Autoslash is what I usually use. There are a lot of off-site rental agencies with very good prices and very horrifying testimonies to the awful experiences: Forced into taking insurance, beat up vehicles, hours-long waits to get vehicles, strange charges, non-existent customer service.
Here's a hint: In Orlando, all the major national agencies (Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, etc) have rental counters IN the terminal. If you have to take a shuttle to get your car at MCO, DON'T RENT FROM THAT AGENCY. I also try to avoid Dollar at MCO as we had a bad experience once (flight 5 hours late- the entire air traffic system was screwed that weekend- and even though we called and they said it'd be OK, when we got to MCO they wouldn't honor our $235 reservation and we ended up paying $600 for a car... but SWA made it OK with $400 additional flight credit on top of what they'd already given us), but have rented from them since then. Also, most of the agencies are now holding groups (for example, Hertz owns Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly), so renting from Hertz instead of Dollar is pretty much a moot point. RIght now I am "shopping" rates for a trip in early Nov (4-8). I have a res at Hertz for a midsized car for $175 and at Thrifty for $158 for an SUV. I'd prefer to rent from Hertz (I can go straight to the garage, no waiting in line in the terminal) but the SUV at a cheaper price is tempting. I'll keep watching rates and see what happens with prices over the next 28 days!
ANYHOW...
FIRST check Autoslash (AS) and Carrentalsavers (CRS). They have consistently given me the best prices over the past 10 or 15 years. Play around with the sites, enter info when asked (like what grocery clubs you belong to, AAA, frequent flyer members, etc.). They'll hunt for the best combo of deals for the best price. Book what you want to drive/pay.
Once you make a reservation, go to AS and sign up to have the rate tracked. They'll notify you if rates come down. Lots of off-terminal companies, but I always manage to catch a better rate with one of the national agencies this way. You can also periodically check CRS. I just knocked $50 off my rental for early Nov. that way; AS didn't come up with the rate but CRS did.
Also note- A reservation is not a guarantee. I don't know how they get away with it, but that reservation with all the specifications of the vehicle you want to rent- size, type, etc.? Merely a suggestion, it seems. I haven't had an issue with this (except for once with Dollar, see above) but people report that they sometimes can't get the car they reserved. Don't pay more for a larger vehicle if they tell you the car you reserved isn't available. This is a change on their part, not a requested upgrade by you, and they should eat the $$$ difference. Also, if the vehicle they have for you is a downgrade, ask for some money back. NOT what you reserved, and they made the original offer, after all!
ALWAYS grab a price you can live with. Car rates change in the blink of an eye, both up and down, but no guarantees. If you see something you like, book it. Then cancel anything you already have that is more expensive. This is more of a courtesy than anything else; most agencies won't charge you for a missed reservation.
DON'T PREPAY no matter how tempting the price might be. It locks you in, and remember, prices go up and down like the temperature in Maine in October (yes, we are having one of "those" seasons). Once you prepay, you are stuck with that vehicle. Also means you are stuck with that agency- which can really stink if they are out of your size vehicle and only have larger vehicles at a higher price available (looking at you, Dollar!). You've pre-paid, so you are stuck.
Don't leave your credit card number with the reservation. In fact, if a car rental agency asks for your credit card to book the car, don't make the reservation. If they don't have your credit card number, they can't charge you if you are a no-show.
Don't sign up for the insurance. Let me repeat that: Don't take the insurance. Most personal auto insurance policies will cover rental vehicles. Check to make sure yours does, and also check to make sure it will cover "out of use" charges; rental agencies like to charge by the day for the time the car is being repaired, if there's an accident. ALSO check your credit card; many offer car rental insurance, even if it's secondary to your own.
Don't sign up for pre-paid gas. Take the time to return the car with a full gas tank. I have found if you really top up the tank at the gas stations by Disney Springs, you'll bet to MCO with a full tank. Also, there is a gas station at the south exit of MCO if you want to fill up there (although it usually costs a tad more). The only way pre-paid gas is a benefit to you is if you cruise into the parking garage on fumes. Oh, and keep the receipt, in case the rental agent wants to see it when you return the car.
TOLLS: Yup, there are tolls between the airport and DIsney. Check what the rental agency's policy is about this. Some charge a flat fee plus the toll only on the day a toll is incurred; others charge a per-day fee, plus the toll, for EVERY day of the rental once a toll is incurred, even if the car never moves out of the parking lot. I recommend using
visitortollpass.com and making sure that the rental car's transponder is CLOSED. Also, Florida now recognizes EZPass. I bring mine with me and use that to pay my tolls (it's not that hard to get the sticky stuff on/off the windshield, or you can leave it on the dash and hold it up when you go thru the tolls).
Keep checking for a better price. Yes, AS should notify you. However, some agencies (Alamo, for example) have 'last minute deals' on the day of travel. Check their websites and see if you can catch a better rate. I've seen rates drop maybe $50 because I'm booking them on the morning of the day I want to rent the car. Having said that,
NEVER wait to get to MCO to reserve a car. I've been in line with folks who ended up paying HUNDREDS more, for the same car I reserved weeks in advance, because they thought they could just breeze thru the terminal, rent a car, and be on their way.
Back up reservations. I have mixed feelings about this. I do NOT want to get stuck at MCO without a vehicle that will fit my travel needs. However, rates come down when agencies think they are gonna have a glut of un-reserved vehicles. If everyone is holding 2 reservations when they'll only use one, I think it keeps prices higher, in general. Additionally, I like being able to make reservations without a commitment (ie, no cancellation) and I worry that gaming the system by holding multiple reservations might push the agencies into requiring credit cards to hold a reservation. Not a huge problem if you forget to cancel, really sucks if you do. Like I said, I'm mixed on this one.
Sorry to be so long-winded, but hope it helps.
