Help -- National Car Rental Counter

[ohioMickey]

We usually use a town car service to take us to WDW. But we just recently joined DVC and are going to stay at OKW for the first time. We are renting a car this time. I joined the Emerald Club at National from advice I got on this board (THANK YOU EVERYONE) and have a reservation with counter service (the rate i got requires counter service apparently).

My questions:

1) Where is the National Car Rental counter at Orlando International? We will be arriving by Delta.

2) What is the best way to get luggage from luggage pick up to the car? Do you take luggage to the National Counter? Or should someone in our party stay with the luggage while someone else goes to the counter and then pulls around to the luggage area? And if this is the case, how do you get from the National lot to the Delta luggage area.

3) Does anyone have easy directions from the airport to OKW?

Silly questions, I know. But we are used to being met by a driver at Luggage pickup and not paying attention to the route from the airport to WDW.

Thanks in advance for taking time to answer my questions.

 

[pdzabe]

Didn't rent from National, but rented a car at Orlando International. I left the family at the baggage retrieval while I went to get the car which was a floor down. Very easy to navigate around Orlando International. My recollection is that National, if not the first rental counter I saw in a long line of them, was one of the first. I unfortunately, had to walk and walk and walk to get to Avis which was the last one in the row.
Anyway, go get your car, then pick up your family outside at "Arrivals" where you see the "Delta" sign. Tell your family to meet you there. Much easier than lugging baggage around. Did the same when we went back, dropping them off at "Departures" with all the baggage while I took the car back. No sweat.
We took the southern route from the airport to WDW which was 417. In fact, your rental company will give you a very easy map to follow. Even without a map, it's almost impossible to get lost. Signs to WDW are everywhere.
One other thing, we prepaid a full tank of gas which was $1.42 per gallon. Everywhere we looked around WDW was $1.65 on up. This was two weeks ago.
Hope this information was of some help! Have fun!

 

[pixie dust gal!]

OhioMickey,

Be Cautious! Sometimes the national site defaults to counter service in error or if you are reserving a car larger than full size. If you want to reserve a 'specific size car' then you would have to go to the counter and not be able to use the Emerald Aisle service (choose your own car).

However, if you are flexible as to what size car you really need, then go back to the website and plug in MCOT01 for your location code (orlando Int'l.) and proceed from there. Make sure you put in any appropriate coupon codes (entertainment book for 1 free day) or any others in addition to your EA contract #.

I just recently reserved a car (full size) for 2 weeks (JUNE) through National EA for $260 taxes and surcharges included. Let me know how you make out. If you are flexible with the size of the car, there may even be another route too.

Good Luck!