Transportation options to/from WDW to Port Canaveral (w little kids)

[kboo]

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before ... our kids will be almost 6 and almost 2. We'll be at WDW before and after going on the cruise. I know Disney does the buses that will pick up at the resort and then drop you off at the port for $35 pp, I think? Has anyone booked a private transportation company? I am thinking about options that would enable us to at least put the toddler in a car seat.

Is a one way car rental a real hassle? We aren't staying anywhere near the Swan/Dolphin so I am not sure if a car rental makes sense, logistically.

Thanks for any tips and suggestions!

 

[hamiltito]

How long is your cruise and your overall stay? It required bringing our carseat and booster with us, but last year we were able to rent an SUV for the duration of our trip (flew in day before, 3 night cruise, 3 days at the parks) and park it at the port for less than the cost of Disney transportation or a private vehicle service for four people.

 

[kboo]

How long is your cruise and your overall stay? It required bringing our carseat and booster with us, but last year we were able to rent an SUV for the duration of our trip (flew in day before, 3 night cruise, 3 days at the parks) and park it at the port for less than the cost of Disney transportation or a private vehicle service for four people.

two weeks from start to finish, with a week long cruise in the middle. We are not bringing our kids' car seats with us - they are both ridiculously heavy and installed for the long haul in our car, and we are not driving to the airport at home. (We live in NYC and long term parking at the airport costs more than a door to door car service with car seats! Oh, and I think we are flying out of 1 airport and coming home to another)

 

[xQuizx]

We have a travel car seat we bought for our trips. You can buy a car seat for $40 and a booster for $10. If the 2 year old is not flying as a lap passenger the car seat will be handy for the flight. All in all it's cheaper to just buy extra car seats then to rent one on your trip. Plus we like to keep the extra car seats in the second car so we don't have to unhook the heavy duty seats from the minivan.

If you book private transportation you can request car seats and that's normally no charge. We used FLTours before and they provide car seats or booster seats, you just have to let them know.

 

[soniam]

We are already renting a car in Orlando and then going to Port Canaveral. Last time we dropped off the car in PC before the cruise, but this time they want to charge over $200 extra to do this. So watch out for that if you do a car rental. I have heard good things about Happy Limo, but I don't know about how the car seat situation works. We are luckily beyond that now.

 

[KdKyA]

We have done it 3 ways.
DCL bus round trip
Our own personal car
Rental car (Rented for one day prior and dropped off at port rental company the day of the cruise, then rented another car the day our cruise was over)

Our next cruise we are doing one way with the DCL bus and renting a car the day we get off the cruise.
When we factored in everything from time, money, and convenience we came up with this route. Parking at the port the duration of the 7 night cruise with the price of renting a car and tolls was more expensive than the DCL bus option for our family of 5.

Pros and Cons
DCL round trip-
Pros- Convenience and hassle free when it comes to luggage and waiting in lines, bathroom on the bus for the kids, comfortable seats and fun video for the kids to watch on the way down. Stress free in knowing that if something goes wrong with the bus, the ship is less likely to leave without a DCL bus vs. a group in a car or private transport, plus DCL has a huge fleet, so they can quickly bring another bus if the bus breaks down.
Cons- You lose a little bit of time getting on the ship. Now that most things can be signed up online, it's not as big of a deal. If you are hoping for a port upgrade, last minute Palo, or Mixology, don't use a DCL bus as they will likely be gone by the time you get there. You don't leave the resorts until around 11:30, then stop a few times depending on where you are in the rout pick up, and you don't get to port until around 1:30 or 2. Not a big deal on longer cruises and for those people that have cruised before. Not so great to figure out how to spend your time in the morning while waiting for the bus. Not a lot of pool time if you want to shower before getting on the bus. No time for parks, and no time really for Disney Springs since the shops don't open until 10. It makes for a very late lunch on the ship, so if you have early dining on the ship, you won't be very hungry that first night. We didn't know this the first time and didn't expect to be so late getting to the ship. So we were holding off on lunch so we could enjoy the buffet. Let me tell you, an hour long bus ride with hungry children is not very fun. If doing this route, I recommend a huge breakfast and then a snack before getting on the bus. On the return trip to your resort, if you are heading to the parks that day, it's annoying to have to go to the resort first, drop off bags (bell services or room depending if room is ready), then hop on another bus to get to the parks. Takes up a lot of time and lots of traveling with tired kids that just want to play or sleep lol.

Rental Car-
If you keep it the whole time and park at the terminal
Pros- Convenience, convenience, convenience. Seriously, you are in control of when and where you travel. You can leave your bags and other things in the car that you don't need or want to take on the cruise. You don't have to wait for shuttles or buses. Great time saver. Excellent option if you plan on going to a theme park the day the cruise is over since you can just leave the bags in the car and head right to the parks.
Cons- In most cases, it's more expensive than DCL in the end, or pretty close to the same. When you factor in tolls, gas, parking, tips, and the rental car price; every time I have found this to be the most expensive option. Also, even if you prepay, most rental companies will still put a $100 hold on your credit card that gets refunded back later. If you are budgeting to the penny, this may pose a problem. Waiting at the counter to check out the car and check it back in can take up some time. When we did it, we waited 35 minutes just to get to the agent. Then by the time we finished and got the car and drove, it had been an hour. Drop off isn't long though.

Rent a car pre cruise, drop off, then rent another car after the cruise (one way rentals)
Pros- This has been the cheapest option we could find since you don't pay for parking at the port throughout the cruise. You have control over your trip and decide when and where you want to go. Great for planners that need to be in control (I fall in that category lol). Excellent option for going to a theme the day the cruise is over.
Cons- You can't leave bags in the car. You have to wait for a car twice. More tips to shuttle drivers getting you and your bags to where they need to be. Waiting waiting and more waiting. Waiting in line for the car, twice, waiting for the agent to check out, twice, waiting for shuttles, twice, checking it back in, twice. It's rather annoying. You have two $100 holds on the card, one for each booking. Paying for gas and tolls and the rental car itself. You have to top the car off with gas each time when you go to turn them back in, then more shuttles depending on where you are going after dropping off the car, which means more tipping.

In the end, what matters more to you? Control over your trip, times at destinations, money, or hassle free? Hope this helps