Step by Step route from plane to EA

[tarmand]

My sisters and I are arriving at MCO this Thursday morning on Southwest Airlines. None of us have ever flown into this airport. Can anyone give us the route to National's EA with a stop at the baggage section. I'm sure we could figure it out when we get there, but I am so anxious to get to the parks that I would like to kind of know where to go ahead of time so that I don't waste any precious park minutes "lost" in the airport.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Hi,
Get off the plane, follow everyone to the tram, get on the tram, when you get to the main terminal (only stop there is) get off the tram, look at the signs for baggage claim for SWA, it is one floor down. Pick up your bags, get on an elevator, go one floor down. The exit door for EA is on the right, you will need to look for the signs. Cross the small street, enter the garage, go up one floor, proceed to EA, you will need to look for the signs.
It is well "signed", so, you really cannot miss it.
There are no tricks to this airport, it is very straight forward.
Hope this helps.

 

[tarmand]

Thanks Gail! You're the greatest!!!!!

In less that three days I will be in EA, hopefully choosing which car I want (or happily taking the car I get)!!!!!!

 

[cigar95]

Gail, I think if you cross the street, you don't need to go up one floor to get to National. That's only if you use the tunnel to cross *under* the street.

(Or have I misunderstood something in your explanation?)

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

We cross the street down one floor from baggage, where the shuttle busses are, and enter the parking garage and we have to go up one floor on the elevator or escalator.
I only know of one tunnel and that is for the general parking garage.
Is there a way to get to the garage without going down one floor from the baggage pickup area?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

tarmand,
You are entirely welcome. good luck on the car.

 

[cigar95]

Gail, here's my recollection from my trip last week -

"Ground Floor" is Level 1 - where the rental car desks are, and this is one floor below baggage claim on Level 2. From Level 1, I just went out the door, walked across the street and into the garage, with the National cars right in front of me. I don't recall a way to get across the street from Level 2 unless there's a bridge I've forgotten.

There's another level *below* Level 1, which includes little other than the tunnel under the road, I believe. This takes one to the parking garage, which includes both the rental car area *and* general parking, depending on what level one is on.

One of the confusing things at MCO is that some of the escalators actually go up (or down) two or three levels at once, which makes it easy to miss a level you may have wanted.

This is all still pretty clear to me from my 9/14-9/20 visit, but it's always possible I'm misremembering something.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

hi,
from my 9/14/01-9/21/01 trip I do recall taking the escalator up one floor, the elevators were broken.(that is why I remember it so well) and the cars were right in front of me for National. That is after I crossed the street that was one floor down from baggage claim.
I wonder if it makes a difference what side you come in from. I came in from Terminal A (SWA).

 

[cigar95]

Ahh, Gail!! Now this makes sense. We're describing different places to one another!

I assume National has counters and cars on both the A and B sides of MCO? I've always come into terminal B, since Delta and United are my airlines.

So, to our original poster - it looks like the precise details will be a little different depending on which airline you're coming in on.

Gail, are there any rental companies with cars on the ground floor of the garage on side A? Or does the escalator take you to the ground level?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Cigar,
Oh boy, more fun! When I leave the area for SWA baggage claim, I am on the second floor, I go down one floor and I am on the ground floor, I exit, still on the ground floor and cross the street (where all the shuttle busses are) and have to go up one floor which would be the second floor.
As to the same level I am leaving from, I believe there are one or two companies, but, I have yet to scope that out.
Luckily for the original poster, she is coming in on SWA.
When I do fly Delta, we rent from Alamo (seems to work that when I fly Delta the rates from Alamo are better than National) and we do go down one floor from baggage to get the shuttle bus. BUT.........I have seen the car rental counters and have no idea where to go from there. LOL
Who knew that there were two levels in that terminal?

 

[linny172]

I just had my first experience with EA, I have rented with national before and it was ok but boy was it gteat with EA. We flew into MCO on the 18th, plane landed at 12:55, and by 1:30 I was on the road. The only thing is there was only 5 cars in the EA section. I had reserved a intermediate since it was only my sister and I and I ended up with a standard size There were 2 intermediates there not sure what they were (chevy) and than there were 3 chevy luminas (sp) so I took on of them. We returned yesterday. drove in and checked in the car only took about 5 minutes.

 

[Niagara2]

Old terminal with US Air, Delta etc. has you going down a floor, and EA is on street level across the road. SWA new terminal has you going across the street and up an escalator. They are two different locations.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Thank you Niagra,
I am sure we both (cigar and I) thought we were loosing our minds. Thanks again for putting us both on the same page.

 

[cigar95]

Sadly, Gail, I'm far too arrogant much of the time - I just assume I'm right and the other guy is the clueless one. That's why it's good for me to get my comeuppance as often as possible - I may yet learn to be humble.

(Fortunately, Gail, I already know you have a lot of credibility around here, so I figured we were just miscommunicating somehow, not that you were one of those clueless folks who dared to disagree with me!)

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Cigar,
Ah, you are fine. I really don't think you are arrogant in the least. Arrogant people don't take the time to figure out the other person's point or even admit there is a miscommunication. However in your line of work a bit of arrogance is a good thing. But, you are also prone to get to the bottom of the issue, as you did in this case.


(Fortunately, Gail, I already know you have a lot of credibility around here, so I figured we were just miscommunicating somehow, not that you were one of those clueless folks who dared to disagree with me!)
LOL, good one. Thank you.