For those who RECENTLY rented from Alamo @ MCO....

First time renting from Alamo at MCO...normally just rent from the Car Care Centre...but this is a quick 4 day trip and want to maximize our time...we are flying Southwest so if I understand correctly, we proceed from the plane to the terminal and go to level 2 to get our bags and then down to level 1 to get to the car rental counters. Everyone has said to do the skip the line and head straight to the parking garage. I have reserved an intermediate SUV through Costco. It mentions that I must present my Costco membership card when I pick up the car. How do you do that if you skip the line? or am I better to go to the counter? Also, is it difficult (or confusing) to get from MCO to WDW? We are planning to take the 417, if that helps. Any tips, suggestions, or friendly votes of reassurance that I can handle the drive from the airport would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
You’ll check in online using the Alamo site with the Alamo confirmation number on the Costco confirmation. I always hand over anything applicable to the attendant on my way out. I use my Costco visa to pay for rental cars so that has my membership on it. And it’s prwtty much a straight shot out of the airport down to 417. Signs are a plenty.
 
You’ll check in online using the Alamo site with the Alamo confirmation number on the Costco confirmation. I always hand over anything applicable to the attendant on my way out. I use my Costco visa to pay for rental cars so that has my membership on it. And it’s prwtty much a straight shot out of the airport down to 417. Signs are a plenty.

thank you...this will be the first time not using magical express...I am giving myself little pep talks..."you can do this, you can do this"...
 
thank you...this will be the first time not using magical express...I am giving myself little pep talks..."you can do this, you can do this"...
I’ve only done car rentals with Alamo since I started going as an adult and the online check in straight to car is pretty seamless.
 
We always book economy. And always get standard or midsize for economy price. In the economy row is many larger vehicles. This is pretty much at any rental car company. I would never book midsize and pay for that when you can book economy and get same car for less. Now if I had to have a van. That’s different.
 


We always book economy. And always get standard or midsize for economy price. In the economy row is many larger vehicles. This is pretty much at any rental car company. I would never book midsize and pay for that when you can book economy and get same car for less. Now if I had to have a van. That’s different.
Since it is not always the case, a person needs to understand that they may get "stuck" with an economy. When it's just two of us, an economy is fine but if there are four of us, we need the extra luggage space of at least a midsize. An economy car is tiny. At the moment, a trip I'm looking at for 6 days, the 6-day price difference between an economy and a midsize is $5 total; I'd pay the $5 extra.

Many times, there is a special offered by a company which guarantees a minimum size (usually a "compact") or larger and it is sometimes the best rate. I've booked this before and a compact is what we got (just two of us on that trip); there were no other options in the aisle.
 
Last time I booked a full size SUV and got a Chevy Tahoe but they also had some Nissan Armadas. When I went to get the car, I asked specifically for a Tahoe.
 


This is a great thread - thanks to everyone who has contributed to it!

Two questions:
1) Is there generally the same "stock" of vehicles in the standard row in both the A and B garages, or does one side typically have more of a mix (minivans, sedans, etc.) than the other?

2) I'm guessing if you go to one side and don't see a vehicle you like, you could in theory walk across the terminal to the other garage and pick from there?

Thanks!
 
This is a great thread - thanks to everyone who has contributed to it!

Two questions:
1) Is there generally the same "stock" of vehicles in the standard row in both the A and B garages, or does one side typically have more of a mix (minivans, sedans, etc.) than the other?

2) I'm guessing if you go to one side and don't see a vehicle you like, you could in theory walk across the terminal to the other garage and pick from there?

Thanks!
For question 1: at MCO, I have always been directed to the full size aisle for car selection whenever I reserved standard. Apparently, there is no actual standard aisle. My most recent MCO rental was in early June of this year. I don’t know about differing car selection, since I have always had the good fortune to find a full size sedan that I was happy with without needing to check the other garage. YMMV, particularly if you have reserved a standard car but would prefer an SUV if one is available on the aisle at the standard rate.

