Rental Car Help!

[Cruiser1969]

Please help me figure this out. We've cruised before and have always hired a limo service to drive to and from the port. When we go again this May, however, we would like to rent our own car and drive to and from the port.

My biggest question involves the logistics of picking up and dropping off the vehicle.

We will be at BCV for the first 5 days of our trip. Where and how would I get a car to rent from here?

After our 3-day cruise, we will be staying at AKV for a couple more days. Again, how and where should I do the car drop-off?

Thanks for your help!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[cab0899]

Well, when you get off the cruise ship, there are signs for the different rental car companies , like bus stops. The shuttle buses come every 15 minutes or so and pick people up to take them to their office. We picked up at the Port and dropped it off at the airport. I've never rented at Disney so can't help you there.

 

[SnackyStacky]

If you're flying into MCO, you may want to just pick up and drop off there. It sounds like you have roughly 11 nights? You may get a better rate renting for the entire length of your vacation than if you rent the car strictly for the cruise.

If you do decide to rent only for the cruise, the following locations on Disney property have a car rental desk:

• The Dolphin: National/Alamo
• The Car Care Center (just outside of the Magic Kingdom parking lot - free shuttle service is provided with advance notice): National/Alamo
• Doubletree Guest Suites (on Hotel Plaza Boulevard): Budget
• The Hilton (on Hotel Plaza Blvd): Avis (I think it's an Avis)
• The Holiday Inn (on Hotel Plaza Boulevard): Dollar - the Holiday Inn has been closed for an extended period of time for refurbishment. When/If they reopen, I'm not sure if they'll still have the car rental desk

The resorts on Hotel Plaza Boulevard are easily reached by taking a bus to the Marketplace at Downtown Disney. Head down to Once Upon a Toy, use that exit and the crosswalk to get to the hotels. As you face Hotel Plaza Boulevard, you'll want to cross onto the right hand side of the street. The Hilton is the first hotel on your right, the Holiday Inn is the second, and the Doubletree is the fourth.

 

[kcashner]

You have to decide which company you'll be using and what services you need. You can get a rental car on WDW property. One company has a location at the Swan/Dolphin (these two are the same in my mind) and another at Downtown Disney. In addition, some companies will pick you up at your resort and take you to their office to get the car.

Thought one--you don't need to use the same car company coming and going if you can get better service or cheaper prices otherwise. Thought two--a few companies charge a drop off fee when you drop at port; most do not. Most companies consider MCO, WDW, and PC to be the same "area" for drop off/pick up. Remember to check.

OK, so you have a rental car at Disney property. Most of the companies have drop off places near the port. The easiest thing is for the driver to drop passengers and luggage at the port and then return the car. Take the complimentary shuttle back to the port (keep driver's license.) Mom can be doing the check in for the cruise while dad returns the car as long as she has his passport.

When you get off the cruise, the shuttles for the rental car companies are lined up in a particular area (you'll see them). You get your luggage, go thru Customs, and go to the shuttle. You pick up your car and drive to your WDW resort--unload luggage, etc. then one person takes the car back to the rental place. Obviously, if you used the places at Downtown Disney or Swan/Dolphin, it is easy to get back to your resort. Otherwise, before you rent, make sure the company will drive you back to your resort.

We routinely pay under $50 for a one way rental + gas + tolls....the car itself usually runs $30something.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Thank you so much!

Does anyone happen to know which companies will drop the car off at the resort. I want to make this process as simple as possible.

I dislike the idea of all the extra going to pick up the car, etc, but if we have to, it could mean saving a lot of money, so I will do it.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Because National has a pickup at the Dolphin and we will be at BCV for the first part of our trip, this is convenient. BUT, I'm also reading that National no longer has a drop off near the port???????

Aghh!! I guess my option is to pick up and drop off a car at one of the DD hotels???

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Cruiser1969]

Me again!!!

I've decided what to do . . .

Thanks to a post on the transportation boards, I have booked a car for 3 days at $10 a day. Instead of doing the port drop-off process (which was causing me the most stress), I've decided to park the car for 3 days ($45) and save myself (more like my poor DH) the shuttling to and from to drop off and then pick up the car. At the $10 a day rate, I feel it's worth it to just pay to park and keep the whole process simple!!

Plus, I've probably saved myself a lot of waiting around time while DH would have to go and get the vehicle . . . that means we're back to Disney that much sooner!!!!

This makes sense to me!!!

Thanks to previous posters for helping me get my head around the whole car rental process to help me figure this out!!!

 

[TraciM]

We used Enterprise and it was very easy. We picked at the airport location and dropped off down the street from the ship. It was also right down the road from the Holiday Inn in Cocoa Beach where we stayed the night before. They drove us to the ship and when we got off the driver was already waiting with a sign and we got back on. Got our car and went to another hotel in Orlando and hit Seaworld. We took it back to the airport the next day.