What Time Does First Bus Leave MCO?

[LADYnTRAMP]

We'll be staying at the MCO Hyatt in a few weeks the night before our first cruise on the Fantasy. We have an early PAT and was wondering what time do they start boarding for the first bus to leave for PC. We are so excited! TIA!

 

[lanejudy]

The desk opens at 9:00am with boarding very soon after. The first bus will pull out as soon as it is full, often around 9:15/9:20am. People may start to gather or line up before 8:30 -- I've read some reports of 8am.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[LADYnTRAMP]

The desk opens at 9:00am with boarding very soon after. The first bus will pull out as soon as it is full, often around 9:15/9:20am. People may start to gather or line up before 8:30 -- I've read some reports of 8am.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you so much for the quick reply!

 

[jiminy14]

We took the bus in February when we stayed at the Hyatt. We left the Hyatt around 8 AM and got down to the waiting area around 8:10. At that time, there were already about 50 people waiting for the desk to open. There were actually two larger parties that had spent the night in the waiting area instead of checking into a hotel. The check-in desks (there were 2) opened at 9 AM and a few minutes before, a CM made an announcement about lining up for check-in. It helps to have all your documents ready when you get to check-in. You need the DCL cruise documents booklet with your bus transfers and photo IDs for everyone in your party. We actually checked in quicker than the family ahead of us because they did not have their documents handy for all their party members. If you bring your bags with you, they will make an announcement when the truck arrives and you will take your bags out to the truck and they will be loaded there. You must have your DCL luggage tags on your bags when you drop them off.
We got on the first bus which left around 9:10-9:15 and we arrived at the port just after 10AM. One thing to keep in mind, there is limited overhead space on the bus so your carry-ons will either be on your lap or stowed underneath the bus.

 

[eangel12]

But boarding doesn't start until 11:30ish, right?! I have a PAT of 11:15-11:30. We are staying at the Hyatt MCO. I was originally planning to go down at 8:00 and be on the first bus. The more I thought about waiting for 1.5 hours at the port...it just doesn't make sense for my 6 and 4 year old. I'm going to wait until 10am, go down and then arrive at port closer to 11am. I'm hoping it'll be less crowded and we can walk on after we "check in".

 

[TestingH2O]

But boarding doesn't start until 11:30ish, right?! I have a PAT of 11:15-11:30. We are staying at the Hyatt MCO. I was originally planning to go down at 8:00 and be on the first bus. The more I thought about waiting for 1.5 hours at the port...it just doesn't make sense for my 6 and 4 year old. I'm going to wait until 10am, go down and then arrive at port closer to 11am. I'm hoping it'll be less crowded and we can walk on after we "check in".

Totally understand not wanting to do lots of waiting with little ones. That being said, the lines at 11 will be long. For us, we decided it was better to wait a bit at the bus check in desk area and in the port because there was stuff to do. The port has tvs, characters, a chance to look at the ship, a ship model, etc. My DD gets very antsy in lines so this was a better choice for us.

 

[eangel12]

Totally understand not wanting to do lots of waiting with little ones. That being said, the lines at 11 will be long. For us, we decided it was better to wait a bit at the bus check in desk area and in the port because there was stuff to do. The port has tvs, characters, a chance to look at the ship, a ship model, etc. My DD gets very antsy in lines so this was a better choice for us.

The line where will be longer? At MCO to get on a bus or at the port?

 

[TestingH2O]

The line where will be longer? At MCO to get on a bus or at the port?

Port for sure. Maybe MCO, but I haven't been at the desks at that time.

 

[professorandmom]

There were actually two larger parties that had spent the night in the waiting area instead of checking into a hotel.

wow...just wow

 

[bumbershoot]

There were actually two larger parties that had spent the night in the waiting area instead of checking into a hotel.

Ugh.

My husband did that once in Germany when his work TA messed up, despite me telling him "there's a hotel attached to the airport, just go there". Turned out that the secure part of the airport (where he thought he could stay) CLOSES in the middle of the night. He and some other travelers got to deal with the floor cleaning people all night long. He was miserable.

Sometimes we get people on these boards who are talking about doing that. One guy was planning on it for his *honeymoon*.

I get that $200 (average...I've seen the Hyatt MCO for less and for more) seems crazy when you're sleeping for 5 hours, but once you've slept for 5 hours in a BED, in a locked room, it seems a lot more reasonable than sleeping on the floor in public!

What a rotten way to start a crazy-expensive trip like a cruise.



eangel12, you're going to be needng your bags ready for pickup by around 8am anyway, so they can be taken to the ship. What's the point of sticking around? I'd rather hang out at the port, in a lower-line situation, which gives you more time to look at the ship models, meet DCL Mickey and Minnie, explore the terminal there (it's bright and big and somewhat pretty), rather than get there when everyone else gets there and stand in line with NO time to explore or meet the characters etc etc.

 

[eangel12]

Port for sure. Maybe MCO, but I haven't been at the desks at that time.

Poop!! Now I'm not sure what to do! My 6 & 4 year old get antsy waiting around. I thought arriving closer to my PAT would be better and would reduce my wait time at port. If I arrive at 10am and PAT is 11:15 and boarding doesn't start until 11:30ish...just seems like a lot of time to wait in the port area. I could bring their iPads I guess...sigh!

