Ground transport

[brookew]

We are a family of 4 staying at the Hyatt. What are the adv/disadvantages of booking disney ground transportation vs. A town car or airport shuttle. It is more expensive. Are they're advantages to it? Do they handle your luggage to the port and back to the airport on departure day?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are a family of 4 staying at the Hyatt. What are the adv/disadvantages of booking disney ground transportation vs. A town car or airport shuttle. It is more expensive. Are they're advantages to it? Do they handle your luggage to the port and back to the airport on departure day?

DCL transfers will transport your bags directly from your room at the Hyatt (Hyatt MCO, right?) to your room onboard the ship. They show Disney cartoons and information about the cruise on the bus while traveling. Not sure whether there's an airport shuttle to the port. If so, it probably costs a bit. DCL transfers from the ship back to the airport - well there are different options. If you just need transfers, you will place your (checked) bags outside your door the last night of the cruise and DCL will take them off the ship for you. You claim your bags in the port terminal, take them through customs and then hand the off to the bus driver to be transported in the baggage bay on the bus. At the airport, you get your bags and check them in at the airport. OR, if your air travel is on a participating airline, a domestic flight that departs after 11:30 on the day of debarkation from the ship, you can participate in the Onboard Airline Check in. Once your leave your checked bags outside your room the last night of the cruise, the next time you see them will be at your home airport. You debark the ship with only your carry on bags, and take the bus to the airport, go directly through security to your gate.

Private transfers (town car, for example) may be less expensive (3/4 persons is sort of the dividing line between which may be cheaper). Will depart when you want. You handle your bags to the car and hand them to the porters at the port.

 

[RedSox68]

We are a family of 4 staying at the Hyatt. What are the adv/disadvantages of booking disney ground transportation vs. A town car or airport shuttle. It is more expensive. Are they're advantages to it? Do they handle your luggage to the port and back to the airport on departure day?

If you are staying at the Hyatt, I think the big advantage is the convenience of taking the Disney transportation. Whether it is cost effective or not, they take your luggage and you meet the reps in the lobby and they take you right out to the bus. If you take private transportation, you will have to lug all your stuff out to whatever door in the terminal they tell you to meet them at if they don't pick you at at the hotel in the front. If you are not going anywhere else and don't require a grocery stop, I'd stick with DCL transport from the airport.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

you meet the reps in the lobby and they take you right out to the bus.

That didn't happen when we stayed at the Hyatt. We just got a letter telling us to tag our bags, leave them in the room, and get ourselves to the DCL transportation desk.

 

[bumbershoot]

That didn't happen when we stayed at the Hyatt. We just got a letter telling us to tag our bags, leave them in the room, and get ourselves to the DCL transportation desk.

Same. No one met us anywhere.

Left bags in the room, went all the way to bus, checked in, went where they pointed us.

 

[Ofinn]

We've always been able to rent a car for less than 40.00 dollars. I've rented a car for 2 weeks in Orlando for less then a DCL transfer. It's an easy 45 minute drive. To each their own some people like to be driven. I like to save money.

 

[RedSox68]

That didn't happen when we stayed at the Hyatt. We just got a letter telling us to tag our bags, leave them in the room, and get ourselves to the DCL transportation desk.

Yes, we did the same. But when you go to the DCL desk they have set up in the hotel lobby, the reps gave us a group name for our bus (like Daisy or Donald, etc.), then you wait (they served OJ and coffee and danish). When they call your bus, you leave with a rep through the airport to the outside and get on the bus with your carryons. Has that changed?

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes, we did the same. But when you go to the DCL desk they have set up in the hotel lobby, the reps gave us a group name for our bus (like Daisy or Donald, etc.), then you wait (they served OJ and coffee and danish). When they call your bus, you leave with a rep through the airport to the outside and get on the bus with your carryons. Has that changed?

Literally none of this happened when we used Hyatt/DCL transport. They are not in the hotel lobby and there were no snacks. And I don't recall a bus name.

We got ourselves down to the transport section of the airport, checked in, and went where they pointed us.

Did you use the service back when they actually checked you in and took your pic and gave you the keycard? That was gone before our first DCL cruise, which was in feb 2013. We used transport from the Hyatt in what would have been October 2013 I believe. If not then, Jan '14.

 

[RedSox68]

Literally none of this happened when we used Hyatt/DCL transport. They are not in the hotel lobby and there were no snacks. And I don't recall a bus name.

We got ourselves down to the transport section of the airport, checked in, and went where they pointed us.

Did you use the service back when they actually checked you in and took your pic and gave you the keycard? That was gone before our first DCL cruise, which was in feb 2013. We used transport from the Hyatt in what would have been October 2013 I believe. If not then, Jan '14.

We haven't done Hyatt since the early-2000's. So apparently they have drastically changed it all. It was so convenient when we were there -- never had to leave the hotel area until we went to the bus.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Here's the letter we got:


The pertinent part being:


Nothing about checking in for transfers at the hotel, only if you have questions. And directing us to go to the DCL transfer desk to check in for the bus.