Port Canaveral Disney World Express

[myhouseofmouse]

I had a few questions on the Royal Caribbean Disney World Express Bus excursion and was looking for anyone who has used this service in the past.

 

This August we will be taking our first cruise on the Grandeur. We have a Stop at Port Canaveral that docks at 10:30am until 9:30pm. Even though we will only be at the port for 11 hours, we couldn't be this close to Disney and NOT go. We are planning on using the Express bus service provided by Royal to get to the parks. (Did not know if just renting a car would faster, but figured I wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship by using the bus service. Because I am a Disney nut, I try to plan every little detail out.) Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of information on this service thru Royal. If anyone has used this in past, I would love any information you would have on it.

 

For example,

Is this the right call??? should I take the worry out and use this service instead of going and renting a car for the day??

(Also I think I have read reports of them just cancelling the bus service for different reasons, if that happens, what are my back up options, any good , close car rental options?)

 

Timing for the Bus?? If we are scheduled to Dock at 10:30 about what time should I expect to leave the port and be at Disney World???

and the same in reverse, what time should I expect to end my day at the park??? what is the latest the bus will come and take me back to the ship?? (again we are at port until 9:30pm)

 

Where exactly does the bus from port take you when it gets to Disney???

 

Sorry for all the questions and details, but thanks in advance to any help you can provide me.

[cruisenewbie1023]

I had a few questions on the Royal Caribbean Disney World Express Bus excursion and was looking for anyone who has used this service in the past.

 

This August we will be taking our first cruise on the Grandeur. We have a Stop at Port Canaveral that docks at 10:30am until 9:30pm. Even though we will only be at the port for 11 hours, we couldn't be this close to Disney and NOT go. We are planning on using the Express bus service provided by Royal to get to the parks. (Did not know if just renting a car would faster, but figured I wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship by using the bus service. Because I am a Disney nut, I try to plan every little detail out.) Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of information on this service thru Royal. If anyone has used this in past, I would love any information you would have on it.

 

For example,

Is this the right call??? should I take the worry out and use this service instead of going and renting a car for the day?? My family and I did the express bus to Disney in May. Took about an hour and 15 min to get there. Not sure about renting a car but the bus was a good deal

(Also I think I have read reports of them just cancelling the bus service for different reasons, if that happens, what are my back up options, any good , close car rental options?)

 

Timing for the Bus?? If we are scheduled to Dock at 10:30 about what time should I expect to leave the port and be at Disney World??? We were off the ship by 11am. Kind of hectic and people were skipping ahead in lines. Not very organized IMO. If I remember correctly we were at Disney about noon.

and the same in reverse, what time should I expect to end my day at the park??? what is the latest the bus will come and take me back to the ship?? (again we are at port until 9:30pm) I believe we had to be back onboard the bus by 7pm. When we were there the lines were insane. EVERYTHING had atleast a 2 hr wait. The new Princesses had a 6 hr wait

 

Where exactly does the bus from port take you when it gets to Disney???

We were dropped off at the TTC? ( Ticketing center) From there we rode the monorail to Magic Kingdom

 

Sorry for all the questions and details, but thanks in advance to any help you can provide me.

 

I will be sailing again 2 weeks prior to you. Hope you have a great trip

[myhouseofmouse]

I will be sailing again 2 weeks prior to you. Hope you have a great trip

 

 

 

thank you for the quick response and information.

 

Have a great trip

[LindaO]

I would opt for the bus. Usually I'm all for doing things on my own, but knowing traffic and if there is one big accident on the way back you'll be stuck. The ship won't leave without a ship sponsored excursion. If you rent a car and are stuck you'll be out of luck. If the bus is cancelled, then you could opt for renting a car. Car rentals in Port Canaveral are easy and close. Enjoy your cruise!

[edjny]

We have not taken the RCL excursion to Disney, but I believe you still have to buy the tickets to get into the park when you get there. They are NOT cheap and you will only have a relatively short time in the park. Remember, Summer is the most crowded time in the park and the lines are very long.... Most likely you will only be able to go through ONE park. You will not have enough time to go to other parks even if you get the Park Hopper ticket. If you choose the most popular rides, you will not get on more than 2-3.

 

If you want to go to WDW, it is better to make a separate vacation trip so you can be in Orlando for 3-5 days.

[cruisenewbie1023]

Also if you do the park, remember to set up your flash pass online. I think you can do it 30 or 60 days in advance.

 

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Edited June 24, 2014 by cruisenewbie1023

[Merion_Mom]

I had a few questions on the Royal Caribbean Disney World Express Bus excursion and was looking for anyone who has used this service in the past.

