I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[castoral]

I did this before our trip in April. Matching to Wyndham was very quick, maybe a day or 2. Matching to Caesars was super slow and I ended up messaging them and getting them to manually do it after 2 weeks of waiting. Also, just an FYI that the waived resort fee didn't count on my stay booked with URs and the $100 dinner credit apparently needed to be activated at customer service and required a week to show up, so we didn't get to use it as it didn't show up until we were back home.

Thanks for the information! Nothing in life is as easy as it sounds! LOL!

 

[Lain]

Earn and burn!

Well, I just burned 90k URs → Hyatt to book a long weekend to celebrate my wife's upcoming birthday. Feels good.

 

[Oscar Madison]

I use Tony Hinds for all my Orlando area non DME transportation. He's great! He has a big van and you do not share with anyone else. When I used him last year to go from MCO to Port Canaveral he charged $210 roundtrip. When I use him to go from MCO to Universal he charges $100 roundtrip, and he stops at the grocery store. If your interested, his email is aobh67 at gmail.com

Excellent info! Thank you.

 

[Oscar Madison]

For our honeymoon we rented a car. We were going from BLT to Port, so we picked it up in the morning from Disney car care, it was about $75. The worst part was waiting for the shuttle to come get us at BLT. We're doing it again next month, renting from the Dolphin because it's half the price - $50 to $60. We have 5 people plus luggage but all are light packers, so I'm debating fullsize car vs SUV and that's the price range. It was very easy to drop off at the alamo by port and take their shuttle over (~5mins). Could be worth pricing out. We are staying at the Residence Inn by port the night after our cruise at the end of June, and stayed at the La Quinta Cocoa Beach on our honeymoon. LQ was nice and clean, basic, but I got an oceanfront balcony which was my goal there

Thank you..going to check out this LQ and the Residence INN. So the shuttle that picked you up was from Disney Car Care? Is the Alamo rent a car at Disney car care?

 

[amalone1013]

Thank you..going to check out this LQ and the Residence INN. So the shuttle that picked you up was from Disney Car Care? Is the Alamo rent a car at Disney car care?

Yup, they have Alamo and National at Disney Car Care. I think it was technically an Alamo/National shuttle if I remember right. It was like a 12 passenger van. They already had someone, then came to BLT then went to WL. We just asked at the BLT desk the day before and they told us the time to be ready and took care of contacting the shuttle (kinda like DME). I also think the driver called me that morning too when he was on his way.

There are two LQs along there, this is the one we stayed at: https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/laquinta/cocoa-beach-florida/la-quinta-cocoa-beach-oceanfront/overview
I booked it on the UR portal for 8kish points for a Monday night in September. Not sure what it runs in the summer. I would have booked there again for next month too, but mainly was looking for somewhere to use Marriott FN certs. I picked the RI because we will have ILs and DHs aunt in one room, and BIL may sleep on the sofa bed with DH and I if he comes, and studio/one bedroom rooms at the RI are eligible for the certs.

 

[Calfan]

P.S. Not mine!

Just saw your PS that those aren't yours, @Lain, but I can beat that balance by 13,307 UR! I've also got over seven hundred K MR in my account right now. One of those stashes is going to be hit when we book our Japan flights in June. I'm actually getting pretty ansty to actually use some of those points. The high balances make me nervous for some reason...

 

[Oscar Madison]

Went on a cruise out of Port Canaveral in March. We flew in the day before and stayed at Country Inn & Suites in Port Canaveral (Niece worked for them at the time and we got a friends and family rate). Had free breakfast and we were able to walk to some restaurants for dinner.

We booked a shuttle through Orlando Shuttle Service. They picked us up at the Airport and brought us to our hotel and then they picked us up from the Port and brought us back after the cruise. There was 7 of us and the total RT Fare was $294 (includes tip). We just did Uber from Hotel to the Port as it was so close. If you do this - make sure to get an Uber earlier in the morning as there are lots of hotels in the area and other cruisers doing the same thing. Our driver said he does these short trips all the time but a lot of the drivers only want the longer trips so could take you a while to get a driver. We went down at about 10-10:30 and had to book 2 UBER XL's for the 7 of us (lots of luggage). I booked one UBER and my son booked the other.

Free breakfast is a good idea. We'll check out the Country INN and Suites too. So for the two of us, how early do they let you on the ship? Thank you so much. Getting excited.

 

[Lain]

Just saw your PS that those aren't yours, @Lain, but I can beat that balance by 13,307 UR! I've also got over seven hundred K MR in my account right now.

Don't encourage @SouthFayetteFan!

 

[Oscar Madison]

Yup, they have Alamo and National at Disney Car Care. I think it was technically an Alamo/National shuttle if I remember right. It was like a 12 passenger van. They already had someone, then came to BLT then went to WL. We just asked at the BLT desk the day before and they told us the time to be ready and took care of contacting the shuttle (kinda like DME). I also think the driver called me that morning too when he was on his way.

There are two LQs along there, this is the one we stayed at: https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/laquinta/cocoa-beach-florida/la-quinta-cocoa-beach-oceanfront/overview
I booked it on the UR portal for 8kish points for a Monday night in September. Not sure what it runs in the summer. I would have booked there again for next month too, but mainly was looking for somewhere to use Marriott FN certs. I picked the RI because we will have ILs and DHs aunt in one room, and BIL may sleep on the sofa bed with DH and I if he comes, and studio/one bedroom rooms at the RI are eligible for the certs.

