Please! please share your advice on logistics

I have been searching and apologize if this has been asked before. We just booked cruise for Aug 29. Two grandparents with precious 11 and 12 yr old.

We are flying into MCO the day before cruise so would appreciate everyone's advice of whether to stay in hotel near airport then shuttle down to port the next day

or after flying in the day before, get some kind of transportation (shuttles other than disney? ) or (Disney?? cost??) , to a hotel near port that night and maybe a shuttle to cruise port the next morning.

Thanking you in advance

I have been searching and apologize if this has been asked before. We just booked cruise for Aug 29. Two grandparents with precious 11 and 12 yr old.

 

 

We are flying into MCO the day before cruise so would appreciate everyone's advice of whether to stay in hotel near airport then shuttle down to port the next day

 

or after flying in the day before, get some kind of transportation (shuttles other than disney? ) or (Disney?? cost??) , to a hotel near port that night and maybe a shuttle to cruise port the next morning.

 

Thanking you in advance

Either one works. It really depends on when you are arriving at MCO. If it's a late arrival that night, I'd suggest staying in the airport area and heading directly to bed. If it's early in the day, going to the port area to stay might be more fun, as you can watch the other ships in port.

So it is 4 of you?

I base these decisions on what time I get into MCO as well as what I might want to do. Essentially, you weigh cost and convenience.

If arriving late afternoon or early evening, I stay in the MCO area. All of the 2.5* hotels that I'm familiar with have complimentary transportation to/from MCO and complimentary breakfast. Some offer a package that includes transportation to and from the cruise port. My favorite hotel is the Hyatt Place NW (different from Hyatt MCO). And it has a TGI Friday's across the street (I did it pushing a wheelchair, so it is do-able for most people). Their shuttle driver will take you to another eating place IF he isn't busy with airport runs. Country Inn and Suites is also nice. I don't care for they Hampton.

As to getting to the port....the cost of a private limo/towncar service for 4 is about the same as DCL transfers. You could be picked up at the hotel and dropped at the port. You could also choose to return to MCO and take DCL transfers to the port. OR you could rent a car from the airport and drop in Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach. This will be the least costly option, but will also require a little effort from someone. The easiest way to handle a one way rental is for the driver to drop passengers and luggage at the cruise terminal and then go return the car and shuttle back. If you prefer, you can stay together and all return the car and take their shuttle back. We usually base car company on cost. Hertz is closest to the port, Budget nearby. Thrifty/Dollar is several miles down the same road. It is an easy drive from the airport area to the cruise terminal. There are tolls in the early portion. There is a gas station basically next to the Budget place so you can fill up the car before returning it. A car also allows you to make a store stop if you realize you've forgotten something important, but many car services also allow a brief stop at the location of your choice.

The other option is to go to the port area after arriving at MCO. Since this will not be cruise day, you'll need private transportation or a car. The main hotels near the terminal are the Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites, and Radisson although there are many others a little farther away. The first 2 include breakfast for all, the Radisson has packages that include breakfast.

I generally don't like to add another hour of driving after flying...and there is plenty of time in the morning to have breakfast, check out of the hotel, and get to the port. Hyatt Place NW has wifi in rooms, a pool, a business center, fitness center, etc. to occupy the kids for the night. In general the hotels near MCO cost a little less than those near the terminal, but things do vary with dates.

Hope this helps.

I have actually been going back and forth with this same question! For our September 2016 Disney Cruise, we are going to rent a car and head to Port Canaveral after arrival at Orlando International Airport (MCO). We will be staying at the Residence Inn as there are 5 of us and we can take advantage of the Red Lobster on Merritt Island. :)

I am actually on a 3-Night Disney Cruise on April 14th. For that trip, there are only 2 of us and we are staying near MCO. (Staying at the Doubletree.) Since there are just two of us and we aren't doing anything pre/post cruise, we are using Disney transfers to/from the port. That's $140 and we'll be able to take an early shuttle to the port.

For the September trip, we will not pay the $70 per person for the Disney transfers. I get a great corporate rental rate and we'll use National Car Rental. In fact, I rent a mid-size from National and I get to choose any car "in the aisle". We hope to choose an SUV but would be okay with a minivan. Since it's off season, I don't expect a run on minivans and most frequent (corporate) renters avoid minivans like the plague.

I'm with Moki on this one. If you are arriving before noon, you may want to head to the Port and do things in that area (dining, beach, etc). However, if you're not arriving before noon, just get a local hotel and drive/ride to the port in the morning. Travel can be stressful enough than to run around the day before your cruise.

