Disney Cruise Line Transportation from the Resort to the Port

[darrenwatson66]

Hi All! I just have a quick question. Does anyone know the pickup time for Disney's Boardwalk Resort for the cruise line bus? We are hoping to get a quick Soarin FP in the am and be back in time for pickup for the port. Thanks!!

 

[CurtisB]

It varies depending on how many other stops the bus has to make. I believe it can range from 11-1:30.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi All! I just have a quick question. Does anyone know the pickup time for Disney's Boardwalk Resort for the cruise line bus? We are hoping to get a quick Soarin FP in the am and be back in time for pickup for the port. Thanks!!

As noted, the pick up window at any given resort varies from cruise to cruise. It can be anywhere from 10:45-12:30 for the most part. But has been as early at 10:30 and as late as 2:00. You'll get a letter in your room at the resort telling you what time to have your bags ready for pick up (inside your room) and when/where to check in for the bus on the night before.

 

[darrenwatson66]

OK thanks...I didn't know if some resorts are earlier or later. I guess I will wait until we check in at the Boardwalk.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OK thanks...I didn't know if some resorts are earlier or later. I guess I will wait until we check in at the Boardwalk.

The pick up time vary, depending on the numbers of people requiring them at the various resorts. DCL has to plan pickups to fill the buses most efficiently. So, one cruise pick up at, say, Boardwalk, may be at 12:00, while another time it's 1:30, depending on what other (if any) resorts that same bus still needs to stop at.

 

[Napoleon Dynamite]

I wouldn't do it! I would get a town car or rent a one way rental. We just cruised this past week, and several people weren't picked up from their resorts until around 12:30, so factor in stopping at other resorts, then driving to the port, that's too late of a start if you ask me!

 

[DSMVP]

I wouldn't do it! I would get a town car or rent a one way rental. We just cruised this past week, and several people weren't picked up from their resorts until around 12:30, so factor in stopping at other resorts, then driving to the port, that's too late of a start if you ask me!

I agree! I did this once and by the time we got picked up, stopped at the other resorts & drove to the port, and checked in, we didn't get on the ship until after 3!

 

[Steve Dexter]

We used to always take the DCL transportation, I actually enjoyed it, but the last time we got there so late that I couldn't get signed up for the gingerbread house event, it was full by the time we got there. I was not happy. That was it, they just get you there too late. I think it's their was of spreading out the crowds, at the expense of their customers. Car service from now on.

 

[Control4Hermosa]

OK, I hear the complaints about ground trans but if arriving at the boat late (to avoid crowds earlier in the day) is not a concern, at least give it a try. I've always bought a rental van at MCO and dropped-off down the street from Port Canaveral. Dealing with tolls, traffic and the last-minute task of drop-off right when excitement is at it's highest makes that alternative not so appealing. In Vancouver it was town cars both ways.

 

[intricatejewel]

I was planning on using Disney transport from my resort to the port as well, but I really don't like the probability of a late arrival to the boat. For a solo traveler, what would be the better option?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was planning on using Disney transport from my resort to the port as well, but I really don't like the probability of a late arrival to the boat. For a solo traveler, what would be the better option?

Possibly a rental car. If you can beat the $35.00 it would cost you for the DCL transfer. Or don't mind paying more to arrive earlier. I'll just point out that the earliest that you'd be likely to get on the ship is 11:30, and arriving by DCL transfers typically runs around 12:30-1:30. Is a couple of extra hours onboard worth the extra cost? It's your call.

 

[intricatejewel]

Possibly a rental car. If you can beat the $35.00 it would cost you for the DCL transfer. Or don't mind paying more to arrive earlier. I'll just point out that the earliest that you'd be likely to get on the ship is 11:30, and arriving by DCL transfers typically runs around 12:30-1:30. Is a couple of extra hours onboard worth the extra cost? It's your call.

