Magical Express Return With No Flight

[carlbarry]

I always rent a car for WDW.
This time, my visit overlaps New Years, and the cost for the first 4 days (around $300) is more than the cost for the next 12.
My plan was to take ME from MCO to OKW. Then on Sunday, January 3, when rental rates drop, take ME back to MCO to pick up a car.
I've been assured this would work.
However, I just called DVC, and was told, nope, no flight means no transport.
So that means I need Uber?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

No, it means you got a dumb CM.

You can arrange ME yourself online. If it demands a flight number, look one up for about 3 hours after you want to be catching the bus. No one is going to confirm your ticketing.

 

[carlbarry]

No, it means you got a dumb CM.

You can arrange ME yourself online. If it demands a flight number, look one up for about 3 hours after you want to be catching the bus. No one is going to confirm your ticketing.

Wow, thanks!
I've booked ME for friends for whom I've booked vacations, but I've never used it myself.
Since Disney is now no longer printing out boarding passes for guests, I guess that's one fewer item they can check.

 

[matheke]

You can also rent a car right at WDW. There are companies at the auto care center and I think the Swan?

 

[sethschroeder]

Are cars cheaper at the airport at MCO? I might check because you might be able to get a car delivered to you or possibly a short Lyft ride away that all up is same ball park (plus you wouldn't have to deal with like 1 hour of driving and 15-20 mins waiting on the ME possibly).

Edit:
Just looking January 3-10 I found Sixt Car Rental just on the other side of Disney Springs actually like $100 cheaper with a MCO drop-off at the end of the trip. Talking like $230-$250 vs like $330 at the airport it seemed.

No clue though as I haven't rented a personal car in a long time its always through work and when I go to Disney I always get a car service or ME.

 

[chipndaleluver]

Are cars cheaper at the airport at MCO? I might check because you might be able to get a car delivered to you or possibly a short Lyft ride away that all up is same ball park (plus you wouldn't have to deal with like 1 hour of driving and 15-20 mins waiting on the ME possibly).

Edit:
Just looking January 3-10 I found Sixt Car Rental just on the other side of Disney Springs actually like $100 cheaper with a MCO drop-off at the end of the trip. Talking like $230-$250 vs like $330 at the airport it seemed.

No clue though as I haven't rented a personal car in a long time its always through work and when I go to Disney I always get a car service or ME.

There is also a Doubletree Hotel right near Disney Springs that has a Budget Rental in the lobby. Worked well for us in early October.

 

[carlbarry]

You can also rent a car right at WDW. There are companies at the auto care center and I think the Swan?

Yes, Alamo. The price differential for there and renting at MCO is about $155.

 

[carlbarry]

Are cars cheaper at the airport at MCO? I might check because you might be able to get a car delivered to you or possibly a short Lyft ride away that all up is same ball park (plus you wouldn't have to deal with like 1 hour of driving and 15-20 mins waiting on the ME possibly).

Edit:
Just looking January 3-10 I found Sixt Car Rental just on the other side of Disney Springs actually like $100 cheaper with a MCO drop-off at the end of the trip. Talking like $230-$250 vs like $330 at the airport it seemed.

No clue though as I haven't rented a personal car in a long time its always through work and when I go to Disney I always get a car service or ME.

I find Sixt on the Irlo Bronson, for $335 for January 3-15. Not too bad, but I would have to return the car the day before I'm leaving (comes to $308). Dollar, in the terminal at MCO is $270. If I drop off Sixt at MCO on Januauary 15, my return day, it comes to $375, $100 more than Dollar.

 

[carlbarry]

There is also a Doubletree Hotel right near Disney Springs that has a Budget Rental in the lobby. Worked well for us in early October.

I looked up my dates, January 3-15. Budget is way out of line at the Doubletree, January 3-14 (one day fewer) is $607, compared to $270 for Dollar! Maingate, which is on the Irlo Bronson west of Old Town, comes to $279, plus I would get a $27 Amazon gift card, so the effective price is $250. But I would have to get there somehow, and return the car a day earlier, and get back to AKL somehow.
However, the best Budget deal is pickup and return to MCO--$241, plus a $24 Amazon gift card. That beats Dollar at $279, and both are in-terminal.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[murphy7573]

Have my car rental with Alamo through CostCo for Jan 2 - Jan 9. MCO and drop off at 1000 Car Care Dr (Auto Center by Magic Kingdom). Our flight is on Jan 10 and using ME that way back to the airport so I don't have to be stressed with the early morning take off. For the last 2 weeks rental rates have been slowly decreasing. I've changed the rental a few times within that time for the cheapest rate at the time. I think it's only Alamo and Enterprise that you can drop off at the Auto Center. I can live with that too since I can pick up the car at MCO instead of taking some shuttle to an off airport rental site. Also looked at USAA for cheaper Enterprise car rental rates. But CostCo gives both Alamo and Enterprise.

 

[carlbarry]

Have my car rental with Alamo through CostCo for Jan 2 - Jan 9. MCO and drop off at 1000 Car Care Dr (Auto Center by Magic Kingdom). Our flight is on Jan 10 and using ME that way back to the airport so I don't have to be stressed with the early morning take off. For the last 2 weeks rental rates have been slowly decreasing. I've changed the rental a few times within that time for the cheapest rate at the time. I think it's only Alamo and Enterprise that you can drop off at the Auto Center. I can live with that too since I can pick up the car at MCO instead of taking some shuttle to an off airport rental site. Also looked at USAA for cheaper Enterprise car rental rates. But CostCo gives both Alamo and Enterprise.

For my rental period, Costco has Budget as the cheapest. But incredibly, through Costco the rental is around $90 more than from Budget directly.
Used to be that the rental prices hit bottom about 6 weeks out. Now I find that the prices can keep dropping until even the day before.

 

[murphy7573]

I want the convenience of dropping off at the Car Care Ctr since my final stay is at VGF. So my choices are limited to Alamo and Enterprise. I just checked Alamo directly and it's like almost a hundred buckz more to go through Alamo directly than Costco. Actually I should check to see about dropping off the car at Shades of Green ? Hold on....

 

[carlbarry]

I want the convenience of dropping off at the Car Care Ctr since my final stay is at VGF. So my choices are limited to Alamo and Enterprise. I just checked Alamo directly and it's like almost a hundred buckz more to go through Alamo directly than Costco. Actually I should check to see about dropping off the car at Shades of Green ? Hold on....

Dropping off the car in-terminal at MCO is fast and easy, and then a short walk to check-in. Isn't that easier than using ME and having to leave 3 hours early, as opposed to a 40 minute drive from WDW to MCO?

 

[murphy7573]

Less Stress...Sleep on the bus...Curb side drop off...Nuff said

 

[murphy7573]

Oh...just re-checked on Costco travel and my rental dropped another $15 so re-booked like 5 minutes ago

 

[carlbarry]

Less Stress...Sleep on the bus...Curb side drop off...Nuff said

Makes sense. How long is the ride from WSW (in my case OKW) to MCO?

 

[murphy7573]

Oh...also our flight is at 0715

 

[Dean Marino]

We are already booked, for NOV2021. We will go directly to MEARS for MCO-WDW transportation.
ME WAS lovely, while it existed. Should it re-appear? Great. Now? No bags, too many humans.... nope. Using MEARS. Just us - everyone else? Do as you please.