How early to Board?

[GreenDisneyBride]

My husband and I will be going on the Disney Fantasy in a few weeks. We went on the Dream last July and stayed at the Hyatt at the Orlando Airport and got down to the buses super early and were one of the first to get on a bus and check in at the terminal. However that was really stressful and I don't know if it is worth it to get there so early just to wait to board and get on the ship asap.

Is the extra 2 hours on the ship really worth it or should we sleep in (at the Hyatt since we are flying in the night before) and go down to the buses later. Is there a good time to get to the DCL transfers, other than super early?

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

For additional information we are going to be on the Fantasy 7 night western Caribbean.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Its up to you, if you want Palo or Remy ot character bookings or a quick ride on Aquaduck its worth getting there early.

I think many people want to get the vacation going and get their moneys worth so get there early and get on asap.

Food starts with lunch and many want to enjoy that.

But you can get there later and avoid most of the queues its up to you.

 

[lanejudy]

I think there's a big difference between grabbing every minute possible onboard for a short 3 or 4 night cruise vs 7 night cruises. Do you have anything specific that you really feel you NEED to do first thing onboard (dining changes, reservations, etc.)? If not, I'd sleep in a bit and maybe plan to arrive at the terminal around 12:30pm. That's a sweet-spot between the early rush and when the buses start arriving from WDW; lines are low or non-existent and you can get right onboard after check-in. You really may have only missed an hour or so onboard, but in the vast scheme of things that's not a big deal. Or if you wait to arrive around 1:15pm you may be able to get to your stateroom as soon as you board, but there may be more people at the terminal at this time due to WDW buses arriving.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[MUN]

My husband and I will be going on the Disney Fantasy in a few weeks. We went on the Dream last July and stayed at the Hyatt at the Orlando Airport and got down to the buses super early and were one of the first to get on a bus and check in at the terminal. However that was really stressful and I don't know if it is worth it to get there so early just to wait to board and get on the ship asap.

Is the extra 2 hours on the ship really worth it or should we sleep in (at the Hyatt since we are flying in the night before) and go down to the buses later. Is there a good time to get to the DCL transfers, other than super early?

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

For additional information we are going to be on the Fantasy 7 night western Caribbean.

Was the waking up early part that was stressful for you or was it the getting on the ship early part that was stressful? Or was it something else?

MUN

 

[Bill B.]

I personally think it's worth it. I really enjoy having the ship to ourselves (so to speak) for the first hour or so. Cabanas is so pleasant when you're not getting elbowed and pushed in every direction.

 

[Crystal O_o]

I enjoy getting on asap, so yeah it's worth it to me. I didn't feel it was stressful at all, I really felt good getting there early.

 

[allears]

This is very subjective and we each have our own preference. We like getting to the port early and being among the first to board. We love just being on the ship and the sooner we can get on the better. We can snag on board activities from guest services, enjoy a leisurely lunch and simply soak up being on board again! But its your vacation, do what makes you enjoy it the most.

 

[PHamrick]

How early are you able to get on? I've been on one Disney cruise before, so I think I can book my arrival time for earlier than we did last time. We plan on staying in Port Canaveral b/c the kids want to see the space center a day or two before the cruise. But how early do they actually start letting people on? I definitely want to avoid the arrivals from WDW. We did that last time and whew! Madhouse!

 

[allears]

You get to select a port arrival time when you do your on line check in. I believe the earliest is 10:30 am when the port officially opens. They board by number groups typically around 11:45. We are platinum, so we can arrive at opening and get boarding group one. We're usually on board before noon.

 

[jamnmom]

We will be doing the same cruise (Western Caribbean) on Fantasy in November. This will be our very first cruise. I've not yet bought our air tix and will be arriving at MCO on embarkation day, so will take the Disney Cruise Line bus from the airport. I plan on getting there for the first bus out of the airport (I read somewhere that is around 1030am). Our family would experience stress if we arrived any later. We are most comfortable knowing that we have that cushion of time, if needed; but our goal is always to be at any location as early as allowed. That's just the way we most enjoy our vacations and it's how I am at my best for being organized, etc. As others have said...everyone is different. Enjoy your Cruise!!!

