Welcome aboard, Karen! Debarkation morning of our Disney Cruise Line vacations is always so bittersweet. We wave a sad farewell to new friends and say "See Ya' Real Soon" just like Mickey. Using Disney Cruise Line's ground transfers from Port Canaveral to return to the Orlando International airport is the most wonderful way to end our cruise vacation. We love that Disney takes care of all of the details, so we simply climb aboard the motor coach, relax, reminisce about the memories we made on the ship, and enjoy a stress-free ride to the airport.
The ride is about an hour long once we pull away from Port Canaveral, but keep in mind that it can take awhile to debark the ship and make your way through customs in the port before you can get onto the motor coach. We've not spent more than an hour in line for baggage and customs, but I'd always leave our family that amount of time to make it through there, just in case.
While the motor coach is similar to Disney's Magical Express that you may have experienced on your way to the Walt Disney World Resort, the cruise
ground transfers are a separate service that you must pre-book, with an additional cost of $35 per person each way.
Disney recommends that guests who utilize ground transfers arrange their return flights no earlier than 11:30 a.m. on debarkation morning, to ensure that they have enough time to leave the ship, go through customs, ride to the airport and make it to their gates with time to spare. We usually book a 12:30 or 1:30 flight, which gives us plenty of time to relax that final morning without having to rush off the ship. We also end up with a bit of extra time at the airport to do a bit of shopping and browsing at the Disney Store there for any last minute souvenirs before heading to our flight gate.
I hope those details help as you plan your cruise, Karen!
Marcy