Port Arrival Times greyed out

[iZon]

Hi. The earliest clickable time was 12:45 (Fantasy April 22). We are staying at airport and taking Disney transfers. First one usually leaves about 9:15 arriving about 10:30. With our late time, we will still be allowed on an early bus and also be allowed into the port? Thanks. We have usually come from WDW by transfer and just walk on around 1pm.

 

[Dug720]

You will most likely be allowed on the bus and into the terminal. But you will probably be in there for a while as your Boarding Group is tied to your PAT. I saw it personally with a family who was on the bus with me and who checked in next to me in the terminal - their PAT was later and their Boarding Group matched it.

 

[anricat]

You don't need a PAT if you are staying at the Hyatt MCO and using Disney transfers. Feel free to go down to the cruise transfer desk whenever you want.

 

[Dug720]

You don't need a PAT if you are staying at the Hyatt MCO and using Disney transfers. Feel free to go down to the cruise transfer desk whenever you want.

As I understood it, you only get the "don't have to select a PAT" if you book the airport Hyatt deal if you book the hotel through Disney. If you book it on your own you do need to select one.

That said, I usually use the phrase "at the airport" meaning at a hotel around the airport, so I don't automatically assume the in-airpote expensive hotel.

 

[lanejudy]

You don't need a PAT if you are staying at the Hyatt MCO and using Disney transfers. Feel free to go down to the cruise transfer desk whenever you want.

The general consensus has been that if the online check-in offers you a choice of PAT, it's best to select one. If you "don't need" a PAT, there won't be any choices available or maybe a message to that effect. Some people have needed a PAT and others haven't; those who don't seem to be booked (hotel) directly through DCL, but that also doesn't seem to be definitive.


OP -- take the earliest PAT you can get, and maybe keep checking to see if something earlier opens up. As mentioned, if you take an early DCL bus to the port, you will be allowed into the terminal but may have a later boarding number. It's possible the CM at check-in will give you an earlier number but not guaranteed. Boarding doesn't begin until about 11:15/11:30, and "open boarding" usually starts around 12:30. So you could hang at the hotel for a leisurely breakfast rather than rushing to the first DCL bus that morning.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you "don't need" a PAT, there won't be any choices available or maybe a message to that effect.

 

[iZon]

Thanks. We're Gold and I completely forgot about online check-in until today (39 days out). Just slipped my mind. I don't mind if we wait in the terminal. We don't have any onboard arrangements to make. One time we did that we got to meet people and chat. As long as we can get on the bus it'll be fine. We're staying at the Fairfield Inn.

 

[anricat]

As I understood it, you only get the "don't have to select a PAT" if you book the airport Hyatt deal if you book the hotel through Disney. If you book it on your own you do need to select one.

That said, I usually use the phrase "at the airport" meaning at a hotel around the airport, so I don't automatically assume the in-airpote expensive hotel.

We booked the Hyatt MCO not through Disney and we were unable to select a PAT. I've heard of other people who did book the Hyatt through Disney who were able to select. It seems really hit or miss and doesn't seem to follow any particular rule. I think it's a bit of a goofy system.

That's true, the OP didn't specifically say Hyatt so I shouldn't assume.

 

[BartmanLA]

We booked the Hyatt MCO not through Disney and we were unable to select a PAT. I've heard of other people who did book the Hyatt through Disney who were able to select. It seems really hit or miss and doesn't seem to follow any particular rule. I think it's a bit of a goofy system.

That's true, the OP didn't specifically say Hyatt so I shouldn't assume.

