Port Arrival Time

[Coriebella]

Hello Everyone~

My niece and I will be taking our first ever Disney Cruise Oct. 20 on the Magic. I've read a lot on these boards about Embarkation and choosing your port arrival time during online check in. Well, during my online check in, I wasn't given an option to choose a PAT. Should I be concerned? Or would this have anything to do with arranging my hotel and transportation through DCL?

Thanks!!!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello Everyone~

My niece and I will be taking our first ever Disney Cruise Oct. 20 on the Magic. I've read a lot on these boards about Embarkation and choosing your port arrival time during online check in. Well, during my online check in, I wasn't given an option to choose a PAT. Should I be concerned? Or would this have anything to do with arranging my hotel and transportation through DCL?

Thanks!!!!

Are you sailing in Concierge?

 

[Coriebella]

No. No concierge. Just a Deluxe Inside Stateroom that adjoins with my cousin and her girls.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

No. No concierge. Just a Deluxe Inside Stateroom that adjoins with my cousin and her girls.

Well, then, I don't know. The PAT is on, like, page 4, and you have to complete all the information on the previous pages (correct info, default answers, gibberish, whatever) before it will "unlock".

Did you fill out everything? Are you arriving on departure day?

 

[Coriebella]

Well, then, I don't know. The PAT is on, like, page 4, and you have to complete all the information on the previous pages (correct info, default answers, gibberish, whatever) before it will "unlock".

Did you fill out everything? Are you arriving on departure day?

I did fill everything out. We're flying in from Los Angeles the day prior and staying overnight at the Marriott. All my travel was arranged through DCL. I'll have to log back in and check to see if that page is there. Thank you!!!!

 

[barbbarnes]

If you are using dcl transfers I dont think they give you a port arrival time when we sailed to Alaska last summer and used Disney transportation from hotel to port we werent able to select a port arrival time.

 

[Coriebella]

If you are using dcl transfers I dont think they give you a port arrival time when we sailed to Alaska last summer and used Disney transportation from hotel to port we werent able to select a port arrival time.

Hmmmm... What time did you arrive and get on board?

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[Gilland18]

When you do the Disney hotel and transfer package, you don't have to choose a PAT. You just get on the bus when they tell you to and check in when you get to the port. When my parents did this, they had a fairly early boarding number.

 

[Coriebella]

When you do the Disney hotel and transfer package, you don't have to choose a PAT. You just get on the bus when they tell you to and check in when you get to the port. When my parents did this, they had a fairly early boarding number.

Oh awesome!!!! Thank you for that information!!

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[lbgraves]

If you are using dcl transfers I dont think they give you a port arrival time when we sailed to Alaska last summer and used Disney transportation from hotel to port we werent able to select a port arrival time.

When you do the Disney hotel and transfer package, you don't have to choose a PAT. You just get on the bus when they tell you to and check in when you get to the port. When my parents did this, they had a fairly early boarding number.

Oh awesome!!!! Thank you for that information!!

The first two posts have outdated information. Sorry, but since DCL stopped allowing check in at MCO everyone has to select a PAT. If you are on DCL transfers, you will be allowed into the terminal whenever you get there. However, your boarding number is based on the PAT that you selected. This has been in place just this year. So you may be on the first DCL bus from MCO, but if you have a 1-1:30 PAT your boarding number will be higher and you will be waiting around the terminal for your number to be called. DCL uses your flight time to release available PATs for you to select.

 

[lbgraves]

No. No concierge. Just a Deluxe Inside Stateroom that adjoins with my cousin and her girls.

I would contact DCL in the morning to have them fix this because the only cases where a PAT doesn't need to be selected is if you are concierge or platinum. Your boarding number will be generated based on your PAT, so it could affect how long you will be waiting in the terminal to board.

 

[Coriebella]

I would contact DCL in the morning to have them fix this because the only cases where a PAT doesn't need to be selected is if you are concierge or platinum. Your boarding number will be generated based on your PAT, so it could affect how long you will be waiting in the terminal to board.

