Transportation confusion

[Stephaniesue]

I have just booked our trip for the end of October yay! We have 5 total traveling.

We are flying (first time for most of us!) in late Saturday, arrival is estimated around 8 pm. I did not book flights through the Disney site. I have a travel agent friend who booked them. Are we still able to use Magic Express to get to our resort?

Also, when we leave Disney we are planning on heading back to MCO to pick up a rental car. We are driving to Sarasota for a few days. If we use Magic Express to get back to MCO, can we carry our bags with us? I don't want them accidentally getting put on a plane.

Thanks for any help. This trip is more confusing than the last. Last time we went (2011) we drove from Indiana. So, the car was already there.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes you can use the DME. All that is required to use DME is that you must have a resort reservation and your name must be on the reservation.

You know you don't have to go to the airport to get a rental car!!! At Disney there are two Alamo locations right on site and they will come and pick you up at your resort and take you to the rental office. There is an office right outside of MK and one at the Dolphin hotel.

If you don't like Alamo there are a handful of rental companies within an 8 minute walk from DTD. I have use several of these locations it so easy.
Dollar is located directly across from DTD at the Wyndham hotel.

Avis is at the Hilton hotel

Renting by Disney will be your best option. You wont have to load up your luggage on the DME bus, make 1 or 2 other stops at other resorts to pick up other guest. Get off the bus drag your bags to the rental counter then drag your bags out to get in the car. If you use DME to the airport option is will easily take an hour to hour and 15 mintues.

I would send the person whose name the rental will be in over to DTD and have them get the rental car then come back and pick up everyone and the luggage and you will be ready to hit the road. Oh not to mention airport rentals also charge airport concession fee's that are about $11 a day so you will avoid those charges by renting at Disney.

 

[Stephaniesue]

Yes you can use the DME. All that is required to use DME is that you must have a resort reservation and your name must be on the reservation.

You know you don't have to go to the airport to get a rental car!!! At Disney there are two Alamo locations right on site and they will come and pick you up at your resort and take you to the rental office. There is an office right outside of MK and one at the Dolphin hotel.

If you don't like Alamo there are a handful of rental companies within an 8 minute walk from DTD. I have use several of these locations it so easy.
Dollar is located directly across from DTD at the Wyndham hotel.

Avis is at the Hilton hotel

Renting by Disney will be your best option. You wont have to load up your luggage on the DME bus, make 1 or 2 other stops at other resorts to pick up other guest. Get off the bus drag your bags to the rental counter then drag your bags out to get in the car. If you use DME to the airport option is will easily take an hour to hour and 15 mintues.

I would send the person whose name the rental will be in over to DTD and have them get the rental car then come back and pick up everyone and the luggage and you will be ready to hit the road. Oh not to mention airport rentals also charge airport concession fee's that are about $11 a day so you will avoid those charges by renting at Disney.

I did read that they have rentals on property but I'm not sure how I would get it back on site? I must seem like a total airhead right now.

We are leaving Disney 10-22 and will return to MCO 10-27 for our flight home. Seems like an extra step is going to be needed either way. I would rather do that on the way to the beach instead of the way to the airport. Less likely to be late that way. Does that make sense?

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

What you will want to do is rent a car at Disney and drop it off at MCO (the airport). If you rent from Avis or Alamo there is no extra one way rental fee YA..

 

[Stephaniesue]

What you will want to do is rent a car at Disney and drop it off at MCO (the airport). If you rent from Avis or Alamo there is no extra one way rental fee YA..

You just saved me an enormous headache! Thank you so much. I wasn't aware this was an option. Yay!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What you will want to do is rent a car at Disney and drop it off at MCO (the airport). If you rent from Avis or Alamo there is no extra one way rental fee YA..

And just to add to what "Shelly F - Ohio" wrote, there are other options in addition to Avis and Alamo.

See "Sticky: Car rental locations for WDW..." at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2927109

When you make your car reservations, just specify a pick-up location at or near WDW and return at the airport (MCO). Make sure the rate offers unlimited mileage, no drop charge, and a reasonable daily/weekly rate. Sometimes, you'll get wildly different results with the same car rental company but different rate codes, especially when it's a one-way rental.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You just saved me an enormous headache! Thank you so much. I wasn't aware this was an option. Yay!!

Glad I could help.. Now don't look at the car rental rates now because you will fall over with a heart attack. Looking this from in advance will give you a high rate. Hang out here on the boards and watch for someone to start the Oct car rental rate thread. This will be where everyone will come to post all the great deals, discount codes, coupons for the month of Oct. If you look you will see the current monthly thread for March was started months ago and those folks continually posted great ways to save money

 

[tobikaye]

It looks like your questions have been answered, but a few things to point out.

DME: Make sure to schedule this before your trip. If you have checked luggage you want taken to your hotel without having to pick it up, you will have the tags to make this work. Granted, with a late arrival, you might just be better off grabbing luggage yourself.

Car Reservations: If you decide to use MCO instead of on-site, you can just send 1 person to the airport to pick up the car early that day. Then that person can pick everyone+luggage up at the hotel before moving on. This is just something to keep in mind in case the airport rentals are cheaper.

 

[Stephaniesue]

Thank you everyone for all the tips! This trip has been a hard one to book. Hopefully I can pull it off!

I will make sure to contact them as soon as the deals come out. I did check the rates and it's about 250 for the 5 days for a full size rental. Which is what I have been planning to spend.

I didn't really consider sending just one of us to the airport to pick up the car. I guess that would work. I could grab a taxi to take me over there surely.

No matter what happens I plan to just grab our bags. I read on the site it can take up to 3 hours for them to get to your room. I will need my jammies before they get there!

You guys have been so helpful!

 

[bumbershoot]

No matter what happens I plan to just grab our bags. I read on the site it can take up to 3 hours for them to get to your room. I will need my jammies before they get there!

You guys have been so helpful!

Fwiw, when you are anticipating late luggage delivery, you put your nightclothes (and something for morning just in case) in your carryon.

 

[Stephaniesue]

Fwiw, when you are anticipating late luggage delivery, you put your nightclothes (and something for morning just in case) in your carryon.

Oh yes, I have heard many nightmare trips due to lost luggage. We will have a change of clothes for everyone in the carry on(s), along with all meds, phone chargers, and small duplicates of hygiene items.

The ladies I work with have already warned me haha!