Disney Transfers to Port

[cleighc]

I am new to DIS and cruising but want to let other newbies know what I did not. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and set up Disney transfers with a PAT of 11:30. Well the bus from Riverside was not scheduled to leave until 11:45 and we had to stop at another resort for additional passengers. So our arrival at the port wasn't until 1:15! I really thought that our PAT would be accommodated by Disney transfer but I was sorely mistaken! Also we had to have our bags ready to be picked up by 8am(they were there at 8:25). We didn't find out any information about the bags or bus schedule until 10pm the night prior to the cruise. I think I'd set up my own transportation next time.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I just posted this in another thread, but since it is a similar topic, I will post it here too.
It always puzzles me slightly why people are in such a hurry to board. That said, we are lucky enough to be taking a 7 day cruise, so will have plenty of time aboard.
We are flying in from the UK the day before we board and are staying at AKL the night we land. Having a leisurely morning and breakfast, before boarding the DCL transfer without any hassles, appeals to me far more than rushing around just to get an extra couple of hours on the ship. Perhaps it is just me

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am new to DIS and cruising but want to let other newbies know what I did not. We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and set up Disney transfers with a PAT of 11:30. Well the bus from Riverside was not scheduled to leave until 11:45 and we had to stop at another resort for additional passengers. So our arrival at the port wasn't until 1:15! I really thought that our PAT would be accommodated by Disney transfer but I was sorely mistaken! Also we had to have our bags ready to be picked up by 8am(they were there at 8:25). We didn't find out any information about the bags or bus schedule until 10pm the night prior to the cruise. I think I'd set up my own transportation next time.

Did you do any research on here about this before your trip? It's always been reported that this is the was that DCL transfers work from WDW.

I will note, however, the earlier PAT gave you a lower boarding number than you would have had if you had selected a PAT of, say, 1:00. So, you didn't really lose anything there.

 

[cleighc]

I did some research on the DIS before but not too much as we only scheduled the cruise 6 weeks before sailing so it never occurred to me to research the transfers(chalk it up as a newbie mistake. I totally understand some not wanting to rush to the port to have extra time on the ship however my goal in arriving early was to try and change our late seating to early seating. I was put on the wait list and tried calling several times to change it to no avail. So from the advice I gathered on the DIS the next option to try was to get on board and go directly to Dining to try and change it.

 

[safeti01]

If you are using DCL Transfers the PAT is useless. I'm not sure how you got one. DCL transportations starts picking up at 11:00 and the last pick up is at 12:45 at POP. They pick up at differenct resorts depending up on th number of people. In Sept I was picked up at POP at 12:45 and gon on the ship at 2:30. Feel lucky. As for the bags, I'm trying to understand why 25 minutes is a problem. Did you get you bags in your stateroom ???.

Their are numerous people staying at the resorts and all that information has to be sorted out. I found the whole situation rather flawless and was not worried about any of if.

We are taking another cruise, saying at the resorts and use DCL Transportation and will not worr about it.

 

[TDC Nala]

I've never questioned why people want to get there early. Some just do. They want to go swimming, or whatever. Doesn't matter to me as you can't get your stateroom until after 1 and I've got carry ons. Resort transfers are fine with me. But I have seen some who didn't realize how late they arrive say that they feel they were "cheated out of hours of fun on the ship."

Assigned boarding time has no correlation whatsoever to Disney resort transfers. By the time the resort transfer gets there, you would likely be able to walk right onto the ship.

The OP may think 8 AM is too early for a bag pickup, considering that the bus does not depart until closer to noon. And you do not have to be in the room when the bags are picked up. The reason for the earlier pickup is that the luggage goes separately, it's not on the same bus as you are.

 

[KarenMP59]

We have cruised five times with DCL. We have arrived at the port in a couple of different ways. The first few cruises we were doing the land and sea package which isn't offered anymore unless you set it up yourself. Anyways, on the first couple of cruises, we were told to leave our luggage in the room at the restort the last day of our WDW stay and head to Animal Kingdom for the morning. We were picked up there by the DCL bus and taken to the port. We always got right on the ship with no wait. That was nice because you didn't feel like you were just waiting around to have fun. The next couple of cruises we were at the Beach Club and we were picked up there around 11:30 and again by the time we got to the port we pretty much got right on the ship. Last year we did our first 7 day cruise so we flew in on the same day and took the bus from MCO right to the port. By the time our flight arrived and we got to the port, again, right on board the ship. This time (in April ) we are flying into MCO the day before and staying at the Hyatt. We will for sure be on the first bus out in the morning and on the ship as soon as they will let us. Why? Because we love it on the ship and can't wait to start having fun. There is just the two of us now and just being on the ship with a drink is fun!!!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

As for the bags, I'm trying to understand why 25 minutes is a problem. Did you get you bags in your stateroom ???.

