disney cruise in miami

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This Florida hotspot is the perfect place to set sail from when exploring the Caribbean.

Getting to the Port

The port terminal is located at 1015 North America Way Miami, FL 33132. Parking is available for a fee of $24 per night.

Disney Cruise Line Transfer

Disney does offer transfers to and from the airport for $21 per person each way.

Things To Do Before or After a Cruise

Miami is famous for its beaches, notably the fabulous South Beach. Miami is also very close to 2 amazing national parks: Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park, the only living tropical reef within the continental U.S.

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Disney Cruise Miami Guide – What You Need to Know

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The Disney Magic is calling Miami its homeport for select sailings in 2021 and 20122. If you are looking for a Disney Cruise sailing from Miami you have a choice of either three, four, or five-night Bahamas cruises There are also choices of 5 or 6 night Caribbean cruises.

All of the Disney Cruise Miami sailings call at the most popular cruise port of all – Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. You will enjoy a day in paradise when you dock at Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.

Disney Magic Cruise From Miami

All of the sailings from Miami are on the fabulous Disney Magic cruise ship. She was the first of the Disney Cruise ships to be launched. Built in 1998 she is the sister ship of the Disney Wonder .

The Classic Disney ships are 984 feet long and 106 feet wide. This makes the Magic and the Wonder very manageable in terms of navigating around, but they are still large enough to have plenty for all the passengers to be entertained.

The Disney Magic can carry up to 2,713 passengers at full capacity. The 950 crew are from many different countries around the world.

There are 877 staterooms, of which three quarters are outside staterooms. There are 256 Inside Staterooms, 259 Oceanview, and 362 Verandah Staterooms.

The Disney Magic sails from Miami at the start and the end of the year, and it is following this pattern for 2021 and 2022.

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Disney Magic Ship Features

The Disney Magic has many features which are unique to Disney Cruise Lines. There is plenty for all ages to keep them entertained on this magical ship!

You will certainly find plenty of great food on the Disney Magic . All Disney Ships have a rotational dining concept for their three main restaurants. This means that all guests dine in each of the restaurants onboard.

The great thing about rotational dining is that your dining team will come with you. So they get to know your individual dining preferences.

All of the Disney Ships have the Animator’s Palate Restaurant. This is a highly innovative design where the theme is of course, animation.

Lumiere’s is named after the character in Beauty and the Beast. This French inspired restaurant is beautifully themed.

Rapunzel’s Royal Table is one of the most popular restaurants on any Disney Cruise Ship. Experienced a royal banquet with Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, and the Snuggly Duckling Thugs.

Of course, there is plenty to keep the kids busy. Disney Cruise Lines kids clubs are the best at sea. They are completely free for ages 3 to 18. Disney Cruise Lines is also one of the few to have a Nursery to look after children aged 6 months to 3 years (there is a charge for this service).

There are plenty of things to keep the adults entertained too. A large part of the ship is exclusively reserved for the over 18s only. Relax at the Quiet Cove Pool, grab a coffee at the Cove Cafe, enjoy the Disney Magic Bars and adult-exclusive entertainment. For the ultimate in relaxation, you can visit the spa or even spend some time in the Rainforest Room. If you want a romantic dinner or brunch head to the adults-only Palo restaurant.

Entertainment on a Disney Cruise is the very best at sea. Expect Broadway-quality shows and you won’t be disappointed. Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story, Tangled:The Musical, and Disney Dreams and Enchanted Classic are the shows on the Disney Magic.

The Buena Vista Theater shows a large selection of movies. You may even be fortunate enough to be on board when there is a movie premier which will be shown on the ship.

There are so many ways to keep entertained on the Disney Magic. The AquaDunk is unique to the Disney Magic. Try it if you dare.

Of course you can simply relax and enjoy some down time. Or maybe you want to explore one of the port stops on a Disney Cruise from Miami. The most popular is Disney’s Private Island Castaway Cay . All of the Disney Cruises from Miami have a scheduled port stop at this fabulous island.

You can choose just to relax on the beach at Castaway Cay, or join in one of the many Castaway Cay Activities.

Disney Cruise Miami Port

The port of Miami is one of the busiest cruise ports in the World. The Disney Magic has, for many years, sailed out of Miami for part of the year.

There was much excitement in Fall 2018 when it was announced that there would be a new cruise terminal in Miami which would accommodate another, larger, Disney cruise ship at Port Miami.

The intention was for Disney to have a larger Disney cruise ship in the Port of Miami from January 2023 all year round which would sail 5 and 4-night departures. The plan was that in January 2024 Disney would also have a ship in Miami which sailed a 3 and 4-night rotation just as the Disney Dream does from Port Canaveral.

At the time we could have expected that the new Disney Cruise Ship the Disney Wish would have sailed out of Miami. Or maybe the second of the new Disney Trident Cruise ships.

There were also plans for the train Brightline extension to go from Orlando International Airport to Miami. Imagine being able to get on a train at MCO following your Disney World Vacation and arrive in Miami for your Disney Cruise Vacation.

However, we all know that the world has changed since 2018. And the cruising world has changed very much.

Fast forward to the world of 2020 and the plans for the Miami Port Expansion have changed. But there is still much to be enthusiastic about for the Disney Cruise fan. Disney will now share the new Miami Cruise Port Expansion with MSC Cruises. Details are still scarce but we will continue to update you when we know any further plans for the Disney Cruise Miami Port.

Disney Cruise Miami Port Address

There are currently seven Cruise Terminals in the Port of Miami. The Disney Cruise Miami Port Address is Terminal F, North Cruise Boulevard, Miami, Florida 33132.

Disney Cruise Sailings From Miami

There are a number of different sailings from Miami to choose from on the Disney Miami. All of the sailings have a port stop in Castaway Cay.

3 Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami

• Castaway Cay

Sailing on 5/6/21 and 5/5/22

Sailing on 12/26/21

4 Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami

Sailing on 2/11/21 and 4/8/21

1/13/22, 1/27/22, 2/10/22, 3/10/22, 3/24/22, 4/7/22 and 4/21/22

Sailing on 2/25/21, 3/11/21, 3/25/21 and 4/22/21

Sailing on 11/18/21 and 12/2/21

Sailing on 2/21/22

Sailing on 12/16/21

5 Night Bahamiann Cruise From Miami

Sailing on 2/1/21, 3/1/21, 3/15/21, 3/29/21, 4/12/21/ 4/26/21 11/13/21 and 12/6/21

3/1/22, 1/17/22, 1/31/22, 2/19/22, 2/28/22, 3/14/22, 4/11/22 and 4/25/22

Sailing on 4/16/22

Sailing 2/15/21

Sails on 11/27/21

5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami

• Grand Cayman

Sailing on 12/11/21

Sailing on 2/6/21, 3/6/21, 4/3/21, 5/1/21 and 12/11/21

1/22/22, 2/5/22, 3/19/22 and 4/30/22

Sailing on 2/20/21, 3/20/21 and 4/17/21

Sailing on 11/8/21, 11/22/21 and 12/29/21

1/8/22, 2/14/22, 3/5/22, 3/28/22, and 4/2/22

6 Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami

Sailing on 12/20/21

Learn About Disney Cruises

If you have never sailed on a Disney cruise you may like to see our guides at

Top 10 Tips for Your First Disney Cruise

How To Save Money on a Disney Cruise

Here is our complete guide to Disney Castaway Cay

Join my Disney Cruise Group for Tips and Free Giveaways!

Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Disney Castaway CayDisney Castaway Cay – EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Saturday 4th of February 2017

[…] Disney Cruise Miami […]

Disney Cruises from Florida: Ships, Ports, and Itineraries

Florida is home to two primary Disney Cruise Line ports — Port Canaveral and Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) — with departures also previously having taken place in Miami. If you’re ready to embark on a Disney cruise, Florida is the place to be! This article covers which Disney cruise ships leave these three ports, how to get to the Disney Cruise Line Terminals, and what itineraries are available for Disney cruises from Florida during 2024  and 2025 . Let us help you plan a magical Florida Disney cruise!

Want even more help planning a Disney Cruise from Florida?  Contact the DCL experts at our favorite Disney Travel Agency, The Vacationeer !  Their planning services are free of charge, so get your free quote today (and find out how much you can save with their generous onboard credit program!)

Which Disney Cruise Ships Sail Out of Florida?

Disney Cruise Line has five ships based in Florida for at least part of 2024 and 2025: Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , Disney Magic , Disney Treasure, and Disney Wish .

There are currently no Florida departures scheduled for the Disney Wonder during 2024 or 2025.

Where do Disney Cruises go from Florida?

There’s nothing quite like setting sail from the Sunshine State. When you cruise with Disney, you can choose from a wide range of itineraries that currently depart from two Florida ports: Port Canaveral (Cape Canaveral) and Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale). PortMiami (Miami) has also hosted some Disney departures in the past.

Whether you’re looking to explore the Bahamas, relax in the Caribbean, or take a transatlantic voyage, Disney Cruise Line has a perfect cruise for your family. And with their world-class amenities and entertainment, you’re sure to have a magical time onboard. Most Florida sailings also include a Castaway Cay day (visiting Disney’s private island in the Bahamas) or a day at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (Disney’s new private destination on Eleuthera).

From Florida, Disney Cruises sail to the following destinations:

Bahamian cruises.

Take an exciting trip to Disney Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Nassau, Key West, and other tropical hotspots.

Caribbean Cruises

Enjoy a rejuvenating voyage to Disney Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Barbados, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and beyond.

Transatlantic Cruises

Discover Europe ‘s ports of call, plus spend more time at sea enjoying the ship’s amenities, entertainment, and magic.

See below for more specific itineraries of the Disney cruises from Florida.

Where are the Florida Disney Cruise Line Terminals located? 

There are two active Disney Cruise ship terminals in Florida. Disney Cruise Line offers departures from Port Canaveral Terminal and Port Everglades Fort Lauderdale Terminal. Previous departures also took place from the Miami Port Terminal, though nothing is currently scheduled from there.

Below we list everything you need to know about Disney cruise ships departing from Florida, including the specific addresses of the terminals.

Departures from Port Canaveral, Florida

Port Canaveral, FL | Image © Disney

Which Disney cruise ships sail out of Port Canaveral Terminal?

The Disney Fantasy and the Disney Wish cruise ships currently depart from the Port Canaveral terminal. The Disney Treasure will sail from Port Canaveral starting in late 2024. And the Disney Magic returns to Port Canaveral in mid 2025.

Port Canaveral is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, and it’s also the home port of Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line ships departing from Port Canaveral will sail to destinations throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas during 2024 and 2025.

Port Canaveral, located on Florida’s Space Coast, is about an hour’s drive from Orlando. The Port Canaveral terminal is located just minutes from the beach, and it’s also relatively close to Orlando International Airport (MCO).  If you’re flying into MCO, ground transportation options can take you directly to the port. And because it’s so close to Orlando, it’s a popular port for people who’ve decided to extend their Disney World vacation by cruising with Disney for the first time .

Several parking options are available near the terminal if you’re driving to Port Canaveral.

No matter how you’re getting to Port Canaveral, it’s easy to start your cruise vacation from this convenient location.

Disney Cruise Line – Port Canaveral Terminal Address

The address for Disney Cruise Line at Port Canaveral is:

9155 Charles M. Rowland Dr. Port Canaveral, FL 32920

Parking is available adjacent to the DCL terminal in a garage operated by the Port Canaveral Port Authority. The garage opens at 10:15 AM, and cash is not accepted for payment.

Approximately how long does it take to drive to Port Canaveral?

• A 43-minute drive from Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• A 46-minute drive from Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB)
• A 61-minute drive from Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
• A 60-minute drive from Walt Disney World Resort

Note that high-profile rocket launches at nearby Cape Canaveral can have major impacts on traffic in the region; plan accordingly should a launch be scheduled on the first or last day of your cruise.

Transfers between Orlando International Airport and Port Canaveral

Disney Cruise Line offers bus transportation from Orlando International Airport to Disney’s Cruise Port. This option provides a simple way to go between the cruise port from the airport.

A one-way ticket costs $39 per person, and a round trip is $78. Children under the age of three are free.

The cost of a family of four’s round-trip transportation on a Disney Cruise Line bus to the port is $312. This charge includes baggage handling service. You will get custom luggage tags for all your checked bags before departing, along with specific instructions on how to use them based on your travel plans.

Follow those instructions, and the rest will be taken care of by Disney. On the first night of your cruise, they will appear at your stateroom door as if by magic. The luggage transfer service provided by the Disney Cruise bus is a key benefit of airport-to-port transportation to Port Canaveral.

Call (800) 951-3532 to arrange ground transfers in advance, or better yet, have The Vacationeer do it for you!

It is also possible to arrange private transportation from Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral. You can take an Uber, Lyft, taxi, limo, or private van service. If you prefer, you can also rent a car at the airport.

Which should you take? We think the Disney Cruise Line transfer option or Uber would be your best bet . Renting a car is not necessary. The Vacationeer can assist you with transportation ground. Contact them for a free, no-obligation quote and find out what they can do to reduce the cost of a Disney cruise .

Port Canaveral, Florida Disney Cruise Ships and Itineraries

Here’s a quick glance at the different types of cruises sailing from this Home Port of Disney Cruise Line. For further details, including sail dates, ships, and prices , check out our in-depth article on Disney Cruises sailing out of Port Canaveral .

