Getting to Port Canaveral

[happythoughts & pixiedust]

We have a Disney Cruise booked out of Port Canaveral in May 2022. We are flying into Orlando and plan to do Disney World either before or after the cruise. With the loss of Magic Express, we'd be looking at 3 transfers (Airport to Port to WDW to Airport). The problem is those transfers will likely cost over $400.

What is the best alternative to buying transfers? Is renting a car the best way to go at this point? I'm guessing a rental for the entire length of stay (8-9 nights) would only run $300-400.

Is there easy/convenient/affordable parking right at the port? If so, anyone with experience parking there know the cost to park during a 3 night cruise?

 

[Sykes]

I am a big fan of getting a rental car for both WDW and Port Canaveral, but do check rental car prices now if you can. The rental car shortage has made them quite a bit more expensive than they used to be.

Port Canaveral has super easy parking that is walking distance to the ships for $17/day. There are a bunch of third party lots that have a shuttle to the Port that are a fair bit cheaper (e.g. $9/day or less), but honestly for a 3-night cruise (which would be 4 days of parking) I'd probably just pay the Port premium.

For budgeting purposes, also keep in mind that resorts at WDW now charge for parking ($15-$25/nt. depending on category) unless you are a DVC member staying on points, so that will be another cost.

When you add it all up, you'll probably find that a rental car will probably be more expensive than the replacement for Magical Express plus the transfers, but for me it's worth the extra cost to have the freedom to drive around the resort when I want to and to keep my own schedule for the drive to the Port.

 

[happythoughts & pixiedust]

Thanks for the info! Glad to hear the parking is easy and affordable at the port. We are DVC Members, so probably getting the car with port parking will cost similar to the transfers, but like you said, it gives a lot more flexibility. Now to decide whether it's worth hauling the two 30 lb. carseats...

What do you find you use the car for at WDW? We've always just done Magic Express and relied on buses/monorail/boats, so don't really know what I'm missing by not having a car at WDW. We'd have to have annual passes to get free parking at the parks, correct?

 

[jcarwash]

With all our prior cruises, we've done one-way rentals (MCO to port, port to MCO), which is really easy to do and keeps the costs down -- you don't need to pay to park a rental car for the length of your cruise. The local rental agencies all have shuttles to get you to and from the ship.

Unfortunately you can't price out one-way port rentals right now, because the local offices (Hertz, National/Alamo/Enterprise, etc.) are closed until cruising starts up again.

 

[Girl of the South]

I read that Mears is going to do transfers to the park, but not under the Disney 'flag'? Meaning they are now independent contractors. Same buses, same good service (they say) but you would book directly with them and I think no luggage transfers? Didn't they used to deliver luggage directly to your room? I haven't heard that they have picked up the transport to the ships yet, but I bet they do.

 

[Husker Mike]

Rental cars are a mess right now, as they sold off their inventory last year as travel plummeted. Now, new car production is sluggish due to issues with semiconductor manufacturing. Depending on the market, rental car rates can vary between three and five times what you would have paid pre-COVID. It's especially a problem in Hawai'i, where I've heard reports of people renting U-hauls for their vacations.

https://www.ketv.com/article/rental...ul-trucks/36223408?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot
Shuttle services, town cars and Lyft/Uber are probably going to be the best options for the forseeable future.

 

[Sykes]

What do you find you use the car for at WDW? We've always just done Magic Express and relied on buses/monorail/boats, so don't really know what I'm missing by not having a car at WDW. We'd have to have annual passes to get free parking at the parks, correct?

I'll preface this by saying that we don't have to take any carseats, so any additional hassle there isn't factored in. We take a car pretty much anywhere that we would otherwise use a bus or boat. We'll take the Skyliner or Monorail when we can, but only really consider taking the bus if we're going to Magic Kingdom. For us the bus just isn't very magical ... especially when they're running behind for some reason. It's especially useful if you're planning for an early-morning arrival because you can time your arrival a lot more tightly because you don't have to worry about bus variability. Even for the Skyliner or Monorail resorts the car is useful if you're traveling right at open or close--we had a 30 minute wait at the transfer point for the Skyliner last week going to Hollywood Studios near open. We dine at the resorts a lot too, so it takes a ton of hassle out of resort-to-resort travel. It's a bit more of a hassle right now since the parking lot trams aren't running, but it's not that bad--it was never more than a 10 minute walk for us from the car to the front of the park.

