Disney Cruise Line Transfer Question

[codylamb18]

We will be traveling to WDW all-star movies on August 27th and staying 8 nights then getting transferred by DCL to the Disney Dream on September 4th. Does anyone know what time DCL transfers pick up guests at Disney resorts? Also, our cruise comes back to port canaveral on September 8th at 7:30am. Our flight departs from MCO at 1:15pm. How does the DCL transfer work with getting to MCO? Scheduled time or we just get off ship and hop on the bus? Can we venture out around port canaveral then get the DCL transfer? If not what is there to do to pass time in MCO airport? That is a long time to wait!

Thanks in advance to the responses. Our first WDW vacation was last year and we loved the magical express. Just not sure if DCL transfers work the same.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We will be traveling to WDW all-star movies on August 27th and staying 8 nights then getting transferred by DCL to the Disney Dream on September 4th. Does anyone know what time DCL transfers pick up guests at Disney resorts? Also, our cruise comes back to port canaveral on September 8th at 7:30am. Our flight departs from MCO at 1:15pm. How does the DCL transfer work with getting to MCO? Scheduled time or we just get off ship and hop on the bus? Can we venture out around port canaveral then get the DCL transfer? If not what is there to do to pass time in MCO airport? That is a long time to wait!

Thanks in advance to the responses. Our first WDW vacation was last year and we loved the magical express. Just not sure if DCL transfers work the same.

The afternoon/night before your cruise you'll receive a sheet of instructions in your hotel room, detailing what time to have your luggage ready for pick up, and what time to meet in the hotel lobby (or other specified location) to catch the transfer bus. It varies from cruise to cruise, depending on how many guests the bus will be picking up and how many hotels the bus will be stopping at, usually no more than three hotels.

On the return, as you leave the ship, several buses will be at Port Canaveral, and a cast member will direct you to the correct bus. There isn't time to venture out around the port before getting the shuttle. The buses have to drop people off then begin taking new passengers to their cruise.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We got picked up around 11am when we used DCL transfer. Will you book a PAT time? But I don't know if that is standard. Going back to the airport they keep running based on your coming off the ship. MCO has some shopping, a food court. Mostly we just sit around. I would try and stay on the ship as long as possible but you will need to get off by 8:30 I think

 

[codylamb18]

Will you book a PAT time?

What is this?

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

What is this?

It is your port arrival time I would advise you to book one. So depending on your castaway club level which you earn by repeated cruises you book this online through the DCL website. If you have never cruised I think it is 75 days before your cruise but I am not 100% sure. If you are silver ( one cruise completed ) you can book 90 days before , Gold and Platinum even better. Or if you are Conceriege it is 120 days before.

You can also book excursions , dining , float and bike rental etc on Castsway Cay.

 

[codylamb18]

It is your port arrival time I would advise you to book one. So depending on your castaway club level which you earn by repeated cruises you book this online through the DCL website. If you have never cruised I think it is 75 days before your cruise but I am not 100% sure. If you are silver ( one cruise completed ) you can book 90 days before , Gold and Platinum even better. Or if you are Conceriege it is 120 days before.

You can also book excursions , dining , float and bike rental etc on Castsway Cay.

So your saying if I go online and book a port arrival time that will determine my transfer pickup time?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So your saying if I go online and book a port arrival time that will determine my transfer pickup time?

No. The window for resort pickups is between 10:45-12:30. You won't know your specific pick up time until the night before. You'll receive a letter in your room telling you when to have your checked bags ready for pick up inside your room (usually 8:00 am). But your actual pick up for the bus will be later.

There is only one pick up at each resort, and each bus may stop at up to 3 resorts to pick up people. Depending on how many people need transport to the port from which resorts determines whether your bus makes 3 stops or only one. They plan the pick ups to fill the buses most efficiently.

For port to MCO, the buses start filling for the airport as soon as people start leaving the ship. Once a bus is full, it departs. Last bus to airport is around 9:00, but depends on whether everyone requiring the airport transfer has made it off the ship by then. There have been occasions that the last bus is held several minutes to 1/2 hour before departing.

