Transportation from WDW to Port Everglades ideas.

[ain0004]

We are looking at traveling from WDW to Port Everglades terminal in 2026. We are DVC members and would prefer not to stay at a hotel near by the port.
However, I am unfamiliar with the area as we always go out of Port Canaveral in the past, How bad are the car rental returns? I find very little, and what I have found
is the process is confusing. I hate the idea of dropping off at the airport but would consider this. Bright line train??
Suck it up and drive to the port the night before? Open to ideas.

 

[OKW Lover]

Many options. It somewhat depends on the size of your party and the amount of luggage though.
1. Rent a car and drive to the port the day of sailing. Return the car at the airport and take DCL transfers from the airport to the ship. Cost is for the entire group.
2. Take the train to the port on the day of sailing. Need to get from your hotel to MCO and catch an early train. Cost is per person.
3. Take the train to FLL the day before the cruise and spend the night at a nearby hotel. Cost is a mix of per person (train) and group (hotel).

 

[Pixarfans]

You can always drop rental at fll airport and then take ride share or taxi to port. The airport is 15-20 minutes to port.
We did train the reverse way after a cruise and it was easy. Was 3 different fares and took roughly 5 hours.

 

[hrhdhd]

You can always drop rental at fll airport and then take ride share or taxi to port. The airport is 15-20 minutes to port.
We did train the reverse way after a cruise and it was easy. Was 3 different fares and took roughly 5 hours.

Brightline from the Fort Lauderdale station to the Orlando station is 2 hours and 50 minutes, not 5 hours.

Edit: well, unless the train hits an idiot who doesn't stop for the red lights, the bells, and the crossing arm down.

 

[Pixarfans]

Brightline from the Fort Lauderdale station to the Orlando station is 2 hours and 50 minutes, not 5 hours.

Edit: well, unless the train hits an idiot who doesn't stop for the red lights, the bells, and the crossing arm down.

I was referring to the whole trip from ship to hotel (in my case), not just the Brightline portion. Could be a little shorter depending on how much you wait for taxis and the train.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

I was referring to the whole trip from ship to hotel in my case, not just the Brightline portion.

I have a tr in need of some magic from August 24 where I go into great detail of going from wdw to Brightline station at MCO then our time in FLL.

 

[SteveMouse]

You can always drop rental at fll airport and then take ride share or taxi to port. The airport is 15-20 minutes to port.
We did train the reverse way after a cruise and it was easy. Was 3 different fares and took roughly 5 hours.

Port Everglades and the Fort Lauderdale airport are adjacent to each other. Depending on the route taken by the driver, it's about 10 minutes' drive time between the exit of the airport and the middle of Port Everglades. It's probably easiest to go to the Disney terminal in the port via 17th Street/Eisenhower entrance to the port. That way will save time on going through security.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Mears bus and Brightline work together for total transportation from WDW back to MCO, board the train, and Uber/Lyft from FLL to Port E. We've done it twice and will do it again in 2026 to Port MIA. There is a website just for this method of transportation (don't just get a Mears bus to MCO, it won't stop at the train station). One way car rental is costly, and the locals say the drive is slow and could be dangerous with accidents (passing through small coastline towns).