Transportation to port

[baby1038]

We are taking the family on our first cruise. We currently have dcl transfers set up from Disney world to the port. But after reading it looks like the buses arrive to the terminal later than we'd like. It looks like the dcl buses from the airport arrive there earlier. Would it be crazy to take magical express back to the airport to then take the cruise bus to the terminal to get there early? I don't want to rent a car because then we'll have to lug car seats with us. Help?!?!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are taking the family on our first cruise. We currently have dcl transfers set up from Disney world to the port. But after reading it looks like the buses arrive to the terminal later than we'd like. It looks like the dcl buses from the airport arrive there earlier. Would it be crazy to take magical express back to the airport to then take the cruise bus to the terminal to get there early? I don't want to rent a car because then we'll have to lug car seats with us. Help?!?!

In order to take the Magical Express to the airport, you'd have to give them a flight time and then they set up the bus pick up for you.

Typically Magical Express will pick you up at your resort about 2 hours before your scheduled "flight time". IMO, it's just not worth the hassle of having to get up at, say 6:00 in the morning just so I can be at the airport by 9:00 (when DCL transfers start), plus the hassle of wrangling my luggage to the ME bus, then to the DCL transfer desk to hand off to them.

It's quite possible that you WDW resort pick up time could be as early at 10:45 (getting you to the port around 12:00). Since boarding begins around 11:15-11:30, that's not very long after people have started boarding.

 

[Weedy]

How many people in your party? If you have 4 or more the cost of private transportation is about the same as transfers. Then you can pick the time you want to leave some won't pick up till 10am) and many do a short stop at the grocery store where you can pick up supplies and beer and wine

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-transportation.htm#towncars

 

[summerrluvv]

I personally prefer to get there earlier than later, so I would take the magical express back to the airport (pick an early "flight" time), then get on the cruise bus from the airport. Actually in reality, I would just rent a car or get transportation from the resort myself. The carseats are a pain, but maybe car service has some to use?

We like pictures with Mickey/Minnie at the port, and that line gets LONG. Add that to the check in line, then waiting to board, and you could get on board at like 2pm. My theory is I'm paying $$$$ money for the time on the boat, I want to get there ASAP!

 

[mareed]

No, not crazy at all to me and I did it myself last Feb! If you were taking cruise transfers from WDW, you'd have to be up early anyway to give them your luggage, and then you'd be waiting around the resort for several hours until your assigned pickup time. I'd rather get up at the same time and head to the airport around 8:30 to be on one of the earlier buses from the airport to the port around 9:30. For Magical Express, I selected a United flight that left around 11:30, which gave me the 8:30 time to depart WDW resort, and I was at the airport at 9:00. For DCL transfer, I picked a flight that arrived around 9:00 am. It worked out great, and when I got off the ME bus, I walked a very short distance with my luggage where I checked it with a DCL representative. Then, went inside and checked in for the DCL transfer and was put on the next bus. I just missed a bus that left full, and was one of the first people on the next bus, so had a short wait for it to fill before we left, but it really wasn't long, and a typical wait is probably shorter. I was at the port at 10:45 am even with just missing a bus, and I also took my time and took pictures of the buses at the airport so it could definitely have been quicker and I could have probably been at the port at 20 minutes earlier. I'd definitely do it again rather than arriving 2-3 hours later on the DCL transfer from WDW!