2024 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From Port Canaveral, Florida

• Bahamian Cruises (3, 4, 5, or 6 nights)
• Caribbean Cruises (6, 7, or 10 nights)
• Lighthouse Point Inaugural Cruise (7 nights)
• Disney Treasure Maiden Voyage Cruise (7 nights)

2025 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From Port Canaveral, Florida

• 3-night Bahamian Cruises (3, 4, or 5 nights)
• Caribbean Cruises (7 or 10 nights)
• Transatlantic Cruise (13 nights)
• More to be announced in the future

Do you have questions about upcoming Disney Cruises from Florida, or are you ready to book your Disney cruise ? Contact the DCL experts at The Vacationeer for your free, no-obligation quote and find out how much you can save with their generous onboard credit program.  There’s no charge to use their planning services!

Departures from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Florida

Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL | Image Courtesy Broward County's Port Everglades

Which Disney cruise ships sail out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale?

In 2024 and 2025, select Disney Dream itineraries will depart from Port Everglades. The Disney Magic joins the Fort Lauderdale fleet for portions of 2025.

Despite the name, Port Everglades is not located in the Florida Everglades.  It is on the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, in the Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood / Dania Beach areas of Broward County.

It has long been home to multiple cruise and cargo lines, but Disney Cruise Line had not used it as a Home Port prior to 2023. Now that Disney has taken up residence, they have a dedicated terminal building.

Port Everglades is less than 15 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale Airport.

Disney Cruise Line – Port Everglades Fort Lauderdale Terminal Address

The address for Disney Cruise Line at Port Everglades is:

1800 SE 20th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Upon arriving at the port, follow the signs to Disney Cruise Line at Terminal 4, where you can drop off luggage. From there, you’ll be directed to the parking garage to park your car.

Parking at the port is available through parking garages and surface lots. Advance reservations/payments are not accepted.

Approximately how long does it take to drive to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale?

• A 12-minute drive from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• A 35-minute drive from Miami International Airport (MIA)
• A 53-minute drive from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
• A 3 hour and 11-minute drive from Walt Disney World Resort
• A 3 hour and 6-minute drive from Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Transfers between Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades

Transfers to and from the airport are expected to be available on embarkation/debarkation days for a fee.

Private transportation such as Uber, Lyft, taxi, and car rental are also available.

Port Everglades, Florida Disney Cruise Ships and Itineraries

Fort Lauderdale is a year-round home for at least a couple of Disney cruise ships. Here’s a brief look at what’s currently on offer. For more complete information, check out our Disney cruises from Fort Lauderdale article.

2024 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From Fort Lauderdale / Port Everglades Florida

• Bahamian Cruises (3, 4, or 5 nights)
• Caribbean Cruises (5 nights)
• Transatlantic cruise (13 nights)

2025 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From Fort Lauderdale / Port Everglades Florida

• More cruises to be announced

For more information on booking a Disney Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, contact The Vacationeer .  There’s no charge to use their planning services, and you’ll even get a credit to use toward onboard purchases!

Departures from Miami, Florida

Port Miami, FL | Image courtesy MiamiDade.gov

What Disney Cruise Ships sail out of the Port of Miami Terminal?

At the moment, no Disney cruise ships are scheduled to sail out of Miami.

The port had been home to regularly-scheduled Disney cruises for about 12 years, but the most recent scheduled departure was on October 3, 2023. Shortly afterward, Disney opened a dedicated year-round terminal at Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), some 30 miles away. Because of this, it is unlikely that Miami will be used as a major departure port for Disney in the foreseeable future.

The Port of Miami, commonly called PortMiami, is a major seaport situated at the mouth of the Miami River. It is the world’s largest passenger port and one of the largest cargo ports in North America.

As the busiest cruise/passenger port in the world, PortMiami also enjoys the title “cruise capital of the world.” The port is home to several major cruise lines.

PortMiami is just 15 minutes away from Miami Airport.

Disney Cruise Line – Miami Port Terminal Address

The address for the Miami Port Terminal is:

Port Miami 1015 North America Way Miami, FL 33132

When you arrive at the port, follow the signs to the appropriate terminal. You’ll then be asked to park your car in a nearby lot (about half a mile away). A shuttle runs from the terminal to the ship.

Parking is available onsite through Port Miami.

Approximately how long does it take to drive to the Port of Miami?

• A 15-minute drive from Miami International Airport (MIA)
• A 50-minute drive from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• A 3 hour and 19-minute drive from Walt Disney World Resort
• A 3 hour and 22-minute drive from Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Transfers between Miami International Airport and Port of Miami

Transfers to and from the airport are typically available (only on embarkation and departure days) for a fee. If you wish to purchase ground transfers in advance, you can call (800) 951-3532, as a limited number may be available upon arrival. Better yet, contact The Vacationeer and let them handle it!

Pick up your luggage at Baggage Claim when you arrive at Miami International Airport. You will be directed to your designated transportation by a Disney Cruise Line representative outside Baggage Claim. Depending on arrival time and the number of passengers, the vehicle may be a taxi, minibus, or motor coach.

You can also arrange private transportation between Miami Airport and the Port of Miami. Your options include taking an Uber, Lyft, taxi, limo, or private van service. You can also rent a car at the airport if you choose (but it’s not recommended).

Port Miami, Florida Disney Cruise Ships and Itineraries

Here’s a brief look at the Disney cruises which are currently scheduled out of Miami. For specifics on pricing, dates, and destinations, visit our Disney Cruises sailing from Miami  article.

2024 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From M iami, Florida 

• None currently scheduled

2025 Disney Cruise Itineraries Departing From M iami, Florida 

Ready to Book your Florida Disney Cruise?

If you’re looking to set sail on any of the Disney Cruises departing from Florida, contact the Disney Cruise experts at The Vacationeer . They can also provide you with helpful tips and tricks, free no-obligation price quotes, and FREE onboard credit for your Disney cruise ! Best of all, their services are entirely free!

Which Florida Port is Best for Disney Cruises?

The best Florida Port for a Disney Cruise will depend on where you are coming from and where you wish to go.

Many Disney Cruise passengers plan to spend a few days at Walt Disney World before or after their time on a Disney cruise ship. For them, Port Canaveral is the best option.

Those who are flying into Florida just for the Disney cruise, don’t have to be quite so choosy. That said, Port Everglades and Port Miami are closer to major airports than Port Canaveral.

What are the best Disney Cruises from Florida?

The most important consideration is to find a Disney cruise ship and an itinerary that fits your needs. Once you accomplish this, you’ll have your best Disney Cruise ship .

