Car Rental at MCO w/ Drop Off at Port Canaveral

[ArmchairQB]

This was our experience on Aug 4th, 2023.  We arrived at MCO around 4PM. Picked up our 1 checked bag and was in our rental 15 minutes later. (I am AVIS Preferred). Really nice Kia Carnival.  We stayed out near Disney in Flamingo Circle.  This is a new subdivision and everything is brand new.  We shopped at Target and then headed to Downtown Disney for dinner and more shopping.

 

We left early on the 5th at 8AM.  We had a 10:30AM checkin at CT3 on the Mardi Gras.  No traffic and 3 cash tolls later and we were at Port Canaveral shortly after 9AM.  We thought we were too early, so we drove around for 15 minutes or so.  We then headed to CT3 at around 9:30AM to drop off the family and the luggage (taking advice from others on Cruise Critic).  HUGE line of cars, very chaotic!  It took us about 30 minutes to get to the front and instead of driving through they directed us to 2 parking spots out front.  They packed a second car behind us and I had to keep saying that I wasn''t staying.  Turns out this was one of the Rental Car pick up spots.  I dropped the family off and left them to figure out where to go (never sailed out of PC before) gave the checked bag to the Porter and then waited for the car behind me to clear.  While waiting a mother and son were in a heated discussion with the AVIS pickup driver as he filled his van somehow skipping over them.  So I said I was going to AVIS to drop off the van and to hop in.  Off we went.

 

Finding the AVIS location was easy.  There is a 7-11 with gas right next door.  But they had no gas.  So I had to drive back towards the port to get gas.  When I dropped off at around 10:30AM, there were easily 35 people standing under the canopy all with large amounts of luggage. (do they not read Cruise Critic. lol). There were 10 people in line inside waiting to pick up cars. I waited for about 10 minutes and the owner/manager asked if I was the person who drove in and he took me aside and checked me in. (I guess they needed the van). He then said to go outside and get shuttle 8.  5 minutes later shuttle 6 came by, filled up, and the driver started asking which ships and I heard Mardi Gras.  I asked if he was going to the Mardi Gras and he said yes, but he only had 1 seat and no room for luggage.  I said great, I am alone with no luggage.  10 minutes later I was at CT3.

[mtu_huskies]

Thanks for the report.  I've done the Avis drop of with my family of four at Port Canaveral but it's been years. Doing it again in a couple months, appreciate the experience report!