What is going on with car rentals this week and the next few weeks?

[joxer1014]

I have been checking my rental dates daily with Alamo to see if they have dropped at all. Since I booked it a few weeks ago it has not only increased but the only classes available are from sporty cars and above. No compact, economy, midsize, fullsize, nothing. What I want to know is what in the heck is going on? I know that attendance has steadily increased since the beginning of September and that it is Columbus Day next week but even during the holidays there were always plenty of cars to choose. Maybe the prices were ridiculously high but there were always cars. I might be answering my own questions but could it be that they are also limited to how many they can rent and also because they are only opened on one side of the airport? Just wondering if this is a sign that the crowds are going to be borderline out of control the rest of this month or am I just being paranoid, lol.

 

[SteveH]

Might be a combination of things going on, the used vehicle market is feeling a big pinch since production of new cars stopped for a while and has slowed since. So you might also have rental agencies reducing their load and pushing cars out to pasture sooner and not restocking. It's really hard to say since all the models of the past are out the window now.

 

[EACarlson]

I think there are a few things, most of the rental companies are reducing their fleets. Business is up at WDW and UO. And they are still having the USSSA Softball World Series starting tomorrow in Viera and going until Oct. 18th. If each of those 400 plus teams gets 4 cars, that's 1600.

 

[lynnfitz]

We're going on the 22nd of Oct. just booked Alamo yesterday. The price really hasn't moved much at all, so I figured I better book before I can't get the car class I want. It is the most we've paid ever-about $150 more than last year, and this year we're staying 2 days shorter.

 

[easyas123]

My brother had to fly into Ft. Myers last weekend, not a rental car to be had according to him.
We are flying into MCO on Monday, but plan on using Uber so we didn't book a car.

 

[Akck]

Midsized SUVs were non-existent when I first started looking at Costco for our last minute trip in September. About a week or two before, they became available at a good rate. When we got there, the every spot was filled in section.

 

[bauzkraut]

I'm flying in on November 4th and prices are CRAZY high. UGH

 

[CanucksRock]

At MCO, they only have cars on the Terminal A side, so definitely reduced amount of options which would increase price if more are traveling.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

We flew into MCO last Saturday. Arrived about 10:30am. At most National Emerald Aisle had 10 cars.

 

[ain0004]

I think all prices are about 100+ more right now. Not sure what their deal is. They should be running promo left and right. To get more people to rent

 

[Cynt]

I've been waiting on the prices to drop as well. I thought it was just me. I checked my Alamo rental receipt from last year and it was $210 for the week. Now it's $382. Crazy!!! I told DH we're taking MDE, using the bus system and we'll use lyft to go offsite. I'm still going to look but we're not paying almost $400/wk.

 

[Allison]

I think more people are looking to drive themselves now rather than use Disney transportation and people will pay it.

 

[EACarlson]

I think all prices are about 100+ more right now. Not sure what their deal is. They should be running promo left and right. To get more people to rent

Obviously they don't need to if there are no cars to be had at MCO. I have a 5 day rental starting next week that is $240, I looked to correct times since my flight got moved up an hour or so since I booked. It was now going to be over $500. I just booked 5 days in DEN right before Thanksgiving for $220.

 

[CalifLynn]

I'm trying to find a rental from the 23rd-26th and they are crazy high...but I've been having the same problem for a few months in ATL when I have flown in and out of there to visit my daughter, so I think it is just the car rentals aren't restocking their inventory with new cars...let me tell you, it is not the extra cleaning that's costing more because one of the cars I had looked liked someone had been killed in the backseat.

 

[oshun]

We were checking last week and were able to get an suv for $239 for 10 days starting 10/22. Now I look and it’s over $500. Prices are crazy.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I needed one day...
This is what priceline quoted, the top of the page was premium cars like Mercedes etc and they were 700.

It seems all they have left I'd full size vans and premium cars at the airport.

 

[oshun]

Not sure how Fox rental is, but there is a Happyfall discount for 10/24 - 12/16 rental dates. It is a shuttle to rental and not at terminal. Mixed reviews and ratings.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Not sure how Fox rental is, but there is a Happyfall discount for 10/24 - 12/16 rental dates. It is a shuttle to rental and not at terminal. Mixed reviews and ratings.

My son rented from Fox a few years ago. When he finally arrived at their offsite location (after a woefully long wait for a shuttle) they refused to honor his reservation, claiming "they couldn't find it in their system". When he produced the printed copy of the booking, they said "someone has cancelled it, so we can't honor it" (totally untrue.....no one had cancelled that reservation). A manager even refused to assist, though they tried to get him to book at their current rate which was twice what his reservation was for. He ended up shuttling back to the terminal and renting from Dollar. It was a disaster start to his trip. I would not trust any advance rate from Fox: definitely buyer beware with that company.