Does the DCL bus still arrive "late"

[mousefan73]

hi! Found so many older posts on DCL arrival times.

Trying to get some ideas together on our trip. BC- 4 night Dream-BC.

Proirity for us is getting on the ship earliest possible. We are first timers, no concierge. Sonwhat is the earliest we can get on? If it's noon. That is great. But I have read some pick upd at resorts are st noon!!! Meaning getting on board can be around 2pm. We want a nice long lunch swimming before crowds.

So I am thinking early shuttle or rental. We are 4 people. I like idea of bags transfer from resort to stateroom and guarenntee the ship waits if scheisse happens. If we drive I plan on leaving 8 am just in case of accidents etc.

If only I was guarenteed the DCl bus would get us there at noon, it wöuld be a no brainer

 

[Dug720]

hi! Found so many older posts on DCL arrival times.

Trying to get some ideas together on our trip. BC- 4 night Dream-BC.

Proirity for us is getting on the ship earliest possible. We are first timers, no concierge. Sonwhat is the earliest we can get on? If it's noon. That is great. But I have read some pick upd at resorts are st noon!!! Meaning getting on board can be around 2pm. We want a nice long lunch swimming before crowds.

So I am thinking early shuttle or rental. We are 4 people. I like idea of bags transfer from resort to stateroom and guarenntee the ship waits if scheisse happens. If we drive I plan on leaving 8 am just in case of accidents etc.

If only I was guarenteed the DCl bus would get us there at noon, it wöuld be a no brainer

The only way to be sure of getting there early on a DCL bus is to be at MCO around 8-8:30 to line up for the bus from there. The first bus there begins filling at 9 and they depart when full or every 20-30 minutes. The DCL busses from the resorts will not begin picking up until they have finished dropping off people going from the port to WDW and so pick-ups there usually do not begin until 10:30-11 - and how soon they leave after that depends on how many resorts are being picked up by one bus.

 

[Marc D]

They still pick you up around 11 or 12 based on the route and stops. Your options to get there early are :

- a rental car
- a private shuttle/car service
- Uber/Cab
- Going back to MCO and hoping on an early DCL bus

Personally, I would choose options 2 or 3. They’ll come out around the same price as the DCL bus but you won’t have to handle your luggage many times and take multiple busses or get to the rental place in WDW and Cocoa beach.

 

[phinz]

Don't forget that your boarding time is tied to your PAT, so if you don't have an early PAT you may very well not beat the "crowds" onto the boat.

 

[mousefan73]

Sorry I am new. Can I pick my PAT?

 

[Dug720]

Sorry I am new. Can I pick my PAT?

Word is if you are on DCL Transportation you don’t pick a PAT.

If you are not taking DCL transportation then when you can check in online - 75 days out for new cruisers - you will select a PAT from those times still available.

 

[apathetic]

Since you are first timers, you probably won't get one of the early boarding times. Since that determines when you get on the ship, no matter what time you arrive at the port, you might be paying a lot of money to get there and sit in the terminal. You will get a nice lunch no matter when you arrive. The pools will fill up, but that's because they are so small. If you don't get an early arrival times, you are better off taking the bus and enjoying a relaxing morning at WDW. When the buses do arrive, you usually check-in and get right on the ship.

The bus is a crapshoot on timing. We've been picked up at 1130 and been on the ship before 1. But, it depends on how many stops it has to make. If you are lucky, you are the last stop. But you won't know any of that until departure day.

 

[Dug720]

Don't forget that your boarding time is tied to your PAT, so if you don't have an early PAT you may very well not beat the "crowds" onto the boat.

Exactly. A couple of years ago when you selected a PAT if you were on DCL transportation, I had the earliest time and was on the first bus from MCO. Boarding Group 2 for me.The family at the counter next to me was on the first bus with me, but had a PAT of 12 or 12:30 and received a Boarding Group of something like 28 because their PAT was later.

 

[lanejudy]

Since you are first timers, you probably won't get one of the early boarding times.

I don't think this is necessarily true. Plenty of first-timers get early PATs. It really just depends on the demographics of the particular cruise, are there a lot of return cruisers. We had first PAT on our first cruise, and I had even forgotten to log-in early and do it -- it was mid-afternoon when I did our online check-in that trip.

OP -- I'd suggest rental car or private car service. Rental car will be less expensive and you have the most control over timing, but it involves being comfortable driving as well as time spent on pick-up/return of the vehicle. Car services often will not pick-up until 10am because they aren't allowed to enter the port terminal until 11am. Uber/Lyft can be iffy as to whether you get someone willing to drive that far (it's about an hour from WDW to Port Canaveral), and can't be arranged in advance. DCL transfers from WDW may pick up at your resort as early as 10:30am or as late as 12:30/1:00pm, with arrival at the Port somewhere between 12:30-2:00pm. You could take ME from your resort to MCO and catch the early DCL transfer from there -- but (to me) that's a lot of time traveling and you have to schlep your bags until you board the DCL bus.

Several options. Pros and cons to each. You'll have to decide what best fits your needs.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[undertheradar]

You will want to use DCL transport back to BC, as they will handle your luggage.

 

[mmouse37]

You will want to use DCL transport back to BC, as they will handle your luggage.

