How far is Port Canaveral from Orlando and can I get to Disney and Universal from the cruise ship?

Did you know that you can travel to amusement parks? And it’s not just an option for Disney cruisers.

Typically, Port Canaveral in Florida is the embarkation port for cruises, but occasionally, ships will visit there as a port of call after departing from somewhere else. Given that Port Canaveral is Orlando’s port and Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, it makes sense that travelers might want to head to Disney World or Universal Orlando for a day visit.

That was my case recently Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Odyssey of the Seas. The third day of the eight-day cruise included a call at Port Canaveral en route to the Bahamas, after the ship departed from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Here are answers to common questions you may have about whether moving between Port Canaveral And Orlando is feasible in a port call. (Note: Passengers departing from Port Canaveral should plan to arrive in the area at least a day or two early if they want to experience one or more of Orlando’s theme parks; there are no times on the day of embarkation. )

How far is Orlando from Port Canaveral and will I have time to visit during my trip?

Port Canaveral is the closest cruise port to Orlando but is still about an hour away by car, depending on traffic. The port is approximately 60 miles from both CityWalk and Universal’s Disney Springs, with free admission areas at both resorts serving as jumping-off points to the parks.

Depending on how long you’re in port, it’s possible to get to Orlando and back in one day. However, you will need at least six to seven hours in port to make the trip worthwhile as it will take you at least two hours in transit. Even with that much time, you’ll only get to visit one park at one resort and won’t have a whole day to play.

How much does it cost to get from Port Canaveral to Orlando theme park?

Taxi: A taxi from Port Canaveral to the Orlando theme park costs around $200 each way and is the most expensive option.

Uber and Lyft: Uber and Lyft Prices each way between Orlando and Port Canaveral can fluctuate depending on the time of day, but when I checked around 6pm for a trip from Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando back to the port, prices started at $87. $ for Uber and $136 for Lyft . It’s a risky choice because prices fluctuate, but if you’re traveling with a large group, it can be more economical than booking a cruise line transfer.

Bright line: Brightline, the intercity train that runs up and down Florida’s east coast, still doesn’t have a station in the nearby Port Canaveral area. However, it does a station in Orlandoand the airline is working to expand service to Cocoa, just eight miles from the port, in the future. That would allow passengers to take an inexpensive taxi, Uber or Lyft to the station and catch an affordable train to and from Orlando. (Orlando Station is about a 25-minute drive from both Disney World and Universal.)

While exact prices aren’t yet available, a round-trip train ride between Miami and West Palm Beach — two destinations, like Port Canaveral and Orlando, about an hour apart by car — costs less than $60 per person. The only drawback is that you have to allow time to get from the port to the train station and from the station to the park you’re visiting; You’ll also be made aware of train schedules, which can take up your time at the park.

Car rental: Car rental because the trip between Port Canaveral and Orlando is cumbersome. You will have to find a ride to the rental location, pick up the car and then drive yourself. Some searches on Expedia show rental prices starting at around $67/day if you pick up and drop off the car at the same location with a full tank of gas, not including taxes and fees. That also doesn’t include parking in Orlando, which costs $30 a day at Disney and $32 a day at Universal, the cheapest available.

Cruise excursions: The most economical option I’ve found by far is to book shipping through one tour through cruise line. Most, if not all, routes calling at Port Canaveral offer free bus rides to the park and back. During my boat trip, a bus that dropped me off and picked me up at the Universal Orlando entrance only cost me $44 round trip.

Park tickets are not included so I had to buy them separately. (After a quick search, it doesn’t look like any cruise ship – not even one Disney Cruise Line – offers theme park admission as a shore excursion, probably because there are so many park options.)

How I spent a theme park day on a cruise ship

I originally planned to spend the day at Disney World’s Epcot because my trip coincided with the park’s annual festival. International food and wine festival. However, by the time I was ready to book my cruise ship transfer, the Disney bus was full.

So after finding out that my companion – an adult Harry Potter fans – never came Universal OrlandoWe chose to go there instead and spend the day at Islands of Adventure, which has a replica of the park Hogsmeade is placed. (That’s fine by me since a one-day Disney ticket is more expensive than a one-day Universal ticket.)

I bought two tickets to ride Royal Caribbean’s Universal Orlando bus and then started looking for the best price on park tickets.

I started by checking out the Universal website. A ticket for a nonresident adult at a park on November 19 – the day I want to visit – is $142.71. Hoping to find a lower price, I checked Undercover Tourist to see if there were any deals. There isn’t, and in fact tickets there are about $3.50 ($146.28) more expensive after adding taxes and site fees.

Then I wondered if I could exchange airline miles for airline tickets. Since my preferred airline is United and I have a lot of airline miles, I checked to see if I could Exchange them for gift cards above MileagePlus X Portal, thus avoiding having to spend any extra money. I think I can then use the gift card to buy the tickets. Unfortunately, although the portal provides Disney gift cardNot available for Universal.

Plus, the redemption value is generally terrible. (When I checked, $200 in Disney gift cards would cost me 66,666 miles, which equates to a staggering $900, according to TPG’s valuation.)

Finally, I turned to credit card points to see if I could make a purchase through American Express travel portal. When that didn’t seem like an option, I checked both Universal’s and Undercover Tourist’s websites to see if I could redeem Amex points through PayPal at checkout. PayPal is not available for payments on Universal’s website; The cost of paying with PayPal points on Undercover Tourist is 20,897. According to TPG’s valuation at the time, 20,897 points were worth about $418 — nearly three times what I would have paid for a ticket through Universal.

Ultimately, booking through Universal is the cheapest option.

Once everything was booked and paid, the rest was easy. We boarded the ship, and two transfer tickets were sent to our cabin in an envelope, telling us where and when to meet on the day we docked at Port Canaveral. We left the train as a group and went to the bus, where we met the tour guide and gave him our tickets.

Once on the bus, we found wristbands and boarding passes that allowed us to get back on the bus at the end of the day, along with clear instructions on where the bus would drop us off and pick us up as well. like when do we need to come back. . During the hour-long drive, our tour guide provided interesting information about Port Canaveral and the Orlando area.

The park itself is fun, but the experience is a bit rushed. Our ship docked a little before noon that day. By the time we got on the bus and arrived at Universal’s CityWalk, it was already after 1:30 p.m. We had to be back on the bus at 6, which meant we only had about 4 hours in the park as it was at least a 15 minute walk between where the bus dropped us off and the Islands of Adventure entrance.

We explored Hogsmeade, enjoyed some butterbeer, toured Hogwarts castle, and saw a performance by the Frog Choir. We grabbed snacks and drinks but didn’t sit down to eat. Because it was a Tuesday when most kids were in school, we experienced relatively short rides and sparse crowds and were able to ride four rides (Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Jurassic World VelociCoaster , Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) do not have an Express Pass.

The money we spent – $186.71 per person for park admission and cruise bus transfers – was well worth the great time we had. However, if we had gone there on a weekend or a day where the lines were longer, it wouldn’t have been worth the cost.

Bottom line

It’s entirely possible to visit one of Orlando’s theme parks, such as Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World, on a cruise tour of Port Canaveral. Just make sure you have enough time in port and reasonable transportation to make the roughly hour-long journey from Port Canaveral to Orlando and back. Usually, the most economical option is to book bus transportation through your cruise line.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible because single-day park rates are much more expensive than multi-day rates on a daily basis. You can do this by purchasing gift cards, redeeming points or airline miles, or scanning discount websites for any promotions or special offers that may be available. (Think discounts for Florida residents, military discounts, and discounts through groups like AAA and AARP.)

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