Magical Express back to airport, but leaving for a cruise

[kmvand1]

Mods feel free to move this if it's on the wrong boards, but we usually only fly down to Disney every year for our trip, then fly home. This year, we are taking a Carnival Cruise right after our Disney stay. How would I go about getting back to the airport for my shuttle to Port Canaveral without a flight number to return on. We always fly Southwest and I am not sure if Magical Express participates with Pop Century now or not. Has anyone ever done this after a stay?

 

[Jestocost]

Mods feel free to move this if it's on the wrong boards, but we usually only fly down to Disney every year for our trip, then fly home. This year, we are taking a Carnival Cruise right after our Disney stay. How would I go about getting back to the airport for my shuttle to Port Canaveral without a flight number to return on. We always fly Southwest and I am not sure if Magical Express participates with Pop Century now or not. Has anyone ever done this after a stay?

You always have been able to use the DME bus service to and from your resort regardless of what airline you are using. The only thing you couldn't do with SWA or any other "non participating" airline was use the Resort Airline Check in service. SWA has been participating in RAC at POP for several months, however, and is now participating at most WDW resorts.

None of that really matters in your situation, however.

You can take the DME bus back to MCO to catch your cruise shuttle. All you'll need to do is find a flight--any domestic flight--that leaves about three hours after you want to be picked up at POP and give that to DME. They don't check to see if you actually have a ticket on that flight and will set your pick up time accordingly. So, if you want to leave POP for the airport at 8:00 a.m., for example, just find a flight to anywhere in the US that leaves around 11:00 a.m. and give that info to DME.

 

[jagafen]

I'd just call one of the transportation companies and book a trannsfer from your resort to the cruise terminal...even if ME took you back to the airport, they'd drop you off at the departing flights area, not at the "getting my next form of transportation" area. I don't know how difficult it would be to get from point A to point B.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Transportation board.

 

[BrettS]

I'd just call one of the transportation companies and book a trannsfer from your resort to the cruise terminal...even if ME took you back to the airport, they'd drop you off at the departing flights area, not at the "getting my next form of transportation" area. I don't know how difficult it would be to get from point A to point B.

Getting from Depearting flights to ground transportation isn't too bad... you've just gotta go down a couple of floors. However, taking to a bus to the airport to catch another bus to the terminal does seem like a big waste of time and a pain to get your luggage to one bus, then get it again and take it to the other bus. It probably is worth looking into the cost of a cab or a van to save yourself some time and effort.

 

[kmvand1]

Thanks for all of the quick replies so far! I have been frequenting the Cruise critic boards as well, and I know several people take a non-Disney cruise after their stays. I guess I thought if we got as close as possible to the airport before having to pay for a shuttle to the Port, it would be cheaper. Maybe I will see what the charges are for a shuttle from Pop to Port Canaveral.

 

[BrettS]

Thanks for all of the quick replies so far! I have been frequenting the Cruise critic boards as well, and I know several people take a non-Disney cruise after their stays. I guess I thought if we got as close as possible to the airport before having to pay for a shuttle to the Port, it would be cheaper. Maybe I will see what the charges are for a shuttle from Pop to Port Canaveral.

Yeah, if you're paying for a shuttle anyway then I would definitely get one from Disney... I was assuming you were getting a free shuttle from the airport to the port.

 

[serene56]

greetings fellow CC member.


This is what you could do-- take the ME to the airport after POP- do not let them take your luggage-- you handle your luggage.

when you get to the airport you can either take a cab or a car service to the pier for your cruise.

Me-- I would probably see what it would cost to shuttle me directly from Pop Century.

Are you going there the same day as the cruise??

 

[kmvand1]

greetings fellow CC member.


This is what you could do-- take the ME to the airport after POP- do not let them take your luggage-- you handle your luggage.

when you get to the airport you can either take a cab or a car service to the pier for your cruise.

Me-- I would probably see what it would cost to shuttle me directly from Pop Century.

Are you going there the same day as the cruise??

Hello! Yes, we are leaving Pop on June 27th and the cruise leaves at 4PM, I figure it's about an hour to the port and 1/2 hour from MCO? I wonder how much a shuttle would cost from MCO to Port Canaveral? I think Carnival is $35.00 each way PP.

