2022 Transportation from WDW Hotel to Port Canaveral?

[gemologygal]

We are setting sail on the Wish in 2022 and plan to stay at a WDW hotel the night before we cruise and then the night we return. Does Disney offer transportation to the port and then back to the hotel after the cruise or do we need to find another option? Before we made the decision to tack on a pre- and post-cruise resort stay, we purchased the ground transfers as part of the cruise. I haven’t been on a Disney Cruise in ages so any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are setting sail on the Wish in 2022 and plan to stay at a WDW hotel the night before we cruise and then the night we return. Does Disney offer transportation to the port and then back to the hotel after the cruise or do we need to find another option. Before we made the decision to tack on a pre- and post-cruise resort stay, we purchased the ground transfers as part of the cruise. I haven’t been on a Disney Cruise in ages so any help would be very much appreciated.

Yes, DCL has transfers between WDW resorts and the port. You should call DCL and tell them your transfers will be between a resort and port and not MCO and port.

 

[TinkerMouse]

Yes, DCL has transfers between WDW resorts and the port. You should call DCL and tell them your transfers will be between a resort and port and not MCO and port.

Exactly. I'm going to add that the Disney Cruise Line "ground transfers" (as they're called) cost money unlike the soon to be over Magical Express. For adults, it's $39 one way per person or $78 round trip per person. By round trip I just mean that they take you to and from Port Canaveral regardless of if the pick up is from a Disney hotel and the drop off is MCO. You can mix and match the pick up and drop off destinations but you'll need to call them to do it.

 

[gemologygal]

Thank you both so much!!!

 

[meliscan]

Depending on the size of your party you might want to look at private transfers. We found that with 4 people it was just a few dollars more to take a SUV and get to pick our departure time vs having to go when the bus told us. I have done both and DCL transfers are nice but it was really relaxing to not have to get on and off a bus and pick when I left the hotel We got to port earlier and got more time the ship.

 

[gemologygal]

Depending on the size of your party you might want to look at private transfers. We found that with 4 people it was just a few dollars more to take a SUV and get to pick our departure time vs having to go when the bus told us. I have done both and DCL transfers are nice but it was really relaxing to not have to get on and off a bus and pick when I left the hotel We got to port earlier and got more time the ship.

Thats great advice and it’s only my husband and I but if we were to travel with other family members in the future this is a solid option! Thank you!

 

[Nadia1616]

Depending on the size of your party you might want to look at private transfers. We found that with 4 people it was just a few dollars more to take a SUV and get to pick our departure time vs having to go when the bus told us. I have done both and DCL transfers are nice but it was really relaxing to not have to get on and off a bus and pick when I left the hotel We got to port earlier and got more time the ship.

This is a great tip! Thank you. Would you mind sharing what company you used for an SUV pick up?

 

[Nadia1616]

We are setting sail on the Wish in 2022 and plan to stay at a WDW hotel the night before we cruise and then the night we return. Does Disney offer transportation to the port and then back to the hotel after the cruise or do we need to find another option? Before we made the decision to tack on a pre- and post-cruise resort stay, we purchased the ground transfers as part of the cruise. I haven’t been on a Disney Cruise in ages so any help would be very much appreciated.

How did it work out staying at WDW hotels before and after your cruise? We are thinking of doing that as well, but I'm wondering if it is worth it even if we aren't going to a park (seems like it would be!) but I'm not sure if it is better to stay in Port Canaveral or closer to the airport. Did it seem worth it to go to a WDW resort for just one night on each end of the trip?

 

[Cheburashka]

How did it work out staying at WDW hotels before and after your cruise? We are thinking of doing that as well, but I'm wondering if it is worth it even if we aren't going to a park (seems like it would be!) but I'm not sure if it is better to stay in Port Canaveral or closer to the airport. Did it seem worth it to go to a WDW resort for just one night on each end of the trip?

I'm going to do it for my spring break trip next month. It's worth it for me because I'll be staying at deluxe resorts & plan to use their wonderful pools on both ends of the cruise. I'm renting a car, so I won't have to lose time due to shared transportation or scheduled pick-ups. For embarkation day I'm going to choose the latest PAT, so that I can stay at my Disney resort until noon. On debarkation morning I'll be able to take off right as I disembark from the ship, and enjoy the rest of the day and the following morning at my Disney resort.

 

[MomOTwins]

Depending on the size of your party you might want to look at private transfers. We found that with 4 people it was just a few dollars more to take a SUV and get to pick our departure time vs having to go when the bus told us. I have done both and DCL transfers are nice but it was really relaxing to not have to get on and off a bus and pick when I left the hotel We got to port earlier and got more time the ship.

Just don't forget when comparing prices of the bus and the car to factor in gratuity, which is typically not included in private transportation but is expected. 20% on a $200+ private car service adds up! For the DCL bus, we only tip around $10 because I've noticed seems to be about the norm for the bus, which makes sense it would be lower than a private car as there are so many people on board tipping the driver.

 

[Nadia1616]

Great point! MEARS provided an estimate of $200 which includes tips/gratuity.

