Hi Shawn, welcome aboard to my fellow Buckeye! It's pretty chilly in our neck of the woods this time of year, so I bet you're looking forward to planning your cruise to the warm Caribbean waters with Disney!
When you book your cruise, you can opt for Disney's ground transportation between the Miami airport and the Port of Miami. This is a great service and worth the extra cost as Disney takes care of all the details and makes the start and end of your cruise very relaxing. No need to rent a car this way! If you don't opt for this when you first book your cruise, you won't be able to add it online later. You can certainly still add it, but you'll need to call Disney Cruise Line to add it on if you didn't add it to your original reservation. Currently the cost is $20 per person each way in Miami.
Any guest can book a Disney cruise as far in advance as they'd like, once the itineraries are available. You'll see that the cruise itineraries are currently available through mid-2014. So, whenever you're ready to book, go ahead! Once you have your reservation, you should take a look at the
Port Adventures and other extras on the cruise ships, like dinner reservations in the
Adult Exclusive restaurants Palo and Remy.
First time cruisers can book these extras 75 days before they set sail, once their account is paid in full.
On your last morning on the cruise, guests who dined for dinner at Main Seating will have a 6:30 a.m. breakfast. Guests with Second Seating dinners will have the 7:45 a.m. breakfast. All guests must be off the ship by 9:00 a.m.
I hope you find the right ship and itinerary for your family, Shawn! Happy planning! Let me know if I can help you with anything!