Worried

[lovebugsmom]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport to port from POP and back to MCO. The CM told me there is no way to know until the day of departure what time we will board the bus to get to port. Did I get correct info? I want to be there as early as possible.
He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.
I'm thinking we would be better off hiring a car service. I did ask if its refundable if I change my mind. I was told yes up to 2 days before commencement of the cruise.
Suggestions on car services and approximate price. TIA

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport to port from POP and back to MCO. The CM told me there is no way to know until the day of departure what time we will board the bus to get to port. Did I get correct info? I want to be there as early as possible.
He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.
I'm thinking we would be better off hiring a car service. I did ask if its refundable if I change my mind. I was told yes up to 2 days before commencement of the cruise.
Suggestions on car services and approximate price. TIA

Yes, that's correct. DCL doesn't finalize the pick up schedule until the day before the cruise. You'll get a letter in your resort room that night telling you what time to have your bags ready for pick up (usually around 8:00) and where/when to check in for the bus. Each bus is filled as close to full as possible before heading to the port. This often requires more than one resort stop. It takes about an hour from WDW to port. The pick up window for resorts is anywhere from 10:45-1:00.

If you are on a participating airline, on a domestic flight, you can do the Onboard Airline Check in and DCL will collect your bags from your room onboard the last night and the next time you see them will be at your home airport. If you are not eligible for the OAC, you will set your bags out the last night, and then claim them in the terminal the next morning to carry through Customs/Immigration checks.

During your online check in process you will supply DCL with your pre and post cruise travel plans (WDW resort, flight info, etc).

If you've already booked the DCL transfers, and you want to cancel them, you must do so by 3 days prior to the cruise.

 

[tiggger1]

We just got off this morning. We drove but our friends who went with us to dcl bus and found out the time the night before. It was 12:15

 

[dclpluto]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport to port from POP and back to MCO. The CM told me there is no way to know until the day of departure what time we will board the bus to get to port. Did I get correct info? I want to be there as early as possible.
He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.
I'm thinking we would be better off hiring a car service. I did ask if its refundable if I change my mind. I was told yes up to 2 days before commencement of the cruise.
Suggestions on car services and approximate price. TIA

You will know what time the bus is going to pick you up the night before your cruise. You will get a letter sent to your room. They will need your flight numbers when it's time to fill it out online. If your airline is one of the airlines that DCL deals with once you put your luggage out the last night of your cruise you will see it again at your home airport. If DCL doesn't deal with your airline you have to pick it up in the cruise terminal.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport to port from POP and back to MCO. The CM told me there is no way to know until the day of departure what time we will board the bus to get to port. Did I get correct info? I want to be there as early as possible.
He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.
I'm thinking we would be better off hiring a car service. I did ask if its refundable if I change my mind. I was told yes up to 2 days before commencement of the cruise.
Suggestions on car services and approximate price. TIA

If you do want to do private transportation, we've been very happy with HappyLimo, they've been great. I don't remember exact prices but we did a minivan fir 4 people and paid about $120 each way, IIRC.

 

[wide awake]

We've had great experiences with Happy Limo too. Also, cut point used to be three or less passengers cheaper to go w/ DCL, if you have four or more cheaper to go a car service.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Yup, all perfectly normal. You will get your pickup time in your resort the night before as stated here or when you land in the airport you will be directed on to a bus that will not leave until it is full. I believe the first one usually pulls out about 9:30 a.m.

With resort stays, we always found that it took too long to get there, so we just started driving to port so that we could get our early port arrival time and we just park at the cruise terminal to make it nice and easy

 

[lovebugsmom]

Maybe its better to do Happy Limo to port and DCL Bus back to MCO. We are flying Delta so I can do online check in and not have to deal with our bags going back to the airport.
Is there a porter or some where to take our bags when we get to port so we don't have to lug them around all day?
How does boarding work?
I'm stressing out This is our first cruise and I have no clue what I'm doing and feel like I'm running out of time. We leave for Florida in 95 days.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Maybe its better to do Happy Limo to port and DCL Bus back to MCO. We are flying Delta so I can do online check in and not have to deal with our bags going back to the airport.
Is there a porter or some where to take our bags when we get to port so we don't have to lug them around all day?
How does boarding work?
I'm stressing out This is our first cruise and I have no clue what I'm doing and feel like I'm running out of time. We leave for Florida in 95 days.

If you arrive via private transport, you will be dropped off in front of the terminal. That's where the baggage porters will take your checked bags. They will show up at your room onboard later that afternoon. You take your carry on bags with you in the terminal and will be "lugging" them around until your room is ready (usually 1:30).

When you check in at the terminal, you will get a boarding number. This number is tied to the actual Port Arrival Time you selected during your online check in process. Boarding typically begins around 11:15-11:30 with Concierge first, followed by Platinum Castaway Club members. Then boarding numbers are called. Once the number being called for boarding catches up with the number being issued at check in, Open Boarding is called. Anyone holding any boarding number may board at this time. This generally occurs around 12:30-12:45.

Once onboard you can go eat, or look around the ship, or swim, or try to get tickets for the various onboard activities.

