Disney Transfers from MCO - what do they do with the luggage?

[hanscarlet]

Ok this is a dumb question but I am having a brain fart... we usually go Hyatt MCO to DCL transfer to bus so I never really have to think about my check in luggage.... but this time we're showing up at MCO in the morning to take the DCL bus to the port and we'll have all of our luggage. What happens once I get to the port? Do I go get my checked in luggage and give it people at the check in counter or do it give it to the porters at the port? I am totally drawing a blank on what happens after I get the luggage out of the bus once I arrive at port.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ok this is a dumb question but I am having a brain fart... we usually go Hyatt MCO to DCL transfer to bus so I never really have to think about my check in luggage.... but this time we're showing up at MCO in the morning to take the DCL bus to the port and we'll have all of our luggage. What happens once I get to the port? Do I go get my checked in luggage and give it people at the check in counter or do it give it to the porters at the port? I am totally drawing a blank on what happens after I get the luggage out of the bus once I arrive at port.

Once at the port, you'll hand over your (checked) bags to the porter there (before you even enter the terminal). Next time you see it will at your room later that afternoon.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Ok this is a dumb question but I am having a brain fart... we usually go Hyatt MCO to DCL transfer to bus so I never really have to think about my check in luggage.... but this time we're showing up at MCO in the morning to take the DCL bus to the port and we'll have all of our luggage. What happens once I get to the port? Do I go get my checked in luggage and give it people at the check in counter or do it give it to the porters at the port? I am totally drawing a blank on what happens after I get the luggage out of the bus once I arrive at port.

By "showing up at MCO in the morning", do you mean you are flying in that morning or are you flying in the day before and staying somewhere other than the Hyatt?

If you are flying into MCO that morning, I believe the process is you put your luggage tags on your bags before you check them at your home airport and they will be gathered at MCO by luggage people and transported to the ship. (I haven't ever done this so could someone who has please confirm?)

If you are not flying in that morning, but are just going to MCO to get the transfers to the port, then don't put the luggage tags on until you are in Orlando. Before boarding the bus to the port, you will hand off your checked bags to a DCL employee who will load them on a truck to be transported to the ship. You won't see your checked luggage again until it's outside your stateroom.

If you have a carry on bag that is too large to have at your seat on the bus, you can have it stored under the bus and retrieve it when you reach the port. But that's just for bags you are carrying onto the ship.

 

[hanscarlet]

ok so sounds like either someone in the airport terminal or a porter? We're taking an uber from our WDW resort to MCO because I want an early bus to PC

 

[allears]

By "showing up at MCO in the morning", do you mean you are flying in that morning or are you flying in the day before and staying somewhere other than the Hyatt?

If you are flying into MCO that morning, I believe the process is you put your luggage tags on your bags before you check them at your home airport and they will be gathered at MCO by luggage people and transported to the ship. (I haven't ever done this so could someone who has please confirm?)

If you are not flying in that morning, but are just going to MCO to get the transfers to the port, then don't put the luggage tags on until you are in Orlando. Before boarding the bus to the port, you will hand off your checked bags to a DCL employee who will load them on a truck to be transported to the ship. You won't see your checked luggage again until it's outside your stateroom.

If you have a carry on bag that is too large to have at your seat on the bus, you can have it stored under the bus and retrieve it when you reach the port. But that's just for bags you are carrying onto the ship.

Yes if your flying in the day of your cruise you put the luggage tags on before checking the bags at your departure airport. They will get collected by DCL and sent to the ship and eventually your stateroom.

And I believe Maggie'smom is right if you are just going to Maco to get Dcl transportation.

 

[mareed]

ok so sounds like either someone in the airport terminal or a porter? We're taking an uber from our WDW resort to MCO because I want an early bus to PC

In that case, for the large, checked bags, someone at the airport terminal will take your bags before you board the DCL bus, and you'll see them next outside your cabin on the ship. You'll keep your carry-on bags with you and they'll go below the bus that you ride in so you can retrieve them yourself and carry them onto the ship. Also if you want, you can use Disney's Magical Express to get from WDW resort to MCO for free if you just provide a flight that leaves around 11:30 or perhaps 11:00 if you really want the earliest possible bus to PC. This worked great for me a year ago!

 

[hanscarlet]

In that case, for the large, checked bags, someone at the airport terminal will take your bags before you board the DCL bus, and you'll see them next outside your cabin on the ship. You'll keep your carry-on bags with you and they'll go below the bus that you ride in so you can retrieve them yourself and carry them onto the ship. Also if you want, you can use Disney's Magical Express to get from WDW resort to MCO for free if you just provide a flight that leaves around 11:30 or perhaps 11:00 if you really want the earliest possible bus to PC. This worked great for me a year ago!

Interesting, so is there paperwork or something I fill out for Magical Express and if I say my flight leaves at 11:00am, they'll get me a bus relatively early? When do you know when the bus is scheduled to pick you up?

