stay at mco or near port?

[m&p'smom]

We have always gone to WDW before the cruises but on our one next year we are not. So what does everyone recommend. Do you stay at a hotel at the airport or do you stay near the port. I have always used Disney transportation so I guess I need to also check into something else. I thought about flying in the day of the cruise but that worries me if there are any flight delays...

 

[scgustafson]

Are you talking pre- or post-cruise? Pre-cruise, it is probably easier to stay by the port, while post-cruise, I would say by the airport.

 

[AUsomEE]

We have always gone to WDW before the cruises but on our one next year we are not. So what does everyone recommend. Do you stay at a hotel at the airport or do you stay near the port. I have always used Disney transportation so I guess I need to also check into something else. I thought about flying in the day of the cruise but that worries me if there are any flight delays...

We stayed at the airport last time pre cruise and have decided to stay at the port this time because it was kind of a hassle to get up and have to drive another hour to get to the port.

This time we will be ~10 mins away!

 

[meliscan]

We have stayed at the Hyatt MCO for the past two cruises. It is so easy to get your luggage to your room and then grab Disney transportation from the airport the next morning. I highly recommend that hotel for ease.

 

[emilyann415]

I have done both and really liked both experiences. My two cents....if you get in early in the day....say before 4pm or so I would head down to the port and enjoy hanging out by the pool. We used Happy Limo to take us down and it worked great. Very nice to get up the next morning and already be there! If getting in later in the day/evening I would stay at MCO personally. It's just nice after all that travel to get your bags and go straight to your room. Next morning we get up and head to the port.....easy peasy.

 

[m&p'smom]

We have stayed at the Hyatt MCO for the past two cruises. It is so easy to get your luggage to your room and then grab Disney transportation from the airport the next morning. I highly recommend that hotel for ease.

I wasn't sure if I could still use Disney transportation if I stayed at MCO so that answered that question! Thanks...It will all depend on the time of our flights the day before. Thanks!

 

[kiford]

We usually do WDW before a cruise for a day or two but this year we're considering just coming down late in the afteroon the day before so would probably stay at the MCO Hyatt. We're not fans of driving ourselves so would prefer to take DCL transfers so it makes the choice of staying at the airport pretty much a forgone conclusion.

 

[CO Lacrosse Mom]

Hotel recommendation for Cocoa Beach. Nothing too pricey.

 

[dsdeleon]

This last cruise we did it right! Flew in the day before and stayed at the Carlson country inn and suites cape canaveral. It's the closest hotel to the port. We woke up to see the Dream waiting for us. They have a VERY good breakfast and the pool the night before was awesome. They have a shuttle service included but we paid top $$ to park at the port. My husband could not get over the parking price until we walked off the ship and zipped outta there and were at Kennedy Space Center by 9 AM.

 

[Ozarkglittergirl]

This last cruise we did it right! Flew in the day before and stayed at the Carlson country inn and suites cape canaveral. It's the closest hotel to the port. We woke up to see the Dream waiting for us. They have a VERY good breakfast and the pool the night before was awesome. They have a shuttle service included but we paid top $$ to park at the port. My husband could not get over the parking price until we walked off the ship and zipped outta there and were at Kennedy Space Center by 9 AM.

Can you tell me how you were transported from your hotel to the ship? What about your luggage? We will be flying into MCO the day before and had planned to use the Hyatt with DCL transport and luggage handling for ease. However, your hotel sounds so much more appealing. Just read your message again snd see you had access to a shuttle.
First time cruiser, never been to FL Help

 

[Ozarkglittergirl]

Just did a little research and found a recommended shuttle to/from airport on the Carlson Country Inn and Suites previous question. Any advice is appreciated though.

 

[AUsomEE]

Hotel recommendation for Cocoa Beach. Nothing too pricey.

We ended up booking the Courtyard by Marriot in Cocoa Beach. I think rooms are around $200 on their site but using a travel site like hotels.com you can get $160.

 

[hamm1207]

We've stayed at the Hyatt MCO (the one at the airport--Orlando Regancy) and done DCL transportation a few times. It's nice and relaxing, especially if your flight gets in late and you're exhausted from traveling. You just have to let them know that you're doing a disney cruise (when you check in) and that you've purchased DCL transportation. They'll pick up your bags (just like they do at WDW) and get them to the ship; then you board DCL transportation downstairs by the Magical Express. I believe the first bus leaves at 9 or 9:30.