The best Disney Cruises from Florida will simply depend on where – and for how long – you and your family wish to travel. You’ll also have to factor in the dates you can travel and select from the available options. So whether it’s taking a short 3-day cruise to Nassau and Castaway Cay (which is a great way to save on your cruise ) or splurging on a 10-day Southern Caribbean voyage, the best Disney cruise departing from Florida will depend on your own goals and circumstances.

If you’re looking for a Disney cruise departing from Florida, contact The Vacationeer for more information. They’re the experts on Florida Disney Cruises!  They’ll provide you with helpful tips and tricks, a free no-obligation price quote , and a FREE onboard credit to use your cruise.

And if you’re a Sunshine State resident, they can walk you through all the great Florida Resident Discounts for Disney Cruises .

Contact them today and save money on your next Disney cruise!

Thanks for reading our Disney Cruises from Florida article. Be sure to check out our articles on other Disney Cruise departure ports, including Galveston .

Enjoy your trip!

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Tag Archives: Miami

Personal Navigators: Disney Magic 14-Night Westbound Panama Canal Cruise from Miami – October 5, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Halloween on the High Seas 14-Night Westbound Panama Canal Cruise from Miami. The Disney Magic set sail from Miami, Florida on October 5, 2023. During this cruise, the Continue Reading →

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Personal Navigators: Disney Magic 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami – September 4, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Silver Anniversary at Sea 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami. The Disney Magic set sail from Miami, Florida on September 4, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of Continue Reading →

Personal Navigators: Disney Magic 5-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami with 2 Stops at Disney Castaway Cay – August 19, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Silver Anniversary at Sea 5-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami with 2 Stops at Disney Castaway Cay. The Disney Magic set sail from Miami, Florida on August 19, 2023. Continue Reading →

Personal Navigators: Disney Magic 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami – July 27, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Silver Anniversary at Sea 4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami. The Disney Magic set sail from Miami, Florida on July 27, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of Continue Reading →

Personal Navigators: Disney Magic 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami – June 24, 2023

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Silver Anniversary at Sea 5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami. The Disney Magic set sail from Miami, Florida on June 24, 2023. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings Continue Reading →

Using Disney Cruise Ground Transportation

If you’re anything like me, the logistics of getting to/from the airport, hotel, and cruise port is a major stress factor . And who wants to start their vacation on a nerve-racking note?

This is why my family and I use the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation options whenever we are cruising with Disney . The Disney shuttles are super easy to book, and they’re totally reliable.

Depending on where you are sailing from, DCL offers shuttles to transfer guests to and from the airport, local hotels, Disney resorts, and the cruise port itself. This service is super easy, and it’s very convenient. Whether you are sailing out of the Miami port or flying into the Orlando International Airport, Disney Cruise Line offers ground transfers for a reasonable cost.

In this post, I’ll detail my family’s experience using DCL ground transportation while comparing the Disney Cruise Line ground transfer process in Miami to that in Port Canaveral .

Transportation Options for Your Cruise

Disney Cruise Line ground transportation is not always the cheapest way to travel, but we find that it’s typically the easiest option . Before we discuss how Disney cruise ground transportation works, let’s discuss the various transportation options you have when cruising.

Taxi or Uber

There are loads of taxi and Uber drivers at both the Miami airport and the Orlando airport who are available to take you to the cruise port. These options usually come at a much cheaper cost than that of the  Disney Cruise Line  ground transfers.

However, families with small children may have a difficult time securing a vehicle with car seats for their little ones. If you choose to travel with your own car seats, it’s important to keep in mind that you will need to store them in your cruise cabin throughout the duration of your cruise.

Families could book a rental car for their cruise vacation, but those with small children would still need to organize car seats for the trip . Many rental companies offer car seats for an additional fee if you don’t want to lug your own car seats through the airport to use in the rental car.

If you choose to rent a car and park it at the cruise terminal, you will want to add the additional charge for this onto your cruise budget.

Each cruise port has its own fees for using the parking lot, so the charge for this will depend on where you are departing for your cruise. At the time of this post, the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals charge $17 per day in parking fees to park your vehicle. You can find the full list of cruise ports with parking information here .

Private Transfers

Many cruisers opt to hire private town cars to transport them from the airport or hotel to the cruise terminal. Private transfer companies located at each cruise port will have options to pick you up on your cruise departure day and at the end of your cruise. This is a great option for those traveling in a large party or for those who prefer private transportation.

Disney Cruise Shuttle

Although it may not be the most budget-friendly option, my family and I like to use the Disney bus to transport us to the Disney Cruise Line terminal due to the simplicity of the process . Those traveling with small kids who need car seats will be pleased to know that the Disney Cruise Line shuttle bus does not require car seats onboard.

This is probably the biggest benefit for us, and it’s the main reason we like to use Disney cruise ground transportation. Another perk of using DCL transfers is that they handle your luggage for you if you book your pre-cruise hotel stay through Disney Cruise Line. Both in Orlando and in Miami, you can leave your bags inside your hotel room on embarkation day .

Your bags will then be placed on the Disney Cruise Line bus and taken to the port for you. We will explain more about this process below.

DCL Transportation Cost

The cost for Disney Cruise Line ground transportation differs depending on the city where you embark. It is super easy to add the transfers to your reservation , and DCL will just charge your Disney cruise account. If you booked the Disney cruise yourself, you just call Disney Cruise Line to add ground transfers to your reservation.

If you booked your cruise through a travel agent, your agent would need to contact Disney Cruise Line to add transfers for you. Children under age three are free. So, you don’t need to include your infant or toddler when budgeting for your transportation costs.

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The cost of the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation depends on the port from which your cruise is departing and arriving. For example, Disney’s Port Canaveral shuttle service from the Orlando, Florida airport costs roughly $39 per person each way at the time of this writing.

The cost of the Disney ground transportation in Miami works a bit differently . On our most recent cruise from Miami, we chose to have Disney Cruise Line pick us up from the airport and drive us to our Miami hotel , which we had also booked through Disney. In addition, we opted to hire Disney cruise transfers to pick us up from this hotel the morning of the cruise to transport us to the Port of Miami

Finally, we scheduled the Disney Cruise Line ground transfers AFTER our cruise to take us back to Miami International Airport from the Miami cruise port. Each leg of these Miami transfers cost us $21 per person. In other words, the total cost for us (per person) to use Disney transfers in Miami was $63:

• $21 from Miami airport to our hotel
• $21 from the hotel to Port of Miami
• $21 from Port of Miami to Miami International Airport

You do not have to book all three transfer options though. If you only need a ride to the airport after the cruise, that’s completely doable! Also, if you are sailing out of a city other than Port Canaveral or Miami, this list shows transportation prices for all departure ports.