 

[mmouse37]

All of the above are correct if you are flying in...but since you will be coming from WDW you will put your DCL luggage tags on your bags that morning, bring them with you (either on the Magical Express bus or an Uber) and hand them off to the CM's at MCO Magical Express/DCL bus area. You checked bags will be either put under the bus to travel with you OR they will take them and transport them separately via truck (we have it done both ways on different cruises). If they travel with you on the under the bus then you will hand them off to a porter at the port. If they are taken by truck then you will see them later in the day at your cabin.

As far as using Magical Express from WDW to MCO....I don't believe there is paperwork to fill out but I have heard that some ME staff ask for flight info and some you can just tell you want to head back to the airport. ME usually takes you about 3 hours prior to your "flight time" so you find a flight 3 hours prior to when you want to arrive at MCO. As I said, when you call ME some may ask for flight info and some won't if you explain what you want.

MJ

 

[disprincess2213]

wow so i am sorry to ask this on someone elses thread....but i never even thought to do this to get to PC early from WDW....can someone please tell me what time the DCL bus will pick you up from WDW? Is it that late where you would want to take an early bus to MCO to take another bus to PC? Sorry I am so new at this and I am so curious!!!

 

[hanscarlet]

wow so i am sorry to ask this on someone elses thread....but i never even thought to do this to get to PC early from WDW....can someone please tell me what time the DCL bus will pick you up from WDW? Is it that late where you would want to take an early bus to MCO to take another bus to PC? Sorry I am so new at this and I am so curious!!!

I have heard the buses can be as early at 10:00am or as late as 12:00pm.... the DCL resort bus schedule apparently is based on the number of WDW resort cruisers using the DCL bus, so they will send you a schedule the evening before pick up. Even if you get a 10:00am pick up time, you still might not leave WDW until 10:30, 10:45 because you might have to go to a few other resorts for pick ups. Honestly I wouldn't mind just getting the DCL bus from my WDW resort except this is our first (and likely only) time we're going concierge so I want to be able to board the ship ASAP and not any waste ship time.

Thank you all for your help on this topic, as usual you guys rock!

 

[lanejudy]

can someone please tell me what time the DCL bus will pick you up from WDW?

DCL transfers from WDW resorts usually pick up sometime around the 11am - 1pm window, maybe slightly earlier. You will receive a letter the night prior informing you what time to meet for the pick-up. Buses may pick-up from as many as 3 resorts, depending on the number of passengers at each resort for that cruise. Luggage is usually picked up at 8:00am from your resort room.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[mmouse37]

wow so i am sorry to ask this on someone elses thread....but i never even thought to do this to get to PC early from WDW....can someone please tell me what time the DCL bus will pick you up from WDW? Is it that late where you would want to take an early bus to MCO to take another bus to PC? Sorry I am so new at this and I am so curious!!!

I think we may be confusing two different buses.....DCL transfers are $35 pp and leave the WDW resorts at a set time determined by how many people from each resort booked to go to the port. They can start as early as 11:00 ish or as late as 1:00 ish depending on how many resorts each bus stops at and how many people from each resort are going, etc. You will be told during your stay what time to meet for the bus from your resort to the port. there is usually one bus time from each of the resorts. One bus may stop at 2 or 3 resorts to pick up guests. Some buses will leave from only one. All depends on the numbers.

Magical Express which was being asked about by hanscarlet is free. In this instance being used to get back to MCO to take the DCL bus (for a fee) to the port since the DCL buses from MCO start leaving much earlier than the one bus time from the WDW resorts. Those bus times usually leave WDW about 3 hours before your flight time but since some take the bus back to MCO not for a flight but just to get back to MCO to meet the DCL bus, you may need to provide a flight time/number to the ME people.

Hope that helps or did I make it more confusing lol!!

MJ

 

[disprincess2213]

I think we may be confusing two different buses.....DCL transfers are $35 pp and leave the WDW resorts at a set time determined by how many people from each resort booked to go to the port. They can start as early as 11:00 ish or as late as 1:00 ish depending on how many resorts each bus stops at and how many people from each resort are going, etc. You will be told during your stay what time to meet for the bus from your resort to the port. there is usually one bus time from each of the resorts. One bus may stop at 2 or 3 resorts to pick up guests. Some buses will leave from only one. All depends on the numbers.

Magical Express which was being asked about by hanscarlet is free. In this instance being used to get back to MCO to take the DCL bus (for a fee) to the port since the DCL buses from MCO start leaving much earlier than the one bus time from the WDW resorts. Those bus times usually leave WDW about 3 hours before your flight time but since some take the bus back to MCO not for a flight but just to get back to MCO to meet the DCL bus, you may need to provide a flight time/number to the ME people.

Hope that helps or did I make it more confusing lol!!

