Easiest option with two young kids airport to hotel

[jenc842]

Hi there! We are cruising our third time, all from MCO. The first couple of times we did the DCL shuttle (from MCO to Port Canaveral) then the following year we did a private car (MCO to port). Both were just fine, but the first was a little pricey for us and the latter there was some waiting around for the private car to show up.

Now that we have two young kids - who will be 4 and 2, so needing carseats definitely - I'm trying to evaluate the most economical way to make our cruise this fall the LEAST stressful.

This time we are flying into MCO a day before, and staying at Cocoa Beach. What's my best option for getting out there after arriving at MCO? (We will have a hotel shuttle to the Port, so that part is taken care of. Just need to find transportation from MCO > Cocoa, and Port > MCO after the cruise.)

Is renting a car really easy, even with 2 carseats? Or is there a lot of walking/waiting around to do? Or is the cost difference not so great that I should just continue a private car again? Or, do we even consider Uber (are 2 car seats common in one car)? Where we're from, we have plentiful regular Ubers but very little ones with carseats so I am not familiar with MCO.

Thanks!!!

 

[lindsay0526]

If it were me and I was going to come in the day before, I would just rent a car. That way you can get yourself to and from the airport, get to the hotel, go out to dinner after you get to Cocoa Beach and get yourself to the cruise terminal without having to move car seats around too much (which I HATE doing). If you won't need the car seats on the cruise, you could just leave them in the car during the cruise, and they are ready to go when you get back.

 

[jenc842]

If it were me and I was going to come in the day before, I would just rent a car. That way you can get yourself to and from the airport, get to the hotel, go out to dinner after you get to Cocoa Beach and get yourself to the cruise terminal without having to move car seats around too much (which I HATE doing). If you won't need the car seats on the cruise, you could just leave them in the car during the cruise, and they are ready to go when you get back.

is renting a car at MCO really difficult? lots of walking? i'm just picturing walking great lengths with luggage and two tired kids and it makes my head hurt

 

[lindsay0526]

is renting a car at MCO really difficult? lots of walking? i'm just picturing walking great lengths with luggage and two tired kids and it makes my head hurt

I'm not sure. It's been so long since I have rented a car at MCO. You could always send 1 adult to pick up the car, and the other adult can hang with the luggage, carseats and kids while you enjoy a snack, and then they could come and get you.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We used Alamo in MCO and it was fine. It was on the floor below, I think. You can do the advanced registration on line and just use the kiosk (instead of waiting in line) when you get there. DH went to get the car and I stayed with the luggage. I don't remember it taking that long.

Now, some rental places may be offsite (with a shuttle), so make sure you know that before you choose.

 

[TeamRipper]

For our 5 cruises out of MCO, we always go out at least a day early, rent a car and drive to Cocoa Beach. In my opinion, while the popular rental agencies are fairly easy to get to, I would not want to do it with small kids and especially while shlepping all the luggage. As a previous poster noted - it should be easy enough for one adult to walk over to the get the car (they are in the parking garage across the street from the terminal) and return to pick up the rest of the family. I cannot remember where the exit back into the airport is, but for sure you don't want to get on the airport exit! I am sure the rental car attendant can help out with that.

 

[Chemist]

As a previous poster noted - it should be easy enough for one adult to walk over to the get the car (they are in the parking garage across the street from the terminal) and return to pick up the rest of the family.

We do a variant of this every time we travel. DH goes to pick up the car (long term parking, maybe car rental, once a cab ride to my work 10 minutes away) while the boys and I gather the luggage. He then meets us curbside, usually within minutes of our luggage arriving. DH carries all the backpacks with him, so I just need to deal with checked luggage.

And yes, at Christmas my 9 year old and 4 year old helped me schlep 3 full size suitcases and one small suitcase to the curb.
I sit them down in chairs at baggage claim near the door and bring pieces over to them. Then my 9 year old pulls one suitcase, the little guy the small one and I pull two.
And at Christmas I had a carseat bag also. Its straps fit over a suitcase handle.

It sounds worse than it is.

Its extremely time efficient at the end of a long day of traveling.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We used Alamo in MCO and it was fine. It was on the floor below, I think. You can do the advanced registration on line and just use the kiosk (instead of waiting in line) when you get there. DH went to get the car and I stayed with the luggage. I don't remember it taking that long.

Now, some rental places may be offsite (with a shuttle), so make sure you know that before you choose.

And if you use Alamo, join their (free) Alamo Insider program and add the skip the counter option when doing the advanced online checkin. That way, the person picking up the can can go directly to the garage and pick a car from the appropriate aisle.