Pre cruise help near KSC

[MrandMissVacation]

Hi
We're booked on the podcast cruise in May and I'd like to hear some opinions on what I have planned.

Family of four Me, DH, DD (9), DS (6)

Arrive Friday, May 8th early via MCO
Saturday, May 9th Visit KSC
Sunday, May 10th-Thursday May 14 Cruise on Wonder
Thursday May 14- ressie @ Dolphin
Friday, May 15-Sat May 16 Visit WDW (stay @ Dolphin)
Sunday May 17th fly home via MCO

Here are my questions/concerns
1. Should I rent a car for the entire week and leave it @ port while we are on the cruise or break up the car rental pre and post cruise. Which car rental companies service MCO and the port for easy pick up/ drop offs? I assume one adult will go get/drop off car and be shuttled back/to family. Honestly, this part stresses me out the most. If I send hubby to go get a car at MCO and where do I wait w/ the luggage and kiddies for him? Same for port drop off. The logistics of this is just making me crazy. I'm the "one" that plans all of this and it's just new to me. Thank god we will have a GPS (named Dorothy that will help getting around town)
2. Which hotel near KSC...we'd like a nice pool to relax in for the kiddies.


Thank you for your input

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I would price both ways to see if the rental is cheaper to keep for the whole week. There is a parking charge at PC but for only 4 days may still be worth getting a weekly rate on the car.

I totally feel your pain on planning the logistics of it all. For this reason, we only add on 1 nt. before a cruise and none after. yep, I'm a wimp. jmho but it's so much easier to just go home from the port. DCL offers onboard check in with certain airlines. They deliver your boarding passes to your stateroom and once you put your luggage outside your door on the last night, it's the last you'll have to deal with it until you arrive at your home airport. Just hop on the DCL bus with your carry on and go straight to security and your gate.

sorry to ramble. you probably already purchased your air so I will try to help. Avis and Budget are close to port and also onsite at MCO. At MCO we always stay together and bring luggage to the rental car garage. It's a PITA but once you leave the rental car garage, it lets you out to highways which I know we'd get lost on if we had to circle back to pick people up. Again, I'm a wimp. There are luggage carts you can take from MCO to rental car garage so don't feel like you have to lug it all by hand. When going on the cruise, I would drop luggage and kids at the port and just have the auth. driver drop the car off at either parking garage or rental company. Budget and Avis have free shuttles back to port and it would be much easier w/o luggage and kids. jmho. Also, I'm pretty sure the other parent waiting with kids can start the check in process in the terminal. I would double check with DCL as far as showing ID etc. I recall needing photo ID to enter the terminal and also needed everyone's passport to check in though dh and kids didn't have to be right there at check in. You don't want your dh to not be able to enter the terminal after dropping off the car cuz you have his passport!

We've always stayed near MCO, either Hyatt or another close to MCO, so I can't personally recommend any port hotels. Many disers have mentioned the Radisson and I think a Country Inn and Suites. I would def. ask on the cruise boards for more opinions.

After the cruise, I would sent 1 driver to get the car while 1 waits with kids and luggage. There's not nearly the congestion/traffic in the port region as there is around MCO. It gets slightly full of cars along the curb but nothing like MCO. It's all 2 lane roads around the port from what I remember.

www.mousesavers.com is a great website for DCL transportation planning and mentions all possible rental car companies. Budget and Avis are just the ones that popped into my head 1st and other disers have agreed they're the easiest to deal with. Personally have only done Happy Limo or DCL buses.

good luck, hth!

 

[fla4fun]

There are a lot of nice hotels in Cocoa Beach, which is about 10 minutes from the port and about 20 minutes from KSC. We usually stay in the Doubletree Oceanfront, which has a pool, a fitness center, a really good on site restaurant, and a fridge and microwave in every room (there's also a grocery right across the street to stock up on snacks).

 

[MrandMissVacation]

Thank you SO much for your input.

I did (re) remember mousesavers and I did some more research there. I was able to get a suite for 90/nite for the two days before the cruise near KSC (Four points by Sheraton).

I'll be looking into the rental car next and see what is best for us.

Take care