DCL transfer to resort

[Cheburashka]

I've taken the DCL transfer bus to the airport many times, but what is it like to take it back to a Disney resort? Do they leave on a rolling basis so you can disembark whenever works for you, or is there a set meeting time? Does the bus ride tend to take very long?

 

[bakerworld]

The bus ride from DCL to WDW usually takes a bit less than an hour. We've always taken it and our room has always been available upon arrival, which is usually 9a. We never get to see the end of the movie. Not sure about rolling departures as we're always out ASAP. When we get to the room we usually relax with a coffee before hitting the parks.

 

[Cheburashka]

We've always taken it and our room has always been available upon arrival, which is usually 9a.

Wow, that would be awesome. I wonder how common that is.

 

[Marc D]

You cannot predict what’s going to happen to you. It depends on how many guests are going to each resort that day. Based on that, they assign the resorts to routes that are not always the same.

For your cruise, some routes might be very popular so they’ll assign multiple buses to it. For those, they’ll start filling the first bus once disembarkation commences, and the bus will leave if it is full. You could be leaving as early as 7:45.

Other routes only have one bus for that day, with a set meeting time of 9 AM. Of course, if everyone booked on it shows up early, it will leave, but don’t count on that. If that is your situation, even if you disembark at 7:30, you could be waiting for the bus to leave until 9.

That being said, you must also consider that the bus will make multiple stops. You are lucky if your resort is first, or you might have to visit 3-4 resorts before yours.

Taking into account all those variables, DCL recommends not planning anything in a park before 12:30.

 

[apathetic]

A few years ago they stopped the rolling departures (like they do for the airport) and all buses to WDW leave at the same time. I believe it is like 905am. It's great if you don't want to hurry off the ship, but if you are in a hurry to get to WDW you won't get there before 10. Plus, there could be multiple stops before yours. The ride is pretty smooth, but takes at least an hour for a bus.

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

I've taken the DCL transfer bus to the airport many times, but what is it like to take it back to a Disney resort? Do they leave on a rolling basis so you can disembark whenever works for you, or is there a set meeting time? Does the bus ride tend to take very long?

I've never taken DCL transfers; however, in 30 days I'll be flying into Miami for my cruise and taking it straight to the port. I assume it's an easy process. Look for someone with a giant Disney sign and follow them? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I just want to know what to look for.

 

[Cheburashka]

I've never taken DCL transfers; however, in 30 days I'll be flying into Miami for my cruise and taking it straight to the port. I assume it's an easy process. Look for someone with a giant Disney sign and follow them? Any thoughts would be appreciated. I just want to know what to look for.

Yes, at the Miami airport you go to the baggage claim area, and look for a DCL rep holding up a sign. There are multiple reps, and they will take you to the meeting area. It's easy.

 

[soniam]

They definitely don't always leave at 9am. Our last time we had to wait for the most obnoxious family on the ship (saw them the whole cruise and thanked my family for not being like that). We didn't leave until closer to 9:30 They were the last ones to get on by 45 minutes; everyone else was there before 9am and ready to go. Taking a private car from now on back to the WDW resort.

 

[Cheburashka]

They definitely don't always leave at 9am. Our last time we had to wait for the most obnoxious family on the ship (saw them the whole cruise and thanked my family for not being like that). We didn't leave until closer to 9:30 They were the last ones to get on by 45 minutes; everyone else was there before 9am and ready to go. Taking a private car from now on back to the WDW resort.

Yes, since I originally posted this thread I've opted instead to rent a car. I feel it was the right decision and these posts bolster that feeling. I got a great deal, so am going to keep it parked in the lot during the cruise. Worth it to me to avoid all of the hassle and delays. Vacation time is precious.