 

[Nadia1616]

I'm going to do it for my spring break trip next month. It's worth it for me because I'll be staying at deluxe resorts & plan to use their wonderful pools on both ends of the cruise. I'm renting a car, so I won't have to lose time due to shared transportation or scheduled pick-ups. For embarkation day I'm going to choose the latest PAT, so that I can stay at my Disney resort until noon. On debarkation morning I'll be able to take off right as I disembark from the ship, and enjoy the rest of the day and the following morning at my Disney resort.

Thanks for sharing this! It's very helpful to hear how you are doing it. So are you having the rental car sit in a parking lot throughout the cruise, or will it be delivered to you upon debarkation? We tentatively scheduled MEARS SUV transportation ($200). I'm not sure what time to have them pick us up after debarkation. What time do we have to be off the ship? Do we get to pick what time we get off? Check in at the resort isn't until 3:00. Do you know if the front desk can hold our luggage before check in time and if we can use the amenities until our room is ready? Thanks so much!

 

[Cheburashka]

Thanks for sharing this! It's very helpful to hear how you are doing it. So are you having the rental car sit in a parking lot throughout the cruise, or will it be delivered to you upon debarkation? We tentatively scheduled MEARS SUV transportation ($200). I'm not sure what time to have them pick us up after debarkation. What time do we have to be off the ship? Do we get to pick what time we get off? Check in at the resort isn't until 3:00. Do you know if the front desk can hold our luggage before check in time and if we can use the amenities until our room is ready? Thanks so much!

I'm leaving the car in the port parking lot, yes. That is by far the most convenient thing to do, although not the cheapest. The fact that I got an amazing car rental deal (see my posts in the March car rental thread in the Transportation board if you want details) made that doable for me.

Everyone onboard is expected to disembark the ship by around 9am. Everyone is expected to be out of their stateroom by about 8am. There are two seated breakfasts offered to guests, but you don't get to choose which one to attend- it's based on your dinner time. If you had first seating dinner during the cruise, then breakfast is around 6:45am on debarkation morning. If you had second seating dinner, then breakfast is around 8:15am. The seated breakfast is a full breakfast but it's served quickly, nothing like the leisurely dinners onboard. You can also choose to get breakfast at the Cabanas buffet, instead, at whatever time you want.

As soon as the ship clears customs, they start letting guests disembark. If you let them take your luggage the night before, then you should wait for your luggage tag type (Daisy, Mickey, Minnie, etc.) be called over the intercom before disembarking, or else your luggage won't be ready when you get there. If you don't want to wait for the luggage tag call-outs, then you can just keep your luggage and walk it off the ship yourself. I don't tend to disembark early, so I'm not the best person to ask about the earliest you can possibly get off, but I do know that unless the ship was dealing with unusual delays, passenger disembarkation is usually underway by 7:45.

Yes, a Disney resort will hold your bags at Bell Services upon your arrival until your room is ready (and until your departure after check-out). You have the right to use resort amenities from the morning of check-in day through the evening of check-out day.

 

[Nadia1616]

SO helpful! Thank you for clarifying all of this for me! I really appreciate it

 

[MNMomof3]

We were picked up at our resort (CBR) at 8:25 this morning. We are about to be tested right now (10:20), so I can affirm that we arrived very early!
for negative tests!

 

[sab53085]

We were picked up at our resort (CBR) at 8:25 this morning. We are about to be tested right now (10:20), so I can affirm that we arrived very early!
for negative tests!

Great news! Did you get an email saying 11am but then a letter under your door with an earlier time? Wishing you good luck!

 

[MNMomof3]

I’m not sure what the email said, but when we made the reservations on the phone, the DCL person said it has been earlier pickups nowadays. We received the letter in our room late the night before (sometime between 7:30-10:00), and it said luggage would be picked up at 7:00 inside our resort room, and to meet at Old Port Royale (hotel lobby) 30 minutes before our 8:25 pickup

 

[Samita]

I’m not sure what the email said, but when we made the reservations on the phone, the DCL person said it has been earlier pickups nowadays. We received the letter in our room late the night before (sometime between 7:30-10:00), and it said luggage would be picked up at 7:00 inside our resort room, and to meet at Old Port Royale (hotel lobby) 30 minutes before our 8:25 pickup

Did you use them to return to hotel or to the airport? How does it work for disembarking?

 

[Kwami]

Did you use them to return to hotel or to the airport? How does it work for disembarking?

If you're going back to WDW, then the bus leaves the port at 9am and you need to be on it. If you're going back to the airport, then you can catch a bus whenever you get off the ship. The cast members will direct you to the right bus.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you're going back to WDW, then the bus leaves the port at 9am and you need to be on it. If you're going back to the airport, then you can catch a bus whenever you get off the ship. The cast members will direct you to the right bus.

The bus theoretically leaves at 9am. They tell you repeatedly you have to be on it at 9 but there is always some jerk who takes too long at breakfast and holds up the bus another 30+ mins to an hour. Important for planning purposes as you should not make the mistake I did of booking early lunch plans thinking 9am is plenty of time to be back for lunch.