Rental car for one day

[Christina-B-Na]

First timers headed to WDW later this year. We ( 2 adults, 2 kids) are hoping to rent a car for just a day to do a couple of local activities (like an airboat tour, check out the Disney outlet store) and pick up a few groceries. We would like to pick one up first thing in the AM and drop it back off the same day in the evening so that we don’t have to deal with it the next day and cut in to any park time. Is this an option? Suggestions on where to get the car?
We will be staying at the ASM. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Disney's car care center.

 

[EACarlson]

Disney's car care center.

This. I did almost exactly what you are describing on my 2019 trip. The CCC picked me up at POP, brought me to the CCC where all the paperwork was ready to go, I drove back to POP, picked up the family and off we went. At the end of the day I dropped the care off at the CCC and they brought me back to POP, or maybe it was DS, wherever my family was that night. Cost me slightly more than it would have elsewhere, but huge time savings that more than made up for it.

 

[Christina-B-Na]

This. I did almost exactly what you are describing on my 2019 trip. The CCC picked me up at POP, brought me to the CCC where all the paperwork was ready to go, I drove back to POP, picked up the family and off we went. At the end of the day I dropped the care off at the CCC and they brought me back to POP, or maybe it was DS, wherever my family was that night. Cost me slightly more than it would have elsewhere, but huge time savings that more than made up for it.

Ok thank you!!! I will look into that place
Do you happen to remember what time you had to drop your car off by?

 

[VandVsmama]

I second the suggestion to rent from the WDW Car Care Center. But book your reservation ahead of time. Alamo, National, and Enterprise all rent from that location.

 

[bumbershoot]

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-rental-services/
It's Alamo, Enterprise, and National. Book through those websites or here (it's linked to from the above page so it's 100% legit, and you can find it on that page by looking for "book your vehicle online") https://partners.rentalcar.com/wdw/

Look for Celebration, FL in locations, and it will let you choose Car Care Center. Or call the number on the first page I linked to to make a reservation.

That page has the info on when shuttles (to/from onsite hotels and specific locations at parks) start and stop. I've never found a site that lets me do a same day booking, and you'll be charged the 24 hour day rate anyway, so just make the reservation for one day then return it early.

Hope that helps!

 

[EACarlson]

Ok thank you!!! I will look into that place
Do you happen to remember what time you had to drop your car off by?

At that time it was 9pm. But that was pre-COVID so it very well may have changed.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

The Car Care Center may be closing earlier these days. If so, consider an alternative plan. Since you will pay the same rate for a full 24-hour rental as you would pay for anything over about 2 hours on a same day pick-up and drop-off rental, it may work better to plan on dropping off the car as soon as the Car Care Center opens in the morning of the day after you pick it up. Then have them shuttle you directly to the park for the day or back to the resort, whichever works for you to meet the rest of your party for the rest of the day. This might minimize missing out on park time.

 

[StageTek]

On the WDW website is says the Car Care Center is open 7 to 7. But they do have after hour returns to you can drop it off at anytime. But you will need to arrange transportation back to your resort.

 

[Christina-B-Na]

Thank you to everyone!!!

 

[spit11fire]

On the WDW website is says the Car Care Center is open 7 to 7. But they do have after hour returns to you can drop it off at anytime. But you will need to arrange transportation back to your resort.

Always be careful doing a after-hours drop off anytime to a car rental place. While I had not used it I had looked into it and there were alot of bad stories, now is it like reviews where people only leave negative experience? Probably, but I didn't want to take the risk. I had even had a car rental try charging me for gas saying it was 3/4 empty (when they scanned their tag I guess it tries to use a sensor instead of looking at the dash?) but I had just filled up right outside the airport. Luckily, I seen that on my printout when I was heading into the airport and was able to stop at the fastbreak coutner and show my gas receipt to get the gas charge taken off. Also after-hours returns are more than likely in the dark and if you fail to see a piece of trash or sand (if at beach) they can charge high cleaning charge.

 

[EACarlson]

Always be careful doing a after-hours drop off anytime to a car rental place. While I had not used it I had looked into it and there were alot of bad stories, now is it like reviews where people only leave negative experience? Probably, but I didn't want to take the risk. I had even had a car rental try charging me for gas saying it was 3/4 empty (when they scanned their tag I guess it tries to use a sensor instead of looking at the dash?) but I had just filled up right outside the airport. Luckily, I seen that on my printout when I was heading into the airport and was able to stop at the fastbreak coutner and show my gas receipt to get the gas charge taken off. Also after-hours returns are more than likely in the dark and if you fail to see a piece of trash or sand (if at beach) they can charge high cleaning charge.

That is a known issue of Budget and Avis. I've never heard of any other company using those unreliable sensors that way.

The recommendation when dropping off is always: With the keys in it and in the on position, take a video on your phone of the car while slowly walking around it, make sure you get inside and show the odometer and fuel level. Bonus points if you can get something in the video that shows exactly where you are.

 

[spit11fire]

That is a known issue of Budget and Avis. I've never heard of any other company using those unreliable sensors that way.

The recommendation when dropping off is always: With the keys in it and in the on position, take a video on your phone of the car while slowly walking around it, make sure you get inside and show the odometer and fuel level. Bonus points if you can get something in the video that shows exactly where you are.

I definitely do this, atleast the photos of the odometer. Fuel level. Fuel distance mileage exterior showing no damage and interior being cleaned. I had read about people going to beach and even after vaccuming themselves they got charged with excessive sand so I was OCD on not getting charged. That didn't help me not get a red light ticket in Kissimmee lol