By far the vast majority of British visitors to Walt Disney World start their jolly holidays (vacations) by flying into Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Now assuming these holidaymakers (vacationers) are staying on property at WDW they need never worry about vehicle hire because Disney have already provided them with the luxury of the Magical Express– a complimentary shuttle bus service serving all the WDW Resorts.
Vehicle rental companies available atMCO are – Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, E-Z rent-a-car, Hertz, L&M car rental, National & Thrifty.
Orlando Sanford Airport
British Diva’s family usually arrives at the smaller Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB). Unfortunately Disney does not yet operate the Magical Express service from here so vehicle hire for us has always been an essential part of our holiday (vacation).
Vehicle rental companies available at SFB are – Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National & Thrifty.
General Rental Info…..
For ease atypical UK family will generally choose the advantages of a fly-drive all inclusive style package; flight, vehicle hire plus accommodation with the optional extras of the Disney Dining Plan and park tickets.
Fly-drive certainly is a tried & trusted holiday (vacation) method for British Diva’s family, but in the past we have optednot to take the ‘free‘ car hire included but have independently arranged our own rentals through this easy to use UK based company – US rent a car. This way we had the freedom of being able to choose exactly the type of transport we wished for and were not limited to the styles or sizes offered within the fly-drive deals.
Fly-drives will only include the hire of abasic economy car – to suit the size of your party + basic liability insurance cover.
Now I can’t impress on you enough the importance of upgrading this base vehicle insurance to a more inclusive policy; no one ever plans a traffic incident but never the less they do happen – even to the very best of drivers.
Ideally all drivers on the policy need to be aged 25 or over; younger drivers usually incur an extra premium supplement – per day, which of course could work out to be quite expensive. British Diva Top Tip – Purchase the best available vehicle insurance – Remember: you are in a foreign land, with unfamiliar laws, driving on the opposite side of the road; basically it’s just not worth the risk.
When choosing your vehicle – remember to account for luggage space!
Useful to know….
You will be required to produce both parts of your driving licence (paper & plastic).
It is necessary to have a credit card to hire a vehicle in the USA.
Don’t forget these additional costs – Local Tax, Florida State Tax and Airport user fees.Picking up your rental vehicle at the airport is easy. When you visit the hire companies desk be sure to have all your relevant paperwork in your hand luggage. These optional extras are worth considering –
Roadside Plus, for breakdowns or simply locking your keys inside your vehicle! Uninsured Motorists Protection – will offer you extra peace of mind. Pre-payment fuel – Prepay for a full tank of fuel & return your vehicle empty to avoid an expensive refuel surcharge.
GPS/SAT-NAV – don’t get lost on iDrive ever again!
Handy insurance abbreviations –
LDW– Loss Damage Waiver
CDW –Collision Damage Waiver
SLI –Supplemental Liability Insurance (or extended protection from being sued)
It’s good to know that for WDW Resort guests staying on property with their own transport; ALL parking is complimentary. You will be issued with a parking permit good for all the Disney theme parks, water parks and Resorts at check-in.
Children on Board!
FLORIDA STATE LAW dictates that –
ALL Children aged 12 & under must travel in the REAR of the vehicle.
Infants & children aged 4 years & under should be restrained in appropriate infant/child safely seats.
Children aged between 4 – 8 years must be restrained using a seatbelt – booster/child seats are used with parental discretion – although this is strongly advised.
Children aged between 9 -12 years must be retrained using a seatbelt, but no longer require booster seats.
Teens aged 13 and above may travel in the front or rear of the vehicle and as with all adults – MUST wear seat belts.
Child booster seats are available to hire at the airport. You can bring your own or perhaps try the ingenious space saving inflatable booster seat!
Before heading off off to meet Mickey – take a moment to familiarise yourself with your new vehicle!
Looking a bit like the flight deck of the Millennium Falcon!
British Diva Top Tip – to help you identify your ride; take a photo of the licence plate!
Don’t forget that across the pond –
the boot is called the trunk….
you fill up with gas & not petrol….
…….and most importantly; you drive on the RIGHT hand side of the road!
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