Disney Cruise Transportation from MCO

If you are cruising out of Port Canaveral, you can board the Disney Cruise transfer right at the Orlando International Airport (MCO). This is especially easy if you stay at the Hyatt inside the Orlando airport as you can simply walk down to the DCL shuttle area the morning of your cruise.

Once at the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation station in the airport, you can stand in line to check-in and board the Disney Cruise bus to Port Canaveral. We like to get down to the check in area early, and the process is usually well-organized.

You’ll see Disney Cruise shuttle buses pulling up to the check-in area after dropping off cruisers who had just disembarked. Once a bus has been filled with passengers, it leaves the airport to head to the cruise port. We usually see another bus ready to be filled as soon as ours pulls away. So, you shouldn’t have too much time to wait between buses.

At the end of your cruise vacation, cast members will guide you toward the Disney bus at the Port Canaveral Terminal. It drops you off in the same Disney shuttle area at the Orlando airport.

Disney Shuttle in Miami

On our last cruise out of Miami, we had a choice of two different Disney recommended hotels.

• EB Hotel – Guests utilize the hotel (not Disney) shuttle from the airport to the hotel. The morning of the cruise, guests take the hotel shuttle back to the airport where they can board the Disney Cruise bus.
• Four Seasons Hotel – Guests are picked up at the airport by a private driver and taken to the hotel. The morning of the cruise, guests are picked up by the Disney bus at the Four Seasons Hotel.

My family and I opted to stay at the Four Seasons, so I will detail the transfer experience we had at this hotel.

From Miami Airport

Prior to leaving for our trip, we received instructions stating that we should grab our bags from baggage claim after landing at Miami International Airport. The instructions said to look for a Disney Cruise Line representative near the baggage claim area.

Luckily, this turned out to be a super simple process. Right after our plane landed, I realized I had a text message from our driver . His message stated that he would be standing at our luggage carousel waiting for us. He also included a photo of himself , so we knew who to look for.

We walked over to the baggage claim area and immediately saw our driver holding a sign with our last name on it. The driver helped my husband grab our suitcases off the baggage claim belt and then escorted us to the vehicle. He was driving a large Lincoln Navigator, and he had two car seats for my kids .

He also provided cold water bottles for us on our drive to the hotel. Our driver took us to the Four Seasons Hotel, which was about a fifteen-minute drive from the Miami airport.

To Port of Miami

When checking into the Four Seasons, you are typically given a letter about their Disney cruise shuttle service for the following day (embarkation day). For some reason, Disney didn’t have a representative at the hotel to give us this information on the afternoon we arrived.

Because of this, we weren’t really sure what time our bags needed to be ready or what time the bus would pick us up the next morning. My husband ended up going down to the lobby of the hotel in the morning to find a DCL transfer representative.

She informed us that our bags needed to be ready for bell services to pick up by 9:30 am . We were then supposed to meet on the main floor of the hotel at 11:00 to board the Disney Cruise Line bus .

We attached our luggage tags to our bags and set them inside our hotel room door. I also included a few dollar bills as a tip for the bellman. The bellman, who was a huge help during our entire stay, arrived right at 9:30 to grab our bags. I told him I was really nervous about our luggage NOT making it to the ship.

Since our Disney ground transportation information had been pretty unorganized, I was afraid our bags would get lost. The bellman assured me that he would take our bags down to the lobby and personally place them on the shuttle once it arrived. This made me feel so much better!

For some reason, I had thought that our bags would be on a different vehicle. Knowing they would be on the motor coach with us helped give me peace of mind! We were scheduled to leave for the port at 11:15, but we ended up boarding the bus and leaving at around 11:00.

There was only one other family taking the transfer shuttle with us, so we had a giant bus basically to ourselves. The drive from the hotel to the Port of Miami took about 15 minutes as traffic in Miami was crazy ! Christmas music played in the background on the bus during our ride to port, which really set the mood for our upcoming MerryTime Cruise.

TIP- Sit on the left side of the bus to get a better view of the ship as you get closer to port. This is also true for Port Canaveral!

The bus pulled up right beside the main door to the Miami terminal. We thanked and tipped our driver as we exited the bus. He unloaded our luggage and put our bags on the sidewalk at the port. A porter was standing near our bags, and he told us he would take care of them. We tipped him a few dollars for this as well.

Insider Tip- Make sure you add $1 bills to your packing list . I brought a lot with us for tipping, but I seemed to need even more than I had planned.

Ground Transportation after Cruise

After we disembarked the cruise ship and passed through U.S. customs, we exited the Miami cruise terminal. There were several employees directing passengers on exactly where to go. Disney had at least five shuttle buses lined up to take guests back to Miami International Airport.

We gave our luggage to the driver to place on the bus, and then we found our seats. The ride to the airport took about 20 minutes. It was pouring rain, so the weather may have caused our commute to take longer than it normally would have.

The motor coach driver dropped us off at the airport. We headed to the Delta desk to check our luggage. It was quite a hike from where we were dropped off to our check-in desk, so be prepared for that!

Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Transfers

Overall, we tend to have great experiences with Disney Cruise Line ground transfers. Since car seats are in our foreseeable future, I expect to continue to utilize the DCL buses for the ease of travel.

You just can’t beat the peace of mind you get when Disney is in charge of your family’s transportation. We have used the Disney Cruise ground transportation in both Port Canaveral and Miami, and we have always been very pleased with our experiences.

What about you? Have you used Disney Cruise ground transportation? Comment below to let me know if your experience was similar to ours!

Shari is an experienced planner and organizer for Disney vacations, cruising, and U.S. travel. Her family vacation information, reviews, and tips provide insight for moms and dads everywhere. You can read more about her story, including her journey through breast cancer, in the about me page.

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11 comments.

How often does the DCL ground transportation leave the Orlando International airport to Cape Canaveral?

I’m not exactly sure how often they leave the airport, but I’ll provide input based on what my family and I have experienced. When we loaded the first Disney Cruise Line bus at the airport, there were additional buses already there. I can’t remember how long it took us to load, but I want to say around 15-20 minutes. Once our bus was full, they started loading the second bus as we pulled away. Assuming this process took the same amount of time, I would guess that they typically leave every 20 minutes. Hope that helps and that you have a great trip!

HI! How does the Disney cruise line transportation work with scheduled port arrival times chosen on check in day?

If you purchased the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation, you will not have a set port arrival time. Instead, you will be permitted to check in at the port once your Disney shuttle arrives. Hope you have a great trip!

Was there a wait for the Disney transportation from the airport to the Four Seasons? Or was it waiting for you when you arrived at the airport?