 

This August we will be taking our first cruise on the Grandeur. We have a Stop at Port Canaveral that docks at 10:30am until 9:30pm. Even though we will only be at the port for 11 hours, we couldn't be this close to Disney and NOT go. We are planning on using the Express bus service provided by Royal to get to the parks. (Did not know if just renting a car would faster, but figured I wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship by using the bus service. Because I am a Disney nut, I try to plan every little detail out.) Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of information on this service thru Royal. If anyone has used this in past, I would love any information you would have on it.

 

For example,

Is this the right call??? should I take the worry out and use this service instead of going and renting a car for the day??

(Also I think I have read reports of them just cancelling the bus service for different reasons, if that happens, what are my back up options, any good , close car rental options?)

 

Timing for the Bus?? If we are scheduled to Dock at 10:30 about what time should I expect to leave the port and be at Disney World???

and the same in reverse, what time should I expect to end my day at the park??? what is the latest the bus will come and take me back to the ship?? (again we are at port until 9:30pm)

 

Where exactly does the bus from port take you when it gets to Disney???

 

Sorry for all the questions and details, but thanks in advance to any help you can provide me.

 

If you are determined to do this, here is my advice/experience.

 

When the Explorer stopped in Port Canaveral in March, I wanted to go to Universal Studios. The bus set-up is exactly the same as the Disney bus. And the distances are the same, so the times are the same.

 

If you are just one person, the bus makes more sense.

 

If you are two, the finances are a close call.

 

But I rented a car. (there were 4 of us)

 

In March, the Thrifty rental came out to just barely $30, all-in. I suspect that prices may be higher in August. I know that June is higher than March, because I just looked into it.

 

Thrifty is very convenient. There is a free shuttle between ship and rental office. The buses are clean and the drivers courteous.

 

You will have to pay for: rental car with taxes and the EZPass (or whatever they call it down there) and parking at Disney. Parking at Universal was $16.

 

Weigh those costs against $35 pp for the cruise line's bus.

 

I felt that we had more time when we didn't have to wait for the bus, on either end.

 

You do have to leave time back in Cocoa Beach to fill up the car, unless you opt for Thrifty's other fuel option. (where you pay a set price for a tank of gas)

 

The office closes at 5, so you will have to pay for a cab back to the ship, but they patrol the lot constantly to pick people up.

 

All-aboard for the Grandeur is 9 A.M.

 

Bottom line: If you are a fanatic, I can't stop you from going.

 

I wouldn't do it in August, though. Hot, humid, crowded.

 

:)

[Merion_Mom]

I believe we had to be back onboard the bus by 7pm.

 

 

Thank you for that. Very helpful to me. I am going to Universal Studios again this Sunday, and I need to know when they order you to be back on the bus.

 

:)

 

(no, I am not crazy, in case anyone was wondering. My son is a performer there. I am not going for the rides or anything else, just to spend the day with him and watch him perform. :) )

[myhouseofmouse]

I would opt for the bus. Usually I'm all for doing things on my own, but knowing traffic and if there is one big accident on the way back you'll be stuck. The ship won't leave without a ship sponsored excursion. If you rent a car and are stuck you'll be out of luck. If the bus is cancelled, then you could opt for renting a car. Car rentals in Port Canaveral are easy and close. Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Thank you for the info and response. That is kinda what I was thinking as well. Did not want to worry about making it back in time.

[myhouseofmouse]

We have not taken the RCL excursion to Disney, but I believe you still have to buy the tickets to get into the park when you get there. They are NOT cheap and you will only have a relatively short time in the park. Remember, Summer is the most crowded time in the park and the lines are very long.... Most likely you will only be able to go through ONE park. You will not have enough time to go to other parks even if you get the Park Hopper ticket. If you choose the most popular rides, you will not get on more than 2-3.

 

If you want to go to WDW, it is better to make a separate vacation trip so you can be in Orlando for 3-5 days.

 

 

Yeah we know all too well of the crowds and expense on Disney. We have been to disney once during this same time frame, so well aware of the heat and crowds. We do already have the tickets (no park hopper, like you said, no sense of wasting time going between parks.)

 

We have done Disney 10 times in the last 11 years. I know its not a good use of money or time, but we are addicts of Disney and would regret being that close and NOT going, even if its only for a few hours.

 

I plan on taking advantage of fastpasses to at least do a few of the headliners. Even if they are the only three rides we are able to go on, it will be worth it to us. (like i said addicts!!!)

