Benefits to staying at Disney Partner Hotels in London

[lorimay]

Starting Plans for our B2B cruises out of South Hampton Sept. 2025.
I called and asked about Partner hotels and was told JW Marriot and Hyatt Regency. For 3 nights the rooms run about $700-$800 a night.
Has anyone gone this route? Beside the bus transfer is there any other perk that makes this worth it? The rooms are several hundred a night cheaper to book on my own.
TIA

 

[jujubiee4]

Starting Plans for our B2B cruises out of South Hampton Sept. 2025.
I called and asked about Partner hotels and was told JW Marriot and Hyatt Regency. For 3 nights the rooms run about $700-$800 a night.
Has anyone gone this route? Beside the bus transfer is there any other perk that makes this worth it? The rooms are several hundred a night cheaper to book on my own.
TIA

We are choosing to stay closer to airport as we have been to London a few times already. 2100 for a 3 nights is expensive. This must be center of London? There are 3 Hyatt Regencys...which one is for DCL?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

The Disney hotels are in central London which is approx 2 hours by bus to the actual port, Southampton. I used to live in London and Ive been on multiple Disney cruises from Southampton. I fly from Ireland and stay in Southampton the night before the cruise.

In my opinion, staying at the Disney hotels is a waste of money. London is a major international city and there are a huge amount of accommodation options if you want to spend a few days before the cruise.

 

[Mommb]

As far as I can tell, ease of taking the bus is the main advantage to booking a hotel through DCL. You also get convenience in booking and managing your reservation from a single place. If you pay with a Disney Visa, it is possible that including a hotel is considered part of the package and thus eligible for 6 months interest-free, though I am not sure of that.

I have never booked a hotel through DCL because these benefits are not valuable enough to justify the increased cost. Plus, at least in some cities, hotel rooms booking through DCL sleep only 2 or 3 people and we needed room for 4.

Find a hotel that works for you in location and price. The same is true for transportation to the port —there are private and group options beyond DCL buses.

 

[jujubiee4]

The Disney hotels are in central London which is approx 2 hours by bus to the actual port, Southampton. I used to live in London and Ive been on multiple Disney cruises from Southampton. I fly from Ireland and stay in Southampton the night before the cruise.

In my opinion, staying at the Disney hotels is a waste of money. London is a major international city and there are a huge amount of accommodation options if you want to spend a few days before the cruise.

Did you fly to Heathrow? Book private transportation to Southampton or National Express?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Did you fly to Heathrow? Book private transportation to Southampton or National Express?

I fly from Ireland to Southampton airport, which is a small regional airport.

For international flights, Heathrow or Gatwick are the two airports which have transatlantic flights. Which one you choose depends on the airline you choose and your budget. Heathrow is the main airport but flights are a higher price to this airport as they charge airlines high landing tax.

I prefer to get the train not National Express bus.

If I was to fly into Heathrow my preferred way to get to Southampton would be
Heathrow to Central London >>> Piccadilly Line Tube >>> Change at Green Park >>>Green Park to Waterloo on Jubilee Line
Waterloo to Southampton >>> direct train
Walk from Southampton Train station to Ibis Hotel for over night before the cruise

If I was to fly into Gatwick my preferred way to get to Southampton would be
Gatwick Express train to Victoria Train Station
Change to the tube at Victoria Station >>>> Circle or District Line to Westminster >>> Change to Jubilee Line >>> Westminster to Waterloo
Waterloo to Southampton >>> direct train
Walk from Southampton Train station to Ibis Hotel for over night before the cruise

As I used to live in London, I am well used to hauling my luaggage on and off tubes and around the stations and I know the stations very well.

 

[DWillowBay]

We just did the WBTA in October/ Nov. We stayed in Central London at a VERY reasonable, beautiful hotel and used a service to get to the hotel from Heathrow and then down to Southampton port on embarkation day. We were very happy with that arrangement, but we intended to spend 5 days in London. If you have a quick turnaround from flight day to your port day, I wouldn't suggest our pattern as an option. I thought that the Sofitel at the airport was one of the DCL hotels as well??? If you just need a place for a night or two, I'd look into if Sofitel is still associated with DCL and then take DCL transportation. (They're located right there at Heathrow.) You're right that the others offered are really pricey. It takes good planning to make a decision that's right for your family, but one thing for sure....I'm sure you're going to have a great trip!

 

[otten]

The primary benefit of booking a hotel through Disney is being able to book DCL transportation and get an earlier port arrival time and boarding group. Outside of Port Canaveral with the Disney hotels, the actual benefit of this pretty much non existent since only a small number of people book DCL transport for cruises not out of Florida.

We stayed at a Disney partner hotel for our Iceland cruise in 2022. We booked it on our own and didn't book DCL transfers. We actually got to the port before the buses. I wouldn't pay extra for a DCL partner hotel outside of FLorida.

 

[lorimay]

We are choosing to stay closer to airport as we have been to London a few times already. 2100 for a 3 nights is expensive. This must be center of London? There are 3 Hyatt Regencys...which one is for DCL?

Churchill

 

[lorimay]

This year we did a B2B also and it really worked ok for us with the trains. My only issue was that the train didn't have a luggage cart and there were so many people dragging there luggage into the first class compartment and luggage was taking up a lot of the seats. We were one of the first people onto the train so no problem for us but for others there were issues getting a seat.
I was just looking into options other than the train. But I think we will stick with a hotel near Waterloo station which is a direct line to South Hampton Port.

**Also for anyone interested in a bus there is a bus (not Disney affiliated) at City Center at the Double Tree by Hilton, London West End. It is a first come first serve situation that will bring you to the port. The Disney rep. gave me this information. She didn't have a price for it. I was told you show up to this hotel and there are signs in the lobby. They have a train at 8:45 and 9:00am. and they will run more buses if needed until 12pm.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

This year we did a B2B also and it really worked ok for us with the trains. My only issue was that the train didn't have a luggage cart and there were so many people dragging there luggage into the first class compartment and luggage was taking up a lot of the seats. We were one of the first people onto the train so no problem for us but for others there were issues getting a seat.

It is normal in UK and Ireland that trains dont have luggage cars or porters for the luggage. All trains in UK and Ireland that I have ever been on since I was a child, (Im now mid 40's) have only had luggage storage racks at the end of the carriage and over head storage. Its also normal that people cram into the trains, that people will be standing in the aisles and that people have issues finding seats. Its just something we know to expect when travelling at peak times.

I was just looking into options other than the train. But I think we will stick with a hotel near Waterloo station which is a direct line to South Hampton Port.

Thats the best and most direct option. Train tickets are cheapest when bought online in advance. Trainline adds a fee or you can buy direct from the train operater Southwestern Trains.

**Also for anyone interested in a bus there is a bus (not Disney affiliated) at City Center at the Double Tree by Hilton, London West End. It is a first come first serve situation that will bring you to the port. The Disney rep. gave me this information. She didn't have a price for it. I was told you show up to this hotel and there are signs in the lobby. They have a train at 8:45 and 9:00am. and they will run more buses if needed until 12pm.

No idea what that bus is. The National Express bus goes from Victoria Bus Station.

 

[lorimay]

It is normal in UK and Ireland that trains dont have luggage cars or porters for the luggage. All trains in UK and Ireland that I have ever been on since I was a child, (Im now mid 40's) have only had luggage storage racks at the end of the carriage and over head storage. Its also normal that people cram into the trains, that people will be standing in the aisles and that people have issues finding seats. Its just something we know to expect when travelling at peak times.

Thats the best and most direct option. Train tickets are cheapest when bought online in advance. Trainline adds a fee or you can buy direct from the train operater Southwestern Trains.


No idea what that bus is. The National Express bus goes from Victoria Bus Station.

Yes, must be a new option. I would feel comfortable using it since Disney is telling cruisers about it.

 

[jimmymc]

It's just the bus transfer. I would book pre-nights and transfers on your own.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Yes, must be a new option. I would feel comfortable using it since Disney is telling cruisers about it.

Im the opposite. I wouldnt just use a random bus service without knowing who it is. I would need to check out its website and see the cost and route before just turning up and getting on.

 

[tidefan]

We stayed at the Hampton by Waterloo then just took the train down to Southampton for our Princess cruise a couple of summers ago. Super easy.

 

[msmama]

I've never been able to stomach the prices for the disney partner hotels, personally. I usually stay somewhere else and then cab/uber to the port (though I'm also very comfortable traveling in other countries so YMMV). I also don't think I'd like to be as far away as London the night before a cruise, though.

There are a variety of tours from London that will take you to Southampton via Stonehenge/Windsor Castle/Salisbury, etc, both private and group tours, so you could check them out (I ended up not using them because I went to Bath before the cruise, so was coming from the other direction, but I was looking at them before plans changed).

 

[lanejudy]

Is it a requirement to book the hotel through DCL to get DCL transfers in the UK? I know guests can book MCO Hyatt on their own and still book DCL transfers to Port Canaveral, so I guess I assumed it's similar in other ports.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Is it a requirement to book the hotel through DCL to get DCL transfers in the UK? I know guests can book MCO Hyatt on their own and still book DCL transfers to Port Canaveral, so I guess I assumed it's similar in other ports.

When we sailed out of Dover on the Magic in 2022, DCL transfers were available from the Hyatt Churchill for passengers booking the hotel through DCL, and also available for those staying at other hotels to book from the Doubletree by Hilton. We took a taxi from our hotel to the Doubletree to board the bus from there to Dover. For this year’s WBTA on the Dream, we used a private car service to take us from that same hotel to Southampton, so I don’t know if a London to Southampton transfer was available to book through DCL.

 

[jujubiee4]

Is it a requirement to book the hotel through DCL to get DCL transfers in the UK? I know guests can book MCO Hyatt on their own and still book DCL transfers to Port Canaveral, so I guess I assumed it's similar in other ports.

No. We used our Hyatt status in Rome to book and still took DCL transportation as it was their preferred
hotel.

 

[jujubiee4]

When we sailed out of Dover on the Magic in 2022, DCL transfers were available from the Hyatt Churchill for passengers booking the hotel through DCL, and also available for those staying at other hotels to book from the Doubletree by Hilton. We took a taxi from our hotel to the Doubletree to board the bus from there to Dover. For this year’s WBTA on the Dream, we used a private car service to take us from that same hotel to Southampton, so I don’t know if a London to Southampton transfer was available to book through DCL.

Can you recommend the private car service you used? Im still debating on booking that vs/DCL transfer
for a family of 4.