We booked into the Hyatt MCO for our trip in April on the Wonder for the WBPC cruise, and I did the booking myself not through DCL and was still able to select a PAT when I did the online check in with DCL, so I don't understand how you were unable to select your PAT that way. The one thing the OP needs to take into consideration is that from my understanding even if you get the very first DCL Magical Express bus out of MCO, the bus probably won't reach Port Canaveral until nearly 11am which is when the Port facility actually opens, to let passengers in. They need to accommodate the guests getting off of the ship from the previous cruise first and usually try to complete that by 9:30am-10am, arriving super early really won't get you on the ship any faster, if your PAT is at a specific time your boarding number will reflect that, not when you actually arrive at the port. It's great to be excited and enthusiastic about going on your Disney Cruise, but arriving super early will just result in a lot of sitting around and waiting.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

even if you get the very first DCL Magical Express bus out of MCO, the bus probably won't reach Port Canaveral until nearly 11am

Not my experience. We were on the first bus twice. Both time the bus departed MCO around 9:10-9:15 and arrived at the port at 10:15. We were allowed to enter the terminal (even though it hadn't actually opened to the people driving directly there). Check in counter didn't open until 10:30 (when the terminal opened), but we were inside before then.

Also, in my experience, DCL wants everyone off the ship by 9:00. There are times that doesn't happen, but, generally, the ship is cleared by 9:30 at the latest.

 

[Dug720]

Not my experience. We were on the first bus twice. Both time the bus departed MCO around 9:10-9:15 and arrived at the port at 10:15. We were allowed to enter the terminal (even though it hadn't actually opened to the people driving directly there). Check in counter didn't open until 10:30 (when the terminal opened), but we were inside before then.

Also, in my experience, DCL wants everyone off the ship by 9:00. There are times that doesn't happen, but, generally, the ship is cleared by 9:30 at the latest.

This. In Feb 2015 we were held on the bus for about 15 minutes when we got there because there was some delay in getting everyone off the ship. But we were still in before the others who had come other ways.

 

[Promomx2]

We're staying at the Hyatt, have a 1230 pat. Do we have to sign up to get a specific time to get on the bus or can we just go down whenever? and how often do the buses leave the airport?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We're staying at the Hyatt, have a 1230 pat. Do we have to sign up to get a specific time to get on the bus or can we just go down whenever? and how often do the buses leave the airport?

You can go down whenever. The first bus departs when full (generally by 9:15), then they depart every 20 minutes, or when full, whichever is first.

 

[anricat]

I don't understand how you were unable to select your PAT that way

I don't either, but I'm not the first person that this has happened with.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I don't either, but I'm not the first person that this has happened with.

Were you Concierge? Or a Platinum Castaway Club member?

 

[anricat]

Were you Concierge? Or a Platinum Castaway Club member?

Nope. But I know we've had this conversation before and I recall others weren't offered a PAT. It was my first cruise and I recall being really confused/freaked out. I may have even started the thread. I'm pretty sure you chimed in not to worry. The only contributing factor was that I did have the Hyatt booked through Disney but cancelled because I found a better rate not with Disney. Maybe somehow the original reservation was still sort of ghosting there in the background. I dunno.

 

[anricat]

Never mind! I was wrong, evidently. I did book through DCL. For some reason I recall that we had moved it. Maybe I just shopped around and didn't. False alarm! Carry on!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/s...idnt-need-to-select-a-pat-on-checkin.3253012/

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Never mind! I was wrong, evidently. I did book through DCL. For some reason I recall that we had moved it. Maybe I just shopped around and didn't. False alarm! Carry on!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/s...idnt-need-to-select-a-pat-on-checkin.3253012/

No worries. I know the DCL system is kinda wacky sometimes, and I really wouldn't be surprised, if someone who didn't "qualify" for not having to select a PAT somehow didn't have to.

Thanks for checking that out, though.

 

[BartmanLA]

We're staying at the Hyatt, have a 1230 pat. Do we have to sign up to get a specific time to get on the bus or can we just go down whenever? and how often do the buses leave the airport?

First you do have to be sure you book the seats on the Disney Magical Express Bus with DCL before the cruise also when you check into the Hyatt you will also need to sign up at the check in desk for the Baggage Check in Service where they take your bags from your hotel room and bring them to the ship for you so you don't need to drag them down to the bus, (although you are perfectly allowed to do that). You just leave them in your hotel room when you check out with your DCL luggage tags attached to them, and they'll come get them and get them to the ship for you.

 

[Promomx2]

We called Dcl and got transfers and I have online checkin and gotten a pat time. is there anything else I need to do other than signin at the Hyatt? this is our first cruise.