Advice needed! Port Canaveral

[mschanandlerbong]

Hi, so I'm new to this forum and relatively new to cruising. I am looking to book a Disney cruise from Port Canaveral for 2021 and needed some advice. I will be flying into MCO and to ensure its not too much of a mad dash was thinking about flying in a day or so beforehand just incase of any flight delays. Would you suggest we stay the night somewhere near the airport and then get a Disney bus or private rental to Port Canaveral the next day or vice versa? We also plan to spend a couple of weeks at WDW after the cruise has finished and I assume its easy to get a bus from the cruise back to WDW. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

Hi, so I'm new to this forum and relatively new to cruising. I am looking to book a Disney cruise from Port Canaveral for 2021 and needed some advice. I will be flying into MCO and to ensure its not too much of a mad dash was thinking about flying in a day or so beforehand just incase of any flight delays. Would you suggest we stay the night somewhere near the airport and then get a Disney bus or private rental to Port Canaveral the next day or vice versa? We also plan to spend a couple of weeks at WDW after the cruise has finished and I assume its easy to get a bus from the cruise back to WDW. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

If you're just looking for a place to sleep the night before, the airport Hyatt is our favorite for that. It's inside the airport, is a very nice hotel with good food and very nice rooms, and you can book it via DCL if you like. You can arrange for your luggage to be taken directly from your hotel room to the ship. It's also so convenient to be able to go downstairs and walk a short distance through the airport to get on the DCL transfer to the port. After the cruise, if staying at a Disney World resort, you can take a DCL transfer bus from the port to the resort. You have to make arrangements for any transfers in advance, of course.

 

[mschanandlerbong]

Do the DCL transfer buses run regularly? Obviously would hate for the morning of the cruise to hit traffic and be late so ideally would want to give plenty of time. Thanks for your reply, I'll be sure to check that hotel out!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do the DCL transfer buses run regularly? Obviously would hate for the morning of the cruise to hit traffic and be late so ideally would want to give plenty of time. Thanks for your reply, I'll be sure to check that hotel out!

The DCL transfers open at 9:00, with the first bus departing around 9:15 (or so). They then depart every 20 minutes or when full (whichever is first). I believe the last bus departs around 2:00, but I'm not sure on that.

We've also stayed at the Hyatt the night before and taken the DCL transfers to port. Very easy.

I'll point out that DCL transfers cost $39 per person one way: MCO to port; port to WDW; port to MCO. Depending on how many people are in your party, it may be cheaper to look into a rental car, or private limo instead.

 

[tvguy]

There are about a dozen very nice hotels right off the hotel property on Augusta National Drive Much cheaper than the Hyatt, and most if not all have shuttles that will pick you up at the airport, and drop you off at the Disney bus location the next day. Some throw in breakfast too.

 

[mschanandlerbong]

The DCL transfers open at 9:00, with the first bus departing around 9:15 (or so). They then depart every 20 minutes or when full (whichever is first). I believe the last bus departs around 2:00, but I'm not sure on that.

We've also stayed at the Hyatt the night before and taken the DCL transfers to port. Very easy.

I'll point out that DCL transfers cost $39 per person one way: MCO to port; port to WDW; port to MCO. Depending on how many people are in your party, it may be cheaper to look into a rental car, or private limo instead.

It would only be my husband and I going so I guess the DCL transfer would be cheapest. If the first bus left at 9 would that give enough time to get to the cruise terminal?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It would only be my husband and I going so I guess the DCL transfer would be cheapest. If the first bus left at 9 would that give enough time to get to the cruise terminal?

It takes about an hour to get to the port from MCO. Since the all aboard is usually around 3:00, that's plenty of time.

 

[mschanandlerbong]

Thanks so much for everyone's help! Definitely feeling more confident now.

 

[Capt_BJ]

note that Disney cruise transfer is only available the day of your cruise.

If you are going to have a FULL day or days then heading over to the port means you are on or near the beach rather than the airport ... some find that a wee bit more enjoyable. Renting a car is an easy option and gives you the ability to get around Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to explore/shop/eat. All the local rental companies run shuttles to the cruise ships from their local offices so you can return the car morning of your cruise. PLENTY OF FOLKS choose this option. In general there is no extra charge for a rental car MCO to Cape Canaveral area. Option ALAMO, NATIONAL, ENTERPRISE, HERTZ, BUDGET, THRIFTY, DOLLAR and AVIS. It is an easy 45 min drive from MCO to the Cape Canaveral area ... and once here it is a small tourist town ... hard to get lost .... we consider sitting thru a full cycle of a traffic light a terrible traffic jam caused by influx of out of towners ... it doesn't happen very often.

And shuttles are available (cbshuttle.com) from MCO to the port/beach areas ... for as little as $14pp

There are several popular hotel options at the port of just an additional 10 minutes down the road options on or nearer the beach.

If you are going to get to MCO at dinner time and have just that night b4 you head to the ship, stay near the airport. If you are going to have a full day or days you might want to consider the beach . . .

*********************
on the back side, if staying on property the DCL transfers are not the least expensive option but certainly makes things easy as you'll have Disney service all the way. If staying off property, you have to make your own arrangements. Here again cbshuttle.com is one option as is renting a car or UBER.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

It would only be my husband and I going so I guess the DCL transfer would be cheapest. If the first bus left at 9 would that give enough time to get to the cruise terminal?

9:00 is when they start open up to start loading people onto the buses. It only takes about an hour to get to the terminal, and the terminal doesn't even open until 10:30. The first bus usually leaves about 9:15-9:20 and arrives a few minutes before the terminal opens. I've experienced both them letting us exit the bus and enter the terminal a couple minutes before the terminal officially opens and them keeping us on the bus until 10:30. They don't begin boarding the ship until around 11:15-11:30 so you will have some time waiting in the terminal if you take the first bus.

