WDW resort arrival timing after cruise

[Lovewinnie]

We will be staying at Poly a few days after our Dream cruise next December. I have booked the DCL transfers. Will we get taken back to airport to catch bus to Poly or is there a bus that goes to resorts from the port? Also, if we arrive before normal check in hours will our room be ready since they know we will be coming from the cruise ship? thank you!!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You will be taken directly from the port to the WDW resorts. You may have to stop at other resorts before being dropped off at the Poly. Most likely you will arrive before rooms are usually ready. Bell services can keep your bags, you can check in and go enjoy the parks. The resort will let you know when your room is ready.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We will be staying at Poly a few days after our Dream cruise next December. I have booked the DCL transfers. Will we get taken back to airport to catch bus to Poly or is there a bus that goes to resorts from the port? Also, if we arrive before normal check in hours will our room be ready since they know we will be coming from the cruise ship? thank you!!

DCL transfers from port to WDW resorts go directly from port to resort. The resort buses don't depart until 9:00 now, so the earliest you would arrive at your resort would be around 10:00. They used to stop at more than one resort, usually, so it could be longer than that, if they still do.

As to whether you room is ready - maybe. If not, they hold your bags until it is. And then tell you (text) that your bags have been delivered to your room.

 

[Sytrace]

I sent my husband and son on DCL transfersto the Yacht Club after our June cruise on the Dream and my daughter and I drove. We left the port at 8:00 AM and arrived at 9:00 (traffic was really good that Friday)
My husband and son left the port at 9:00 AM and arrived at the YC at 10:30. I did online check in for the resort and chose an early arrival time, but the room was not available until 10:45 AM (which is still way earlier than normal) and worked out well for us.
We stayed club level and so my daughter and I just had some snacks and waited there for my husband and son to arrive. By the time they arrived and got off the bus, our room was ready.

I would advise completing online check in for your resort and requesting that your room be ready early if at all possible. It is not a guarantee, but I think they work really hard to make it happen if they can.
Another option would be to pack a day bag with swimsuits/lotion etc and hang out by the pool until your room is ready.

 

[cheapster316]

We did the DCL transfers after our cruise and were checking into Pop.
We waited a long time at the port for them to fill a bus before they brought us to the resort. Upon checking in I asked if there was anyway possible our room would be ready early. I was told in a snippy voice absolutely not. The hotel was booked to capacity. I was like ok, I had checked off on online check in that was the most important thing and she was like, oh it is ready.
I would try for early check in

 

[thebrundogs]

We haven't done it since 2012, but when we took DCL transfers from the Dream to the Beach Club, we arrived around 9:15 or 9:30 and were checked into our two connecting rooms before 10am. We were able to get settled and take the boat to HS to get in the park by 11.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We haven't done it since 2012, but when we took DCL transfers from the Dream to the Beach Club, we arrived around 9:15 or 9:30 and were checked into our two connecting rooms before 10am. We were able to get settled and take the boat to HS to get in the park by 11.

There's been a change (pretty recent, only the last couple of months) - buses to the resort do not start departing until 9:00 now. I believe they started it in order to fill the buses more efficiently, so that they didn't need to stop at multiple resorts.