Our family typically drives from North Central Illinois to Orlando or Port Canaveral.  This is for two reasons.  First and foremost, I am terribly anxious about flying and I do not want to couple that with trying to get two young children on a plane.  Second, I actually like driving.  The journey is part of the vacation for me.  I try to make it enjoyable for all of my family members.  Sometimes the love of my life reminds me about the challenges of the longer journey of driving.

My wife and I decided to take a short, three-day cruise out of Port Canaveral.  A few weeks beforehand we received our Disney Cruise Line travel documents.  This elegant booklet is always exciting to receive!  It contains a fair amount of pertinent information that all cruisers should read.  Our booklet included our luggage tags.  These magical little stickers can make your life a whole lot simpler!  Here is how it works: 1. Pack your luggage.  2. Affix the sticker to a handle on your luggage.  3. Drop off your luggage at your airline check-in.  That is it.  Yes.  It is that simple.

We flew from Midway Airport to Orlando International Airport.  At Midway, my wife and I did curbside check-in.  Each of us had a checked bag and a carry on.  Relieving ourselves of the checked bag was surprisingly efficient, and the attendant seemed very chipper for 4:15 AM.  We had a little snag while obtaining boarding passes and checking in at security, but it was very promptly remedied.  I am sure I will find some sympathizers here.  Why does it seem like whenever I fly, I get my bags searched?  Not just scanned-searched and dug around in.  The security person who rifled through my bag seemed like a cool guy though.  We chit-chatted while he admired my Ripcurl trunks and asked me why I needed two extra razors.  He also made a nice comment about my headphones.  After that, we were on our way!  The flight was uneventful.  When we landed, we took the monorail and no park admission was necessary.  A side note and possible tip: there is a Hyatt within Orlando International Airport.  If you are one of those people who likes to arrive a day early to avoid delays, this may be an option to look into.  Most people who arrived with us went to baggage claim in Terminal A.  My wife and I headed straight to Terminal B where the Magical Express check-in is located.  (There are several rental car counters located there as well.)  Disney was experiencing technology failure with one of two computers at the Disney Cruise Line Magical Express counter.  We ended up having one of our longest waits of the entire trip there, and we were third in line.  After checking in, we were directed to board the bus.  The Magical Express bus was very comfortable.  Or, the transition from the airplane to the Magical Express just made it seem like the Taj.  Similar to the plane, one could control the light and air flow directly above.  Unlike the plane, there were several televisions.  On the ride to Port Canaveral, informational videos and Disney shorts were played.  The 45-minute ride went by very quickly!  Magical Express drops passengers off very close to the terminal at Port Canaveral, and there are several porters waiting to assist any families that may need it.  My wife and I only had our carry-on luggage, so we quickly went to the terminal and through security before most of the bus was unloaded.  Here is the coolest part of Magical Express.  After partaking in various onboard activities, we went back to our stateroom.  In the early afternoon, our luggage magically appeared by our stateroom door.  We dropped our luggage curbside in Chicago and didn’t have to touch it until we were in our stateroom!

If you have ever taken a cruise on the Disney Cruise Line, you know how disheartening it is to leave the ship.  There are multiple options for handling your luggage when disembarking.  We were unable to take full advantage of Disney handling our luggage, as we had an early flight.  Disney Cruise Line encourages people in these situations to walk off the ship with their luggage.  After swiftly going through customs, we boarded Disney’s Magical Express.  Again, the buses are located very close to the terminal, so there is minimal walking distance.  The drivers of the buses are amazing.  They are quick to offer a hand with luggage and are very courteous.  The ride back to the airport continues the Disney withdrawal.  And, the sales pitches playing on the televisions do not make the emotions any better.

Unlike utilizing Disney’s Magical Express to get to Walt Disney World, there is a fee for transfers to and from Port Canaveral.  The fee can change, so if you are considering using this transportation, ask your agent how much the fee is or check online.  Magical Express is a great way to get to and from Port Canaveral or Walt Disney World.  It offers riders a simple and comfortable transfer and provides some entertainment.  If you are looking for a convenient and relaxing ride, I would encourage you to use this transportation option.

Justin Eggenberger, Co-Owner of Adventure is Out There Travel, LLC