Your Opinions Please..rental car/ME etc

[Showe]

We are coming in on a FRI (2/10) and staying until SUN (2/19).

I have already called to schedule ME pickup and departure...They sent my luggage tags but they were for the wrong resort. I called and had this fixed - I hope - they couldn't send new tags, wouldn't get to me in time, so they said to cross off the wrong resort and write on the correct one...

I have read all the good and bad about ME on the boards and was hoping and praying that all goes well....

so, we have decided now that at some point during our stay we would like to get a car...let me ask your opinions...

1.) would you get a car at the airport and forego ME or get one through the resort? .....anyone know if its any cheaper going through the resort as opposed to airport. We called the resort today and they said it would run us about $250 for one week...

2.) how long of a wait for the ME bus to get to airport, load, etc. WE are flying in with my parents and they are picking up their luggage and going off with relatives....do we have time to help them with their luggage and see them off ?

3.) Also, does anyone know if there is an order to dropping off at resorts ? We are staying at SSR...will we be last off the bus or first ???

Thanks for any advice and all opinions...

 

[kaytieeldr]

1) The cost per day for renting a car at your resort (aka away from the airport) may be higher, but if you only need a car for a couple of days and rent only those days, the actual cost would be much cheaper. Also, renting a car for ten days will be much more than renting for seven days, since beyond one week you pay the per-day cost (until you reach a second week, aka 5 - 7 days)
2) I'm confused - you're all taking DME from your resort to the airport, then instead of boarding a plane your parents are going off elsewhere? If you bring your luggage with you under the bus, it will only take however long it takes the driver to unload that luggage. Guests are picked up 2.75 to 3 hours before their flight leaves. This allows time to load all luggage and Guests, pick up Guests at zero to 3 other resorts, and get to the airport. BAD idea to try to reduce this length of time.
3) No set order. DME drops off Guests based approximately on distance from airport in relation to the other Guests/stops. Depending which resorts are combined on your specific bus, you could be first, last or in between.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Alamo and National have rentals at the Dolphin and the Car Care Center. The rates can be better than at the airport because you are not paying the airport fees - which can be a lot in FL. Check at mousesavers.com for codes and coupons.

 

[NCRedding]

In early January, we took ME to SSR. I think we waited about 15 minutes for the bus to pull out, and there were only about 14 people onboard. We stopped first at OKW, then to SSR. We landed at 8:20 pm. and got our luggage at 11:15.

We rented a car the second day we were there. I called National and took the shuttle which runs hourly from the resorts--you have to make a reservation to take it at least one hour in advance. The car rental from the Car Care Center was much less than the rental I had originally booked and cancelled from the airport.

On our return to the airport, we checked our luggage and got our boarding passes at the resort (we were flying delta); then all we had to do was return the car at the airport and go through security.