how early to arrive at MCO

savage1117 · Jul 5, 2015

I'm taking DCL transfers from MCO, I will need to return my rental car (some members aren't going on the cruise and need a ride back to MCO) how early should I get to the airport to be on the first bus leaving MCO? Is easy to find the DCL podium? Maybe a silly question, but is there a different place i should go since I"m staying concierge level? Thanks!!

dcassetta · Jul 5, 2015

The shuttles will start running just after 9 o'clock in the morning. You'll need to be on the B side of the terminal on the lower level. It's not hard at all to find, there will be lots of people to point you in the right direction. There is not a separate shuttle for concierge guests

Dug720 · Jul 6, 2015

People begin gathering in the area at 8 or so. They start actually checking you in for transportation closer to 9 and while people in my experience have been pretty good about self-lining up close to the order they got there, until they actually have you line up there is no formal line so there is no real way of keeping people in the order they got there short of common decency. I haven't seen anyone who gets there right before they line people up try to jump to the front, but I would guess it wouldn't go over well.

shelbell77 · Jul 6, 2015

We usually are down there between 8:15 and 8:30 (its across from Magical Express). No one will check you in or do anything until they "open up" and they won't allow people to line up early. So its a mad dash when they indicate you are able to queue up. We're always on the first or second bus. Because it gets to port before its open to everyone not on DCL transfers its deserted inside the terminal.

No different place to go at airport for Concierge. Once you arrive at port you head to concierge check in all the way in the back of the terminal on the right.

Uncleromulus · Jul 6, 2015

Dug720 said:
People begin gathering in the area at 8 or so. They start actually checking you in for transportation closer to 9 and while people in my experience have been pretty good about self-lining up close to the order they got there, until they actually have you line up there is no formal line so there is no real way of keeping people in the order they got there short of common decency. I haven't seen anyone who gets there right before they line people up try to jump to the front, but I would guess it wouldn't go over well.

Yaeh--all in all it goes reasonably well. We learned not to really rush to be first on the bus--or even on the first bus--since you can't do much at the terminal and you won't get on the ship any faster.

Dug720 · Jul 6, 2015

Uncleromulus said:
Yaeh--all in all it goes reasonably well. We learned not to really rush to be first on the bus--or even on the first bus--since you can't do much at the terminal and you won't get on the ship any faster.

Exactly. The only real reason to try to be on the first bus is if you're trying for an upgrade. Your boarding group really is tied to your PAT - in February I was on the first bus (simply because I wasn't sleeping and decided I'd rather look at the ship from the terminal than sit in the hotel room going bonkers), and while I got group 3 (had the earliest PAT, but there were a lot of Gold cruisers on the cruise who grabbed slots in that PAT before I did and pretty much filled group 2), a family who was also on the first bus had boarding group 26 or something. They were at the check-in podium next to me, and I couldn't help but hear them question the CM about their high number since they were there so early, and the CM politely explained that the groups were assigned based on the selected port arrival time, not on when you get to the terminal.

MagicMe · Jul 6, 2015

But as far as concierge, once you are at the terminal and checked in (as noted there is a separate area for concierge check-in), you will be seated in a separate area and concierge will board first (after the family of the day). So as long as you are at the port and checked in prior to the start of embarktion, you will be in the first boarding group.

tinkerone · Jul 6, 2015

MagicMe said:
But as far as concierge, once you are at the terminal and checked in (as noted there is a separate area for concierge check-in), you will be seated in a separate area and concierge will board first (after the family of the day). So as long as you are at the port and checked in prior to the start of embarktion, you will be in the first boarding group.

actually, just so the op isn't surprised if this happens, b2b's board before concierge and i think even before the family of the day. b2b's sit in the same section as concierge but are called upon first.

Uncleromulus · Jul 6, 2015

True--but there usually are very few of them.

bumbershoot · Jul 6, 2015

I could be wrong about this, but....

Since the bus area is on the B side, just make sure you return the car on the B car return side (it's mirrored, A and B sides) so follow the signs to the B car return. If I recall correctly, if you do that you can then just cross the street to go into the bottom part of the terminal, and I think you'll walk right into or near the area for DCL transportation.

MagicMe · Jul 9, 2015

tinkerone said:
actually, just so the op isn't surprised if this happens, b2b's board before concierge and i think even before the family of the day. b2b's sit in the same section as concierge but are called upon first.

Kind of surprised as I thought B2B's re-board before most people arrive. Learn something new every day!

how early to arrive at MCO

savage1117

Mouseketeer

dcassetta

DIS Veteran

Dug720

See the line where the sky meets the sea?

shelbell77

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Uncleromulus

Plain grey will be fine

Dug720

See the line where the sky meets the sea?

MagicMe

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tinkerone

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Uncleromulus

Plain grey will be fine

bumbershoot

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MagicMe

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