 

[chris31997]

Maybe its better to do Happy Limo to port and DCL Bus back to MCO. We are flying Delta so I can do online check in and not have to deal with our bags going back to the airport.
Is there a porter or some where to take our bags when we get to port so we don't have to lug them around all day?
How does boarding work?
I'm stressing out This is our first cruise and I have no clue what I'm doing and feel like I'm running out of time. We leave for Florida in 95 days.

You will drop off your luggage (I think before you go in to check in) and they will deliver your bags to sometime that day. Sometimes after dinner. Pack a day bag with meds, valuables, and pool stuff. Keep that with you.

 

[kiapepito]

Take the magical express back to the airport and then walk over to DCL transport. We did this and arrived to port by 10 am. Pickup at AOA was not until 12:30. We were in the pools on the boat at that time!!

 

[SuperDry]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport ... back to MCO. ... He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.

That's right. If you take the DCL bus back to the airport, they don't need to know your flight info if you won't be checking bags or doing on-board check-in.

 

[bumbershoot]

The pick up window for resorts is anywhere from 10:45-1:00.

And the bus will be stopping at other resorts, most likely, after you leave your resort.

Is there a porter or some where to take our bags when we get to port so we don't have to lug them around all day?

Of course. You can take your carryons onboard; they just have to fit in a standard scanning machine like at the airport, and then they need to be carried by you until your room is ready. Bags given to the porter will show up in your room later on.

This is our first cruise and I have no clue what I'm doing and feel like I'm running out of time. We leave for Florida in 95 days.

You are NOT running out of time. It's OK. You have plenty of time to read read and read some more.


As great as onboard airline checkin is (and it's great), it does add some stress to the last night. I strongly suggest keeping your dirty clothes organized; perhaps in a popup mesh bin, or even putting them into an empty suitcase *as you go*. That way there's not a huge amount of stuff to do that last night, because you've been doing it all along. Be SURE to leave clothing out for that last morning *including shoes*. Through a combo of poor communication, DH packing things based on that communication, and a helpful steward moving my pre-arranged shoes to a clump, I ended up wearing flipflops home. In January. To Seattle. During a cold snap in Orlando. Sigh.

At the end of a cruise you pack all your big bags the night before and set them out. They are picked up that night. With onboard airline checkin you don't see them until you are at your home airport, so it's a bit more stressy than when you'll see them in the cruise terminal.

Just helping you with expectations; not meaning to *increase* stress.

 

[bcwife76]

To piggy back on this, which airlines can you do online check in for with DCL?

 

[jdb in AZ]

To piggy back on this, which airlines can you do online check in for with DCL?

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta
JetBlue
United - no Ted


Southwest tried it but decided not to implement it. heavy sigh.

 

[BigredNole]

Lots of good suggestions, but a lot of time consuming ones as well. If you have to take transportation regardless, it is $35 per person each way using Disney transportation, whether it is from the resort or MCO. Since you have to pay regardless, take a private charter through Happy Limo or others. It is faster, more comfortable, and you control when they pick you up. If you have more than 2 people, you will save money going this route as well.

 

[RedSox68]

I just booked our transportation on DCL transport to port from POP and back to MCO. The CM told me there is no way to know until the day of departure what time we will board the bus to get to port. Did I get correct info? I want to be there as early as possible.
He also didn't ask about flight info coming home. Do they need flight numbers? If not I take it as we handle all of our luggage, that's its not like ME.
I'm thinking we would be better off hiring a car service. I did ask if its refundable if I change my mind. I was told yes up to 2 days before commencement of the cruise.
Suggestions on car services and approximate price. TIA

Just so you know, the buses from resort pick-ups are known to not be early pick-ups and arrive later than buses from the airport. Most of them do not get to the port before Noon -- sometimes as late as 3 p.m. from reports that have been posted.

After our first two times with this, we started booking private transportation and we loved the freedom of being to have the pick up time be our choice. Plus it is less hectic and noisy than the buses (IMO). For three of us, at $70/pp for the bus round trip, it worked out pretty much the same for the private car for both legs of the trip.

 

[bcwife76]

Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta
JetBlue
United - no Ted


Southwest tried it but decided not to implement it. heavy sigh.

We are flying on United after our cruise - flying to Vancouver BC via a 3-hr layover in Houston so I assume we could then do the online check in?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are flying on United after our cruise - flying to Vancouver BC via a 3-hr layover in Houston so I assume we could then do the online check in?

No, only domestic flights from MCO are part of the program. Here's a bit more info:

From Port Canaveral: (from cruise documents 8/9/2014)
The requirements are below:

1. • You must have purchased DCL Air and/or DCL Ground Transfers
   • Your flight has to leave from Orlando International Airport after 11:30 am on the same day your cruise vacation ends.
   • Your flight must be on a participating airline:

AirTran Airways (no longer in business)
Alaska AirlinesAmerican
Airlines (USAirways merged)
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue Airways
United Airlines

1. • Your final destination must be within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
   • Each luggage piece can weigh no more than fifty (50) pounds.
   • Airline specific baggage fees may apply and can vary by airline. Please check with your specific carrier for more details.
   • Applicable airline baggage fees will be posted directly to your shipboard account.

Some Guests may be selected to check in at the airport and may not be able to use this service.

 

[bcwife76]

@PrincessShmoo thanks for the clarification, glad I asked!