Night before cruise stay, which is better?

[Flowerem]

Hello fellow cruisers! I'm trying to decide which way to go for our night before cruise stay and was hoping you could help me out. We are first time cruisers arriving at MCO from the west coast at about 4:30pm the night before for a 7 night Fantasy cruise. I have two options:

1. Stay at the airport Hyatt on arrival night and take Disney transfers in the morning. Cost is $350 (plus breakfast cost).

2. Take Cocoa Beach pre-arranged shuttle to Country Inn and Suites near the port and use hotel shuttle to port in the morning. Cost is $279 (including breakfast cost).

The cost isn't an issue but I thought I'd throw it in for comparison. Since we are arriving from the west coast I'm wondering if staying near the port and maybe sleeping in a little bit more in the AM would be a better option? I'm concerned about the luggage issue though when not using Disney transport. Is it that big of a deal to do yourself? Should we be worried that we won't be let in to the port if it's full since we aren't on a Disney bus? I don't expect to get an early PAT since we are first timers. What would you do??

 

[kdecroo]

When you use the Hotel shuttle, they will drop you and your luggage off right where the Disney staff loads luggage. No problem with luggage, so don't let that worry into the decision. Hope that helps..

 

[jdb in AZ]

We took a private car service to CI&S, then caught the hotel bus to the port the next morning. Because it was a bus, the port authority let us in when they were still turning away private cars. The bus driver loaded our luggage for us, and porters helped unload it at the port.

Meanwhile, the Hyatt is a nicer hotel, and after flying in from the west coast, will you be ready to immediately get on a bus, or would you rather rest and relax before heading to port in the morning?

 

[Weedy]

My vote is to go to Cocoa. There will be more to do the evening before. You can go to the beach , Ron Jon Surf shop or relax by the pool at your hotel. As you said being able to sleep in a little more the morning of your cruise is a plus.

As far as getting an early PAT it is usually not a problem because many people come from the Disney Resorts and those buses don't arrive until 12 noon or later. FYI: don't put in your flight arrival time it won't be necessary and people have reported that it sometimes messes up picking an early PAT because the system thinks you are flying in the same day the cruise is leaving.

Luggage is not an issue you can grab your bags just like any other trip, and dropping off your bags at the port is very easy. If you are woried about the shuttle from the Cocoa hotel to the port, Cocoa is a big enought town the cabs are available.

 

[FindMeAFishingSpot]

We're staying at Hyatt again for the second time in February. I enjoy just settling in for a good night's sleep after the flight. We leisurely got up, enjoyed our breakfast and headed down to the Disney transfers. Luggage was moved from the room and the next time we saw it, it was outside our stateroom. Hassle free and started off our vacation on a great note. DS was so excited when he saw the Disney Cruise Line bus, it added a little something extra. I would definitely recommend it.

 

[bumbershoot]

2. Take Cocoa Beach pre-arranged shuttle to Country Inn and Suites near the port and use hotel shuttle to port in the morning. Cost is $279 (including breakfast cost).

I would do that.

Arriving at 4:30 = 1:30 your time. Even though the flight will be early and tiring, it doesn't erase the fact that your body will still think it's just after noon. So you'll want something to DO. And the MCO Hyatt, while lovely, doesn't have that much to do. Cocoa Beach will.

Since we are arriving from the west coast I'm wondering if staying near the port and maybe sleeping in a little bit more in the AM would be a better option?

Absolutely.

I'm concerned about the luggage issue though when not using Disney transport. Is it that big of a deal to do yourself?

Don't be concerned. It's not like you'll be hauling it onto the ship yourself. You're dropped off by the hotel shuttle at your PAT, the driver will likely take the bags out of the vehicle for you. You tip him/her, you then deal with the porters who take your checked bags away (tip them too), and you go into the port with any carryons you might have! EASY. (and yes, embarkation day starts with a flurry of tipping LOL) After handing bags to the porters at the port, you'll see them at your room at some point later that day, just like if you had had the bags taken from your room at the MCO Hyatt.

Get a realistic PAT for yourself, making sure to include both excitement and jetlag into the calculation, along with giving yourself time for that included breakfast!

 

[ksucats]

We have always gone to Cocoa, but prefer to get a one way rental car. Saves money and gives you the freedom to go get anything you need or want to do.

 

[MommyP]

With the time change factor in play (I'm in CA and have 2 kids) I recommend Cocoa too. As soon as you land in MCO you'll still be ready to go for a few more hours especially after a bite to eat and adrenaline of pending excitement ---- an airport hotel will not do it justice! Once you get to Cocoa, check-in to your hotel, eat dinner, walk around and go to bed somewhat early. You can also sleep in too which is HUGE for kids on the 3hr time change - TRUST ME! 8am Eastern/5am Pacific is no joke! and it burns your eyes

Plus once at the Port you can check-in without having to worry about a bus full of people checking in at the same time as you...

 

[bethy]

With the time change factor in play (I'm in CA and have 2 kids) I recommend Cocoa too. As soon as you land in MCO you'll still be ready to go for a few more hours especially after a bite to eat and adrenaline of pending excitement ---- an airport hotel will not do it justice! Once you get to Cocoa, check-in to your hotel, eat dinner, walk around and go to bed somewhat early. You can also sleep in too which is HUGE for kids on the 3hr time change - TRUST ME! 8am Eastern/5am Pacific is no joke! and it burns your eyes

Plus once at the Port you can check-in without having to worry about a bus full of people checking in at the same time as you...

