Best Transportation from Disney World to Port Canaveral

If you are heading on a Disney Cruise out of Port Canaveral, Disney World is close by. Many people like to spend some time at Disney World before or after their cruise. If you decide you want hit the parks before you head on your cruise (or just stay at a Disney hotel), there are lots of ways to get to Port Canaveral from Disney.

They expect you to do this, so it’s pretty easy. I’ve traveled from Disney World to the port several times, but I also polled cruisers on Reddit and Facebook on the best options to get there. Here are the best ways to get to Port Canaveral after a day at the most magical place on Earth.

DCL Transfers from Disney World to Port Canaveral

The Disney Cruise Line Bus (photo cred: Michael Gray https://flic.kr/p/4RFUzr)

The easiest way to get from Disney World to Port Canaveral is to use the Disney Cruise Line transfer. This isn’t the most cost-effective way to get there, but it definitely provides the most peace of mind. DCL offers transfers from any Disney hotel (and partner hotels like the Hyatt Regency MCO, and MCO itself) to get to the Port Canaveral cruise terminal.

Like I said, this transportation service is expensive (especially for a large group), but here are the perks. This is a Disney transfer. If there are delays because of traffic or anything else, you won’t miss your ship. Also, some people have reported that Disney told them that they can board as soon as they arrive despite their port arrival time (I can’t verify this, just relaying the info). So if you're heading to the Disney cruise terminal from Disney World resorts, this might be the best option.

In order to use this, go to the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App then go to Already Booked> Ground Transportation to set it up. If you want, you can call Disney just to have that peace of mind that everything is taken care of. However, it's not the only way to get to your Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Car Rentals from Car Care Center to Port Canaveral

If you’d rather take matters into your own hands, you can rent a car from Disney and drop it off at the port. You can rent a car at the front desk of your Disney resort hotel, book online https://partners.rentalcar.com/wdw/, or call (407) 824-3470. A one-way car rental is a great option.

I did a cursory search, and at the time of writing it looks like cars will cost just over $100 for renting a car just to drop off at Port Canaveral (of course, this only applies to the date of this answer). This way, you can make your own schedule and not have to wait on anyone, except your family that has to go the bathroom for the third time in a hour.

This is a great option if you need to go to the grocery store or Walmart for some last-minute supplies before your cruise departure. It might be cost effective if your car is full because your paying just for the car while the DCL transfer charges per person. I also think this is a good choice if you want to do some sight-seeing before your boarding time because you can go visit other places at Cape Canaveral like the Kennedy Space Center. You'll avoid an extra charge for stops.

Rental Car from Orlando International Airport

Make sure you say hi to the Traveler at MCO, an incredible wax statue.

If you’re already planning on renting a car, you could also rent one at the airport, drive it to Disney World, then drive it to Port Canaveral, dropping it off there. Here’s a list of all the rental car companies that service MCO. You’ll have to look into which ones will let you drop them off at the Port. I looked through several, and everyone I clicked on offered one-way service to the Port.

Therefore, you can take the car to Disney World (free parking at Disney resorts and at the park if staying at a Disney resort), then drive it to Port Canaveral and drop it off when you’re ready. This is obviously more expensive than the suggestion above because you are renting for multiple days. However, my quick search revealed that it’s roughly the same price per day compared to ones at Disney.

Renting a car is a great option if you want to visit offsite stores like grocery stores or make a trip over to Universal Studios for a day. It’s also a good choice if you have a full car, since you only pay per car rather than per person for the DCL transfer. You do have to return the car to a rental car place at the port, but most of the rental companies have shuttles that will take you to your ship. Several people recommended dropping off your family first.

Private Transfers from Disney World to Port Canaveral

There are many companies that offer private transfers from Disney World (or anywhere in Orlando) to Port Canaveral. You could opt for Mears as a well-established brand, since they are the largest transfer and taxi service in Orlando, or you could reach out to one of the many companies that specialize in Port Canaveral transfers.

