Looking for suggestions/ideas MCO ==> Port of Everglades

[nanseev]

Planning stages for our Christmas cruise out of Fort Lauderdale on Dec 23rd. JetBlue released flights for December today, and we found an amazing fare to Orlando. I had been debating staying a few days before or after our cruise, and the flights were that much cheaper to make it worth booking out of Orlando vs. FLL or surrounding airports. I saved over $1000, and since I was contemplating adding an amusement park stop, it was worth it. We live in Southern California with traffic galore, so a 3.5 hour drive is nothing for us, so I'm prepared for the drive.

 

We are on the Red Eye Thursday and arriving Friday morning. Our cruise departs Sunday, and arrives back in FLL Sunday morning. Our flight departs Monday night from Orlando. My initial idea is to visit Universal Studios and Disney World...but I'm definitely open to suggestions - it's myself, my husband, and 14 year old daughter and 13 year old son.

 

I'm looking for advice on timeframe and what to do and when to travel back and forth. Do we stay in Orlando until early Sunday morning and drive down then, or do we drive Saturday night? Will I be too tired Sat night after the parks for that drive? What is the closest/most convenient off-site car rentals near the port (we did this for our cruise out of Port Canaveral last year) for one-way rentals? Any recommended hotels in Orlando that have a shuttle from the airport and also to the parks...that won't cost me the price of another vacation?? LOL.

 

Just looking for ideas and suggestions.....

[JohninDC]

I would not try to do the drive from Orlando to FLL after a day at the theme parks (and after a red-eye flight the day before! :eek: ). Get up Sunday, have an early breakfast, and hit the road - the traffic should be light (with Christmas travel, who knows for sure) - and the drive takes about 3.5+ hours.

 

Don't worry about hotel shuttles from the parks and airport - just rent the car from when you land until you drop it in FLL and head to the pier; gives you the flex to stay where you want and go where you want.

 

Car rental rates fluctuate as much as airfare - use your favorit travel site to compare rates among agencies and book something you can live with -- then keep shopping. COSTCO, AAA and other discounts can save $$ - most major agencies in FLA do not charge one-way drop fees, and you can sometimes find FLA specific discount codes on the WDW boards (all ears, etc.). If the agency you choose does not offer a shuttle to PE, a taxi or Uber will be only about $10-15.

 

Good luck with your planning! :D

[hrhdhd]

I don't know if you realize how large Universal Studios (2 parks) and Disney World (4 parks) are (and how expensive 1-day passes, especially with Park Hoppers, are). With kids those ages, I might just head to US and do one park on Friday and one on Saturday, then head to the ship on Sunday morning.

 

US has nice hotels on property and at some you get the equivalent of Disney's Fast Pass by staying on site, so that can help you zip through the lines. Also, you could head more easily back to the hotel for a nap if you're dragging, then go back for the evening (depending on the parks' hours).

 

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/places-to-stay/on-site-hotels/compare-features/index.html

[nanseev]

Thanks for the advice...i am definitely going to look into the Universal suggestion. The only reason why I added Disney (to be honest) was that I actually have some VERY old 5-day park hopper tickets that we didnt use up completely, and I heard they dont expire...so it was going to be a "free entrance" day. Maybe I will do that on the back end.....Sun or Mon before our flight.

[hrhdhd]

<snip> I actually have some VERY old 5-day park hopper tickets that we didnt use up completely, and I heard they dont expire...so it was going to be a "free entrance" day. Maybe I will do that on the back end.....Sun or Mon before our flight.

 

From Disney's FAQ:

Walt Disney World Resort continues to honor all unexpired theme park tickets with remaining admission days. However, be aware that unless you purchased the No Expiration Option, theme park tickets purchased after 2004 expire 14 days after their first use. While the No Expiration Option is no longer available, if you have previously purchased theme park tickets with the No Expiration Option, your tickets will still be honored.

[nanseev]

The tickets are from 1996:o:o :o:o:rolleyes:😮😮😮. Very old!