[myhouseofmouse]

Also if you do the park, remember to set up your flash pass online. I think you can do it 30 or 60 days in advance.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

 

 

Yeah this in one of the main reasons I am asking these questions. I am trying to see about what time I should expect to be at the park so I can line up the Fastpasses. I know the current system lets you book 3, then once you use them you can try and get more throughout the day. So I would like to be able to set the first 3 up early in the day to be able to get more.

[myhouseofmouse]

If you are determined to do this, here is my advice/experience.

 

 

Bottom line: If you are a fanatic, I can't stop you from going.

 

I wouldn't do it in August, though. Hot, humid, crowded.

 

:)

 

 

It really is all about that Bottom line!!!

Thank you very much for all of the details on the car rental. I think however, all of that info is pushing me closer to just doing the bus. This is funny, because in the 10 trips to Disney world, I have never relied on bus transportation. We have always rented a car to get around the world. However, this is our first cruise, so I have never dealt with any of the ports or getting to and from them. The last thing I want to do is miss the ship for some stupid reason of my own fault. Even though the car rental options sounds like a cheaper and maybe faster option. There seems to be a good amount of hoops to jump through. One of the reasons I am sooo looking forward to this cruise, is relax, with no worries or stress. Renting a car might not be worth the stress it brings for an additional 30minutes at Disney.

[RCI Cruisers 004]

Just my 2 cents worth on whether to rent a car or take the bus ! Before you rent a car......which may be cheaper, you have to ask yourself one question ! How well do I drive in HEAVY traffic ? Once you hit Orlando and get close to Disney, you are going to hit traffic like you wouldn't believe . Especially at night when people are out to dinner and Disney is in a shift change ! Just my opinion, but I can't and won't drive there. Much easier on my blood pressure to sit in an air conditioned bus and learn new swear words from the driver !

[comxkid]

Yeah this in one of the main reasons I am asking these questions. I am trying to see about what time I should expect to be at the park so I can line up the Fastpasses. I know the current system lets you book 3, then once you use them you can try and get more throughout the day. So I would like to be able to set the first 3 up early in the day to be able to get more.

 

If I may ask, which park are you planning to visit? I going to assume the Magic Kingdom. If so, plan on using one of your Fast Passes on the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster. Use the other two on your favorites, Splash Mountain would be my other recommendation.

 

You can try to replenish your Fast Passes later in the day, but I'm betting that they will be out for the popular rides.

 

I was going to try and talk you out of it, but you know what you are signing up for.

 

Also, definitely go with the bus. Orlando traffic is iffy especially with our late afternoon monsoons.

[Clarksfan1]

We just got back rom the exact same cruise. Since we have been to Disney so many times we opted for going to the Water Park since we were there for such a short amount of time, and we still had water park passes on our tickets from last time we went.

 

We rented a car and we used Payless $33 all in. It was great and they were literally right near the ship. It would have been about a 5 minute walk back to the ship from the rental agency, but a dude in a van (legit cab service) runs back and forth for $5 a trip so it was well worth the money.

 

But if we were going to the "Park" we would have went with the cruise sponsored bus because we would want to maximize our time there and we knew with the rental car we would be overly cautious about our time and we would probably head back a bit early to be sure.

 

BTW: Our trip we booked said we were there from 10:30 to 9:30 like yours did, but once on the ship it was 11:30 to 9:30. Don't know why we lost the hour but we did.

 

Another BTW: We enjoyed our trip very much.

[cooncat_mom]

I have to say, we've not done Disney on a Port Canaveral stop, but DH, DD, her friend & I did rent a car & do Sea World on a stop. The cost for the car was good, but we had to wait for the shuttle (which was running slow) and stand in line while people got their cars, and drive to Sea World, and then by the time we got back to drop off the car the rental place was closed and we had to call for the shuttle... On the other hand, our last cruise had a Port Canaveral stop so we booked a cruise excursion to Universal (it wasn't Royal, but same idea). Bus took off at 7:30 AM (I grumbled for about 1/2 the ride since I'm an evening person :rolleyes:), and dropped us at the park. CCL had buses running back to the ship (I don't know if Royal does this) every half hour towards the end of the day, so we hopped on the bus and were swept back to the ship. I thought it was much nicer, IMHO, to just take the bus!

[edjny]

Yeah we know all too well of the crowds and expense on Disney. We have been to disney once during this same time frame, so well aware of the heat and crowds. We do already have the tickets (no park hopper, like you said, no sense of wasting time going between parks.)

 

We have done Disney 10 times in the last 11 years. I know its not a good use of money or time, but we are addicts of Disney and would regret being that close and NOT going, even if its only for a few hours.

