Avis rental question

[mom2tiggers]

I'm renting a car from Avis both before & after my cruise. Is the Avis shuttle already waiting at the Disney port for passengers to get off the ship, or do we need to make arrangements to be picked up? I'm assuming they probably make runs back & forth all day. Thanks!

 

[Jhalkias]

When I dropped off the car, they gave me the number to call when we got back, but it was unnescessary. At least in May, the shuttle ran continuously back and forth after the ship arrived. Just look for the big Avis Van, and make sure to get to it quick, as it seems to fill up fast.

I left my family and luggage at the terminal, hopped aboard, got the car, and drove back to pick them up.

Hope this helps!

 

[Aaron]

Well that's kinda neat - I just jumped onto the boards to post that exact question, and low and behold it is the most current thread...

As a follow up: With the new security precautions in mind, would you recomend on departure day, dropping the rest of the family (and luggage) off with the car, then dropping off the car and returning on the shuttle?

If we all stay together, is luggage on the shuttle a problem?

Looks like some believe that is also the best plan (only reversed) when you get back - everyone agree?

Thanks!

 

[Jules62]

When we arrived at the port for departure, I dropped my family off and then took the rental back. I was gone maybe 30 minutes tops before I got back to my family.

When we got back from our Magical cruise....the Avis shuttle was running continuously...we did not have to call for them or to wait for very long to get the shuttle back to get our car. The Avis shuttle has plenty of room for your luggage too!

It was all a very seamless process!

Jules

 

[candleonwater]

To us it seemed like too much of a hassle to try to drop off the family and luggage so all of us just headed to Avis. There was no problem with all our luggage and I actually felt better keeping the family together. The return trip was just the same - maybe a 15 minute wait for the shuttle... but there were only two families waiting for it so we had no problem hopping right on.

 

[Cruise]

This has probably been addressed, but I'm getting confused with all the information about dropping off, picking up, parking, etc. depending on it you're in your own car, a rental, a limo, or a shuttle. It seems like they all have different policies.

If you drop off a rental at Avis and take their shuttle back to the port with all your luggage, will the Avis shuttle drop you and your luggage at the curb where a porter will take it? Or do you have to make the Avis shuttle pull into the lot across the street and lug your luggage across the street?

Thanks!
Julie

 

[Jules62]

...the Avis shuttle will drop you off in the lot across the street. They cannot pull up in front and drop off anymore. What we did was drop the luggage and the rest of my family off at the port, right in front and then took the rental car back. It was much easier for just one person and no luggage on the shuttle. Then they just dropped me off across the street, I walked over and reunited with my family.

Easy as pie!

Jules

 

[Aaron]

That may very well be what we do. However if one was opposed to spliiting up the group, how big of a deal is it to cross the street with the luggage?

 

[mog]

When we arrived at the terminal on the Avis shuttle, they put us in the parking lot across the street. We did not have to take our luggage with us to the terminal (just our carryons). They checked all of our documents, etc. right there in the parking lot and had their own (DCL) luggage cars come over and take all the luggage over themselves. We didn't see it again until it showed up outside our room later that afternoon. They took us and our carryons over to the terminal on a shuttle bus.

When we got off the ship and went through customs we had to walk across the street to the parking lot with our luggage and get on the Avis shuttle. We used a porter for our luggage, though, and he took it across the street for us and gave it straight to the Avis driver who loaded it in the van.

It was a very easy and smooth process!

 

[pbans]

One word advise....Make sure all of your luggage will fit in the rental car!!
We had a large party, so one person from each family went to the rental car place and then came back to the terminal!
One family had to return their car to rental car agency and upgrade....seems they had a "mid size" reservation with a "full size" load!!

 

[candleonwater]

We were told we were not allowed to drop off passengers in front of the terminal. If I wanted to drop off my mother and my daughter I would have to drop them off in the parking lot where the shuttle stops (across from the terminal). We were also told we were not allowed to walk over to the terminal from this lot, but we could walk back from the ship to the lot at the end of the cruise.

 

[Aaron]

Ummm - little confused about that last post-you can drop passengers off in the lot across the street, but they can't walk from there to the terminal?

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Yeah, I'm a little confused about that, too, candleonwater. In fact, WebmasterMichelle recently reported that she was able to drive her rental car right up to the curbside checkin and drop her luggage before returning her car. When did you cruise? By whom were you told about these restrictions? Were you arriving in a rental car and did you tell them it was a rental rather than a private vehicle?

 

[Aaron]

Hey Dave - just recently discovered your site and the helpful info re: Avis and the Radisson. I believe we're switching from using a town car, to using Avis - saves us a few bucks and most importantly gives us more freedom of movement before and after the cruise. We were looking at being stuck for several hours at MCO after the cruise, but now won't have to be.

I think we're going to give the Quality Suites you list a try - I can get a 2-room Suite for $99 plus tax - Radison wanted about $150 for the same thing.

If I understand correctly I can drop the car the next morning, and take the Avis shuttle to the port. Using this strategy do you think we can still be at the port around 10:30 or so?

Thanks again for your website- It was very helpful in changing all my transportation plans around on the spur of the moment.

 

[candleonwater]

We cruised Dec 1 and when I went to turn in to let my family out, the guard at the turn told me I couldn't do that. When I pointed out that I needed to return the rental car, he suggested I take them with me since it was 10 am and we couldn't get in yet anyway. When I asked, couldn't I just go ahead and drop them off, they wouldn't mind waiting.. he said that I would have to drop them off in the parking lot across the street and wait for the shuttle to take them over to the terminal since they weren't allowed to walk across. Once we returned to the terminal (after dropping off the rental car) our id's were checked in the parking lot and we were shuttled back over to the terminal. We definitely were not allowed to do curbside check in.

 

[Michelle]

To clarify: you can drop off BAGS at the terminal with your rental car, but not PASSENGERS. Passengers DO have to cross the street from the parking lot as there is a security checkpoint as you walk back to the port terminal that everyone must pass through.

Hope that clears up the confusion!

 

[Aaron]

Ahh - I see now - the not walking from the lot to the terminal is what had me confused - I didn't realize there was a shuttle for that purpose. Thanks for the info.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by Aaron

I think we're going to give the Quality Suites you list a try - I can get a 2-room Suite for $99 plus tax - Radison wanted about $150 for the same thing.

Let me know what you think about the Quality Suites... it looks like a nice hotel, but I haven't heard from anyone who's stayed there.

If I understand correctly I can drop the car the next morning, and take the Avis shuttle to the port. Using this strategy do you think we can still be at the port around 10:30 or so?

Yes.

 

[Jhalkias]

Now I'm confused . . .

In May, I drove up to the side of the terminal with my rental car, there, a porter took our bags, and checked them for transfer into the ship.

My wife also got out of the car there, and waited for me to return on the shuttle after I dropped off the car. She waited just inside the doors to the terminal, at the front.

Can you not do this anymore due to security? I was not planning on dragging the whole family along to the Raddison to drop off the car - it seemed kind of silly to me to do so - esp with a 2 year old along!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Jhalkias, security procedures have been tightened since 9/11, necessitating a few more hoops to jump through.