What to do after we return our rental car?

[Vernie822]

Hi!

We are flying into Orlando on a Saturday. Staying on site. Spending Sat/Sun in Disney, and on Monday, driving to Tampa for a Rays game (trying to see all of the stadiums!) and driving back in the same day. We are spending the rest of the week at WDW. We planned to rent a car for the drive to Tampa, assuming we'd pick it up when we flew in, and drop it off on Monday when we come back from the Rays game. Now, it seems kind of silly to me to rent it for Sat/Sun, considering we'll be on property and have access to all of the transportation offered. But, I'm worried about how we'd get the car.

Would we need to get from the hotel to the airport to pick one up? And, after we drop it off, can we take the Magical Express back to our hotel that night? Sorry for so many questions - just trying to see if it's worth it or not to get it on Saturday, or if we should just do it for one day.. Thoughts?

 

[mco65]

We had a situation similar.. the flights into Orlando were booked the morning of our flight (we fly free but standby) so we flew into Tampa/St Pete and rented a car and drove to Orlando.. my wife dropped me and the kids off at the hotel and returned the car to Orlando and got on the ME bus back to hotel. Its been a few years but I think she simply told them at the ME counter that she was staying at such and such (POR i think) and was returning a rental car and they let her on the next ME to POR.. no big deal. Of course this was in the evening and the ME bus was not very full anyway.

Best bet would be to call the ME hotline and confirm you can grab a ride to hotel..

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Thoughts?

Wait until a few weeks before your trip to make this decision. Rental car rates drop significantly (often 50% or more) around then and see what the prices look like. Usually its cheaper to keep a car for a week rented from and returned to MCO than it is to just keep it a few days and drop it off off-airport. And it might only be $50 or something to keep a car the entire time (bumping from daily to weekly rates), and avoid all that hassle of returning to the airport and hoping you can do Magical Express.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

There's no need to go back to the airport! You can actually rent a car right onsite at Disney. They'll pick you up at your resort, take you to the car center to fill out paperwork, etc., and you're on your way. You can then return the car to the same place and they'll shuttle you back to your hotel. We haven't actually done it, but we were looking into it for one day we were going offsite (to Legoland and just used the shuttle instead). Seemed like it would be easy enough and, if I remember correctly, it was about $50 for a day.

Here's info from the Disney site:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-rental-services/

 

[Vernie822]

Thanks, everyone!

We are flying down on the 13th. Tampa is 15th. Staying in Disney 13-20th, going to Miami for 2 days to see their stadium, and flying out of Miami.

Sounds like it may be cheaper to just keep one the whole time! I will definitely keep looking and like you said, closer to the trip is probably when we will definitely make a decision.

 

[Vernie822]

There's no need to go back to the airport! You can actually rent a car right onsite at Disney. They'll pick you up at your resort, take you to the car center to fill out paperwork, etc., and you're on your way. You can then return the car to the same place and they'll shuttle you back to your hotel. We haven't actually done it, but we were looking into it for one day we were going offsite (to Legoland and just used the shuttle instead). Seemed like it would be easy enough and, if I remember correctly, it was about $50 for a day. Here's info from the Disney site: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-rental-services/

OMG- THANKS!!! This may save us SO much hassle with returning the car to the airport and ME-ing it back late at night. I'll definitely look into all of our options.

 

[mkarizona]

There's no need to go back to the airport! You can actually rent a car right onsite at Disney. They'll pick you up at your resort, take you to the car center to fill out paperwork, etc., and you're on your way. You can then return the car to the same place and they'll shuttle you back to your hotel. We haven't actually done it, but we were looking into it for one day we were going offsite (to Legoland and just used the shuttle instead). Seemed like it would be easy enough and, if I remember correctly, it was about $50 for a day.

Here's info from the Disney site:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-rental-services/

We did this to go to Kennedy Space Center and it was very convenient.

