Renting a car from Dollar at MCO.. car seats and other tips?

[hmccarter]

We have decided to join the car rental club. We are renting a car from Dollar at MCO in December. I used Autoslash. I wasn’t able to reserve car seats ahead of time. I also chose standard car which was above compact / economy, but I recently discovered it may still not have 4 doors. I contacted Dollar via FB messenger and was told they will notate my account requesting 2 car seats and a 4 door vehicle.

Should I rebook directly through a rental company so I can reserve 2 car seats? It looks like it would cost me at least $100 more to do it that way. In the event they have no car seats available, what is the best back up plan? Is there really a chance we could get stuck with a two door car?

Should I go ahead and snag a AAA membership to get a free car seat? We will probably rent again several times this year.

Any other tips for rental cars at MCO? Is the process pretty smooth? Is driving to Disney from MCO a big deal if you’ve never drove in Florida? Do I need the Visitor Toll Pass?

We are staying at Saratoga. Any parking tips around Disney? I have been told not to drive to MK. Anything else I need to know?

Thank you guys so much for your help!

 

[SLThomas318]

Not sure ages/size of kids for car seats, but we bought in-expensive travel car seats and brought them with us when we flew and needed a car seat. My kids are now booster age so we bring a travel booster. I read too many bad reviews about renting car seats and most companies charge per seat per day so that it was cheaper to bring one with… especially if you are going to rent again later this year.

We rent thru national and they just charge the tolls after… it’s convenient, but I’m assuming a little more expensive. The rental company should have info or a policy on how they handle it. We haven’t had any issues with the drive. We opt to use Disney transportation once on property though… other then going to Disney Springs.

 

[hmccarter]

Not sure ages/size of kids for car seats, but we bought in-expensive travel car seats and brought them with us when we flew and needed a car seat. My kids are now booster age so we bring a travel booster. I read too many bad reviews about renting car seats and most companies charge per seat per day so that it was cheaper to bring one with… especially if you are going to rent again later this year.

We rent thru national and they just charge the tolls after… it’s convenient, but I’m assuming a little more expensive. The rental company should have info or a policy on how they handle it. We haven’t had any issues with the drive. We opt to use Disney transportation once on property though… other then going to Disney Springs.

Thank you! Ages 2 and 4, but 4 year old is 35 lbs. How do you carry bags and car seats through the airports? It seems like so much.

 

[Halle]

We have gotten car seats at Dollar numerous times. They were located behind the Dollar kiosk in the parking garage.
WE have traveled with car seats too. You can purchase bags to put them in from Amazon. We check them in with our baggage.

 

[hmccarter]

We have gotten car seats at Dollar numerous times. They were located behind the Dollar kiosk in the parking garage.
WE have traveled with car seats too. You can purchase bags to put them in from Amazon. We check them in with our baggage.

Any issues with the car seats at Dollar? I read about BabyQuip too, seems like a good option.

 

[SLThomas318]

Thank you! Ages 2 and 4, but 4 year old is 35 lbs. How do you carry bags and car seats through the airports? It seems like so much.

We used a little cart that you strapped them to so you could wheel them… kids could even sit in them while they were being wheeled. You can also do a bag that you can carry like a back-pack. We used the seats on the plane in those situations and I checked a larger suitcase so I had less carry-on items. I’d be nervous to check it with luggage because it could get damaged, but plenty of people do. I was able to pick up Graco seats for around $40 so it was cheaper then renting…Cosco Scenera is another in-expensive light-weight seat that people like to use for air/car rental travel. It def adds to the pile of stuff when traveling. I was so excited when we hit booster age cuz it is wayyyyy easier. We travel a lot so I’ve always preferred to have my own seats that I’m familiar with and that I know work for my kid. If you google “travel car seats” or “flying with car seats” you’ll find some good info on what products make the whole process easier.

 

[Halle]

Any issues with the car seats at Dollar? I read about BabyQuip too, seems like a good option.

No problems.

 

[EACarlson]

These are all my personal opinions, take them for whatever you want. I would not trust car seats rented by the rental companies. I would bring my own. My wife bought a strap that attached the seat to the front of her carryon. I would also make the kids sit in the car seat on the flight down. They will be strapped in much more securely and comfortable on the flight with their own seats. I've never had a 2 door rental car even when renting compact, the smallest car I ever got was a 4 door Nissan Versa, I was at MCO last week and got a mid-size, smaller than standard and received a 4 door Prius. Read the toll page for whatever company you are going to go with and let their policies guide you on whether the VTP is worthwhile to you. Dollar seems to be one of the sketchier companies when it comes to tolls so I would go with the VTP. From the parking garage, you take the north exit, SR 528 East to SR 417 South and follow the signs to where you want to go on Disney Property.