West Coaster and 3 kids here and I would agree with all of this but if your children are young I would stay at the Hyatt anyway. The last thing I would want would be another 2 hours of travel (transfers plus actual drive time, etc) I'd rather get my young kids safely into a hotel room with a door. Let them go a little crazy. Order room service, go swimming in the hotel pool.

If your kids are over 10 then scratch that and head to Cocoa beach!

 

[bethy]

Also, assuming you have kids, if you want to add a little Disney magic to the Hyatt you can always do the Tinkerbell visiting overnight thing - and then the Disney busses in the morning. Even though it's only an airport hotel kids love hotels anyway and Disney is close enough to feel the magic!

 

[3DisneyFanz]

We have always gone to Cocoa, but prefer to get a one way rental car. Saves money and gives you the freedom to go get anything you need or want to do.

Plus most of the rental car companies have shuttles that will take you to the ship when you turn the car in. Doing this you could swing by DTD and hang out before heading over to Cocoa unless you want to do the beach.

 

[Weedy]

It's a 45 minute drive from the airport to Cocoa Beach.

 

[Flowerem]

Thanks everyone for all of your replies! I do have kids but they are 14 ur olds so they can deal with whatever we do. I appreciate the advice and hadn't thought about the fact we might be bored at the airport with nothing to do. I know from our last trip to WDW we were up quite late and very excited!

I'm going to go ahead and go to Cocoa Beach to stay the night. I'm glad to read the luggage and non Disney transfer arrivals aren't a big deal.

Thanks for the help!

 

[dsnydaddy]

I want to interject a bit of a differing opinion here. I'm from California and I've done it both ways.

1. Staying at MCO and taking Disney transportation was a lot less headache. There's a convenience factor there that is worth something. Disney takes care of your luggage and you simply have to show up at the appropriate place at that right time and you'll be taken right to the ship. The biggest drawback to this method is that you do feel a bit like being lost in a crowd. There were a lot of people there and while Disney does a great job of crowd control it was a bit overwhelming at times. You are also taking a bus with many others to the port. There we a lot of dining choices at MCO.

2. Securing your own transportation to the Port and staying at a hotel near the port. This required a bit more planning on my part. I see that you are arriving at about 4:30 Florida time. That puts you at a better advantage than I was we arrived at about 10pm Florida time. Since we are west coasters you will feel like it is only 1:30 (we were ready for dinner and there was NOTHING nearby to eat and ended up walking to an AM/PM type gas station and buying foodstuffs there to tide us over until morning) You'll probably arrive at the port hotel at about 6pm. So, you'll probably have some time to get something to eat. Country Inn & Suites did not have many nearby choices for eating (Burger King) Compared to the Hyatt, I liked the room at the hyatt better. It was nicer arriving at the ship earlier than I would have using the Disney transfers but It really isn't that big of a deal to me.

If I was planning a similar trip today, I'd choose MCO/Hyatt

 

[bethy]

It's a 45 minute drive from the airport to Cocoa Beach.

Ohhhh - for some reason I was thinking over an hour, plus all the airport stuff made it at least an hour and a half plus of additional hassle, etc.

 

[bumbershoot]

2. Securing your own transportation to the Port and staying at a hotel near the port. This required a bit more planning on my part.

But she isn't really getting her own transportation. This is a shuttle run by the hotel. It's like if she was staying at the nearby Doubletree and taking their shuttle...but they hit a traffic jam LOL.


To me, unless you're dying for some shopping at the airport OR you're going to get a rental car and go hit a park or citywalk or DTD etc...just head on to your actual destination.

 

[dsnydaddy]

But she isn't really getting her own transportation. This is a shuttle run by the hotel. It's like if she was staying at the nearby Doubletree and taking their shuttle...but they hit a traffic jam LOL.


To me, unless you're dying for some shopping at the airport OR you're going to get a rental car and go hit a park or citywalk or DTD etc...just head on to your actual destination.

Do the hotel shuttles from the port canaveral hotels drive out and pick people up from MCO? I know that they will take you from hotel to the ship, but I did not know that they provided that service all the way out to MCO. That's awesome. I had to get a transportation service to pick me up and take me to Port Canaveral. It was quite an expense that I would have gladly not paid.

 

[Happy100]

We are west coasters too. We have done both and definitely prefer the Hyatt then DCL transfers in the morning. Since this is your first disney cruise sleeping in will be very hard to do. The Hyatt stay and DCL transfers are easy compared to the alternative and cut out a lot of anxiety.

 

[Happy100]

Do the hotel shuttles from the port canaveral hotels drive out and pick people up from MCO? I know that they will take you from hotel to the ship, but I did not know that they provided that service all the way out to MCO. That's awesome. I had to get a transportation service to pick me up and take me to Port Canaveral. It was quite an expense that I would have gladly not paid.

I have stayed at the country inn and suites and no they do not provide a MCO to hotel shuttle. My experience is you have to arrange your own.

 

[Flowerem]

The hotel doesn't provide the transportation from MCO, that's something I will arrange on my own. I'm actually not really concerned about that part of the trip which is surprising because I usually worry about everything! I've seen many people post on the board they were happy with Happy Limo and Travelynx which are the two companies I'm looking at.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!