HELP! Need advice re transfer from JFK to Manhattan

[Guest]

Hi, I really need the assistance of you clever Dibbers!
We go to NY in June and I think I am finally pleased with itinerary. The final piece of the puzzle is how to get from JFK to Manhattan - we are staying at the Broadway Plaza.
I had originally planned to get a yellow cab, BUT, after research I am now not sure they will take us - we are Me, DH, DD1(17) and DD2(17) - along with all our luggage. We will each have a medium sized suitcase as we are doing 5 days NYC and then down to the mouse for 17 days.
I have been looking at a private transfer but they seem to be a bit of a minefield! Some companies say they charge for 'wait time' after the first 30 minutes, some don't specify. My questions are:
Would we all get in a yellow cab?
If we go for a private transfer roughly how much would this cost?
Anybody have a recommended company?
How do I factor in 'wait time' - if we land at 1405?
How long will it take to get through security etc and should I try to include this is an 'wait time'?
Our flight to MCO leaves JFK at 1559 on a Saturday - what time should I plan to get to the airport and when should I book the transfer for?
I know we could use the air train, but we will have has a bit of a marathon journey by the time we get to JFK and I just want it to be as easy as possible.
Sorry for the massive post and TIA for all your help!

[Tweety1]

We have just done the same thing but we flew into Newark. There are 5 of us so we wouldn't have fit into a cab so booked a shuttle (go airlink) through attraction tickets direct couldn't fault them really straight forward the cost was £17 pp each way.You don't need to factor times when you get through immigration you go to ground transportation and give your voucher in and they allocate a bus to you. On the way home you ring (the concierge rang for me) 24 hrs before and they give you a time slot.
We stayed in the Broadway Plaza not sure if it's your first stay there but it was great. Yes it's not much to look at from the outside but it's fab, rooms are big( well by NY standards) and beds super comfy. Breakfast and coffee all day was a bonus
Subway a couple of mins away
Anything else just ask
Have a fab time

[rp811]

We were there a few weeks ago . 4 adults with 4 medium cases & hand luggage cases. We got a yellow cab with no problems at all. They have a fixed price which should come to $70 including tolls & tip. Just make your way out to the taxi rank & join the queue ( do not accept an offer of a cab from anyone inside the terminal). They will allocate you a cab for the size of your partyincluding luggage. Another piece of advice is not to get your doorman to get you a private suv for the return trip as this could quite easily set you back $150 or more.

[scooby99]

All yellow cabs are a fixed fare of $52 plus tolls & tip both from JFK-Manhattand & the return journey even if hailed in the street for the return journey.
The yellow cabs are a variety of vehicles able to handle different numbers of passengers.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies. It is our first time to NY so will probe now do the yellow cab to get the whole experience . Think my DDs will love it. Did you use the subway to get around? I believe that i can use one metrocard for all of us?

[macadoo]

So 4 of you? Will be fine in a yellow cab. 4 of us with 4 large suitcases and hand luggage, they list sent us to a cab that would fit us all (dh sat in the front).

[Blast Furnace]

At the taxi rank, they will call a SUV that can take 4 adults and cases. We did this last year $75 incl tip

[marypoppins38]

We used NYCAirporter. They were great. Air conditioned coaches with free wifi. We did La Guardia to Manhatten then Manhatten to JFK but can highly recommend. Very clean, on time and great drivers.

[rp811]

You can use one Metrocard for all the group, this means that once the first person uses the card it has to be passed back to subsequent members in the party to use. The card itself costs $1.00 and it is $2.75 per person per trip. You can load up the card with as much as you want. We decided to by a card each to save the hassle of having to pass the card back & forth & loaded each on with $15.00 which done us for the 7 days as we were quite central at the Intercontinental Times Square so we walked to a lot of the attractions

[sam7]

Use the yellow cab or the LIRR railway, dont go for a shuttle. We went to New York last year Feb, we went by LIRR and it was brilliant and very quick, a couple at our hotel with similar flight times arrives 2 hours after us cause they had to wait for another couple of flights with the shuttle and got picked up 3 hours before we had to leave for the airport, a waste of half a valuable day in total (and they missed nearly all the lovely snow we got to see, amazing)