One Day Rental Car to Busch Gardens -- is it doable?

[SqueakBC]

Staying at Caribbean Beach Resort in October, and we're thinking of trying to get to Busch Gardens. Last trip we did Seaworld with no problems -- just a quick painless taxi trip and we were all set, but given the distance from WDW to Tampa, Busch Gardens is obviously a different story.

Our question is this: has anyone rented a car for just one day for the drive to Busch Gardens? In theory, it looks possible, given the available rental car places onsite or nearby, but is it reasonable to try to pick up a rental first thing in the morning, drive to Busch Gardens, enjoy the day, then drive back again and return the rental car that evening?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[OKW Lover]

Yes, this is easily doable. The drive from WDW to Busch Gardens will be 60-75 minutes. Many car rental locations have provisions for after-hours drop off (but you should check with the agency). Another option is to just keep the car until the following morning and drop it off within 24 hours from when you pick it up.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

In theory, it looks possible, given the available rental car places onsite or nearby, but is it reasonable to try to pick up a rental first thing in the morning, drive to Busch Gardens, enjoy the day, then drive back again and return the rental car that evening?

Car rental locations at WDW tend to close for the day around 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can return your car after hours, in which case it will be checked in (and your bill closed out) when the office reopens the next morning.

The problem with returning in the evening is that there will be no car rental shuttle service back to your resort.

Car rental rates are normally based on 24-hour increments, so if you rent in the morning, you have until 24 hours later to return the car and still pay for just just one rental day.

If you still want to return your car after hours, pick a rental agency that's in walking distance from the WDW bus stop at Downtown Disney (near Rainforest Cafe). Another option is using Alamo/National at the WDW Dolphin which is near DHS -- but that only works if you return from Tampa before DHS closes.

For more about car rentals at WDW, see "Car rental locations for WDW…" at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2927109

 

[SqueakBC]

Many thanks, both! We appreciate the help. Nice to know it's a possibility if we want to try it.

 

[sympatico]

I think there's a free shuttle that will take you to Busch Gardens:
http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa/Park-Info/Know-Before-You-Go
Busch Gardens Shuttle

Mears Destination Services offers round trip motor coach transportation from several convenient Orlando area locations to Busch Gardens.

Transportation is complimentary with any purchased Busch Gardens admission ticket. Reservations are highly recommended, due to demand.

Number of stops for each shuttle are not determined until day of trip. Your shuttle could potentially have a maximum of 3 stops on the route. For additional information, including pickup time and locations, please call 1-800-221-1339 or visit Mears Destination Services.

 

[SqueakBC]

Thanks sympatico. Much appreciated. Definitely useful information.

 

[PoohLover78]

We have used the Busch Gardens shuttle in the past. Our pickup was at the Outlets at Vineland (but apparently, that stop no longer exists?!?). We went during off times, so their 9am pickup in Orlando and 5:30pm return time in Tampa (before park closure) didn't bother us much. Everything was walk-on that day.

That said, we all said that if we were to do it again, we'd probably get a rental car the next time. It's just more convenient to do. They only have a few pickup places in Orlando (no direct hotel pickup) which means wherever you are staying, you will have to get there. We stayed at the Marriott Village off Vineland when we did Busch Gardens so getting there was a short 10 mins walk. There is NO pickup at WDW with the free shuttle, so if you are staying on-property, you are looking at a cab ride to wherever the closest pickup point would be.