Disney cruise pre/post hotel and transfers question

[Amydisneyfan]

If I'm staying off site from Disney or in Disney neighbor hotels I'm not eligible for the transfers at Disney resorts even if I travel to a value Disney resort to meet the rep?
Would that be because of luggage pick up in the morning or would there be issues arriving at the guard shak won't let me in to meet the Disney cruise bus?

I didn't know about that until I asked Google

 

[lanejudy]

I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Some guests who stay at the Swan/Dolphin walk to an Epcot-area resort for DCL transfers.

 

[Pixarfans]

Yes you can get DCL transfers from the swan/dolphin. You walk over to the pickup hotel with all of your stuff. Those have always been treated differently than off site. I’m not sure if they treat a good neighbor hotel that way?

 

[lanejudy]

I’m not sure if they treat a good neighbor hotel that way?

My understanding is that it doesn't really matter. If you get yourself to the WDW resort, they don't prevent you from taking the DCL bus from there. But most folks don't necessarily find it easy, convenient or financially effective to get from an off-site hotel to a WDW resort just for the bus. It's an added expense.

 

[Amydisneyfan]

Thank you everyone it sounds like google has got confused

 

[Amydisneyfan]

I just checked on PlanDisney website and one panelist has just said that the DCL busses are reserved for guests staying at an Disney collection resort only but however this was written a few years ago just near the end of the pandemic
https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...text=Thanks!”,your January cruise go smoothly!

 

[auntlynne]

1. Call DCl!

Decide if room cost balances out going with private provider

Airport hotels can be easy and cheaper if using GoPort

Don’t make this hard on yourself

Swan and Dolphin are not cheap

Don’t forget Uber

 

[sponica]

Based on how this email is written, I would think you'd be able to take a DCL bus from a resort if you're not staying there. It's just a matter of getting to the resort.

 

[RedHead0186]

I would call DCL about this. Your Google result is AI, which means there's no guarantee it's the correct information. Best to go to the source on this one.

 

[lklgoodman]

We did a cruise right after covid and stayed at a hotel by the airport. The morning of the cruise we took the hotel's free shuttle to the airport and then took DCL's transportation to the port. No problems doing it this way. If the hotel you're staying at isn't too far away from the airport, this could be an option.

 

[will701]

We're going on Dream in about a week and I have the hotel before the cruise all set with a free shuttle/etc. The one I'm having an issue with is when we get back to port. I'd like us to stay at a hotel that night somewhere near the beach because we have 2 toddlers and want to take them to the beach for a little bit on saturday and sunday, but the issue is finding a hotel which has a free shuttle or a shuttle that even goes to the port at all (the ones I'm finding only go to/from the airport). Any suggestions?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Based on how this email is written, I would think you'd be able to take a DCL bus from a resort if you're not staying there. It's just a matter of getting to the resort.

View attachment 911004

Um... no.

"All Guests with Disney Cruise Line ground transfers..." means all "Guests" staying at the resort. I'm figuring that particular email was for someone with a Port Orleans Riverside reservation.

 

[Kevin O'Brien]

Based on how this email is written, I would think you'd be able to take a DCL bus from a resort if you're not staying there. It's just a matter of getting to the resort.

View attachment 911004

I don't see it being an issue much as long as you get to the Disney resort to meet the DCL rep on time except you won't get luggage collected from your offsite hotel if you not staying at Disney resort you'd have to take luggage to the DCL rep or maybe the bus upon arrival at the Disney resort.

 

[sponica]

Um... no.

"All Guests with Disney Cruise Line ground transfers..." means all "Guests" staying at the resort. I'm figuring that particular email was for someone with a Port Orleans Riverside reservation.

Yes it's mine, but the second paragraph is "for those of you staying at your Walt Disney Resort pickup location..." which makes me think that you can book a transfer from a resort even if you're not staying there?

I don't see it being an issue much as long as you get to the Disney resort to meet the DCL rep on time except you won't get luggage collected from your offsite hotel if you not staying at Disney resort you'd have to take luggage to the DCL rep or maybe the bus upon arrival at the Disney resort.

I think there are people who opt out of luggage collection at the resorts and then bring it to the bus?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yes it's mine, but the second paragraph is "for those of you staying at your Walt Disney Resort pickup location..." which makes me think that you can book a transfer from a resort even if you're not staying there?

I read it as the first paragraph saying that "for guests" at the resort the DCL transfer bus will pick up. And the second paragraph as clarifying to those guests what the procedure is.

 

[lanejudy]

I read it as the first paragraph saying that "for guests" at the resort the DCL transfer bus will pick up. And the second paragraph as clarifying to those guests what the procedure is.

I suppose it's open for interpretation... I read the first paragraph as "DCL guests" because the letter is coming from DCL not the WDW resort. And I agree with @sponica that the 2nd paragraph suggests that not all who receive the letter are staying at that resort. If all guests receiving the letter are expected to be staying at the WDW resort, there would be no reason for that wording "For those of you staying at your...pick-up location..." Maybe it's a generic form letter with the same wording that's also used by resorts such as BWI/YC/BC or POLY which tend to get passengers who stay at the Swan/Dolphin and Shades of Green. But I'm quite certain that DCL transfers are not restricted to only WDW guests, just that anyone else would need to get themselves to the WDW resort.

Anyone can also take post-cruise transfers to a WDW resort without a reservation, so it stands to reason the transfers are open pre-cruise as well.