Seeking Transport Advice for 2025 Port Canaveral

[cruisehopeful]

I'm a west coaster and been hanging here in California for my Disney stuff. I have 2 cruises out of Port Canaveral scheduled for next year. It's been over 10 years since I have been to that port or the area and I am seeking advice for getting to port. I'll be flying into MCO both times.
Things to consider:
I own a few points at the Poly, but haven't been. I've been using those points here in California and would love to actually see my resort.
We aren't going to any of the theme parks. We don't want to add many days before/after the cruise as we don't want to take that much time out.

First cruise is 7 nights in March. If we fly in the day before and stay the night at the Poly, how would we get to the Poly and then how would we get to the port? Are we better off staying by the airport and getting transport from there? We plan on flying back on the return date of the cruise. Last time we went, we took a Disney bus to the airport. Is that still a thing? I transferred my cruise to Costco. Do I contact them for the Disney transport?

Second cruise is 4 nights in August. I'm thinking I'd stay possibly 2 nights at the Poly. I'd probably want to book the lake view studio so we could watch the water parade if that's still a thing. We wouldn't do any theme parks, but would probably do anything available to do at the Poly, the Grand Floridian (if they still have the tea, for example) or the shopping area that's like Downtown Disney in California. Sorry, can't remember what it's called over there. Same questions regarding transport from the airport to the Poly and then from Poly to the port.

I realize this is pretty far out, but I'll be booking the March Poly room in a couple weeks if we stay a night there for the first cruise. I'd like to know if we are better off not spending a night there for transportation reasons. Since we are coming from the west coast, we'll lose 3 hours and I imagine the day we fly in will pretty much be a bust.

 

[AZMermaid]

We are booked at Wilderness Lodge on points for our May cruise. We are taking the red eye from AZ so I booked the night before we actually arrive so our room will be ready when we get there early. We plan to Uber or Lyft to the resort. We hope to have dinner that night at the 4:00 Hoop De Doo which will feel like lunch, but later is risky after the red eye I think! Then we are using Disney transport from WL to the port the next day. My understanding is this gives us an early boarding time. Afterwards we are ubering back to the airport because our flight got changed to 11:00 so we need to be fast!

Our Dec trip we will likely stay at the airport Hyatt and again take Disney transportation from the Hyatt mostly because they will take the luggage from the hotel room to the ship and that sounds delightful haha! I think Hyatt transfers also have a boarding priority built in, but not for sure on that.

 

[auntlynne]

You can do DCL transfers from WDW resorts all the way to the cruise port.

 

[auntlynne]

Downtown Disney at WDW is Disney Springs.

 

[auntlynne]

And you can catch DCL transport from port to airport. New prices this year are $45 pp OW. Depending on your group size, private transfer may be a better deal. The buses are not the cute themed ones anymore.

 

[Disturbia]

We were discussing post cruise stays at the Poly

https://www.disboards.com/threads/debarkation-day-wwyd.3942034/page-4#post-65388817

The boarding priority has apparently changed from last year. It’s now boarding by membership status (just learned that on disboards today and we checkin in 2 days).

https://www.disboards.com/threads/my-experience-with-dcl-check-in-at-hyatt-mco.3930868/

 

[Flossbolna]

I would say that one night at Poly is a waste of your DVC points. Staying at the Hyatt is much smarter.

There is a shuttle service from MCO to WDW hotels called Mears Connect that works like the previous Magical Express, but is no longer free. It’s 16$ per person. DCL has shuttles from/to WDW and airport from cruise port. Renting a car might be cheaper though.

Tea at the Grand Flo hasn’t come back since Covid. Might be back by 2025 though once the lobby refurb is finished.

The Electrical Water Pageant is still running and you can see it from the beach if you don’t have a lake view room.

 

[lanejudy]

The boarding priority has apparently changed from last year. It’s now boarding by membership status (just learned that on disboards today and we checkin in 2 days).

https://www.disboards.com/threads/my-experience-with-dcl-check-in-at-hyatt-mco.3930868/

That's from the MCO Hyatt, which typically has several buses. AFAIK, WDW resorts typically have 1 bus for everyone (all CC status) at that resort. In fact it would not be unusual for your bus to have 1-2 other resorts for pick-up that morning as well, so it's not even a full bus from your resort. DCL isn't running multiple buses to each resort just to pick up CC status at different times.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Thanks for all the feedback! I appreciate all the responses.

We were discussing post cruise stays at the Poly

https://www.disboards.com/threads/debarkation-day-wwyd.3942034/page-4#post-65388817

That was a really fun thread! Got me totally pumped for staying at the Poly, but I'll be doing it in reverse with a pre cruise stay.

I would say that one night at Poly is a waste of your DVC points. Staying at the Hyatt is much smarter.

Yes, I agree after thinking about it. Sounds like it would just be adding a lot of extra travel time/bus time with very little reward. I think we'll take a later flight and just stay at the Hyatt for the first cruise. That way, I can actually enjoy the Poly when I have my first visit there.

That's from the MCO Hyatt, which typically has several buses. AFAIK, WDW resorts typically have 1 bus for everyone (all CC status) at that resort. In fact it would not be unusual for your bus to have 1-2 other resorts for pick-up that morning as well, so it's not even a full bus from your resort. DCL isn't running multiple buses to each resort just to pick up CC status at different times.

That sounds like when I was there in 2011 or 2012. We took the cruise bus from AKL which picked us up about 12:30 and then picked up from at least one other resort. The ship was already full of people and completely crazy and crowded by the time we boarded. That was a 3 day cruise so it was a bummer to board so late. Our August cruise is only 4 days. I'll have to look at private transportation to get us there earlier since we'll be coming from the Poly that time. The March cruise is 7 nights and I wouldn't care if we boarded later, but we'll be coming from the Hyatt so we'll likely board earlier or whenever I can as a Gold Castaway member.

 

[Flossbolna]

They have changed the bus times from the resorts after Covid. Now the resort busses arrive fairly early. I think someone recently posted about being on the bus at 9:30 am and getting there when boarding group 6 was called.

 

[lanejudy]

That sounds like when I was there in 2011 or 2012. We took the cruise bus from AKL which picked us up about 12:30 and then picked up from at least one other resort. The ship was already full of people and completely crazy and crowded by the time we boarded.

DCL Transfers from WDW resorts pick up earlier in the morning than back in 2011/2012. Most pick-ups occur now between 8-9:30am with arrival at Port Canaveral around 10:30-11:30am. My post you quoted was responding to someone who said DCL Transfers board by CC status, and that is only at the MCO Hyatt it is done in that manner.

 

[TeamRiley]

Id uber to the resort and take DCL Transfers