I have done the shuttle, a (roundtrip) rental car from MCO, and a "double" one-way rental. I really despise the one-way rental as it can just eat up valuable time and eat at your patience (especially when you disembark!). Renting a roundtrip car from MCO is the most flexible but also (could be) the most expensive. I would never use the Disney transfers with more than 3 people as the flexibility of the rental car starts to outweigh the shuttle costs.

I have stayed on Disney property before and after a Disney cruise, stayed near MCO before and after a Disney cruise, stayed in Cocoa Beach before, and even stayed in the Hyatt MCO Airport the night before. It really depends on what I hope to accomplish and how much of my sanity I would like to maintain. It is my observation that relaxation the day before is the way to go. (E.G. don't go shopping at the Premium Outlets the day before the cruise. Do it after the cruise.)

Enjoy.

I have actually been going back and forth with this same question! For our September 2016 Disney Cruise, we are going to rent a car and head to Port Canaveral after arrival at Orlando International Airport (MCO). We will be staying at the Residence Inn as there are 5 of us and we can take advantage of the Red Lobster on Merritt Island. :)

 

I am actually on a 3-Night Disney Cruise on April 14th. For that trip, there are only 2 of us and we are staying near MCO. (Staying at the Doubletree.) Since there are just two of us and we aren't doing anything pre/post cruise, we are using Disney transfers to/from the port. That's $140 and we'll be able to take an early shuttle to the port.

 

For the September trip, we will not pay the $70 per person for the Disney transfers. I get a great corporate rental rate and we'll use National Car Rental. In fact, I rent a mid-size from National and I get to choose any car "in the aisle". We hope to choose an SUV but would be okay with a minivan. Since it's off season, I don't expect a run on minivans and most frequent (corporate) renters avoid minivans like the plague.

 

I'm with Moki on this one. If you are arriving before noon, you may want to head to the Port and do things in that area (dining, beach, etc). However, if you're not arriving before noon, just get a local hotel and drive/ride to the port in the morning. Travel can be stressful enough than to run around the day before your cruise.

 

I have done the shuttle, a (roundtrip) rental car from MCO, and a "double" one-way rental. I really despise the one-way rental as it can just eat up valuable time and eat at your patience (especially when you disembark!). Renting a roundtrip car from MCO is the most flexible but also (could be) the most expensive. I would never use the Disney transfers with more than 3 people as the flexibility of the rental car starts to outweigh the shuttle costs.

 

I have stayed on Disney property before and after a Disney cruise, stayed near MCO before and after a Disney cruise, stayed in Cocoa Beach before, and even stayed in the Hyatt MCO Airport the night before. It really depends on what I hope to accomplish and how much of my sanity I would like to maintain. It is my observation that relaxation the day before is the way to go. (E.G. don't go shopping at the Premium Outlets the day before the cruise. Do it after the cruise.)

 

Enjoy.

Totally agree. For one or 2 people, the complimentary shuttle from the hotel to the airport and then catching the DCL transfer bus to the port is the most economical way to go. If you tell the shuttle driver what you are doing, he will usually drop you as close to the Welcome Center as he can get you. For more than 4, private towncar/limo is more cost effective than DCL transfers if you don't want to mess with rental car.

Thoughts on rental cars....on the way to the port, they are easy. On the way home, they can be a pain as you may have to wait for the shuttle to the car place, wait in line to get the car, etc. IF you are on a participating airline, using DCL transfers with onboard airline check in is worth the cost of the transfers. WIth this system, you place your bags outside your cabin on the last night and don't see them again until you arrive at your HOME airport. You also receive your boarding passes while on the ship, so at the airport you can proceed directly thru security and to your gate. If you do decide to do a car rental on the way back, I have a few tips to make that easier--just ask.

BUT if you have a late flight out, having a car to do something on that day is a good thing. If your flight is shortly after noon...just go to the airport after breakfast on the ship.

Personally I prefer to get as close to the final destination as possible, as it means less likelihood of issues on embarkation day even just dealing with traffic. So I would stay at the port area.

For transport out of MCO I always use Happy Limo.. I think the current rate for a minivan is around $130 each way and you don't have to worry.

Stay near port, IMO

Soooo much less stressful. :)

Plus that Beeline Toll Road can have issues.

Enjoy

May you have Safe and Smooth Seas

PS; Buy a SunPass in advance, if you really want to fly. :D

https://www.sunpass.com/selectAcceptAgreementPurchaseTransponder.action

Totally agree. For one or 2 people' date=' the complimentary shuttle from the hotel to the airport and then catching the DCL transfer bus to the port is the most economical way to go. If you tell the shuttle driver what you are doing, he will usually drop you as close to the Welcome Center as he can get you. For more than 4, private towncar/limo is more cost effective than DCL transfers if you don't want to mess with rental car.