 

[Sandi]

We rented a car for a 24 hour period from the Alamo location at the Dolphin when we were at BWI earlier this month. I wanted to go visit an aunt in the Tampa area in the middle of our trip. I walked over to the Dolphin, checked in with Alamo, the valet brought me the car and we were off. On the return, I dropped it off with the valet, checked in with Alamo, and walked back to BWI. Very convenient.

 

[mm1971]

Hi!

We are flying into Orlando on a Saturday. Staying on site. Spending Sat/Sun in Disney, and on Monday, driving to Tampa for a Rays game (trying to see all of the stadiums!) and driving back in the same day. We are spending the rest of the week at WDW. We planned to rent a car for the drive to Tampa, assuming we'd pick it up when we flew in, and drop it off on Monday when we come back from the Rays game. Now, it seems kind of silly to me to rent it for Sat/Sun, considering we'll be on property and have access to all of the transportation offered. But, I'm worried about how we'd get the car.

Would we need to get from the hotel to the airport to pick one up? And, after we drop it off, can we take the Magical Express back to our hotel that night? Sorry for so many questions - just trying to see if it's worth it or not to get it on Saturday, or if we should just do it for one day.. Thoughts?

You can rent the car on Disney property and return it there as well. I don't remember the company, but the rental place is on the way to MK where the gas station is. Call Disney and they can give you the information. I believe they can even arrange to get you back and forth from the rental location.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Wait until a few weeks before your trip to make this decision. Rental car rates drop significantly (often 50% or more) around then and see what the prices look like. Usually its cheaper to keep a car for a week rented from and returned to MCO than it is to just keep it a few days and drop it off off-airport. And it might only be $50 or something to keep a car the entire time (bumping from daily to weekly rates), and avoid all that hassle of returning to the airport and hoping you can do Magical Express.

I agree with this. We use our car onsite and off when we rent. Many times for Walmart or CVS, Walgreen runs, even a dental emergency was well worth the small amount of $.

I always found the cars on site much more than the airport.

 

[PKWallaby]

Another vote for picking up your rental at the Dolphin. We usually rely on ME to get us to/from the airport and schedule the car rental pickup/drop-off for the time in between. You can either walk/boat to Dolphin from HS or Epcot or take a bus directly there from any park or DTD. They have Alamo and National desks just off the lobby (and perhaps hertz or avis too, we've never used but I know others are there).

I would suggest playing around with pickup/drop off locations on Alamo or Natl websites to find the best rates. Alamo will automatically display the WDW options if you start with ORLR in the location box. You can even vary the pickup and dropoff (like p/u at MCO, drop off at Dolphin) and see if you can get a better deal. Last spring I saved over $100 by picking up at MCO and returning to Dolphin. It was a little more work at the beginning to wait for bags and drive myself to the hotel (how spoiled we have become since ME was introduced!) but I would do it again to save $$.

As for timing of when to reserve, I normally book my first reservation as soon as we have determined the dates of our next trip. Then check periodically as your date gets closer; there is no penalty for booking another if it drops and cancelling the higher one. And if rates don't come down you aren't kicking yourself for not booking earlier (yep, been there, done that!)

Good luck with your planning and have a great trip. My kids wish we would take them outside of Orlando more often than we do. I like the peace and comfort of staying put and enjoying all the confines of the World has to offer!

 

[PKWallaby]

did forget to add one last thing about renting at the Dolphin: the rental counters closes daily at 4pm. Not a problem for dropping off since you just leave the rental with valet and they will give you a receipt and record the time BUT if you want to pick up later in the day and cannot make it by 4 you would need to go to the Car Care Ctr. Based on personal experience (delays due to white rhinos causing a backup which stranded us on the safari at AK and a bus driver who got confused and drove out and then back into the AK bus depot ) even if you book to pickup your Alamo/Natl rental at Dolphin and are not there by 4 the Car Care Ctr location will make the switch and let you pick up there. (you will have to haul yourself from dolphin to CCC by taxi however )

 

[Pembo]

I'd rent at the airport because you won't have to use up hours of valuable WDW time messing around getting the rental car. You'll already have it! Plus if you want to go to DTD or to play mini-golf, it is MUCH easier to take the car than rely on WDW busses, imho.