Any luck with Car Rental Prices for spring/summer 2023?

[migel]

I've been renting cars, usually from MCO and occasionally Sanford, for years, and the current prices are the highest I've encountered. I know the system is still recovering from the fleet sell-offs, but I didn't expect prices to remain this high. I fly at the end of this month (busy season, I know) and reserved with Costco a while back, but prices haven't budged much. They dropped slightly, and now seem to be on the rise again. Usually, I can snag a lower price 1-2 weeks out, but I doubt that will happen this time around, although I'll keep checking. Undercover Tourist was a great option until they changed the mandatory minimum purchase to $100, although they are still a good option if you need park or event tickets with your rental. I did look into Turo, but I know there's issues with insurance coverage, car quality, etc. so I'm not considering them at this point. Wondering if anyone else has had better luck with pricing (onsite airport only). I'm currently sitting at about $425 USD for a 7-day rental (compact) at the end of March. Cheers!

 

[1420Elexismc]

I currently have a minivan for about $424 through car rental savers...prior to that the best price I could get was $575 through costco travel. This is for the 2nd week of May

 

[migel]

I currently have a minivan for about $424 through car rental savers...prior to that the best price I could get was $575 through costco travel. This is for the 2nd week of May

That's a decent price for a minivan. It seems like the time of year is no longer affecting rental pricing in the Disney area. I'd read in a Facebook group that last month MCO was short on cars, and some people with reservations, were turned away. With demand like that, I don't see any bargain rates showing up any time soon, unfortunately.

 

[1420Elexismc]

That's a decent price for a minivan. It seems like the time of year is no longer affecting rental pricing in the Disney area. I'd read in a Facebook group that last month MCO was short on cars, and some people with reservations, were turned away. With demand like that, I don't see any bargain rates showing up any time soon, unfortunately.

I know that there have been a couple of times where the shortages happened. One was when the companies sold off a lot of fleet vehicles during the pandemic because people obviously weren't traveling much. A co-worker of mine just ran into it but he was traveling on President's Day weekend/Winter break for a lot of schools/Daytona 500 weekend. That would definitely make things more difficult. What I don't get is why these companies overbook like this. I could understand a bit of thinking a car will be returned, and a customer extends their rental-but that can't account for overselling THAT much to create such an issue. I feel like the last time I rented a minivan it was only around $300 but that was 2015 and those days are long gone!

 

[hcortesis]

Air Canada Vacations https://vacations.aircanada.com/ $354 CAD all in for one week end of March with Avis onsite at MCO. .

 

[40ariel]

I was not able to find a decent rental price for our trip in April - it was almost $500 USD for a little tiny car. So, I decided to fly into MCO and take Mears Connect, stay onsite and use Disney transportation. It worked out to about the same price overall.

 

[migel]

Air Canada Vacations https://vacations.aircanada.com/ $354 CAD all in for one week end of March with Avis onsite at MCO. .

That's a great price by today's standards! I've never tried this site, but I will be checking with them from now on. Unfortunately for this trip, I tried something different and booked with a discount airline, one that's been cancelling flights right and left lately, some right up to the day of the flight. I can't chance the 48 hour cancellation window this time, but I'll definitely be looking at them for May/June. Thanks for sharing!

 

[migel]

I was not able to find a decent rental price for our trip in April - it was almost $500 USD for a little tiny car. So, I decided to fly into MCO and take Mears Connect, stay onsite and use Disney transportation. It worked out to about the same price overall.

My first two trips to Disney we did this, when they still had the Magical Express. It's definitely a good option when you're staying onsite!

 

[tgropp]

Air Canada Vacations https://vacations.aircanada.com/ $354 CAD all in for one week end of March with Avis onsite at MCO. .

is this a prepaid reservation?

 

[hcortesis]

is this a prepaid reservation?

Yes, but it is cancelable. I have cancelled right up till the day before. Never been an issue. This site is legit. Nothing sketchy about it at all

 

[tgropp]

Yes, but it is cancelable. I have cancelled right up till the day before. Never been an issue. This site is legit. Nothing sketchy about it at all

I have tried to book a car using three different credit cards and each time it says the cc was declined. I am not sure on why it will not let me book ( no there are no cc issues)

 

[hcortesis]

I have tried to book a car using three different credit cards and each time it says the cc was declined. I am not sure on why it will not let me book ( no there are no cc issues)

Weird. I booked last month with no issues. Got another rental with them starting next Tuesday with no issues either. There is a phone # somewhere on that site and they have never taken long to pick up.

 

[tgropp]

Weird. I booked last month with no issues. Got another rental with them starting next Tuesday with no issues either. There is a phone # somewhere on that site and they have never taken long to pick up.

Got it. Thanks for this. I got a Toyota Corolla for a week in Dec for $372 Cdn

 

[hcortesis]

Got it. Thanks for this. I got a Toyota Corolla for a week in Dec for $372 Cdn

Good to hear. And you just reminded me that I need to book our Dec trip also.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

I was not able to find a decent rental price for our trip in April - it was almost $500 USD for a little tiny car. So, I decided to fly into MCO and take Mears Connect, stay onsite and use Disney transportation. It worked out to about the same price overall.

That's our plan as well. We're arriving after Easter week and prices are still crazy. We'll take an uber for those times we want to get somewhere a little faster. It helps that our kids are old enough to take their own uber too, if needed.

 

[hcortesis]

That's our plan as well. We're arriving after Easter week and prices are still crazy. We'll take an uber for those times we want to get somewhere a little faster. It helps that our kids are old enough to take their own uber too, if needed.

What do you consider "crazy"? I see a week with Avis-Mid size just after Easter for $355 CAD.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

What do you consider "crazy"? I see a week with Avis-Mid size just after Easter for $355 CAD.

They were at least 1100-1200 when I was looking before at other sites for 11 days. I checked the AC link and it's much less there.

 

[dancin Disney style]

That's a decent price for a minivan. It seems like the time of year is no longer affecting rental pricing in the Disney area. I'd read in a Facebook group that last month MCO was short on cars, and some people with reservations, were turned away. With demand like that, I don't see any bargain rates showing up any time soon, unfortunately.

They don't actually run out of cars. What they run out of is prepared cars. If you have a prior reservation you will get a car. There is an ongoing problem with Budget....their system is like a million years old so anyone that has to stand in line at the counter waits for hours. I'm not joking....hours. We went through it in January. So what ends up happening is that once people start talking in the line and discover how long the wait is they start hitting up the other rental counters and take all the available cars.

 

[mkmommy]

I just want to thank the person who posted the link to air Canada vacation car rental options
Sitting at the airport after dropping off our car. The rate was by far the best I could find basically the same rate in CAD that I could find in USD so about 40% savings.

We picked up in Tampa and dropped off in Fort Myers, rental was through Herrz and it was quick and no problems with the prepaid amounts.

I was amazed at the devastation from Hurricane Ian, just miles and miles of destroyed homes and businesses . All the people though were so thankful for the business they must be really hurting.

 

[jujubiee4]

I just want to thank the person who posted the link to air Canada vacation car rental options
Sitting at the airport after dropping off our car. The rate was by far the best I could find basically the same rate in CAD that I could find in USD so about 40% savings.

We picked up in Tampa and dropped off in Fort Myers, rental was through Herrz and it was quick and no problems with the prepaid amounts.

I was amazed at the devastation from Hurricane Ian, just miles and miles of destroyed homes and businesses . All the people though were so thankful for the business they must be really hurting.

So If you live in the U.S you can reserve on that site?