 

[dsdeleon]

Can you tell me how you were transported from your hotel to the ship? What about your luggage? We will be flying into MCO the day before and had planned to use the Hyatt with DCL transport and luggage handling for ease. However, your hotel sounds so much more appealing. Just read your message again snd see you had access to a shuttle.
First time cruiser, never been to FL Help

Sorry for the delay! I think the part I forgot to mention is that we kept our car rental from MCO the whole time. So we landed at MCO, got our rental car, drove to Cape Canaveral then drove that rental car to the port, parked it for the week and then used it for another 5 days (at KSC, Universal, Legoland) and then returned it to MCO.

My first cruise I dropped the family off, returned a car, took a shuttle then got off the boat and took another shuttle to get another car. Those 4 hours (which is worst case scenario but it did take that long) were never going to be lost to me again! I will always just have a car (not even my car) parked right there.

This is the most expensive option but works best for our family.

If you just want to do Disney transportation, I like the idea of the Hyatt MCO the night before. Decisions, decisions!

 

[Ozarkglittergirl]

It's a little scary to jump ship (pardon the pun) and leave the security of DCL transportation to/from airport. But now I want to stay at a hotel by the port. No way are we shuttling back to the airport to catch DCL shuttle the morning of embarkation.

Really don't want to rent a car as the cruise is the only thing we are planning so that means private shuttles for transport needs.

Anyone have any experiences they care to share? One HUGE question, is there any way to use DCL transport just one way, back to the airport after debarkation?

It sure gets tricky to do all this. Just realized we'll have to book flights with an approved airline if we use Disney transport upon debarkation ... Arrrrgh matey.

Me thinks it would be easier to either completely go with Disney when it comes to the flights and shuttles or completely do it on your own. No in between.

Someone with experience ease my mind, please.

 

[summerrluvv]

We have done both, stayed near port, and stayed near Airport. Both were fine. The port hotel was nice (Hilton on the beach), but TONS of jellyfish

It's a little scary to jump ship (pardon the pun) and leave the security of DCL transportation to/from airport. But now I want to stay at a hotel by the port. No way are we shuttling back to the airport to catch DCL shuttle the morning of embarkation.

Really don't want to rent a car as the cruise is the only thing we are planning so that means private shuttles for transport needs.

Anyone have any experiences they care to share? One HUGE question, is there any way to use DCL transport just one way, back to the airport after debarkation?

It sure gets tricky to do all this. Just realized we'll have to book flights with an approved airline if we use Disney transport upon debarkation ... Arrrrgh matey.

Me thinks it would be easier to either completely go with Disney when it comes to the flights and shuttles or completely do it on your own. No in between.

Someone with experience ease my mind, please.

You can definitely use the Disney transportation one way. It's $35 per person each way. Our first cruise we rent a one way rental from MCO to the Port area through Hertz. Dropped the car at Hertz in the morning, took their shuttle to the boat. When we disembarked, we just used Disney transportation back to the airport.

I would double check on that Disney approved airline thing. I thought that only applied if you want your bags taken from outside your room directly to the airport. We fly Southwest, and we just took our bags onto the Disney shuttle and checked them at the airport.

 

[Ozarkglittergirl]

We have done both, stayed near port, and stayed near Airport. Both were fine. The port hotel was nice (Hilton on the beach), but TONS of jellyfish


You can definitely use the Disney transportation one way. It's $35 per person each way. Our first cruise we rent a one way rental from MCO to the Port area through Hertz. Dropped the car at Hertz in the morning, took their shuttle to the boat. When we disembarked, we just used Disney transportation back to the airport.

I would double check on that Disney approved airline thing. I thought that only applied if you want your bags taken from outside your room directly to the airport. We fly Southwest, and we just took our bags onto the Disney shuttle and checked them at the airport.

would we have to carry our luggage off ship?

 

[summerrluvv]

would we have to carry our luggage off ship?

If you leave it out the night before, they take it and put it all in the cruise port terminal. Then you retrieve it when you disembark, then go through customs. I *THINK* if you are using an "approved airline" you skip the step of retrieving it from the terminal, and it goes directly to the airport.

 

[Ozarkglittergirl]

Appreciate your help summerrluvv

 

[summerrluvv]

Appreciate your help summerrluvv

No problem!