Renting a car at WDW

[msmama]

I have read the sticky at the top, I promise!

Need to rend a car for at least a day during our trip as I promised the birthday boy a trip to Legoland.

1. Has anyone had any luck pricelining a rental on WDW property?

2. I know some have late drop off, but do any of them have late pick up (or is there such a thing)? I hate having to give up part of a day to get a car.

3. Staying at POFQ - are there any companies that will drop off the car for me to drive AND pick it up again without me actually having to go to the rental counter?

4. In general, does it get cheaper the more days you rent? (I'm off to check out the April codes thread, but don't really know enough to know which company is best yet).

Thanks for the help!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

1. Has anyone had any luck pricelining a rental on WDW property?

I haven't rented cars at WDW through Priceline. For instant price quotes through Priceline, you can specify the address of your hotel. But for the "Name Your Own Price" option, Priceline only uses Orlando International Airport (MCO).

2. I know some have late drop off, but do any of them have late pick up (or is there such a thing)? I hate having to give up part of a day to get a car.

Normally, late drop-off means the office is closed and the employees have gone home, but you can park the car, lock it, and drop the keys in a slot. Sometimes, especially at hotels, late drop-off means the office is closed but you can return your rental car through valet parking. In both cases, your official return will be when the office reopens the next day. And, in both cases, nobody from the rental car company will drive you anywhere (because the office is closed).

There is no such thing as "late pick up" after the rental car office is closed and the employees have one home. When the office is closed, there is no employee to give you your keys and process your paperwork.

3. Staying at POFQ - are there any companies that will drop off the car for me to drive AND pick it up again without me actually having to go to the rental counter?

For normal tourist car rentals, the answer is no. For that to work, the company would have to send two cars and two drivers so that a driver would not be stranded at your hotel.

For money-is-no-object rentals, it might be possible.

4. In general, does it get cheaper the more days you rent? (I'm off to check out the April codes thread, but don't really know enough to know which company is best yet).

Normally, there's a daily and a weekly rate. Normally, days are 24-hour periods (such as 3 p.m. on Tuesday until 3 p.m. on Wednesday), not calendar days.

If you go over a 24-hour period, you typically pay an hourly rate of 1/3 to 1/2 the daily rate (after a short grace period). So, depending on which it is, after 2 or 3 hours, you pay for a second day.

Weekly rates (for seven 24-hour periods) are typically five times the daily rate. For example, if the rate for one 24-hour day is $40, the rate for five, six, or seven 24-hour days would be $200.

Car rental companies are free to make their own pricing rules, but the information above is the typical practice.

 

[disneymarie]

I used Alamo, they picked me up at Epcot near the lost and found for the few day rental I wanted. The day I returned the van dropped me off. I also did a weekend rental from the Value with Enterprize and they picked me up and dropped me off.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you rent the car for a weekend you can get a better deal because they often offer coupons for $15 or $20 off a 3 day weekend rental. So its almost like getting one day free.