Port Canaveral Prepares For New Disney Cruise Ships and Cruise Terminal Upgrades

Disney Cruise Line plans on expanding their four-ship worldwide fleet to seven by introducing three new ships in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

While Disney has not officially announced where these new ships will be based, Port Canaveral is an attractive cruise port for Disney Cruise Line due to its close proximity to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Port Canaveral is also home to Disney’s two largest ships, the Dream and Fantasy, both of which cater to 4,000 passengers at capacity. Some of their smaller 2,700- passenger ships such as the Magic and Wonder have seasonal winter sailings based out of Port Canaveral as well.

Therefore, in the midst of its expansion, Port Canaveral is taking steps to prepare for the projected influx of Disney cruisers from these three new ships. On Wednesday, June 27th, the port commissioners approved moving forward with a feasibility study regarding upgrades to Disney’s Cruise Terminal 8 and the nearby Cruise Terminal 10. The feasibility study, including cost estimates for the project, will take two to three months to complete and is anticipated to cost up to $190, 542.

The Port’s Chief Executive Officer, John Murray, stated that Disney’s terminal is Port Canaveral’s smallest and oldest major terminal and has not had any significant upgrades since 1998. The Port is looking to refresh this facility and bring it up to current standards in preparation for these new ships. They will also be looking into improvements for Cruise Terminal 10, currently used primarily by Norwegian Cruise Line, as Disney is likely to have two ships in port on the same day.

Bill Crowe, the Port’s senior director of facilities, says one challenge will be assuring that Cruise Terminal 10 remains “themed” to both Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line. This will likely be accomplished through the use of LED display monitors that can be modified quickly, depending on what ship is docked at the time.

Overall, Port Canaveral officials are very excited about the project and look forward to the anticipated expansion of Disney’s presence at the Port.

If your Disney ship departs from Port Canaveral, be sure to book your pre and post cruise accommodations through Go Port. We’ll take care of everything you need from a hotel stay to transportation or cruise parking so you can make the most of your Disney cruise vacation.

Photo by: Nathan Forget