Your Port Arrival Time is tied to the actual boarding number you get when you check in at the port to board the ship.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

So your saying if I go online and book a port arrival time that will determine my transfer pickup time?

No sadly not but it is better to have one bookd in case you make it. They will just board you later when you arrive if you are late.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

No sadly not but it is better to have one bookd in case you make it. They will just board you later when you arrive if you are late.

But, you'll still get the same boarding number. If your boarding number has already been called, you can just join the line to board as soon as you've checked in.

 

[KristiMc]

By the time the resort buses arrive they will most likely be in open boarding mode so you will check-in and walk right on the ship.

 

[mareed]

Also, if you want to board the ship as soon as possible (which I would and did on a shorter Dream cruise), you can take ME back to the airport (just list some flight leaving MCO around 11:30 so your pick-up from resort will be around 8:30), and then take the DCL transfer from there. Price will be the same as if you took DCL transfer from the resort, but you'll likely arrive at the port 2-3 hours earlier than from the resort. I only recommend this if you can comfortably handle your own luggage for short distances because I think you do need to move it around a bit more yourself though it was quite manageable for me and worth it to board the ship as early as possible!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Also, if you want to board the ship as soon as possible (which I would and did on a shorter Dream cruise), you can take ME back to the airport (just list some flight leaving MCO around 11:30 so your pick-up from resort will be around 8:30), and then take the DCL transfer from there. Price will be the same as if you took DCL transfer from the resort, but you'll likely arrive at the port 2-3 hours earlier than from the resort. I only recommend this if you can comfortably handle your own luggage for short distances because I think you do need to move it around a bit more yourself though it was quite manageable for me and worth it to board the ship as early as possible!

I'll also point out, while you can arrive at the port earlier with this method, your actual travel time from resort to port will double. 2 hours on a bus vs 1 hour. Yes, you must handle your bags from your resort room to Magical Express bus. And again from ME bus to DCL transfer desk.

 

[kiford]

The afternoon/night before your cruise you'll receive a sheet of instructions in your hotel room, detailing what time to have your luggage ready for pick up, and what time to meet in the hotel lobby (or other specified location) to catch the transfer bus. It varies from cruise to cruise, depending on how many guests the bus will be picking up and how many hotels the bus will be stopping at, usually no more than three hotels.

My experience has always been that the letter doesn't get dropped at your room until 7-8 pm but that the luggage pickup time is always 8 am even in Europe (you don't need to be in the room for them to pickup). So don't panic if you don't see the letter until later in the evening. We've been picked up as early as 10:30 am and as late as 1 pm.

It is your port arrival time I would advise you to book one.

If you are allowed to pick a PAT, do so. Sometimes we're not required to when taking DCL transfers. My suggestion is to then pick one about 1 pm. You'll likely get there at open boarding so it typically doesn't impact when you board and then you aren't taking an earlier time away from someone who will actually get there earlier. There probably won't be any lineups when you arrive so you'll be on board within a few minutes of arriving at the port. Nice thing about it is that you usually get on board just as they're letting people into their staterooms so you can drop off your carry ons and there's still lots of time for lunch. I hate lugging that bag around.

When going back to MCO for a 1:15 pm flight, don't assume that you'll have all of the time in the world and wait for the very last bus. We've been picked up from WDW 3 hours before our flight and ended up waiting for well over an hour in the gate, been picked up 4 hours before and made it to the gate 10 minutes before boarding, taken DCL transfers from Port Canaveral at 9 am for a 1 pm flight and had time for a leisurely lunch and taken DCL transfers at 9 am from Port Canaveral for a 2 pm flight and had time only for some fast food then a few minutes in the gate before boarding. Security can be fast or slow, long or short lines. Two years ago we were over an hour in the security line. Last year ME picked us up at AKL 6 hours before our flight and we had to wait 45 minutes for the check in agents to be open (fortunately we had a pass to one of the lounges so had lots of time to partake in their breakfast). We used our Nexus cards so were through security in a few minutes but even the regular security line was moving well. You just never know.