 

I plan on taking advantage of fastpasses to at least do a few of the headliners. Even if they are the only three rides we are able to go on, it will be worth it to us. (like i said addicts!!!)

 

 

I hear you.... We stay in FL for 4 months every Winter and got Resident Passes to WDW for several years. We went a LOT..... Eventually though, after spending 40-50 days there over the years, it got boring..... :eek: As great as 'Soaring' and 'Test Track' is, we found ourselves thinking "Do we have to go on it AGAIN?".... :)

 

Enjoy and watch the time so you don't miss the bus....

[Jax129]

Take the bus! Peace of mind!

[myhouseofmouse]

Just my 2 cents worth on whether to rent a car or take the bus ! Before you rent a car......which may be cheaper, you have to ask yourself one question ! How well do I drive in HEAVY traffic ? Once you hit Orlando and get close to Disney, you are going to hit traffic like you wouldn't believe . Especially at night when people are out to dinner and Disney is in a shift change ! Just my opinion, but I can't and won't drive there. Much easier on my blood pressure to sit in an air conditioned bus and learn new swear words from the driver !

Last year we did the drive to Disney world trip from PA thing. So I got to see the traffic from near the port to disney, another reason to just do the bus

[myhouseofmouse]

If I may ask, which park are you planning to visit? I going to assume the Magic Kingdom. If so, plan on using one of your Fast Passes on the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster. Use the other two on your favorites, Splash Mountain would be my other recommendation.

 

You can try to replenish your Fast Passes later in the day, but I'm betting that they will be out for the popular rides.

 

I was going to try and talk you out of it, but you know what you are signing up for.

 

Also, definitely go with the bus. Orlando traffic is iffy especially with our late afternoon monsoons.

Yeah looking to do Magic Kingdom, and planning on getting fast passes for mine train, space mountain and then either splash mountain or big thunder. I am leaning towards splash, one of my favorites plus could be a nice cool down on a hot summer day.

[myhouseofmouse]

We just got back rom the exact same cruise. Since we have been to Disney so many times we opted for going to the Water Park since we were there for such a short amount of time, and we still had water park passes on our tickets from last time we went.

 

We rented a car and we used Payless $33 all in. It was great and they were literally right near the ship. It would have been about a 5 minute walk back to the ship from the rental agency, but a dude in a van (legit cab service) runs back and forth for $5 a trip so it was well worth the money.

 

But if we were going to the "Park" we would have went with the cruise sponsored bus because we would want to maximize our time there and we knew with the rental car we would be overly cautious about our time and we would probably head back a bit early to be sure.

 

BTW: Our trip we booked said we were there from 10:30 to 9:30 like yours did, but once on the ship it was 11:30 to 9:30. Don't know why we lost the hour but we did.

 

Another BTW: We enjoyed our trip very much.

Thanks for the info and we'll wishes. The late departure is a worry for me. Was hoping to start the first fast passes for 12-1. Just hope we are at the park by then. Also thinking I might snag a bog fast pass for lunch, so I have to try and squeeze that in as well.

[myhouseofmouse]

I hear you.... We stay in FL for 4 months every Winter and got Resident Passes to WDW for several years. We went a LOT..... Eventually though, after spending 40-50 days there over the years, it got boring..... :eek: As great as 'Soaring' and 'Test Track' is, we found ourselves thinking "Do we have to go on it AGAIN?".... :)

 

Enjoy and watch the time so you don't miss the bus....

Lol like the comments, thinking here, I would feel I lived a good life if I get to the point that I find disney boring.

[myhouseofmouse]

Take the bus! Peace of mind!

That is the goal!!! This being our first time cruising I really want that relaxing of the mind part.

[9876]

I agree with everyone else, bus for sure. If for some reason it gets cancelled there are rental agency vans waiting at the dock. I would not imagine it would be difficult to get a car if need be. If it did get cancelled you could also use the rental car to stay in the Cocoa Beach area and save your tickets for next time.

[edjny]

I agree with everyone else, bus for sure. If for some reason it gets cancelled there are rental agency vans waiting at the dock. I would not imagine it would be difficult to get a car if need be. If it did get cancelled you could also use the rental car to stay in the Cocoa Beach area and save your tickets for next time.

 

Right... If the trip to WDW does not work out, there is a GREAT beach right next to the input channel into Port Canaveral. As the ship comes in past the jetty, you will see it to the Port side of the ship. It is called Jetty Park and has a beautiful beach. It is just about walking distance from where Grandeur will be docked.