 

[JMHDisney]

I've done the "get there as early as possible" thing and now, unless there's something specific to reserve, I just don't. On our last cruise a few weeks ago, we had private transport pick us up at the Contemporary at 11am, did a wine stop, and arrived at the port shortly before 12:30pm. There were no lines in the terminal and we breezed right on, went to lunch, and as soon as we were done with lunch, went to our staterooms to drop our stuff off. I'd prefer if I could drop my stuff off before lunch but other than that, the timing was perfect. I hate crowds and lines and want my vacation to start off in the most relaxing way possible.

 

[lanejudy]

I plan on getting there for the first bus out of the airport (I read somewhere that is around 1030am).

First bus from the airport begins boarding around 9am or shortly thereafter and pulls out as soon as it's full -- 9:15am or 9:20am. The port terminal opens at 10:30am.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks lanejudy. For years now we have been using private transportation. This time (Sunday) we decided to just stay at the Hyatt and I was wondering when the buses first start boarding. Perfect!

 

[kiford]

We usually take the DCL transfers from WDW and get there about 1-ish. By the time we check in, our room is ready, we drop our bags off and then head to lunch. The only times we've arrived earlier was on the Med cruises and we have to haul our bags around wasting time until the room is ready. I don't feel like we gain anything by being there earlier. We've already booked everything online that we want like Palo and spa visits. Basically, I feel like my carryon is a giant anchor that keeps me from doing anything. Usually we end up sitting in the Cove Café but I could do that just as well at the hotel after sleeping in and having a leisurely breakfast (well, actually we did do that in Barcelona - bus didn't come until 11:30 but the hotel is only a few minutes from the port so you get there early anyway).

 

[jamnmom]

First bus from the airport begins boarding around 9am or shortly thereafter and pulls out as soon as it's full -- 9:15am or 9:20am. The port terminal opens at 10:30am.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you for the info. The 1030 I'm thinking of may have been port arrival rather than airport departure. I will keep that in mind when booking our flights. Do you know how often buses role out of the airport?? Every 30 min? 45 min?, etc???

 

[3Down1Up]

Thank you for the info. The 1030 I'm thinking of may have been port arrival rather than airport departure. I will keep that in mind when booking our flights. Do you know how often buses role out of the airport?? Every 30 min? 45 min?, etc???

Each bus leaves when it's full, which could be in 10 minutes or 20 minutes, depending on the time of day.

Is the extra 2 hours on the ship really worth it or should we sleep in (at the Hyatt since we are flying in the night before) and go down to the buses later.

If it's a 3 or 4 night, we like to board early to let the kids swim before the pools get really crowded. If it's a 7 night or longer, my only motivator is getting a dining reservation or some other sign-up; otherwise, we don't rush.

 

[VS85]

If you're trying to get to the port by 12:30, you'd need to catch an 11:30ish bus from MCO, correct? How are the crowds at the DCL bus area at that time? Is there usually a long line to get to a bus or do you have to wait a long time to depart? Last time we were on the first bus, but this time don't really care to get there ASAP.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If you're trying to get to the port by 12:30, you'd need to catch an 11:30ish bus from MCO, correct? How are the crowds at the DCL bus area at that time? Is there usually a long line to get to a bus or do you have to wait a long time to depart? Last time we were on the first bus, but this time don't really care to get there ASAP.

Yes it's an hour MCO to Port. At 12.30 embarkation will be well underway and the queues down.

 

[VS85]

Thank you!

 

[JLMDisneyCruise]

This is my first cruise, I'm staying at WDW the day before, meeting up with my travel friend who works at Disney...
We were gonna take DCL from resort to PC, but I hired my normal backup town car service, that way we can get there early. I want to be able to enjoy and see things when somewhat quite!... Actually I just need this cruise to get going NOW!