RAILforum: Florida Cruise Connections

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Posted by clwood (Member # 3297) on :

This is rephrasing a question I had asked before, hopefully more clearly this time:

I would like to take the train, starting in Chicago, to the Orlando, Florida area. I want to stay overnight in the Orlando area, then travel to the Orlando airport to take the Disney Cruise Line's transfer service to its cruise terminal in Port Canaveral. I understand that there are a variety of ways to get to Port Canaveral, but I prefer using Disney's own service as I've done this before after flying into Orlando.

Is the Orlando stop actually the closest and/or best stop to the airport? Are there hotels nearby that offer free or reasonable cost shuttle service to and from the airport? Is there any shuttle service from any hotel to and from the Amtrak depot, or will any of the shuttle services stop there by pre-arrangement?

Posted by Steve O. (Member # 2993) on :

Well, I can give you some insight.

It was a $28 cab ride from the Orlando airport to the Amtrak Orlando station. I make the trek last year. I had to leave out of Orlando since I was taking the Sunset over to New Orleans. Mears Motor Shuttle was supposed to get me to the station for about $15, but they cancelled the stop at the station. In my opinion, the cab is the best/only way to go. I suppose in theory you could do the public bus as well, but lord knows how long that would take.

As for its location, the ORL station is pretty much on the outskirts of downtown. There did not appear to be any hotels within walking distance.

Out of curiosity, will you be connecting in New Orleans or in Washington D.C for your trip?

Posted by CHATTER (Member # 1185) on :

In 2002, wife and I stayed at the Red Roof Inn in downtwon Orlando, near the cathedrals. It was either a five minute cab ride, or a twenty-three minute walk, to the Amtrak station.

Posted by clwood (Member # 3297) on :

quote:
Originally posted by NativeSon5859:

It was a $28 cab ride from the Orlando airport to the Amtrak Orlando station.
Out of curiosity, will you be connecting in New Orleans or in Washington D.C for your trip?

NativeSon, my plan is to arrive in Orlando the day before my cruise, hopefully avoiding disaster if the train is seriously late. I would thus need transportation from the station to a hotel on the day of arrival, and from the hotel to the airport the next day. On the return trip we dock in Port Canaveral early in the morning, and Disney is known for its punctuality, so I would plan to take the transfer to the airport, then cab it or take some sort of shuttle to the Amtrak station.

For the train trip, I want to connect in D.C., as the overall trip is allegedly shorter, and I've been to the D.C. depot before and have some familiarity with it. I do have a concern about time in D.C., as I've read discussions here about the Capitol being late enough into Washington to miss its connection to Florida. When I travelled to Washington last year on the Capitol, I recall that we were late, but the southbound train was held for connecting passengers. Looking back, I wonder if the checked luggage made it, along with passengers physically incpable of rushing through the station.

My cruise is planned for February 2006, so I have time to look into transportation options, but I want to make my reservations soon to save some dollars. One thing I've already discovered is that Amtrak charges an arm and a leg for sleepers between D.C. and Florida.

Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :

One thought that may help.....

Hertz at one time offered a free shuttle from the Orlando Amtrak station to their rental site at the airport.

If they still do, perhaps you could rent an economy car for the one day rate. You'd get the shuttle to the airport and drive yourself to your hotel (the Convention Center Red Roof has been renovated recently, I spent a night there last month). Next morning you can turn your car in at Hertz and get their shuttle to the airport where you could catch the Disney Cruise Bus.

I'd guess the cost would be the same (or a little lower) than having to rely on taxis. Plus, you could set your own schedule and save money on lodging by staying at the Red Roof......it's decent and affordable but not the kind of place that's going to offer a shuttle.

Have a great trip.

------------------
David Pressley

[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 01-12-2005).]

Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :

As of Feb last, Hertz had a COUNTER and keeps AUTOS at the Orlando Station. They send personnel down there when they have a reservation.

Using a larger concern such as Hertz, there is a better likelihood that a one-way rental to Port Canaveral could be arranged without some "Ludacris" one way charge. Lest we note, they have a reasonable chance of originating a rental at Port Canaveral where some independent concern might not.

Unless your children simply 'must' have a date with Mickey, with your own "ride', you can find 'econochain" lodging away from the tourist trek and save some "heap big wampum' in the process.

[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 01-12-2005).]

Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :

Either Orlando or Kissimmee are equally close to the Orlando Airport. Yes there are some hotels on Orange Avenue near the Orlando station, but you may find a "nicer" selection of hotels near the Winter Park station -- I don't know that much about Kissimmee. The Orlando station is near all kinds of medical facilities associated with ORMC (Orlando Regional Medicial Center) -- not many motels/hotels.