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PeoplemoverMisser
01-10-2006, 08:47 PM
Who's had a particularly good or bad experience renting cars at John Wayne Airport? What agencies are easier to deal with? Best rates?

I can't believe I'm 34 and have never rented a car.:eek:

Osky
01-10-2006, 08:50 PM
I've used Avis on a number of occasions and have found it particularly easy. On the other hand, twice I got cars where they tried to mask some foul odor by dumping a lot of perfume in the car. Nasty! I drove with the windows down and asked valet to leave all of the windows open, which they gladly did.

mg194
01-10-2006, 08:57 PM
I rented through Priceline and received a car from Budget. It was much easier to get the car than LAX. The rate was around $21 per day and they put me in an SUV instead of a Full-Size. It was easy-out and easy-in. A very short walk from the gate to the desk to the car.

Mark

Hoppypooh
01-11-2006, 06:56 AM
Even though I got a fantastic special rate ($15/day for a compact) I would never, ever, ever rent from Thrifty again. The customer service was atrocious!

dlandnut
01-11-2006, 07:25 AM
I've rented from most of the agencies at SNA. Worst experience I had was when "National" was the rental car company of choice with the WD Travel Company. All packages were booked with a "National" rental car. Unfortunately, the lines were sooooo long. I vowed then and there to never again rent from whichever car company was part of Disney's recommended company, because the wait was so long. I'm not sure, however, if "National" is still the company of choice for Disney. :)

MsYumiBr
01-11-2006, 08:54 AM
Why did you need a car? Are you going anywhere other than DL? If not, I suggest taking the bus to DL. It's a special bus that goes from John Wayne to DL only. That way you don't have to pay for parking unless you are staying at the resort where it will be free except for valet.

DatabaseDiva
01-11-2006, 03:12 PM
I had a few bad experiences with Enterprise. They were very high pressure about upgrading the car and buying insurance. I also had a couple of problems with their cars. Now I rent exclusively from National. As an Emerald Aisle member, I can skip the lines and go straight to my car. I'm not sure how they are if you have to go through regular customer service.

MsYumiBr
01-11-2006, 04:43 PM
If you must rent a car, I suggest Alamo, Budget or Hertz. I price shop among those three. The bigger question is what type of car to choose. I can't drive economy cars anymore. I'm used to a big Dodge, rented a standard car and got sick from fear. Choose wisely. If you are used to one type of car, don't experiment.

Elways way
01-11-2006, 06:01 PM
My fiance and I have rented a car from Thrifty the past couple of trips jus6 because it was cheaper than taking a cab and more convenient than taking one of the super shuttles. We were able to get a full size car (magnum) for three days for under $70 (taxes included). This was great considering it was $35-40 each way for a can to Buena Park.

Most of the time we never use the car....but if we want to catch a game (Angels), head over to Dave and Busters, or just go shopping some place other than Downtown Disney it is a blessing. You can't beat the convenience of walking out of the airport and right to your car (acroos the way in teh parking structure).

WITron
01-11-2006, 08:15 PM
Something that I learned from our trip when we rented a vehicle is to sign up for the company's frequent renter program before you arrive. I did this and when we arrived there was a long line to get vehicles. All I had to do was go to a special counter and I was in and out in 5 minutes. My wife was surprised when I showed up to pick her and the luggage up so quickly.

TimBuk2
01-12-2006, 07:44 AM
Who's had a particularly good or bad experience renting cars at John Wayne Airport? What agencies are easier to deal with? Best rates?

I can't believe I'm 34 and have never rented a car.:eek:


Thrifty has great rates. Last time I got a PT Cruiser for $19 per day.

kiwifuz
01-15-2006, 07:41 AM
We've rented from Enterprise, Budget, & Fox Rent-A-Car at SNA.

Our most recent trip (after this past Thanksgiving) we rented a Civic Hybrid from Fox and loved it.

I honestly don't know that you can go wrong one way or another with any of the major companies and we took the chance on Fox and didn't have any problems at all.

Just a tip try costco.com for car rental rates. We found great rates for Budget through them (and we were never asked for a membership card).

Elways way
01-15-2006, 08:53 AM
I just got a rental car for three days (Feb 2-Feb 4) from Thrifty for $39 plus tax. That is just a little more than the normal cab fare to Disney and now we have the freedom to go off property if we want to.

donaldquackers
01-15-2006, 02:39 PM
I went to Disney last summer. I am 50 years old and never rented a car before. I got good ideas from mouse savers. I then called around. I was quoted a price over the telephone that was higher than one with another company. When I told the saleperson that, she said they would match that price and take another $10 off the weekly price. It was very easy to rent the car (although I had nightmares about it for weeks worrying about it). I was in and out of there very quickly. When we returned the car it was just as easy. The hardest part was picking up the car and getting back to my family to pick up them and the luggage. The employee working traffic didn't speak English, and I didn't know my way around. I really liked flying in and out of SNA and will do it again.

PeoplemoverMisser
01-19-2006, 06:14 PM
We ended up booking through AAA, and they have a deal with Budget where you get a free upgrade and a free car seat (I wasn't even aware they rented car seats)