We got to the port - via hotel shuttle from Country Inn and Suites Cocco Beach - must sign up for a shuttle when you check in so check in early if possible to select the shuttle time you want. We choose 11am.
Make sure to cruise tag all your bags -- i suggest carryons too just in case you get separated from you carryon! Make sure to pack a bathing suite in your carry-on, and yes unopened alcohol can be brought on board too (yes the signs posted say NO alcohol - but pack the alcohol IN your bag, unopened.)
When i did the online preboarding questions i was asked to select what time i want to arrive at the port -- i chose 11am. Do the pre boarding online form as soon as you can -- i think that is why our experience went pretty smooth!
So this means there are two "times" of things at the port -- the time you get to the port (we really arrived at 11:20) and then after check in, you are given the boarding number assigned to you for getting on the ship....
Of the 4 families we traveled with only on of us (ME) Did the online PREBOARDING and and selected the time to arrive at the port for 11am. We had boarding number 6, the others in our group who did not do the online preboarding two weeks before the cruise has boarding number 35! Fortunately, disney does allow your group to board according to the lowest boarding number so this helped the rest of my group alot!
So, check bags at the curb, carry on is 2 bags per person.
My kids were in awe of the ship and waiting outside the port terminal was about 20 minutes from the time we got to the curb, to the doors of the carryon baggage check. Always have passport/id ready people digging out id seems to take make everything take a long time.
NOTE from my experience, bathrooms are only available outside across the port terminal in the parking garage -- you cannot enter the terminal to go to the bathroom without going through the first security gate check.
Also, yes i did the online time for arriving at the port of 11-11:30am, BUT No one checked to see if we actually were in that pre boarding online registration group, i think disney is just trying to gauge when the crowds will arrive. Looked the the disney magical express busses arrived around 12, we arrived before they did (i think).
So everyone (including kids) and carry on luggage goes through the security check (similar to the airport security). IF you are parking your car at the port i think it would be okay to have one person stand in the line outside the terminal but that line is not the longest one we were in.
So we waited about 20 minutes outside the terminal...the up the escalator (yeah there must be an elevator somewhere but we did the escalator. Then WOW the disney terminal! we were greeted immediately by a disney crew member - we said "we have pre-boarding forms already printed where do we go now?" the young man said first to the check in line then we can do the kids oceaneer's club check in do the online registration THEN while waiting in the terminal get the kids oceaneer's club bracelets. this means you do not wait in the long line on the ship and taking care of this in the terminal helps keeps the kids occupied - kids must be with the adult to get the bracelet. And yes the bracelet has to stay on and my child complained loudly.
okay so you get up the escalator ... the check in line looks really long - but they have many people to facilitate check in -- yes stay together but one person can stand in line while the other looks around/uses bathroom with kids. ALL the persons checking into one stateroom must go to the actual check in counter at the same time (with id as needed) -- pictures are taken and you each get "room key/key to the world" - the total wait time i thought would be 45 minutes and were were through in 20 minutes!
I was overwhelmed by how crowded the terminal was. Now the fact is....
It will be crowded even if you do the preboarding online registration forms, your whole group by stateroom does have to check in.....if you don't have the preboarding paperwork you can do it at the port counters and this will slow things down for you a bit. I think doing the online preboarding part helped us have a pretty smooth experience.
SO after the counter check in, i took the kids to the crowded area for the oceaners check in. This line took a bit to find and we waited about 10 minutes. That part took a bit of time so bring a snack to amuse the kids waiting in that line. But like i said do this in the port and you will not have to wait in the LONG line on the ship!
So after we did the oceaner's check in was time for us to board! yes we were in group 6! my parents were in group 35 but could go on board with us. Skip the group pictures area if you have no interest in buying that type of photo -- i didn't ask anyone to use our own camera to take a picture perhaps you can thought.
THEN ... then you walk to the ship - let the disney crew member know how you want to be "announced" and go on board! my daughter did not want her name announced so we used the family last name rather than our first names.
We ooed and awed for a bit then headed directly up to cabanas with our carryons to get lunch -- kids were too excited so we could have done this a little later but this was our first cruise so i did lunch before swimming. We chose a uncrowded spot on deck 12 to put our bags, and we found a very uncrowded bathroom behind the WAVES bar to change. And then we were swimming - yes all by 12:45pm!!
We were with a large group so taking turns to stay with our carry on bags was no big deal, you may want to get on board and go directly up to deck 11 then go to cabanas and just bring your lunch out poolside while the kids swim.
So what to do till you can get to your stateroom? We changed into swim suits and enjoyed the pool - When we first got to the pool area at 12:45 the aquaduck was open and the line was short so i rode twice! yes the height is 48 inches and my 8 year old is just 48 inches so she was given a blue paper bracelet to wear so she didn't have to get remeasured over and over again. Thank you disney. Yes the pools get crowded just so you know. Now i found the kiddie yellow slide to be a lot of fun! lay back, cross your legs and it is faster than the aquaduck! LOL
Whew -- i am sorry for the long post! hope it helps.
