Transportation Woes for Five

[TAKitty]

I have been looking at transportation companies to take us to the port. Being a family of five, we need a van or SUV.

I contacted some places that seem cheap online only to say the price is 300 or over. Saving 45.00 or less is not enough for me to use a towncar instead of DCL. We would tip DCL but not 20%. Using a towncar is turning into a wash.

So, should I keep looking or just use DCL transportation? We have early seating and I wanted to eat lunch before it got too late, hence using a towncar. It is also our first cruise so I thought getting there a bit earlier would be fun for all of us.

I need some advice. Also, renting a car is out of the picture. The only reason my dh goes to Disney is so that he doesn't have to drive.

 

[all5ofus]

We go through the same analysis with our family of five, but all things being close to a wash, the personal service you get with a towncar service can't be beat. We had a Suburban/Yukon XL and with five of us and tons of luggage we fit fine.

We like being able to decide the schedule we are on and not have to wait for a bus. IMO the service is worth it even if it is a few dollars more.

 

[allears]

We are using Tiffany town car service to the port and DCL back to the air port. The cost with gratuity for the car service is almost exactly the same. There will be 6 of us going to the port from the resort. The only reason we're doing this is to choose our arrival time at the port. So I wouldn't kill yourself just to find a deal, book with a reputable company and enjoy.

 

[kcashner]

You haven't given us enough details to make educated choices.

If you are a family of 5 flying into MCO and going to Port Canaveral, with DCL transfers and a towncar being nearly the same price (don't forget to add the tip to the towncar driver AND a tip to the porters at the ship!), I'd probably take DCL transfers. The reason is simple--DCL will claim your luggage for you so that you won't see it from the time you get onto the plane at your home airport until it appears outside your cabin door, and there is a DCL bus leaving within a few minutes of you getting on board. What I mean is that they start filling a bus as soon as the one before it leaves...and it departs as soon as it is reasonably full.

You will get off the plane, walk downstairs and have DH check you in at the DCL end of the desk...and board the bus. A 10 minute wait and you're on your way to the port.

If you use a towncar, you will have to go to baggage claim and get your luggage (along with your kids.....), find the driver of your car, and check in your bags at the port. I suspect the time factor is also a wash, as you will wait for your bags at the airport and possibly wait a few minutes to give them to the porter.

That leave it for you to decide which is more convenient....at that point I'd vote for DCL transfers.

I'd probably make different choices if I were flying in the night before, etc.

 

[TAKitty]

You haven't given us enough details to make educated choices.

If you are a family of 5 flying into MCO and going to Port Canaveral, with DCL transfers and a towncar being nearly the same price (don't forget to add the tip to the towncar driver AND a tip to the porters at the ship!), I'd probably take DCL transfers. The reason is simple--DCL will claim your luggage for you so that you won't see it from the time you get onto the plane at your home airport until it appears outside your cabin door, and there is a DCL bus leaving within a few minutes of you getting on board. What I mean is that they start filling a bus as soon as the one before it leaves...and it departs as soon as it is reasonably full.

You will get off the plane, walk downstairs and have DH check you in at the DCL end of the desk...and board the bus. A 10 minute wait and you're on your way to the port.

If you use a towncar, you will have to go to baggage claim and get your luggage (along with your kids.....), find the driver of your car, and check in your bags at the port. I suspect the time factor is also a wash, as you will wait for your bags at the airport and possibly wait a few minutes to give them to the porter.

That leave it for you to decide which is more convenient....at that point I'd vote for DCL transfers.

I'd probably make different choices if I were flying in the night before, etc.

We are flying in the night before and staying at AKL. We are staying at AKL after the cruise too.

 

[ESN]

Then I would book a car service to port, and use DCL transfers back to AKL.

Let DCL handle your luggage on the way back to AKL.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

DCL does not handle luggage on the way back to the WDW. You claim your luggage in customs and put the luggage on the bus with you back to WDW.

As far as using DCL transportation from AKL, the same thing applies with the luggage, DCL will take your luggage from your resort the morning of your cruise and deliver it to your stateroom. No need to handle it. I thought the bus ride was a great way to get in the Disney spirit and by the time we arrived at port and checked in, we were able to board the ship and get into our staterooms right away.

 

[kcashner]

We are flying in the night before and staying at AKL. We are staying at AKL after the cruise too.

If timing is an issue, I'd arrange a limo/towncar service. That way you can leave when you want to. OK, so if time isn't a consideration and you have no desire to get to the port early, do DCL transfers and go to AK that morning. They'll take your luggage from AKL and your bodies from AK. Either way it is easy.....really depends on your need to be at port early or not.

 

[allears]

Our price for Tiffany town car included the 20% gratutiy. It's working out to $34 and change per person for the trip to the port (we're also flying in the night before). DCL is $35 a person one way, which we're using to go to the airport after the crusie. We were four people last year and they sent and SUV.

Kcasher (hey k!) is totally right if you were flying in the day of I'd use DCL, but that's not the case.

