Where is the port????????

[maddonna]

Forgive me if this is a daft question but im having trouble organising an itinery for my trip to Orlando the only flights i can get are into Miami on the 2nd August we were planning to do the three night cruise on the 8th but after reading these boards i wonder if it would be better to do the 4 day cruise 3 days seems so short i wonder if it might be over before we have had a chance to relax and enjoy ourselves. Anyway i'll get to my point if we do the four day cruise it departs on the 4th and as we wont land until early evening on the 2nd i wonder if we should spend a couple of nights with the children in miami and then go straight to the cruise from there? is that possible? and how far would it be, should we hire a car or use a taxi we dont fly home untill the 20th and thats actually from Orlando airport so after the cruise we could spend 3 nights at Wilderness lodge villas(i have one on hold)and then 3 nights at Portofino Bay followed by 6 nights in a villa 2 miles from disney does this sound like a good plan im really disapointed that we cant get the flights into Orlando it would have made things much simpler i have no idea how far away Miami is and my husband hates driving long distances on holiday!!!

 

[mmouse37]

Miami is at least 4 hours from the Port where the Disney ships are docked. The Disney ships are in Port Canaveral which is about an hour east or so from the Orlando airport. That is really the airport you want to fly into for a Disney Cruise. Some people who can't get flights into Orlando sometimes use Tampa (about 2 hours or less)

A car service would be much too expensive. Your best best would be to rent a car.

Hope this helps somewhat. Try Tampa airport TPA. It is much closer than Miami even though it is on the West Coast of Florida. It is a very easy drive to the port.

MJ

 

[Viking]

Two hours from Tampa to the port is a bit optimistic!! Especially if you're not from the area. 2.5 to 3 hours seems to be more realistic.
I'd recommend flying in via Orlando and the use Tiffany's for the transfer (Tiffany's Towncar Service ) we used them in '99 and '01 and were more than satisfied.
It's not very expensive, about $150 for the roundtrip and it's definitely stylish and safe.

 

[mmouse37]

We drove from Clearwater to the Port in about 2 hours. We took I-4 East and then cut over to that new road, the Greenway and then picked up the beeline out to the Port. It was not a bad drive at all. I guess alot depends on the driver and conditions but is should not take 3 hours unless you hit traffic.

MJ

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Let's see if I have this straight...

You're landing in Miami on the early evening of August 2. (Your flights are set; Orlando and Tampa are not options at this point.) You'd like to embark on the 4-night Disney Wonder cruise on August 4. Based on your spelling and choice of words, I assume you live in Europe, probably in the UK.

According to http://www.mapquest.com
Miami, FL US, to Port Canaveral, FL US
Total Distance: 210.06 miles
Total Estimated Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Although it would be possible to get an early start on the morning of August 4 and drive from Miami to Port Canaveral to arrive around noon, I think it would be an ordeal -- especially if you have to contend with a significant time change.

You may want to consider spending the first night in Miami and the second night in Cocoa Beach. That way, you have all day to drive your rental car between the two. You can get an early start or a late start, depending on how you feel. You'll have plenty of time for sightseeing, and if you get to Cocoa Beach at a reasonable time, you can even go to the beach. On the morning of August 4, you can have a leisurely breakfast, perhaps take a walk on beach, return your rental car, and take a shuttle to the ship slightly before noon.

By the way, there are many lovely drives in Florida -- but I-95 from Miami to Port Canaveral is not one of them. The southern half of the route goes through endless Florida cities and suburbs and the northern half goes through less developed flat lands without very much variety. You won't see the ocean from I-95. Some parts of the drive are pretty, but please don't expect an end-to-end scenic drive.

 

[MarkRG]

I'm surprised nobody threw this out there.

Link to the Official Port Canaveral Website Map Page

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

I also have maps and directions at my web site.

www.dcltribute.com/directions

 

[disneyholic family]

are the flights to orlando booked?....
based on how you spelled organizing i'm assuming you're flying in from the UK (though i suppose canada's another possibility....or maybe you're a brit living in the US....)...
but assuming that you are coming in from the UK, are the UK-Orlando flights full?.......we've gone from amsterdam to orlando with no problem....
aren't there any flights from miami to orlando?...an add-on to an overseas ticket costs next to nothing......

of course if you live in the states, ignore all of the above...

we're unfortunately flying into JFK and changing planes there...
....direct to orlando is far superior, but it is difficult to get over the atlantic...