Fort Lauderdale to Orlando

[Lesverts]

I have just planned a trip that requires me to take a cruise from Fort Lauderdale and then a week long Disney trip after I get off the boat. Yes I know this is the reserve of the recommended order but there are reasons for this order to do with costs and itinerary. As well as reasons I want to take a cruise out of PE instead of PC.*

So the basic options are:

Brightline. Cheapest option but have heard a lot of negative reviews, especially travelling with luggage. Would require Ubers on either end that increase cost

Rental Car: Looks to be about 100 to 150 dollars plus probably additional insurance, gas and costs associated with dropping it off etc. I don't plan on having a rental in Orlando so would be picking up and dropping off same day. The drive doesn't look to be overly complicated? Is there still a rental pick-up drop-off on Disney property?

Flying: Most expensive option, Delta looks to be about 200 dollars for a first class ticket (the price of a checked bag is the same as the difference between Comfort+ and first) and it would cost 60 dollars to us Celebrity's luggage valet and transportation to MIA.

Timing wise, it looks like the rental car and the flying would both get me into Disney World around 4pm and I am predicting my first night will be a MVMCP night. So there is that.

I am not a huge fan of driving, but I handle highway driving much more comfortably than unfamiliar city driving. Florida highways are constructed very similarly to my home highways (which isn't true of all states, looking at California specifically).

I have also never rented a car before.

Help?!

*Celebrity Ascent in PE vs Celebrity Equinox in PC, which I have been on 3 times. Wanting an Eastern vs Western cruise and Celebrity has surge single supplement pricing on the cruises around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I would do a rental car with Enterprise, National or Alamo and return it to the Car Care Center near Magic Kingdom.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I would do a rental car with Enterprise, National or Alamo and return it to the Car Care Center near Magic Kingdom.

Agree. With a little research, OP will hopefully be comfortable with that. The drive from Ft Laud to Disney is long, but simple, as most of the trip should be on the Florida Turnpike (another $20-$30 cost you'll need to consider, plus perhaps a fee with the rental car company to activate the SunPass transponder for the trip) - unless you take a longer route to avoid tolls.

 

[Lesverts]

Agree. With a little research, OP will hopefully be comfortable with that. The drive from Ft Laud to Disney is long, but simple, as most of the trip should be on the Florida Turnpike (another $20-$30 cost you'll need to consider, plus perhaps a fee with the rental car company to activate the SunPass transponder for the trip) - unless you take a longer route to avoid tolls.

Can you explain the last bit more. Rental cars already come with a SunPass? Or do you have to request it? The rental company will charge you the tolls from the transponder after the fact?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Can you explain the last bit more. Rental cars already come with a SunPass? Or do you have to request it? The rental company will charge you the tolls from the transponder after the fact?

Rental cars these days come with a transponder in the car. Many people bring their own transponders and have their own SunPass (or equivalent) accounts). But you can pay a fee to have the transponder turned on in the car by the rental company, and then pay the tolls through the rental, after you return the car. If you do not have a transponder (or have it turned on), the tolls are charged by taking a photo of the car license plate. If you do that in a rental, it goes back to the car rental company, and the fees to you are much higher.

Does that help at all?!

 

[LadybugsMum]

You can easily skip the Turnpike and just take 95 and cut over to Orlando. 528 and 417 have cash toll booths.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

You can easily skip the Turnpike and just take 95 and cut over to Orlando. 528 and 417 have cash toll booths.

Is that still true for 417 near Disney? There's been a lot of construction going on that appears to remove/close the cash lanes. I remember driving 417 in Jan and being surprised to see the cash lanes blocked off. We have less experience with 528.

 

[Lesverts]

Rental cars these days come with a transponder in the car. Many people bring their own transponders and have their own SunPass (or equivalent) accounts). But you can pay a fee to have the transponder turned on in the car by the rental company, and then pay the tolls through the rental, after you return the car. If you do not have a transponder (or have it turned on), the tolls are charged by taking a photo of the car license plate. If you do that in a rental, it goes back to the car rental company, and the fees to you are much higher.

Does that help at all?!

Yes very much so. I am Ontarian, we have one toll road. So a fairly foreign concept to me.

So all in a rental would probably be about 200 for the 4-5 hours of picking it up, dropping it off and driving. Flight would be about 260 plus 15 dollars or so for Mears and would take about 5 hours as well.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

The transponder/pay-by-plate roads are very common in the US. Once you have the transponder in the car, you just drive and don't realize how much you're spending on tolls until your credit card is charged to refresh your account to the minimum amount!

Hope you enjoy your cruise and Disney stay, however you decide to travel!

 

[LadybugsMum]

Is that still true for 417 near Disney? There's been a lot of construction going on that appears to remove/close the cash lanes. I remember driving 417 in Jan and being surprised to see the cash lanes blocked off. We have less experience with 528.

That's a change from Nov when I last drove on 417. Though it did look like the booths were closed, I was able to use them to pay cash as I try not to use the toll passes in rental cars.

 

[Lesverts]

I appreciate all the insight and information. I am honestly leaning towards the flight but have ages to fully decide. The pay to let other people do everything is attractive, especially having the cruise line get my bag from the hallway the night before to the belts at MCO without me doing a thing. But I am driving to NH in a couple months, so if that is comfortable maybe the car.