You will probably choose to tip the porter at the terminal, but that's okay too. It is cool to have the control over when you arrive at the terminal. We've got a 9 am pick up scheduled at Saratoga Springs for our upcoming cruise. We like to get on as soon as we can, we want to spend every minute that we can on the ship.

 

[lbgraves]

Your DH might reconsider renting a car if there is a huge price difference. We rented a minivan after our last cruise and it was $64 a day with Avis using code K199060 that I got off of the mousesavers website. Saving around $500 would motivate almost anyone to drive.

 

[kcashner]

Your DH might reconsider renting a car if there is a huge price difference. We rented a minivan after our last cruise and it was $64 a day with Avis using code K199060 that I got off of the mousesavers website. Saving around $500 would motivate almost anyone to drive.

Yeah, that's my feeling....but she started with the premise that driving wasn't an option. 2 one way rentals makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[MrsNick]

We're flying in the day before our cruise and staying at AKL the night before. We are using the DCL transfers because we like the luggage service and the convenience of leaving our bags in our hotel room, and not seeing them again until we get to port. (Actually, DH doesn't know that he likes the luggage service yet - he will when he gets there and doesn't have to deal with his bag AND mine at the airport, the hotel and port. I usually deal with mine, but am pg this trip and have been told not to lift anything heavy).

Also, I know the DCL bus will leave between 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM and that's just fine for us. I don't think we'd leave earlier than that even with a private car service because the 2 DH's (don't worry, there are 2 DW's, lol) are not exactly the early bird type So we are not in a hurry to get to port opening. We'll just have breakfast and it'll be nice not to rush.

So for us, DCL transfers are just great, but everyone's situation is different. Some people prefer the private car service. Dang, if it wasn't for the luggage convenience, I'd have a darned hard time deciding which to use!

 

[Anal Annie]

If your DH does not want to drive your options are limited. We used Happy Limo (see if there's a discount code on the mousesavers.com website before reserving - sometimes you can get a few dollars off). We had a town car between MCO and WDW and then they showed up in an Escalade for the trip to the port... LOVED being picked up door to door and getting to the port early... Also got a free grocery stop between MCO and WDW to pick up water & beer etc. We stayed at AKV pre-cruise...had breakfast ressies at Boma around 8:15 or so. Had the car service arranged for 9:30. Got to the port by around 10:30 and were among some of the first to be able to board.

You can use DME between MCO and WDW for free so I'd price a couple of car services for the port & see which one has the best bottom line (including tolls & tip). Personally, I'd rather do that than pay $35 pp each way to ride a bus! With the DCL bus you're looking at $175 each way or $350. Looking at the Happy Limo pricing for a Chevy Suburban it looks like it is $280 RT between Disney and the port. With a 20% tip each way that would bring the total to $336.

http://www.happylimo.com/orlando_limousine_rates.html

Rate sheet:
http://www.happylimo.com/orlando_limousine_rates.html#FORD%20EXCURSION

 

[TAKitty]

Your DH might reconsider renting a car if there is a huge price difference. We rented a minivan after our last cruise and it was $64 a day with Avis using code K199060 that I got off of the mousesavers website. Saving around $500 would motivate almost anyone to drive.

Actually, we both drive an hour to work each day (one way) so saving money by renting a car is not worth it for my dh. The saving money is more my issue . I actually did look into renting a car but we are going over spring break and the cost was pretty high.

Right now I am leaning towards a private car at least one way. I will do some more research. Thanks!!!

 

[TAKitty]

Thanks for all of your help! I feel a real relief booking a towncar today. I talked to my family last night and they agreed that taking the Disney transportation is not that big a deal because we use ME all the time.

Plus they said that they didn't want anything standing in their way for lunch on the ship.

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks for all of your help! I feel a real relief booking a towncar today. I talked to my family last night and they agreed that taking the Disney transportation is not that big a deal because we use ME all the time.

Plus they said that they didn't want anything standing in their way for lunch on the ship.

FYI...you are not assigned a specific time for lunch (early/late) at all on the cruise. The early/late only applies dinner each night and breakfast the last morning. Lunch is always whenever/where ever you choose.

The two areas open for embarkation lunch are Topsider's/BBB or Parrot Cay. Both serve the same meal, but PC has servers who seat you and bring you your beverages.

Duh....I just re-read your original post and I see you want to eat early so you are hungry again for your early seating dinner....right??? LOL!

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks for all of your help! I feel a real relief booking a towncar today. I talked to my family last night and they agreed that taking the Disney transportation is not that big a deal because we use ME all the time.

Plus they said that they didn't want anything standing in their way for lunch on the ship.

Good move I think. I hope you got something a little bigger than a town car though...you need room for luggage for 5 unless are one of those AMAZING packers who have it down to a science and never overpack!!

 

[TAKitty]

Good move I think. I hope you got something a little bigger than a town car though...you need room for luggage for 5 unless are one of those AMAZING packers who have it down to a science and never overpack!!

I got a van. Yes, we are amazing packers who never overpack. Seriously. My dh only lets us travel with carry on luggage. For some reason he doesn't like to be apart from his bag . He does wheel my bag and his around the airport etc. so I can't complain.