Special Check-in Option at MCO Hyatt

[gregf71]

Sorry if these particular questions have been asked before. I did some digging and didn't see all of this specifically covered.

We will be flying into MCO the day before our October cruise embarkation. We will be spending 1 night at the MCO Hyatt. I learned this weekend via a YouTube video about being able to check-in for our DCL cruise the next morning within the MCO Hyatt itself instead of going to the usual location out by the MCO car rental desks. I found some information online and I even had a chat session with the Hyatt, but they weren't very helpful.

Basically, we’d like to know how it works and do we need to do anything ahead of time (notify DCL or the Hyatt so that we are on a list of something?), or is it as simple as telling the Hyatt staff when we check in for our 1 night stay that we have a Disney Cruise Line transfer booked for the next morning? In the YouTube video that alerted me to the service, the family left their DCL-tagged luggage in their room, Hyatt Bell Services claimed it, and delivered it to the DCL staff for transfer to the ship. We’d prefer to bring our DCL-tagged luggage down with us when checking in with the DCL representatives, just to be certain that they had our bags. Is that allowed with the special Hyatt process?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Girl of the South]

Make sure on your DCL account that the Pick Up location for your transfer says HYATT and not MCO.

 

[Stormypetrel]

First you need to call DCL and have them change your transfer pick up location to specify MCO Hyatt rather than just MCO. Unless it has changed very recently you can only do that by calling; when you book it in the app you can only choose the airport as your pickup location.
Once that is confirmed, a few days before your cruise you will be emailed instructions on when and where to report to check in. It is in the open area over by the hotel restaurant. You’ll be given a window of time to line up based on castaway status. You’ll do all your cruise check in here, have your magic bands programmed etc. The busses to the port leave continuously in order of when you checked in so there may be a brief wait to be called to board your bus.

No, I do not believe it is an option to hand carry your luggage on the bus; it is loaded onto a separate truck to be screened for contraband and delivered to the ship. Disney has it down to a science and it’s really not something to worry about but some people toss an AirTag into their luggage for extra peace of mind. Just pack what you need for that day, such as meds and a bathing suit in your carry on.

 

[Girl of the South]

I understand being nervous about leaving your luggage in your room to be picked up but I’ve done it 3 times and it’s really convenient! And yes, they AirTag is a great idea.

 

[SleepyDeb]

We did this about 2 weeks ago. We were silver, so our time to arrive downstairs was something like 9:30. Higher tiers check in earlier. We were there when they came to pick up our bags at around 8:00.

You go downstairs to a ballroom and wait on line to check in. I suppose it was bc we were toward the end of the times available, the line was long and it took about an hour. It was better than checking in at the port though because it was less crowded (fewer people clumped together) and there was the option of one member of party standing in line and the rest sitting and taking turns at that.

After you check in, you sit down and wait for your bus to be called. That didn't take too long.

One you get to the port, you go right on the ship. No more checking in.

I'd do it again.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Also did this a couple of weeks ago. I saw one family bring their bags to Disney checkin rather than leave in the room - the Disney reps had to take the bags to wherever the hotel brings all of the other bags, so it is best to leave in your room if you could be comfortable with that. We asked at hotel checkin where Disney would be in the morning, as it can vary by number of guests. There was also excellent signage in the hotel lobby area on departure morning.

I too would do this again, very smooth and easy process.

 

[Budzooka]

Did this a couple of years ago and it was great.

 

[ionz13]

This is good information. At the hotel, how do they handle your carry on baggage? Is it scanned like at the port through a xray machine?

 

[Liastaob]

This is good information. At the hotel, how do they handle your carry on baggage? Is it scanned like at the port through a xray machine?

You bring it with you on the bus, and then you'll run it through scanners at the port. It's pretty quick.

 

[Liastaob]

Make sure on your DCL account that the Pick Up location for your transfer says HYATT and not MCO.

So, does it actually tell you this somewhere? Mine just says "purchased" with no further info. I'm just curious, I usually call out of paranoia a few weeks before, anyway...

