help with transportation questions???universal/cruise/disney

[andychris14]

We are planning an itinerary and do not know what to do to save a couple of bucks. These are our plans but they are not in stone(only the cruise part is). We do not know to rent a car/use cabs,limos or the buses from disney. Please help!
*We are flying, so we will need to rent a car at the airport
*We will probably stay offsite for 6 nights and do some of the disney waterparks and universal.
*Disney cruise for 3 nights
*5 nights on disney property
*return back to the airport.
I am thinking of renting a car for the first 6 nights. Return the car before we board the boat(Which rental car agencies are near port canaveral?).Taking a limo back to disney. Using the disney buses around disney and the free magical express back to the airport.
Or do I rent a car for the whole 14 days?? I hate for the car to sit at the pier and have to pay the daily rental car fee and parking rates!
Any suggestions/HELP!!!!

 

[ghostrider]

Some resort hotels offer free transportation from hotel to the parks. I suggest you check to see if the place you are staying offers this service. The most economical is if you are staying on International Drive they have the I0ride trolley to take you from Preemium Outlet Mall to Prime Outlet Mall. Most hotels have free transportation to Universal Studios. Mears transportaion offers a round trip transfer from hotel to parks for about $14.00 per person. If you have spoken with your cruise reps they have a package deal that gets you from Disney to the Port and the Port back to Disney and the Airport and you can use Magical Express to get you from Disney to the Airport. Hope this helps answer some of your questions

 

[andychris14]

I think we are going to stay on disney property and take either a cab or mears shuttle to universal for the day. Is it $14 per person from disney to universal? I did hear that it is about $70 round trip from disney to universal. Does a mears shuttle take you to the port also? Any idea the cost of that? I did hear that it will be about $125 round trip for a limo.
One more question: Do you tip the mears driver? If so what is the average tip you give?
Thanks

 

[IlovePiglet]

The shuttle service that Mears offers is $14 per person for round trip transfer to Universal.
Which ship will you be sailing on? If it's Carnival or Royal Caribbean you can take DME (if you are at a WDW owned resort) to the airport and then catch the shuttle bus to Port Canaveral from there.
Yes, Mears drivers work for tips but I would say the amount you tip is entirely up to you based on the quality of service given to you by that particular driver. I myself work for tips so I usually overtip just a bit

 

[andychris14]

We are going to port canaveral and are going on the 3 day disney cruise. I looked into the van for both of our families to spit. It comes to about$260 round trip. It beats $700 for a rental car plus the cost to park the car for 3 days.
As for going to universal, I guess we will use the mears for $56 for the four of us or a van for the 8, which is $79. These prices do not sound bad. Thanks again!

 

[IlovePiglet]

Which Disney resort are you staying at? Why not just take the DCL bus from the resort to the Port? I'm not sure what the cost is but you can check at the DCL desk at your resort (if you're staying at one of the participating DCL resorts)
They are:
Grand Floridian
Wilderness Lodge (DVC only)
Polynesian
POR
POFQ
OKW (DVC)
Saratoga Springs (DVC)
Caribbean Beach
Beach Club
Dolphin
Swan
Animal Kingdom Park

 

[andychris14]

I have not booked my hotel yet but am leaning towards the pop. We stayed there for the first time last year and thought that it was great. I do remember seeing a DCL bus dropping and picking people up. How can I find out this information on the cost online before actually being there? I want to reserve everything before we leave. Thanks

 

[andychris14]

call of the search. I just found out that it is $60per person for dcl round trip from the resort to the pier. That is high. I think we will get a van for my friend and her family and ours. It will be much cheaper. Thanks

 

[ghostrider]

We also checked prices and found out a van would be cheaper for you from WDW to pier and back.. Also Disney does not pick up at Pop Century you would have to go to one of the resorts that do do Cruise Line pick-ups BC CBR Yacht Swan Dolphin PO AK or AK Park although Disney would drop you back at POP but remember also most van's only seat 1o people comfortably and pack light because luggage space is limited in a van

 

[andychris14]

thanks-I think the free disney buses and the van is the way to go