Before our 2026 Disney Wish cruise from Port Canaveral, we didn’t just fly into Orlando and head toward the ship.
We turned the beginning of the trip into a vacation of its own.
We spent our first night at the Hyatt Regency inside Orlando International Airport, then moved to Disney World for four nights—two at All-Star Movies and two at Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level—before taking Disney Cruise Line transportation to Port Canaveral.
It was relaxing. It was fun. We loved being in the Disney bubble before getting on a Disney cruise.
And next time?
I’d still stay at Disney World. I’d just stay a lot less time.
After trying the airport hotel, a Disney Value resort and Disney Club Level all on the same pre-cruise trip, here’s how I’d plan it differently.
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NIGHT ONE: HYATT REGENCY AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
This part of the trip is easy to forget because it wasn’t originally supposed to be one of the big vacation experiences—but it ended up being really fun.
We flew into Orlando and used my Hyatt points to stay at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport for our first night.
And when I say it’s at the airport, I mean at the airport.
The hotel is located between Terminals A and B at MCO, so after flying in, we didn’t have to immediately deal with getting the kids and luggage across Orlando. We could stay put, get some rest and start the rest of the trip the next day.
The kids could watch the planes from the hotel, and the whole thing felt like a fun start to the trip rather than just an airport night.
I used Hyatt points for our stay, so we didn’t pay the normal cash rate. If you don’t have Hyatt points, I’d compare the current rate with other airport hotels before deciding whether the convenience is worth it.
Check current rates at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport →
THEN WE MOVED INTO THE DISNEY BUBBLE
The next day, we took an Uber from MCO to Disney World.
We spent two nights at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, followed by two nights at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level.
That gave us a chance to try two completely different Disney resort experiences back-to-back before the Wish.
And we loved both of them.
All-Star Movies was fun, easy and much less expensive. Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level gave us the food, lounge access, beautiful resort and extra service we’d paid for.
I’ve already done the full breakdown of what we paid and whether I thought Club Level was worth the extra $750 in my All-Star Movies vs. Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level comparison.
But looking at those stays specifically as pre-cruise hotels, my answer gets even easier.
NEXT TIME, I’D PICK ALL-STAR MOVIES
If I were sailing from Port Canaveral again tomorrow, I would still choose to stay at Disney World before the cruise.
But I’d book two nights at All-Star Movies.
That’s it.
I don’t need Club Level before a cruise. And I don’t need four Disney resort nights before a cruise.
We paid about $450 for our two nights at All-Star Movies and about $1,200 for our two nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level on this trip.
Both were great stays.
But if the cruise is the main event, I’d rather save that roughly $750 difference for the cruise itself—or simply spend less on the vacation.
FIVE NIGHTS BEFORE THE CRUISE WAS TOO MUCH FOR US
This is probably the biggest thing I’d change.
Between our airport night and four nights at Disney World, we’d already been traveling for five nights before we ever stepped onto the Disney Wish.
Was it a bad problem to have? Absolutely not. 😂
We were having a great time.
But by embarkation day, we were already a little tired.
It didn’t ruin the cruise. It didn’t even come close. But looking back, I think we made the overall vacation longer than it needed to be.
If I wanted additional Disney resort time, I’d actually consider putting some of those nights after the cruise instead.
Otherwise, two Disney resort nights before sailing feels about right for me.
GETTING FROM DISNEY WORLD TO PORT CANAVERAL
This is one of the reasons I’d stay on Disney property again.
We used Disney Cruise Line ground transportation from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Port Canaveral.
I loved not having to figure out another transportation step on embarkation morning.
We didn’t rent a car. We didn’t have to drive ourselves to Port Canaveral or deal with cruise parking. We simply transitioned from the Disney resort portion of the vacation to the Disney cruise portion.
Disney currently offers resort-to-port transfers for an additional charge for guests with a confirmed hotel reservation for the night before their cruise. Because transportation options and policies can change, I’d check Disney’s current information when booking rather than relying on what was available on our 2026 trip.
Check Disney Cruise Line ground transportation options
For context, Disney currently estimates the drive from Walt Disney World Resort to Port Canaveral at about 1 hour 30 minutes, compared with about an hour from Orlando International Airport. Disney Cruise Line
For me, the extra distance doesn’t outweigh how much I enjoyed staying at Disney World first.
OUR PORT CANAVERAL TERMINAL WASN’T WHAT I EXPECTED
This was a funny little surprise.
Before the trip, I had pictured us walking into the heavily Disney-themed cruise terminal I’d seen associated with Disney cruises from Port Canaveral.
That’s not where our sailing checked in.
Another Disney ship was using that terminal, and the terminal we used for the Wish was much more sparsely Disney-themed.
Was that a problem?
Not at all.
It was still easy to navigate, and once we could see the Disney Wish through those giant windows, nobody was worried about the decorations anymore.
It’s also a good reminder that your Port Canaveral experience can vary depending on your ship and terminal. Port Canaveral operates multiple cruise terminals, and Disney currently uses more than one of them. Port Canaveral
So I wouldn’t choose a pre-cruise plan based on expecting a particular terminal experience.
WOULD I STAY NEAR PORT CANAVERAL INSTEAD?
For this trip?
No.
And that’s probably the biggest difference between how I’d plan Port Canaveral and how I planned our Galveston cruise.
In Galveston, staying right by the port made perfect sense for us.
For Port Canaveral, I’d still choose Disney World.
I liked starting the trip inside the Disney bubble. I liked having the resort pools, food and activities. And I liked being able to use Disney Cruise Line transportation to get us to the ship.
I just wouldn’t turn the pre-cruise portion into almost an entire vacation again.
WHAT I’D DO NEXT TIME
If our flight arrived late enough that an airport night made sense, I’d absolutely consider the Hyatt Regency MCO again—especially if I had Hyatt points available.
Then:
Two nights at All-Star Movies.
Enjoy the resort. Eat. Swim. Relax. Let everybody get into vacation mode.
Then take Disney Cruise Line transportation to Port Canaveral and get on the ship while we’re still fresh enough to enjoy it.
That’s my sweet spot.
Not the fanciest option.
Not the closest hotel to Port Canaveral.
Just the version of the trip that I’d actually spend my money on again.
THE VACATION TAKE
What we did: Hyatt Regency MCO → two nights All-Star Movies → two nights Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level → Disney Cruise Line transportation → Disney Wish.
Total pre-cruise time: Five nights.
Would I stay at Disney World before a Port Canaveral cruise again? Absolutely.
Would I do five nights again? No. Two or three nights before the cruise would be plenty for us.
Would I pay for Club Level again before a cruise? Nope.
Where would I stay? Two nights at All-Star Movies.
Would I stay near Port Canaveral instead? Not for this kind of trip. I loved starting at Disney World.
What about the airport Hyatt? I’d use it again if our flight timing made an airport night useful—especially if I could cover it with Hyatt points.
What I’d change: Make the pre-cruise portion shorter so we aren’t already five days into vacation when we board the ship.
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