Transportation question

[Snowysmom]

We are looking at taking a 3 night cruise then staying 4 nights at POFQ. DH does not want to drive to Port Canaveral so we are looking at taking the Disney bus service. We want to get a rental car for the 4 nights at POFQ. If we take the bus back to the airport after the cruise, is it easy for us to go to the car rental garage to get our rental? We always do the online checkin and can bypass the desk. DH really likes to have a car while we are at WDW so I can't talk him out of that. We do stop at a grocery store and eat offsite one night. We have been to WDW many times but this is our first Disney cruise. I am sure I will have more questions as the planning goes on. Disboarders have the best info. Thanks.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If your rental car pick up is on the airport and most are then it's a quick walk over the road or down and under through the subway.

I have picked up Dollar, Alamo there and one other I can't recall, there signed very well.

There are different levels, the signs often direct you down and under the road, then back up from the subway, when you can just cross the road at the pedestrian crossing.

They are all close together, in fact from what I recall each lane in the rental car lot is for a different company.

I always found it compact, and quick to get to, I have been dropped if by DCL coach before and it's all in the same place, we got dropped of st the Hyatt entrance which is in the middle of A and B side.

 

[openwater]

Here is a list of on-airport rental companies:

 

[lanejudy]

You could also pick-up a rental in Port Canaveral to save time. Drive to WDW and return it at the airport.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Plaid Princess]

Another option is to take the Disney transport directly to WDW, and then pick up a rental at the Car Care Center Alamo.

 

[openwater]

I wonder if the daily rates from Alamo for example will differ greatly between the 3 pickup options - Port, Airport or Disney? The Port pickup makes most sense to me from a cost point of view.

 

[FigmentSpark]

It will cost more, but you're paying for transportation back to Orlando anyway, so you'd save that.... and hassle.

Does anyone know if the Port selection is as good as at MCO, though? That could be a deciding factor.

 

[Plaid Princess]

It will cost more, but you're paying for transportation back to Orlando anyway, so you'd save that.... and hassle.

Does anyone know if the Port selection is as good as at MCO, though? That could be a deciding factor.

I think the port selection really depends on what they are planning to receive as one way drop offs. The last cruise we did with a larger group, I rented a 14 passenger van because it was the most economical, but they only showed it as available going to the Port, not for the return at the end of the cruise. I had to call and specifically request it for the return.

 

[Snowysmom]

Thanks everyone. I knew I would find great info here. We are leaning towards renting a car at the Port after the cruise. We usually rent with Alamo so it looks like it should be fairly easy.

 

[bumbershoot]

If we take the bus back to the airport after the cruise, is it easy for us to go to the car rental garage to get our rental?

Yes it is easy.

I wonder if the daily rates from Alamo for example will differ greatly between the 3 pickup options - Port, Airport or Disney? The Port pickup makes most sense to me from a cost point of view.

It might. It might not. Rentals vary, so you have to check! And check and check again over time. You're ultimately comparing the $35 per person to take transport back to the airport + the rental cost from MCO vs the rental cost from the port.

Even when the office was down the road a bit it was easy, and now that the agency is very close and much bigger it's easier. Though I can't speak about the shuttle from the DCL area of the port, because I've just realized we took the shuttle after a Royal cruise. It was a bit of a mess there; perhaps Disney has it a bit better under control with a proper line-up spot.