MJ

Nope not confusing at all and makes great sense!! I know all about the different buses but what I did NOT know is that the DCL bus from WDW to PC picks you up so late! It makes complete sense to WANT to get to PC earlier! So what you would all suggest to me (or anyone else who wants to leave wdw earlier than taking the DCL bus from resort), is to basically give your resort a flight number and departure time so that DME picks us up straight from hotel and brings us to MCO. From MCO, we schedule a pickup for DCL bus (which we can catch right at dropoff of ME), check into DCL bus, and head straight to PC for the $35 fee pp? Does the DCL bus from MCO run constantly to PC like the DMEs run to the resorts? Will we need to schedule a pickup time? YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!

 

[RedSox68]

Ok this is a dumb question but I am having a brain fart... we usually go Hyatt MCO to DCL transfer to bus so I never really have to think about my check in luggage.... but this time we're showing up at MCO in the morning to take the DCL bus to the port and we'll have all of our luggage. What happens once I get to the port? Do I go get my checked in luggage and give it people at the check in counter or do it give it to the porters at the port? I am totally drawing a blank on what happens after I get the luggage out of the bus once I arrive at port.

I'm not sure why you are handling your luggage at all. Unless this has changed since the last time we did it -- if you are flying into MCO and going right to the port, you should have put your Disney luggage tags on your luggage before checking it at home base. Once at the airport, you just take your carryons and head to the DCL bus. Your luggage will be gathered and transported to the ship and you will next see it in your room.

 

[mmouse37]

I'm not sure why you are handling your luggage at all. Unless this has changed since the last time we did it -- if you are flying into MCO and going right to the port, you should have put your Disney luggage tags on your luggage before checking it at home base. Once at the airport, you just take your carryons and head to the DCL bus. Your luggage will be gathered and transported to the ship and you will next see it in your room.

They are not, they are coming from WDW.

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

Nope not confusing at all and makes great sense!! I know all about the different buses but what I did NOT know is that the DCL bus from WDW to PC picks you up so late! It makes complete sense to WANT to get to PC earlier! So what you would all suggest to me (or anyone else who wants to leave wdw earlier than taking the DCL bus from resort), is to basically give your resort a flight number and departure time so that DME picks us up straight from hotel and brings us to MCO. From MCO, we schedule a pickup for DCL bus (which we can catch right at dropoff of ME), check into DCL bus, and head straight to PC for the $35 fee pp? Does the DCL bus from MCO run constantly to PC like the DMEs run to the resorts? Will we need to schedule a pickup time? YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!

Yes for the ME part! Once at MCO bring your bags to CM's at the ME/DCL bus desk and they will either tell you to bring your checked bags to the bus or they will take them to port via truck. I have had it both ways. More than likely it will go on a truck separately so make sure DCL tags are on.

You don't schedule a bus at MCO to the port but you will sign in, line up and be sent to a bus. Sort of first come, first served. They will assign you a character and then when your bus comes they will call that character group to board. They run continually and sometimes there will be two or three buses there at one time and sometime one. It is not too long to wait between buses. They start at about 9:30 ish IIRC. Last time I took the DCL bus from MCO they wanted to see my DCL booklet I got in the mail. They stapled something to my booklet before we waited for the bus to come.

Hope that helps.

MJ

 

[DCLDVC1]

I have heard the buses can be as early at 10:00am or as late as 12:00pm.... the DCL resort bus schedule apparently is based on the number of WDW resort cruisers using the DCL bus, so they will send you a schedule the evening before pick up. Even if you get a 10:00am pick up time, you still might not leave WDW until 10:30, 10:45 because you might have to go to a few other resorts for pick ups. Honestly I wouldn't mind just getting the DCL bus from my WDW resort except this is our first (and likely only) time we're going concierge so I want to be able to board the ship ASAP and not any waste ship time.

Thank you all for your help on this topic, as usual you guys rock!

Why not just have a car service pick you up at your resort and take you to the port? It's a lot less hassle and you'll still get there before the terminal opens.

 

[allears]

Why not just have a car service pick you up at your resort and take you to the port? It's a lot less hassle and you'll still get there before the terminal opens.

Depending on the number of people traveling DCL can be less expensive. Though a private service is what we usually do when staying at WDW the night before the cruise.

 

[hanscarlet]

Why not just have a car service pick you up at your resort and take you to the port? It's a lot less hassle and you'll still get there before the terminal opens.

It's a good idea and I understand why folks do this. We had hired a service before and we gave them the wrong time for port pick up and we ended up waiting outside for 30 min, it just wasn't a good experience..... and when we use the DCL bus it's so easy, pleasant and we really like the experience of using the bus... to be honest my husband and I want nothign to do with WDW and wish we were staying in MCO but my mother is forcing this WDW trip so that is kind of why this whole transportation thing is a little screwy.... I guess my whole uber to MCO gets my mindset back into Hyatt MCO land... sounds weird, I know... if I didn't spend all the $$ on concierge I would have just used the resort bus

 

[PrincessShmoo]

and you'll still get there before the terminal opens

There are several private transportation companies, that won't/can't drop off prior to 11:00. Private transportation (paid, not personal) can't enter the port area until 11:00, from what I've read, unless they pay a premium for entering earlier.