One of the BEST parts about going on a cruise out of Port Canaveral is that you can also visit DISNEY WORLD. 🙂
But the cruise terminal and Disney World are around 70 miles (113 km) apart, and it takes well over an hour to drive!
When we visited Disney before our cruise, it was slightly challenging to figure out how to get to Port Canaveral from our resort.
Below, you will learn about the different options for traveling between Disney World and Port Canaveral. As you will see, it doesn’t matter whether you want to visit Disney before or after your cruise, as all the options work both ways.
Transportation between Disney World and Port Canaveral:
*Five cruise lines encompassing 15 ships operate from Port Canaveral: Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and MSC Cruises.*
Option #1: Disney provides ground transportation for Disney Cruises
This option ONLY applies if you are sailing with the Disney Cruise Line. If so, you can set up transportation directly with Disney to get to the cruise terminal on a motorcoach bus.
Disney Cruise Line ground transportation operates to and from any Disney World Resort, Port Canaveral, and the Orlando Airport. So you can use it in any combination you need!
The biggest disadvantage to this option is the cost. The one-way rate is $45 per person. And you don’t get any discounts for round-trip, which costs $90 per person. But children under 3 are FREE!
To book a ride through Disney, do one of the following:
- Call (800) 951-3532 to discuss with the Disney Cruise Line.
- Open up the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Scroll down to find “Ground Transportation.”
- Login to your account on the Disney Cruise Line site. At the top, click Already Booked -> Ground Transportation.
- If you booked your cruise with a travel agent, they must book the ground transportation for you.
Option #2: Use a SHARED Shuttle from a third-party company.
The biggest negative to booking a shuttle through Disney is the price!
Luckily, there are companies in the Orlando area that provide shuttles from Disney World to Port Canaveral. And the prices per person are much less expensive!
For example, Port Canaveral Connection charges $35 per person one way ($70 round trip) for shuttles from Disney Resorts to/from Port Canaveral. When you book the ride, you will select the pickup location, pickup time, and where you need to go.
The only negative to this option is that you will likely be on a shuttle with other passengers. That means you will probably make stops at other resorts to pick up additional guests.
Option #3: Travel to/from Port Canaveral on a PRIVATE shuttle.
If you don’t want to share a ride with other people, then you can book private transportation. Depending on the size of your group, you can ride in a sedan, van, SUV, or even a minibus!
A huge benefit of a private shuttle is that you won’t stop anywhere else for pickups. You will go straight from Disney World to Port Canaveral (or vice versa).
With a private shuttle, you don’t pay per person; instead, you pay for the entire vehicle you need. So, if you have a large group, having a private shuttle might be comparable in cost to using a shared shuttle in option #2.
- For example, I found you can book a 10-passenger van from Disney World to Port Canaveral for $315 one-way. That works out to only $31.50 per person if you have ten people!
Check out Ace Luxury Transportation if you are interested in a private shuttle.
Their rates are very competitive, and they get INCREDIBLE reviews. They also have a “3-Way Land and Sea Package,” which provides discounted transportation from the Orlando Airport (MCO) to Disney World to Port Canaveral and then back to the airport!
Option #4: Use Uber or Lyft to get to Port Canaveral!
As you can imagine, a popular way to go from the Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral is to use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft.
One of the biggest advantages of this option is the price. In many cases, taking an Uber or Lyft is the CHEAPEST way to travel back and forth between Disney and the cruise terminal.
Unfortunately, I can’t give you an exact price for how much it costs to go from Disney World to Port Canaveral using a rideshare since the prices constantly change depending on the day and time.
Also, the price changes based on how big of a vehicle you require.
For example, here were the costs and options to go from Disney World to Port Canaveral on a random Wednesday morning.
Remember that these prices are ONE WAY!
The prices don’t look so bad if you need a smaller vehicle. But if you require something larger for your party’s luggage, booking an UberXL becomes more expensive.
One advantage of taking a ride share to Port Canaveral is that you won’t have to wait long for your ride.
At almost any time of day, you should wait less than 5 minutes for your driver!
The biggest disadvantage to using a rideshare is you can’t plan it ahead of time, and the cost isn’t fixed. You have to trust that you can use the app to order a vehicle when you need a ride.
Also, the costs can increase drastically due to “surge pricing.” This happens when a lot of people need rides, and there are not enough drivers to go around.
Lastly, if you have never used Uber or Lyft, you must be comfortable with a stranger driving you in their car, which is not part of a traditional company.
Option #5: Rent a car and park it at Port Canaveral
If you don’t like any of the options so far, you can always rent a car to get to Port Canaveral!
One big advantage of renting a car is that you have complete freedom for your vacation to go wherever you want before and after your cruise.
- First, you can rent a car directly from the Orlando Airport (MCO). Pretty much EVERY rental car company operates here.
- Second, you can rent a car at Disney World at the Car Care Center. The three companies that operate here are “preferred partners” of Disney: Enterprise, National, and Alamo. The Car Care Center is located near Magic Kingdom. And to help get there, they offer a complimentary shuttle service. To schedule, call (407) 824-3470 ext. 1.