I think it's that the transfer is so late, so you want to be leisurely if you can, BUT you have to be ready and packed and prepared for someone to come to your room for your bags, so you actually cannot sleep in. We found it to be frustrating too, and I wouldn't do the bus from the resort again. I'd go from the airport, but not from the resort.



I was annoyed to get on the ship so relatively late (we went from POR too and I believe we stopped at 2 resorts but I might be confusing it with ME going home) because extended family had driven in and had been on the ship for 2 hours already. They had already done the "room's not ready so let's wander and sightsee" thing and we never really got to do that. I felt "behind" the whole time, liked I'd missed out on something.

I want to be on the ship for the entire time I am entitled to be (in a good way, not the negative slant "entitled" makes people feel), and going from the resort doesn't give me that.

 

[sayhello]

I just posted this in another thread, but since it is a similar topic, I will post it here too.
It always puzzles me slightly why people are in such a hurry to board. That said, we are lucky enough to be taking a 7 day cruise, so will have plenty of time aboard.
We are flying in from the UK the day before we board and are staying at AKL the night we land. Having a leisurely morning and breakfast, before boarding the DCL transfer without any hassles, appeals to me far more than rushing around just to get an extra couple of hours on the ship. Perhaps it is just me

I'm with you, tinkerbell. I'm in a nice, semi-luxurious hotel room. I can sleep in, take my time having a nice breakfast, watch some TV, wander the resort, whatever. I'm *already* not at home, and on vacation! Getting up early and rushing to the port so that I can just sit around and wait to board, and then lug my carryon around the ship is not nearly as vacation-y to me.

Sayhello

 

[allears]

I just posted this in another thread, but since it is a similar topic, I will post it here too.
It always puzzles me slightly why people are in such a hurry to board. That said, we are lucky enough to be taking a 7 day cruise, so will have plenty of time aboard.
We are flying in from the UK the day before we board and are staying at AKL the night we land. Having a leisurely morning and breakfast, before boarding the DCL transfer without any hassles, appeals to me far more than rushing around just to get an extra couple of hours on the ship. Perhaps it is just me

I am one of those that likes to be there early so that I can get on board as soon after they open as possible. Frankly I want all of the time I can on the ship, not sure why that is such a puzzlement. I plan accordingly and find it exciting. I love being on the ship, enjoying lunch, walking around just being on board.

I guess that's just me.

 

[Donna M]

I'm all excited to get on the ship as early as possible too. Our first trip had us arrive without a crowd and easy boarding, which was very nice, but now that I know what's there, I want to be there early even with the crowds.

 

[JoJoCruz]

Does arriving via DCL transport, thus a later boarding time, hurt your chances for reservations such as PALO that you could not book before?

 

[NurseDave]

Does arriving via DCL transport, thus a later boarding time, hurt your chances for reservations such as PALO that you could not book before?

It does not give you a later boarding time. Your boarding time is tied to your PAT time which you set when you check-in online.

 

[allears]

It does not give you a later boarding time. Your boarding time is tied to your PAT time which you set when you check-in online.

It also depends on where you're taking DCL transportation from. If you're flying in that day, you get to the buses kind of right away. Or if you stayed some where the night before you can get to the airport in the morning and get on the early buses heading to the port.

 

[mthu23]

To the OP: you mentioned you wanted to board earlier so you could try to change your late dinner seating to early: were you successful? We're wait-listed to do the same thing for our April cruise. I'll be heading to that table as soon as I board as well (another newbie)!

 

[JoJoCruz]

It does not give you a later boarding time. Your boarding time is tied to your PAT time which you set when you check-in online.

Sorry. Wrong wording on my part. Does arriving at the port, via DCL transport from WDW, around 2 or 2:30 hurt your chances of getting reservation to PALO on board?

 

[NurseDave]

It also depends on where you're taking DCL transportation from. If you're flying in that day, you get to the buses kind of right away. Or if you stayed some where the night before you can get to the airport in the morning and get on the early buses heading to the port.

From my understanding that really only effects when you get to the port, not your actual boarding time. As people have pointed out, if you have a late PAT but take the transfer, you'll be able to check-in as soon as you get to the port regardless of your PAT, but you'll still get a later boarding number.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Sorry. Wrong wording on my part. Does arriving at the port, via DCL transport from WDW, around 2 or 2:30 hurt your chances of getting reservation to PALO on board?

Well, we've only done it once that way, but it didn't hurt our chances. We booked Palo when we got onboard after arriving from WDW on DCL transfers.

Now that was a long (15 night) cruise, maybe the shorter cruises it could be more of a problem with fewer available slots.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry. Wrong wording on my part. Does arriving at the port, via DCL transport from WDW, around 2 or 2:30 hurt your chances of getting reservation to PALO on board?

Possibly, if you are on a shorter cruise. My first Dream cruise we didn't get brunch because we didn't arrive in time (only one brunch was offered).

 

[JoJoCruz]

Thanks. We will be on a 7 night Fantasy and really want to try PALO brunch. Was trying not to change plans just to arrive earlier.