I've stayed at the airport Hyatt, and it was super convenient, but it is pricier than some other options. There are lesser expensive hotels that include breakfast close to the airport and they have free shuttles that will take you to/from the airport so you can still take the DCL transfers the next day.

Depending how early you get to MCO, you might enjoy renting a car and driving out to the Port Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area and staying there.

 

[mschanandlerbong]

note that Disney cruise transfer is only available the day of your cruise.

If you are going to have a FULL day or days then heading over to the port means you are on or near the beach rather than the airport ... some find that a wee bit more enjoyable. Renting a car is an easy option and gives you the ability to get around Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to explore/shop/eat. All the local rental companies run shuttles to the cruise ships from their local offices so you can return the car morning of your cruise. PLENTY OF FOLKS choose this option. In general there is no extra charge for a rental car MCO to Cape Canaveral area. Option ALAMO, NATIONAL, ENTERPRISE, HERTZ, BUDGET, THRIFTY, DOLLAR and AVIS. It is an easy 45 min drive from MCO to the Cape Canaveral area ... and once here it is a small tourist town ... hard to get lost .... we consider sitting thru a full cycle of a traffic light a terrible traffic jam caused by influx of out of towners ... it doesn't happen very often.

And shuttles are available (cbshuttle.com) from MCO to the port/beach areas ... for as little as $14pp

There are several popular hotel options at the port of just an additional 10 minutes down the road options on or nearer the beach.

If you are going to get to MCO at dinner time and have just that night b4 you head to the ship, stay near the airport. If you are going to have a full day or days you might want to consider the beach . . .

*********************
on the back side, if staying on property the DCL transfers are not the least expensive option but certainly makes things easy as you'll have Disney service all the way. If staying off property, you have to make your own arrangements. Here again cbshuttle.com is one option as is renting a car or UBER.

We'll definitely look at seeing if a rental car is easier as it's always good to have freedom to explore. Although as it will be an international flight it's looking like we might just chill near the airport the night before. I also wasn't aware that the disney transfer was only available on the day. That's super helpful to know!

 

[tinkerone]

Here is our recent experience with the DCL bus leaving MCO...

We got to MCO just after 9 (we had been staying at Universal and Uber to the airport) and received a Minnie Mouse ticket which was to be the second bus out. The first bus was Mickey Mouse tickets and it had not left yet. They called for boarding of that bus at 9:35. It actually left at 10:00. Our bus, the second one to leave, started boarding at 9:55 and left at 10:15. We were at the port minutes after 11. First family was announces at 11:30 and boarding for the ship started right after that. It was all very smooth and seamless. We were boarding group 2 so not sure when open boarding started but it's usually within a half hour of first call.
Not sure if this is a regular occurrence now but thought I would share what we experienced. YMMV.

Your going to get lots of different thoughts on your questions but here are mine. If you are flying in the day before I would just book a room at the Hyatt, especially if you have along flight, Hyatt is right there and who needs to figure out where to catch a bus to get there and back. The Hyatt has a pool on the roof so you have a place to actually relax and the rooms are very nice. You pay a little more but for the time saved traveling to and from another hotel adding in the fact you can put your feet up pretty much right off the plane it seems worth the difference. If you are flying in a few days before I would change my though on that though.
Also, since it's your first cruise, I would definitely suggest using DCL bus as opposed to other transfers or ride shares. For me, the holiday seems to start the minute I receive my 'ticket' to board a DCL bus. They are so well themed and they play a short film explaining things about your cruise and a quick recap of what to expect. Everyone on the bus is in holiday mode and you can sense that anticipation. It's just all very relaxing and exciting all at once. It would be a shame to miss it on your first cruise, but again, that is JMO.

 

[mschanandlerbong]

Here is our recent experience with the DCL bus leaving MCO...

We got to MCO just after 9 (we had been staying at Universal and Uber to the airport) and received a Minnie Mouse ticket which was to be the second bus out. The first bus was Mickey Mouse tickets and it had not left yet. They called for boarding of that bus at 9:35. It actually left at 10:00. Our bus, the second one to leave, started boarding at 9:55 and left at 10:15. We were at the port minutes after 11. First family was announces at 11:30 and boarding for the ship started right after that. It was all very smooth and seamless. We were boarding group 2 so not sure when open boarding started but it's usually within a half hour of first call.
Not sure if this is a regular occurrence now but thought I would share what we experienced. YMMV.

Your going to get lots of different thoughts on your questions but here are mine. If you are flying in the day before I would just book a room at the Hyatt, especially if you have along flight, Hyatt is right there and who needs to figure out where to catch a bus to get there and back. The Hyatt has a pool on the roof so you have a place to actually relax and the rooms are very nice. You pay a little more but for the time saved traveling to and from another hotel adding in the fact you can put your feet up pretty much right off the plane it seems worth the difference. If you are flying in a few days before I would change my though on that though.
Also, since it's your first cruise, I would definitely suggest using DCL bus as opposed to other transfers or ride shares. For me, the holiday seems to start the minute I receive my 'ticket' to board a DCL bus. They are so well themed and they play a short film explaining things about your cruise and a quick recap of what to expect. Everyone on the bus is in holiday mode and you can sense that anticipation. It's just all very relaxing and exciting all at once. It would be a shame to miss it on your first cruise, but again, that is JMO.

Thanks so much for all the info! You're right about the Hyatt, im sure after a days travelling it will be great to be able to just crash and relax airport hotel. We did a European Disney cruise in September of this year and fell in love with it. Although that was easy as the port was only a very short drive away from where we live. I know what you mean about Disney transport though. I know as soon as I get on the magical express to the resort I instantly go into holiday mode and relax, that for me makes it worth the cost of the DCL bus.