Car Rental before and after cruise

[Pardo714]

We will be taking a Disney Cruise in April. Prior to the cruise we will be flying into Jacksonville renting a car to visit family. After the cruise we will be going back to Jacksonville for a few days then flying home. My question is this.... Since I don't want to keep the rental car while I'm on the cruise, do you think it would be better to drive the car to the port to turn it in and get a car on return or should I drive to Orlando Airport turn the car in and take the magical express to the cruise and then back to the airport. It seems like they are both the same distance from where I'm coming from.
How convenient are the car rental places at the cruise port? Do they have a shuttle to the boat?

 

[mmouse37]

Are you aware that DCL transfers are $35 pp each way so if you return the rental to MCO and take the bus to the port it will cost you $35.00 each ($70 roundtrip). Magical Express is only available from MCO to WDW and WDW back to MCO. The bus to the port and back is called DCL transfers.

Yes, all the car rental places have shuttles to the ship. Also you can try to price out your rental for the whole time. Sometimes it is worth it to do that. yes, you will to pay for parking at the port but the convenience factor is awesome.

www.mousesavers.com is a great website to find discount rental car codes.

MJ

 

[andrews_dad]

Just did the rental car game for Dec 3 and 10 for a Fantasy cruise. I will never do it again. Wasted way too much of my vacation time.

Dollar was the drop off on Dec 3. I dropped the kids and spouse at the boat with luggage. That took forever just to get through the traffic. Then drive to dollar and have to wait for the free shuttle back to the ship. Took about an hour for a shuttle to arrive. Then the shuttle took forever to get thru the same traffic in the back entrance and dropped at the other 5 ships in port before the Disney ship. I was in the area at 10:30 AM and could see the ship, but didn't reach the counter at the check in until 3. I missed out on getting Princess gathering tickets, missed out on Aquaduck time, etc.

After the cruise, the ship was late to port due to a medical evac on castaway. So, it was a mess when we got off the ship. Traffic was insane. After an hour of waiting for the Budget shuttle, we went to the front to get a taxi. Taxi and Uber were both stuck in traffic. The Disney guys tried their best to get a taxi, but they just could not make it in. Finally caught a shuttle, and the line at Budget was out the door with only two ladies at the desk. I planned to make it a waterpark day, thinking I'd have a car by 9:30/10 am. Instead I was in my rental car at about 2:30 and the kids were DONE, starving, etc.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Just did the rental car game for Dec 3 and 10 for a Fantasy cruise. I will never do it again. Wasted way too much of my vacation time.

Dollar was the drop off on Dec 3. I dropped the kids and spouse at the boat with luggage. That took forever just to get through the traffic. Then drive to dollar and have to wait for the free shuttle back to the ship. Took about an hour for a shuttle to arrive. Then the shuttle took forever to get thru the same traffic in the back entrance and dropped at the other 5 ships in port before the Disney ship. I was in the area at 10:30 AM and could see the ship, but didn't reach the counter at the check in until 3. I missed out on getting Princess gathering tickets, missed out on Aquaduck time, etc.

After the cruise, the ship was late to port due to a medical evac on castaway. So, it was a mess when we got off the ship. Traffic was insane. After an hour of waiting for the Budget shuttle, we went to the front to get a taxi. Taxi and Uber were both stuck in traffic. The Disney guys tried their best to get a taxi, but they just could not make it in. Finally caught a shuttle, and the line at Budget was out the door with only two ladies at the desk. I planned to make it a waterpark day, thinking I'd have a car by 9:30/10 am. Instead I was in my rental car at about 2:30 and the kids were DONE, starving, etc.

Would you consider keeping the rental and parking it next time, or are you completely done with rentals altogether, due to the traffic and other issues?

 

[andrews_dad]

Would you consider keeping the rental and parking it next time, or are you completely done with rentals altogether, due to the traffic and other issues?

$128 to park the car. Plus a couple hundred dollar fee to rent it. So, I will be taking magic express or Uber from now on.

 

[MUN]

Just did the rental car game for Dec 3 and 10 for a Fantasy cruise. I will never do it again. Wasted way too much of my vacation time.

Dollar was the drop off on Dec 3. I dropped the kids and spouse at the boat with luggage. That took forever just to get through the traffic. Then drive to dollar and have to wait for the free shuttle back to the ship. Took about an hour for a shuttle to arrive. Then the shuttle took forever to get thru the same traffic in the back entrance and dropped at the other 5 ships in port before the Disney ship. I was in the area at 10:30 AM and could see the ship, but didn't reach the counter at the check in until 3. I missed out on getting Princess gathering tickets, missed out on Aquaduck time, etc.

After the cruise, the ship was late to port due to a medical evac on castaway. So, it was a mess when we got off the ship. Traffic was insane. After an hour of waiting for the Budget shuttle, we went to the front to get a taxi. Taxi and Uber were both stuck in traffic. The Disney guys tried their best to get a taxi, but they just could not make it in. Finally caught a shuttle, and the line at Budget was out the door with only two ladies at the desk. I planned to make it a waterpark day, thinking I'd have a car by 9:30/10 am. Instead I was in my rental car at about 2:30 and the kids were DONE, starving, etc.

Your first mistake was to drop your family off at the port and then to drop off the car. You double the hill by doing that. I have encountered traffic going to the port (while on the rental car shuttle), but not like you described. Of course, I never have made the foolish decision to drop off my family and then go drop off the car. People on this board recommend doing that, and I can't understand why that makes sense. Just my 2¢. Nevertheless, I'm sorry it was such a mess.