For question 2: certainly. Your reservation is not tied in any way to whether you are on the A or B side of the airport. Also, you do not have to return the car to the same side as you used at pickup. Just use the garage corresponding to your airline. Southwest now has a luggage check in location within the garage, so I will drop off in the corresponding garage to simplify this if I have not used RAC at the resort, such as when we add a Vero Beach stay at the end of our WDW visit.
 
Can someone help.

We booked via usa rentals/vip rentals for a midsized suv with Alamo paying £29 upfront with £190 when we arrive. We were advised by usa rentals that we can check in online and pay the outstanding as we wanted to avoid any desk queuing. We did this and have an online check in print off with barcode but wasn't given the option to pay in full.

Does this mean we can now go straight to the car and pay the outstanding at the barrier or do we use the kiosk?

Bit confused...
 
Can someone help.

We booked via usa rentals/vip rentals for a midsized suv with Alamo paying £29 upfront with £190 when we arrive. We were advised by usa rentals that we can check in online and pay the outstanding as we wanted to avoid any desk queuing. We did this and have an online check in print off with barcode but wasn't given the option to pay in full.

Does this mean we can now go straight to the car and pay the outstanding at the barrier or do we use the kiosk?

Bit confused...
Go straight to the car. They will ask for your credit card when you check out after you are in the car.
 
Thanks, so the outstanding £190 balance will be taken at the barrier?
Perhaps not. Usually for us locals, a hold is placed on the credit card at the kiosk when picking up the car for the estimated balance due and then converted to an actual charge at the time we drop off the car. It might be the same for you, with the charges being converted from US$ to £ by your credit card issuing bank. The only time I did a prepaid car rental, the entire amount was charged up front. Perhaps the £29 paid upfront was a commission to the booking agent, with the balance going directly to Alamo. Your Alamo confirmation from the online check should show the estimated balance due.
 
Yes. Make sure you have the credit card you paid the deposit with.
I usually see the charge applied to my credit card 24 hours after the car is returned. I rented last month at MCO and the charges came 4 days after I returned which was unusual BUT the airport was closing a few hours after we were there due to hurricane Dorian. The return area was much busier than I usual see it. So I'm assuming that with the volume of returns and they were offering to adjust rates for those returning early due to the storm that the system was overloaded and things processed a little slower than normal.

We were in the group of getting our rate adjusted due to returning the car earlier than booked. I was very surprised with getting a bit of a break on that.
 
Has anyone rented the Premium Crossover lately. The photo shown online is a VW Atlas, but I would like to be able to tell my DH some other options that are normally in that lane. Hopefully, I did not make a bad decision with that category, but it was a good price.
 
Thought I would come back and update our experience at MCO with Alamo and the Premium Crossover. We rented for a week Sat to Sat (9/28 - 10/5). When we arrived to the parking deck there are no sections for Premium Crossovers as I had read before there weren't. I approached the booth and someone came out and walked us down a long line of Full Size SUV's to the Premium Crossover vehicle. There was only the one I reserved. No others to choose from as I asked. Not that I did not like what we received, but I was just curious. We loved the Infiniti GX60 we were given (I would love to drive one at home!!). For $260 a week I did not think that was bad. We were 4 adults and we put the 3rd row down and had more than enough room for all of our luggage. The "trunk" if the 3rd row is used is tiny so beware if you are looking at this category.
 
Thought I would come back and update our experience at MCO with Alamo and the Premium Crossover. We rented for a week Sat to Sat (9/28 - 10/5). When we arrived to the parking deck there are no sections for Premium Crossovers as I had read before there weren't. I approached the booth and someone came out and walked us down a long line of Full Size SUV's to the Premium Crossover vehicle. There was only the one I reserved. No others to choose from as I asked. Not that I did not like what we received, but I was just curious. We loved the Infiniti GX60 we were given (I would love to drive one at home!!). For $260 a week I did not think that was bad. We were 4 adults and we put the 3rd row down and had more than enough room for all of our luggage. The "trunk" if the 3rd row is used is tiny so beware if you are looking at this category.

Wondering how you got this price! I would kill for this. Going June 20-27, 2020 and can't even find a sardine can for $260. :(
 

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