Renting a car out of Walt Disney World Orlando

[Warks]

We're in Orlando staying at a Disney resort for 10 days in July. Most of the time we will just be local (theme parks) but want to go to Kennedy Space Center one day so I was looking at car hire for a day. But I'm not sure if there is a way to get a car to the resort for pick up or is there a local bus that would take us to a pick up point. I'll have to check which resort we're at. (checked - Art of Animation).

I know we can just do a tour to KSC from the resort but I'd like to have some flexibility to do a bit more touring in the area on the day. Maybe it's not worth it cost wise.

Would appreciate your replies.

 

[NM]

Alamo has a rental facility on-site and will pick you up from your Disney accommodation.

Have a look at booking Alamo cars through netflights in the UK as they include all insurances etc in the quoted rate and I found their rates very competitive against the regular rental car company web sites.

Edit, looks like NetFlights can only offer from airport locations.

Edit #2: looks like you can. First select MCO, then they give the option for several off-airport locations including Disney Resort

 

[NM]

Here is the link from Disney's web site:

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

 

[Mark3000]

Alamo has a rental facility on-site and will pick you up from your Disney accommodation.

Have a look at booking Alamo cars through netflights in the UK as they include all insurances etc in the quoted rate and I found their rates very competitive against the regular rental car company web sites.

Edit, looks like NetFlights can only offer from airport locations.

Edit #2: looks like you can. First select MCO, then they give the option for several off-airport locations including Disney Resort

If you join Alamo insiders you get 5% off and a free upgrade first time
Also, if you click on the Google ad for Alamo from Australia, it now gives you a code for included CDW
I just booked a one way from South Beach to Port Canaveral and Alamo worked out the best.
I like the netflights tip, I will try that next time, thanks

 

[strtrek]

we use Car Hire with discount rates from rentalcars.com care rentals...alamo....it includes all insurances etc.

pick it up from a downtown disney hotel location (catch the WDW bus from AoA to DTD) easy and then just walk the 3 min to the hotel.

we do this every year, and find it really easy.

 

[straitman]

What NM said.

 

[horseman]

Also if your going in that direction, I recommend visiting and doing the guided tour of the Daytona speedway

 

[Warks]

Thanks for all the excellent information. Will see how we go - looks like it should be easy enough.

Probably won't get to Daytona with a lack of car fans in the vehicle. Will have a look at the coast though - I stayed down there years ago - Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Vero Beach.

Must stop off at a "juice stand" though for that authentic Florida experience.

 

[Dr Ralph]

We're in Orlando staying at a Disney resort for 10 days in July. Most of the time we will just be local (theme parks) but want to go to Kennedy Space Center one day so I was looking at car hire for a day. But I'm not sure if there is a way to get a car to the resort for pick up or is there a local bus that would take us to a pick up point. I'll have to check which resort we're at. (checked - Art of Animation).

I know we can just do a tour to KSC from the resort but I'd like to have some flexibility to do a bit more touring in the area on the day. Maybe it's not worth it cost wise.

Would appreciate your replies.

I've done this before. Call up the rental company. They will send a shuttle to pick you up and take you to their depot to collect the car. Very easy.

 

[coriander]

I used economycarrentals.com (ECR) for our rental in SFO and MCO this January: their rate covers all insurances and waivers as well as glass, tyres, underbody (which some other providers may not): important if you're not an American resident. In MCO we picked up and returned our car to Disney Car Care, with Alamo providing a speedy shuttle bus to/from the Contemporary Resort (concierge will call the rental people for you). In MCO our car came from National (=Alamo); SFO from Alamo.

Whilst in SFO, depending on weather we'd decide on a rental car at about 5pm, log into ECR, pick my car for a 24 hour hire, and the confirmation PDF was emailed 10 minutes later for pick up the following morning. One of the other Aussie guests said they booked a car through ECR at 8.00am and were on their way out of SFO by 9.30am. Too easy.

