Port Canaveral and Disney

[rbschultz]

just booked an 8 day cruise on the grandeur of the Seas for thanksgiving week 2015. Is there an excursion or a shuttle to Disney? I really want to get my family there for the day..

 

Depending on ages of the children, you can probably get through Magic Kingdom. Have a plan. Make sure you download the disney app and schedule your fastpasses. Plan a route through the park so you don't end up wasting time. There is plenty of info on all of the rides online so you can probably get yourself a decent schedule and be done withing 6-7 hours. I went Thanksgiving this year (Saturday after Thanksgiving) and walked onto all the rides (except for the 7 dwarves mine ride) without any wait.

[Carolla5501]

Another option is Downtown Disney, especially since they are so young and don't like rides. No huge admissions price, lots to see and many restaurants.

 

 

 

 

Yeah. You can show the kids construction walls. Seriously stay far away from here until Disney finishes the remodel project.

 

 

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[Swampbabe]

Toll roads - from Port Canaveral to Orlando and back; long lines at the toll booths for those without e-passes. Parking is costly at WDW, unless you leave the car in a free lot at Downtown Disney and ride the busses (waisted time).

From a cruise ship, I recommend their transportation so you minimize worries (like missing the ship). A park at WDW on a one day ticket will be expensive and holiday visit very crowded. So will most other area attractions.

Best suggestion - visit the space complex!

 

FYI,there are no busses from Downtown Disney to the theme parks. The Mouse wants your money.

[MisterBill99]

FYI,there are no busses from Downtown Disney to the theme parks. The Mouse wants your money.

So how do you get there for free? Take a bus to one of the hotels and then from there go to the theme park? There must be a bus from the Polynesian, and you can walk to the T&TC from there. Surely Disney wants hotel guests to be able to get to DD for the same reason you mentioned above -- they want your money. Not everyone has a car.

Edited January 1, 2015 by MisterBill99

[Swampbabe]

So how do you get there for free? Take a bus to one of the hotels and then from there go to the theme park? There must be a bus from the Polynesian, and you can walk to the T&TC from there. Surely Disney wants hotel guests to be able to get to DD for the same reason you mentioned above -- they want your money. Not everyone has a car.

 

There are busses from the hotels to Downtown Disney. To park at a hotel you have to be staying there or have a dining reservation. They do not want theme park guests parking at DD for free. At one time you needed hotel ID to ride the busses to the hotels.

[Nemomof3]

If it's the Characters you are wanting to see I would book a late lunch or early dinner at Chef Mickey's in Disney's contemporary resort (you get free parking there if you show them your reservation) and go to Downtown Disney after that. At the parks you don't really see the characters other than walking by. If you want to see them up close or get a picture the lines for that are crazy too! Chef Mickey's is pricey but all the characters come around to every table sign autographs and pose for pictures. There is singing and lots of fun. The parks on a holiday week will be really bad so they may not even see the characters at all in the parks.

[Redsfan]

OP your port time 9:30 to 10:30am back at PC? Is that not late getting back to port?

[zincman]

zincman, a lot of people have given you very heartfelt advice.

 

Now listen to me. ;)

 

Your port time is 10:30 to 9:30. Renting a car will be an exercise in frustration, because of the time that this will eat up in four spots: getting the car, parking the car, retrieving the car and dropping off the car. So forget renting a car.

 

I have done this itinerary several times, with those same port times.

 

The relevant fact in your question is that you are going Thanksgiving week.

 

My son works in all three theme parks: Disney, Universal and SeaWorld.

 

He has told me that the parks are BEYOND insane during that week. Not quite as bad as this past week: The time around Christmas is even worse. "Good" worse, for the workers who depend on the income, but still insane in terms of crowds.

 

At Disney, the more people, the more diminished the experience.

 

Your kids are very very small. They will barely - if at all - remember this visit. If they remember anything, it will be the pushing, shoving, waiting and cursing that they will unfortunately overhear.

 

For what it's worth, Universal Studios is generally not "quite" as crowded as the Magic Kingdom. Not Harry Potter World - that will have five hour waits that week! :eek:

 

I did the ship's bus to Universal on one cruise. It worked VERY well, and if I wanted to go to Universal again, I would do the ship's excursion again. It's the best possible way, given the port time of 10:30 to 9:30.

 

With kids that small, I truly would NOT take them to Disney during Thanksgiving week. Ouch. Just OUCH.

 

SeaWorld is much more low-key. I would recommend that. (even though they just laid off my son. :mad:) Go now, before the company goes belly up! :eek:

 

The little ones will love seeing the animals. Don't miss the sea lion & otter show. Utterly adorable. The orcas and dolphins are amazing, too. They will absolutely ADORE the penguins, too.

