Hi Valerie,
Welcome back to planDisney, it’s great to see you stopping by with another thoughtful question. I’m glad you are looking ahead to a
Disney Cruise Line vacation later this fall and starting to plan out the travel logistics details. It looks like you’re sailing on the gorgeous
Disney Wish this October – how exciting!
I’m happy that you’re familiar with the great
ground transportation service offered from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Port Canaveral. This reserved service allows you to relax while Disney takes care of the traffic and drive to the coast, giving you peace of mind and switching into “vacation mode” as soon as you arrive in sunny Florida. The Disney Cruise Line website has all the details for planning this great service, and advises that the
latest arrival time to MCO on embarkation day is 1:45 P.M.
While that guidance is to ensure that you don’t miss the ship sailing away that afternoon, my advice is to arrive much earlier in the day or even the night before if possible. My family has stayed the night at the
Hyatt Regency inside the Orlando airport and then used Disney Cruise Line ground transportation the following morning. Transportation is also offered from the
Walt Disney World Resort hotels if you wanted to add a night there before your cruise. This itinerary is a 3-Night sailing, and I wouldn’t want you to miss a moment of fun onboard! When possible, I try to not travel on embarkation day to minimize any risks of travel delays or cancelled flights interrupting my cruise plans. I prefer to arrive as early as possible at the port terminal (based on my Port Arrival Time selected at Online Check-In, or Disney Cruise Line ground transportation) and then enjoy lunch onboard, explore the ship, and even swim before we sail away that afternoon.
I hope this is helpful as you look to make some airline reservations and secure ground transportation to the ship, Valerie. Please let us know if you have other questions as you put together this magical vacation.
Wishing you smooth sailing,
Amy