what seems to be the best time to check in & board for the Dream?

[dawsons]

We are booked in May for Our first cruise on the Dream. I would like to be able to board early, but would also not like to wait hours in line and in the port. What's your best experience with checking in and boarding? Thanks.

 

[fredgirls]

Also a first-timer, so don't really have any useful info.
Why are you replying then I hear you cry!
Well, we've spent a lot of time thinking about just this same thing lately. Should we arrive early to get on the ship earlier but then have longer to wait in the terminal? Or get there later and walk straight on?
Then I read a review that said once you're on the ship you forget all about the queues and busyness of the terminal. That made me think..
We're going on a Disney Cruise! Anytime is a good time!

Prepare for a wait, and you might be suprised!
Hope you have a smooth check-in and sail.

 

[ppiew]

it seems everyone wants to get there early and then have long lines. Actually 12 - 1PM is really slick! minimal lines and hardly any wait inside the terminal. Had friends went at 2 PM and they said there was almost no one in the terminal, so i guess the AM is turning out to be a bad time to go.

 

[miztressuz]

I too have not yet been on a Disney cruise so I am interested in some knowledgeable responses.

I have been reading that with Disney there are some things for first time cruisers that can't be booked in advance so there is a bit of incentive to get there early to book these on board. I would think this means when check-in opens there are long queues.

I have been on 2 other cruises (2 different lines) in the past and have found that getting to the terminal maybe 1-2 hours after first check-in went much smoother (lines smaller, no large pile ups for the elevators once onboard, etc) than when we got there soon after the start of check-in. So this is my current plan for Disney but would love to hear first hand experiences.

 

[cindy18]

Was on the Dream last month. Here are my observations:

We arrived at 10:45, so about 15 minutes after the port supposedly opened. There was a LONG line to get through the first check-in point (passport check), then a relatively short line to go through security, and a pretty short line formally to check in. Having said that, we were given boarding number 15 when we got through security, and it took almost an hour after boarding officially started to be allowed to board. So, from when we got to port to when we boarded, about 2 hours, maybe a little less.

When we left the ship, we got through customs at about 9:30, and the line for people waiting for the port to open for the next set of passengers was formed and not short. So I think if you really want to get on board early, you need to get to the port REALLY early and be willing to stand there and wait.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We'll be driving to the port from WDW in our own car. I'm thinking that maybe not setting the alarm early and having a nice breakfast would be a much more pleasant experience than dragging our tired bodies from bed at the crack of dawn to rush to the terminal to sit and wait for hours with nothing to do. Just me, tho.

 

[act1980]

Can you choose what time you want to check in?

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Can you choose what time you want to check in?

I think there are options available but it seems like the those who have the 75 day window date to make reservations have nothing left to pick from and therefor it doesn't show an option.

 

[act1980]

I think there are options available but it seems like the those who have the 75 day window date to make reservations have nothing left to pick from and therefor it doesn't show an option.

Ah that's a bit rubbish. Do you know what the general check in time is for people like me?

 

[lillygator]

do your bags get to the cabin any later with later arrivals?

 

[nursebeth03]

So, if I decided to wait for the initial crowd to board (Dream) and arrive at the port around 11:30-12:00, would it be safe to assume I'd board by 1:00ish?
It seems I would avoid 2 hours of crowds to sacrifice maybe 1 hour of ship time???

 

[shelleyr25]

So, if I decided to wait for the initial crowd to board (Dream) and arrive at the port around 11:30-12:00, would it be safe to assume I'd board by 1:00ish?
It seems I would avoid 2 hours of crowds to sacrifice maybe 1 hour of ship time???

We will be doing this on Sunday...my brother in laws flight does not get in until 11am and then we go straight to the ship so we should be there by around 12:30...hoping to walk right on!!!!

 

[act1980]

Do you take your bags with you to check in or do they have to be dropped off somewhere else?

 

[shelleyr25]

Do you take your bags with you to check in or do they have to be dropped off somewhere else?

They take them from you at the curb when you get off your bus or out of the car.

 

[nursebeth03]

We will be doing this on Sunday...my brother in laws flight does not get in until 11am and then we go straight to the ship so we should be there by around 12:30...hoping to walk right on!!!!

Looking forward to hear how this goes for you!

Enjoy your cruise

 

[fcrouch]

We arrived at 9:30 on Sunday AM 3/13 for 4 day Dream cruise. Dropped bags with porter. Parked car on 3rd level of parking garage. Read the Sunday paper for half an hour and drank a cup of coffee. Walked across the bridge to the terminal bulding at 10 AM at the upstairs security entrance. (And nothing by the way would have prevented anyone without a car from coming into the parking garage and walking across the bridge rather than waiting in the line below to go in the main entrance and through security there). No one else in line there to go through security. Walked direct to the Castaway Club member check in line. About 10 people in line in front of us including some back to back cruisers. Got boarding group 2. (then the computers stopped working and everytihing got delayed a very long time.....). Noted that the signs on the check-in coutners says "Check-in begins at 11". Had there not been a computer break down think we would have been no ship shortly before or shortly after noon. Saw no evidence on this cruise that any boarding groups cards being given out based on the on-line port check-in times.....but then again, the computers weren't working.

 

[act1980]

They take them from you at the curb when you get off your bus or out of the car.

Thanks. I will be parking at the port for the duration of our cruise. Do I pull up somewhere drop my bags and then park

Thanks for your help

 

[Brownieone]

Can you choose what time you want to check in?

We checked in at the 75 day mark on-line for our June 17th cruise and all check-in time options were available except for 11 AM - 11:30 AM. We then selected 11:30 AM to noon as our check-in time.

 

[Tass]

So, if I decided to wait for the initial crowd to board (Dream) and arrive at the port around 11:30-12:00, would it be safe to assume I'd board by 1:00ish?
It seems I would avoid 2 hours of crowds to sacrifice maybe 1 hour of ship time???

That's our plan for our Dream cruise next month. I chose the 11:30-12:00 port arrival time and plan to arrive during that time frame. We don't anticipate changing any dining/Palo reservations/excursions or rushing to the pools and aquaduck. We are just hoping to get on board in time to have lunch

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Ah that's a bit rubbish. Do you know what the general check in time is for people like me?

I think the last one is 2pm. On the plus side, from what I hear by that point you can pretty much just walk on the ship. I know how you feel because I will probably be in the same boat as you when I sail in Jan.

I think my big urgency to get on early is to get Remy reservations since I doubt there will be anything available online when I am able to but. Although so far no one has reported having trouble getting them once on board, it seems like Palo for bunch is the hardest ressie to get

Of course, currently there are still reports about people who showed up earlier than their arrival time and got a sweet boarding number for their efforts.

I hope it's figured out by my trip, if know for a fact that I'm still getting a dud number no matter what, then we will just sleep in and enjoy and extra long breakfast but I don't want to get to port early and get stuck waiting for hours with kids in tow.