Transportation help, please?

[Skiton]

Hi everyone. My friend has just booked her first DCL cruise for next February, and I'm so excited for her! She'll be taking her daughters, 6 and 3. She's a little overwhelmed and I'm trying to help her out. They are flying into MCO the day before. I recommended she drive straight to Port Canaveral and stay at the Country Inn and Suites, as we've had nice stays there in the past. (If anyone disagrees and has a better suggestion, please let me know.)

I also recommended Happy Limo to get her to PC, but she's a single mom and the price of private transport is a good chunk of change. I know there are a lot of shared shuttles that are cheaper, but then there's the car seat issue. As a mother on her own, already dealing with luggage and two young children, I can't imagine how she would be able to manage a car seat and a booster seat, also.

Does anyone know of transport that is reasonably priced, but which would also bypass the child seat issue? Thanks!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Is there any way this Mom can stay at the Hyatt and take the bus to the port the next day? What about staying at a value resort for one night and take Disney transport to the port? I personally feel it would be the least stressful for her and the most fun (and safest).

 

[lanejudy]

Private car service for a party of 3 is going to run similar if not slightly more than DCL transfers (the break-even seems to be around 4). I'd suggest she look into DCL transfers, and either MCO Hyatt or a WDW value resort. If they stay at a value resort, they could use the free ME service from MCO to the resort when arriving the day before, then DCL transfers to port the morning of embarkation. The less expensive transport option is probably renting a car, and then she would need to deal with car seats plus driving herself.

Happy cruising!

 

[CadMaster]

I too am doing a cruise in Feb., We are flying in the day before and staying at a Value Resort. ME from the airport to POP and DCL transfers to the port the next morning and DCL from port back to the airport a week later. Seemed like the least amount of stress going this route. ME can pickup the luggage at the airport and deliver to the resort and DCL picks up the luggage the next morning and takes it to the ship. I don't have to carry around all the bags.

 

[Skiton]

Sorry, I think I wasn't clear in my OP. The problem with private transport (which would provide car seats) is that it's too expensive. So, swapping a town car for a DCL transfer (which is as or more expensive) wouldn't work. The value resorts are a nice idea but there's really no point since she doesn't plan to take her girls to the parks.
The Hyatt is $350 a night, so it's out.

I was hoping someone might know of a transportation option that didn't involve lugging heavy car seats from home, but is also affordable.

 

[Skiton]

Thank you, I didn't realize the ME from the airport was free. I'll look into how expensive a value resort is at the time she's going. I can't imagine it's cheaper than where she is booked in PC, but you never know. Maybe it would make up some of the difference for a DCL transfer.

 

[CadMaster]

Cost at the Values is going to depend a lot on when in Feb. they are going. My cruise leaves Port on Saturday the 18th (Presidents Day Weekend) and the cost of the one night at POP was more than I have ever paid for a stay at one of the Value Resorts. But I can't be anywhere near the WDW without making a stop to get a Pineapple Float over at the POLY.

 

[lanejudy]

I was hoping someone might know of a transportation option that didn't involve lugging heavy car seats from home, but is also affordable.

Unfortunately, there's a bit of a trade-off with the options -- convenient (no car seats and luggage service) but pricey, or cheap and requires more work on her part (lugging car seats and bags plus driving). Car rental companies do offer car seats, so she could rent car seats and avoid lugging hers from home. I won't get into the discussion about whether or not rented car seats should be considered safe; she can make that decision herself. Adding rented car seats will obviously increase the price of the car rental, and there's the hassle of collecting her bags and lugging them through the airport to the rental car while corralling young kids. Again, it's a trade-off of convenience vs cost.

As mentioned, rates at a WDW value resort will depend which date in February due mainly to the Presidents Day holiday and the start of peak pricing for spring break season. She may be able to find a good deal on the Hyatt MCO if she has travel points or watches for special offers; whether that brings it down enough for her budget is the question. There are other airport-area hotels that are less-pricey and also include free breakfast -- Hampton Inn is one that comes to mind but check others as well. She'll need to deal with the luggage but they have a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel and back again in the morning to catch the DCL transfers.

Good luck!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I don't have the answer to the question that you asked about low-cost shared rides to the port, but I would like to bring up something that hasn't been mentioned (I don't think). What time does her flight land in Orlando? If it lands fairly early, then I think heading off to the PC area makes sense. If she is getting in late in the day, staying in Orlando probably makes more sense. Just thinking about her convenience and traveling with 2 small children. We originally were going to stay at a PC hotel, but when the flight we booked turned out to land at about 7PM, we changed our mind and stayed at a hotel near the airport. This was the right choice for us, as trying to travel to PC after landing, gathering bags, etc. would have been no fun.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

There are definitely extra costs associated with taking a cruise and hotel and transport are part of the overall total. I hope there is something that will work for your friend.

