Disney Cruises: The Boarding Process at Port Canaveral

One question I get from readers a lot involves the process of boarding the ship, so this post is long overdue!  Since most Disney cruises leave from Port Canaveral, I will describe the details of boarding a Disney cruise in Port Canaveral.  I really wish that I had cruised out of every port that Disney cruises from and thus provide you with first hand details of each, but sadly this is not the case.  Maybe someday.

First of all, there are several different ways you can arrive at the Disney terminal at Port Canaveral.  They are:

DCL transfers from the Orlando Airport (MCO)

The DCL buses run continuously from the airport to Port Canaveral only the morning of embarkation.  As soon as a bus is full, it will leave.  If you arrive at MCO the morning of the cruise, or have stayed the night before at the MCO Hyatt (or a different hotel but then get a ride back to MCO in the morning), then you will go to the DCL transfer desk at MCO (level 1, side B – map here) once it opens, show your documentation, and they will show you to a bus.  If you have any luggage with you, the cast members will take it from you (except for carry-ons) and it will be sent to the ship.  Make sure your cruise luggage tags that you received in the mail are attached!  Any carry-ons will be placed underneath the bus and you will get them back after you step off the bus at the port.  If you have flown in that morning, hopefully you took advantage of the Disney luggage service and your bags are being taken from the airport to the cruise port for you.  If so, you can skip baggage claim and proceed straight to level 1, side B after leaving the plane.  It may help to follow the signs to Ground Transportation.  Once you arrive at Port Canaveral, you will simply get off the bus and head to the security line.

Note:  I am fan of staying at the Hyatt MCO the night before the cruise and using their luggage service to transport our luggage straight from our hotel room to the ship.  I have a post dedicated to that process here.  You must use DCL transfers to do this.

Drive Your Own Car (or a rental)

If you drive your own car to the port you can either 1) park at the cruise terminal 2) park at an off-site parking lot, or 3) park at a hotel that provides cruise parking and a shuttle service to the port.

If you park your car at the Disney terminal, you will drive into the port area where a security guard will check IDs and cruise documents.  Then you will proceed to the luggage drop off area where you will temporarily park your car and hand off your luggage (again, minus carry-ons) to a porter.  It is customary to tip the porters $1-2 per bag.  Again, make sure your cruise luggage tags are attached.  Next, you will drive your car into the garage (or the uncovered premium lot, your choice) and pay as you enter.  Find a parking space and then proceed to the terminal building (just a short walk away) and get into the security line.  You can read my full post with all of the details about parking your car at Port Canaveral here.

If you park your car at an off-site parking lot (or are returning a rental car), then you will simply catch the provided shuttle to the port after parking or returning the car.  The shuttle will drop you off at the luggage drop area next to the terminal where you will hand your luggage to a porter and then proceed into the terminal.  

Tip:  before you park/return the car, drive to the terminal and drop off your party and luggage.  Then you just have 1 person, and no luggage, catching the shuttle to the port.  Do the same thing in reverse after the cruise.  I have seen large families with a ton of luggage on shuttles before, and they never look happy.  It can also add time to your commute if you have to wait for another (empty) shuttle that will fit your entire party.

If you are leaving your car at a hotel and using the hotel shuttle system, then the hotel shuttle will drop off all passengers and luggage at the luggage drop area.  When we did this, the shuttle van pulled a trailer behind it for the luggage.  When we arrived at the terminal, the shuttle driver removed all of the luggage from the trailer and set it on the curb for the porters to take.  We watched this all happen and saw that our luggage was taken, but never really had an opportunity to tip the porter since it was a large group situation.

 Private Transportation (Car Service)

If you have hired a car service (or taxi) to bring you to the port, then your driver should proceed straight to the luggage drop curb after entering the terminal area.  There, you and your luggage will exit the vehicle and you will hand off your luggage (minus carry-ons) to a porter.  Once again, it is customary to tip the porters $1-2 per bag.  You should then proceed to the terminal and enter the line for security.

What Time to Arrive

Now let’s talk about times.  I have never seen it officially in writing, but the general consensus seems to be that the Disney terminal building opens at 10:30 am, but porters will be ready to take your luggage as early as 10:00 am.  If you arrive on a DCL bus prior to 10:30, they will let you in the terminal building even though it is not officially open yet.  Otherwise, you will have to stand outside and wait for them to unlock the doors at 10:30.  However, Disney has attempted to stagger the arrival of passengers so as not to have super long lines for security and check-in.  When you check in for your cruise online, you will be asked to choose a port arrival time (PAT).  I suggest arriving during your PAT and not trying to get there early unless you have a good reason.  If you are arriving on a DCL transfer from the airport, this may be out of your control and that is ok.  But, if possible, I would stick to your PAT as closely as possible to avoid standing in long lines.  Note that concierge guests are not prompted to choose a PAT during their online check in and may arrive whenever they like.

Checking in at the Terminal

Once you arrive at the terminal, you will first go through the security line.  Your travel documents will be checked, your carry-on luggage will be scanned/searched (read about the rules for carrying on alcohol here), and you will walk through a metal detector.  After that, you will proceed to the line at the check-in counters.  There are separate lines for first time cruisers and returning cruisers (although returning cruisers may go to whichever line is shorter) and there are always cast members around to direct you.  If you are sailing concierge, there is a separate area for you all the way at the back of the terminal on the right.

After you get through the security line you will check in at the counter.  They will take your photo, check your documents, issue your room keys, and have you fill out a health questionnaire.  If you are a returning cruiser you should receive a lanyard.  If you are a first time cruiser and would like a lanyard, you need to bring one with you or buy one onboard.  At the end of the check in process, you will receive a card with a boarding number written on it.  Once boarding begins, they will continually announce boarding group numbers in chronological order.  When they call your group number, you may board the ship at that point or at any time after.

Once you get checked in, you can either visit the supervisor’s desk to inquire about a room upgrade (read all about that process here) or find a place to sit and wait for your boarding group to be called.  While you are waiting, there will be characters making appearances.

Boarding the Ship

Once your boarding number is called, you will proceed through the Mickey head where they will scan your card and give you the opportunity to have a boarding photo taken.  If you don’t want to stop for the photo, you may keep walking and go straight onto the ship.  At the door to the ship, a cast member will ask your “family name”, i.e. last name, and then will announce you over the ship’s speakers as you board.  There will be a line of cast members clapping for you and it is really a nice way to start the cruise.

Whew!  That was a lot of information to cover and I hope I didn’t forget anything.  If I did, please email me or leave your question in the comments below and I will do my best to answer it.

If you are interested in reading all about the process of disembarkation, you can read my Guide to Disembarkation in Port Canaveral here.

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