Resort After Sailing... Check-In?

[Shamrock927]

Hi Everyone,

We have done two Disney Cruises in the past, the 7 night western Caribbean and the 7 night eastern Caribbean on Fantasy. Both times we stayed at AKL two nights before and had a Magic Kingdom day.

Now we are thinking about doing the 3 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream and staying at the Polynesian 4 nights after it. We had a couple questions for those who have done the resort after the cruise...

1) How did you find the process of transferring from ship to resort? We have always gone to the airport and found it very smooth and easy but wasn't sure if it was much more challenging going to a resort.

2) Based on the way they shuffle you off the ship, I know we would get to the Polynesian pretty early. We have a toddler and could do the pool but her gas tank will run out eventually. What has been your luck in being able to access your room or check-in early after arrival? If it helps, we would arrive on a Monday in July.

Thanks so much for your input!

 

[mmouse37]

Cruise guests don't get any special treatment at WDW like early check in or anything so it will be hit or miss if your room is ready when you get there...just like if you were checking in any other time.

As far as disembarking....the process is not quite as smooth going to a resort from the ship as it is from the resort to the ship but very doable.

You will put out your luggage the night before you leave and claim it at the terminal the next morning when you leave the ship. You will bring the luggage through customs with you and bring it out to the buses (a porter is a great help and it is customary to tip $2-$3 per bag). You will tell the CM which resort you are going to and they will direct you to the correct bus (the porter can load all your luggage from the terminal and walk it through customs and out to the bus area). Your luggage will be put under the bus and you would take it from the bus to check it in at the resort. If your room is not ready bell services at the resort will hold it for you so you can head over to the parks if you wanted.

You could also walk your own luggage off the ship if you prefer but it is much easier to put it out in the hall and have it delivered to the terminal IMO.

The bus from the ship to WDW is $35 pp.

MJ

 

[Marc D]

2) Based on the way they shuffle you off the ship, I know we would get to the Polynesian pretty early. We have a toddler and could do the pool but her gas tank will run out eventually. What has been your luck in being able to access your room or check-in early after arrival? If it helps, we would arrive on a Monday in July.

Thanks so much for your input!

The resort shuttles leave at 9 A.M. You'll be the last ones to leave the port. Due to the various stops you may make, don't plan anything before 12:30 PM in the parks or your resort. That being said, they won't treat you any better at the resort than any other guest. In July, early check-ins might not happen, since the resort will be full, people come and go any day of the week and the attendants have their hands full.

 

[mmouse37]

Is 9 am for resort buses from the ship a steadfast rule? I only ask because I am pretty sure we left much earlier than 9 to head to the resorts one time.

MJ

 

[mevelandry]

Hi Everyone,

We have done two Disney Cruises in the past, the 7 night western Caribbean and the 7 night eastern Caribbean on Fantasy. Both times we stayed at AKL two nights before and had a Magic Kingdom day.

Now we are thinking about doing the 3 night Bahamas cruise on the Dream and staying at the Polynesian 4 nights after it. We had a couple questions for those who have done the resort after the cruise...

1) How did you find the process of transferring from ship to resort? We have always gone to the airport and found it very smooth and easy but wasn't sure if it was much more challenging going to a resort.

2) Based on the way they shuffle you off the ship, I know we would get to the Polynesian pretty early. We have a toddler and could do the pool but her gas tank will run out eventually. What has been your luck in being able to access your room or check-in early after arrival? If it helps, we would arrive on a Monday in July.

Thanks so much for your input!

1) Just as smooth.

2) We checked the "Give us a room as soon as possible" option... Apparently we have been lucky because we have always had our rooms right away or right after lunch time... but one way or another don't worry.

Make sure you put a very early arrival time at the resort when you check-in online. They will expect you to arrive early.

Worst case scenario, you have access to bathroom/changing rooms onsite and bell service will take care of your luggage for you. (I understand it doesn't give the child a place to nap but hopefully you'll get a room on time. At what time does your kid nap?)

Also, tiny detail: DH and I are childfree.

Can't imagine they wouldn't give you priority (for room assignment) when you have a toddler with you.

 

[Marc D]

Is 9 am for resort buses from the ship a steadfast rule? I only ask because I am pretty sure we left much earlier than 9 to head to the resorts one time.

I think it depends on how many buses are scheduled for your particular route. Next march, we are going to BWI and I was told that there was "just one bus going there, so you'll leave at 9 A.M." Maybe, for resorts with a higher volume of guests, they assign more busses and make them leave as soon as they are full ? I'm pretty sure Poly will be in the same situation as BWI.

 

[lanejudy]

We've gotten to our resort as early as 9am when we were off the ship early, but that was several years ago when the buses left as soon as they filled. I think sometime in the past year or so DCL started holding the resort buses at the port until 9am (or close). I'm not sure of the logic other than presumably fewer resorts per bus so not as many stops [that just my assumption].

 

[CamColt]

We went to the Poly after a 5 night Dream cruise in 2015. We took a town car from the port and it went smoothly. You are right, we were at the Poly fairly early.

We were going to DHS for the day but would have liked to have gotten in our room first to drop off some stuff. The CM at check in made it sound like the room was going to be ready soon so we sat and waited...and waited and waited...we finally checked our bags and left. We never got a text during the day that our room was ready like we were supposed to. In fact I was then worried something was wrong so we ended up leaving not long after dinner to check. They then told us the room was ready. So, I don't know if we just didn't get a text and it was ready hours earlier or what, but the bottom line we were not in our room until after dinner. And based on another experience we had at the Poly about 5 years earlier, I would never plan to be in my room early. It's a bonus if you are.

 

[mevelandry]

Their texting system is a big fail. I keep asking for it but never receive it. I always find out that our room is ready by checking my e-mails.

 

[bumbershoot]

Can't imagine they wouldn't give you priority (for room assignment) when you have a toddler with you.

Except that there are hundreds if other families with toddlers checking in that day as well.

Their texting system is a big fail. I keep asking for it but never receive it. I always find out that our room is ready by checking my e-mails.

Silly question. For online checkin are you erasing your email and just putting your cellphone number? There is space for both so if you are putting both maybe it's prioritizing the email.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

We got off a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise this past summer. If my memory serves me correctly, we had to be off the ship by 9 a.m. to head to the resort. We were staying at the Grand Floridian, and our bus stopped at the Poly first. Our room was not ready at the time, and most likely your room will not be ready at 10 a.m. in July. You can check your bags into the bell service and head straight to the parks. If you were wanting to use the pool, I would pack your swim wear in a carry-on bag that is easy to carry around, and you can use the pool while you wait for your room. I think the official check-in time is 4 p.m, so your room can take that long to get ready. If Disney knows you are there, they usually try to get your room ready as soon as possible.

 

[mevelandry]

Except that there are hundreds if other families with toddlers checking in that day as well.



Silly question. For online checkin are you erasing your email and just putting your cellphone number? There is space for both so if you are putting both maybe it's prioritizing the email.

Not a silly question at all. I usually write both but usually the CM at the hotel asks us what we prefer.