Which rental car company to use?

[michpoit]

We are taking an extended Orlando vacation this summer and are not sure what transpotation option would be best. We usually use Your Ride when we are staying at WDW. This summer we are staying offsite for 4 nights and hoping to go to Blizzard Beach and Universal, then driving to Port Canaveral for a 7 day cruise, then staying 1 night at WDW before returning home. What would be the cheapest way to go? Would it be better to return the rental car before our cruise and then pick up a new one when we return? Thanks for your help.

Michelle

 

[safetymom]

With the rental companies you should price your trip as two separate rentals and then as one rental. You may get a better price if you rent for longer.

 

[Kitster]

We used Avis before and after our Disney cruise in Nov. 2002. There is a drop-off location not too far from Port Canaveral that takes you back to the port, free of charge. When you get back into port, just have a reservation for 1 day. That should take care of you. BTW, there is no additional drop-off charge when renting at Orlando International and returning to Port Canaveral (station code : P3F).

We were able to rent a mini-van for 4 people....2 day total cost was ~$90.00 including all taxes. This ended up being far less expensive than using any other form of transportation. Unfortunately your cost for ranting will depend on the time of year and may or may not be as inexpensive as our cost was.

If you decide to rent for your length of stay, remember to figure in parking costs at Port Canaveral........I'm not sure if it's $8 or $10 per day for parking. This could very well negate any savings you might see in the rental rates.

 

[michpoit]

Thanks for all of your good advice. Did you experience long waits in picking up your rental cars? I still have nightmares about an Easter trip back in 1996 and waiting in line to pik up our car for an hour!

 

[Kitster]

Here's are a couple of time saving tips for anyone wanting to rent from Avis:

Join Avis' complimentary Wizard Program and enjoy faster reservations and rentals, every time. We'll keep your personal data, rental preferences, and special discount information in a Wizard profile, so you won't have to provide it when you call or go online to make your reservations. Once you enroll, you will receive a Wizard® Number which is your personal member identification, and the key to your member benefits. Be sure to keep your number handing for future reference.
Plus, when you enroll in the Wizard Program online, you will enjoy automatic enrollment in My Avis - the personal service dedicated to enhancing your online Avis experience. My Avis gives you the added power to:

View and modify your rental profile
Create your own personal itineraries and save them online
Book your reservations even quicker with our Rapid Rental feature
Review and print your rental receipts

Avis Preferred Membership was designed for busy travelers like you -- and can be yours free of charge. Simply enroll today and you'll enjoy extra speed and amenities every step of the way:

You won't have to tell us your rental preferences every time you reserve -- we'll already have them on file.
When you arrive at Avis, you can skip the lines and the paperwork and go straight to your car at over 1,400 locations worldwide.
Our courtesy bus will drop you off by one of our newest cars, or you'll find it in a convenient parking space.
A free copy of The Wall Street Journal will be in your car at major U.S. airport locations.
When you enroll in Preferred Service online, you will also enjoy automatic enrollment in My Avis -- the personal service dedicated to enhancing your online Avis experience.

These programs are similar to the National Emerald Club and cost nothing to join. Stephen is an Avis Preferred member and our wait time was minimal at each location.