Renting a car is one of the most EXPENSIVE travel methods between Disney World and Port Canaveral.
First, you have to consider the cost of the rental car per day. The rates change drastically depending on the time of year (Spring Break is very expensive) and the type of vehicle you rent (larger is pricier). $75 – $100 per day is an estimate.
Second, you must factor in the cost of parking your car at Port Canaveral. On-site parking costs $17/day, including the day of arrival and departure.
There is also off-site parking, which has a cheaper per-day rate. These companies offer shuttles to transport you to and from the terminal.
Option #6: Get a ONE-WAY car rental!
Another popular option is renting a car in one location and dropping it off elsewhere. That way, you don’t have to pay the daily parking fees while on your cruise.
To give you some ideas of how you can pull this off, here are the three popular places you could pick up and drop off a rental car:
- Port Canaveral Car Rental Offices: Almost every carrier has a location near Port Canaveral. They all offer free shuttles to and from the cruise terminal.
This idea is a great option if you plan on visiting Disney World before or after your cruise. You have the benefits of a rental car while visiting Disney World, but then you can get rid of it before your cruise.
The biggest negative to this option is the potential for extra fees. Many companies charge extra for one-way car rentals. You can play around with pricing and pickup and drop-off locations HERE.
Honestly, the options to incorporate a one-way rental car into your trip are endless. It just depends on your exact plans. 🙂
Option #7: Ride in a party bus or limo from Disney World to Port Canaveral
Are you visiting Orlando for a bachelorette party, wedding, family reunion, or other celebration? Or do you have a really large group?
If so, why not surprise your group by taking a party bus or limousine? 🙂
You can have one of these vehicles pick you up right at Disney World or Port Canaveral. And if you have a large party, it’s not even that expensive if everyone splits the cost! Seriously, check out rates with a local company HERE.
It’s not even a problem if toddlers are in your group, as you can request car seats when you book.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the BEST way to get from Disney World to Port Canaveral?
The best option depends on your unique circumstances.
- Disney World shuttle: Best for people who want the assurances that Disney provides.
- Shared shuttle: This is the cheapest option for solo travelers or small groups.
- Private shuttle: Best for people who want a private ride that doesn’t make any other stops. The price goes down as your group gets larger.
- Uber/Lyft: Best for procrastinators who didn’t line up anything else. It’s also one of the least expensive options. 🙂
- Car rentals: Best for people who want the freedom that their own car provides.
- Party bus or limo: Best for celebrations or large groups!
How long is the drive from Disney World to Port Canaveral?
The distance between MCO and Port Canaveral is approximately 70 miles (113 km). The drive would take about 1 hour and 15 minutes, assuming there is not much traffic. But remember, this is Orlando, which means there is usually LOTS of traffic. 🙂
What is the best way to travel from Disney World to Port Canaveral if I need a car seat?
If you have toddlers, I know it is VERY important to find transportation to Port Canaveral that includes a car seat. So here is a brief rundown of everything the above options can provide:
Disney Ground Transportation:
- Car seats are not provided nor can be requested. Here is the response I got from a Disney representative:
“The motor coaches conform to all State and Federal regulations and at present there are no requirements or standards for seatbelts in ‘over the road’ buses, transit buses or school buses. Motor coach passengers are considered protected by an ‘egg carton’ effect created by the compartmentalization of their high back seat and the high seat back in front of them.”
Private Shuttle:
- Car seats should be no problem if you hire a private car service. Just make sure to let the company know what you need before arrival.
Uber:
- Luckily, it’s super easy to request a vehicle with Uber that has a car seat you can use. While in the Uber app, look for the Uber Car Seat options.
- Uber Car Seat vehicles only provide ONE car seat. Also, there may be limited availability for an Uber Car Seat vehicle, so you may have to wait longer for a driver.
- It’s also very easy to bring an inflatable car seat, so you don’t have to pay extra for one of these Uber vehicles. Check out some of the best options here on Amazon.
Lyft:
- As of this writing, Lyft does not have the option to request a vehicle with a car seat. Therefore, you must bring your own car seat to travel with Lyft.
Shared Shuttle:
- Car seats are not required when riding a large motor coach bus.
- However, you can request to have as many car seats as you need. Check with whichever company you end up using.
Rental Car:
- If you decide to rent a car, you can also rent car seats or boosters from your provider for an additional daily cost.
- To save some money, you can also bring your own. It’s also very easy to bring an inflatable car seat, so you don’t have to carry your large, heavy one from home. Check out some of the best options here on Amazon.
Just so you know, rideshares and taxis are exempt from child passenger laws in Florida.
So it is completely up to you to determine if you require a car seat. Below is what the current law states:
(6) The child restraint requirements imposed by this section do not apply to a chauffeur-driven taxi, limousine, sedan, van, bus, motor coach, or other passenger vehicle if the operator and the motor vehicle are hired and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.”
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What questions do you have about traveling between Disney World and Port Canaveral?
Please leave a comment below! I will do my best to research and find you an answer.
