First bus from MCO to port?

[ajlsjl]

I have roundtrip DCL transfers booked to/from the port. For the life of me, I can't remember what time the first bus leaves MCO to the port. Is it 8:00 or 9:00? I'm staying at the MCO Hyatt the night before, so there are no flights to worry about the day of. Thanks!

 

[Dug720]

They usually start boarding the first bus around 9.

However, critical mass will begin building 8:15-8:30.

 

[ajlsjl]

Thank you!

 

[JPTexan82]

My wife and I stayed at th Hyatt last time, and we were on the first bus out. It went smooth, what was cool was being the first in the terminal while people that drove there was waiting on the other side of the fence.

 

[ajlsjl]

That's what I did on my last cruise. It was wonderful! Nothing beats being the first group of people in to the terminal. Just couldn't remember if departure time was 8 or 9AM.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That's what I did on my last cruise. It was wonderful! Nothing beats being the first group of people in to the terminal. Just couldn't remember if departure time was 8 or 9AM.

The DCL transfer desk opens at 9:00. And they won't let you line up at the ropes they set up before then. At least they didn't on our recent cruise. Generally the first bus departs around 9:10-9:15. And arrives at the port around 10:15. Not a whole lot ahead of everyone else, but still ahead. But, I'll point out, the actual check in counters don't open until the terminal is actually open at 10:30.

 

[DWillowBay]

The DCL transfer desk opens at 9:00. And they won't let you line up at the ropes they set up before then. At least they didn't on our recent cruise. Generally the first bus departs around 9:10-9:15. And arrives at the port around 10:15. Not a whole lot ahead of everyone else, but still ahead. But, I'll point out, the actual check in counters don't open until the terminal is actually open at 10:30.

I don't mean to hijack, but conversely, when is the earliest bus from Port back to MCO upon debarkation?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I don't mean to hijack, but conversely, when is the earliest bus from Port back to MCO upon debarkation?

As soon as the ship is cleared for debarkation, they start filling the buses to MCO. Once a bus is full, it leaves. Could be as early as 7:45, for that first bus.

 

[DWillowBay]

As soon as the ship is cleared for debarkation, they start filling the buses to MCO. Once a bus is full, it leaves. Could be as early as 7:45, for that first bus.

Thanks, Princess. Very helpful for future planning.

 

[Starwind]

The DCL transfer desk opens at 9:00. And they won't let you line up at the ropes they set up before then. At least they didn't on our recent cruise. Generally the first bus departs around 9:10-9:15. And arrives at the port around 10:15. Not a whole lot ahead of everyone else, but still ahead. But, I'll point out, the actual check in counters don't open until the terminal is actually open at 10:30.

On our cruise people couldn't line up early WITHIN the ropes, but people did semi-organizedly self-line up upto the ropes. Once they opened the ropes at about 9, that line moved into and formed the start of the rope line, and then they started processing guests onto the bus.

We had arrived at about 830 and got in the line that was there. We were the first family on the second bus to leave MCO and IIRC left at about 920.

SW

 

[Dug720]

On our cruise people couldn't line up early WITHIN the ropes, but people did semi-organizedly self-line up upto the ropes. Once they opened the ropes at about 9, that line moved into and formed the start of the rope line, and then they started processing guests onto the bus.

We had arrived at about 830 and got in the line that was there. We were the first family on the second bus to leave MCO and IIRC left at about 920.

SW

Exactly. While it's not a formal line organized by DCL, there is an ad hoc line that forms. When I've been there people have been pretty good about getting in pretty much the order we arrived...but there are always one or two people who feel like they need to be entitled to sit and then jump in wherever they want.

 

[OKW Lover]

That's what I did on my last cruise. It was wonderful! Nothing beats being the first group of people in to the terminal. Just couldn't remember if departure time was 8 or 9AM.

If you are in the first group of people in the terminal, doesn't that just mean you have to wait around longer to board?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

While it's not a formal line organized by DCL, there is an ad hoc line that forms.

I can only report that when the CMs started setting up the rope/line barrier, people who were recently arrived in the area, and just standing around, started to form a line. And the CM told them to sit down. Just before 9:00 a CM (not the same one) came out and asked the people who were seated closest (and had been there the longest) to start forming the line.

 

[Dug720]

I can only report that when the CMs started setting up the rope/line barrier, people who were recently arrived in the area, and just standing around, started to form a line. And the CM told them to sit down. Just before 9:00 a CM (not the same one) came out and asked the people who were seated closest (and had been there the longest) to start forming the line.

Maybe it depends on the CMs and the people there? The last two times I did it, it was the ad-hoc line before the formal one. Especially once the bag truck was there - which was before the people started setting up the lines. They came and said we could check our bags and after that people pretty much lined up.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

If you are in the first group of people in the terminal, doesn't that just mean you have to wait around longer to board?

yes...but it is an exciting wait!

 

[mathgeek]

I can only report that when the CMs started setting up the rope/line barrier, people who were recently arrived in the area, and just standing around, started to form a line. And the CM told them to sit down. Just before 9:00 a CM (not the same one) came out and asked the people who were seated closest (and had been there the longest) to start forming the line.

While I have seen this happen, for my last cruise a couple weeks ago, this was certainly not what happened that day. I had stayed at the Hyatt and was too excited to sleep, so I headed down to the DCL check in area around 7:45 am and was one of the first people there (maybe 10 other people there at that point?). A large group started to form around 8:30, and when DCL opened up at 9:00 and the CM told people to form a line, it was formed it in such a way that the people who had been there longest were in the opposite direction of where they formed the line. I was almost the last person on the first bus due to all of the people shoving into the line ahead of me. Not a huge deal since I had a 10:30 PAT and was in boarding group 2, but still an annoying way to start a vacation.