HELP! Hotel the night before the Cruise

Hi All! I am setting sail with my Husband, Mom and Dad and our two Boys (aged 10 / 5) on Wonder's 1/20 Cruise ... it's a SURPRISE for the kids and my dad :-) as a XMAS Present ;) ... We are going to be flying in the day before (1/19) and I need to pick a hotel either near the ORLANDO Airport or near the Port. WHAT ARE THE BEST HOTELS FOR THIS and which ones provide the SHUTTLE SERVICE to the Port? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks! - Jennifer S.

I am staying at the Radisson at the port for my upcoming cruise. They have free parking and a shuttle to the pier.

We are cruising this november, and we are staying at the Hyatt at MCO:D

Hyatt at the airport. You simply get off the plane, check in, and let the kids go to the pool. Next day, get up, have breakfast, and let DCL transfer you to the ship. Couldn't be easier!

We just booked the Hyatt MCO for our January 12 cruise on the Magic. After extensive research, we decided that this is the easiest and most hassle-free place to stay the night before cruising. All you need do is sign up for the Disney shuttle with your travel agent or Disney Cruise Line directly, check in at the hotel, and they do the rest. If you have any more questions, do like I did, and call the concierge at the Hyatt and they'll answer all your questions.

residence inn in cape canaveral has some 2 bedroom suites / 2 bath for about $165 a nite. Think there's a hide a bed in the living room, you'd have a kitchen (which you might not use, but fridge and micriowave would come in handy) parents could have one room, you folks theother and put the kids on the hide a bed.

We are staying in one of these 2 bedroom units in October with friends we are traveling with. I'll try to remember to post back here afterward and let you know what we thought of it. The hotel is getting good reviews on tripadvisor

Hi. I will be taking a Disney cruise next week (hooray) and we will be flying in the night before. I booked the Hyatt at the airport because I did some asking around and it seems to be the easiest way to go. Our flight gets in around 9:30 p.m. and we have a child so we can get up to the room right away instead of having to take a cab or shuttle to a hotel with all the luggage and I just don't want to deal with mass confusion...The next morning we hired a town car to pick us up and take us to the port. I know in our case we take 2 cruises a year and it's worth the extra $ for less stress....Good luck

I've booked us in the Radisson ... and I'm also looking at the Hyatt at the Airport .... THANKS!!!!

- Jennifer S.

the Hyatt at the airport ROCKS...

It's so nice just to walk off the plane, go across the airport and up to the hotel, check in, go to the pool if you like - have dinner and get up the next morning to have them take your luggage from in front of your room down to the DCL transport... then off to the bus yourself by going down 2 levels and you're on your way...

So hassle free!! Plus, it's fun for the kids if you get an "airport side" room - because you can stand on the balcony and look down the fountain and all the people...

We love it there.

We have a room at the Hyatt for Nov. Is there any problem getting from baggage claim back up to the hotel?

We have a room at the Hyatt for Nov. Is there any problem getting from baggage claim back up to the hotel?

I was wondering that myself. Are there porters in the airport who can help with the luggage transfer to the hotel lobby, or do we rent one of the carts and wheel it ourselves? It's a lot of luggage to cart around and any help would be great. I know it's not a long walk, buy my DH cannot carry or push stuff for too long or too far.

We're staying at the Radisson. They have a free shuttle to the ship.

I considered Country Inn & Suites, but they were more expensive the night we were looking at. But I would recommend this as well as they have a free breakfast buffet and I've had good luck with this chain elsewhere.

we also stayed at Radisson...it was very easy to get to the port, the shuttles were quick, clean and efficient, rooms are nice and a nice atmosphere at the hotel

We have a room at the Hyatt for Nov. Is there any problem getting from baggage claim back up to the hotel?

I was wondering that myself. Are there porters in the airport who can help with the luggage transfer to the hotel lobby, or do we rent one of the carts and wheel it ourselves? It's a lot of luggage to cart around and any help would be great. I know it's not a long walk, buy my DH cannot carry or push stuff for too long or too far.

There are porters and it's easily done - just tell the porter that you are staying at the Hyatt, and they'll take you the back way (across the parking garage, lol) to the Hyatt...

BUT!! We were told last time by the gal who checked us in that we could just go straight to the Hyatt and check in, and if we gave one of their bellmen our baggage claim tickets, they'd go get them and take them to our room .

I assume this kind of depends on how busy they are and the time of day you arrive - I don't think you'd want to leave your luggage endlessly circling the carousel waiting for a bellman if it was busy!

We haven't tried this yet - but DH fully intends to in November... so we'll see!!

One thing to note tho: make sure you wait to put your DCL tags on the bags until you are in your hotel if you are arriving the night before.

We were warned by a DCL vet and didn't tag ours since we were arriving the day before - and the front desk manager at the Hyatt said "oh good! You have no idea how many people tag them the night before and they go off with the Disney bags to get sorted instead of coming up the carousel - it can take hours before they realize the mistake and most people don't get their bags back until around 9 pm when they do that!"

:D

There are porters and it's easily done - just tell the porter that you are staying at the Hyatt, and they'll take you the back way (across the parking garage, lol) to the Hyatt...

 

BUT!! We were told last time by the gal who checked us in that we could just go straight to the Hyatt and check in, and if we gave one of their bellmen our baggage claim tickets, they'd go get them and take them to our room .

I assume this kind of depends on how busy they are and the time of day you arrive - I don't think you'd want to leave your luggage endlessly circling the carousel waiting for a bellman if it was busy!

 

We haven't tried this yet - but DH fully intends to in November... so we'll see!!

 

One thing to note tho: make sure you wait to put your DCL tags on the bags until you are in your hotel if you are arriving the night before.

We were warned by a DCL vet and didn't tag ours since we were arriving the day before - and the front desk manager at the Hyatt said "oh good! You have no idea how many people tag them the night before and they go off with the Disney bags to get sorted instead of coming up the carousel - it can take hours before they realize the mistake and most people don't get their bags back until around 9 pm when they do that!"

 

:D

Good Grief! I've heard that too! No Disney transfer luggage tags on bags till you're in the hotel room. One of my worst fears is having the ship sail and having no luggage due to some mix up, especially coming from Los Angeles. And, while I think they're very very cute, I'm just not the type to wear Mickey Mouse T-shirts for an entire week! Do you think they sell formal evening clothes with Disney characters on them (just in case?)

I prefer the Courtyard by Marriott MCO (Orlando Airport)

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcoch-courtyard-orlando-airport/

Great staff

I prefer the Courtyard by Marriott MCO (Orlando Airport)

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcoch-courtyard-orlando-airport/

Great staff

Here's a tip regarding the Marriott: There are TWO Marriotts at MCO. Make sure that your limo company (and you) know exactly which hotel you're in otherwise you will have a phone conversation using the following phrases: "I'm outside the front entrance...yes the FRONT entrance...no, I can't see you either...Yes, the Marriott at the airport...MCO, that's what airport."

This has been a public service announcement from Host Mick