San Diego port qestions

[readytogotodisney]

We're booked on the Mexican Riviera sailing out of San Diego next Oct and I'm trying to figure out our plan for before the cruise.

I was thinking we'd fly into LAX (or SNA - whichever is cheaper, both are much cheaper then flying into SAN), take DL express, stay in Anaheim and hit up the halloween party at DL. From there, rent a car from Downtown Disney and drive to San Diego on Saturday night or Sunday morning depending on hotel prices.

So my question, which car rental companies should I be looking at? Any car rental desks at the port? Will I need to return to the airport and then find a way to the hotel and then to port?

Thanks for any help you can give!

ETA: and ground transfers? it only gives me the option to add ground transfers on DCL but it doesn't say where they're picking up/dropping off at. Is it only the airport or certain hotels?
Sorry we've only sailed out of PC before.

 

[ludari]

I live 10-miles from DL and I too have a cruise planned for next October. My plan is to take the train to San Diego and just walk from the train station to the port. I've done this twice before and it's an easy walk unless you have a lot of luggage. If you have your mind made up about a rental car I know that Downtown Disney has a Alamo branch.

 

[readytogotodisney]

I live 10-miles from DL and I too have a cruise planned for next October. My plan is to take the train to San Diego and just walk from the train station to the port. I've done this twice before and it's an easy walk unless you have a lot of luggage. If you have your mind made up about a rental car I know that Downtown Disney has a Alamo branch.

That might be just what I'm looking for! I think my DS would really like the train, and DH and I would like not driving in SoCa! Thank you!

 

[nancyjo1998]

We are doing a cruise out of San Diego next year as well and are going to take the train. That way we do not have to worry about parking.

 

[AquaDame]

ETA: and ground transfers? it only gives me the option to add ground transfers on DCL but it doesn't say where they're picking up/dropping off at. Is it only the airport or certain hotels?
Sorry we've only sailed out of PC before.

I am booked on the 10.15 cruise - I only see the airport as a transfer option via DCL. There are a few hotels right across the street though. We stayed at Humphrey's Half Moon Bay last year and used uber everywhere we went. Airport to the hotel, to the zoo, to the port... it was very cheap and convenient. To be honest if we were coming straight from the airport we'd just do that again rather than take the motor coach.

 

[MunFam]

As a local San Diegan that lives right at the port, I HIGHLY suggest a) taking the train down and b) getting here a night early. October is serious fire season for us. Knock on wood, we have not had any major fires this year, which also means that this year's growth will be double next year and the chance of a fire greater. The train (and I5) run through Camp Pendelton, which is mostly undeveloped land/brush that burns. When there are fires in the area, the train stops running and the I5 can be closed for multiple days. You can drive around via Corona & Temecula on I15, but if your plan is train and service gets suspended for some reason, you will need time to rent an emergency car and make the trek the long way around. You WILL NOT want to do that on embarkation day. We follow the same rules when we need to be in OC or LA and its important, we always go the night before.

There is a Springhill Suites between (the 2 blocks) from the train station to the port.

 

[cmph]

I just wanted to jump in and mention that there is no complimentary Disney transport to DL, like WDW has. Same kind of bus, but with a charge per person. We just went to DL in April, and it was far cheaper to Uber from SNA to DL. Sorry if you already knew this! I find it so strange that DL charges for transport to their resorts and WDW is free. In any case, our Uber was there in about 5min from the time we requested it, so we most certainly got to the hotel faster using it anyway. Uber is easy-peasy from SNA, not like MCO.

I like the sound of your trip plan! DL + DCL! It just happens to be right when DH turns 40. Hmmm... may have to copy you!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

We are doing a SD cruise next Oct as well. What is this train you speak of? We will do DL either before or after the cruise.

 

[MunFam]

We are doing a SD cruise next Oct as well. What is this train you speak of? We will do DL either before or after the cruise.

https://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train

 

[disneymagicgirl]

https://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train

Thank u!
My boys would love that!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I live 10-miles from DL and I too have a cruise planned for next October. My plan is to take the train to San Diego and just walk from the train station to the port. I've done this twice before and it's an easy walk unless you have a lot of luggage. If you have your mind made up about a rental car I know that Downtown Disney has a Alamo branch.

That was our plan, also (we live close to Disneyland), but the day we were planning on taking the train from Anaheim to San Diego, they were working on the tracks. So the schedule said we would be on the train for 15 minutes and then transfer to a bus for the remainder of the trip. We opted to drive ourselves, rather be sitting in a bus for 2 hours.

We have, however taken the train FROM San Diego to Anaheim, following our (HAL) Panama Canal cruise a couple of years ago.

 

[SillyInventor]

We stayed in San Diego for 3 nights this May between the WBPC and the San Diego - Vancouver repo. We rented a car at Avis, which has a (small) office 2 blocks from the cruise terminal. It took me about 10mins to walk over there.