Please help with our day before & day after cruise arrangements

[DisneyBeast]

Okay, here is what is booked for 4 adults:
-our 7-night Western cruise from March 27- April 3
-our flights, leaving home March 26, returning April 4

We would like to go spend a night at WDW following the cruise, head over to the MK, do DTD the next day before flying back home.

We need to do the following:
-get transportation from MCO to whatever hotel we're staying at on the 27
-get transportation from the port to WDW on April 3
-get transportation from WDW back to MCO on April 4
-reserve our rooms (at wherever we may be staying) for March 26 and April 4

We would like it to be as inexpensive as possible. So, what do you think? Rent a car, get transfers, do a towncar? Stay the first night in Orlando, at Canaveral, or at WDW? Get a taxi from Canaveral back to WDW after the cruise?

I'm so confused. In the past we've always done the 3/4 or 4/3 cruise/resort trips. Help!

-DB

 

[kcashner]

The "break even" point between DCL transfers and private limo is usually 3 adults. So, for 4 adults, a private limo would be cheaper for you. You'll have to look at rental rates to decide whether rental car or private limo would be better.

As to where to stay cheap....I get a room thru Priceline for the night before the cruise as I really don't care where I stay. You can request WDW area (more expensive) or airport area. Costs are about $70 for a resort level room in WDW area, down to about $35 for a 3* room in the airport area. For lots of info on priceline bidding, go to www.biddingfortravel.com. You can also get a rental car thru priceline, although I've never done that.

The 3* airport hotels all have free shuttles from the airport to the hotel. I find it easier to stay in the airport area before the cruise rather than going out to the port that night. There's plenty of time to get to the port the next morning. That way, if the plane is late, I don't have to add that hour drive to my night.

Basically, you need to decide what you want to do. If you are flying in on Fri. nite at 7 pm, then cruising in the morning....there's no need to head over to WDW. There isn't time to do anything, you'd be tired after the flight, etc. If you're getting in at noon and want to do something at WDW, then stay in that area. After the cruise, you'll have plenty of time to do a park on Saturday and DTD on Sunday before the flight.....for that night, I'd stay in the WDW area. Again, the hotels in that area all have transportation to WDW.