Orlando MCO airport - how much time

[cheetah2112]

How much time should we anticipate once we get off the plane in Orlando to get our bags and get reserved car rental and on the road to Port Canaveral?

 

We are staying in Cocoa beach area couple of days prior to cruise and also saw to plan for about 1 hr drive from Orlando to there.

[SarahD112]

If one of you gets bags while the other stands in rental car line, I’d say an hour. If you can bypass line and just walk to car rental aisle and pick a car like we can with National, then maybe 45 minutes. All flights into Orlando require you to ride the shuttle from the gates into the main terminal.

 

 

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[molly361]

About an hour depending on the lines at the rental car place

 

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[reallyitsmema]

Luggage seems to take forever at MCO, add in having to take the tram, current airport construction, lines at rental car if not in a loyalty program and you are easily over an hour before you are on the road.

[xcell]

Depending on the car company, they might have a fast pass line (you go across the street to the parking garage) and you can pick up the car without having to line up in the rental line. You can subscribe to the fast pass on the car rental's website.

[cheetah2112]

We're renting car from Enterprise...how close is rental car lines from baggage claim? Could have wife watch for bags but not sure how comfortable she'll be watching alone for 2 pieces of luggage and keeping eye on 2 carry-ons. Guessing if we do this, I'd take both carryons with me to car rental then she'd only have to watch for luggage coming off belt

[reallyitsmema]

https://orlandoairports.net/getting-around-mco/

[Clarea]

About an hour depending on the lines at the rental car place

I agree, figure about an hour from the time the plane lands until you're on the road in the rental car.

[Misplaced Texan]

We're renting car from Enterprise...how close is rental car lines from baggage claim? Could have wife watch for bags but not sure how comfortable she'll be watching alone for 2 pieces of luggage and keeping eye on 2 carry-ons. Guessing if we do this, I'd take both carryons with me to car rental then she'd only have to watch for luggage coming off belt

 

Car rental is one level down from baggage claim.

 

I haven't rented from Enterprise in more than a decade, so have no idea what the current procedure is.

 

I will say that if National is close on price, signing up for their Emerald Club (free) and renting a mid-size is about the simplest process in the world. You just walk over to the "Emerald Aisle," pick any car on it (usually includes sedans and small SUVs) and they do the paperwork at the exit gate.

 

If you do that, you'll go down two levels from baggage, cross the moving walkway, and go back up a level and just pick a car.

[Misplaced Texan]

How much time should we anticipate once we get off the plane in Orlando to get our bags and get reserved car rental and on the road to Port Canaveral?

 

We are staying in Cocoa beach area couple of days prior to cruise and also saw to plan for about 1 hr drive from Orlando to there.

 

Already answered the rental car question.

 

My experience (and I arrive at MCO probably 10-15 times a year) is the following:

 

1) It takes 10-15 minutes gate-to-terminal between walking and the tram. If one of the trams is out (and they're doing maintenance on a number of them right now) then add another 5 or so. If you walk slowly or know you/your partner will need a bathroom break, add a few minutes on.

 

2) Once in the terminal you're probably 5 minutes from baggage. You walk through the milling hordes and go down an escalator.

 

3) Baggage is all based on airlines. Delta and Alaska (if you're coming from the PNW) have a 20 minute baggage guarantee and in my experience hit that reliably. At MCO that means your bags will most likely be on the carousel when you get there.

 

Southwest is slower but reasonably efficient. If you're flying United or American, you might as well grab a coffee on your way.

 

4) From baggage you're quite close to rental cars, the counters are one level down and the cars are in the parking garage across the way.

 

BTW, once you're in a car and through the gate at the rental car place, Cocoa Beach is really just 45 minutes. The speed limit on the b-line is mostly a suggestion.

 

Also note that with National/Enterprise/Alamo (I don't know about the other companies) you can just drive under the toll sensors at full speed on the b-line (and other FL toll roads) and it will bill your card the toll. You pay like $4 one-time on top of that, but it's far more convenient/faster than pulling off to the toll booth and dealing with cash.

 

Also, if your GPS tells you to do something silly, ignore it and take the b-line (528) all the way to A1A then go South. That's both the more scenic route (you pass the Port and can look at the boats) and the fastest.

 

If you're flying DL or AS and can skip the rental car counter, I'd guesstimate 1.5 hours from gate to Cocoa Beach and you'll probably beat it. If you're flying an airline with crappy bag service and waiting at the rental counter, you could be up to 3 hours in getting to Cocoa Beach.