Good idea. I'm wondering since they don't have any of my flight info yet (I'll get it 45 days out) that I'll get to select my PAT then. I'll call DCL as well just to get it figured out.

Thanks!!

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[starousse]

Is it safe to say that if I'm coming from WL and taking the DCL transfer to the port that I will be getting there later in the day. I thought I read that the DCL buses don't pick up at the WDW hotels until like 1 in the afternoon. That means that I wouldn't be able to get on the ship early. Is this right?

 

[cisobe]

I had something similar to you, although we are on the wonder out of Galveston. I booked transfer from the airport and a precruise night through DCL. I just finished my registration online a couple weeks ago for my October 19 cruise. After finishing the registration, I tried to select a port arrival time, and it said I didn't need to select a time since I was staying at a Disney resort, I would just need to take the transport from the hotel to the port, check in and board. It didn't even allow me to select one, it just gave me that message.

 

[Bear3412]

....... That means that I wouldn't be able to get on the ship early. Is this right?

Yes. You should arrive at PC between 1:00 - 2:30.

Some of the anxious passengers arrange private transfers because of this.

 

[lbgraves]

Perhaps DCL's IT department has finally programed the process to recognize the difference between a reservation on a classic ship and a new ship. You would think they would have done that from the beginning, but you know how the DCL website goes.

 

[kiford]

Is it safe to say that if I'm coming from WL and taking the DCL transfer to the port that I will be getting there later in the day. I thought I read that the DCL buses don't pick up at the WDW hotels until like 1 in the afternoon. That means that I wouldn't be able to get on the ship early. Is this right?

They typically pick up around noon-ish and you get to the port a little after 1 pm. We've been picked up as early as 10:30 once but it's usually 11:30-12:30 pick up. They'll give you a letter the night before to tell when and where they pick up. We usually find that by the time we've checked in, gone to our room, unpacked our carryon bags and head down to lunch it's between 1:30 and 2 pm.

 

[RMoneyTheHBomb]

Hey All,

I've got an 11am port arrival time.

#1, is that good? (ie what is the earliest time avail?)
#2, does that mean I arrive @ 11a or should I really get there @ 1045 to be able to walk into the building by 11?

 

[lanejudy]

Hey All,

I've got an 11am port arrival time.

#1, is that good? (ie what is the earliest time avail?)
#2, does that mean I arrive @ 11a or should I really get there @ 1045 to be able to walk into the building by 11?

If you are cruising out of Port Canaveral on the Fantasy or the Dream, it has just been reported that the earliest PATs actually start at 10:30am. I don't think there has been any "live" experience yet with these new times, so it's uncertain of they'll start boarding earlier or not. Typically, boarding has started around 11:45am and moves fairly quickly, with "open boarding" called around 12:45pm.

As to arrival...the 11:00am PAT window (is that 11-11:30 or 11-11:15am?) means when to arrive. Port has typically opened around 10:45am (maybe as early as 10:30 maybe as late as 11:00) so no need to arrive much earlier than 11 unless you don't mind possibly hanging around outside. Though, again, now with the earlier PATs presumably they'll be opening the terminal earlier. IF they are enforcing PATs and you arrive before 11am, you could be asked to wait outside. Maybe not, but on very full cruises people have reported needing to wait for the PAT time before entering the building.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[tigger309]

Hey All,

I've got an 11am port arrival time.

#1, is that good? (ie what is the earliest time avail?)
#2, does that mean I arrive @ 11a or should I really get there @ 1045 to be able to walk into the building by 11?

We were on the 9/1 Dream cruise and had a 11am port arrival time. We got there around 10:15 and had to wait on the besiege for the 3rd level of the parking garage to the terminal. At 10:30 they open the doors and we started to go into the terminal and checked in and got boarding group 3. Boarding started at 11:30 so we were on board and up to the pools by 11:45.