How I saved hundreds on a car rental when combining it with theme park tickets
My mom loves a good deal. Her closet is full of clothes she didn't necessarily need (sorry, mom), but the sale prices were just too good to pass up. So when we asked her to come along with us on a recent family trip to Walt Disney World, I was on the hunt for any opportunity to save a few dollars and make her proud.
As you may already know, car rentals for vacations are not nearly as much of an afterthought as they once were. Depending on when and where you are traveling, availability can be sparse and prices can be much higher than you might expect.
Facing that exact situation on our recent trip to Orlando, I scoured the web to see if I could find a way to trim costs on our car rental. Here's how I saved us hundreds of dollars by bundling our theme park tickets and car rental using Undercover Tourist.
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What is Undercover Tourist?
I already knew we could purchase discounted Disney World tickets through Undercover Tourist, which is an authorized theme park ticket resale site that often has tickets that can be slightly less than what you'd find by going directly through Disney, depending on the exact tickets you need.
For example, a three-day Disney World base ticket for March 28, 2022, is $402.43 with tax through Undercover Tourist and $416.13 with tax on Disney World's website. That's a savings of $13.70 per person. It isn't much by itself, but what happens after you add those tickets to your cart is the real money-saving surprise.
Related: How to use points for Disney World tickets
Car rental deals through Undercover Tourist
When I proceeded to the checkout screen, I was presented with a series of deals I could add to my cart. Usually, I ignore these sorts of things, but getting up to 50% off of car rental rates caught my eye.
With three adults and three kids (and the necessary car seats and boosters), I wanted the convenience of a rental car instead of just relying on Disney transportation. Plus, the free Magical Express Bus that used to run from the airport to Disney has been retired, so I needed to find a new way to get my family and all of our gear to our hotel.
I clicked through the deal that claimed it could save me "up to 50% off car rental rates" when bundled with my theme park tickets. Being the deal spotter that she is, my mom was already checking car rental discounts through Costco, but I figured I'd give this a shot so we could compare prices.
My mom used the Costco Travel portal to price a minivan for three nights through Budget Car Rental, with pick up and drop off at Orlando International Airport (MCO). The cost through Costco for our days was $465.15 including taxes and fees, which was less than what I found searching directly through Budget's site but obviously still a chunk of change.
When I searched the same parameters through Undercover Tourist, I was thrilled to find it came through with its savings promise. The total cost for a comparable minivan for three nights was $228.75, which was $236.40 less than what my mom had sourced through Costco Travel.
There are a couple of downsides. You are required to prepay when you make your reservation, but Undercover Tourist offers free modification and cancellation prior to your pick-up date and time, so it was a low-risk, high-reward situation.
I can't speak for all rental companies, but when I called Budget, they were not able to add my Fastbreak rental rewards number to my reservation. That meant I had to wait in line at the rental counter instead of going directly to my car – a small luxury I've grown accustomed to. We waited about 20 minutes in line, but we're never in much of a hurry with three kids in tow so it wasn't a dealbreaker for us.
Related: How to never pay full price for a car rental
Bottom line
I often look for car rental deals when I travel, but I had never found a minivan when I needed one for only $76 per day ... until this trip.
The deep savings I received through Undercover Tourist are only available when you bundle your ticket and car rental together. The company has similar deals when you bundle your theme park tickets and a hotel reservation, which I plan to test in the future.
Although I only saved a few dollars on our Disney World tickets themselves, the hundreds of dollars I saved on our car rental was money I was able to put toward Disney souvenirs and snacks.
Trust me, we came home with plenty of both, including the all-important Little Mermaid bubble wand that made my kids' day. It was a much better use of the money than simply spending more on our vehicle rental.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
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- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
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Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees