Transportation... what am I missing/ (x post)

[luxlvr]

{X Post - Disney Resorts. Thought i would check with both the Land and the Sea People.}

Planning a Land and Sea trip. (Well, Sea then Land because of the time of year and crowds). 5 day/ 4 night Cruise + 5 day/ 4 night at WDW. DH, DS (9), DS (7) , DD (5).

I've looked into a ton of transportation options and everything seems outrageously expensive. Usually we use Happy Limo Service and have been very pleased with the service. They even provide car seats which one of my children still needs. The trip is usually around $250 - $300 to and from WDW. I like them bc then I don't need to worry about traffic/ directions/ toll/ insurance, etc. I would LOVE to use them again but because of the 3 transfers (MCO to PC, PC to WDW, WDW to MCO) the cost is getting pretty high.

Looked into renting a car, but that seems like it will still be about $300 for the 10 days and then I need to worry about insurance, car seat, parking at PC, etc.

ME does the $35/ pp, MCO to PC but that's $175 each way... mind as well rent the car...

I'm fine with spending the money if it's what we need to do. I just feel like there has got to be something I missing. Maybe there is another transportation company out there that could do the transfers for the same $300 ballpark?? Is it better to just rent the car and stay in a hotel close to the ship to take a transfer / uber over there? Usually, transportation doesn't confuse me this much, but with Land and Sea there seems to be a lot moving pieces!

If you have done something that's worked or I'm just missing an amazing deal on car rentals or something else equally as awesome, would you mind sharing it.

Thanks so much!!

 

[openwater]

Nowadays one-way car rentals are very affordable and often the cheapest option for 2 or more traveling together. My recommendation for families looking to save money!

Please know it is unnecessary to park the rental car. Return it at the port and pick a new one on your return.

Hertz
Budget
Dollar
Thrifty
Avis
National
Alamo

For more information, go here for RENTAL CARS and here for PORT TRANSPORTATION

On average, expect to pay:

from $20 per person for a shared shuttle,
from $120 for a luxury sedan (up to 3 people) or private shuttle vans (up to 12 people)
from $150 to $350 for a stretch limousine (6 to 8 people). Note: rates are all over the place for limousines. It helps to shop around!

from $115 for Uber in a large SUV for 4 passengers according to reports
from $40 for a one-way car rental (rates do change often)

Please know a 20% tip is expected for shuttle and limo services; do not forget to budget accordingly

Shared shuttles depart from parking areas A15 or B15 when the vans are full. Always ask about wait-times before booking so you do not wait a long time. “Generally” loading begins at 9:15am or later with hourly departures until the last transfer at 12:30pm.

Which Shuttle companies to use?

Here is a list of companies we see often on the road between Orlando and Port Canaveral. If you have a large party (say 10 or more people), I suggest you contact Mears, Travelynx Stylus and AA Access because they have experience with large group transfers.

Uber- Getting more popular and the feedback continues to be positive. UberBLACK can do curbside pickups at the airport.
Cocoa Beach Shuttle– based near Port Canaveral. The “go to” shuttle for many cruisers. Also offer scheduled shared shuttles. Preferred by many Canaveral hotels for port and airport transfers.
Executive VIP Limousine– based near Port Canaveral. Many good reviews on the internet.
Happy Limousine – Recommended by some Disney travel agencies
Mears Shuttle – With a desk at Orlando Airport ensuring personal service. Operates the Disney and Carnival transfer buses.
Groundlink – A nation-wide value-add service trusted by many travelers. Also has exclusive agreements with some cruise lines. Often more expensive but you can trust the service.
Travelynx Stylus – A large company with a good reputation. The preferred transfer company for many Canaveral hotels. Parent company is based in Orlando.
888-Transportation– based in Cape Canaveral with an exclusive agreement with Port Canaveral, allowing hail services. They have taxis waiting at the cruise terminals.
Cortrans Shuttle– Consistently one of the cheaper shuttles with good reviews. Also offer scheduled shared shuttles. Based in Orlando.
AA Access Transport– One of the most popular shuttles with shared scheduled services and vans of all sizes. Based in Orlando.
FL Tours- Recommended by several Disney Travel Agencies. Based in Orlando

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

{X Post - Disney Resorts. Thought i would check with both the Land and the Sea People.}

Planning a Land and Sea trip. (Well, Sea then Land because of the time of year and crowds). 5 day/ 4 night Cruise + 5 day/ 4 night at WDW. DH, DS (9), DS (7) , DD (5).

I've looked into a ton of transportation options and everything seems outrageously expensive. Usually we use Happy Limo Service and have been very pleased with the service. They even provide car seats which one of my children still needs. The trip is usually around $250 - $300 to and from WDW. I like them bc then I don't need to worry about traffic/ directions/ toll/ insurance, etc. I would LOVE to use them again but because of the 3 transfers (MCO to PC, PC to WDW, WDW to MCO) the cost is getting pretty high.

Looked into renting a car, but that seems like it will still be about $300 for the 10 days and then I need to worry about insurance, car seat, parking at PC, etc.

ME does the $35/ pp, MCO to PC but that's $175 each way... mind as well rent the car...

I'm fine with spending the money if it's what we need to do. I just feel like there has got to be something I missing. Maybe there is another transportation company out there that could do the transfers for the same $300 ballpark?? Is it better to just rent the car and stay in a hotel close to the ship to take a transfer / uber over there? Usually, transportation doesn't confuse me this much, but with Land and Sea there seems to be a lot moving pieces!

If you have done something that's worked or I'm just missing an amazing deal on car rentals or something else equally as awesome, would you mind sharing it.

Thanks so much!!

Are you staying at a Disney resort? If so, your transfer to MCO are covered with ME. We always use a combination of ME and HappyLimo, it's always been the easiest and most economical.

 

[luxlvr]

Are you staying at a Disney resort? If so, your transfer to MCO are covered with ME. We always use a combination of ME and HappyLimo, it's always been the easiest and most economical.

Yes, staying at the POLY. I thought that the ME transfers would be $35/ pp for MCO to PC and then $35/ pp for PC to WDW but that the WDW to MCO would be free. So that's still $350 for transfers. Might just get private transfers for that price! wow!

Thank you!

 

[luxlvr]

WOW! So much great info @openwater !! Thank you!!!

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Yes, staying at the POLY. I thought that the ME transfers would be $35/ pp for MCO to PC and then $35/ pp for PC to WDW but that the WDW to MCO would be free. So that's still $350 for transfers. Might just get private transfers for that price! wow!

Thank you!

You are correct but ME and DCL transfers are not the same, so you have to think of them differently. For the amount of people you have, private transfers are definitely cheaper.

 

[luxlvr]

You are correct but ME and DCL transfers are not the same, so you have to think of them differently. For the amount of people you have, private transfers are definitely cheaper.

Thank you!!

 

[minorthr]

I've found that even with paying to park at the port keeping the rental the entire time and is cheaper then dropping it off and picking up another at least in our case. Example Enterprise Suv $319 for first leg $195 for second leg $514 total vs keeping it the entire time $316 + $75 to park =$391

we are staying off property.

 

[luxlvr]

So here's what I have for quotes so far:
All quotes are MCO to PC, PC to WDW, WDW to MCO

Tiffany Town Car (no longer has stretch Limo Service) SUV RATE = $498 (gratuity included)

Ace Cars LIMO RATE = $600 (gratuity included) SUV RATE = $408 (gratuity included)

FL Tours LIMO RATE = $415 (gratuity NOT included) so more like $515

I'll report back if I get any more!

 

[lanejudy]

All quotes are MCO to PC, PC to WDW, WDW to MCO

While you are certainly welcome to use (pay) for a car service for the WDW to MCO leg, you could do that 3rd leg free via Magical Express. If you are looking to keep the cost down, I would drop that and simply get quotes for the first 2 legs MCO to PC and PC to WDW.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[luxlvr]

While you are certainly welcome to use (pay) for a car service for the WDW to MCO leg, you could do that 3rd leg free via Magical Express. If you are looking to keep the cost down, I would drop that and simply get quotes for the first 2 legs MCO to PC and PC to WDW.

Enjoy your cruise!

I keep going back and forth on this one. We really like to get every last moment out of our vacation and might do 1/2 a day in a park or DS in the am before a 3:00PM flight. I'm thinking if we use ME we need to leave WDW by 10am or 11am, cutting the trip short. I guess I'm paying more $$ for those few precious hours

 

[n2mm]

We are doing two one way rentals. We have a rental up and back with national for $50 each way. If you have full coverage on your personal car most insurance companies cover a rental. You can double check with your company. We have a full size reserved for each way. By having a rental we can pick up the extras we need and control what time we arrive at the port.