We didn’t have to wait at all for our transportation at the airport. I think the drivers track the incoming flight status so that they are at the airport before you arrive. I had a text message from the driver as soon as we landed saying that he was at baggage claim. Once my family and I arrived at baggage claim, the driver greeted us, helped us grab our bags, and led us right outside to the vehicle.

When using Disney transportation in Miami is the bus that picks you up a Disney Cruise Line bus (like you see in Port Canaveral) or just a regular motor coach? Thanks so much!!

The Miami transportation isn’t the same Disney Cruise Line bus that you find at Port Canaveral. Our shuttle from the airport was actually a Chevy Suburban. The bus that picked us up from the hotel was a large motor coach, but it didn’t have any Disney logos on it. Hope that helps!

Thanks so much! Exactly what I was wanting to know.

This post literally saved me! TYSM for sharing!

Haha! I’m so glad you liked the post! For some reason, organizing ground transportation stresses me out more than any other part of the planning process. I hope your vacation runs smoothly and that you have a great time!

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Disney Cruise Line names its newest cruise ship

I t was bound to happen sometime, but Disney Cruise Line waited until its last of three new sister ships to name one Disney Destiny.

The sister ship to Disney Wish, which debuted out of Port Canaveral in 2022 and the soon-to-debut Disney Treasure arriving in Central Florida this December, the third ship in what was originally called the Trident class had its keel laying ceremony Wednesday at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

It won’t start sailing until 2025, and its home port has yet to be named, but among the details revealed for what will be the eighth ship in the cruise line’s fleet was the theme of the vessel, “Heroes & Villains.”

As such, the filigree artwork for the bow will be of Minnie Mouse wearing a superhero-style outfit complete with a cape.

The cruise line said among the characters from which it will mine features on board will be classic Disney animation films, “The Lion King,” “Hercules” and “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.”

Disney of course owns plenty of good vs. evil intellectual property including Star Wars and Marvel.

“The Disney Destiny will celebrate our most legendary Disney stories and characters, bringing them to life in new and exciting ways exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests,” said Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager for the cruise line, in a press release. “As we continue to expand our fleet, the Disney Destiny will further strengthen our position as a leader in family cruising.”

Just like Disney Wish and Treasure, Disney Destiny will be powered by liquefied natural gas, a cleaner burning fuel that’s part of the cruise industry’s efforts to reduce emissions.

All three are the 144,000 gross-ton, 1,254-stateroom vessels but still targeting the 4,000-passenger capacity of its older ships, 2011’s Disney Dream and 2012’s Fantasy. The line’s first ships are the smaller Disney Magic that debuted in 1998 and Disney Wonder in 1999. They come in at 84,000 gross tons with 875 staterooms.

The line also is finishing construction for an Asia-bound cruise ship named Disney Adventure that will be the largest in the fleet at 208,000 gross tons.

Disney Wish became the line’s first new ship in more than a decade. It continues to do short three- and four-night Bahamas sailings while Disney Treasure will pick up seven-night trips to the Caribbean.

©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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The 7 best 3-day cruise itineraries for 2024.

Plan a long weekend getaway aboard a cruise for fun, scenery and entertainment.

The Best 3-Day Cruise Itineraries

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Hop aboard the Carnival Radiance for a short but fun-filled cruise weekend.

Whether you're short on vacation days or you only have a long weekend to spare, three-night cruises offer a fun and affordable way to get a change of scenery. These shorter sailings from the U.S. often amount to a weekend cruise and only depart from Florida and California for now. However, short cruises still let you dine and dance on board, enjoy world-class entertainment, and visit nearby destinations like Nassau in the Bahamas; Key West, Florida; or Ensenada, Mexico.

If you're looking for short cruises that pack a lot of good times into a weekend vacation, you should know that many cruise lines offer these trips, including Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. Read on to find out which short cruises we recommend, where they depart from, and everything you can see and do over the span of three incredible nights.

3-Day Cruises From Florida

Norwegian sky from miami.

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Dates: Aug. 2 to 5, 2024

Departure port: Miami

Stops: Key West, Florida; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

Starting price: $399 per person

This three-night cruise on Norwegian Sky departs from Miami in August 2024 with stops at two iconic tropical destinations. The vessel's first stop is Key West , where cruise passengers will have the day to visit the southernmost tip of the United States, book a snorkeling or kayaking tour, or bar hop along the world-famous Duval Street. From there, the cruise stops at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, which is a private island paradise that's only for cruise passengers. Here, visitors can enjoy some beach time, plan a WaveRunner adventure or snorkel the clear waters to watch out for wildlife.

When not at port, passengers on Norwegian Sky can enjoy the ship's 10 dining options, onboard spa, casino at sea, and variety of pools and hot tubs. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel even has a sushi bar and a Starbucks onboard, and it was completely renovated from top to bottom in 2019.

Book a Norwegian cruise on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

MSC Seashore from Port Canaveral

Conrad Schutt | Courtesy of MSC Cruises

Dates: Multiple dates in November and December 2024

Departure port: Port Canaveral, Florida (Orlando)

Stops: Nassau and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, Bahamas

Starting price: $169 per person

This three-night cruise on MSC Seashore departs from Port Canaveral near Orlando and takes passengers to two tropical destinations in the nearby Bahamas . The first is the island of Nassau, which is known for its luxury resorts (including the exclusive Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas), huge casinos and powder white sands. After that, guests can spend a second day at port at MSC Cruises ' private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. This island offers a perfect beach retreat for people who just want to relax, including several expansive white sand beaches with ample seating, an interior ocean lagoon for swimming, and beach bars and eateries dotted throughout.

MSC Seashore features huge pools, an onboard water park for kids, the expansive MSC Aurea Spa and 11 distinct dining venues for passengers to choose from. The ship also boasts the exclusive "ship within a ship" Yacht Club area, which offers the best of everything for discerning guests.

Find an MSC Cruises deal on GoToSea.

Celebrity Reflection from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Dates: Ongoing in 2024

Departure port: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Stops: Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas

Starting price: $273 per person

This three-night cruise on Celebrity Cruises ' Celebrity Reflection departs from Fort Lauderdale and leaves for two days in the sunny Bahamas. The first stop gives guests a full day to enjoy at Perfect Day at CocoCay, a cruise line private island that's typically reserved for Royal Caribbean guests. This island paradise features an exclusive beach club, idyllic white sand beaches for swimming and floating, a water park, a zip line, and plenty of places to eat and drink all day. The next stop is Nassau: Visitors can dine and shop their way through the port area or book a fun day pass to the Baha Bay water park, which is located at resort Baha Mar and features waterslides, an expansive lazy river and incredible cuisine options right at the park.