No they won't. They never had that service. Unfortunately, DCL does not handle your luggage from your cabin to your WDW resort. You will put luggage out in the hall the night before debarkation, pick it up in the terminal, go through customs, bring it with you to the resort bus and it will be put under the bus. Of course a porter is priceless for this part. At the resort you would hand it off to bell services (if your room is not ready).

MJ

 

[mousefan73]

Ok so based in your guys infos. I wait until the 75 day mark. Do online check-in and will get a PAT. PAT means when I can check-in at the terninal correct?? Then we get our group nimber. So arriving before this PAT makes no sense. Based on this I can then book DCL or others. Will DCL let me book after 75 days?

 

[undertheradar]

Honestly, it was 3 years ago when we wrapped WDW around DCL, so sorry for the bad info.

 

[Dug720]

Ok so based in your guys infos. I wait until the 75 day mark. Do online check-in and will get a PAT. PAT means when I can check-in at the terninal correct?? Then we get our group nimber. So arriving before this PAT makes no sense. Based on this I can then book DCL or others. Will DCL let me book after 75 days?

Will DCL let you book what? Transfers to and from the port? Yes. You can book those up to I believe 3 days prior to your cruise.

If you have not already reserved DCL transfers when you do your online check-in, you will *select* a PAT. The system doesn't just give it to you. PAT is the time you are scheduled to arrive at the terminal. You are free to arrive earlier, but if the terminal is full they may require you to wait outside until there is space (very rare at PC as I understand it) - BUT you will be given a Boarding Number that relates to your selected PAT, so if you arrive earlier than your PAT you may well be checking in next to someone who is there at their PAT and you will receive a higher Boarding Group than they will.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

we have used Happy limo and it was great. We did uber last month and it worked well too...and only $100 plus tip.
I have zero desire to rent a car, but that is prob your most cost effective way to go.

 

[Sleepyluke]

Others love the earlier times, but we consider the DCL bus part of the trip. We get picked up from a WDW resort, get on a Disney bus and watch cartoons until we arrive at the port MAYBE 1.5-2 hours after they open the doors usually and have never waited in the lobby to get to enter the ship, and have never missed out of any food. Has it happened to someone else, I am sure it has, but there are plenty of food options. Do we lose 2 hours of ship time, maybe, but we have not waited outside the terminal, we have not had to return a rental car, and have not carried our luggage. With one kid it is great, you have enough junk to carry, with multiples, I would say it is worth every penny. Yes it is a little more expensive depending on your party size, but we like the continuation away from reality....

 

[Weedy]

It shouldn’t be hard to get an early PAT (Port Arrival Time) even for first time cruisers.

As you know you can do this 75 days prior to your cruise. It opens at 12:01 EST.

The day of the cruise the terminal opens at 10:30am The earliest PAT is 10:30-10:45. When you check in you will be given a boarding number. The earlier your PAT the lower your boarding number. They usually start boarding at 11:15-11:30. Concierge and Platinum board first and then they start with everyone else. Once they start it goes quick. They call the next boarding number about every 5 minuets. They usually have everyone waiting out of the terminal and onboard about 12:30. At this time they go to “open boarding” meaning you check in and walk on.

If you want to arrive early Private transportation is your best bet.

 

[bumbershoot]

If we drive I plan on leaving 8 am just in case of accidents etc.

You'll almost certainly arrive around 9, and then what? We tried to amuse ourselves in Canaeral for a few hours and it became grumpily wandering RonJon... It's just not that fun IMO.

So arriving before this PAT makes no sense.

Correct.


Aren't there people who post about being able to pay a flat (fairly low) fee to handle up to several pieces of luggage from WDW when going to a cruise out of Canaveral? WithOUT having to take the DCL bus? I swear I've seen even a recent mention of this... If that's a big part of what you want (and please note that checked bags when taken to the port are handed over where you're dropped off by shuttles or rental cars or limos, and whisked off...you don't carry your *checked* bags onboard) it's worth looking into.

 

[mousefan73]

You'll almost certainly arrive around 9, and then what? We tried to amuse ourselves in Canaeral for a few hours and it became grumpily wandering RonJon... It's just not that fun IMO.



Correct.


Aren't there people who post about being able to pay a flat (fairly low) fee to handle up to several pieces of luggage from WDW when going to a cruise out of Canaveral? WithOUT having to take the DCL bus? I swear I've seen even a recent mention of this... If that's a big part of what you want (and please note that checked bags when taken to the port are handed over where you're dropped off by shuttles or rental cars or limos, and whisked off...you don't carry your *checked* bags onboard) it's worth looking into.

The leaving early is more paranoia about missing the boat... with DCL they wait for the bus.... I just found out bell services will hold luggage at WDW as we have post cruise a night. so most likely we will only have carry on.. as our cruise is only 4 nights... 4 large carry-ons is enough. I think I will wait until my 75 day mark and see what PAT time we get. I do like the idea of the disney bus.. but we will also have a rental anyways.. so maybe dropping off in Port iso Dolfphin.........

 

[bumbershoot]

I just found out bell services will hold luggage at WDW as we have post cruise a night. so most likely we will only have carry on..

This is NOT a given. Some have been told "yes" (we were), and others have been told "absolutely not".

If you leave before the resort buses, you'll be in front of the resort buses. So if the buses are late b/c of some sort of problem on the road, you're safe. If you want to leave that early, do it, but be well aware that that's a decent amount of time to fill.