 

[_19disnA]

There is generally no reason to pay the extra fee for whatever 'insurance' a rental car company offers. Your current car insurance and perhaps major credit cards you already have typically cover this. Rental companies try to push this on those not familiar as a way to make more money, but generally a waste of money. ALWAYS return the car with a full tank of gas to avoid excessive refueling charges. Even if you fill up 10-20 miles prior to returning the car, it will still show full.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I have also never rented a car before.

Help?!

Oh thank goodness I just saw your update. I had a big speech about the pitfalls for you of driving a rental for the first time in the insanity of FL. Solo rentals and navigation and FL drivers is not fun and I’m experienced lol. So, I’ve backed all that out and will leave my conclusion…

I think there are very good odds any relaxing you did on your cruise will have been to no avail if you drive because you will be a big ol’ bundle of nerves by the time you return your rental to the Disney Car Center (if you rent from the right company). Most people I would say drive without a second thought- but not you. Fly or train. They both end at MCO so Ubers are the same either way and in FLL you have to pay the cruise line to take you to the airport or Uber to Brightline so that’s a wash.

I did the train from our HAL cruise here is my review. We checked our bags at the train station in FLL and retrieved them in MCO, total nbd.

PS If you don’t already have a tracker in your suitcase get one. Love my air tags!

 

[gottalovepluto]

ALWAYS return the car with a full tank of gas to avoid excessive refueling charges. Even if you fill up 10-20 miles prior to returning the car, it will still show full.

Some fun reports on the transportation board of people being charged because they were short minuscule amounts only measurable by a computer sensor and they didn’t have the necessary receipt to prove they filled up within X miles as they were supposed to. Know your rental car company. I loved National MCO-WDW over Covid because although their gas was more expensive they didn’t tack on crazy extra fees when you didn’t return it full. Found really quick on that route I used so little gas it wasn’t even worth the time to top it off myself. BUT National is the expensive car option.


As for insurance yeah- OP you totally researched that out for the NH trip right? Checked your cc for coverage (they usual require you don’t buy from the car company), know primary vs secondary so your personal insurance doesn’t get whacked, etc?

 

[Lesverts]

Oh thank goodness I just saw your update. I had a big speech about the pitfalls for you of driving a rental for the first time in the insanity of FL. Solo rentals and navigation and FL drivers is not fun and I’m experienced lol. So, I’ve backed all that out and will leave my conclusion…

I think there are very good odds any relaxing you did on your cruise will have been to no avail if you drive because you will be a big ol’ bundle of nerves by the time you return your rental to the Disney Car Center (if you rent from the right company). Most people I would say drive without a second thought- but not you. Fly or train. They both end at MCO so Ubers are the same either way and in FLL you have to pay the cruise line to take you to the airport or Uber to Brightline so that’s a wash.

I did the train from our HAL cruise here is my review. We checked our bags at the train station in FLL and retrieved them in MCO, total nbd.

PS If you don’t already have a tracker in your suitcase get one. Love my air tags!

Thanks. I am actually not overall nervous about the Florida highway system. It has the same type of overpasses, merges and lanes as what I experience in the disaster that is the area north of Toronto. For navigation I am pretty certain that there will be a USB port and infotainment screen to plug in phone and use Mr. Google. Plus the routing looks like it is 3 steps. The date also being a Sunday near Christmas is factoring into the thoughts too.

I was actually wondering about the luggage tracking because AC has just started tracking with their app and was thinking if Delta/United/American also do that now. It was pretty neat to get notifications on the phone. AC: we got your bag. AC: bag loaded into plane. AC: bag off-loaded from plane. AC: bag on carousel.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I was actually wondering about the luggage tracking because AC has just started tracking with their app and was thinking if Delta/United/American also do that now. It was pretty neat to get notifications on the phone. AC: we got your bag. AC: bag loaded into plane. AC: bag off-loaded from plane. AC: bag on carousel.

AC: bag arrived in Jamaica.....! Sorry, couldn't resist.....!

 

[hertamaniac]

I thought the Brightline rail that goes to MCO allows for guests to use Mears bus service to/from WDW? Wouldn't that be an option and less costly?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I was actually wondering about the luggage tracking because AC has just started tracking with their app and was thinking if Delta/United/American also do that now. It was pretty neat to get notifications on the phone. AC: we got your bag. AC: bag loaded into plane. AC: bag off-loaded from plane. AC: bag on carousel.

DL does luggage tracking like that- but like every airline they still somehow lose stuff. I fly them a couple times a year but will not check a bag without an air tag. UA also has tracking, haven't flowing AA for a long time so idk.

Fwiw- today AA announced increased luggage fees, $35 pre-purchase, $40 at airport. TBD if the other US majors will follow suit.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I thought the Brightline rail that goes to MCO allows for guests to use Mears bus service to/from WDW? Wouldn't that be an option and less costly?

True story! Forgot about Mears as I went to UOR from Brightline.

 

[_19disnA]

I don't follow any transportation boards so I can't comment on those who claim the rental company knew they were some tiny amount below full. The fuel sensor mechanism in the typical car isn't that precise so no idea if what they are saying is accurate of the rental company installed some other system (which seems unlikely). A few times over the years of going on vacation, we rented from an airport location that indicated we had to show a gas receipt when returning the vehicle. They told everyone that ahead of time so it wasn't a surprise when returning the vehicle.

The typical gas gauge won't move if you only drive a few miles, so I always make sure to fill up as much as possible the night before returning a rental vehicle. One less thing to worry about the morning we are departing.