What to do, what to do?

Experienced cruisers!

I need some ideas!

We are taking our grown children and wives on a cruise in February. We will land in Orlando around 5AM and have about 6 hours before we can check-in on the ship. Is there something fun, easy, cheap we can do while we are waiting. We will have our luggage so I'm not sure how to work around that. We have cruised dozens of times alone but trying to figure out what to do with these extra 4 people is throwing me! Any suggestions?

How are you getting to the port?

Instead of shuttles - get a couple of rental cars and go to one of the Disney hotels and have breakfast (Kona Café at the Polynesian is my favourite). Their menu is a la carte so you can spend what you like (though it is more expensive than Denny's).

We are using Uber to get to the port

Keep in mind that the port is about an hour away from the orlando airport. My suggestion would be to rent a car and have a leisurely breakfast somewhere around cocoa beach

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Experienced cruisers!

I need some ideas!

We are taking our grown children and wives on a cruise in February. We will land in Orlando around 5AM and have about 6 hours before we can check-in on the ship. Is there something fun, easy, cheap we can do while we are waiting. We will have our luggage so I'm not sure how to work around that. We have cruised dozens of times alone but trying to figure out what to do with these extra 4 people is throwing me! Any suggestions?

We are using Uber to get to the port

Maybe split the cost of renting a passenger van and take a tour of Orlando. If you can drop off the rental at the port, then you wouldn't need Uber.

Maybe split the cost of renting a passenger van and take a tour of Orlando. If you can drop off the rental at the port, then you wouldn't need Uber.

This gets my vote

Get in at 5 a.m. Figure 30-45 minutes to get luggage, another 15 or so to load luggage .

Another hour to Port Canaveral. Now you are talking about 7 or so.

Leisurely breakfast somewhere, not sure if any of the restaurants by the port are open. Google them for times.

So now you are 8:00-8:30 And about 9 or so you will be at the dock.

That leaves you a couple of hours before boarding. Enjoy the sun, people watch!

I too would rent a van and then you have some freedom.

As listed above you could run over to Disney for breakfast, or just to use the Transportation for a bit of fun cheap Disney entertainment. Depending on what day Monorail starts either 8 or 9 am so you could ride that through the hotels getting out and walking around.

The Friendship boats start sailing between Hollywood Studios and Epcot around 9am too, so you could drive in too one of the resorts, say Boardwalk, have breakfast at one of the many restaurants, then take the boat from the resort to Hollywood Studios, stopping at as many resorts as you want to walk around, then back to your car ( or just stay on it for 30 minutes round trip from the hotel to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, then back)

We do this alot in the Winter, when they all have Christmas decorations up, to just see them and not spend much money at all.

Several things you can do - if you take the highway up to 528/Cheney Highway, there's an airboat place right outside Titusville (near Christmas) that has a great tour, depending on how long you want to spend. When you get done, you make a left back onto Cheney and take it about 15 minutes up to 95, then take 95 right down to the port.

You can also drive over to Merritt Island to the Black Point Wildlife Drive (if you like looking at birds and wildlife) and drive around there - it takes about an hour to do the drive, it's a really pretty area, and it costs like $5/car to get in to the state park on Merritt Island. Also right off 95.

There's also a great manatee watching spot in Titusville, at Haulover Canal. Manatees are hit or miss there, but they're cool when you do see them. :)

for what it's worth, Port Canaveral isn't so bad to hang out at if you wanted to keep it simple

http://visitportcanaveral.com

But I agree with all the above about renting a van.

I would do the van as well (book one you can return in Cocoa) ... most car rental places in Cocoa have free transportation to the port for customers. You could also use the van to drop the rest of the folks (and all of the luggage) off at the port terminal then 1 or 2 of you return the van and get the rental agency ferry you back to the port to meet your group.

BUT ... if it was me I wouldn't dally around Orlando. Normally it's around an hour or so to the port - unless there's a traffic situation. :( The highways around Disney can become a parking lot due to someones fender bender. For peace of mind I like to be in the town I'm cruising from early that day if not the night before. ;)

Cocoa is a really nice town with a lot of laid back touristy kind of places. Google to find places to eat or to walk the beach. Ron Jons is fun to wander around:). There are grocery stores or CVS etc where you can pick up your 750ml bottle of wine each for the cruise.

Just some thoughts from someone who's sailed from Port Canaveral, vacationed in that area as well as Orlando. :)

Minor point, but rental cars and vans are not returned in either Cocoa or Cocoa Beach but probably in Cape Canaveral.

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Keep in mind that Disney and Universal are about 45 minutes from MCO depending on traffic in the opposite direction from Port Canaveral. With traffic it could possibly take 2 hours to get to the port.

Keep in mind that Disney and Universal are about 45 minutes from MCO depending on traffic in the opposite direction from Port Canaveral. With traffic it could possibly take 2 hours to get to the port.

This. In my opinion you will have very little time to spend in Orlando, and there is little to do that early in the morning. Get to the cocoa beach/port canaveral area first and then spend your extra time there, near the port.

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Keep the Ubers or get a large limo. Ask the drivers to take you to a breakfast place on the way, (research and find somewhere on the way that makes great Bloody Marys), pay the Uber drivers for the extra time and maybe for their breakfast.

You never know when you might have delays in flights or traffic so I wouldn't make big plans or expensive adjustments.

Minor point, but rental cars and vans are not returned in either Cocoa or Cocoa Beach but probably in Cape Canaveral.

 

 

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There are several rent a car returns in Cocoa Beach. We just did it this week, no problems

Several things you can do - if you take the highway up to 528/Cheney Highway, there's an airboat place right outside Titusville (near Christmas) that has a great tour, depending on how long you want to spend. When you get done, you make a left back onto Cheney and take it about 15 minutes up to 95, then take 95 right down to the port.

 

 

 

You can also drive over to Merritt Island to the Black Point Wildlife Drive (if you like looking at birds and wildlife) and drive around there - it takes about an hour to do the drive, it's a really pretty area, and it costs like $5/car to get in to the state park on Merritt Island. Also right off 95.

 

 

 

There's also a great manatee watching spot in Titusville, at Haulover Canal. Manatees are hit or miss there, but they're cool when you do see them. :)

Are you saying that 528 and Cheney Hwy are one in the same? If so, this is not correct. The 528/Beachline is the direct route to the port. Also, 95 doesn't take you to the port.

This. In my opinion you will have very little time to spend in Orlando, and there is little to do that early in the morning. Get to the cocoa beach/port canaveral area first and then spend your extra time there, near the port.

 

 

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BTW, Rusty's at the port is now serving breakfast.

No since in getting to port before 10:30 am....later, if possible! Take you time..walk slow...get your bags and have a leisurely breakfast...maybe take a walk before heading to port!

Are you saying that 528 and Cheney Hwy are one in the same? If so, this is not correct. The 528/Beachline is the direct route to the port. Also, 95 doesn't take you to the port.

You are correct- I don't know why I glitched on that, I drive Cheney ALL the time.

95 will take you to the Beeline (huh, I guess it's called the 'Beachline' now, we always call it the Beeline)/528 to A1A which will take you to Port Canaveral.

You are correct- I don't know why I glitched on that, I drive Cheney ALL the time.

 

 

 

95 will take you to the Beeline (huh, I guess it's called the 'Beachline' now, we always call it the Beeline)/528 to A1A which will take you to Port Canaveral.

No worries just wanted to avoid confusion. And yes, it's still the Beeline to me [emoji3]