Renting a car @DW vs MCO

[oswald12]

In general do people find it more expensive to rent in Disney than the airport?

We will be renting a car for our week there and I'm trying to decide between renting at the airport and keeping it for the week, or renting at Disney, returning it a couple of days early and using Magincal Express for transportation (which I think the kids will get a kick out of). Wondering which of the two would be the more expensive option.

Thanks!

 

[mm1971]

In general do people find it more expensive to rent in Disney than the airport?

We will be renting a car for our week there and I'm trying to decide between renting at the airport and keeping it for the week, or renting at Disney, returning it a couple of days early and using Magincal Express for transportation (which I think the kids will get a kick out of). Wondering which of the two would be the more expensive option.

Thanks!

We always rent at the airport. Have looked at both and it really is comparable as far as rates. If you can find discounts or sales, go with whatever is the least expensive. If you rent at Disney, just remember that it takes time to get to and back from the rental area to the hotel/parks. I am the type that would take ME if the kids would enjoy it and rent at Disney. After all the vacation is for them, right?

 

[Disney Fool]

Oh, I don't know about it being just for the kids...I like Magical Express too; if you're staying in the Epcot area resorts, the Swan\Dolphin has a car rental desk. National\Alamo. You can easily use boat transportation and\or walk there from Yacht\Beach and Boardwalk. Just an FYI, Swan\Dolphin does not have Magical Express to its resorts.

 

[PrincessMe]

Every time we've priced it out, it has been cheaper to just pick up the car at MCO. We never check luggage so missing out on ME is no big deal to us and I think we get to the hotel and to the parks faster without it (no kids though so I'm not sure whether that would change things). I actually love the front row seat in our rental car as we drive under the Welcome sign!

 

[Turk February]

Avis is at the Hilton at DTD. When I do rent, I always use them because they are open later than the others around WDW and it's easy to get back to the resort after dropping it off by walking across the street and catching a Disney bus.

 

[addicted2dizney]

In general do people find it more expensive to rent in Disney than the airport?

We will be renting a car for our week there and I'm trying to decide between renting at the airport and keeping it for the week, or renting at Disney, returning it a couple of days early and using Magincal Express for transportation (which I think the kids will get a kick out of). Wondering which of the two would be the more expensive option.

Thanks!

it all depends on the dates.. you have to play around with the locations and the rates. One trip I got the car for half price by renting from enterprise and having them "pick me up" at my resort. the rental place was at a hotel resort just past the main gate. It was well worth the money to me as it was a 9 day rental.

 

[mommyrosa2]

We always rent a car and NEVER rent at MCO as our family actually likes the Magical Express. We've been lucky to get cheaper rates thru Alamo at both the Car Care Center or at the Dolphin as opposed directly from the airport and have used several different coupon codes over the years. Most recently through our BJ's wholesale Club. I would check the Transporation thread for different coupon codes and also check out Mousesavers.com. We also find it real easy to just arrange for Alamo to come pick us up at our resort once we arrive so we can go pick up our car and we arrange for transportation back to our resort at the end of our trip once we return the car...very simple!

 

[letsgoreds]

We have always rented from MCO. I prefer to pull my own luggage and have it with me when I check into the resort. I don't like waiting for buses, even ME. I rather take charge and get myself moving.

For us, it was more of a time savings. I can get the car, when the rest of my family grabs the luggage. Then we're off. On the way back, we always check in at the resort (with our luggage), so it is just us + carryons headed back to MCO whenever we choose. Rental return is always a breeze. I didn't want to stop to go pick up a car, and the same with returns. You lose some playtime.

We always do on-site company, and last January a week at MCO was only $129 (fees/taxes) for a minivan vs. closer to $200 for 2.5 day rental at WDW (looking at car care center).

 

[Cyrano]

Moving to the Transportation board as the peeps there will be able to offer lots of helpful advice

 

[oswald12]

Thanks for all the replies.

Good point about places like Avis etc that are real close by. I was just checking Alamo/National onsite. Will probably lean towards taking ME and checking around for rates at various sites nearby to DW.

Thanks!

 

[Bullseye]

Huh? I always thought it was more expensive to rent at airport because of the additional taxes and fees. In any case I always rent at the airport because I like being able to utilize all my time the last day of the trip and then head to the airport directly.

 

[oswald12]

Huh? I always thought it was more expensive to rent at airport because of the additional taxes and fees. In any case I always rent at the airport because I like being able to utilize all my time the last day of the trip and then head to the airport directly.

So how much time does that save? I know that the ME picks you up 3 hours before your flight. How much time do you give yourself if you are driving directly?

 

[Bullseye]

So how much time does that save? I know that the ME picks you up 3 hours before your flight. How much time do you give yourself if you are driving directly?

I usually try to drop off the rental 2 hours before my flight. The last couple of years MCO's security queue seems like it's much slower so I like to have a buffer.

Anyway, it probably only saves an hour, but the fact is I can go do something right up to the last minute until I have to leave for the airport...I don't have to hang around or get my butt back to the resort to catch the bus. I can leave from anywhere in WDW and be at MCO within 30 minutes.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

I rent from MCO because I can use Priceline to get a really cheap name your own price rate.

 

[bumbershoot]

You have to check each rental agency you wish to use, for every trip you take. And sometimes it switches.

For our trip where we were dropping off after President's Day, it swapped around more than once.

While we did end up renting FROM the airport, it was hundreds cheaper to drop AT the Dolphin vs the airport.
withYou have ot play around with the dates, the places, etc, and of course check wtih yourself and your family to see if they are willing to do the thing that is cheapest (if it's the one that takes more time), like we had to take some time dropping the car at the Dolphin then walking through Epcot, etc etc.