Transport to port options help>>??

[llrain]

Hey guys, after spending 2.5 hours on hold to ask I had to give up and hang up. Perhaps the expert cruisers on the dis can help!
Is it possible to begin Disney's bus transport from MCO to the port but with a catch.
Our cruise is Sept 16th. we are arriving in Orlando Sept 15th and possibly staying offsite in Universal for one night.
When we check out of Universal on the morning of the 16th is it possible to uber a ride to the airport and pick up the DCL bus to go to port? Or will they
not allow this because we did not stay at Disney the night before? Or will they book us to hop on at the airport regardless of where we are coming from?
Our personal route would be
A. 09-15 UNI -> 09-16 around 8am check out, catch a uber to the airport. Make our way to the DCL location to board a bus for Port Canaveral.
09-19 debark and take the DCL transport to Disney property to stay on property for the week.

OR

B. Or to avoid the 11am-12pm pick up time at a Disney resort. Stay at our villas resort 09-15, check out but head to the airport for 8am to catch the first bus to port.
If we stay at the boardwalk like we normally do we want to avoid being picked up so dang late and head to the airport for pickup instead. Do you think they would force
us to be picked up at the boardwalk because we stayed there?

Thank you very much for your opinions.

We are also considering rental car/car hires/ubers, etc but either of these 2 would be the most affordable option at the moment.

 

[Dug720]

If you're doing the bus from MCO, you can stay wherever the night before. Those at WDW resorts would (usually - though there are some who will go back to MCO as at least pre-COVID those busses often left earlier than the resort busses) be on busses FROM WDW resorts, not MCO.

To go to the port from WDW, you'd need to be staying at WDW.

From reports, post-COVID the resort busses have been leaving earlier or at around the same time as the MCO busses.

 

[OKW Lover]

DCL could car less where you spent the night before. They will transport you from the airport to the ship no matter when/how you got to the airport.

 

[lklgoodman]

We stayed at a hotel by MCO the night before our cruise. Took the hotel shuttle to MCO the morning of the cruise to get on the DCL bus, no problem doing it this way.

 

[Logan70]

We stayed at a hotel by MCO the night before our cruise. Took the hotel shuttle to MCO the morning of the cruise to get on the DCL bus, no problem doing it this way.

Hey guys, after spending 2.5 hours on hold to ask I had to give up and hang up. Perhaps the expert cruisers on the dis can help!
Is it possible to begin Disney's bus transport from MCO to the port but with a catch.
Our cruise is Sept 16th. we are arriving in Orlando Sept 15th and possibly staying offsite in Universal for one night.
When we check out of Universal on the morning of the 16th is it possible to uber a ride to the airport and pick up the DCL bus to go to port? Or will they
not allow this because we did not stay at Disney the night before? Or will they book us to hop on at the airport regardless of where we are coming from?
Our personal route would be
A. 09-15 UNI -> 09-16 around 8am check out, catch a uber to the airport. Make our way to the DCL location to board a bus for Port Canaveral.
09-19 debark and take the DCL transport to Disney property to stay on property for the week.

OR

B. Or to avoid the 11am-12pm pick up time at a Disney resort. Stay at our villas resort 09-15, check out but head to the airport for 8am to catch the first bus to port.
If we stay at the boardwalk like we normally do we want to avoid being picked up so dang late and head to the airport for pickup instead. Do you think they would force
us to be picked up at the boardwalk because we stayed there?

Thank you very much for your opinions.

We are also considering rental car/car hires/ubers, etc but either of these 2 would be the most affordable option at the moment.

Things may change by September but we stayed at Coronado Resort prior to our cruise on April 25, we were the last pick up for the Bus. Left at 8:45, testing at the port done by 10:15.
B2B re-boarded @11:15 and we were on the ship at 11:45.

Disney Cruise Line sends there own representative to the WDW resort about a half hour before scheduled departure to round up the passengers.

He thought we were staying off resort and meeting up there in the morning so you could possibly Uber to a WDW resort if it’s closer than MCO.

 

[MichelleCanada]

Things may change by September but we stayed at Coronado Resort prior to our cruise on April 25, we were the last pick up for the Bus. Left at 8:45, testing at the port done by 10:15.
B2B re-boarded @11:15 and we were on the ship at 11:45.

Disney Cruise Line sends there own representative to the WDW resort about a half hour before scheduled departure to round up the passengers.

He thought we were staying off resort and meeting up there in the morning so you could possibly Uber to a WDW resort if it’s closer than MCO.

That’s an interesting suggestion. We are staying at a non-Disney resort for 6 nights before our cruise. But it is close to Disney springs - and therefore Saratoga Springs resort. Do you think we could just book the bus from Saratoga the morning of our cruise even though we are not staying there?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That’s an interesting suggestion. We are staying at a non-Disney resort for 6 nights before our cruise. But it is close to Disney springs - and therefore Saratoga Springs resort. Do you think we could just book the bus from Saratoga the morning of our cruise even though we are not staying there?