 

[Jestocost]

Hello! Yes, we are leaving Pop on June 27th and the cruise leaves at 4PM, I figure it's about an hour to the port and 1/2 hour from MCO? I wonder how much a shuttle would cost from MCO to Port Canaveral? I think Carnival is $35.00 each way PP.

FWIW, with four people or more it probably will be cheaper to book a town car or van than it would be to use Carnival's transfers. A Disney-Port-Airport town car fare is around $220 plus tip and can accomodate four people, whereas Carnival transfers for four will run $280 based on the cost you cite. So, you can have a much more convenient trip for less if you book a car or van vs. taking the Carnival bus.

 

[serene56]

Hello! Yes, we are leaving Pop on June 27th and the cruise leaves at 4PM, I figure it's about an hour to the port and 1/2 hour from MCO? I wonder how much a shuttle would cost from MCO to Port Canaveral? I think Carnival is $35.00 each way PP.

You are aware that you can arrive about 11am and be onboard by noon right?

You dont want to wait til close to 4 to get there--Im not sure what time check in closes. (I know its before 3pm.)

 

[CleveRocks]

I'd just call one of the transportation companies and book a trannsfer from your resort to the cruise terminal...even if ME took you back to the airport, they'd drop you off at the departing flights area, not at the "getting my next form of transportation" area.

Actually, what I highlighted in red is not true.

One of the oddities of DME is that it drops you off on Level 1 at the airport, which is the Arrivals/Ground Transportation level; so funny as it sounds, DME does, in fact, drop you off at the "getting my next form of transportation" area. Yes, it drops you off on the same level where you originally caught the bus to ride to your Disney resort.

So when you are dropped off at the airport by DME, you actually need to go up two floors to Level 3 to be in the Departures area.

This is done because the roadways feeding Level 3 are bridges, and someone decided that those bridges can't handle the weight of constant motorcoach traffic ... that's why DME drops off at Level 1 even though Level 1 is otherwise for Arrivals.

I am such a geek I can't stand it ... why on Earth do I know this stuff ???!!!

 

[kmvand1]

You are aware that you can arrive about 11am and be onboard by noon right?

You dont want to wait til close to 4 to get there--Im not sure what time check in closes. (I know its before 3pm.)

Yes, I found this out by frequenting the cruise critic boards, would have never known otherwise!

 

[serene56]

Yes, I found this out by frequenting the cruise critic boards, would have never known otherwise!

less then 1% of cruisers visit those boards- keep reading and learning the ropes. Its the best.
We have always been among the first ones to arrive- and its so nice not to have to search for an empty table while we are eating our first lunch

 

[DisneyRookie2007]

Mods feel free to move this if it's on the wrong boards, but we usually only fly down to Disney every year for our trip, then fly home. This year, we are taking a Carnival Cruise right after our Disney stay. How would I go about getting back to the airport for my shuttle to Port Canaveral without a flight number to return on. We always fly Southwest and I am not sure if Magical Express participates with Pop Century now or not. Has anyone ever done this after a stay?

Older post, I know, but unable to send pm to the OP.

I was wondering if a solution was found to get from wdw to MCO or to the port ? This is the exact scenario I am in and will be at wdw from jan 13-16, cruise jan 16-24 and then back to wdw for 1 night on jan 24th. We are only a party of 2 - so I can't seem to find any useful information on reasonable costs.

 

[bumbershoot]

Older post, I know, but unable to send pm to the OP.

I was wondering if a solution was found to get from wdw to MCO or to the port ? This is the exact scenario I am in and will be at wdw from jan 13-16, cruise jan 16-24 and then back to wdw for 1 night on jan 24th. We are only a party of 2 - so I can't seem to find any useful information on reasonable costs.

There have been many views of your post the other day (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=52797276#post52797276) with one person asking some questions to try to help you a bit further.


If you find some way to get from the airport to the port and from the port to the airport, of course you can take magical express to and from the resort and MCO.

Others can explain better how to do it.

That said, if you're already paying to get to/from the port, it might not be that much more expensive to have that company just take you all the way to where you want to go, without having to transfer at the airport.

 

[MommyMK]

What we found to be cheapest in this scenario was a one day car rental. We picked up a car the evening before at the Dolphin (but you could also pick it up at the car care center or MCO and drove to the port and returned it there. Cost us around $50?