Disney to Cruise to Airport Transportation

[skwak]

Hello:

We have an upcoming vacation for a family of four in which we will fly into MCO, go to WDW at the Fort Wilderness Cabins for 4 days then onto a 7 night Disney cruise and back to MCO the day we disembark. Quite a bit of logistics to figure out in terms of transportation.

I know we can take Magical Express to WDW so that is easy. Looking for ideas from WDW to cruise and them from cruise to MCO a week later. Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello:

We have an upcoming vacation for a family of four in which we will fly into MCO, go to WDW at the Fort Wilderness Cabins for 4 days then onto a 7 night Disney cruise and back to MCO the day we disembark. Quite a bit of logistics to figure out in terms of transportation.

I know we can take Magical Express to WDW so that is easy. Looking for ideas from WDW to cruise and them from cruise to MCO a week later. Any ideas?

Thanks!

I like the DCL transfers. With 4 of you, you're sorta at the dividing line as to whether the DCL transfers or a rental car would be cheaper. DCL transfers are $35.00 per person each way.

One big plus using DCL transfers, if you're flying domestically, is the onboard airline checkin. You leave your (checked) bags outside your door the last night, and the next time you see them is at your home airport. No wrangling bags off the ship, through customs, to check in at the airport.

 

[Dug720]

I like the DCL transfers. With 4 of you, you're sorta at the dividing line as to whether the DCL transfers or a rental car would be cheaper. DCL transfers are $35.00 per person each way.

One big plus using DCL transfers, if you're flying domestically, is the onboard airline checkin. You leave your (checked) bags outside your door the last night, and the next time you see them is at your home airport. No wrangling bags off the ship, through customs, to check in at the airport.

As long as they're using a participating airline. I always do, but a lot of people on here like Southwest, which is not.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As long as they're using a participating airline. I always do, but a lot of people on here like Southwest, which is not.

Yeah, I know. I was just putting the information out there. If OP asked more about it, I was going to add the particulars:
The requirements are below

• You must have purchased DCL Air and/or DCL Ground Transfers
• Your flight has to leave from Orlando International Airport after 11:30 am on the same day your cruise vacation ends. Your flight must be on a participating airline:

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue Airways
United Airlines
Your final destination must be within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

• Each luggage piece can weigh no more than fifty (50) pounds.
• Airline specific baggage fees may apply and can vary by airline. Please check with your specific carrier for more details.
• Applicable airline baggage fees will be posted directly to your shipboard account.

Some Guests may be selected to check in at the airport and may not be able to use this service.

 

[Dug720]

Yeah, I know. I was just putting the information out there. If OP asked more about it, I was going to add the particulars:
The requirements are below

• You must have purchased DCL Air and/or DCL Ground Transfers
• Your flight has to leave from Orlando International Airport after 11:30 am on the same day your cruise vacation ends. Your flight must be on a participating airline:

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue Airways
United Airlines
Your final destination must be within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

• Each luggage piece can weigh no more than fifty (50) pounds.
• Airline specific baggage fees may apply and can vary by airline. Please check with your specific carrier for more details.
• Applicable airline baggage fees will be posted directly to your shipboard account.

Some Guests may be selected to check in at the airport and may not be able to use this service.

I knew you knew!

 

[skwak]

We are on Jetblue and have a 1:15PM flight home so that all works. On the return it seems like a no brainer. Easy and I like not having to schlep the bags myself at MCO. That is neat.

I am a little concerned on the trip to the Port. Would they pick up at our hotel? If so, are there multiple times offered for pick up like the Magical Express? We like to check in as early as possible to get on the boat. I checked on renting a car from the Disney Care Center one way but that is like $110 for the day which is almost like stealing.

 

[Dug720]

We are on Jetblue and have a 1:15PM flight home so that all works. On the return it seems like a no brainer. Easy and I like not having to schlep the bags myself at MCO. That is neat.

I am a little concerned on the trip to the Port. Would they pick up at our hotel? If so, are there multiple times offered for pick up like the Magical Express? We like to check in as early as possible to get on the boat. I checked on renting a car from the Disney Care Center one way but that is like $110 for the day which is almost like stealing.

I'm assuming you're staying at a WDW resort? If so, you will be assigned one pick-up time for your resort. Can be anywhere from 10:30-12:30.

If you want to get the earliest available PAT and be in an early boarding group AND use DCL transportation, you'd need to get DME back to MCO to be there probably by 8:30 so you can get in line for the DCL transportation from MCO which usually starts at 9-9:15. Note that even being on that first bus will likely NOT help you get an earlier boarding group if you don't have an early PAT as the Boarding Group is directly tied to your PAT.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are on Jetblue and have a 1:15PM flight home so that all works. On the return it seems like a no brainer. Easy and I like not having to schlep the bags myself at MCO. That is neat.

I am a little concerned on the trip to the Port. Would they pick up at our hotel? If so, are there multiple times offered for pick up like the Magical Express? We like to check in as early as possible to get on the boat. I checked on renting a car from the Disney Care Center one way but that is like $110 for the day which is almost like stealing.

As noted, arriving early doesn't equate to early boarding. The Port Arrival Time you select when you do your online check in is tied to the boarding number you get when you check in at the port. The terminal opens at 10:30, and actual boarding begins around 11:30, with the Family of the Day and Concierge guests first, followed by the announcement of boarding numbers.

 

[skwak]

Thanks for the help!

We are staying at Fort Wilderness. We actually have a 10:30 to 10:45AM check in slot which it sounds like we could not make if we take DCL transportation to the port. I would image that they would need to pick us up at 9:15 to make that time slot.

Maybe a one way rental car to the port and DCL to the airport post-cruise is the way to go for us?

 

[JackieT1182]

We're doing exactly this in August. After researching all of the options, I decided that the simplest and most cost-effective option for us was to utilize Magical Express from the airport to WDW, and DCL transfers from WDW to port and port to airport. I know we'll get to the port later this way, so I have a breakfast buffet booked at 1900 Park Fare. Also, our cruise is 7 nights, so getting on the ship a few hours after everyone else isn't that big of a deal - I might feel differently if we were doing a 3 or 4-night cruise.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Thanks for the help!

We are staying at Fort Wilderness. We actually have a 10:30 to 10:45AM check in slot which it sounds like we could not make if we take DCL transportation to the port. I would image that they would need to pick us up at 9:15 to make that time slot.

Maybe a one way rental car to the port and DCL to the airport post-cruise is the way to go for us?

You aren't required to check-in at 10:30 to 10:45. DCL just won't allow you to check in before then. If you take DCL transportation to the port, you just check-in when you get there.

 

[diznymom]

When you take the DCL bus, you arrive a little later, but there are nearly no lines and no waiting. Once you check in, you immediately board the ship.