Best Transportation Option - WDW to Port Canaveral?

[cforsythe]

I know there are tons of threads about transportation but I just cannot find my answer. My DH and I are going on a 4 day on the Dream after 3 nights at Wilderness Lodge. We will be returning to MCO after the cruise but our flight is not until 2:30pm. My questions are: 1) Should we rent a car to get to port?
2) If we do a rental, do we check it back in and then get another once we return or should be pay to park? 3) Should we rent a town car? 4) If taking town car, what do we do at the airport for over 4 hours?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help!!

 

[DISNEY180]

We are staying at CS before our cruise in Oct and just paid for the ME to pick us up at the resort and then again back to MCO for a total of $140. I know some believe that is alot but with traffic issues I know with being on the ME the boat won't leave with us. Our flight doesn't leave until 130pm going back so we will just wander around the airport and of course shop at the Disney store..lol

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I use the DCL transfers...if there are more than 3 people then a rental or car service is a better deal.

If you want to be early to the ship or you are just more comfortable with private transportation, it's just going to be a matter of do you want to drive a rental or do you want to hire a car service. You can book a rental for the entire time and pay to park it if you prefer.

As for the airport, you'd just have to do what there is to do in any airport...people watch, visit a restaurant, shopping, etc.

 

[Dug720]

Regarding the time in the airport... You said MCO, right? I always budget at least an hour for security alone. Even the time I was randomly granted PreCheck there were plenty of people in that line who had no clue and it still took a while.

 

[BigredNole]

It really depends on what you want to do. I have read that the resort transfers to PC start later in the morning. If you want to be at the PC terminal early, then a towncar service is the way to go. As for your time at MCO after, I would not worry about that too much. TSA can take up to 2 hours if not more. Once through, there are things to see, have a bite, get a drink.

 

[cforsythe]

Thanks for the information everyone. We were not planning on doing Disney transfers because we wanted to get to the port earlier.

Does anyone know how you get a rental car back at the port?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks for the information everyone. We were not planning on doing Disney transfers because we wanted to get to the port earlier.

Does anyone know how you get a rental car back at the port?

You take a shuttle from the port to the rental car office in Port Canaveral. Is that what you mean? To rent a new one?

 

[cforsythe]

Yes that is

You take a shuttle from the port to the rental car office in Port Canaveral. Is that what you mean? To rent a new one?

Yes that is what I mean. Is it difficult with luggage?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yes that is

Yes that is what I mean. Is it difficult with luggage?

If you have a lot of luggage (like more than one piece per person), one person can take the shuttle, get the car and come back to pick up the person(s) who wait with the bags at the port. You have to drive by the port from the rental car agencies in Port Canaveral anyway, so it's not really out of the way.

 

[kickash]

We just did this same thing. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge July 27-30 and our cruise was July 30-Aug 6. I wanted to get to the port early on Saturday and the DCL bus wouldn't have picked us up at AKL until 11 and we would have had to have our luggage out earlier and that just doesn't work for us. So on Friday, after EPCOT, we had lunch at Beaches and Cream and then walked over to the Dolphin to pick up our rental car from Alamo. Saturday morning we left around 9:15 am and made it to the port at 10:30 am. We dropped off all of our luggage then took the car back to the rental agency (about 3 minutes away). We then hopped on the shuttle back to the port with just ourselves and our carry ons. It was super easy and we made our PAT of 11 am. We were on board and eating in Cabanas by 12:15!

 

[cforsythe]

We just did this same thing. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge July 27-30 and our cruise was July 30-Aug 6. I wanted to get to the port early on Saturday and the DCL bus wouldn't have picked us up at AKL until 11 and we would have had to have our luggage out earlier and that just doesn't work for us. So on Friday, after EPCOT, we had lunch at Beaches and Cream and then walked over to the Dolphin to pick up our rental car from Alamo. Saturday morning we left around 9:15 am and made it to the port at 10:30 am. We dropped off all of our luggage then took the car back to the rental agency (about 3 minutes away). We then hopped on the shuttle back to the port with just ourselves and our carry ons. It was super easy and we made our PAT of 11 am. We were on board and eating in Cabanas by 12:15!

Thanks for the information. How did you all get back to the airport after the cruise?

 

[RedSox68]

We are staying at CS before our cruise in Oct and just paid for the ME to pick us up at the resort and then again back to MCO for a total of $140. I know some believe that is alot but with traffic issues I know with being on the ME the boat won't leave with us. Our flight doesn't leave until 130pm going back so we will just wander around the airport and of course shop at the Disney store..lol

ME -- Magical Express -- is free and only transports from WDW hotels to airport and back. The Disney Cruise Line buses costs and will take you from the resorts or airport to the port.

 

[kickash]

Thanks for the information. How did you all get back to the airport after the cruise?

We did pay for the DCL transfers to take us from port to MCO. It is an extremely early morning and neither my husband or I felt like driving back lol.

 

[RedSox68]

We did pay for the DCL transfers to take us from port to MCO. It is an extremely early morning and neither my husband or I felt like driving back lol.

This is the most relaxing way. Since we are three adults, it has become cost-effective or us to use a town car service. We have rented cars in the past when staying at the parks, but have never done it for the port. I personally didn't want the hassle of picking up or returning the car.

 

[diznymom]

The "Best" is subjective. The best for us is DLC transport bus from WDW resort.

• We arrive a little later.............no big crowds
• Since there are either 3 or 2 of us, the cost is right
• We don't have to drive
• We don't have to schlep bags (DH's favorite reason)

 

[mmouse37]

The rental car agencies at the port are:

Avis, Budget, National/Alamo, Hertz, Payless, Enterprise, Thrifty/Dollar




The image is courtesy of another Diser which often gets posted when discussing car rentals.

MJ

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The rental car agencies at the port are:

Avis, Budget, National/Alamo, Hertz, Payless, Enterprise, Thrifty/Dollar


The image is courtesy of another Diser which often gets posted when discussing car rentals.

MJ

Actually openwater has posted a more recent one:

 

[crichardson11]

It is important for my family to arrive at the port early so we have always taken a rental car to the port. We don't travel light and usually have 4-5 bags for the three of us. We've never had trouble with taking the rental car company's shuttle to the port and dropping us off early.

Twice, we have also rented a car to get back to MCO. After clearing customs, just hop in the rental car's shuttle line and they take you and your bags right back to their location, get your car and off you go.

The last time we cruised, I tried out a shuttle service that was cheaper for the three of us than what a rental car would have cost. It was Cortrans Shuttle Service. I highly recommend them and we will definitely be using them again in the future, maybe even to the port this time if the price is right.

 

[cforsythe]

Thanks everyone for all the help!!!