How does something like this work?

[CAlvarez]

We are currently booked for Jan 5th 2013 on the Fantasy, we'll be flying in from LAX and will be taking using DCL transfer. Do you suggest we fly in a day early and stay at a local hotel? It's my understanding if you take a DCL transfer, your luggage is taken straight from MCO to your room, does this still happen if I arrive a day early? Or should I just arrive day of my cruise?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are currently booked for Jan 5th 2013 on the Fantasy, we'll be flying in from LAX and will be taking using DCL transfer. Do you suggest we fly in a day early and stay at a local hotel? It's my understanding if you take a DCL transfer, your luggage is taken straight from MCO to your room, does this still happen if I arrive a day early? Or should I just arrive day of my cruise?

The direct shipment of your bags to your stateroom only happens if you fly in the same day.

If you fly in a day early, you will need to claim your bags as the airport. The next day (if you are using DCL transfers) you need to bring your bags and check them at the DCL desk at MCO. Then they will go directly to your room from there.

 

[kcashner]

If you fly in a day early, you will need to claim your bags and take them with you to your hotel. In each port that DCL has used, there has been at least one "official" hotel which has the luggage service in the morning--they claim the bags from your room about 8 am and you next see them on the ship. This has happened at MCO (Hyatt), Barcelona (3 different hotels), London, etc. I know that in LA this service is available at the Disneyland hotels. I don't know what hotel they use near the airport, if they have one.

If you stay at a hotel other than their designated one, you take the hotel's shuttle back to the airport with your luggage and turn the luggage over to DCL at the location there where you catch the bus.

 

[sambycat]

I dont think anyone would recommend flying in Tge day of if you can avoid it jn any way shape or form!

 

[MDTerp]

Actually, if you fly in a day early and stay at a Disney property, and use Disney's Magical Express transport from MCO to your hotel, they will handle your bags and they will be taken directly to your hotel room.

Then, if you book DCL transportation to the port, you will receive different luggage tags for the cruise, place them on your bags, have then ready at the designated time, and you will next see them in your stateroom onboard.

If you stay at a non-Disney property or do not book DCL transportation to the port, this will not work and you'll have to deal with your own luggage.

Hope this helps.

 

[MBPrincessMoM]

You really cannot fly from LAX on the same day if you think about it. If you take the morning non stop you land at about 4 pm. You can take the red eye but at that point you can go straight to the ship. I highly recommend going in at least a day ahead of time.

 

[mom2aidanNpiper]

oops. wrong info

 

[awtigger]

I would fly in the day before. You never know if there will be a delay...when we went in May 2010 we were supposed to be at MCO at 4pm but didnt get there till almost 8pm because of weather. We stayed at the MCO Hyatt inside the airport, which made a bad day of flying better by not worrying about getting a shuttle or taxi to an offsite hotel. We claimed our bags, and checked in. We did DCL transfers, so at MCO Hyatt you leave your luggage inside the room and DCL will pick it up and will get it to the ship.