 

[eangel12]

Ugh.

My husband did that once in Germany when his work TA messed up, despite me telling him "there's a hotel attached to the airport, just go there". Turned out that the secure part of the airport (where he thought he could stay) CLOSES in the middle of the night. He and some other travelers got to deal with the floor cleaning people all night long. He was miserable.

Sometimes we get people on these boards who are talking about doing that. One guy was planning on it for his *honeymoon*.

I get that $200 (average...I've seen the Hyatt MCO for less and for more) seems crazy when you're sleeping for 5 hours, but once you've slept for 5 hours in a BED, in a locked room, it seems a lot more reasonable than sleeping on the floor in public!

What a rotten way to start a crazy-expensive trip like a cruise.



eangel12, you're going to be needng your bags ready for pickup by around 8am anyway, so they can be taken to the ship. What's the point of sticking around? I'd rather hang out at the port, in a lower-line situation, which gives you more time to look at the ship models, meet DCL Mickey and Minnie, explore the terminal there (it's bright and big and somewhat pretty), rather than get there when everyone else gets there and stand in line with NO time to explore or meet the characters etc etc.

I was going to let the kids sleep until they woke on their own, get breakfast, then slowly head down. Is luggage picked up out of room at 8am?!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was going to let the kids sleep until they woke on their own, get breakfast, then slowly head down. Is luggage picked up out of room at 8am?!

Yes. Around then.

If it were me - I'd let the kids sleep in. Just leave out the clothes you want them to wear that day, and send the bags with the baggage people when they come. Once the kids are up and dressed (PJs and whatever else you didn't pack in the checked bags in your carry ons), go to breakfast and head for the DCL transfer desk. Generally, anytime after 8:30 has a line until around noon, but the wait isn't really that long, as they send the buses as they fill up, or every 20 minutes, whichever is soonest.

Whatever time you arrive at the port and check in you will be given a boarding number (tied to the actual Port Arrival Time you selected). You'll get the same number whether you check in 20 minutes earlier or 3 hours later than your PAT. The "sweet spot" for arriving at the port is actually is around 12:00 noon. That's after the boarding numbers have generally all been called and Open Boarding is in progress (any boarding number may board) and before the buses from the WDW resorts start arriving building up the check in line.

 

[eangel12]

Yes. Around then.

I guess I'll stick to my original plan of catching the early bus.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I guess I'll stick to my original plan of catching the early bus.

I added to my post.

 

[sfeisen]

So the earliest PAT I could get was 12:45-1pm. It is just my husband and I, and we are staying at the Hyatt at the airport. What time do you recommend we catch the ME? Any chance if we get there early, we will be able to board earlier?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So the earliest PAT I could get was 12:45-1pm. It is just my husband and I, and we are staying at the Hyatt at the airport. What time do you recommend we catch the ME? Any chance if we get there early, we will be able to board earlier?

If you are using DCL transfers (not Magical Express), you will be allowed to enter the terminal and check in whenever you arrive, regardless of what your selected Port Arrival Time is.

You will however, receive the same boarding number (tied to your PAT) regardless of when you actually check in.

Once Open Boarding is announced, generally around 12:30-12:45, anyone, with any boarding number may board.

 

[Dug720]

If you are using DCL transfers (not Magical Express), you will be allowed to enter the terminal and check in whenever you arrive, regardless of what your selected Port Arrival Time is.

You will however, receive the same boarding number (tied to your PAT) regardless of when you actually check in.

Once Open Boarding is announced, generally around 12:30-12:45, anyone, with any boarding number may board.

I can say from first-hand experience that @PrincessShmoo is correct - you will receive the boarding group you originally would have. I had the earliest available PAT for my Feb cruise 2015, and I was on the first bus. There was a family on that bus with me who had a much later PAT - they checked in next to me. They received boarding number 28 or something really high. The agent checking them in explained that the boarding groups were based on selected port arrival times.

 

[sfeisen]

Thank you Shmoo! It's our first cruise with no kids, so it will be less stressful regardless of what time we get there!

 

[danajay]

I guess I'll stick to my original plan of catching the early bus.

So, I have 2 kids--ages 5 and 8. In April, we were on the Fantasy. Stayed at the Hyatt the night before (loved it). I wanted to get on the ship fairly early because at the time you still had to get tickets for the princess character meets on board (now you can register for them online). We walked downstairs around 8:45am to a large line. We got on the bus around 9:30, and left around 9:40. There was a small line to check in at the port. I forgot what boarding number we were but we boarded around 11:45 (so we probably waited almost an hour in the port). We then waited about 40 minutes to get the princess tickets and then got lunch. Then we just kind of walked around until our room was ready. at 1:30.

Well, we will do things differently next year (going on Fantasy again in April). With the princess ticket booking now online, I really don't see a reason for us to get to the port or ship early to just wait around (I know some people want to be in the pools at noon, but that is not us). We plan on arriving at the port around 12/12:30, hopefully walking right on, head to lunch and then head to our room.

Good luck in whatever you choose!