Question about boarding times

[Little Doe]

Except for Concierge and Platinum how are the boarding times given out? Is it based on the day you paid in full? Also if you are Platinum can people you are linked to (that are not platinum) board with you just as concierge can? Thanks

 

[jdb in AZ]

Except for Concierge and Platinum how are the boarding times given out? Is it based on the day you paid in full? Also if you are Platinum can people you are linked to (that are not platinum) board with you just as concierge can? Thanks

You choose your boarding time when you do your on-line check-in.

If your group has different boarding times, the platinum people need to board with the later passengers in their group. The platinum benefits do not extend to newbies.

 

[yorkieteacher]

If you want an early boarding time, you need an early port arrival time (PAT) which you pick at on-line check in from the 15 minute interval choices available. The earlier the PAT, the earlier the boarding number, which you don't get until you check in at the terminal. If you are not Castaway Club or higher, you get to complete your on-line check in 75 days prior to your cruise. I got up at 12:01 am that day so I could get an early time for our December 4th cruise, our first Disney Cruise. We got the second interval PAT, or 10:45-11:00. Some experienced cruisers thought we may have a 4 or 5 boarding number, which would be about 11:45 boarding time. I can let you know after our cruise. Good luck.

 

[SillyInventor]

No Boarding time is given out.
You will select a "Port arrival Time" when you do you online check-in. As the earlier times are usually favorite they will be the first to "sell out". Based on your PAT you wil receive a boarding number. Boarding numbers will be called, starting with "1" when boarding starts. Every few minutes a new number will added until the number called outruns the number currently given out. at the time (usually within an hour after boarding starts) "open boarding" is called and any number may board at will. By this time the terminal will be cleared out and you can look around at ease and board when you feel ready. A 2pm PAT will allow you to board earlier as open boarding will be announced long before that. So don't worry to much about that.

 

[SnowWhite2]

And please people....do not clog up the area around the Mickey ears boarding area. It just makes boarding take longer. Wait in the lounge area or behind the model ship until your number is called.

 

[Little Doe]

Sorry I said boarding time, I meant PAT. By the cruise my husband and I will be Platinum but will be traveling with family that is Gold or Silver. As I understand what is being said - the PAT is based on the online check in time not an early Paid in Full date. Correct?

 

[Little Doe]

YorkieTeacher -- we will be on that cruise also ( if you are sailing out of Galveston). I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Sorry I said boarding time, I meant PAT. By the cruise my husband and I will be Platinum but will be traveling with family that is Gold or Silver. As I understand what is being said - the PAT is based on the online check in time not an early Paid in Full date. Correct?

Yes. Sorry for adding to the confusion earlier (senior moment.)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Sorry I said boarding time, I meant PAT. By the cruise my husband and I will be Platinum but will be traveling with family that is Gold or Silver. As I understand what is being said - the PAT is based on the online check in time not an early Paid in Full date. Correct?

You select a Port Arrival Time during your online check in process. Unless you are Concierge or Platinum. Each PAT window (usually at 15 minute window, but sometimes it's 30), has XX number of boarding numbers assigned to it. For example: 10:30-10:45 may have boarding numbers 1-5. Number 1 is typically Concierge and/or Platinum CC members. There's apparently no rhyme or reason as to who gets #2 or #5. PAT 10:45-11:00 may have #6-10. Again, no way of knowing which of those numbers you may get if you have that PAT window.

I've never read that the online check in time has anything to do with what actual boarding number you get.

 

[Little Doe]

Thanks so much for the information and help. When traveling with children and their families, usually my husband and I do concierge so that we have a big meeting place for the family. With that we all have early boarding. But with Disney's price increases, ( and my husbands pension's being cut in half) will be all traveling ocean view. So I will try to do an early check in time. One more question please -- can you get tickets to the Princess Tea if you are not concierge? Thanks everyone.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks so much for the information and help. When traveling with children and their families, usually my husband and I do concierge so that we have a big meeting place for the family. With that we all have early boarding. But with Disney's price increases, ( and my husbands pension's being cut in half) will be all traveling ocean view. So I will try to do an early check in time. One more question please -- can you get tickets to the Princess Tea if you are not concierge? Thanks everyone.

I don't think being Concierge necessarily means you get Princess Tea tickets more than being non-Concierge. Which "Princess Tea" are you asking about? There's the Royal Court Tea (pricey) and the Tea With.....(Alice, the Princesses, Disney Friends, Wendy, whoever) that has no cost.

 

[Little Doe]

Hi PrincessShmoo, we have gotten tickets to a Princess Tea. It is usually in the lounge just above the Oceaneers club on the Magic (before refit) or the Wonder. They have given the tickets to us when Concierge meeting at boarding. It has usually three princesses and you get a little cup of tea and a couple of cookies. Then the children get to see each of the princesses and take pictures. It lasts about an hour. Can you do this without being concierge? Thanks My understanding is that the Royal Court Tea is different??

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi PrincessShmoo, we have gotten tickets to a Princess Tea. It is usually in the lounge just above the Oceaneers club on the Magic (before refit) or the Wonder. They have given the tickets to us when Concierge meeting at boarding. It has usually three princesses and you get a little cup of tea and a couple of cookies. Then the children get to see each of the princesses and take pictures. It lasts about an hour. Can you do this without being concierge? Thanks My understanding is that the Royal Court Tea is different??

Ah...OK, yeah, I believe that particular tea is a Concierge perk. But some cruises (I think the longer Magic & Wonder ones) have the Tea With.....(whoever). I don't think the Fantasy/Dream have this.

The Royal Court Tea is on the Fantasy and it has a hefty price (for me anyway).

 

[Little Doe]

Thanks PrincessShmo! ( How did you get your call name? I have seen it often and always wondered.)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thanks PrincessShmo! ( How did you get your call name? I have seen it often and always wondered.)

Back in the day (many years ago - after WWII), the cartoon strip Li'l Abner had a creature - a shmoo.

The Shmoo was a lovable bowling pin-shaped whiskered creature. The Shmoo yielded milk, eggs, cheesecake, and just about anything else you might desire. Shmoo meat when roasted was pork, when broiled it was steak, and when fried it was chicken. The eyes of a Shmoo made good suspender buttons and its whiskers made fine toothpicks. The skin when cut thin served as high quality cloth; cut thick it was leather, and cut in strips it became boards for housing.

During the Soviet Union's blockade of West Berlin, Germany in 1948, candy-filled shmoos were air-dropped to hungry West Berliners from transport planes by America's 17th Military Airport Squadron. The commanders of the Berlin airlift had cabled Capp, requesting the inflatable shmoos as part of Operation: Little Vittles. "When the candy-chocked shmoos were dropped, a near-riot resulted...." (Reported in Newsweek—11 October 1948)

I was born in Germany and arrived during this time, and my parents always called my their "little Shmoo".

When I joined the DISboards, I thought adding "Princess" made it sound more Disney-ish.

 

[Little Doe]

That is so interesting. Thanks for the story. My "name" came from my youth also. My father went by "Buck" Buchanan. I was always called Little Doe. ( but I am not so little anymore!)

 

[yorkieteacher]

YorkieTeacher -- we will be on that cruise also ( if you are sailing out of Galveston). I hope you have a wonderful time.

We are Port Canaveral! Hope you have a great time as well!