We have a trip planned 1/15/18-1/22/18. We always rent a car but for some reason the rental rates are extremely high. Is there something going on in Orlando during that week? I know the NFL Pro Bowl is January 28. The different car rental web sites say there is a high demand during the time we're planning. We go every year at this time and we have never seen them this expensive.
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Car rental??
- Thread starter Nanamouse
- Start date
Rob562
Well-Known Member
It's not just your timeframe. Rental car rates skyrocketed a few months ago for pretty much all dates and companies.
I got a decent rate for our trip starting this Saturday when I booked it back in June or July. I always keep an eye out to see if the rates go down. Sometime in mid-summer the prices about doubled and then stayed there.
-Rob
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Clamman73
Well-Known Member
Same here for my current Florida trip. It's at least $100 above where it would normally be. For my late feb trip I have a reservation that I can cancel which is still above average. I'm thinking of just driving down from NY next fall for my normal two week vacation to Florida if it's looking like the same rental prices and gas prices are still down.
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DisAl
Well-Known Member
We drive to WDW so there is no issue with rental, but for our last 6 day trip we never moved the car once it was parked at our resort. The only time we have ever used our car was when we needed to travel resort to resort for dining or to go to Disney Springs. Since our last stay was at POR we used the boats to get to DS.
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You would think that the competition between Uber and the Minnie Vans would keep the rates reasonable. We might end up using Uber to get around and Amazon Prime Now delivery instead of going to the grocery store. There's still time.........
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Rob562
Well-Known Member
I'm wondering if they tried lowering rates to compete with Uber and then when that didn't work decided to raise them to get what profit they could from lowered rental rates.
Our upcoming trip we're staying at Bonnet Creek and it'll involve a lot of off-property driving including a day-trip to Busch Gardens, so a rental car the entire trip was a necessity. But typically when we're on an on-site trip we use DME to/from the airport and then Uber for a grocery run.
-Rob
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yensid67
Well-Known Member
Nanamouse...I just did a search for Avis through rentalcarmomma.com and for an Intermediate class Chevy Cruze for 1/15-1/22 2018 its $197.60 I had used my wizard number and the $25 off discount from rental car momma! Check it out That was picking up ant Rochester Airport!
UPDATE: Sorry its early in the morning, 3AM. I didn't realize until I reread your post that you will be renting a car once in Orlando. So flying into MCO for the same car as above, it would be $564.49.....THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE...IF YOU COULD DO IT...I WOULD DRIVE FOR $200 + GAS TO WDW.I drive from South Central PA and it takes 15 hours...well worth it when the price of airlines is way out there!
UPDATE: Sorry its early in the morning, 3AM. I didn't realize until I reread your post that you will be renting a car once in Orlando. So flying into MCO for the same car as above, it would be $564.49.....THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE...IF YOU COULD DO IT...I WOULD DRIVE FOR $200 + GAS TO WDW.I drive from South Central PA and it takes 15 hours...well worth it when the price of airlines is way out there!
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Thanks for the info......We are a big group.... 3 of our kids, their spouses and our grandkids, a total of 12, will be on this trip. I was hoping to rent 3 intermediate cars or a 12 or 15 passenger van. I'll just keep watching and see if the prices drop. I have rented through Costco in the past and in September I was able to get a full size from Alamo for $176 for a week. That price was available for only 8 hours or so, then it went back up. I check multiple times a day.....feels like my full time job!!!!
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yensid67
Well-Known Member
OK, that information helps me help you a little more! I did a search through BJ's Warehouse...don't know if you have one...but I got a price(s) from ALAMO at Orlando International Mid-size: Elantra for $277.10 OR 15 Passenger van for $714.58. If you have a BJ's it would be worth getting a membership just for the savings! I will keep looking more infor of where you will be landing and times would help!
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Yes, I belong to BJ's as well as Costco. I'm monitoring them often during the day. Thanks for your help!!
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yensid67
Well-Known Member
Edit(11/10): ALL CAPS
I just checked BJ's with this year codes, because 2018 codes are not out yet, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME! ALSO I HAD A REWARDS MEMBERSHIP FOR THE PRICES...SO MIGHT HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT!...here's what I found...
AVIS cars
AWD: A4159037 COUPON: TUGA038( I WENT THROUGH AVIS.COM WITH THESES CODES)
Intermediate-Chevy Cruze 196.26 @ Orlando Innternational
Van- 15 Passenger- 715.75 @ Orlando International
No telling when 2018 codes will come out! I keep asking and nobody knows! Hope that helps!
I just checked BJ's with this year codes, because 2018 codes are not out yet, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME! ALSO I HAD A REWARDS MEMBERSHIP FOR THE PRICES...SO MIGHT HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT!...here's what I found...
AVIS cars
AWD: A4159037 COUPON: TUGA038( I WENT THROUGH AVIS.COM WITH THESES CODES)
Intermediate-Chevy Cruze 196.26 @ Orlando Innternational
Van- 15 Passenger- 715.75 @ Orlando International
No telling when 2018 codes will come out! I keep asking and nobody knows! Hope that helps!
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Lock in the best deal you can find now. So you know you have a car no matter what... Then every day or so you need to go to the major rental car websites and look for a rate on at various locations in the Orlando area. You will find that the rates fluctuate sometimes daily at some rental car places... When you see a better deal take it and then cancel your other reservation. We do this every year and it has never happened that the first car I reserved ended up being the one I actually rented because I always find one cheaper later on.
Also don't just look at the rental car locations at the airport. When you do the rates will be higher if for no other reason than you get stuck with a Orlando Airport surcharge each day of your rental. Most rental car companies will let you rent from them at other places in Orlando and then return it to the airport location for no additional fee, but verify this because some will charge a fee but not most. You will also tend to find the best deals at the very small location that exist in some of the hotel rental car location... the places where maybe a Hilton will have a small rental car office set up near their lobby... You don't have to be staying at the hotel to use them... the one downside of those type places is that their hours are usually closer to 8 to 5... But in the past we have gotten rates that saved us more than $200 off of what we would have paid at the airport location for the same car.... Oh and be flexible on the car you want, sometimes a location will be overstocked with SUVs or some other size car and offer them at lower rates to try and get them rented.
Oh I forgot to mention... If you find a rental car that is located away from the airport factor in the cost of the cab ride to get the car. If the location is close to the airport it wont cost much to get there... but if you mess up and get one that is on the other side of Orlando it could cost a bit to get there... And you can be creative, if the best deal is closer to the resort area use the Magic Express to your hotel and then get a cab from there... or if it happens to be be in a satellite rental office in a hotel you might get lucky and be able to use the hotels airport shuttle to get you to their location.
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Ryan Toaddy
New Member
We rented through Turo.com last month and that worked out awesome. The rental rates were extremely high through all the rental companies. Turo was extremely reasonable with the prices.
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Thanks for this info. I just looked at this web site.....looks interesting.
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Wow, I just did this and my MacBook Air is working so much better! Thank you!!!
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Nemo14
Well-Known Member
Just a follow-up on rental prices. We have a car booked (through Dollar) out of BWI for 4 days in December. The original price was going to be $209 and change (total) when I booked it last week. I check the price daily and yesterday it came down to $174, then this morning it was $153.I just checked again tonight and it came down to $143. They never ask for a CC number when you book, so I've just been rebooking, then cancelling the previous reservations. So far I've saved $66. 
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