 

[sponica]

So, does it actually tell you this somewhere? Mine just says "purchased" with no further info. I'm just curious, I usually call out of paranoia a few weeks before, anyway...

The invoice just says transfers, but unless you booked it through email or called to book it, I believe it defaults to MCO.

I hate calling unless I have to so for something simple like booking transfers from the Hyatt MCO or a Disney resort, I just use the help center "email us" option. You could probably do that to confirm/or change the location of the transfer pick up.

 

[Stormypetrel]

So, does it actually tell you this somewhere? Mine just says "purchased" with no further info. I'm just curious, I usually call out of paranoia a few weeks before, anyway...

This was a year ago for me now so perhaps has changed but the email confirmation you get whenever you make a payment (the one with the subject line “bibbidi bobbidi booked”) should show your ground transfer information with a pickup and drop off location. I booked through the app and it said pick up at “Orlando international” at first. I called to change it and got an updated email with a pickup location of “Hyatt Regency Orlando Int'l Airport”

 

[Girl of the South]

Yes, check you Bibbidi email. This was for the trans Atlantic cruise but this is where to look for “Hyatt” in your reservation.

 

[Mathmagicland]

One thing I forgot to mention re the Hyatt MCO checkin process - Disney will ask your room number and how many bags you’ve left in your room for bell services to pick up. Then, Disney will cross check that with what bell services says they picked up, to be sure all of the bags have been retrieved from each room, before the luggage truck leaves. So there is a check and balance re number of pieces per room.

 

[Liastaob]

This was a year ago for me now so perhaps has changed but the email confirmation you get whenever you make a payment (the one with the subject line “bibbidi bobbidi booked”) should show your ground transfer information with a pickup and drop off location. I booked through the app and it said pick up at “Orlando international” at first. I called to change it and got an updated email with a pickup location of “Hyatt Regency Orlando Int'l Airport”

It does! Very cool, I never scrolled down that far in the email.

Thanks to everyone who answered; you guys are amazing.

 

[Silvermist999]

Just wanted to chime in to say we only used carryons and brought them down with us to check in on the morning of our cruise. We brought them to the DCL bus ourselves. There were others that did the same. At the port, the carryons are put through scanners just like at airport security.

 

[gregf71]

No, I do not believe it is an option to hand carry your luggage on the bus; it is loaded onto a separate truck to be screened for contraband and delivered to the ship. Disney has it down to a science and it’s really not something to worry about but some people toss an AirTag into their luggage for extra peace of mind. Just pack what you need for that day, such as meds and a bathing suit in your carry on.

Carrying our luggage onto the bus is not what I meant. I meant instead of leaving our bags in our room for Bell Services to pickup, could we bring it down to the Hyatt DCL check-in location and hand it off to a DCL CM there.

 

[lanejudy]

Carrying our luggage onto the bus is not what I meant. I meant instead of leaving our bags in our room for Bell Services to pickup, could we bring it down to the Hyatt DCL check-in location and hand it off to a DCL CM there.

You can but there’s probably no benefit and possibly greater chance of something getting lost because as someone posted above the CM will then need to get your luggage caught up with all the rest. It won’t go under your bus, checked luggage all goes on a truck. If the truck with Hyatt luggage has already left, your bags could take an extra tour trying to meet up with the main MCO location.

 

[lisah0711]

Thank you everyone for this very timely thread. We leave next week on our first cruise from the Hyatt and would not have known how this worked. Another vacation worry gone thanks to the Disboards!

 

[kiford]

We’d prefer to bring our DCL-tagged luggage down with us when checking in with the DCL representatives, just to be certain that they had our bags. Is that allowed with the special Hyatt process?

You can, but we've had DCL pick up our luggage from our room twice in Barcelona, once in London, twice in the MCO Hyatt, and six times at a WDW resort. It's always been picked up exactly when they said it would and it's always made it there. I have Airtags in my luggage, but last time, my luggage arrived before my AirTag updated its location (not a reason not to put it in - I keep all of my luggage tagged all the time).