Here’s Why Disney Cruise Fans Are Choosing Fort Lauderdale
Since its inception, Disney Cruise Line has been inexorably linked to Port Canaveral, Florida.
That’s the hotbed for Disney cruise fans, but things are about to change. Here’s why Disney cruise fans are choosing Fort Lauderdale.
About Disney Ports
Photo: hotels.com
Port Canaveral has always been there for Disney Cruise Line (DCL).
As proof, I’ll quote from an Orlando Sentinel article about the maiden voyage of the Disney Wish:
Photo: Port Canaveral
“Both ships will be based at Port Canaveral and will combine stays at Walt Disney World with cruises to Nassau and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.”
That was one of the overriding thoughts about DCL during its early days. Disney’s new cruise division expected guests to take joint vacations.
Photo: portcanaveral.com
Cruise fans would spend some time sailing the high seas, but those 1990s tourists would also presumably visit Walt Disney World as well.
The proximity of Port Canaveral played heavily in its favor when DCL began.
Photo: Orlando Sentinel
Google estimates that a drive from there to Magic Kingdom takes almost exactly one hour.
The logistics played in Disney’s favor, as it could easily shuttle guests to and from the parks to the cruise port.
The Disney Dream at Port Canaveral (2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando
For a time, Magical Express even included Port Canaveral as an airport/hotel pick-up option.
So, from day one, DCL emphasized that vacationers should consider joint trips to Disney and The Bahamas.
About Fort Lauderdale
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
More recently, Disney has added a second port in Florida, and the same premise applies.
When the Disney Destiny debuts later this year, it’ll use Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as its home port.
Photo: Disney
Technically, you’ll find the ship in the Port Everglades part of Fort Lauderdale, an emerging port for tourism.
Disney opened Cruise Terminal 4 here in late 2023, and it’s a charming location with a Finding Nemo theme.
Disney has spent the past two years prepping for the arrival of the Destiny, which embarks on its maiden voyage in November 2025.
A few years ago, DCL officials probably wouldn’t have been enthusiastic about hosting a home port in Fort Lauderdale.
After all, the distance from Cruise Terminal 4 to Magic Kingdom is more than double.
In fact, Google estimates that the drive time from Magic Kingdom to this port is just over three hours, more than triple the time for Port Canaveral.
Why then has Disney made the change? Well, it’s multiple factors at once, starting with the most obvious one.
Long before Disney committed to a Fort Lauderdale presence, Port Everglades was already the third-busiest cruise homeport in the world.
You may not realize this, but it’s even more popular than the port in Miami! Also, something changed that made the area even more enticing to DCL.
The Brightline Connection
In November 2014, a private company committed to a high-speed rail system in Florida.
That’s when the business we now call Brightline first broke ground on an intrastate railway.
Photo: Brightline
Four years later, the first Brightline route linked Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach.
Then, in 2023, Brightline added a station at the Orlando International Airport, and that’s what makes all the difference here.
Photo: All Aboard Florida
Now, Disney fans can fly into Orlando and then take the Brightline to Fort Lauderdale.
The trip takes about three hours, and it’s a shockingly upscale experience. Since Brightline trains are new, they’re brimming with state-of-the-art amenities.
Photo: https://www.local10.com
During a recent trip, I plugged my laptop into a USB port and used the personal hotspot on my phone for WiFi.
So, I was able to work the whole time I was riding the train. I’m far from the only person who does this, as many workers commute within Florida via the Brightline.
Brightline
They’ve found they can work while they’re on the way to their job, thereby increasing their productivity.
Of course, when you’re on vacation, you probably don’t want to think about work at all, but you do want to gloat to your friends about your vacation.
BrightLine
Thankfully, you can keep your devices charged while you’re riding the train, and you can also use DCL’s Navigator app to prepare for your cruise.
In a very real way, the presence of Brightline has changed the game for Disney vacationers.
Brightline
Now, when we leave the Disney Bubble, we’re just a quick, efficient train ride away from all the other tourist destinations in Florida.
This seems like a good time to mention that Fort Lauderdale is a thriving tourist mecca whose beaches win countless awards.
Photo:Architect Magazine
So, the Brightline connects Disney fans to the beach.
Not Just for Vacationers
Photo:visitorlando.com
Here’s the thing, though. Many Disney fans don’t vacation in Florida; they live there.
I have several friends who have moved to Orlando just to be closer to Walt Disney World.
Photo: orlandoattractions.com
This trend reached its crescendo during the pandemic. Many people realized that when working from home, they could live anywhere they wanted.
Where do people want to live? The answer is obviously close to Disney! So, they packed up their stuff and headed to Central Florida.
They’re the ones who benefit the most from DCL’s commitment to Fort Lauderdale.
As of right now, someone living in Orlando can hop on the Brightline and be in Fort Lauderdale in three hours.
Brightline
Trains run to and from these two cities throughout the day. I use this site to keep up with the daily schedule.
One-way tickets cost as little as $49 for Smart class, the equivalent of coach, and $89 for Premium, the equivalent of first class.
Photo: skillastics.com
So, you can book a round-trip train ticket to Fort Lauderdale for about $100, $180 if you’re feeling boujee.
The Split Vacation for Floridians
Photo: WPTV.com
Within three hours, you’re at the Brightline station in Florida, ready to hang out at the beach for the rest of the day.
Then, in the morning, you can head over to Cruise Terminal 4 and enjoy a luxurious Disney cruise…and I’m talking about the newest one!
The Disney Destiny making its home in Fort Lauderdale is a huge victory for Sunshine State residents.
Now, they can share vacations, just as Disney fans have always done with Walt Disney World and DCL.
DCL
Floridians can do all the touristy stuff in Fort Lauderdale on their way to the Disney Destiny, which, oh by the way, has a Haunted Mansion Parlor!
Yes, in a matter of months, the Destiny will become the signature Disney cruise ship based in America.
Thanks to the Brightline, it’s also easily accessible for out-of-state tourists and Floridians alike.
That’s why Disney cruise fans are choosing Fort Lauderdale. They can combine sun and fun at the beach with the magic of a Disney cruise.
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Feature Photo: Disney
