Private Transfers and Online Booking Priority

[MomOTwins]

First of all, I just want to say, I rely so much on this board and you all are amazing for spending your time helping others navigate the DCL cruise waters! Thank you!!!

This is our first time on a 7 day cruise and our first time using private transfers (Minnie vans! so excited!) instead of DCL transportation.

For those of you who have private transfers, what pickup time do you choose?
(1) on the way to the port from the hotel. I am currently thinking around 10am so we don't have to wait too long before boarding, but have no idea what to expect since we always arrived after regular boarding was done; and
(2) on the way from the port to the hotel. Is an 8am pickup too early to be able to get off the boat and through customs on time--with three kids, a stroller, and lotsa suitcases, we'll have to pick up bags in terminal and can't do express walkoff--but I want to hit up a WDW park as soon as we can to maximize the value of a pricey 1-day ticket.

Also, I am used to booking last-minute and not being able to select much in advance, but is this a good sequence for booking activities at midnight online? Or
(1) Port Arrival Time
(2) Palo Brunch
(3) Character breakfast
(4) Frozen/Princess meet and greet
(5) Port Adventures (Cozumel ruins; Jamaica manor house; Grand Cayman submarine)
(6) Champagne tasting for one (me!)
(7) Spa massage
(8) If still available, the Royal Court Tea for two people (putting this at the bottom because while I think my little one would enjoy this, I wouldn't be too sad to miss it and not have to spend hundreds of bucks for a 4-year old who might not even remember it)

Am I forgetting anything obvious? I don't want Remy or any Bippity Boppety Boutique/Pirates League.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

First of all, I just want to say, I rely so much on this board and you all are amazing for spending your time helping others navigate the DCL cruise waters! Thank you!!!

This is our first time on a 7 day cruise and our first time using private transfers (Minnie vans! so excited!) instead of DCL transportation.

For those of you who have private transfers, what pickup time do you choose?
(1) on the way to the port from the hotel. I am currently thinking around 10am so we don't have to wait too long before boarding, but have no idea what to expect since we always arrived after regular boarding was done; and
(2) on the way from the port to the hotel. Is an 8am pickup too early to be able to get off the boat and through customs on time--with three kids, a stroller, and lotsa suitcases, we'll have to pick up bags in terminal and can't do express walkoff--but I want to hit up a WDW park as soon as we can to maximize the value of a pricey 1-day ticket.

Also, I am used to booking last-minute and not being able to select much in advance, but is this a good sequence for booking activities at midnight online? Or
(1) Port Arrival Time
(2) Palo Brunch
(3) Character breakfast
(4) Frozen/Princess meet and greet
(5) Port Adventures (Cozumel ruins; Jamaica manor house; Grand Cayman submarine)
(6) Champagne tasting for one (me!)
(7) Spa massage
(8) If still available, the Royal Court Tea for two people (putting this at the bottom because while I think my little one would enjoy this, I wouldn't be too sad to miss it and not have to spend hundreds of bucks for a 4-year old who might not even remember it)

Am I forgetting anything obvious? I don't want Remy or any Bippity Boppety Boutique/Pirates League.

If you are picked up at 10:00 (what hotel?), at a WDW resort, you'll most likely arrive around 11:00. Boarding won't begin until, at the earliest, 11:30 or so. Depending on what Port Arrival Time you select, you may get a low enough boarding number to be called for boarding by 11:45 (Concierge, Back to back, and Platinum Castaway Club members all get to go before boarding numbers are announced).

 

[pangyal]

I might suggest booking the brunch first, followed by the meet and greets, followed by the tasting, then the breakfast, and then the remainder on your list. The excursions are unlikely to sell out, especially right at the window opening time for any of the CC levels.

When we’ve done private transfers, we have been picked up around 9:30 and I’m not sure that there was any advantage to that, honestly, because we just stood in a long line waiting for the terminal to open and then sat around until we could board. I would personally prefer to arrive around 11, so your plan for pickup around 10 sounds perfect!