Celebrity Reflection was recently refurbished in 2022. It features an incredible array of included dining options, eight specialty and exclusive dining establishments, and bars and lounges throughout the ship. The Retreat, a VIP ship-within-a-ship concept, is also offered on board for those who want an elevated cruising experience.

Explore Celebrity Cruises on GoToSea.

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Disney Dream from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Dates: Nov. 6 to 9, 2024

Stops: Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and Disney Castaway Cay, Bahamas

Starting price: $1,973 per stateroom

This three-night Bahamian cruise on Disney Dream stops at two exclusive destinations in the Bahamas – Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, then Disney Castaway Cay. The first stop offers incredible beaches with play areas and crystal-clear water for swimming, as well as the Bahamian Arts and Culture Pavilion for families who want to learn something about the local culture on vacation. At Disney Castaway Cay, families can relax the day away on white sand beaches, go biking or kayaking, ride two waterslides, and more. Both destinations even have adults-only beach areas for cruisers who are traveling kid-free.

Disney Dream holds a maximum of 4,000 passengers and has everything you would expect on an exclusive Disney Cruise Line vessel, including kids and family areas, adults-only dining options and pools, and two large theaters. The ship also has several supervised kids clubs as well as dedicated clubs for teenagers and tweens .

Read: The Top Cruises for Babies and Toddlers

Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Stops: Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas

Starting price: $263 per person

Royal Caribbean International also boasts a Bahamas cruise from Fort Lauderdale that stops in Nassau and at the line's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. In Nassau, cruisers get the chance to explore one of the most popular cruise ports throughout the Caribbean, where you can book an excursion to a local beach, plan a snorkeling adventure or play in one of the two biggest casinos throughout the region at Atlantis or Baha Mar. At Perfect Day at CocoCay, families can stay active with waterslides, book a kayaking tour or ride a hot air balloon up to 450 feet in the air.

Liberty of the Seas is also an ideal ship for families thanks to fun features like a huge onboard water park with slides, an ice skating rink with shows and the Broadway at Sea theater. The Royal Caribbean vessel also has nearly a dozen different dining venues, including Cupcake Cupboard, Johnny Rockets, a pizza kitchen and an old-world Italian eatery called Giovanni's Table.

Compare Royal Caribbean International cruises on GoToSea.

3-Day Cruises From California

Navigator of the seas from los angeles.

Dates: Throughout 2024

Departure port: Los Angeles

Stops: Ensenada, Mexico

Starting price: $282 per person

Royal Caribbean offers a three-night West Coast adventure on Navigator of the Seas that includes a fun day at sea and a full-day stop in Ensenada, Mexico. This Mexican destination is known for the many activities that can be enjoyed along its rugged shores, which can include leisurely days at nearby Estero and Mona Lisa beaches, hiking experiences, exploration of Baja California's wine region, whale watching and more.

Dates for this sailing are offered throughout 2024, and the ship itself has plenty to keep passengers enthralled while at sea. For example, Navigator of the Seas features the longest waterslide at sea, enlarged pool deck areas for relaxation, ice skating shows and shopping – not to mention Broadway-style shows with dancers, acrobats and singers. There are also 12 unique dining options onboard, including Starbucks, Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver and Johnny Rockets.

Carnival Radiance from Los Angeles

Dates: Jan. 26 to 29 and Sept. 24 to 27, 2024

Departure port: Long Beach (Los Angeles)

Starting price: $244 per person

Carnival Radiance also embarks on three-night journeys to Mexico from Los Angeles throughout the year, including in January and September 2024. This Carnival Cruise Line itinerary includes a fun day at sea and a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, where passengers can plan a sightseeing trip, nosh on the unique Baja cuisine the area is known for, shop for silver jewelry and other keepsakes, or spend the day relaxing on the beach.

Carnival Radiance itself serves as the perfect floating vessel for this fun weekend vacation, with onboard amenities that span the Cloud 9 Spa and WaterWorks water park with slides to a comedy club and special clubs for kids and teens. The ship also boasts an adults-only solarium and 10 different bars to choose from.

Book a Carnival cruise on GoToSea.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer and cruise expert who has covered family travel and cruises for more than a decade. She has cruised more than 40 times across most of the major cruise lines in destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Johnson used her personal experience and research expertise to curate the itineraries for this article.

You might also be interested in:

• Cruise Packing List
• Beach Packing List
• Cruise Drink Packages: Your Options by Cruise Line
• First-Time Cruise Tips
• The Best Cruise Insurance Plans

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Business | California Disney characters are unionizing…

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Business | California Disney characters are unionizing decades after Florida peers. Hollywood plays a role

By MIKE SCHNEIDER (Associated Press)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — During three years of working as a parade performer at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California , Zach Elefante always has had a second or third job to help him earn a living.

Unlike the experiences of his peers at Disney’s parks in Orlando, Florida, where there is a much smaller talent pool, the performers who play Mickey Mouse, Goofy and other beloved Disney characters at the California parks aren’t always provided a consistent work schedule by the company.

It’s among the reasons the California performers are organizing to be represented by a union now, more than four decades after their Florida counterparts did so.

While Disney asks character performers to be available to work at any time, that demand isn’t always rewarded with scheduled work hours, the California performers said.

“A lot of performers get the sense that if they don’t give their full availability, we won’t be in shows … and that will impact other jobs we need to sustain a living in this area,” said Elefante, who lives in Santa Ana, California.

Earlier this month, the California character performers and the union organizing them, Actors’ Equity Association, said they had filed a petition for union recognition.

It’s a different era and a different union doing the organizing this time around, so the California character and parade performers likely will avoid some of the bad blood that the Disney performers in Florida have experienced with their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

It has been a rocky four-decade marriage in Florida between the performers who put the “magic” in the Magic Kingdom and the Teamsters, a union historically formed for transportation and warehouse workers which had deep ties to organized crime until the late 1980s.

Why now for the California character performers, so many decades after their Florida counterparts organized? Unlike in Florida where performing as a character often is a full-time job, many of the character performers in Southern California have multiple other gigs, often in Hollywood movies and TV.

Elefante performs at rival Universal Studios Hollywood and works as a tour guide for the movie studios. In addition to performing in the “Fantasmic!” show at Disneyland, Chase Thomas works as the director of operations for a theater festival and previously has had jobs as a visual effects coordinator and entertainment licensing agent.

Angela Nichols moved to California to be a TV writer and often works as a writer in addition to her job as an entertainment host at Disneyland, where she assists the character performers when they’re interacting with guests.

“Disney really is a cornerstone of the stories we grow up with in our culture. Being able to watch people immersed in these stories and live it out is magical,” Nichols said. “And when we’re being supported as cast members and performers, we’re able to make that happen. We’re just not being set up for success in the way we need to be at this time.”