 

Some nice rides there, too. Not just the animals.

 

The one thing about SeaWorld: No ship's bus. THEN you will have to rent a car. (I was tempted to ask the bus driver if he would drop me off at SeaWorld on the way to Universal. ;) I also considered taking the bus then grabbing a cab. I still think that THAT would work.)

 

Good luck, zincman!

 

:)

 

Sea world is great idea. the only issue is no ship transportation..Idont want any chance of missing the ship..Like I said about Disney the rides are not an issue.. Im sure my Daughter would be thrilled with just seeing some of her favorite Charecters..

The wife and I will have to think on it a little more

[zincman]

If it's the Characters you are wanting to see I would book a late lunch or early dinner at Chef Mickey's in Disney's contemporary resort (you get free parking there if you show them your reservation) and go to Downtown Disney after that. At the parks you don't really see the characters other than walking by. If you want to see them up close or get a picture the lines for that are crazy too! Chef Mickey's is pricey but all the characters come around to every table sign autographs and pose for pictures. There is singing and lots of fun. The parks on a holiday week will be really bad so they may not even see the characters at all in the parks.

 

This also is a fantastic idea.. If we took the ships transportation, How far is Chef Mickeys from the drop off?

[yj_eugene]

If it's the Characters you are wanting to see I would book a late lunch or early dinner at Chef Mickey's in Disney's contemporary resort (you get free parking there if you show them your reservation) and go to Downtown Disney after that.

 

There are several character meals at Disney other than Chef Mickey's, both in the parks (requires admission) and at the resorts (doesn't), if that one won't work for you. Here's a couple of lists from the allears dot net site that might help you decide on which one, plus some tips/comments:

 

http://allears.net/din/cb.htm

 

http://allears.net/din/cbchar.htm

 

Another option other than Downtown Disney afterward if you have the time is the Boardwalk, which doesn't require admission either. Shopping is better at Downtown Disney, but I think Boardwalk is a bit nicer for just strolling and enjoying the atmosphere.

[MisterBill99]

There are busses from the hotels to Downtown Disney. To park at a hotel you have to be staying there or have a dining reservation. They do not want theme park guests parking at DD for free. At one time you needed hotel ID to ride the busses to the hotels.

So have lunch at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian and get their famous Tonga Toast (banana stuffed french toast) :-).

 

I did forget about needing id to park free at the hotels and possibly for the bus as well.

[MisterBill99]

This also is a fantastic idea.. If we took the ships transportation, How far is Chef Mickeys from the drop off?

You can take the monorail from the T&TC (where the cruise bus will drop you off) to the Contemporary. I'm not sure if you need to show a ticket or resort id to ride the monorail, or if a reservation would suffice.

Edited January 3, 2015 by MisterBill99

[RSLeesburg]

You can take the monorail from the T&TC (where the cruise bus will drop you off) to the Contemporary. I'm not sure if you need to show a ticket or resort id to ride the monorail, or if a reservation would suffice.

 

 

You could also walk over to Polynesian to catch monorail to Contemporary Resort.

 

 

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[zincman]

thank you everyone, im going to write all of this down..

[RSLeesburg]

thank you everyone, im going to write all of this down..

 

 

We just did this itinerary over Thanksgiving this year. I posted a review and AO dailies (see link in my signature). We took bus over to Coco Beach and Ron Jons, but there were some on our cruise that braved Disney. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[Thia]

You don't need a ticket to ride the monorail. You'll be able check out the Polynesian, the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary if you want to take a ride on the monorail. But to maximize your time I would just head to the park.

 

I'll assume you have to buy the ticket when you arrive? If not, try to purchase one in advance. You may be able to book fastpasses for rides 60 days from day of your trip online, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Sorry, when I go it's for the week and we stay onsite. I love Disney, we try to go every other year.

 

If you choose to do the Dining option, be sure to go online to Disney and reserve a table, it's getting hard to do a walk-up for meals now. I believe you have to wait 60 days out to book it. I

 

I think you'll be okay for crowds on the day you go. It typically doesn't get too busy until Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

 

Have fun. Doesn't matter if your kids will remember the trip or not, we should live in the moment and not worry about what they can and can't remember. My daughter was 3 when she first went and doesn't remember Disney but she had a great time and that's all that mattered to us.

[ATC cruiser]

My suggestion would be to go to the Brevard County Zoo. It's about a 45 min. drive from the port. Take 528 west to 95 south, get off at Wickham rd. east on Wickham to the first stoplight and turn right. Your kids can hand feed giraffes, they will love it. There are several rental car agencies that have shuttle service to and from the port. If you take the excursion bus you won't get to disney until 11:00 am, by then the parks will be packed. Plus kids that young tend to poop out early. Google brevardzoo.org.

 

 

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