Lisa F
is a very wise woman
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2000
I am planning a 4 night Dream cruise for February 2018. My plan right now is to fly into MCO on a very early morning Friday flight and spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the parks, go to the port for our cruise monday - friday and then friday stay at BWV for one final day at Epcot before flying home on Saturday.
I am not a bus person and don't want to take ME because we have so little time at the parks. On my last trip with the same fly in/fly out schedule I rented a car. It was less than $200 for a midsize SUV for 8 nights and we drove straight to MK on our first day... it worked out great, we were in the park by 11:30am. I would consider taking a towncar if it made sense as well. I am hoping to stay at either the Poly or BLT for the first 3 nights of our trip (not my home resort so not sure) and then as I said BWV for the last night there.
So the way I see it, my options are:
Rent a car (for about $200, I am assuming I can at least rent a smaller car for that much if I need to) and park it at the port (about $80) for a total of $280 + gas. I can get everywhere I want as early or late as I want and can maybe find something cheaper than $200 (If I rented a regular car I would have saved about $30).
Take a town car from the airport to WDW - $130 + $26 tip and take Disney transfers to the port, $70 (there are just two of us). This option is $226
Take towncar from the airport to WDW - $130 + $26 tip and take town car to port, another $280 +56 = nearly $500. as luxurious as that sounds, no way.
There are only two of us (myself and my son) so I guess it is between option 1 and option 2. It's only a 4 night cruise, this is my son's first cruise, so I am guessing we'd want to make the most of it... am I right in reading that if I take the cruise transfers basically we will miss out on lunch and exploring the ship early on and may not even get on the ship until more like 2:30-3pm? How do people feel about this - it might allow us to have another morning at the parks if we don't leave until more like noon... but then we'd be in the bus at lunch time basically with nothing to eat when we get there? And same in reverse, we'd kill a lot of time getting back to WDW whereas we could leave pretty early if I drove and parked at the port.
I am wiling to spend a little bit for my own comfort and control of my destiny... on a first cruise for my kid (I am castaway club gold but have not cruised since 2005) I had assumed I wanted to get to the port as early as possible, but isn't that a lot more line waiting? Maybe later to the port would be a good thing? I'm reading in some places that getting to the port later is more relaxed, no crowds etc... but I do think we would want to explore the ship and get lunch and isn't the kid club open house during that time too? even though I can book whatever I want in advance being CC gold... I still think I would want to get there early. I was thinking of an early breakfast at a resort character breakfast (either chef mickey's or 'ohana depending on where we end up) then heading on out to the port.
I'm just really having a hard time figuring out which way would be better and be the better balance. Also are there any cheaper than $80 for 5 day satellite parking places at the port?
Thanks!
I am not a bus person and don't want to take ME because we have so little time at the parks. On my last trip with the same fly in/fly out schedule I rented a car. It was less than $200 for a midsize SUV for 8 nights and we drove straight to MK on our first day... it worked out great, we were in the park by 11:30am. I would consider taking a towncar if it made sense as well. I am hoping to stay at either the Poly or BLT for the first 3 nights of our trip (not my home resort so not sure) and then as I said BWV for the last night there.
So the way I see it, my options are:
Rent a car (for about $200, I am assuming I can at least rent a smaller car for that much if I need to) and park it at the port (about $80) for a total of $280 + gas. I can get everywhere I want as early or late as I want and can maybe find something cheaper than $200 (If I rented a regular car I would have saved about $30).
Take a town car from the airport to WDW - $130 + $26 tip and take Disney transfers to the port, $70 (there are just two of us). This option is $226
Take towncar from the airport to WDW - $130 + $26 tip and take town car to port, another $280 +56 = nearly $500. as luxurious as that sounds, no way.
There are only two of us (myself and my son) so I guess it is between option 1 and option 2. It's only a 4 night cruise, this is my son's first cruise, so I am guessing we'd want to make the most of it... am I right in reading that if I take the cruise transfers basically we will miss out on lunch and exploring the ship early on and may not even get on the ship until more like 2:30-3pm? How do people feel about this - it might allow us to have another morning at the parks if we don't leave until more like noon... but then we'd be in the bus at lunch time basically with nothing to eat when we get there? And same in reverse, we'd kill a lot of time getting back to WDW whereas we could leave pretty early if I drove and parked at the port.
I am wiling to spend a little bit for my own comfort and control of my destiny... on a first cruise for my kid (I am castaway club gold but have not cruised since 2005) I had assumed I wanted to get to the port as early as possible, but isn't that a lot more line waiting? Maybe later to the port would be a good thing? I'm reading in some places that getting to the port later is more relaxed, no crowds etc... but I do think we would want to explore the ship and get lunch and isn't the kid club open house during that time too? even though I can book whatever I want in advance being CC gold... I still think I would want to get there early. I was thinking of an early breakfast at a resort character breakfast (either chef mickey's or 'ohana depending on where we end up) then heading on out to the port.
I'm just really having a hard time figuring out which way would be better and be the better balance. Also are there any cheaper than $80 for 5 day satellite parking places at the port?
Thanks!