 

Thoughts on rental cars....on the way to the port, they are easy. On the way home, they can be a pain as you may have to wait for the shuttle to the car place, wait in line to get the car, etc. IF you are on a participating airline, using DCL transfers with onboard airline check in is worth the cost of the transfers. WIth this system, you place your bags outside your cabin on the last night and don't see them again until you arrive at your HOME airport. You also receive your boarding passes while on the ship, so at the airport you can proceed directly thru security and to your gate. If you do decide to do a car rental on the way back, I have a few tips to make that easier--just ask.

 

BUT if you have a late flight out, having a car to do something on that day is a good thing. If your flight is shortly after noon...just go to the airport after breakfast on the ship.[/quote']

 

Would love to hear your tips on using a car rental after the cruise.

Would love to hear your tips on using a car rental after the cruise.

OK...typically there is a line for the shuttle to the car pick up place. Assuming 2 adults, get in line to get everyone on the shuttle. However, if the first shuttle comes and you are either not at the front of the line or there is not room after for your family after the first people get on, determine whether there is room for one person with no luggage (there almost always is!) This makes you/the driver in your party the last person on the shuttle and almost always gives a seat by the door. When the shuttle gets to the car outlet, that person hops off the shuttle first (last on, first off) and goes immediately to the line or the counter with your car reservation document and driver's license ready. Typically, any line from the previous shuttle has not been handled and you are right at the counter. If all your documents are in order, you may be headed to your rental car while the other people are still dealing with getting their children and luggage off the shuttle.

If you both have cell phones, you then coordinate with the other adult in your group as to whether they got on the next shuttle and are on their way to the car place or you should return to the cruise terminal to pick them up. It is possible for them to have boarded the next shuttle because Budget usually runs 2 shuttle vehicles on cruise days and is one of the two companies nearest the terminal.

Alternatively--if you don't both have charged cell phones or just because it avoids some hassle on their part, when the driver boards the shuttle, the family can move themselves and their stuff to the pick up area where there are minimal overhangs to provide shade and just wait there for the driver to pick them up. This is only a few feet from the shuttle pick up area, but my real point is to provide them some shade. It is very easy for the driver to swing into the terminal area to pick up the family and then head out.

To give you an idea of how easy and fast it can be to drop off a vehicle on embarkation day, on at least 2 occasions I've had no line at the car place. When I came out of the building from returning the car, my passengers were already ON the shuttle with the luggage loaded and were waiting for me! This happened once at Thrifty and once at Budget. Most of the time I drop passengers and luggage at the terminal and then return the car, but if I'm cruising with newbies I tend to keep the group together realizing that it may take a bit longer than a drop off.

Mokiy'smommy is after my heart. A perfect strategy that most cruisers can't execute. The reason why I hate the one-ways is definitely the return trip and, more specifically, picking up the car!

On my 2013 Fantasy Cruise, we were four adults with a TON of luggage (because we were headed to the Superbowl right after that cruise). We, foolishly, all sat around waiting for the shuttle with all that luggage, then getting off the shuttle bus and then dealing with all the luggage and people at the Hertz rental "hut" (yes, I called it a hut).

If only I had known Moki's strategy... but I did learn from that.

Mokiy'smommy is after my heart. A perfect strategy that most cruisers can't execute. The reason why I hate the one-ways is definitely the return trip and, more specifically, picking up the car!

 

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You can also choose a different option for each direction. In the case of a towncar service there is usually a small price reduction for a round trip booking. But for DCL transfers and car rentals, it totally depends on your dates and there is no benefit for round trip.

IF you are on a participating airline with a flight at an appropriate time, seriously consider using DCL transfers with on board airline check in for your return. Many lines charge for this service; DCL does not. If you are traveling with small children, elderly, disabled, or anyone else who may not be able to easily deal with their own luggage, this service is well worth the cost of the DCL transfers. You put your luggage outside the cabin on the last night with the tags that were in your cabin. You next see them at your home airport. And you get your boarding passes in your cabin so you go thru security and directly to your gate. You can check in there. Saves lines, time, hassle, luggage handling, etc. BUT Southwest is not a participating airline.

For the life of me, I don't understand why the rental companies don't have a small parking lot at the terminal. They could get by with 3 classes, compact, full sized, minivan and maybe full-size vans. They can pack a lot of them in a lot bumper to bumper.

There are ships there everyday and only a small cleaning crew is needed since they would have over night.

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For the life of me, I don't understand why the rental companies don't have a small parking lot at the terminal. They could get by with 3 classes, compact, full sized, minivan and maybe full-size vans. They can pack a lot of them in a lot bumper to bumper.

