Which is quicker??

[kaytieedid]

We are considering renting a car for this trip. For those who have done ME and car rentals, which do you find gets you to your hotel quicker and how much time do you save if any? We are staying at OKW and I don't know if there are any other stops before our resort.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We usually use DME but in 2008 we rented a mini van from Enterprise. What a MISTAKE!!! The car agency was off site from the airport so we had to take a shuttle. Then after waiting in line, going to the van, inspecting it etc. It took a LONG time to finally be on the road to WDW. We kept saying that we should have taken DME. I'm guessing if we had rented from a car agency located at the actual airport it probably would have been much faster.

 

[skelooch]

IMHO, renting a car will always be faster.
If you plan on using the car to get to the parks and ADRs, then it will save you a great deal of time over the course of your trip.
But if you don't plan on using the car for anything else other than getting from and back to the airport, it might not be worth it.

 

[msp2mco]

We have done both many times. From the airport to the resort, I think an on-site car rental will always be faster. We have used Alamo, and if you are a preferred member, the rental goes much faster. We have also rented at Thrifty (off-site), and as a blue chip member, we were able to quickly get our car and get on the road.

When we have a car, we use it to get to every park except MK. That seems to be a wash in time savings.

 

[Candace]

If you are an Emerald Aisle member with National, you can skip the line and go straight to a car, which you pick out. That's a time saver. Much quicker than ME. If you are not a member, Mousesavers.com has a link which can save you the $50 membership fee. Sometimes, I do both - get ME to my hotel, and then rent a car for a day or two at an onsite rental location. Mousesavers has lots of coupon codes for many car rental agencies.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm an Emerald Aisle customer. Every once in a blue moon, baggage takes longer than it should, but once in a blue moon ME takes longer than it should as well. On average, the car is faster.

We drive everywhere except MK and evenings where a second glass of wine is planned. And, after a few longer-than-acceptable waits for buses to MK from OKW, I'm considering driving there too. It might be a shade longer on average, but it is vastly more predictable.

 

[thepops]

Depending on how big your family is, you could split up. One of you go get the rental car, make whatever grocery or other stops needed and drive to OKW, while the other takes the kids and ME. (or split up the kids as well if that works.) This way you don't have to wait at baggage claim (since ME will take it) and you get in the grocery stop (and might all end up at the resort right around the same time.

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

We have done both. When we have used ME it's been a hit or miss type of thing. One time there we huge lines and it took us about 45 minutes to get onto a bus - then a couple of stop before our hotel. Other times we only had to wait about 15 minutes or so and gone straight to the hotel. We've also rented a car - I think from Alamo. You just walk across the street from the airport and picked up a car. Very easy and fast.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would only get the rental car if I had my own grocery stops. I second the idea of separating if that's possible. We've done that with a group of 7, and the ME people were at the pool when the rental car people arrived with groceries.

 

[JWG]

The last two trips with extended family we did both. We rented a car and used Magical Express (split the group up). Magical Express is so random as it depends on which resorts are on board, what time of day, how quickly the bus fills, etc.

The last time, my dad and I rented the car, drove to Wal-Mart, drove to Publix, drove back to the hotel and beat my mom, wife and daugter by literally 1 minute. They had checked us in and were on the bell hop van with luggage right ahead of us as we pulled into OKW. We just were able to beat them by parking right by the door.

So, our time to rent, drive and shop was equal to their time to bus and check-in.

We've also done ME to the resort and rented at the Hilton over by DtD (Avis). That saved us the airport fees.

As a side note, and I don't know if this is always true, every time we've had a guest from Grand Floridian on our bus - they've ALWAYS been dropped off first. So, if you're at BLT this is to your advantage. If you're at AKV, this could be very disadvantageous. The bus driver (remember, they work for Mears and not Disney) did say they're instructed to drop Grand Floridian first no matter what. Then they naturally work their way around the park in best order.

We like the flexibility of a car, especially when at OKW, SSR, AKV, etc. Dining at resorts without a car can be tough. We haven't decided what to do for our split stay in October (BWV / BLT). For the BLT portion no car needed. For BWV... we have reservations at Jiko, Chef Mickey's (during BWV stay), etc. that make that more problematic.

 

[rice00]

We have always used a car when we stay at OKW. I'm impatient. I just like to get our car and get to WDW plus I think it's conveinent to have.

We have always used National Car Rental and like many others are an Emerald Club member. Recently we have used Hotwire at the last minute and have gotten some great deals.

 

[utahkennedys]

Three weeks ago DH and I checked in at the rental car counter together (so we could both be drivers) and then I headed to ME while he got the car. I beat him to OKW!! OKW took a different route and he hit traffic. OKW was the first ME stop that night as well, but I was still surprised!

 

[moredisneyplease]

i also think a rental car depends on what you want to do on your vacation. if you plan on going to various resorts/restaurants at the resorts or doing activities at those resorts (say Ft Wilderness camp fire sing a long or dinner at Sanaa at AKL) then you'll be better off getting a car. Also, do you need groceries? that might factor in.

but, like it was already said, if you're just going to/from the airport then why rent?

 

[psac]

If you're JUST getting the car to go to/from the airport, then take cabs. Cabs are really quick from the airport, and then you (or bell service) can call the cab to pick you back up. Some companies will do a 30 min Publix stop if you pre-book a car, which is different then just a curb cab, because now you're relying on them being there to get you, but that is still much quicker than ME.

Plus to us, after a bad experience in the past (not with ME), we REFUSE to have someone else take our luggage. So we're very relaxed knowing our luggage is with us at all times. (Except for bell service at the resort, but I'm not worried about that.)

 

[Brian Noble]

OKW took a different route and he hit traffic.

He must have gone I-4. I've *never* had traffic on 417. The few dollars in tolls is well worth it.

 

[JeffT1976]

If you go 417 you should get there faster with the rental....still DME is nice cause you don't have to worry about the car!

 

[dbs1228]

We always rent a car, my DH goes directly to car rental when we get off the plane and I go to get the luggage with DD's. By the time we have the luggage, he has the car rental agreements signed and we hop in the car and go. We also drive to all the parks except MK (we usually stay at BLT). We usually land at night so we stop for milk, bread and beer and do a big grocery shop the next day.

 

[crisi]

We had one of those horrifically bad car rental experiences - needed a minivan - they didn't have one in. Waited for minivan. Needed car seats - those weren't available either, waited again. Three hours later, we left the airport.

My last rental from Orlando was Hertz Gold Club - that was easy although it IS an offsite shuttle. It isn't far.

Generally though - if you check luggage, ME and car rental is kind of a wash, since with ME you don't wait for your luggage, but you do wait for the bus to leave. And with a rental car, you have to wait for luggage.

Fastest - carryon luggage, curb cab.
Almost as fast - carryon luggage, National Emerald club.

 

[shoes99]

We take DME to the resort, then pick up a rental car at the Car Care Center. We book an intermediate with National and have been upgraded to a full size since we are Emerald Aisle members. DH likes to have a car to get to ADR's and to Epcot and DHS. We take DME back to the airport. DH likes the flexability of a car, but not the drive from the airport to the resort.

 

[delaneyc52]

I have not read all the posts so sorry if I'm redundant...

We always use Magical Express because I hate hate hate handling luggage. Our resort of choice is usually Beach Club or Boardwalk so we check in and wander over to the Swan ... or is it Dolphin? ... anyway, we wander over there and pick up a National Car for the week. I'm not a Disney bus fan and I like the freedom of having a car for groceries, and other activities (can you say Premium Mall Outlets hahhaahahaa).