rental options for needing larger car for 1/2 of trip

[nuzmom]

Trip begins Sept 9 (MCO - 9am rental). Additional family members arrive on Sept 12th. We all depart on Sept 19 (6:30pm car return @ MCO). We typically rent from National and are emerald club members.

I'd LIKE to rent from National, Sept 9 - 16 (both @ MCO), emerald aisle. Would love to find a 7 passenger SUV and we'd be all set. But, I know that's a high risk, so I need to figure out the best plan.

Option 1 - rent SUV, Sept 9-16, MCO/MCO - $891 (highest $$$)
Option 2 - rent emerald, Sept 9-11, MCO/Car care center - $220 and then SUV, Sept 11-19, CCC/MCO - $575 = $795 (still pretty $$$ but cheaper than two cars) (with a "free day" coupon, it's cheaper to make the car change on the 11th and not the 12th)
Option 3 - rent emerald for length of stay and add a car for the 12-19 BUT sisters family doesn't want to drive the other car!!!

Is there a way to rent emerald aisle for length of stay and hold a large SUV rental from the car care center for Sept 11-19? If we get a large SUV, we could cancel the CCC rental. If not, could we return the rental EARLY at the CCC and pick up the larger car? (at good rates)

Is there another option I'm missing?

 

[seashoreCM]

No you can't make a res long rservation for one car and return it early to change cars. Otherwise you will be refigured the charge to the daily rate for the reservation.

 

[Lewisc]

You're staying at AKV. The dates your additional family members are arriving coincides with the dates of your AKV stay. Why not have your friends use DME to get from the airport to your resort? Going someplace offsite? Either take 2 trips with your car or use a taxi for the extra people.

 

[nuzmom]

Lewisc - thanks for the reply. When the additional family members arrive, they will take DME to the hotel and then a bus to the park (probably). We usually eat dinner off-site, over past downtown disney. Making two trips there and back would be very time consuming and just not something we want to do.

The issue is that we are a family of 4. My mom (82) and my sister and her grandson (14) are joining us for the second week. My sister is willing to take disney busses, BUT my mom does NOT like the busses at all. She's also bothered by the heat and crowds, so getting a rental car makes everyone's trip more enjoyable. It's usually just the 5 of us and having a rental car for 5 isn't a big deal. However, my sister's grandson is the age of my boys and won't want to be "left behind" to ride the bus, while we all go in the car. He's the type of kid who would complain enough (with my sister's agreement) until he rides in the car with my family while leaving my mom to ride busses with my sister. Seriously. Anyway, long story just to say that having a rental car(s) for the 7 of us will be our best option.

In checking rates a bit more, I think our option #2 is what I'll go with. With watching two reservations, maybe one or both will come down a bit. If they drop "enough", I'll cancel and rent the SUV for the whole trip.

 

[huntforjulia]

Have you priced a mini van instead of an SUV? May be cheaper. Good luck and have a Great Trip!