I ran the numbers and the cheapest rental car was nearly twice what I'm paying for the Disney transfer. I suppose it's not that important to get on earlier, but I did want to try and procure a ticket for Anna and Elsa meet. It's not going to make or break my vacation if I don't meet them, so I'm going to leave things as they are and hope for the best. I've always used DME to the cruise ship from the airport and have had a great experience every time. This will be my first time using the DME service from resort to ship, so I'll see how it plays out. Thanks for the tip, PrincessShmoo.

 

[TestingH2O]

I did want to try and procure a ticket for Anna and Elsa meet.

Oh, but you can do that online with your check in now!

 

[intricatejewel]

Oh, but you can do that online with your check in now!

Yessss! Thank you!

 

[Shanti]

I read about people taking Magical Express back to the airport early morning (by recording a flight number they aren't actually taking), then using the airport to port Disney transfer. That way they can get there early, & still only pay the transfer fee. Anyone here done that?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I read about people taking Magical Express back to the airport early morning (by recording a flight number they aren't actually taking), then using the airport to port Disney transfer. That way they can get there early, & still only pay the transfer fee. Anyone here done that?

Yes, there are those who have done that. I don't see the value of it, however. Instead of taking an hour to get to the port (from resort to port), you now travel 2 hours (1 hour to airport from resort, then 1 hour from airport to port). And you have to manage your own luggage that way.

I'd rather sleep in a bit, and arrive rested, with no check in lines at the port.

 

[Shanti]

Yes, there are those who have done that. I don't see the value of it, however. Instead of taking an hour to get to the port (from resort to port), you now travel 2 hours (1 hour to airport from resort, then 1 hour from airport to port). And you have to manage your own luggage that way.

I'd rather sleep in a bit, and arrive rested, with no check in lines at the port.

The main value in our case would be:

1. to get there early enough to see if our dining request was granted, & if not, to request it in person while availability lasts (my son is autistic & does better at a private table- the last cruise I requested that in advance & found out onboard it wasn't granted, so I had to request in person & get it granted- I think part of the reason I got it granted on a full holiday cruise was because I asked in person early)
2. to get there early enough to sign us up for gingerbread house making, and
3. to give my waterslide-loving son more time on the Aqua Duck. We'll be carrying on our bathing suits.

I'd rather sleep in, too, but not at the cost of possibly sacrificing those 3 things, and possibly arriving between 2 and 3pm, as some other posters have described. On a 3-night cruise, I don't want to give up 3 - 4 hours of our first day.

My son enjoys the Disney bus cartoons, anyway.

 

[mareed]

I read about people taking Magical Express back to the airport early morning (by recording a flight number they aren't actually taking), then using the airport to port Disney transfer. That way they can get there early, & still only pay the transfer fee. Anyone here done that?

Yep, I've done it as a solo traveler, and would do it again. Easy as could be since I could manage my own luggage for short distances just fine, and I was at the port several hours earlier than I'd have been taking the transfer from the resort. I had already done everything at my resort that I wanted to and it would have driven me crazy sitting around waiting for the scheduled cruise transfer time after getting up in time to be fully ready and have my luggage ready since they pick your luggage up separately and earlier. I'd definitely do that rather than renting a car on my own to get to the port as a solo.

 

[Shanti]

It would have driven me crazy sitting around waiting for the scheduled cruise transfer time after getting up in time to be fully ready and have my luggage ready since they pick your luggage up separately and earlier.

Good point. Agreed.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Good point. Agreed.

Well, no one says you have to stay up after they've picked up your bags.

I just leave out anything I might need to be put in my carry on bag, and have my checked bag ready by 8:00 (usually baggage pick up time). Then I can still stay in bed, get up when I want, take my time getting ready, have breakfast. Of course, all that's speeded up a bit if my DCL transfer time is 10:30.

Arriving via DCL transfers the latest we've ever arrived was 2:00. But, by then, there's no check in line, no boarding line, we can drop our bags in our room, and the lunch rush at cabanas is gone.

Typically you're only going to gain about an hour of "being onboard" by taking the transfers from MCO vs the resorts. Boarding doesn't begin until 11:30ish, and the buses mostly start arriving around 12:30.