 

[happythoughts & pixiedust]

For us the bus just isn't very magical ...

Yes, I'd have to agree, and the more I think about it, in the COVID era I don't relish the thought of riding with a bunch of other people. I think car is the way to go.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Thanks for the info! Glad to hear the parking is easy and affordable at the port. We are DVC Members, so probably getting the car with port parking will cost similar to the transfers, but like you said, it gives a lot more flexibility.
......

We'd have to have annual passes to get free parking at the parks, correct?

Since you are staying onsite, you will not have to pay for parking at the parks. This is the case for all onsite guests.

DVC staying on points or members staying at a DVC resort on cash do not pay for parking at the resort or at the parks.

 

[deliela999]

We stayed at Art Of Animation about as far away from the bus stop as possible. At checkin the cast member was showing us on the map and suggested we drive and park closer to where the bus picks up to avoid the long walk. We were certainly glad when we were worn out at the end of the day not to have to walk so far.

We found parking at the port easy and when I added up a full week of rental car plus parking at the port for our 3 day cruise vs turning the car in for the cruise and renting another or any other way back to MCO it made more sense to keep the car.

 

[soniam]

Rental cars are a mess right now, as they sold off their inventory last year as travel plummeted. Now, new car production is sluggish due to issues with semiconductor manufacturing. Depending on the market, rental car rates can vary between three and five times what you would have paid pre-COVID. It's especially a problem in Hawai'i, where I've heard reports of people renting U-hauls for their vacations.

That's one way to save money on a hotel in Hawaii. Just put an inflatable mattress in the back of the uhaul.

 

[Pooh93]

Price out a towncar service. Tiffany Towncar, Happy Limo etc. I have also heard rental cars are a mess.

 

[Girl of the South]

Here is the article about Mears shuttle to the Parks. Am pretty sure they will also do a shuttle to the ships . . . . without the luggage assistance it may not be worth it but we'll see!

Mears Shuttle to DisneyWorld

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Am pretty sure they will also do a shuttle to the ships .

You can add DCL transfers MCO to port on your DCL reservation. No need to do it separately. From the DCL website:

Ground transfers between Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral are available for purchase. Airport transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only

 

[fitzpa]

You can add DCL transfers MCO to port on your DCL reservation. No need to do it separately. From the DCL website:

Ground transfers between Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral are available for purchase. Airport transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only

Good to know

 

[SuzGM84]

You can add DCL transfers MCO to port on your DCL reservation. No need to do it separately. From the DCL website:

Ground transfers between Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral are available for purchase. Airport transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only

Can you add this service if you come in day early. For example, if we flew in the night before, stayed at a hotel at the airport then used this service on embarkation day to get to the port?

 

[lanejudy]

Can you add this service if you come in day early. For example, if we flew in the night before, stayed at a hotel at the airport then used this service on embarkation day to get to the port?

Yes.

 

[lanejudy]

I haven't heard that they have picked up the transport to the ships yet, but I bet they do.

Am pretty sure they will also do a shuttle to the ships . . .

Mears already provides the DCL Transfers between MCO & PC and also WDW & PC and has for several years. It's booked through DCL, not thru Mears. DCL did not have "Magical Express" service and therefore is not impacted by the cancellation of that program.

 

[pjacobi]

Don't rent a car and then park it for 7 days! Rent a 1-way car to the port, then another 1-way to return the back to the airport.

-Paul

 

[Travel60]

Second (third?) renting two one ways. We usually drive our own car but last cruise we flew into MCO. Rented a car in the morning and drove to PC. Hubby dropped me and luggage off and left to turn in car while I went into terminal. He was back in minutes, no wait. When we returned to PC, he went to get car while I got the luggage. By the time I was coming out, he was back.