Car rental drop off and Covid Test logistics at PC

[Jack15129]

Hi.

DW and I will fly in to MCO the day before cruise, spend evening around Disney Springs and head on to PC the next morning, dropping off the car before the cruise.

Do we drop off car before heading to cruise and getting tested?
-Where would we wait (without car) until results received?

OR

Do we get tested first and then return the car?
-Would we just wait in the car somewhere until we get results?

Thanks as always to all!!!

 

[TRTRguy]

You will need to drop the car off before getting tested. They have tents you wait in for results.

 

[BlueFairy]

Hertz dropoff is a mile or so away. Pre-Covid, We dropped off and took Uber to the port. Reports I’m reading say that arrivals by car service are given instructions for bags and then directed to a tent to do testing and wait. You will not wait in a car.

 

[Jack15129]

Thanks so much for the guidance! One less thing to be concerned about.
Can’t wait til our departure Jan 22, 2022!

 

[Jaycen1801]

So along those lines - looks like the Hertz at PC is now closed. Is that accurate or anyone used recently?

 

[BlueFairy]

So along those lines - looks like the Hertz at PC is now closed. Is that accurate or anyone used recently?

Where do you get your information? According to the Hertz website:
Opening hours
Mon-Sun 7:30AM-4:00PM
Address
8963 Astronaut Blvd, 32920-3910
Telephone: (321) 783-7771

This is the location we used, but it was late February 2019. They were slammed during disembarkation hours.

 

[mmouse37]

If you enter the port parking garage (where testing in a car takes place) you will be charged for parking. Return your rental first, then either take an uber, or the car rental shuttle back to the port and they will direct you for testing.

I did want to mention that when we cruised this September we rented a car to use for our two days at WDW before the cruise but kept the car while we were on the cruise. Believe it or not it was less expensive than the 2 one-way rentals....even with the $85 parking fee at the port for the 4 day cruise.

I know it won't always work out cheaper but price it out as a pick up and drop off at MCO for the whole time you are in Florida...it might surprise you. It was so convenient waiting in our rental car for our test results. We could control the temp in the car, listen to the radio, chat with family and friends on the phone, sit in comfy seats, eat a snack, etc. When the cruise was over we just walked over to the parking garage and hopped in the car and took off. We went sightseeing and visiting friends and we had a place to keep the luggage until our late afternoon flight.

We have a Costco membership and I always book through Costco online and they have been consistently less expensive than booking directly with car rental companies. They even include all the taxes in the quote so you know exactly what you are paying and they also include a free second driver that some rental agencies charge for.

MJ

 

[anneeb]

I just booked a rental car through Costco today and found the same thing, it made more sense to keep the car during the cruise rather than 2 one way rentals. The added bonus of waiting in the car rather than a tent would make it worth paying a little more for us too. Plus there is the peace of mind of having transportation if someone were to test positive at the port.

 

[mmouse37]

Absolutely....and keep checking your reservation at Costco. We booked the cruise only 3 weeks out and in that 3 weeks I kept checking the rental car price through Costco. It dropped a few times so I rebooked and then cancelled the previous reservation. Costco lets you do that. Saved $70 bucks that way!