Welcome aboard, George!
Many guests fly in the morning of their sailing and take their pre-booked
Disney Cruise Line's ground transfers to Port Canaveral. My family and I have done that before, and it's worked out well, however we usually arrive around 11:00. I understand that you are nervous about possibly missing the ship if your flight were to be delayed. We felt that way too. That is why we now fly in the day before and stay at one of the Walt Disney World Resorts before setting out to sea the following day. I don't like to take the chance of a flight delay meaning we don't make it to Port Canaveral before the last chance to board, which is usually around 3:30 or so, though it can vary by individual sailing.
If your flight is on time, you'll be all set, because Disney will grab your DCL tagged bags from the baggage for you and send them ahead to the ship, (details on this in your cruise packet that you'll receive with luggage tags a few weeks before sailing). You simply take your carry-on bags and head straight to the motor coach which departs on a continuous basis throughout the day, taking guests from the airport to Port Canaveral. The ride is about an hour long.
If you are nervous about flight delays causing you to arrive too late to make it to Port Canaveral before the ship departs, you may want to consider flying in the day before.
Disney's Magical Express is complimentary taking guests from the airport to their resort. You'd then book your cruise transfers from the resort to the port. My family and I love having extra Disney time before we sail, but most of all, I enjoy knowing that even if our flight is delayed, we aren't going to miss the ship.
Please stop back with any other questions about your cruise, George! We're happy to help!
Marcy