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mouseketeer mom
08-10-2007, 08:04 AM
For our springtime 7 nite magic...
I have not added ground transfers yet.
I am confused.
The last time we cruised, we did 3 nights at the WL, on our own before the cruise. We took Magical express to the lodge, then paid for a car to take us to the Port on departure day.
Our ship leaves Saturday this time. We will fly out on Friday afternoon after school. Whats the best way to do this? There are 5 of us, so we will have plenty of luggage if that makes a difference. Where to stay? How to get there? Should we utilize DCL transfers, and if so, how would that work since we will be arriving the night before?
We would like to get to the ship on the earlier side of things, so we can enjoy the day a little bit before sailing..

ElenitaB
08-10-2007, 06:24 PM
With five of you arriving the night before, may I make a suggestion? We were in a similar situation two years ago and I had planned to rent a car, stay at WDW and then leave early the day of the cruise for port. It is a 24 hour rental (even less depending on when you arrive) and you can pick up at MCO and drop off near the Port. The cost would be far less than using the DCL transfer and you also would arrive at port much earlier than you would taking the DCL busses, even including having breakfast at WDW. The drive over is pretty straight forward and only takes around an hour. This would also allow you to stop and buy water to bring onboard with you, if you'd like (my DS is not a big Evian fan so that was definitely something we wanted to do).

As for your return, you can book DCL transfers one way.

angedeaile
08-11-2007, 12:35 AM
I agree with ElenitaB. I did some spreadsheets to compare the prices for the different transfer options and found a rental car to be the cheapest. This is exactly what I am doing for my vacation.

The rental car companies near Port have complimentary shuttles that will pick you up or drop you off where you need to go. SO after dropping off your group at the Port, you can drop off your car at the nearest rental center and take a shuttle back to Port.

Rates are pretty cheap and it is nice to leave on your own schedule and make stops along the way as you see fit. If you do your homework, you can find that rental car prices range from 25-35 bucks a day.

As for port to airport transportation, I found that again, the rental car is the cheaper option. Although, if you are only using it to drive the hour or so to get to MCO, you will be paying close to the same price to rent it all day.

Hard to justify, but still cheaper than a towncar, a DCL bus or taxi.

RobWreck
08-11-2007, 11:00 AM
For our upcoming cruise, we're flying in the evening before and staying at the hotel right in MCO (I forget whether it was a Hyatt or Marriot). That way, in the morning, we just walk downstairs and get on the bus to the port. It was fairly reasonably priced for the one night, and we even made the hotel reservation right through DCL.
Rob

GreenBeetle
08-11-2007, 11:11 AM
I agree with ElenitaB. I did some spreadsheets to compare the prices for the different transfer options and found a rental car to be the cheapest. This is exactly what I am doing for my vacation.

The rental car companies near Port have complimentary shuttles that will pick you up or drop you off where you need to go. SO after dropping off your group at the Port, you can drop off your car at the nearest rental center and take a shuttle back to Port.

Rates are pretty cheap and it is nice to leave on your own schedule and make stops along the way as you see fit. If you do your homework, you can find that rental car prices range from 25-35 bucks a day.

As for port to airport transportation, I found that again, the rental car is the cheaper option. Although, if you are only using it to drive the hour or so to get to MCO, you will be paying close to the same price to rent it all day.

Hard to justify, but still cheaper than a towncar, a DCL bus or taxi.

I agree. That's exactly what we are doing for our upcoming trip in September. I got some great rental car rates through Avis using coupons found online. We're flying in the day before our cruise, so I've booked the Residence Inn in Cape Canaveral for one night.

TammiMcMan
08-11-2007, 11:13 AM
You have a few options, but I think which one you choose may be affected by what time you're flying in.

I imagine that leaving after school, you most likely won't be arriving at MCO until 7pm or so. You could realistically be on the road by 8pm after getting your luggage and Budget one-way rental car. It's about 45 minutes to the Port and there are many hotels right along the water. You can spend the night, do a quick snack shopping in the morning, drop everyone at the port, return the car and then take the car shuttle back to the port.

The most convenient option is staying at the Hyatt, but it will also be the most expensive. We're a family of 5 as well and their maximum room occupancy is 4. They do have a family plan, where you can book a 2nd room at 50% off. When you get off the plane, you simply pick up your luggage and take the elevator up to the Hyatt lobby. If you've purchased the DCL transfers, you'll want to put your luggage tags on at this point and leave your bags right outside your hotel room door. They'll be picked up and delivered right to the ship. In the morning, you'll just take your carry on to the lobby and meet up with the DCL representatives and board the bus.

A little less convenient, but much less expensive is staying at a local downtown Orlando hotel. We were able to get a 2 bedroom unit at the Hawthorne Suites for $119. After getting our luggage, the hotel shuttle picked us up (or you can rent a car one-way). In the morning, we had a full hot breakfast (part of the nightly rate). The hotel shuttle can take you back to the airport, where you can meet up with the DCL transfer or drive right to the port if you've decided on the car rental option.

If you do the car rental, you still need to decide on how you're getting back to the airport. Either a one way DCL transfer, or going through taking the shuttle back to the car rental agency and then returning for your family and luggage.

Definitely lots to choose from.

DisneyDudet
08-11-2007, 11:31 AM
We went for convenience and stayed at the Hyatt and transferred from there. Then, we went back via the transfer. It did cost money, but this way, we made sure we were there.

If you are wanting to book transfers, you will need to do so soon, as you will need necessary paperwork.

You can read my report on this option here. (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=96467)

TammiMcMan
08-11-2007, 03:12 PM
If you are wanting to book transfers, you will need to do so soon, as you will need necessary paperwork.You can actually book the transfers at any time, even from on board the ship or at the airport. It definitely makes it more convenient to have the tags ahead of time though.