There are ships there everyday and only a small cleaning crew is needed since they would have over night.

 

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actually the master plan for the port includes a rental center but there is a problem with the idea IMO. Look at a map of the port and you'll see that it is much more spread out than say an airport terminal (which is typically a hub and spoke design) A facility at CT-1 is quite a distance and across a bridge from CT-8. National/Enterprise/Alamo recently relocated to a spot "in" the port, and PAYLESS has always been "in" ... and none is really walking distance from any cruise terminal.

So the entire issue of shuttles remains . . . unless a company were to establish operations at EACH cruise terminal . . . property inside the port is $$$, rents are higher ....

OK...typically there is a line for the shuttle to the car pick up place. Assuming 2 adults' date=' get in line to get everyone on the shuttle. However, if the first shuttle comes and you are either not at the front of the line or there is not room after for your family after the first people get on, determine whether there is room for one person with no luggage (there almost always is!) This makes you/the driver in your party the last person on the shuttle and almost always gives a seat by the door. When the shuttle gets to the car outlet, that person hops off the shuttle first (last on, first off) and goes immediately to the line or the counter with your car reservation document and driver's license ready. Typically, any line from the previous shuttle has not been handled and you are right at the counter. If all your documents are in order, you may be headed to your rental car while the other people are still dealing with getting their children and luggage off the shuttle.

 

If you both have cell phones, you then coordinate with the other adult in your group as to whether they got on the next shuttle and are on their way to the car place or you should return to the cruise terminal to pick them up. It is possible for them to have boarded the next shuttle because Budget usually runs 2 shuttle vehicles on cruise days and is one of the two companies nearest the terminal.

 

Alternatively--if you don't both have charged cell phones or just because it avoids some hassle on their part, when the driver boards the shuttle, the family can move themselves and their stuff to the pick up area where there are minimal overhangs to provide shade and just wait there for the driver to pick them up. This is only a few feet from the shuttle pick up area, but my real point is to provide them some shade. It is very easy for the driver to swing into the terminal area to pick up the family and then head out.

 

To give you an idea of how easy and fast it can be to drop off a vehicle on embarkation day, on at least 2 occasions I've had no line at the car place. When I came out of the building from returning the car, my passengers were already ON the shuttle with the luggage loaded and were waiting for me! This happened once at Thrifty and once at Budget. Most of the time I drop passengers and luggage at the terminal and then return the car, but if I'm cruising with newbies I tend to keep the group together realizing that it may take a bit longer than a drop off.[/quote']

 

Great tips! Thanks!

We did that last time but thrift was running low on mini vans/sucs so they were having to work on getting people into smaller cars and it was taking the counter people longer to process.

We had reserved 2 minivans when the guy yelled who wants a full sized van for the price of a midsize and I will take you next, we jumped. He discounted it even further when we told him we will give up both minivans.

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Too funny.....I can't tell you how many times I've gotten an SUV or minivan when I reserved a midsize car. Since I typically travel with only 2 of us, a smaller vehicle is fine. But it seems that they always have minivans that need to be ferried back to MCO.

:) We are thanking all of our wonderful cruise critic friends. :D

Is this too short of a cruise for a short meet and greet sometime informally? Or anyone interested in wearing beads to the sail-away to say hello?

Is there a roll call?

Anyone know the price of the round trip Disney shuttle?

We see a smart-two shuttle, any knowledge of them?

:) We are thanking all of our wonderful cruise critic friends. :D

 

Is this too short of a cruise for a short meet and greet sometime informally? Or anyone interested in wearing beads to the sail-away to say hello?

 

Is there a roll call?

 

Anyone know the price of the round trip Disney shuttle?

 

We see a smart-two shuttle, any knowledge of them?

DCL transfers are $35 per person per leg ($70 round trip)

Roll calls are at the top of this page--you might want to check there.

Meet and greet is normally done at about 3 pm on embarkation day. It is rather a dead time unless you are at the pools. It is doubtful that anyone you've spoken to here will be on the same cruise that you are.:( Beads at sail away--nice idea.

thank you CC friends. :D We think we will shuttle down to port before cruise. Shuttle says they will drop us at our hotel. Then in a.m. for $5 each, hotel shuttle will take us to the pier.

Now since we "snoozed and loosed" our Preferred choice of air from MCO to MKE is sold out of economy fares so we won't leave there until 7:50 pm. We will be looking for things do from time off ship until plane time.

I guess the smart thing will be to rent a car. And do what????

Cape Canaveral is $50 each adult and $40 each child. If we got there at 11 am and left at 4:00 would that be enough time there??

Soooo many details for a 4 day cruise. Yikes!! :eek: