Character Breakfast Before Heading to Port?

[PlutoIsHerFav]

We are staying two nights at Beach Club prior to cruise (thanks to everyone who weighed in on that decision in my previous post - we're doing resort only, no park this time). We'll arrive Friday afternoon and then head to the Port Sunday morning. We won't have our PAT until next week, but hoping for early. Right now we have the Bon Voyage character breakfast on the Boardwalk scheduled for Saturday morning at 8. However, we want to maximize our pool day (before scheduled dinner at Raglan Road Sat night). Would we feel too rushed switching the character breakfast to Sunday morning before heading to the port? We've never done one, so I don't know how much time to allot for the breakfast, getting back to BC and checked out, on the road and arriving at the Port. TIA!

 

[mmouse37]

Personally, as long as you are at the restaurant by 8:00 you should be fine. You can arrive at the port at your leisure. They don't start initial boarding until about 11:15-11:30. I would think about 1.5 hours for breakfast. That is about average for a character breakfast.

The drive is a little over an hour from WDW. My only thought about a big breakfast that morning is will you want to eat lunch right away upon boarding? I guess you could just eat when you got hungry that afternoon from one of the fast food pool deck venues.

Where is the character breakfast? At the Beach Club? Edited to see that you need to head back to BC. You could always pack up everything and if you have a credit card on file you don't need to stop at the desk to check out.

MJ

 

[hanscarlet]

We have 8:30am breakfast reservations at Cape May the morning we cruise, we are planning on ubering it to MCO to get the bus there because we figure we'll be done by 9:30, 10 latest

 

[closetmickey]

We did the same thing one year. Cape May had that fun be beachy feel - perfect way to start the cruise! If you are taking DCL transportation, you should have plenty of time before the bus departure.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Thanks all! We're driving to the port so we definitely have flexibility. However, my husband is adamant we arrive at the port ASAP - assuming we get can get an early PAT again. So, if we can get an 8 am reservation I imagine we could be on the road by 9:45 and at the port by 11? Or, we can just keep our reservation for Saturday morning! My husband and I wanted to book Cape May, but we let our daughter choose - she chose princesses! The Bon Voyage meal is at Trattoria al Forno on the Boardwalk, so it's a sit down. I don't know if that will extend our meal time or not over a buffet? Also not sure how long it takes to get back from there to BCV? We've not been to these resorts before!

 

[mathgeek]

Thanks all! We're driving to the port so we definitely have flexibility. However, my husband is adamant we arrive at the port ASAP - assuming we get can get an early PAT again. So, if we can get an 8 am reservation I imagine we could be on the road by 9:45 and at the port by 11? Or, we can just keep our reservation for Saturday morning! My husband and I wanted to book Cape May, but we let our daughter choose - she chose princesses! The Bon Voyage meal is at Trattoria al Forno on the Boardwalk, so it's a sit down. I don't know if that will extend our meal time or not over a buffet? Also not sure how long it takes to get back from there to BCV? We've not been to these resorts before!

If you walk from Trattoria al Forno back to Beach Club, it shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes at the most. If you decide to take the boat, it could take longer if there isn't a boat out there waiting. If it were me, I would walk.

I don't know how long the Bon Voyage breakfast will take since it's not a buffet (and my reservation there isn't until August), but I've done 7:30 reservations at Cape May and was out the door in less than 45 minutes and was one of the first ones in line at Epcot for 9 am park opening.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks all! We're driving to the port so we definitely have flexibility. However, my husband is adamant we arrive at the port ASAP - assuming we get can get an early PAT again. So, if we can get an 8 am reservation I imagine we could be on the road by 9:45 and at the port by 11?

If you have an 8am reservation at Cape May & are on time for it, you will without question be finished before 9:30am. It's a buffet breakfast & simply does not take that long, even with meeting all the characters. If your husband is antsy about time, show up 10 minutes early so you'll be among the first to be seated. But you don't need to worry about time in this scenario at all. It's a great idea.

 

[PAGA2003]

We just did Ohana the morning of our Wonder sailing and it worked out perfectly! We had a 7:30 reservation and were finished eating right after 8:30. We felt we had too much time to kill so we hopped on the monorail for the Grand Floridian and didn't leave for the port until 9:45. We were parking at Port Canaveral at 11:05 (our PAT was 11:00)

 

[LSUfan4444]

You should be fine...just be sure to not pick an early PAT.

don't know how much time to allot for the breakfast, getting back to BC and checked out, on the road and arriving at the Port. TIA!

To save time you may want to check out first, load the car and then go to breakfast (make sure the car is gassed up) and you can be on the road by 9:30 or so (if getting there earlier is important). It would mean waking up earlier (or staying up later on Saturday night).

I would feel safe with an 11:30 PAT if I had an 8 am ADR and I was ready to roll right after breakfast.