Ahoy there, Kimberly!
How exciting that you’ve decided to bookend your special
Disney Cruise Line vacation with a stay at the
Walt Disney World Resort! I love both of these vacations, and have also connected a cruise with a resort stay for a special land-and-sea adventure. I’m happy to help you understand the best options for your own vehicle.
Parking at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel is an overnight
benefit for Guests staying at the resort or a short-term benefit for those enjoying a meal at the resort. Since you will be checking out to go on your cruise, you won’t be able to park safely and within policy for the duration of your cruise.
Disney Cruise Line offers
ground transportation to the port from the Walt Disney World Resort but this is a reservation-only, per-person fee service. If you have already booked this, I suggest you
call Disney Cruise Line to cancel and take your own vehicle to the port.
I’ve driven this route many times both for vacation and for work travel; it’s a straightforward drive on the highway to the coast, with plentiful clear signage from the Walt Disney World Resort to
Port Canaveral. You can expect it to take around 45-60 minutes of driving time. Port Canaveral offers secure parking in a garage facility especially for cruise travelers, so you can have peace of mind that your personal vehicle is safe during your time away. Please find directions, pricing, and details on the official Port Canaveral website through a basic web search.
There will be porters available when you pull up to the cruise terminal who can take your luggage for you before you park the vehicle, and you'll next see those suitcases magically meet you in your beautiful stateroom onboard! You will then have a seamless transition from your travel to boarding the beautiful Disney Cruise Line ship soon after you arrive and finish the boarding process.
I hope this eases your mind and opens new possibilities for streamlined logistics for your upcoming vacation, Kimberly. Please let me know if you’d like to
continue our conversation with more details or questions – I answer questions about both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line and would love to help more, however I can.
Wishing you a practically perfect vacation,
Amy