When many of their Hollywood gigs dried up because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent actors’ and writers’ strikes, the character performers wanted more consistent scheduling at Disneyland once it reopened after a yearlong, pandemic-related closure. The pandemic also made them more alert to health and safety concerns concerning things like hugging guests or having sanitary costumes.

Most of the more than 35,000 workers at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California already were unionized, and the parades and character department members were among the holdovers.

“A lot of cast members want to do this fulltime and make it work,” Thomas said.

Unlike their Florida counterparts, the character performers in California are being organized by a union devoted to performers. As such, Actors’ Equity Association officials understand the unique needs of the theme park performers in ways that would be difficult for other unions to grasp.

When there is a new stage show, the shoes of the costumes need to be tested to make sure the performers won’t trip or slip on stage. Union representatives make sure “face performers,” whose faces are visible, such as Cinderella, have the right makeup and double check that parade dancers have ice packs available to nurse sore knees.

Unclean costumes are a perennial problem, and it was a top reason for the Florida performers wanting to organize with the Teamsters in the early 1980s. The other reasons included kids kicking Disney villains like Captain Hook in the shins and adults grabbing at the chests of performers playing Mickey Mouse to see if there was a man or woman underneath.

Clean costumes were so important to the Florida character performers that more than two decades ago the Teamsters successfully inserted a contract clause to assign individual undergarments that the performers could take home to wash after pubic lice and scabies were shared via the garments.

There always existed a culture clash in Florida between the costumed character performers and the traditional Teamsters union leaders of truck drivers and warehouse workers. The drivers often viewed the performers as living charmed lives, paid to dress up every day as if it were Halloween.

Those tensions came to a head in the late 2010s as a new leader of the local Teamsters affiliate in Orlando began targeting the costumed character performers for harassment. The character performers pushed back and the fight went up to James Hoffa , then-head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who intervened.

In California, Elefante is hopeful union representation will give performers a voice in decisions about issues including the larger-than-life costumes, which can cause long-term injuries when ill-fitted, and the safety of performing in parades during rain.

“It’s about having a seat at the table and being a part of the conversation from the performers’ perspective,” Elefante said.

Associated Press reporter Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, contributed to this report.

Mike Schneider’s book, “Mickey and the Teamsters: A Fight for Fair Unions at Disney,” was published in October by the University Press of Florida. Follow him on X , formerly Twitter.

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Travel | Port Canaveral chalks up record month amid…

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Subscriber only, travel | port canaveral chalks up record month amid growing cruise demand.

Port Canaveral saw just under 800,000 cruise passengers move on and off its ships in March as part of a record year that keeps topping expectations.

That set a one-month record for the port with an average of nearly 25,600 people a day around 93 cruise ship calls. March is traditionally one of the strongest months of the year for the port with its spring break traffic.

It also marked the halfway point of the fiscal year that began in October 2023. Six months in, the port has seen 3.9 million passenger movements from 479 ship calls.

“The industry itself is very, very strong right now,” said Port CEO Capt. John Murray at the port commission meeting on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of expansion plans. The companies are starting to reorder ships again after the pandemic.”

NCL details new dining on Canaveral-bound Norwegian Aqua

That includes more ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, which has been sending its new vessels to Port Canaveral as they debut including next year’s Norwegian Aqua.

“So a lot of great things, a lot of great things, a lot of enthusiasm and I can say that the industry is 110% of what it was prior to the pandemic,” Murray said. “They are back and booming right now. So we’re fortunate to be taking advantage of that here at the port.”

Operating revenue for the year is already at $98 million, which is $3.6 million above budget. It also means the record projection of $187 million in operating revenue through the end of the fiscal year in September is likely to get surpassed as well.

Ship capacity is determined to be at 100% if each stateroom is occupied by two passengers, so ships sailing with families, for instance, will push capacity above 100% and in turn increase revenue for the port from the cruise lines as well as add to an uptick in parking charges.

Royal Caribbean to send massive Utopia of the Seas to Port Canaveral

One of the big drivers has been the addition of a second Oasis-class vessel by Royal Caribbean so that the port hosts two of the largest cruise ships in the world.

Allure of the Seas joined Wonder of the Seas last fall to begin short three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas, and will continue that until the debut of Royal’s new Utopia of the Seas this summer. Since arriving, it has added more than 650,000 passenger movements to the port’s growing tally.

The port has been home port to 13 ships from Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC Cruises, and is set to welcome its first ships from both Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises this fall.

Port Canaveral plots timeline to take over marina for new cruise terminal

Right now it has six cruise terminals, but is beginning the work to eventually build a seventh later this decade. During an interview earlier in April at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach, Murray said the key to growth for the port will be a shift in how the port gives access to each terminal, such as how it plans to operate its seventh terminal.

“It’s going to be multiuser. It’s not going to be a single-use facility. That’s going to be how our concept of operations would be going forward,” Murray said. “The only way you’re going to get good utilization of a terminal is if you can put multiple brands in there and not have it dedicated to just one user.”

That’s how it runs several of its terminals now including Disney Cruise Line at Cruise Terminal 8 and Carnival Cruise Line at its newest terminal, Cruise Terminal 3.

“If they’ve got seven days a week at one terminal and they’re only using three, maybe four days, that’s not high utilization,” Murray said. “Yet, it’s a facility that we’ve got blocked out that we’re not getting any benefit from it for the investment we’ve made.”

He notes Cruise Terminal 10, which gets used by three brands, gets used six days a week.

Murray said with newer and bigger ships on order from all the major lines, the demand is just going to continue to spike for parking space at Florida’s big three ports.

“I think the point now for all of the major brands is finding somewhere to operate,” Murray said. “Because there’s only Miami, [and] we all know how full Miami is; Everglades, [which has] limited capacity or opportunity for growth; and we have more land, but you know, it’s not all going to get committed to the cruise industry.”

“So the question is, how do we allow more opportunities for the cruise lines to operate? This is one — get high utilization out of the terminal.”

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National News | Pregnant Disney cruise passenger airlifted by…

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National News | Pregnant Disney cruise passenger airlifted by Coast Guard after medical emergency

Stunning video shows a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter airlifting a pregnant passenger from a Disney cruise ship near Puerto Rico.

The chopper was dispatched from Miami on Monday after the 35-year-old woman experienced unspecified health complications and required more advanced care than what was available onboard the Disney Fantasy ship .

The vessel was about 180 miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico when the rescue call was made by the ship’s crew.

The woman and the ship’s doctor were hoisted aboard the aircraft and flew to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan before she was taken to a hospital.

“We are glad everything came together to help this passenger,” Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader, said in a news release Tuesday. “The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference.”

“Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required,” Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens added in the news release. “This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter.”

The woman’s condition is not currently known.

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