We recently returned from a cruise on the Dream (you can read the full trip report here) and parked our car at Port Canaveral for the first time. I briefly touched on this topic in my trip report, but I want to elaborate some more on the parking process at Port Canaveral. Being our first time to drive and park our car at the port, I wanted to know all of the details before we got there. So, I hope this post might help some people out.
First, let me make it clear that this post is talking about using the parking facilities at the Disney Cruise terminal at Port Canaveral, NOT an off-site parking facility, of which there are many to choose from. They are less expensive, but not as convenient.
Now, let’s talk about prices. I don’t want to list the prices here because if they change, this page will no longer be accurate. So, click here to go to the official Port Canaveral website and see the most current parking prices.
Disney is located at terminal 8, and the address you need to type in your GPS is:
9155 Charles M Rowland Dr
Port Canaveral, FL 32920.
Here is a picture that I took as we approached the terminal. You can see the terminal building just to the right of center – it is the tall structure with a lot of glass. The parking garage is on the left side of the photo.
As your car enters the secure terminal area from the main road, you will be forced to immediately turn left (we are mid-turn in the photo) and you will see this:
On the left side of the photo above, the covered area is where cars stop at the curb and unload luggage, and maybe passengers. The people in orange are porters waiting to take luggage and send it directly the ship (make sure you have your DCL luggage tags attached!). They will even unload your bags from your car for you. They work for tips, so tipping $1-$2 per bag is standard. Here is a closer look:
There is typically a person standing in the road telling cars which number to pull up next to under the canopy. Some people drop off their passengers at this point as well, and then meet back up with them before checking in inside the terminal. We chose to stay together, so after we dropped off our luggage (except for our carry-ons), we drove straight ahead, under the elevated walkway that you can see on the far left, and then turned left to enter the parking garage. This is what the entrance looks like:
When you drive through the gate shown above, you pay in full with your credit card.
Before I forget, let me mention that in addition to the parking garage, there is a surface/uncovered lot closer to the ship that is considered “premium” parking and costs more. I don’t know the cost difference, but I don’t see the advantage as 1) it is not covered, and 2) the garage is pretty darn close to the ship as it is. However, it is where you would park if you have an RV.
Okay, back to the garage. When we pulled in, level 1 was full, so we went up to level 3 and found a spot. We chose level 3 because there is a covered walkway on this level that goes straight to the terminal building. We arrived about 10:15 and they were not letting people in the building yet, so a line had formed across the covered walkway and ended right near the elevator bank of the parking garage. We parked, took a quick picture, and got in line.
They seemed to open the building right at 10:30 am, and the line started to move. There was a checkpoint near the garage where you had to show a photo ID and provide your room number before they would let you proceed. I took these pictures from the covered walkway:
When you get close to the terminal building, you can begin to see the security check point. No photos are allowed in this area, so after I took this one, I put my camera away.
Once inside the doors, you will go through a metal detector and your carry-ons will be x-rayed. Then, you walk around the corner and get in line to check in. That’s all there is to it!
After our cruise, we grabbed a porter who helped us go to our designated section and find our luggage. The porter put all of our suitcases on his dolly and then walked us through the customs desk and all the way to our car. He was with us for about 20 minutes, so I tipped him $20.
I hope this helps anyone who may have questions about parking at the port, and if you have a question that I didn’t answer, please leave it in the comments below or email me at disneycruisemomblog@gmail.com.
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For your Reader Questions:
We are going on our first Disney Cruise on 11/28 on the Dream…..eeekk! Any can’t miss activities on the ship? My kids are 6 and 3. Can’t be anything late at night because they need their sleep!
Thanks for the question Maryanne!
This blog is so helpful to me! Love the info about parking at Port Canaveral. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Christine! So glad you’re enjoying the blog!
This is actually helpful, thanks.
This is really useful, thanks.
Thank you for the information on the parking. I was about to pay for offsite parking in advance until i saw your post. I’d rather park closer to the terminal.
You’re welcome! I hope you have a wonderful cruise!
Do you have to show your parking receipt or pay when departing the parking facility or do you just drive off?
Hi Ron! It’s been a while, but I just remember driving off. You stop and pay when you arrive to park, on your way into the garage.
Thank you for your blog. I came here to see if anyone else experienced the same parking nightmares my family and I just endured at the “preferred” parking lot. It was astronomically pricey at $88 for 4 days but since I was following my dad and he drove in there unaware, I went ahead and paid for it hoping it was higher security than other lots as there were several security guards milling about with k9s.
