Do earlier PAT times open up?

[Kontos]

My online check in was last night and the earliest PAT available was noon. I logged in this morning and saw an 11am slot available so I chose that for my reservation. Tried to switch 2 other reservations but it showed the 11am slot was full.


I don't think PAT times (especially early ones) generally get cancelled/changed right?


Since the rest of my party has a noon PAT by the time they get through security and everything it'd probably be past 1? And lunch ends at 1:30 on embarkation I think?


If they show up an hour early with me will they be told to wait outside? It'll be a busy embarkation day with 3 ships in Vancouver that day

 

[Weedy]

First lunch is served until 3:15
The other people in your group will not be able to board early. The boarding number is tied to your port Arrival Time.
I would keep trying to see if you can get an earlier PAT for the rest of your group. It could happen.
Have a great cruise.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

I'm not sure if my experience is the norm because I've only had one cruise on the Fantasy, but we had a PAT of 12:30, got to the port at 10:40 because we had to check out of hotel so we figured we'd just go wait at the port, and were able to check in as soon as we got there. We ended up actually being in the first boarding group after concierge.

 

[Dug720]

I'm not sure if my experience is the norm because I've only had one cruise on the Fantasy, but we had a PAT of 12:30, got to the port at 10:40 because we had to check out of hotel so we figured we'd just go wait at the port, and were able to check in as soon as we got there. We ended up actually being in the first boarding group after concierge.

That is rare as your Boarding Group is supposed to be tied to your Port Arrival Time. You got lucky and either got someone being super nice OR someone who was new and unsupervised and didn't know. I was next to a family once who had been on my bus from MCO (the first one as I had the earliest PAT) and had a PAT of like 12:30 and were given a much later Boarding Group - and when they whined - sorry, asked - about it, the agent said that the Boarding Group was pre-assigned based on the PAT.

I would not count on that happening again - the being gifted an earlier Boarding Group when arriving well before your PAT.

 

[Neptune's Fork]

That is rare as your Boarding Group is supposed to be tied to your Port Arrival Time. You got lucky and either got someone being super nice OR someone who was new and unsupervised and didn't know. I was next to a family once who had been on my bus from MCO (the first one as I had the earliest PAT) and had a PAT of like 12:30 and were given a much later Boarding Group - and when they whined - sorry, asked - about it, the agent said that the Boarding Group was pre-assigned based on the PAT.

I would not count on that happening again - the being gifted an earlier Boarding Group when arriving well before your PAT.

That's good to know for future reference.

 

[Dug720]

That's good to know for future reference.

It's also *usually* not an issue in Port Canaveral if you arrive beforehand that you can enter the terminal. But in other ports, particularly where the terminal is not as large, they may enforce the Port Arrival Time more strictly. (I would imagine that with 3 ships in port as the OP stated for Vancouver, they may well be enforcing the PATs.)

 

[Elizakapeka]

I was wondering if PAT openings happen as well. I checked in online with my TA on the phone. she got me the first PAT! I saw it with my own eyes. I logged in a few weeks later to add some finishing touches to my kids stuff and noticed I had the 4th PAT...what??? Somehow my PAT got changed. Disney told me they could do nothing about it. kinda bummed but Im not letting it ruin anything, I keep checking to see if any open up. Good Luck!

 

[Dug720]

I was wondering if PAT openings happen as well. I checked in online with my TA on the phone. she got me the first PAT! I saw it with my own eyes. I logged in a few weeks later to add some finishing touches to my kids stuff and noticed I had the 4th PAT...what??? Somehow my PAT got changed. Disney told me they could do nothing about it. kinda bummed but Im not letting it ruin anything, I keep checking to see if any open up. Good Luck!

Is it possible your TA meant the first that was available? Because as a first time cruiser (apologies if you are not) it is possible that at 75 days the 4th slot was the first available. Especially if she was not on at midnight.

I don't use a travel agent anyway, but if I did, I would certainly never trust them to do my online check in and PAT selection. At least not if getting the earliest possible slot was that important to me.

 

[Elizakapeka]

Is it possible your TA meant the first that was available? Because as a first time cruiser (apologies if you are not) it is possible that at 75 days the 4th slot was the first available. Especially if she was not on at midnight.

I don't use a travel agent anyway, but if I did, I would certainly never trust them to do my online check in and PAT selection. At least not if getting the earliest possible slot was that important to me.

My agent is a friend of mine and we were on the computer an hour before it opened checking together, if I remember it opened a few minutes early and while yes I am a new cruiser, I got the 1030 and we were so excited! Like I said I logged in to check and make sure everything was set to double check that night. weeks later it was mysteriously changed. I am now the 5th time, 1130pm, not sure if I made a mistake remembering it was the 4th option but now I am the 5th. Its only an hour later but Im staying hyatt mco so I will be arriving early so I tried to get the earliest PAT I could. Hopefully my persistence pays off.

 

[Dug720]

My agent is a friend of mine and we were on the computer an hour before it opened checking together, if I remember it opened a few minutes early and while yes I am a new cruiser, I got the 1030 and we were so excited! Like I said I logged in to check and make sure everything was set to double check that night. weeks later it was mysteriously changed. I am now the 5th time, 1130pm, not sure if I made a mistake remembering it was the 4th option but now I am the 5th. Its only an hour later but Im staying hyatt mco so I will be arriving early so I tried to get the earliest PAT I could. Hopefully my persistence pays off.

Interesting. I wonder if both of you being in the reservation is what messed it up. I have always heard from others with more experience that only one person can be in a reservation at a time. Possibly two of you being in it is what messed it up.

Honestly friend or not, I would have just done it myself. It is self explanatory and not difficult enough to really need talking through it I think. Especially if I was up anyway.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

You were smart, IMO, to take the one earlier slot when it opened. Two more slots MAY open, and if they don't you can always go with the later time. Look at the bright side, if you don't get on until 1:30 you can probably drop by your room and put your carry-ons away (instead of having to carry them with you) and since many others will have eaten, the food venues will be much less crowded.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Im staying hyatt mco

Did you book the Hyatt through DCL?

 

[Elizakapeka]

I did not, I remember you mentioning it so I talked to my agent and Disney wont book 5 in a room that sleeps 4 so Disney told me I had to reserve 2 rooms at the Hyatt if I reserved through them. thanks though.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I did not, I remember you mentioning it so I talked to my agent and Disney wont book 5 in a room that sleeps 4 so Disney told me I had to reserve 2 rooms at the Hyatt if I reserved through them. thanks though.

Were you able to book one room for 5 people directly?

 

[Elizakapeka]

Were you able to book one room for 5 people directly?

well, not really. I contacted guest services at Hyatt, they dont have rooms that sleep 5 but I got a king suite that has a king bed, a full pull out and i reserved a rollaway. My 9 year old twins are the size of 6 year olds so they can have the pullout and my 12 year old can have the rollaway but my reservation only had 4 listed on it.