 

[Warks]

Another question: are there buses from the Disney resorts to outlet shopping malls? From what I can gather Disney doesn't like you to leave their precinct (thus no bus to Universal Studios) but I thought outlet shopping should be possible. There was a bus from the Swan and Dolphin Resort where I attended a conference last year but that resort is a Sheraton property apparently and not Disney.

We might be using Uber. It is under huge pressure in Florida but was a great service last time. Fares were so cheap ($10-15) with no add-ons. I remember some ten years earlier taking a taxi to the outlets from a conference there and it was over $US50!

 

[Warks]

Anyone have any info on my post above?

 

[coriander]

Anyone have any info on my post above?

Tripadvisor is often a good place to start when a question isn't answered straightaway (usually means no-one knows for sure): Google sent me to this page which might help: Orlando: Bus services from/to Walt Disney World - TripAdvisor

 

[Austff]

Anyone have any info on my post above?

Try to get a bus to the outlet mall at the south end of international dr , from there is very cheap bus service up & down international dr with lots of stops including universal.
IMHO hire a car , MCO is one of the cheapest places in USA for rentals.

 

[Warks]

Well it was pretty easy in the end. Booked with Alamo online - concierge at the Disney resort wouldn't do it - and if the pick up point is the Disney Car Car Center then you call a 1800 number to book your pick-up from your resort. It's only an hourly pick-up so keep that in mind. We got picked up with a few others at 815am and got to the Car Care Center at about 840 - it's just inside and to the left of the Magic Kingdom gates. Bit of a queue to pick up car but it cost a flat $US46 for the day for a Hyundai Sonata. I was told there was a $3 toll on the way to KSC and we could just drive through the gates and for a $3.50 admin fee they'd add the charges to my credit card. I thought that probably wasn't worth it seeing as the admin fee was more than the tolls so on the drive I just went to the cash gates. Unfortunately he didn't say it was a series of $1 tolls (or slightly more) and it was a pain in the bum to do it that way. Also there were more tolls on the way back - he'd told me it was free? The worst thing was we used up a lot of coins and dollar notes and then at the final toll gate to turn to Magic Kingdom there was a lousy 50c toll and we had no coins left at all. Plus it was an unmanned booth unlike all the others so I couldn't use notes. In the end I just had to drive through and I assume I'll get hit with the $3.50 admin fee anyway.

Other than that it was pretty simple - KSC is only a bit over an hour away and we could have spent two days there in the end I think. There is a petrol station right next to the Car Care Center so easy to fuel up (provided you pay inside first!!) and it only cost a bit over $US9 in fuel for the trip.

For other short trips around the Disney area that Disney doesn't want you to visit use Uber. They are allowed on resort property but Disney clearly doesn't like it. So cheap and reliable. Great for getting to Universal or the outlets.

 

[Austff]

That toll drama is a pain , we try to make sure the rental car has an E tag & pay it at end of rental.
I just booked with SIXT , a BMW mini SUV & will pickup at west hwy 192 , usually pickup at airport but want to try a different way.

 

[get me outta here]

On my first visit to Orlando for work, I arrived at about midnight very tired and got into the rental car. It's a long way in to International Drive on mostly a pitch black road. I went off the main drag on a wrong ramp and had no appropriate notes or coins. It was a scary moment to be in the middle of nowhere stuck in the dark not being able to back up and not knowing where the hell I was or how to progress. I envisaged an axe murderer just hiding waiting for some poor sucker.

Another time, I pulled out of the rental car park at the airport and at the last moment before again getting back on that horrible road, I discovered that I had no petrol. I was just able to turn back before it was too late and had a tanty about them sending me to the blackness to just break down.

 

[Austff]

I want to try UBER with some free codes , never used them yet.

 

[Warks]

One thing I forgot - when we left the Disney Car Care Center following the GPS for Kennedy Space Center it sent us straight into EPCOT! Their version of it? When I got to the spot where they drill you $US17 for parking I told the attendant what happened and she said most GPSs didn't seem to work in Disney and this happened a lot. She gave me directions back out again and didn't charge for parking at least! It involved just a couple of turns to the left and through some sort of employees' exit so it all worked out.