Has anyone ever gone over to the Cove for brunch after checking in at the terminal?

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

How the heck do you get there - is there an inter-port shuttle?

Ian has family in the area and they want to meet us for brunch before the cruise. We just have to figure out how to get 8 or 9 of us over there, as we will probably be doing a van/limo from Disney. I'm trying to figure out if this is even feasible for us, with 4 adults having 4 kids in tow.

Also, are any of those places even open for brunch?
Thanks for any possible info!

 

[mikelan6]

The Cove area isn't very far from the port. You might just want to take a taxi (or two) over. Personally, I've always just boarded the ship after checking in.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Problem with taking taxis is that we probably won't have car seats. Doing Magical Express on the way to and from MCO to Disney and then (due to our numbers - comes out to around $40 or less per person) taking private van, where seats are provided, to the port.

Taxis will require car seats.

 

[Dodie]

I may be wrong about this - so hopefully someone will correct me if that is the case - but I thought you couldn't leave the terminal once you checked in because of the security.

 

[jeanigor]

I may be wrong about this - so hopefully someone will correct me if that is the case - but I thought you couldn't leave the terminal once you checked in because of the security.

That would make sense to me, just as they probably don't let you drop off your luggage and leave either.

 

[Renysmom]

I may be wrong about this - so hopefully someone will correct me if that is the case - but I thought you couldn't leave the terminal once you checked in because of the security.

I was thinking the same thing. You are going to have to do the brunch before you check into the ship, which is actually not a bad way to do it anyway. The longer you wait to get on the ship the less the length of the lines and the less time you will have to wait around for your room, but since it's PCC 2.0 you would miss out on all the excitement of the cruise that will be floating through the terminal.

 

[3guysandagal]

We plan on getting on the ship asap and start eating there.
It may be quite an inconvenience to do brunch, as I believe others are correct in that once you check in, thats it.

How about a post cruise brunch instead?

OH wait.....DISNEY!!!!

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

Thanks guys. Great bits of advice. Maybe this trip might not get to be the time to catch up with family. Not enough days to really do it right. We usually like to have a car and just drive over and spend the day in Satellite Beach. That way we get to see Ian's great uncle and aunt, who are in their late 90s and in a care facility. There is so much going on this trip that we just can't swing it this time. All our problems would be solved, if only National had a car center at the Port. What's up with that?

Since I've never done the Disney Cruise, I was thinking security was more on the lines of airline check-in - where once you send your bags from the counter, you can take your time to get through the security check. Also, I occurs to me that the new family that is joining us will have their personal car with them. That means we'll need to probably use the DIS bus, as we may not be able to get enough people to do the private transport.

Logistics - it's been a while since I've had to do this! LOL!

 

[crazydisneyman]

Why not just use a different car rental company so you can drop the car off at the port?

Or, just look for a weekly rate instead and park the car at the port?

We have small children too, and I understand the whole car seat issue. I would compare the cost of transfers on a Disney Bus vs renting a car. Even if it is more, you would get to spend time with your family which can't be priced.

I understand that this is more about wanting to see family than eating. If you were just wanting food and taking the bus, then I would grab something at the airport and eat on the way over to the port. They also have some food at the port terminal (I believe that it is a snack cart). We ate once before we got on a Royal Carribean cruise and decided we wouldn't do that again beause once you got on the ship you could start eating.

 

[mikelan6]

I may be wrong about this - so hopefully someone will correct me if that is the case - but I thought you couldn't leave the terminal once you checked in because of the security.

I don't see how they can keep you. I'm sure you are able to leave the terminal once you've checked in. You just have to go through the security screening again.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I hear what you are saying about family, Chris. We don't have that much of it, but these relatives are also twice removed. We do see them every other visit to Florida, though. I just think I need to stick with the no car plan, despite the best intentions. I'm not a good cruiser (seasick), so this is mildly stressful. (Yes I have meds, do I know if they'll work 100% for me - no...) A low stress trip to the terminal is now top of the agenda.

We have to do the trip as cheaply as possible, as this has been a bad year for us - so no rental for the week. National would have been easy for a 1 day, each way, but not feasible otherwise. Once you add the $15/day port parking, the cost for the week, gas, etc, I think we decided that we are going to do ME and then the DIS transfers.