First Bus Out of Airport?

[CRSNDSNY]

I know this has been discussed, but the search function isn't working. What time is the first bus out of MCO pre-cruise?

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

In our experience, the first bus has left shortly after 10:00am. This is based on staying at the Hyatt the night before and checking in for the bus in the hotel lobby. I'm not sure if there's a difference for people arriving on the morning of the cruise. We usually get to the port at about 11:15ish. Plenty of time for a good spot in line.

 

[DisneyBusDriverToo]

Last Saturday (6/7) the first bus left the Hyatt at MCO just prior to 10:00 AM.

Get to the Hyatt Lobby around 09:00 (not 09:30 like the Hyatt handout says) to be one of the first to register and they will place you on the first bus.

We got to the DCL Terminal at Port Canaveral around 10:30. It wasn't crowded yet.

We sent the kids to get in line to board the ship while my wife and I checked in at the checkin counter. There were only a few (6 or 7) families in the line ahead of us to board the ship.

They started boarding the ship around 12:15.

There were absolutely no hastels at the DCL terminal. They did check our carryons but it was much faster then at the airport screenings.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Hmmmm....more questions:

We will be staying at the Boardwalk Inn pre-cruise and were going to go back to the airport to get a Cruise Bus instead of taking the Cruise Bus from the resort. Last time we didn't get to Port until after 2pm and DON'T want to do that again.

In this case, do I just go to the Cruise desk at the airport? I remember seeing the busses there last time, but is this different from if we were staying at the airport Hyatt?

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

We've done 2 previous land/sea trips and the transfers clearly showed airport to resort/resort to port/port to airport. So I'm not sure if you'd be able to get a bus back to the airport and I'd guess they aren't running resort to airport busses?

Deb

 

[CRSNDSNY]

We'll be purchasing separate Mears transportation from MCO to Resort separate from DCL Transfers.

 

[cjp/dvc]

Although this is our fourth cruise we have never stayed at the Hyatt the night before but plan to for a Western Cruise this November. On our other trips we stayed off the airport property then got the local hotel shuttle back to MCO and reported to the bus area by car rentals. Am I to understand that if we stay at the Hyatt, they have a departure area just for hotel guests? Also, does it matter if we prebooked the bus or just signed up on site? Thanks for your insight...there's always something new to learn...

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I don't know if the Hyatt lobby check-in is just for those who stayed in the Hyatt or not, but that's where they tell you to go when you stay there. If you book your air through the cruise line and choose the "Night Before" option, they'll put you up there as part of the package. I would imagine that it doesn't matter where you meet the bus. They can check your name off the manifest regardles of where you check in.

I would say that your best bet is to book the transfers in advance, if that's how you plan on getting to the port. There's really no reason not to (i.e. it won't save you any money). If you have booked the transfers, your docs should tell you where to meet the bus.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Yes. But because we don't want to wait to get picked up after noon the day of the cruise from WDW, we are going to go back to the airport to get the cruise bus from there. Therefore, we'll just get the regular transfers MCO to Port, Port to MCO through DCL. We'll purchase our own Mears transfers for our land portion of the trip (2 days at BWV pre-cruise). I just want to know where the Cruiseline checkin is at the airport. I'm sure that I won't be able to check in at the Hyatt desk since we're not going to be guests of the Hyatt.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Check-in is not actually at the Hyatt desk, but in the lobby. There's a table set up with two cast members sitting at it. There are plenty of other cast members in the airport concourse, wearing blue blazers, directing passengers to busses, as well as DCL signs on easels all over the place. It shouldn't be hard to find.

Since this is kind of a special circumstance, you might want to talk to DCL reservations about this....

 

[bettemom]

We took a taxi back to the airport last fall and then boarded the DCL buses to the port. To get on the DCL bus ( if you are not staying at the Hyatt) you have to have your taxi drop you off on the lower level ground ( you will see the DCL buses all lined up) near the car rental /charter bus/mears bus areas and there is a desk inside you register at for the next available bus to the port.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Thank you so much everyone for your guidance! You have all be so helpful!