Downtown Disney for One Day After Cruise

[mershell]

We don't have to be at the airport to catch our flight home 'til 4pm. Rather than kill all that time in the airport, I was thinking of spending a little time at Downtown Disney. Can I take the DCL shuttle from the ship to DD and then again to MCO? I have transfers, but only for a roundtrip. How would this work?

Thanks

Michelle

 

[tinkerone]

no, this can not be done. you could take dcl shuttle to wdw however you would not then be able to get transportation to the airport without an out of pocket expense.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

no, this can not be done. you could take dcl shuttle to wdw however you would not then be able to get transportation to the airport without an out of pocket expense.

If you were to take the transfers to WDW, what would you do with your luggage while at DTD? If your airline is one of the participating airlines, your checked luggage could be transported to MCO for you, but I'm not sure if you could do that and take the DCL transfer to WDW instead of MCO. Then you would have to get your own transportation from DTD to MCO. If you want to spend time at DTD, I'd recommend you get a rental car at the port and return it to MCO. That would likely be cheaper than the DCL transfers anyway, and you would have a place to store your luggage while at DTD.

 

[tinkerone]

If you were to take the transfers to WDW, what would you do with your luggage while at DTD? If your airline is one of the participating airlines, your checked luggage could be transported to MCO for you, but I'm not sure if you could do that and take the DCL transfer to WDW instead of MCO. Then you would have to get your own transportation from DTD to MCO. If you want to spend time at DTD, I'd recommend you get a rental car at the port and return it to MCO. That would likely be cheaper than the DCL transfers anyway, and you would have a place to store your luggage while at DTD.

i haven't personally done this, seems like a bit of a hassle, however i have read one account of someone who did this. when they went to the buses they told the cm that they were heading to a resort (think they said wilderness lodge but not sure) they had lunch there and then went on to the airport. makes sense, how would the cm know where your going? your card only shows transfers, it doesn't actually say to where. this was the only time i have seen this reported so they may have gotten lucky.
again, don't know as i have personally never done this.
i do agree a rental car would be much better.

 

[FindMeAFishingSpot]

We rented a car when we did this - much easier.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Only do one way DCL transfers to the ship, cancel the other half. With the money saved, you can rent a car at Port Canaveral. Shuttles pick you up at the terminal and take you to their agencies. You have the trunk to store your luggage and then you can enjoy some shopping and lunch before heading back to MCO to return your car.

 

[LSUfan4444]

We have a 5pm flight from MCO on disembarkation day and I really don't want to spend 5 hours in the airport and are thinking of spending the day at DTD as well.

How much time is a reasonable expectation that we would have to spend there? We're early risers and have no issues being ready to get off the boat as soon as we can. By the time we disembark, shuttle to rental car location, then drive to DTD?

 

[IAMASTITCHER]

Driving from Port Canaveral to Downtown Disney will probably be about 1.5 - 2 hrs. Not sure what day you are planning on being there but with all the construction, traffic is heavy in that area. I would gather that you probably would get about 2hrs worth of time at the downtown area before you would have to leave to return to the airport (about an hour drive). There is a discussion line in the planning area(sorry do not have the link) about what to expect in traffic delays around downtown Disney.

 

[mershell]

Oh, didn't realize there was heavy construction going on. I sail in December. Will the construction still be an issue then?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Oh, didn't realize there was heavy construction going on. I sail in December. Will the construction still be an issue then?

There's been a major remodeling project going on there for quite a while (about a year). It's due to be finished in 2016. Recently there was a report that one of the parking structures has been opened. Don't know if that helps with the parking situation there or not.

I found this:

Please Pardon Our Pixie Dust
Get ready for the largest expansion in Downtown Disney history as the area transforms into Disney Read More


Get ready for the largest expansion in Downtown Disney history as the area transforms into Disney Springs!

At the present time, due to ongoing construction and limited parking availability, we highly recommend all Disney Resort hotel Guests take advantage of complimentary transportation options.

For Guests arriving in their own vehicles, please follow the signs to available parking—which may be located across the street from the Downtown Disney area. We suggest arriving at least 60 minutes in advance of all reservations and planned activities.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/

 

[Bree]

Construction is supposed to last into 2016. It's a huge project.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/disney-springs/news.htm

 

[rhinodadz]

While the recently opened garage has helped with parking availability, the issue now is the massive road construction making it extremely frustrating to get to the garage. That is not expected to be complete until about a year from now. It may be somewhat better by December, but it's a roll of the dice. As locals, we've made a conscious decision to avoid DTD as much as possible until the roadwork is complete. Just not worth the aggravation.

 

[mershell]

Wow! Okay, not such a good idea. Thank you all