Port Parking Lot - Disembark time

[chrisd596]

We have a 11:50 flt out of MCO. I will have a dollar rental car at the Port.

What's the earliest, on the average, do you think I could pass through customs and be on my way to the airport??

I plan on stopping at the Narcoossee Road exit to fill up w/ gas.


I'll have to check in 1 luggage, and don't believe I can use onboard airline check in w/ dcl without using the dcl bus transportation.

I am TSA pre, so that part of my time hopefully will be sort of short.

Thanks for the info.

Chris

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Port Canaveral? If the planets align properly, you will probably be able to clear customs by 7:30 or so.

 

[chrisd596]

Thanks. Do you know if there are people I could tip that would take my luggage and give me the boarding pass instead of waiting on the lines. At PHL when my kids drop us off, there are workers right there and do this very quickly that you tip.

Since we're not being dropped off, and entering the terminal in a different area, I was wondering if there was a way to take care of lugguage/boarding passes quickly.

Thanks
Chris

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks. Do you know if there are people I could tip that would take my luggage and give me the boarding pass instead of waiting on the lines. At PHL when my kids drop us off, there are workers right there and do this very quickly that you tip.

You don't say which airline but here are typically skycaps at the curb to take your luggage and issue you a boarding pass. The way MCO is laid out you can drive up to the Departures level and drop your bags, get boarding passes and then drive around the loop back to the car rental return.

 

[chrisd596]

Thank you. That would help. We are flying American Airlines. So I"ll start looking at the airline layout map I find online.

 

[Weedy]

Will you be at Port Canaveral? The rental car companies are not located at the port. They area a few miles from the port. You will need to take a shuttle van to their location to rent your car. Sometimes the lines can be long for the shuttles and they will stop at more than one cruise line to pick up people.

 

[chrisd596]

No it's a round trip rental to the airport. I got a really good price. But thinking about the times...getting off the ship early is ok, but than lines at customs, potential road traffic, getting gas, returning car, checking in luggage... catching an 1150 flight, when I've done the dcl bus to the airport, it just runs effortless.

Of course I hate to give up the convenience of having that van for our 2 days at WDW as well.

 

[mmouse37]

The OP is parking his rental at the port (I think based on the title of thread). That is what we did in August. Rented a car at MCO, spent 3 nights at WDW, parked at the port for the 7 day cruise and spent another 3 nights at WDW and the rental was cheaper for the whole time than two one-way rentals.

MJ

 

[jeepnjudy]

You can pass through customs more quickly if you walk off the ship WITH your luggage rather than trying to find it amongst all the other luggage. We do this for every cruise now and beat the rush!

 

[KMCPharmD]

We did this exact thing a few weeks ago. Rented a car from dollar at the airport, parked it at port canaveral, and drove it back to MCO after the cruise. We ate at cabanas on the day we disembarked, walked off the ship somewhere between 7:30 and 8... I can't quite remember. Got our luggage and was on our way. We had a noon departure and are also TSA precheck. We got to the airport so early I tried looking to see if there was an earlier flight we could get on. We were waiting at the gate at 9:45... anything can happen but we had more time waiting to depart than I usually do when I travel!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

don't believe I can use onboard airline check in w/ dcl without using the dcl bus transportation.

To participate in the Onboard Airline check in you must have purchased EITHER DCL transfers or purchased your flights through DCL.

 

[chrisd596]

We did this exact thing a few weeks ago. Rented a car from dollar at the airport, parked it at port canaveral, and drove it back to MCO after the cruise. We ate at cabanas on the day we disembarked, walked off the ship somewhere between 7:30 and 8... I can't quite remember. Got our luggage and was on our way. We had a noon departure and are also TSA precheck. We got to the airport so early I tried looking to see if there was an earlier flight we could get on. We were waiting at the gate at 9:45... anything can happen but we had more time waiting to depart than I usually do when I travel!

Yes that's my exact situation. Have an 11:55 flight. Will leave between 730-8am. Need to pick up gas and check in luggage/boarding pass. It looks like it can be done.

 

[chrisd596]

Yes that's my exact situation. Have an 11:55 flight. Will leave between 730-8am. Need to pick up gas and check in luggage/boarding pass. It looks like it can be done.

 

[chrisd596]

What time does Cabanas open ??

 

[KMCPharmD]

What time does Cabanas open ??

I'm not exactly sure when they open. We got up there between 7-7:15 and there were plenty of people already up there. Also just to note, we also had to check luggage. The only thing we didn't do is fill up gas since we bought the pre-paid gas from dollar. We did use one of the people who helped find our luggage and take it out to our car (and tipped him of course) and would do that again in a heartbeat. We gave him our room number and he found our luggage in just a few seconds. It also seemed like we got through customs way faster with him with us. I got the feeling that they don't want to hold them up as much since they have work to do... not sure if that is true but just what it seemed like to me. Also, I was surprised by how there was really no traffic getting to the airport. I was worried that at that time of day there would be a lot, but I was totally wrong.

 

[bumbershoot]

Rather than filling up just before the airport or prepaying for an entire tank (only good if you're committed to driving in on fumes), you could just add the $5/gal (approx) cost as convenience.

Fill up before you park at the port then it's just whatever you use going from PC to MCO. Exorbitant price per gallon compared to what you could spend, but a gallon or two isn't going to kill you, and it gives you more time.

 

[mmouse37]

I love TSA precheck but it was always random if we would get it or not. Sometimes I would get TSA precheck and my husband would not so I would go in the regular line with him. I finally gave in and signed up for the TSA precheck for five years for $85. I figure broken down over five years it is not that much per year and well worth the time we will save going through security (we fly pretty often a year).

Signed up online and then had a very short in person interview and then received my KTN (known traveler number) which I need to add to every airline reservation from now on. My husband is going for his personal interview Friday. If anyone is interested here is the link:

https://universalenroll.dhs.gov/

MJ

 

[chrisd596]

Yes, we've done the TSA precheck we've done as well is great, not costly considering 5 years and 4 trips/per year...

Thanks
Chris

 

[chrisd596]

Also I was thinking about the convenience fee as well. Called Dollar and they said I would have to ask at the rental desk. I'll check it out...

 

[adamki]

The Wawa gas station on Semoran is convenient, just North of the airport and charges reasonable prices for fuel.

Whatever you do, do not stop at the Sun Gas station that is just a block or so before the Wawa. You will find Regular gas is $5.00/gal at Sun Gas and $2.00/gal at Wawa.