Other than Mears, there’s not a lot of repeat recommendations for transfer companies. Your best bet is to Google Disney to Port Canaveral and compare reviews. I recently wrote an article about the best transfers from MCO to Disney World (link in conclusion), and I’m sure many of them offer this service as well.

The benefit to a private transfer is that it’s just your party, so you have more flexibility and less awkwardness. It’s also usually cheaper than renting a car or taking the DCL transfer. You can also seek out a company like Happy Limo or Tiffany Town Car that will ensure that your ride in luxury.

The drivers of Happy Limo. They don’t look that happy, but I think they’ll protect you in a Jason Statham movie. (photo cred: Happy limo)

The downside is that this is an unknown quantity. You don’t know exactly what you are going to get compared to DCL transfer or your own driving (for better or worse). That being said, I saw a lot more responses on forums and social media speaking highly of their transfers than complaining. Be aware that there might be extra charges for things like car seats and extra stops.

Rideshare from Disney World to Port Canaveral

My family getting a Minnie van from Beach Club.

By far the easiest way to book transportation to Port Canaveral is through a Rideshare service. Notice I said, “easiest to book.” Uber and Lyft’s apps can technically get you a transfer in a matter of minutes. If you don’t like planning ahead, this might be the way to go. This is also a great option if you're at good neighbor hotels or other hotels in the Orlando, Florida area.

The downside to a rideshare company is that prices and availability can vary. If everyone is looking for rides, prices can double or triple, and drivers can get delayed or cancel. The other downside is that if a private transfer is an unknown quantity, a driver driving their own personal car is even more unknown. 

Even so, here’s the best choices for peace of mind.

Lyft Minnie Van to Port Canaveral

Disney famously has connected with Lyft to provide Minnie Vans—cute, polka dot vehicles—that take guests to and from the Disney hotels and Disney parks. They also offer service from Disney World to Port Canaveral. Minnie Vans around Disney property are some of the most expensive rideshare options, but the cruise transfer is much more reasonable, based on a quick search I ran on the Lyft app. Confusingly, the car is usually an SUV and not a van.

Minnie Van driver put Disney movies on the tv during our ride, awesome touch.

I recommend this over other rideshare services because both the car and driver are provided by Disney. I trust Disney vehicles and Disney Cast Members far more than average Lyft driver and car. I can’t verify this, but I imagine you also have more trip delay protection since you’re traveling in Disney property (akin to the DCL transfer).

Uber Black to Port Canaveral

With Uber, I recommend Uber black. Instead of a random person in their random personal car, Uber Black is only certain model cars that are black interior, black leather (or vegan leather) interior, and can’t be more than 6 years old. The drivers have to maintain a rating of 4.85 or higher. The cars are either full-size SUVs (Suburban, Grand Wagoneer, Expedition, etc.) or luxury cars like Mercedes and BMW. Lamborghini is on the list, too, but I feel like you have to have a weird story to be driving for Uber in a Lambo.

Driver in a suit helps my princess get into an Uber Black Suburban.

Black is obviously much more expensive than UberX, but the service and vehicle will be more standardized. After all, it's a black car service. FYI, last time we stayed at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, we opted for Uber Black instead of Minnie Vans for our private transportation because it was surprisingly more affordable.

Conclusion and Further Reading

There are lots of great ways to get from Disney World to Port Canaveral. You can use Disney’s transfer service, rent a car, use rideshare, or use a private transfer service. They all have their pros and cons. I personally think I prefer the Disney transportation as the best way to get there, unless I need to make a supply run before heading to the Port Canaveral area.  Most of these services also offer round trip options to and from your cruise ship. Finally, you could always just drive your own car, but parking at the cruise terminal can be expensive.

Hopefully, this helps you make an informed decision that works for your family’s cruise.

For more information on transportation to Disney World and Disney Cruises, check my article about the best airports for Port Canaveral and best airport transfers from MCO to Disney World.