Renting a car for one day

[Kelly014]

Hello! I have read some posts lately about things being weird in the car rental world regarding price and availability. We are going down to Disney in July and need to rent a car for one day to go to Kennedy Space Center and the cocoa beach. I tried to put in our date on the Disney car care site but it said nothing was available. What are our options here? We would not have a way to get to a different car rental place, and it is the second day of our trip so we will already be on Disney property. Any advice would be very appreciated!

 

[StageTek]

If there is nothing available on site the only other option I can think of is you will need to take a rideshare to an off-site rental place.

 

[Lewisc]

Make sure your pick up and drop off times are for times the location is open.

Check Dolphin. Check locations in Disney Springs.

 

[rlk]

I found a one-day rental at The Dolphin for $91 earlier today.

 

[georgina]

I found a one-day rental at The Dolphin for $91 earlier today.

every time I have tried the Dolphin lately, I just get a message that it is closed. Completely closed for any hours. This is for Sept. I do get a rate at the Disney Car Care for about $91.

 

[rlk]

every time I have tried the Dolphin lately, I just get a message that it is closed. Completely closed for any hours. This is for Sept. I do get a rate at the Disney Car Care for about $91.

Sorry, I was mistaken it was for a rental near Disney Springs. I was looking at Dolphin earlier and mixed it up.

 

[georgina]

Sorry, I was mistaken it was for a rental near Disney Springs. I was looking at Dolphin earlier and mixed it up.

Thanks. It would be really helpful to me if that Dolphin location reopens before our trip.

 

[rlk]

Thanks. It would be really helpful to me if that Dolphin location reopens before our trip.

Me too, we are staying at BWI and are looking for a one day rental for our non-park day.

 

[carlosalonsor]

I'm too waiting to see if Dolphin location reopens to rent a car for a day...

There aren't a lot of car rental locations open at this moment near Dolphin resort or Disney Springs, and the ones that are open have terrible hours (closing at 4pm).

 

[georgina]

I am tentatively booked at the Car Care Center because they say they will pick you up at your resort. Still hoping the Dolphin location reopens .

 

[Kelly014]

I can't find one for our dates for some reason. Hopefully things continue to open and there will be more availability!

 

[EACarlson]

I can't find one for our dates for some reason. Hopefully things continue to open and there will be more availability!

Things continuing to open will mean less availability. The incredible drawdown of the rental fleets early in the pandemic, the large number of rental cars lost in the Ft. Myers fire, the inability of manufacturers to make cars due to parts shortages and the increase in available dollars looking to buy vehicles all combined to squeeze the rental car market. I booked a mid size SUV last Oct in MCO for 240 for 5 days from Hertz, I looked today and the same weekend this year for a mid size car is $450 at a crappy off site. Recommendation right now is to book what you can find, and then keep checking either yourself or using Autoslash.

 

[Kelly014]

Things continuing to open will mean less availability. The incredible drawdown of the rental fleets early in the pandemic, the large number of rental cars lost in the Ft. Myers fire, the inability of manufacturers to make cars due to parts shortages and the increase in available dollars looking to buy vehicles all combined to squeeze the rental car market. I booked a mid size SUV last Oct in MCO for 240 for 5 days from Hertz, I looked today and the same weekend this year for a mid size car is $450 at a crappy off site. Recommendation right now is to book what you can find, and then keep checking either yourself or using Autoslash.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[dthogue]

There are several rental car agencies at the Disney Springs hotels. You could take the bus to Disney Springs and walk to the hotel/rental car desk

 

[Kelly014]

There are several rental car agencies at the Disney Springs hotels. You could take the bus to Disney Springs and walk to the hotel/rental car desk

I found the Disney Car Center and Dolphin locations, but didn't see anything else. Do you book them through the Disney Car Center site? It's kind of clunky, so I may not have been searching for the correct locations.

 

[EACarlson]

I found the Disney Car Center and Dolphin locations, but didn't see anything else. Do you book them through the Disney Car Center site? It's kind of clunky, so I may not have been searching for the correct locations.

No, for the hotel locations you need to book through the rental company's website. If you put in Lake Buena Vista or Kissimmee or Celebration you should be able to figure out where those locations are. The advice to take a bus to DS and go to one of the hotels to rent only really helps if you are renting after 5pm and keeping the car overnight. Also, most of those rental desks were closed due to COVID, I don't know how many have re-opened.