One day in Orlando...how can I get my Disney fix?

tripplanner2

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
My adult family of four is taking a cruise and will be in Orlando for about 8 hours. Not enough time to really go to the parks but I really need a Disney fix. If kids were younger, I would hit BBB. Need some Disney magic but time is limited and so is the budget. Any ideas are welcome. We are sailing into Port Canaveral arriving at 1:30, must be back on the boat by 8 pm.
 
Go to Disney Springs! We did the Void while we were there (Star Wars) and it was a blast. We walked around, browsed through the shops, had lunch and dinner there, saw the free entertainment, and overall had a great day.
 
My adult family of four is taking a cruise and will be in Orlando for about 8 hours. Not enough time to really go to the parks but I really need a Disney fix. If kids were younger, I would hit BBB. Need some Disney magic but time is limited and so is the budget. Any ideas are welcome. We are sailing into Port Canaveral arriving at 1:30, must be back on the boat by 8 pm.

I agree about Disney Springs. Though I would see how long it'll take to get between the two, because I thought it was over an hour and unless it's a typo, getting into port at 1:30 and having to be back by 8 really doesn't give you much time.

The other option would be dinner at a resort, whether it's an ADR somewhere, character meal or just quick service and looking around it would be fun.
 
Not a typo...we get into port at 1:00 pm but bus leaves for Disney Springs at 1:30. My feeling is we could hit a resort via uber but maybe we just stay at Disney Springs. I know they have tons of entertainment at night, I wasn't sure what the days are like.
 


This is what we did in 2016 when our cruise stopped in Port Canaveral. We rented a car (there was 7 of us) we drove to Downtown Disney, shopped and ate.
 
We spent part of a day resort hopping the monorail resorts and had a blast and totally free! Tons to see and great pictures opportunities. You could take the Disney buses to one of the monorail/Epcot resorts from Disney Springs although that would waste more of your time with it being so limited.
 


Not sure if your kids and you are into the pin trading, but you could do some pin trading at Disney Springs and do bus to one of the monorail resorts and do a monorail loop pin trading.
 
This is what we did in 2016 when our cruise stopped in Port Canaveral. We rented a car (there was 7 of us) we drove to Downtown Disney, shopped and ate.
How was it to rent a car? This is what I wanted to do but my husband has visions of the ship leaving without us.
 
How was it to rent a car? This is what I wanted to do but my husband has visions of the ship leaving without us.
I don’t remember what place we rented from but it was walking distance. We just made sure to leave Disney about 2.5 hrs before we had to be back on the ship just in case of traffic or whatever. We had a smooth easy ride back and had a little time to spare to hit up on Ron Jon’s.
My hubby dropped the family off at the ship and my nephew and him went to return the car. They were gonna walk back but the shuttle was there to drive them back.
 
Last year we cheated on Mickey and went to Universal (my daughter is a big Harry Potter pan) We were then headed to South Florida to visit friends so I wanted my Disney fix. We went to Disney Springs and it didn't work for us. It's so much like any outdoor shopping mall in Florida now that it didn't work. Plus World of Disney was remodeling so there was hardly anything to make me feel wow! I didn't even buy anything which is so unlikek me! Maybe go to the Boardwalk Hotel or another hotel where you are more immersed in the magic.
 
There are a-lot of what if's in this scenario...

Port Canaveral to Disney Springs is not a quick drive... around 65 miles.... it will take at least an hour and a half... and that's if you have smooth sailing to and from and hardly no traffic... if you have any complications slow traffic at peak times, a traffic accident or something else will slow down your time down a lot... as well this is a busy highway... So leaving is where you need to really worry about getting going... I would give yourself at least two and half hours if not three just to be sure...

Take into consideration other ships may be in port at the same time - so that would add to the traffic and time getting into and out of the port....

Uber and Lyft - You more than likely will find a ride easily over to Disney Springs, coming back would be my concern... Most uber and lyft drivers around the parks like to stay in that area, to and from park to park - to resorts and airport runs... easily can get pick ups... A driver taking you back to the port, will not have as much of a chance for pickup on the return trip... Our friend lives over in that area Cocoa Beach... his neighbor drives for Uber, he is retired and his wife passed away, he does this to get out of the house, and talk to people.... he can tell some stories...he is so funny and we were talking about his adventures... he said that he picks up people at the port alot, the ships that are early into port, and pick ones the ones are going to the Disney resorts, so that he can work around the parks and airport for a couple of hours, then heads home.. DH asked him about the ride home if he waits around for a trip over to the area... he said no most of the time he's solo coming back...and that most drivers won't drive that far as they can't get a rider for the way back to Orlando, not cost effective... like he said he does it to get out of the house... and he loves driving... and chatting with people...

You might want to think about private car service - which could pick you up and drop you back at the port... and you would not have to worry about getting a ride...

Does the cruise offer the chartered bus excursion through them( the cruise line) to Disney Springs? Normally if the excursion is through the cruise line, and your on the bus as you are suppose to be, and something happens, such as traffic incident or heavy slow going traffic... they should wait for you...
 
Not a typo...we get into port at 1:00 pm but bus leaves for Disney Springs at 1:30. My feeling is we could hit a resort via uber but maybe we just stay at Disney Springs. I know they have tons of entertainment at night, I wasn't sure what the days are like.

So you are riding a bus to Orlando? And does it provide the return trip?
Personally, I don't enjoy Disney Springs during the heat of the day. I'd much rather do the monorail resort tour with a side trip/boat ride over to Wilderness Lodge.
 
I’d love a port call at Port Canaveral. I’d forgo Disney and hit up someplace I wouldn’t want to waste a day away from on a Disney trip, such as Kennedy.

You said you need a Disney fix, but heading to springs for a day will just have you book another trip to Disney if you don’t already have one planned, since you’ll realize how much you miss it. And if you have a trip booked, then you know you’ll see everything soon.

I’ve done Disney area without parks arriving the day before a cruise left. Did springs and mini golf. But if I didn’t already have a trip booked to Disney I’d have booked one once we got home.
 

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