Need rental car for only part of trip

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

While we have been to WDW several times we have yet to rent a car and would love some advice from rental experts!

We are flying into MCO, renting a car from enterprise (got a great rate) and driving to Disneys Vero Beach for a 4 night stay.

On check out day the current plan is to return the car back to MCO (way cheaper than when I quoted Alamo and National returning to Disney Car care ) and are hoping we can take DME to AKV for the remainder of our trip (10 days).

While we need the car for Vero we really won't use it at WDW.

A few questions-
-any other options you think I should look into?

-will we be allowed to take DME to our resort if our flight got in four days earlier?


Edit to add- just found new option- pick up car from MCO then return to Disney Car Care (instead of back to MCO) for $60 more. Seems like that would be best option.

 

[FCDub]

To answer part of your question: Disney doesn't care how you arrive at the airport. You could fly, ride a camel or, like you say, drive yourself there after renting a car. If you're a resort guest, you're entitled to a round-trip ride on DME during your reservation. So you're all good there!

That said, I agree it's worth the extra $60 to not have to hassle with the bus.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I'll agree that it would probably just be better to drop the car at the Disney CC Center. I would use the car to make a grocery stop for drinks, snacks, sundries, that you may need during the Disney World portion of the trip. Buying a case of water and some soft drinks offsite will save the $60 spent to drop the car off onsite.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I'll agree that it would probably just be better to drop the car at the Disney CC Center. I would use the car to make a grocery stop for drinks, snacks, sundries, that you may need during the Disney World portion of the trip. Buying a case of water and some soft drinks offsite will save the $60 spent to drop the car off onsite.

Add in the savings if you purchase any adult beverages. Also simple breakfast foods can save a bundle over a 10 night stay.

 

[crazylady]

I would price out keeping the car for the whole trip. Often when I'm not picking up and dropping off to the same place, the price difference to keep the car the whole time is not much. If the price is small, it would be worth it to keep it the whole time.

 

[Tinknalli]

I agree. Price out keeping it the whole time. In April my sister is doing an 11 night trip. First 4 nights they needed a second car and then one day at the end of the trip. The savings of turning in the car for 6 of the 11 days was less than $50. Not worth the additional hassle.

 

[goofy4tink]

Price out the entire stay. If it's nothing you are interested in then, fine, return it to MCO. You're going to pay more to return it to either CCC or Dolphin...these are both Alamo/National sites.
If you do decided to return the car to MCO, then take DME to your resort, I would drive from Vero, to AKL. You could stop along the way and buy groceries. Then, drop the groceries and bags off at AKL, and drive back to MCO. You can leave everyone at AKL, while just you go back. Then you take DME back to AKL.

 

[keishashadow]

OP via your sig line, appears trip is in May. Lots of time, book/keep placeholder reservation & keep checking.

BTW If you haven't had access to a car in WDW, might find you love it vs busing it, especially since you could save $ eating a meal or two offsite.

 

[shocker]

While we have been to WDW several times we have yet to rent a car and would love some advice from rental experts!

We are flying into MCO, renting a car from enterprise (got a great rate) and driving to Disneys Vero Beach for a 4 night stay.

On check out day the current plan is to return the car back to MCO (way cheaper than when I quoted Alamo and National returning to Disney Car care ) and are hoping we can take DME to AKV for the remainder of our trip (10 days).

While we need the car for Vero we really won't use it at WDW.

A few questions-
-any other options you think I should look into?

-will we be allowed to take DME to our resort if our flight got in four days earlier?


Edit to add- just found new option- pick up car from MCO then return to Disney Car Care (instead of back to MCO) for $60 more. Seems like that would be best option.

This is not a bad plan! We too have rented a car for the first few days, returned it to MCO and then rode MDE to resort. When I made the MDE ressie, they wanted a flight number and time, I choose one for the date and time I was after, not the one I actually took.

I will add that only one person needs to do this! Take the rest of the group to the resort and all your bags, depending on the time they could get in the room, go for a swim, take a stroll. One person can zip through MCO without bags MUCH quicker than a group.

For others reading, when staying in an Epcot Resort, we walked over to Dolphin and used a rental desk inside the lobby (can't remember, maybe National?). When staying at a DSAR, there's car rental desk inside the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs (Hertz). To the OP, you could drop at Dolphin and boat the DHS then bus to AKL or drop at Holiday Inn and they offer shuttle to DS or just walk 5 min. and then bus to AKL.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

For others reading, when staying in an Epcot Resort, we walked over to Dolphin and used a rental desk inside the lobby (can't remember, maybe National?). When staying at a DSAR, there's car rental desk inside the Holiday Inn at Disney Springs (Hertz). To the OP, you could drop at Dolphin and boat the DHS then bus to AKL or drop at Holiday Inn and they offer shuttle to DS or just walk 5 min. and then bus to AKL.

National and Alamo share the car rental desk at the Dolphin (both are part of the Enterprise car rental family of companies).

 

[bumbershoot]

-will we be allowed to take DME to our resort if our flight got in four days earlier?

Yes. You’re entitled to a trip to and from (or even vice versa) Wdw at any point between check in and check out days.

I'll agree that it would probably just be better to drop the car at the Disney CC Center. I would use the car to make a grocery stop for drinks, snacks, sundries, that you may need during the Disney World portion of the trip. Buying a case of water and some soft drinks offsite will save the $60 spent to drop the car off onsite.

I agree with the reasons.