Rental car at Dolphin Picked up by valet???

[Claire4dpins]

Hello

We are only having a rental car for two days this trip - on arrival and departure - for the trip to and from the airport (we are coming into Sanford - so can't use ME) so we are going to be returning one car to the Dolphin and picking another one up from there at the end of our trip.

I have just read another post about someones experience of picking up a rental car at the Dolphin, and they said a valet picked up the car for them. I have started a new thread - hope that is OK - because I didn't want to highjack theirs.

Do you have to have a valet bring you the rental car at the Dolphin or can you get it yourself? I have no experience whatever of using valet parking - how does it work? How much do you tip for their service? Us Brits are notorious for under-tipping and we wouldn't want to do that!!
But, to be honest, I would rather if we could just get the car ourselves!

What about returning a rental car to the Dolphin - do you have to use a valet for that? Surely the car would need to be checked by the rental company, they would need to see you put the gas in, had not damaged the car and so on?

Thanks for any help - I just don't know what using a valet involves,
Claire

 

[SB in KY]

We have rented twice from the Dolphin and once they had the car pulled up for us (have no idea who brought it around it as it was already at the curb when we walked out- lined up with several other cars- but no valet was anywhere around so there was no one to give a tip to anyways!!) and the other time they sent us out to the lot to get it ourselves... there were many hotel guests waiting for the valet at the time and I suspect it would have been quite a wait (this was several years ago, so the situation may have changed recently)

If the rental agency (national/Alamo) calls the valet and asks them to bring around the car for you a tip of $2 would be quite adequate (since they will be compensated by the rental agency per car delivered)...if the rental agent gives you the key and directions to the lot and you ask the valet to fetch the car for you then a slightly larger tip would be in order. (if in doubt it would be fine to ask the rental agent what they feel would be an appropriate gratuity for the valet).

I would not stress over it one way or the other.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Hi. I posted the information and wouldn't have minded your question on my thread!

They gave us a ticket at the National counter to give the valet people - telling them which car to bring I assume. We tipped $2, although I am sure that National pays them for this service.

Were I to rent at the Dolphin again, I would check the car carefully before I drove off. We had been at Epcot all day and were hot and tired...I should have checked.

It's very quick and convenient to use the Dolphin. We chose that location over the Car Care Center because it's easy to get to the Dolphin from MGM or Epcot. I think you have to take a shuttle if you use the car care center.

Have a great trip!

 

[Claire4dpins]

Thanks SB in KY & Letsbgoofy for your repiles - never having used valet parking I was not sure what was involved - I do tend to stress about the unknown!!!

Letsbgoofy - we chose to pick up and drop off at the Dolphin for the ease of getting there too! We plan on using the boat from Epcot to get there and we will remember to check the car over - thanks very much!
Claire