Arriving a day early

[cruisinmama22]

Can anyone recommend a convenient place to stay in florida if I arrive a day prior to the cruise. Should I get the Disney transfers or just arrange another form of transportation?

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Theres lots of ways you can do this.

 

we are arriving 6 p.m. the night before and we are staying at the Hyatt right at OIA and then the next morning we are hopping on the DCL cruise bus and taking it ot the port.

This is nice because they will take our luggage at 8 a.m. outside our room door and we will see it when it is delivered to our room. This is just a stress free way to do it because we are going to arrive tired after flying all day. we will be all rested and ready to enjoy our cruise by staying there.

 

Now many will arrive earlier and rent a car, drive to Cocoa Beach at stay at The Radisson or The Residence Inn which are both a 5 minute drive from the port.

At The Radisson you can return the rental car after you check in. many rental agencies are within walking distance. Then take the free shuttle from the Radisson the next morning to the port. They will bring you back when you return and you can rent the car again.

 

Or instead of returning the car the night before, keep it, drive everyone to the port, drop them and the luggage off and drive back, return the car and catch their free shuttle to the port and meet up with your family in the terminal. when you return the rental agency will pick you up and take

you back to rent the car again to get back to OIA.

There are 2 rental places that will shuttle you over for free. I think its Hertz and Avis but check on line to be sure or someone else here can tell you for sure.

 

Some go all out and rent Limos, I think Happy Limo is one but not sure.

Until this year we were living in Florida so we drove to the Radisson and can shuttle over from there. saves on paying for parking at the port that way.

 

If you want a stress free cruise you might consider just staying at the Hyatt and taking the Disney bus over, that way you can just relax and let Disney take care of you:)

 

If you watch on line the Hyatt will offer specials once in awhile and you can get a good price around $99 a night.

[cruisinmama22]

Thank you- I think I will look into the Hyatt.

 

Theres lots of ways you can do this.

 

we are arriving 6 p.m. the night before and we are staying at the Hyatt right at OIA and then the next morning we are hopping on the DCL cruise bus and taking it ot the port.

This is nice because they will take our luggage at 8 a.m. outside our room door and we will see it when it is delivered to our room. This is just a stress free way to do it because we are going to arrive tired after flying all day. we will be all rested and ready to enjoy our cruise by staying there.

 

Now many will arrive earlier and rent a car, drive to Cocoa Beach at stay at The Radisson or The Residence Inn which are both a 5 minute drive from the port.

At The Radisson you can return the rental car after you check in. many rental agencies are within walking distance. Then take the free shuttle from the Radisson the next morning to the port. They will bring you back when you return and you can rent the car again.

 

Or instead of returning the car the night before, keep it, drive everyone to the port, drop them and the luggage off and drive back, return the car and catch their free shuttle to the port and meet up with your family in the terminal. when you return the rental agency will pick you up and take

you back to rent the car again to get back to OIA.

There are 2 rental places that will shuttle you over for free. I think its Hertz and Avis but check on line to be sure or someone else here can tell you for sure.

 

Some go all out and rent Limos, I think Happy Limo is one but not sure.

Until this year we were living in Florida so we drove to the Radisson and can shuttle over from there. saves on paying for parking at the port that way.

 

If you want a stress free cruise you might consider just staying at the Hyatt and taking the Disney bus over, that way you can just relax and let Disney take care of you:)

 

If you watch on line the Hyatt will offer specials once in awhile and you can get a good price around $99 a night.

[suezyq50]

We stay at the Residence Inn or the Country Inn and Suites. Both have breakfast buffet that is included. Both have a pool. Both have a self serve laundry for that last minute load. Helps cut down on packing.

[mg5415]

We did the 4 day Wonder cruise just 2 weeks ago. Since we were arriving from Utah, we flew in the day before. Actually, arriving at 8:30 p.m., but our body clocks said it was only 6:30, so we were OK! I had made a priceline bid for a hotel near the airport and got a terrific deal at a wonderful hotel. $50 a night for the Wingate. It is great place with a wonderful free breakfast and a shuttle that got us there that night. We needed 3 rooms for the 8 of us, so I was looking for a bargain. I've done the Priceline bid on an airport hotel several times and always gotten the Wingate or the Marriott for around $50.

 

The next morning we had a 12 passenger van from Quicksilver transportation pick us up at the hotel and take us directly to the port. It was quick and smooth and I'd do it again (if I ever get to do it again!). I felt like it saved us over the Disney express and the Hyatt, since there were so many of us. If there was only 2 or 3, I'd maybe splurge and do the Disney bus, but when you start talking about 3 hotel rooms and 8 on the bus. . . it adds up.

 

good luck and enjoy!

[belle907]

Can anyone recommend a convenient place to stay in florida if I arrive a day prior to the cruise. Should I get the Disney transfers or just arrange another form of transportation?

Where are you flying in from and how many are traveling? That all factors into giving advice on where you should/could stay the night before and what kind of transfers are available in relation to DCL transfer costs.

 

If arriving early in the day I would recommend renting a car and driving to Downtown Disney for a couple of hours and then driving to the port area and spending the night there. I would do this option for any number of travelers.

 

If arriving later in the day I would stay in the airport area. If only 2 or 3 are traveling I then recommend DCL transfers, but if there are 4 or more travelers a private transfer or rental car will be your cheapest option.

 

The drive to the port from either the airport or Downtown Disney is very easy. Having the rental car also allows you to pick up anything last minutes things or things you may have forgotten to pack.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

There are 2 rental places that will shuttle you over for free. I think its Hertz and Avis but check on line to be sure or someone else here can tell you for sure.

 

In addition to Hertz & Avis, Thrifty/Dollar and Budget also have free shuttles to/from the port.

[cruiserbryce]

The night before our cruise on the Wonder we stayed at the Radisson at the port. It was nice and sufficient for a pre cruise hotel. The shuttles were timely and very efficient

[overwhelmedwithoptions]

We went down the day before. We flew in to Orlando rented a car for around $80 and drove to Cocoa Beach. We stayed at the Sheraton ($95) - in the same building as the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop. They have a shark tank in their restaraunt that my daughter just loved. We walked out on the pier and watched people surf.

 

The next morning my husband dropped us and our luggage off at the port so we could get all checked in while he returned the car. They gave him a ride back to the port. (It was only about 2 miles away).

 

It was very relaxing.

 

Holly