During one of our cruises over the Christmas holidays, we took advantage of an overnight stop in Port Canaveral to visit two theme parks in Orlando. The ship docked one day and departed the following afternoon, giving us a unique opportunity for this visit.
In this article, we’ll focus on our particular experience visiting both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks. However, the tips we’ll share can also be applied to Walt Disney World parks, as they are located at a very similar distance.
As you’ll see, with meticulous planning you can maximize your visit and enjoy numerous attractions and even the nighttime show.
Essential Tips for Your Visit
Transportation and Timing
The parks are approximately one hour by car from the port. We recommend taking a taxi or Uber from the port to Universal Studios. For the return trip, the parking area has a specific zone where you can easily request an Uber.
Views approaching Port Canaveral from a cruise ship
Tickets and Fast Track
Purchase your tickets online in advance and keep them in digital format on your phone to avoid unnecessary queues. Fast Track is essential, especially during the Christmas season when the parks are most crowded. This extra investment will save you hours of waiting time.
Inter-Park Experience
With the two-park pass, you can enjoy a unique experience traveling between them on the Hogwarts Express, which connects King’s Cross (Universal Studios) with Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure). This journey is an attraction in itself that you’ll love if you’re a fan of the saga. Watch out for the dementors!
Waiting for the Hogwarts Express train that connects Universal Studios with Islands of Adventure
Time Optimization
- Study the park map beforehand and design a route that prioritizes your favorite attractions.
- Maintain flexibility in your itinerary to adapt to waiting times and changes in show schedules.
- Take advantage of the last hours of the day, when lines tend to be shorter.
The Harry Potter areas are the most popular
Perfect Ending
The nighttime show is unmissable, with its impressive visual effects and fireworks. Plan your last attraction near the show location and secure a good viewing spot.
Musical show that combines images from different movies
After the park closes, Universal CityWalk remains open, offering numerous dining options before returning to the cruise.
Universal CityWalk is a restaurant and entertainment area next to the parks
Conclusion
Although ideally you would need several days to explore the parks thoroughly, our experience shows that a well-planned visit during a port stop can also be a very good option. In our case, as our first visit to Orlando, we were able to enjoy the main attractions of both parks. In fact, we enjoyed this experience so much that we planned another trip to visit Universal and Disney parks.
Jurassic Park area and the VelociCoaster attraction. Hogwarts in the background.
The fact that our ship stayed in port until the next day also helped us carry out this plan without the stress of having to return at a specific time. Overnight stops are not very common, but if your cruise stays more than one day in Port Canaveral, now you know that enjoying the magic of the parks is possible!
