You've Decided to Rent a Car. Now what?

You already know that I'm a huge fan of renting a car on a Disney World vacation. 

But maybe this is your first foray into the world of renting and you just don't know where to go, what to do, how to get it done AND get a good deal in the process.

So here's my rental car quick reference guide:

1. Know the players in the game. 

Most likely, you are flying into Orlando (MCO).  Most of the big names in car rentals are right there are the airport.  That means you save more time when you don't have to take a shuttle to a rental car company's lot.

I love National Car Rental.  While all companies have some sort of preferred renter program, I'll take the Emerald Club over all of them.  National is not always the cheapest, but I feel it's the best overall value when you add in convenience and service to the picture.

Here's the deal:  With Emerald Club, you can make an Emerald Aisle reservation. What that means is you are guaranteed a midsize vehicle.  But you get to select your vehicle from the Emerald Aisle which could have midsize, full size, SUVs, convertibles or minivans. And no matter what vehicle you select, you only pay that Emerald Aisle price. 

Now, this wouldn't be a smart choice if you absolutely needed a minivan because you were traveling with a larger party.  If that's the case, book the size you need.  You still get to choose your own vehicle at National.  But in this case, you'd just select from the Minivan aisle.

The other major rental car companies at MCO are: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise and Hertz.  Each have their own preferred renter programs.  Check them out and see what fits you best.

A couple tidbits of information: 

*Alamo, like National, will let you select the car you want to drive.  You don't get that option with all companies.  If that's important to you, ask before you reserve.
* If you need the extra space of a minivan, be wary of booking with Dollar. They tend to have better prices but what's not well known is they tend to carry the shorter wheel base minivans.  Like a Caravan instead of a Grand Caravan.  This could make a big difference for you if you want or need that extra space in the back.

2. Check rates often

Unlike airfare, you can cancel and re-book a rental car reservation with no penalty.  I often will book a vehicle and then check back on a regular basis to see if I can get a better deal. 

3.  Sometimes it pays to book early...

There have been times where the best deal I got on a car rental was when I booked more than six months out.

4.  And sometimes it pays to book later.

More often than not, I tend to see the biggest downward movement in prices within 4-6 weeks of departure.   Of course, this is all dependent on time of year, the size vehicle you are renting and a few more factors.

5. You don't have to pay to park if you are staying at a Disney Resort

I hear from people so often that a main reason they don't rent a car is because they don't want to have to pay for parking at the theme parks. 

If you are staying at a Disney World Resort, you get a parking pass that gives you free parking through your departure day! 

6.  Getting a good deal.

Look for codes and coupons.  There are a lot of resources out there.  The two I usually refer to are Mousesavers and RentalCars.com. 

It make take a little investment of time, but it can give you so much freedom on your vacation when you have your own wheels!