Renting a Car at Walt Disney World- Pros & Cons, Prices

Let’s face it, there’s a lot to do when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World. One of the most overlooked pieces of the trip-planning puzzle is transportation. How are you going to get around? Do you want to stay immersed in the Disney theme your entire visit or do you want to go elsewhere? Do you want the flexibility of driving on your own schedule and at your own pace?

If you aren’t driving your own vehicle and you don’t want to be restricted to the Walt Disney World transportation system, car rental is a great option. However, renting a car for a Walt Disney World vacation can be tricky and feel overwhelming.

Here at Mickey Visit, we want to help simplify the car rental process for you. In this guide, we’ll look at the pros and cons of car rental, look at the different rental company options, and provide you with helpful tips and tricks.

Discount Walt Disney World Tickets

Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, offers the best Walt Disney World discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them. On top of that, you get FREE concierge Walt Disney World services at no additional charge! These services include having Get Away Today's Walt Disney World expert, Brooklyn, take care of all your dining reservations, Enchanting Extras, and more! This really takes all the stress out of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Rather than waking up at odd hours of the night to book all your reservations, why not let their travel agents take care of it for you – for free!

Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all of their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.

Benefits of Renting a Car at Walt Disney World

Orlando is the largest market for rental cars in the entire world due to its proximity to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. A lot of the major car rental companies are located on-site at the airport, which provides you with easy access to their fleet of vehicles.

The decision of whether or not you should rent a car at Walt Disney World depends entirely on the type of experience that you’re looking for. If you’re staying on property at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, you may be enticed to try their complimentary transportation system. However, if you don’t enjoy waiting and you don’t mind driving during your vacation, renting a car at Walt Disney World is probably a great option for you!

Guests who are utilizing Disney’s provided transportation usually need to add at least an hour to their plans to ensure that they have enough time to get to their desired location. A rental car, on the other hand, can get you from point A to point B in much less time. In fact, this is just one of the pros to renting a car at Walt Disney World.

Car Rentals Can Help Save Money

While Orlando transportation is often one of the most overlooked expenses of a Disney vacation, the decision to rent a car at Walt Disney World can save you some cash. If you plan on driving to more locations than the airport, your hotel, and the theme parks, then you can easily get your money’s worth out of a rental car. This is also a much more affordable option in comparison to a standard taxi or ride-sharing service.

A rental car can also help save on the cost of food, which tends to be one of the most expensive parts of a Disney vacation. A lot of families prefer to take snacks into the parks in order to keep their children, and themselves, from splurging on the many snacks and treats that are available at Walt Disney World.

If you fit into this category, your rental car can be used to visit a local grocery store to stock up on items before heading to the parks. Even with plans to eat in the park, we love entering with extra granola bars, crackers, cookies, and water bottles to keep our stomachs full and happy throughout the day.

Renting a Car Saves Time

With such a large resort, vehicles are essential to getting around from one park to another. Disney’s buses run at 20-minute intervals, and sometimes you need to hop on to a second bus in order to reach your destination. Many Guests plan on at LEAST an hour to get from one location to another at Walt Disney World. Driving yourself can get you there much quicker, which results in less rushing around and more time at the parks.

This can also provide you with some extra time to sleep in each morning. Even with the excitement of the day that’s ahead, crawling out of your bed in the morning can be a struggle. With a rental car, you don’t need to plan for the extra time that Disney transportation requires. This means you can spend just a little extra time in bed before you tackle another day at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

In a way, renting a car at Walt Disney World can get you a whole different type of “Extra Magic Hour”.

Rental Cars Provide Comfort & Reliability

Sometimes Disney transportation can be full and you’ll have to wait for the next available monorail, boat, or bus. If you’re leaving at a peak time of the day, such as immediately following the fireworks, a flock of people who are all hoping to get on the next vehicle is almost guaranteed.

At the end of a long day with children who are “all Disney’d out”, fighting for that last available spot is the last thing you want to do. You’ll always have a seat in your rental car. The comfort of knowing you have your car ready to go is sometimes worth the price alone.

