Hotels w/free airport & Disney shuttle?

[aprilh]

This will be our first trip to Disney World. We will be flying into Orlando airport in October and spending just two nights and one day at the Animal Kingdom (using our free Give-A-Day vouchers!) before our Bahamas cruise out of Port Canaveral. We are trying to figure out the best way to transport our family of 6 everywhere we need to be. Are there any other hotels besides the Disney resorts that offer a free shuttle from the airport and free shuttles to the parks?

If we did go ahead and book a Disney resort, would we be able to book a shuttle from there to Port Canaveral also? Our cruise is with Royal Caribbean, so not sure if transportation would be available.

I'm thinking that a rental car that would fit all 6 of us would be pricey, plus we would end up paying for parking. Budget is a big concern, as this trip will already be pushing our limit. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!

 

[DVC California]

Wecome to the DISboards!

AFAIK, except for Disney, the hotels that offer free airport shuttles don't offer free WDW shuttles and the hotels that offer free WDW shuttles don't offer free airport shuttles.

The WDW Resort to Port Canaveral buses cost $35.00 pp but will only take you to the WDW dock, not RCCL.

A shuttle service (WDW to Port) would cost $160+/- plus tip for your group.

You need to post your hotel/transportation budget to see if onsite vs offsite is more economical.

HTH, Steve

 

[aprilh]

Thanks so much for the reply! So I guess the fact that Disney resorts offer both airport and park shuttle service makes them the best value for our large family. Our budget is basically to find things as cheap as possible. We usually drive from Phoenix to Disneyland for our vacations, so I have never really even considered rental cars or shuttles. This will be the first time my kids (10, 8, 5, & 3) have ever been on a plane before. We have saved up enough Rapid Rewards credits from my husband's business travel to fly us all there. We are so excited!

Do you think it would be worth it to take advantage of Disney's shuttle back to the airport after our day at the park, and then find a shuttle or rental from the airport to the cruise port? Are there hotels that offer cruise transportation closer to the port? It might be worth it for us to stay at a hotel one more night if we can reduce our shuttle costs. Thanks soooo much for your replies!

 

[DVC California]

...So I guess the fact that Disney resorts offer both airport and park shuttle service makes them the best value for our large family.

Not necessarily. Let’s say you stay on site at a value resort like Pop Century. You will need two rooms for the six of you. An undiscounted rate might be $100/nt per room. With taxes, that will probably be close to $450.00 for two rooms over two nights. Roundtrip shuttle from resort to port to MCO will be around $240.00 (same for MCO to Port to MCO). This totals $690.00 (not including shuttle gratuity).

However, if you stay offsite at a budget hotel like Comfort Suites or Country Suites, the room rate may be half that at $55/nt per room and about $250.00 for two nights with tax. If you’re Priceline savvy, you might be able to stay offsite even cheaper. Without Magical Express, you will have to pay for third leg, MCO to Hotel to Port to MCO, around $310.00 (not including shuttle gratuity). This totals $560.00 and includes complimentary breakfast at these hotels.

Do you think it would be worth it to take advantage of Disney's shuttle back to the airport after our day at the park, and then find a shuttle or rental from the airport to the cruise port? Are there hotels that offer cruise transportation closer to the port?

No, that's too much hassle and there isn't any price difference.

Yes, there are hotels in Port Canaveral that offer cruise transportation but you still need to get to Port Canaveral first.

HTH, Steve

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ETA - There are folks reporting winning the Embassy Suites LBV for $59/nt (see the sticky at the top of this messageboard). I think you may be able to fit six in one suite since they will have two queens in the bedroom and a queen sofa bed. That will bring you lodging down to under $150. They have a better breakfast too!

 

[HermanTriplets+1]

Hi! How exciting for you guys! A first airplane ride, AK and a cruise!
We are also a family of 6 and stayed with our 4 kids at the All Star Music Resort in December, in a Family Suite. I only looked briefly at the off-site resorts so I'm not an expert on them. There very well could be some good deals there. We were very happy at the ASMu, and the FS was a good size for us, enough room for all to sleep well, two bathrooms and a small kitchen with a fridge and microwave and disposable dishes. What won us over during my decision making process, besides the set up of the FS, was 1. Magical Express - to and from the airport; 2. Disney Transportation to and from the parks; and 3. we were lucky enough to get Free Dining . For you, another advantage is that it is very close to AK, the bus ride is very short. The reason that I didn't keep looking at the off-site resorts is that I found that there wasn't a shuttle from the airport (need to add that as an expense) and the park shuttle wasn't all day/frequent, just at certain hours. In addition, the free breakfast buffet was only free for 2 adults and 2 kids (need to add the other 2 as an expense, or eat in the room). We really didn't want to have to rent a car which, as you know, is not cheap for a big enough car for 6. And, I didn't want to deal with loading kids in and out of a car and parking and driving around. SO, the best package for us was on-site! Hope this helps you make your plans - whatever you choose will be magical!

 

[gstlouis]

I just thought I'd chime in, as I'm experiencing the same predicament.

My wife and I are also going on the Disney Bahamian cruise, later next week. We're going down early so that we can see the parks (since I've never been and she was a child the last time she went). As the cruise itself isn't cheap, we also wanted to save as much money as possible during our few days prior to the cruise.

Originally, I had picked a hotel that had a free airport shuttle, not realizing how far the parks were. After doing some research, I decided on a hotel closer to the parks that offered a free park shuttle, since we'll be making 4 one-way trips between the parks and the hotel (two ways each day for two days). I figured that 2 taxi trips (from the airport to the hotel - we're using the disney shuttle from the airport to the port) would be cheaper than four taxi trips (from an airport hotel to the parks). We ended up deciding on the Country Inn and Suites on Apopka Vineland Road (I got a great deal on a whirlpool suite and it includes free continental breakfast).

I too was a bit disappointed that there aren't any hotels that offer shuttles for both the airport and the parks (besides the disney lodging). I had looked at the possibility of taking the lynx transit busses between the airport and hotel, but those trips are long, confusing, and can involve multiple transfers. I decided that the $100 round trip taxi fare was probably my best bet.

I can't imagine trying to find transportation for 6 though, God bless you! It sounds like a car rental might be a good option to consider. Whatever you pick, the best of luck to you!

 

[hogsonkeisha]

I think there is always shuttle service at the disneyland in Florida and so that you won't have any hassle when traveling or visiting the place.

Thanks,
Keisha