 

[disboardlover]

Does anyone know of transport that is reasonably priced, but which would also bypass the child seat issue? Thanks!

What is the budget, since DCL transfers are $35/person each way anyway. Private transfers are available that can do roundtrip from MCO area to PC for up to 4 people for about $240, with no extra cost and tips included. They will also provide car seats. Is that too much?

Of course, whether she stays in Orlando or PC on the first night, there will be some extra transport, from the airport to hotel, or hotel to PC; that would be a bit more, though the Country Inn and Suites might offer luggage and shuttle services to the Cruise terminal.

 

[jdb in AZ]

What is the budget, since DCL transfers are $35/person each way anyway. Private transfers are available that can do roundtrip from MCO area to PC for up to 4 people for about $240, with no extra cost and tips included. They will also provide car seats. Is that too much?

Of course, whether she stays in Orlando or PC on the first night, there will be some extra transport, from the airport to hotel, or hotel to PC; that would be a bit more, though the Country Inn and Suites might offer luggage and shuttle services to the Cruise terminal.

Yes, CI&S has a shuttle service. I think it's $5 per person, tho that may have gone up since we used it. It's basically a small bus hauling a trailer behind it and the passengers take their luggage to the bus and the driver loads it and unloads it at the port.

A rental car is probably the cheapest option but OP's friend would have to either pay to park it at the port, or return the car at the port and take the rental agency shuttle to the ship, then rent another car at the end of the cruise.

 

[spinnerblt]

We are travelling in February for cruise. Ran into same President's day issue. I believe it was 149 plus tax at Pop. Anyway one of my fellow cruisers said when he called Disney Cruise lines they got him in at the Hyatt at airport for 225. He showed us the bill. with our the rental car to the port and hassle maybe this might not be a bad option. He said he was flying in the day before late and they set up. Maybe she could call and see?

 

[rwthompson82]

You can also rent car seats at any rental company at MCO. Though they are not ideal, they do get the job done if you can install them properly.

I paid $17/day in February, though we had 5 people and a minivan and also had a day at akl pre cruise. 5 ppl on dcl would have been $175 each way, and the van and seats both ways + an extra day to have on site came in around $300 or so.

I assume you could rent a car and 2 seats for around $80 each way, maybe less if you find a good prepaid rate (check the transportation board). Slightly cheaper than $105 each way for dcl, but a bit more work, too. If you could carry the booster, you could cut the cost some more.

Also, with this option you'll need to budget for tolls as well.

Maybe try the cruise meet thread and see if there's another small family and then they could split private transport?

 

[scootch]

We took Cocoa Beach shuttle from airport to port. We stayed at port the night before too. It was $50 for myself and my two daughters.

 

[MonoMan]

We have used FL Tours for our past four trips and have a great experience. They offer car seats but I do not know if there is an additional charge. In April my family members stayed at the Hyatt and used DCL transfers. They were a total group of six (including 2 kids and 2 grandparents) and they said it couldn't have been any easier, especially with luggage. They booked a good rate using AAA and the other room using a hotel website (not sure which one but the price was less than $200). It was during spring break so rates were high. I also recommend checking hotel rates closer to the date of staying because they do change and often you can rebook at a better rate. Just make sure your originally reservation is refundable.

 

[coloradocutie]

We have two sweet little ones who have needed car seats for all of our cruises so far. We have brought our car seats along for all of them. We travel extensively and consider it a cost (and a heavy hassle ) of traveling with little ones. It is a tricky traveling issue, for sure!

We have hired a car to take us from the hotel to the port and we put in our own carseats. They would not touch them or help us install them- as we expected. We used Mears and they were great. Most recently we stayed at the Hyatt MCO (great rate but got it through signing up for the hyatt gold passport loyalty program for free and then getting the discounted rate) the night prior and used Disney transportation to get us to port. That was wonderful to not have install them. (We still did take our carseats on that cruise (ages 3 and 6) as we needed them after the cruise.) But this option was amazing! If we had not needed our car seats after the cruise, we could have just used Disney transportation both ways and not have taken them.

Lady June nailed it. If she wants the ease of no car seats, you will need to pay a little more for Disney Transportation.
If she wants to save costs and rent a car, she will need car seats. Has she considered the bubble bum inflatable booster for the 6 year old? Or the ride safer vest? https://saferide4kids.com Those might make it a bit easier.

Hope it is a wonderful cruise!