Help with PAT and boarding group info

I might as well be a DCL newbie! The last time we cruised Disney was 9 years ago and things have certainly changed. You used to just show up early and wait at the port hoping to be one of the first to board. Now I see there is signing up for a PAT and then there are boarding groups. I signed up for our PAT (unfortunately I wasn't aware of this sooner and didn't get in first, but 12:00-12:30). Now I see mention of boarding groups. How does this work? Are they assigned at the port upon arrival? Are there different boarding groups for each PAT or if we show up early might we get in to an earlier boarding group? This is for a sailing out of NYC. Also, do we get luggage tags ahead of time? If so, how (are they mailed, downloaded, etc.) and lastly (for now lol) do they now offer walk off debarkation where you take your own luggage with you? TIA

The boarding numbers are assigned at port on arrival. Thry are linked to your PAT, so say if someone has a PAT 11 am and you have one at 12 noon, and you both arrive st the same time, they will typically get a lower number than you.

Ships often start embarkation at circa 11 15 in Florida and 11.30 ekes ethers, this can vary, IE if the ship is in late, or a deep clean.

At some point they switch to open boarding rather than by number, thus can occur around 12.30 or 1 pm, the. Boarding numbers do not matter if there isn't a queue.

The only issue is if the ship is in late, the terminal gets full, the people with later PATs may not be allowed into the terminal, it's us very rare and very unlikely, but in theory can occur.

You only get the boarding card in the terminal, they are not downloaded, you get one per group, and you go in as a group.

Disembarkation, depends on disembarkation port, Florida is walk off from circa 7.30 and no restrictions, but places like Vancouver, Dover, etc, are by characters and deck s say ours was recently tinker bell green for deck 8. You wait to be called. Express walk off where you carry your own luggage off is often offered. Otherwise you put it out the night before.

Thanks! Any information regarding luggage tags?

You do get luggage tags in the cute booklet they print and mail to you (it contains your flight info, itinerary that you pre-booked, basic cruise info). They do offer walk off debarkation where you take your own luggage. If you're on certain airlines at MCO, you can actually leave the luggage the night before for them to transfer directly to the airport. Unfortunately the airline we were with (Southwest) was not included in this grouping, so we just took luggage off on our own. It was really easy -- we just walked right off the ship rather early after breakfast.

Thank you! We're going out of NY and live here so we were hoping for walk off debarkation to coordinate our ride home.