 

[JSMT]

Another similar question about transfers. Is the luggage time for transfers from WDW resort to DCL always in the morning? Our travel agent told us it would be in the evening (like on the ship), which will be challenging for us with our evening plans.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Another similar question about transfers. Is the luggage time for transfers from WDW resort to DCL always in the morning? Our travel agent told us it would be in the evening (like on the ship), which will be challenging for us with our evening plans.

No, pick for your bags is always in the morning of the day you actually head for the ship. Usually, the time is 8:00 am that your bags must be ready by. And you leave them inside your room for pick up.

 

[bumbershoot]

Our flight departs from MCO at 1:15pm. How does the DCL transfer work with getting to MCO? Scheduled time or we just get off ship and hop on the bus? Can we venture out around port canaveral then get the DCL transfer? If not what is there to do to pass time in MCO airport? That is a long time to wait!

Wait until the last minute to leave the ship (the "you don't have to go home but you can't stay here" (not literally) call is at about 9am), get on a bus, go to the airport. you'll get there around 10. You should be entering MCO at 11:15 at the latest (MCO is a madhouse and even the Precheck line is unpredictable) anyway. If you're eligible for and have done onboard airline checkin of your bags (and therefore don't have your bags with you) then you don't check bags, but otherwise you'll be doing that. Then head to security, then to the "tram-o-rail" as I've decided it should be called. Then you can slow down and maybe get starbucks, a cuban sandwich, perhaps a massage, get some tech stuff...whatever you have time for. Then head to your gate.

IMO it's not that much time to wait at the airport at all. But then I do NOT like rushing in an airport, and would rather be very very bored than be rushing with untied shoelaces and pants falling off (b/c you couldn't put your belt back on) to a gate...

It varies from cruise to cruise, depending on how many guests the bus will be picking up and how many hotels the bus will be stopping at, usually no more than three hotels.

But generally you can expect pickup to be between 11 and 1. You might be the first or last pickup or somewhere in between but you won't know THAT part until the day.

By the time the resort buses arrive they will most likely be in open boarding mode so you will check-in and walk right on the ship.

Totally. PAT time doesn't really matter with cruise transfers from the resort.

Our travel agent told us it would be in the evening (like on the ship)

That's a new one! No, it's 8am.

 

[MrsMang]

So much great information! We have a transfer booked from Port Orleans to the Dream in October. I will say, on a previous cruise on another line, we got to the port early to be one of the first people on the ship, and it was cool to be on the ship when its almost empty. I have heard of some people booking a one way car rental from Disney World to the cruise port - has anyone ever done that? I'd be somewhat tempted, just to go early, but I'm not sure if its worth the hassle.

 

[lanejudy]

You can book a car rental and arrive earlier than the DCL transfers from WDW, but don't expect an "almost empty" ship. The masses arrive at the port about 10-10:30, with boarding starting around 11:15 or so. You'll be in the midst of the crowds.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[lbus42]

You can book a car rental and arrive earlier than the DCL transfers from WDW, but don't expect an "almost empty" ship. The masses arrive at the port about 10-10:30, with boarding starting around 11:15 or so. You'll be in the midst of the crowds.

Enjoy your cruise!

Back in April, we cruised with our daughter's family. We both had 10:30 PAT's. They arrived early at the port, waited in the LONG lines, and finally boarded around 11:30. My wife and I stayed at the airport, took a later DCL shuttle to the port and arrived about 12:00. The terminal was pretty much empty and we breezed through security and check-in. We were on the ship about 12:15. As a bonus, when I went up to Cabanas, the mad rush was mostly over too.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We both had 10:30 PAT's. They arrived early at the port, waited in the LONG lines, and finally boarded around 11:30.

Which would be a typical process. The terminal doesn't open until 10:30 (when the lines are the longest, with lots of people wanting to be "first"). Boarding typically doesn't begin until 11:30, so arriving earlier than that, you will be waiting for boarding to begin, regardless of your Port Arrival Time.