Late Flight?

[dizneefreak29]

We are going on a 3-night cruise in June. The cheapest airfare I could get is a flight that doesn't leave until 5:45. Anyone have any recommendations of what to do between getting off the ship and our flight time. I'd like to go to Downtown Disney or something fun...however we are using a car service to and from the airport and I'm not sure what we could do with our bags. Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[spoon2003]

I would suggest cancelling your car service from port to MCO and rent a car instead, then you will have a car for Downtown Disney. Budget has a shuttle from port to their rental office and I was able to reserve a one day in April for under $40. Shop around for best price.

Sue

 

[jennat]

I DEFINATELY second what Sue said. Get a car. You could drive to the beach, or anywhere....spend the day at WDW. I have sat in an airport all day toooooo many times after a cruise. No fun. Also, you can't check your bags until a couple (4 maybe) hours before your flight, so you are stuck watching them for hours. Just say no. You can get a car from budget for 32.39 (code w810011) from the port to Orlando for a day. You will actually save money from the transfers!
Good luck,

 

[kaceyisme]

We have a late flight out too. We are going to be at Disney World prior to the cruise, and we are taking a town car. After the cruise, we will be renting a car for the day and going over to the Kennedy Space Center. You might want to look into renting a car. You can take the car rental shuttle to get your car, and then return it at the airport. Then you won't have to worry about what to do with your luggage for the day.

Looks like I was posting at the same time as the prior answers. Good advice

 

[dizneefreak29]

Thanks for the replies! And it does sound like renting a car might be the easiest (and cheapest option). A couple more quesitons though...sorry...I am sort of new to this! I checked Budgets web-site....what location would I look at to rent a car after the cruise? And I guess the same question would apply when I come from the airport....where would I take the car to get to the ship? Thanks!

 

[CTFamilyCruisers]

We, too, are on a late flight (5:45). My question is this, I have the DCL transfers lined up. If I understand correctly, by taking the DCL transfers, my bags go directly to Delta and I don't have to worry about checking them in. Does it make any sense to take the transfer and then rent a car from the airport and head to Downtown Disney? I don't want to lug my bags around - besides I tend to overpack so they might not all fit in the trunk!!! Any ideas?

 

[jennat]

For Budget, the rental place is in Cape Canavral. Check out this site. It will help answer your questions http://www.dcltribute.com/carhire/ . Good question on the bags. My thought is the cost OUCH Aren't Disney transfers expensive? And then to rent a car? Rent a bigger car, save money and get one that all the bags will fit into (an SUV is 41.39 from the port to airport, once again Budget with code w810011). Just my thoughts.

 

[my3princesses]

We have the same predicament and my husband and I were just discussing this. Our flight does not leave Orlando until 3:30 and we have the transfers for the 5 of us.

Ideally how much time do we really have between leaving the cruise and getting into Orlando and 3:30. We are flying to canada so I would assume we need to be at the airport by 1:30. This may leave us with 3-4 hours tops, correct? Is it worth going anywhere with our carryons (which would be 5 in total) along during the 3-4 hours. Is there anything close to the airport that we could go to (i.e. mall, etc)?

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[my3princesses]

Bump!

 

[Yankee914]

We always rent a car and do something after the boat docks. For our upcoming April cruise, our flight doesn't leave until 8PM that night. We are renting a car and will either go to Downtown Disney or the Kennedy Space Center. Someone else suggested Sea World. We're not sure yet what we'll do. If you are taking Disney transfers there, only take them one way and rent the car on your return trip. It really isn't that bad to take your bags. We did the Disney transfers once and it was nice to have the bags taken care of, but for the extra convenience and the $$ we saved -- the rental car was better.

 

[Yankee914]

Princess -

It depends on when you are leaving the ship. If you have early seating, you'll be off the ship fairly early (probably by 8:30 or 9AM). Then you should have some time to go to Downtown Disney. (It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get back to the airport). If you have late seating, you will be off the ship around 9:30 or 10AM. That may not be enough time to do something major. Remember - you need to have time to return the car before you head over to the terminal.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I would keep the transfers and get back to the airport, check in, get rid of your bags, then rent a car or just get a taxi to take you to downtown Disney, then allow plenty of time, and get a taxi to take you back. You can checkin at the airport anytime, that way you just have to go straight to security. Better yet, try for an earlier flight when you check in!

 

[jdm]

For those who don't want to rent a car, there is the option of renting a day room at the Hyatt in the airport for $75. I called the other day about this. The room is yours from 10am until 6pm. You have full use of the facilities, pool etc. If you have little ones that need naps / down time or just want to spend the day relaxing, this might be a good alternative.

Jenn

 

[my3princesses]

What time is the latest that you can get off of the ship??

I thought we had to be out of there by 8am. What times do the DCL transfers stop going to the airport?

 

[jennat]

Good suggestion Jenn. Remember (at Fort Lauderdale and Miami anyway) you cannot check your bags until 3 or 4 hours before. In fact since alot of airlines run only one flight a day out of the airports, the desks are not even open until a couple hours before. Check on this. I would get a car, having been on the other side and sitting at the airport without children. I don't want to think of it with kids.

 

[zeldacruiser]

We have gotten off the ship around 8:30.

 

[jdm]

Not to hijack the post, but I see you are on the same cruise as us! I notice you've been in March twice before. How did you find the weather in March?

Jenn