Hello, Candiance,
That doesn't sound a bit trivial to me at all. One of the big reasons I sought to join the planDisney Panel was because I too can feel significant anxiety preparing for a major family vacation. Through lots of research and planning, I discovered that there are almost always ways to work through the uncertainty and questions to put together the most magical vacations imaginable. And along the way, I also discovered that it is a huge pleasure to help others with their vacation planning as well. I hope that I can help reduce some of that anxiety for other Guests like you.
When I have driven to the Disney Cruise Line terminals at either Port Canaveral or Fort Lauderdale in the past few years, I have marveled at how smoothly and efficiently things run at the port. Luggage drop-off is very quick and fast. And if you are driving your own vehicle, parking in the connected parking structure is also very straightforward. I have not experienced any significant traffic backups in these locations for our recent cruises. While parking is handled differently in other ports, I've seen similar efficiency on embarkation day for Disney cruises out of San Diego, California, Galveston, Texas, and Vancouver, British Columbia. In all of these locations, I've observed that arriving at the port right around our Port Arrival Time has been effective. But if you're like me, I'm guessing you will time your arrival to be a little early, perhaps 10-15 minutes would be reasonable. Rest assured, if you arrive at a time near your Port Arrival Time, your cruise check-in experience will work out quite well.
Thanks for stopping by planDisney, Candiance. If you have any more questions, I hope we'll hear from you again soon.
Have a great vacation, Candiance!
~Tony