mail type ICON. This is to initiate a 'conversation' which is kinda sorta messaging. I've used it before but for some reason my attempt to open a conversation with you is denied. You can try to open with me - I've had dozens so if it is a settings thing I know I'm not blocking . . .
 
at the top right you should see a mail type ICON. This is to initiate a 'conversation' which is kinda sorta messaging. I've used it before but for some reason my attempt to open a conversation with you is denied. You can try to open with me - I've had dozens so if it is a settings thing I know I'm not blocking . . .
They may not have the requisite posts necessary for PM's to be enabled yet.
 

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