MUN

 

[MUN]

We will be taking a Disney Cruise in April. Prior to the cruise we will be flying into Jacksonville renting a car to visit family. After the cruise we will be going back to Jacksonville for a few days then flying home. My question is this.... Since I don't want to keep the rental car while I'm on the cruise, do you think it would be better to drive the car to the port to turn it in and get a car on return or should I drive to Orlando Airport turn the car in and take the magical express to the cruise and then back to the airport. It seems like they are both the same distance from where I'm coming from.
How convenient are the car rental places at the cruise port? Do they have a shuttle to the boat?

I will answer your last question first. The rental car places are very convenient. I believe all of the PC agencies have shuttles to the port. I would run the numbers of what makes the most sense economically; however, I'm guessing it will be cheaper to drop off and then pick up your rental car at the PC location. Enjoy your cruise!

MUN

 

[andrews_dad]

The decision to drop the bags and kids off first was because of the shuttles being overcrowded and hard to get. Getting 5 people on a shuttle with several bags is much tougher than one dad with no bags. And, that is accurate. After waiting FOREVER to get a shuttle, I was only able to get on as I was solo and they had one spot left.

 

[hardis5]

Just did the rental car game for Dec 3 and 10 for a Fantasy cruise. I will never do it again. Wasted way too much of my vacation time.

Dollar was the drop off on Dec 3. I dropped the kids and spouse at the boat with luggage. That took forever just to get through the traffic. Then drive to dollar and have to wait for the free shuttle back to the ship. Took about an hour for a shuttle to arrive. Then the shuttle took forever to get thru the same traffic in the back entrance and dropped at the other 5 ships in port before the Disney ship. I was in the area at 10:30 AM and could see the ship, but didn't reach the counter at the check in until 3. I missed out on getting Princess gathering tickets, missed out on Aquaduck time, etc.

After the cruise, the ship was late to port due to a medical evac on castaway. So, it was a mess when we got off the ship. Traffic was insane. After an hour of waiting for the Budget shuttle, we went to the front to get a taxi. Taxi and Uber were both stuck in traffic. The Disney guys tried their best to get a taxi, but they just could not make it in. Finally caught a shuttle, and the line at Budget was out the door with only two ladies at the desk. I planned to make it a waterpark day, thinking I'd have a car by 9:30/10 am. Instead I was in my rental car at about 2:30 and the kids were DONE, starving, etc.

We've done the before and after rental and if planned well, planning an early arrival and departure and no delays happen, it works well.

I dropped off all like you and hit the rental company to return the rental - actually an easy process and if letting the shuttle coordinator know you are a single rider with no luggage, they should have been able to squeeze you on quickly. A mistake one can make is lining up with the masses waiting to rent - if returning this should not be necessary (was not with Alamo or Budget we've done with). Less than 1 hr after dropping everyone off (believe just after 9:30 am at the terminal) I was back there for our scheduled PAT meeting up with all checking in.

The masses after a cruise once off the ship one cannot get around but we've found if getting off the ship early (we always do Cabanas to set our own debarkation timeline), we've been on the road less than 90 minutes after walking off the ship. The ship arriving late and the entire process backed up as a result is not the norm and one I'd not plan to rent because of. With anywhere from 3 to 6 in our party normally, a rental is a fraction of the cost of Disney Transport beyond us putting the rental to use both before and after the cruise.

We always workout a rental before, after and holding onto and depending on the cost (with parking) we may hold onto the rental. Our last cruise, shopping diligently (until 2 days prior which was the last and best rental price) it was cheaper to hold onto the rental even paying for parking which made arriving and leaving after the cruise a quick walk to the garage.

If taking Disney Transport from a resort, you may not have been to port any earlier (as you have no control over the times) though as a post trip shuttle, outside of cost Disney Transport is the most convenient mode if not needing a rental post cruise.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Just did the rental car game for Dec 3 and 10 for a Fantasy cruise. I will never do it again. Wasted way too much of my vacation time.

So, I will be taking magic express or Uber from now on.

I was one of the people giving you that advice. I'm so sorry it didn't go well for you. I guess every method has problems sometimes. I hope the rest of your trip went well.

 

[Pardo714]

Are you aware that DCL transfers are $35 pp each way so if you return the rental to MCO and take the bus to the port it will cost you $35.00 each ($70 roundtrip). Magical Express is only available from MCO to WDW and WDW back to MCO. The bus to the port and back is called DCL transfers.

Yes, all the car rental places have shuttles to the ship. Also you can try to price out your rental for the whole time. Sometimes it is worth it to do that. yes, you will to pay for parking at the port but the convenience factor is awesome.

www.mousesavers.com is a great website to find discount rental car codes.

MJ

Thank you I was not aware of that I thought it was free like the magical express

 

[mmouse37]

Thank you I was not aware of that I thought it was free like the magical express

You are very welcome and not alone. Many people just assume the transfers are free to the port since they are free to WDW. Have a great cruise. And just ask away with any questions!!!

MJ

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Thank you I was not aware of that I thought it was free like the magical express

Port Canaveral is much farther from the airport (about 1 hour) than Disney World is from the airport. That is why it is different.

 

[rwcmath]

We have always used Avis when we have rented a car, and are happy with the experience. We go to the rental place together.

 

[vandy]

I am in the process of deciding what to do as well. We are book-ending our 4 night cruise with WDW stays of 3 nights before and 3 nights after. For our stay, it was cheaper to rent the car for the entire trip than it was to rent for the first four days, turn in at the port, then rent another for the last four days. That includes the parking fee and toll fees. Lots of factors for me to consider but this was one option.