I would doubt it. I know you can't take DCL transfers FROM port to a WDW resort unless you have a reservation at the resort.

But, you can certainly arrive at the airport (by whatever means) and take the DCL transfers from there to port. I've read where local people have been dropped at MCO and taken DCL transfers from there.

 

[MichelleCanada]

What would be the advantage of taking Sydney transport versus just arranging for a car directly from our hotel? The is the first time we are cruising and not staying at a Disney property.

 

[Dug720]

What would be the advantage of taking Sydney transport versus just arranging for a car directly from our hotel? The is the first time we are cruising and not staying at a Disney property.

Depending on the size of your party, cost could be. I know as a solo any car service would be much more expensive than the Disney bus.

You also are not bound by PAT if you arrive on DCL transport.

You also know that if your are on a later Disney bus and something happens that causes a delay (breakdown, wreck on the interstate, etc.) they will know you are coming and wait. In private transportation you are sweating it out and hoping you get there before the last bus (if a road shutdown) or the car gets fixed or another is sent to get you to the port in time.

 

[MichelleCanada]

Those are great points! There are only 3 of us do taking DCL bus might be the best way to go.

What do you mean you are not bound to a PAT if you use DCL bus?

Do I need to book the bus before my check-in date? Our cruise is July 21.

 

[Dug720]

Those are great points! There are only 3 of us do taking DCL bus might be the best way to go.

What do you mean you are not bound to a PAT if you use DCL bus?

Do I need to book the bus before my check-in date? Our cruise is July 21.

They don't hold you to your PAT if you are on a Disney bus. I think if you reserve it before online check-in it may guide you to an earlier PAT, but if not, they are not going to make you sit on the bus or stand outside until your time.

 

[MichelleCanada]

They don't hold you to your PAT if you are on a Disney bus. I think if you reserve it before online check-in it may guide you to an earlier PAT, but if not, they are not going to make you sit on the bus or stand outside until your time.

We have a second cruise a couple days after the first one ends. Does it matter if we only need DCL transportation for one direction? I just went on to the app to book it and I have to call if it’s not round-trip.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

We have a second cruise a couple days after the first one ends. Does it matter if we only need DCL transportation for one direction? I just went on to the app to book it and I have to call if it’s not round-trip.

Doesn’t matter. We had one way from MCO in November.

 

[Dug720]

We have a second cruise a couple days after the first one ends. Does it matter if we only need DCL transportation for one direction? I just went on to the app to book it and I have to call if it’s not round-trip.

I’ve booked one way only. No issues.

 

[lklgoodman]

Those are great points! There are only 3 of us do taking DCL bus might be the best way to go.

What do you mean you are not bound to a PAT if you use DCL bus?

Do I need to book the bus before my check-in date? Our cruise is July 21.

We were a group of 3 for our March cruise. Disney transport was cheaper than some of the car services I had looked at. If you use DCL transfer they will have you pick a port arrival time, but as others have said, you don't have to go by it. I had to call Disney to ask about some other things and asked about it. Was told their system doesn't have a way to skip picking a time for those using DCL transport, so just pick a time. After you do your online check in for your cruise, they will give you a link that shows the port arrival time you picked, it will also have your cruise reservation and names on it. Print this out because you will need to show it several times when you do your covid testing at the port. Otherwise you can open the link on your phone each time and show it to them. I found it easier to just hand them the paper each time.

 

[Sakura1017]

Out of curiosity what times do busses pick up guests that stay at disney resorts to go to port canavrel? I had a booking separate from MCO not through DCL, but I called and added transfers for rides. Yet, when I did online check in, it must have deleted the transfers since I got a refund on my reservation for the amount going from MCO to port canavrel. I'm wondering if it's because I didn't book MCO through DCL, or if it was the way I submitted my online check in to get my port arrival time. Either way I will call them tomorrow. My family is going back and forth on hotels.

 

[mmouse37]

Out of curiosity what times do busses pick up guests that stay at disney resorts to go to port canavrel? I had a booking separate from MCO not through DCL, but I called and added transfers for rides. Yet, when I did online check in, it must have deleted the transfers since I got a refund on my reservation for the amount going from MCO to port canavrel. I'm wondering if it's because I didn't book MCO through DCL, or if it was the way I submitted my online check in to get my port arrival time. Either way I will call them tomorrow. My family is going back and forth on hotels.

I think it was just a glitch. I added transfers after I did online check in for a cruise on the 4th so I had to pick a PAT during check in but hope it doesn't matter now that I have transfers. I don't think you did anything wrong in the way you checked in....their whole system has been doing weird things since they did the update

I have a question about transfers and boarding group.....when taking DCL transfers do you get an earlier boarding group or just an early time to arrive at the port? Are they assigning early boarding groups to DCL transfer people?

MJ