More Flexibility with a Rental Car

The flexibility that comes with renting a car at Walt Disney World can be a blessing. We love the idea of staying inside the “Disney bubble” during vacation, but we also understand that there may be other things on your to-do list.

If you choose to spend a day at the beach or take a trip to Universal Orlando, with a rental car, you can do so without having to arrange or pay for the extra transportation. This amount of flexibility not only adds some peace of mind to your trip, it also gives you the ability to add anything you’d like to your itinerary.

Cons of Renting a Car at Walt Disney World

While there are plenty of positive sides to renting a car at Walt Disney World, there are certainly some drawbacks. Many guests don’t wish to be driving during their vacation. Driving can add stress to your trip.

Renting a car also introduces the drawback of parking. You can expect to pay around $30 per day to park your car at Walt Disney World. Added to that is the fact that your parking spot most likely will not be very close to the gate and you’ll need to walk there. Time is money, and the cost of creating an efficient schedule can run rather high when you rent a car in Orlando. It’s all in perspective, and how much you value your time.

Most of the cons regarding renting a car at Walt Disney World are solved by using a ride-sharing service such as Uber or Lyft, which you can read about in detail in our rideshare guide to Disney World.

Car Rental Company Options

The location you decide to rent a car from will ultimately depend on what time during your vacation is the best for you. You can either rent a car from the airport, an off-site company near the airport, or on Walt Disney World property.

Orlando International Airport Car Rental Companies

At the Orlando International Airport, you are presented with a wide variety of Walt Disney World car rental companies. Airport car rental is located on the A-Side and B-Side of the terminal on Level 1 (the Terminal on the Ground Transportation).

This can be one of the best times to rent a car because then you have your transportation to your hotel figured out too! These companies include the following:

• Alamo
• Avis
• Budget
• Dollar Car Rental
• Enterprise
• Hertz Car Rental
• National
• Payless Car Rental
• Sixt
• Thrifty

Car Rental Companies Near the Orlando International Airport

If one of the previously mentioned companies doesn’t interest you, there are plenty of others located in close proximity to the airport for a Disney car rental, including:

• Action Car Rental LLC
• Bandago
• Best Rate Car Rental Inc
• CA Car Rental
• Carl’s Rent A Van
• Clubs Car Rental
• Easirent
• Economy Rent A Car LLC
• Flex Rent A Car
• Florida Van Rentals Inc
• Fly Car Rental
• Fox Rent A Car
• Global Car Rental
• Green Motion Car & Van Rental
• GS Car Rental
• Inbocars
• JC Car Rental
• Mex Rent A Car
• Nextcar of Orlando
• OC Car Rental
• One Switch Rent a Car
• Orlando Rentco LLC
• Reliant Rental Car LLC
• Rent A Car 4 Less Miami Corp
• RJ Car Rental
• Roam of Orlando LLC
• Routes Car Rental USA Inc
• RROA Car Rental
• Sales Rent A Car Corp
• Seven Auto Finance Orlando LLC
• Surprise Car Rentals Florida
• Value Car Rental LLC
• You Tourist Car Rental
• Zezgo Orlando LLC

Car Rental Companies on Walt Disney World Property

You might find yourself in a situation where you only need a car for one day during your visit. In that case, you can rent a car on Walt Disney World property rather than near the airport.

The Walt Disney World Car Care Center features an office for Enterprise, Alamo, and National. The Car Care Center, which is located near Magic Kingdom, offers a shuttle service that will pick you up from any Walt Disney World Resort hotel to go get your car.

Members of the Military staying at Disney’s Shades of Green Resort are able to rent from Alamo.

Walt Disney World Car Rental Tips

Online Reservations

Online services are the easiest and most convenient way to book a car rental.  Using your laptop or phone, you can easily book a car rental near Walt Disney World for your upcoming vacation. In the past, the further out you made your reservations, the better your rates would be. However, the game has changed and now it can take a bit more strategic planning.