I really appreciate the knowledge. Thank you. I'll check the UR portal.

 

[pillow]

Booked a RC cruise (1st timers) for July with a POFQ stay afterwards. We are flying into MCO the day before the cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions for places to stay the night before the cruise? Do you stay in Port Canaveral? Additionally, any suggestions on getting from MCO to Port Canaveral. We will do DME on the return trip. Thanks

You could stay at the airport Hyatt and then take goportcanaveral transportation directly to the port. One way is only $15 per person with them.

Prior to our last cruise, we Ubered to the Courtyard Cocoa Beach cause I wanted to walk the beach the next morning. Then we took whatever cheap transportation they provide to the port. Nice hotel!

Editing - we’ve also stayed in La Quinta oceanfront, which was nice too and includes breakfast.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Don't encourage @SouthFayetteFan!

I will make it to 2 MILLION NOW!!!! muahahahaha... (I kid...I hope.......)

 

[afan]

@Lain u can tell your wife, Ewoks were reported in the vicinity.
will confirm tomorrow!

Make it a meet and greet or at least let me take a decent pic if wandering like country bears and you'll actually get me to want to go. I'm looking forward to not having to ride star tours in aug since I'm solo

 

[Lain]

I will make it to 2 MILLION NOW!!!! muahahahaha... (I kid...I hope.......)

Take these bows as yours, oh benevolent dictator, and actually spend some of your points!

Amazing

O
M
G
!!!

 

[Judique]

Tornado warning for us until 4:15pm.....spotted over the US Capitol area...off to the basement.

 

[spacerangerqueen]

Just got an email from the service we pay our HOA fees through offering a $75 Amazon gift card for paying with an Amex. Um, yes please! Especially since this payment is usually from my bank account.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Take these bows as yours, oh benevolent dictator, and actually spend some of your points!

Hahaha - At this point it's really my emergency fund. But I'm leaving them as URs in case a great travel redemption pops up and then they suddenly can be worth significantly more. If I put them in some sort of 2% money market, it would take 2 decades to have them increase to 1.50x their value. The right trip (or the return of Disney) could bring that return overnight.

 

[wanderlust7]

I thought about it for a long time. I really did. I thought I would hate seeing that MR balance disappear. But I gained something so wonderful and we've already had so many wonderful experiences, I don't regret it for a minute. Picking up the Aspire card was a really good call too because I can stretch those 60 points really far by banking and sometimes borrowing and then supplementing in off years with other hotels (my favorite being the Waldorf.) I generally get around 1cpp for that hotel too, which as you know, is a killer redemption rate for Hilton points. I was always so afraid to try that resort.. I thought it would be so stuffy and frou frou and I am anything but. Turns out those fears were totally unfounded and I am completely smitten with that hotel. Our last room there, had views of the Star Wars fireworks, Happily Ever After, and Illuminations fireworks with a sofa right in front of the window so we could sit with a glass of wine and watch them all. My husband figured out how to sync a YouTube video of Happily Ever After and Illuminations nearly spot on and we played the music while watching them... it was just so cool. We also had the Tower of Terror and the top of the bowling pin at Pop Century in our view, we were that close. I really do need to do a review of the Waldorf for the hotels thread and I may just try submitting an article here to the DIS. The staff was excellent as well and we had daily breakfast (thank you Aspire card) that ended up being one of the highlights of our day. Such a nice way to start the morning. Anyway.. all that to say it has been completely worth it and I'm super happy I made that decision a couple years ago. Oh... and my annual fees are only $450 a year, which are relatively easy to cover with a combination of bank bonuses, cash back rewards and discounted Disney gift cards purchased with both. In December, it's back to the Wilderness Lodge and the Beach Club. I can't get enough of either place!

I'd love to read a review of the Waldorf. In particular, how was the shuttle to the parks if you used it? And if you walked over to Hilton Bonnet Creek for the lazy river?

 

[Oscar Madison]

You could stay at the airport Hyatt and then take goportcanaveral transportation directly to the port. One way is only $15 per person with them.

Prior to our last cruise, we Ubered to the Courtyard Cocoa Beach cause I wanted to walk the beach the next morning. Then we took whatever cheap transportation they provide to the port. Nice hotel!

Editing - we’ve also stayed in La Quinta oceanfront, which was nice too and includes breakfast.

Okay, using goportcanaveral site I found the $15 shuttle. Does it run continuously? I guess if we went that route we could UBER to our hotel near the port, if we didn't stay at MCO. The site also offer packages with hotel stay, round trip from MCO, and shuttle from hotel to the port. But then I can't use UR.

Thanks a lot! Great information.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

If we bought DVC, I think it'd be at Aulani. We've been paying rack rates, discounted with Disney Gift Cards and credit card rewards, for the past few years, but my wife and kiddo love it there, and my wife has family on Oahu so we're always visiting.

I'm planning a family trip to Oahu this December. We will be staying at Marriott Ko Olina which is next door to Aluni. DGD will have just had her 7th birthday. Do you have any suggestions of must do's while we are there? I've done some research but I'm very open to suggestions.

 

[Mopedmom1]

Tornado warning for us until 4:15pm.....spotted over the US Capitol area...off to the basement.

Stay safe!