Driving from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale Port

[maggieworkman]

We are doing Disney prior to our cruise on the Enchantment. We plan on doing the parks on Wednesday. Stay at our Disney hotel Wednesday night and then leave for the port on Thursday morning. Any problems with this plan? Should we leave late that night and drive over to Ft. Lauderdale? We plan to do Animal Kingdom that day, since they close earlier than the other parks. After the park, we will eat dinner, maybe look around downtown Disney and then try to go to bed relatively early. We won't be out on the rides until midnight the night before we leave, so I expect we will be able to get up, eat breakfast and be out of the hotel by 10 am.

 

Maggie

[Bequia]

Hi Maggie,

What day/time does your cruise depart from Port Everglades? Will you have a rental car?

The drive from Orlando to Ft Lauderdale will take you from 3 1/2 to 4 hours. It's an easy drive, take the Florida Turnpike versus I-95 (usually less traffic). ;)

[maggieworkman]

Our cruise leaves on Thursday.

 

We will have our own van.

 

4 hours! Wow! I was thinking it would be more like 2.

 

Thanks.

[Bequia]

Sorry to break the bad news Maggie. I've made it during non-rush hour periods in 3 1/4 hours but I exceeded the speed limit the entire way without any fuel or rr stops. Not a good idea.

Rush hour traffic in Orlando is a bear. From the first turnpike toll south until you reach West Palm Beach it's smooth sailing. But getting to the turnpike from your hotel might slow you down. The good news though, by the time you hit West Palm you'll have missed the rush hour traffic from there to Ft Lauderdale. ;)

[Majesty Fan]

We are doing the same thing. It was Way cheaper to stay at Pop Century than in FT. L I do get a FL resident rate so that helps too. Map Quest says it is 3 1/2 hours. We plan to leave about 7am from Pop Century.

Lexi

[maggieworkman]

I think it won't be too big of a problem. Last year we drove over in the morning for our Sovereign cruise, but it was only an hour or so.

 

Is there any good middle point? Could we stay in a hotel halfway there? I don't think we would want to drive the whole way to Fort Lauderdale after doing the Disney parks all day, but we could probably do a couple hours? Any benefit to that? Or do you think its ok to just plan on leaving maybe at 9 am? My family are not early birds, so I couldn't get them up and ready and out the door before 9 am.

 

Maggie

[GramaFran]

We did the same in Oct. stayed at Disney world and drove the next morning to FLL. We had a Thrifty rent a car and the drop off is right near the port. Not the Rental Car Building at Airport.

We left our hotel at 9:15am and were in FLL around 12n with 2 stops enroute for bathroom and snack. We took the turnpike until it almost merged with I95 then made the easy switch there. still freeway all the way to turn off for Port.

 

Our ship was late arriving from NY so we were not able to board until 5pm and sailed at 9pm, so we had lots of time in FLL, lunch at Dirty Harrys, shopping at Crown liquors, returning the van and then to pier.

 

Do allow enough time but you can make it easily in 4 hrs even with stops.

[MrsFops&FopsC5]

If your thinking of staying half way that night, I suggest you take the turnpike to Fort Pierce and jump on 95. There are a number of hotels in the Fort Pierce area. 95 and the Turnpike parallel each other for a while in that area, but if you don't get off at the FP exit the next exit down is Indiantown/Jupiter which is about 20+ miles or so south. There are also a few hotels in that area as well.

 

Be careful on 95 it's not called "killer highway" for a reason.

[BlueHerons]

We did the same in Oct. stayed at Disney world and drove the next morning to FLL. We had a Thrifty rent a car and the drop off is right near the port. Not the Rental Car Building at Airport.

We left our hotel at 9:15am and were in FLL around 12n with 2 stops enroute for bathroom and snack..

 

There is no way you made it from Disney to the Port Everglades in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Maybe from Orlando to the outskirts of Ft. Lauderdale? It is over a 200 mile drive.

[Bequia]

There is no way you made it from Disney to the Port Everglades in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Maybe from Orlando to the outskirts of Ft. Lauderdale? It is over a 200 mile drive.

 

Not to mention two restroom stops. :p

[GramaFran]

Ok Ok - I said around 12 noon maybe it was 12:30.... It still is a very doable drive before a cruise. My SIL drove on the turnpike and it was a Sunday morning without any traffic. Our bathroom stop was very short like 10min at the most. He picked up some Micky D at the same time for the kids.

All I know as it was an easy drive and very good signage the whole way.