We embarked on the Disney Dream on Jan 5,2018. Before parking, I had a full tank of gas, and I double checked to make sure all doors were locked.
When we got off the cruise on Jan 8, 2018 and came back to our car, I noticed that the doors were unlocked and my remote key/electronics were not working. I assumed that I must have left the lights on and drained the battery so we flagged down a security guard and he tried to jump start the battery. My headlights were turned off. After several attempts, the car would not start so I contacted AAA. When the technician arrived 3 hours later, he tried to jump the battery and noticed my fuel tank was empty. I told him that’s impossible because i filled up in Melbourne and it was full before we left. I even had the receipt. Since it was raining, he couldn’t determine if my fuel had been siphoned out or if perhaps I had a leak. The tech added some gas and when we finally left the lot, I filled up at the nearest gas station and drove down to Miami. This trip used 1/2 tank of gas and there doesn’t appear to be any leaks in the tank.
1. Has anyone had a similar experience parking at port canaveral?
2. Does anyone know if the lot is monitored 24/7?
3. Do you have any advice for me in terms of what I should do and how other Disney cruisers can prevent this from happening to them?
This really soured our otherwise happy vacation especially when you are so exhausted after 4 days out at sea.
Jean, that sounds terrible! I’m sorry your cruise ended on such a sour note. I have not heard any specifics about that lot, but I would assume that since the terminal is a gated facility that the security measures would be equal throughout. But, that is just my assumption. If I were you, I would call DCL and let them know about the situation (I can’t think of any other possible scenario other than someone siphoned your gas). I think there may be an email address for complaints/concerns – I don’t know it, but you may be able to find it with an online search. You could try that as well. I would also look for a number online for the cruise terminal and call and let them know. At this point I can’t think of anything else you can do. I’m sorry this happened to you!
Thank you! This was very helpful for planning purposes. I know exactly what to do now!
Hi! This parking blog is super helpful, thank you! I’m driving down with two young kids from 12 hrs away. In my first cruise I took a shuttle from a local hotel and noticed how crowded the terminal was at 1045am. Your photos suggest it being ridiculously empty and smooth! Is the arrival right after 10 am key to that. maybe that shuttle took a very different route and that traffic doesn’t apply to car arrivals. My check in is in the 11-115 window. Suggested arrival time to park car to get in smoothly? I assume there are signs to the Disney terminal? Coming from the north. Thank you!!!
Hi Sandra! I don’t think the shuttle buses enter the port a different way, but I’m not 100% sure. I think most people like to arrive right at 10:30 (when the port officially opens) so 10:30-11:30 seems to be the busiest time. If you want to guarantee that you avoid the crowds, I suggest pulling up at 12:00 or later. The initial rush has passed and there will be no crowds or lines, and you can walk right onto the ship after you check in. If boarding the ship ASAP is a priority for you, I suggest pulling up to the port about 10:00-10:15. But, if you get there too early, they won’t let you in/will turn you away and you will have to drive around and try again a few minutes later. I think we got really lucky that we pulled up only moments after they started allowing cars in. But, even though we were able to park immediately, we had to wait in a very long line to get into the building and go through security. So like I said, if you really don’t want any lines, wait until 12:00 or later.
This is very helpful. I would be curious – when all is said and done- would you park again onsite? Or what is your preference based on past experiences?
Hi Tracey! I would park again onsite. It does cost more, but to me the convenience is worth it. If you do park offsite, here’s a tip: have the driver drop off everyone else & all the luggage curbside at the terminal before parking the car. The shuttles fill up fast, and it is much easier to get 1 person on the shuttle than a whole family and all their luggage.
This was VERY helpful to our family as our son is in a wheelchair and we were most nervous about how we were going to get him on the ship. Thanks so much for your blog!
Marcia, I’m so glad you found it helpful! I hope you have a wonderful cruise!
My husband and i and two of our children and 2 grandchildren and 4 of their friends are staying at Homewood Suites (one mile from the Port). We only have one car (because the others took shuttles from the airport-they same in several days later than we did). So my question is. … can he drop them off with their luggage and then come back and get me and then we go and park??
Hi Debbie! Yes, that should work out just fine. He can drop off the others with their luggage, go back to the hotel to get you, then go back to the terminal and park. The others may have to wait for you to actually check in at the counter if any of them are in your room, but if it is just you and your husband in a room, then they can even check in while waiting for you to get there. Then, once you get there and check in, you can all board together.