Fortunately, there is a website that can do all of the hard work for us.  Enter www.autoslash.com. Auto Slash automatically applies coupons and other discounts to your reservation to make sure you have the best deal. What if a better deal comes along? Don’t worry. Auto Slash will automatically apply the new discounts and get you the absolute best deal it can find. Auto Slash can save you anywhere from a few dollars to over $100 on your reservation!

Rent a Small Car

Hopefully, you won’t be spending a lot of time in your car during your trip, so why not rent a smaller car? Smaller vehicles tend to be a little cheaper through car rental services. Plus, you’ll also save on gas. Don’t forget that the air conditioner will also become effective more quickly in a smaller car rather than a larger one. That will come in handy during those hot summer days!

Of course, comfort is important. Make sure to rent a car that will still comfortably fit your entire group.

Bring Your Driver's License and a Credit Card

Though this one may seem obvious, you might be surprised by how many people end up forgetting their driver’s license at home. Some choose to use a passport as their ID, only to forget that they need a driver’s license to drive a vehicle. Rental companies cannot rent to someone who does not have their driver’s license.

Also be sure to bring a credit card (not debit), that has plenty of available credit. Though not all, some car rental companies require you to make a credit card deposit when picking up your vehicle. This deposit may cover things like the rental, potential damages, and anything else they deem necessary.

This amount may be released back to you after the return of the vehicle.

Be Aware of Local Laws

Keep in mind that different states have different driving laws. For example, some states allow you to talk on the phone while driving. Others do not, and actually consider it a major offense.

Before you drive anywhere (not just in Orlando), be sure to check out the local laws. It may be safe (in more ways than just one) to hand off the Google Maps to a passenger, and allow them to navigate for you.

Fueling Options

A lot of car rental companies will allow you to prepay for your fuel at a slightly more affordable price than what you might pay at a gas station. However, in order to get this offer, you usually have to pay for the entire tank, whether or not you use the entirety of it. If you know you’ll most likely use the whole tank, this may be a good option for you to save some money.

If you don’t, you can easily put gas in the car at a gas station before returning the car. Just be sure you don’t forget! You can easily be charged $1+ more per gallon than you’d be paying at the average gas station. There are gas stations on the way back to the airport that have recently boasted lower prices than those located near Walt Disney World.

Check Age Restrictions

For most families, this won’t be a problem. If you’re organizing a trip for another type of group, be sure the designated driver is of age. Some companies will rent to individuals under the age of 25 (while still older than 21) for a fee, while others stick to renting to drivers who are 25 years of age or older.

Parking Fees at Walt Disney World

If you plan on renting a car during your vacation, it's good to be aware of the price of parking fees so you arrive prepared.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Complimentary self-parking is available at all of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels. 

• Standard self-parking is available for day Guests who are visiting the resorts to enjoy dining, shopping, and entertainment at the hotels.

• Overnight self-parking is available for Guests who are staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels or The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. (Space is available for one motorized vehicle at each campsite.)

• Valet parking is available at select Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villas, and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for $42 per night (plus tax).

Walt Disney World Theme Parks

When a parking pass is purchased at a theme park, it is good at all four theme parks for the entirety of the day. One parking fee will cover the parking at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Preferred Parking is also available near each theme park’s entrance.

• Standard Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $30 per day
• Preferred Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $45, $50 or $55 per day
• Oversized Vehicle Parking (Shuttle, Limo, Camper Trailer, RV, Bus or Tractor Trailer) – $35 per day

Standard theme park parking is complimentary for all Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. If Hotel Guests would like to park in a Preferred Parking lot, they would simply need to pay the difference in price between the Standard Parking and Preferred Parking. (The current difference is $15-$25 per day.)

Walt Disney World Water Parks & Disney Springs

Parking is complimentary for all Guests visiting the Walt Disney World water parks and Disney Springs.

Read More Disney Planning Advice

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Frequently Asked Questions