Let the planning begin...

[Californiacruizers]

I’ve just booked a 3 Day Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream for September 2016. This trip will be a surprise for my two children who will be 13(son) and 4(daughter) at the time of sailing. It is also a birthday celebration for my daughter who loves all things Disney. We are not new to cruising; however we are new to Disney. We will be in a Family Ocean View with the large Port Hole window. Granted we are several months out; I would like to do as much pre-planning as possible so that I can pull off an EPIC surprise. I want to tell the kids the morning that we are due to fly to Port Canaveral.

 

I have already begun my packing spreadsheet, and have also picked up a few Disney Items at the local Dollar Store (they are hidden in my closet). Ideally I would like to have small trinkets for my daughter packed so that I do not end up spending a fortune onboard in the gift shops. Any Ideas on what I can get my 13 year old son?

 

For those of you who have sailed previously can you please tell me if it is better to stay in a Disney Property and take the Disney Bus to the Port or should I rent a car and drive to the port upon our arrival the day before (one-way car rental to the port) and stay in a hotel near the port?

 

I’ve read mixed reviews and nightmare stories about arriving on a Disney Bus with tons of other people and having to stand in long check-in lines at the port. I’ve also read that it is best to be amongst the first to board the ship, so that we can get tickets to Elsa and Anna from Guest Services.

[moki'smommy]

If you are coming in early enough to enjoy being at WDW, that is a nice place to stay. BUT when we are flying in the day before the cruise, we get a hotel in the MCO area (less costly than the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area) and rent a car. Disney hotel rooms are not cheap, and riding their bus to the terminal is $35 per person. Besides, you arrive at 1:30 (sometimes later). I can get a decent hotel in the MCO area that includes breakfast for under $75, drive to the terminal, and arrive when I want. Having a car also gives me dinner options if we arrive that early. In the morning we can sleep late, have breakfast, and head to the port.

 

The biggest disadvantage to the bus from WDW is arriving late rather than on your schedule. WDW is also a 20-40 minute drive the wrong direction from the port with the time depending on traffic. The advantage is convenience.

 

You don't have to be among the first to board to get Elsa and Anna tickets, but you do need to get them the first day and fairly quickly after boarding--don't wait till after dinner!

 

IF you are on a participating airline, you might consider DCL transfers on the way back to the airport. The big advantage is that you put the luggage out the last night and don't see it again till your HOME airport. You will also get your boarding passes in your cabin on the ship so there is no need to do anything at the airport other than go thru security and to the gate. For a single mom, elderly people, or whatever, this service is lovely and well worth the cost of the transfers.

[gracey49]

What airlines participate with Disney?

[moki'smommy]

What airlines participate with Disney?

 

You can find the list on the DCL web site. The main one that does NOT participate is Southwest. Most of the other US based airlines do participate.

[gracey49]

Thanks. Of course we flying Southwest.

[DeeDouble302]

I also fly Southwest. If you purchase the DCL transfers, once you check your luggage at your home airport you don't see them again until you board the ship. They'll be delivered to your cabin. It still ended up being a convenience for me when traveling with my son who's now 5yrs old.

 

 

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[DeeDouble302]

Also, I didn't have the same experience with the bus and waiting in line. Like moki'smommys said, it probably has a lot to do with the time your flight arrives to Orlando. My flight last year arrived around 11. The ride to the port was less than an hour. The port was crowded but Disney did a great of shepherding people through the lines. We were on the ship within 30-40 minutes of arriving at the port. It would've been sooner but I opted to get my son all squared away with the Oceaneer's club at the port rather than on the ship. I'm glad I did because the line to do so that first night on the ship was crazy!! A cast member warned me about it.

 

Speaking of the Oceaneer's/kid's club, don't forget to register your kids before you even leave. This way, all you'll need to do is pick up their arm bands and choose your password for picking them up for the clubs.

 

I've heard that getting those free tickets for the princess meet and greets are hard. I think I must've been lucky last year because I was able to get them on the day 3 of our 7day cruise. With or without those tickets, there are so many things to do and characters to see that it's almost impossible to get it all done!

 

Enjoy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited March 5, 2016 by DeeDouble302

[moki'smommy]

I also fly Southwest. If you purchase the DCL transfers, once you check your luggage at your home airport you don't see them again until you board the ship. They'll be delivered to your cabin. It still ended up being a convenience for me when traveling with my son who's now 5yrs old.

 

This is completely true. On the way TO MCO, it doesn't matter what airline you are on. If you have DCL tags on your luggage, it will be claimed and transferred to the ship.

 

NOTE, if you are going to WDW first, place the WDW tags on the bags, not the DCL tags! Seems obvious, but....

 

The concept of a "participating airline" only matters on the way home.

 

Dee, if your flight arrived around 11, you would likely have arrived at the terminal between 12 and 1. That is the perfect time to arrive to avoid crowds and lines. Unless you have an earlier PAT, I consider 12:30 to be the perfect arrival time. You miss the early birds who show up at 10 even though the terminal doesn't open till 10:30 and you miss the bus traffic from WDW! Boarding is well under way, so there is little or no waiting to board.

[DeeDouble302]

Great tip Moki'smommy! My son and I are cruising the Fantasy again in April. Our flight arrives at MCO at 9am this time around. The earliest transfer time that I could select was 11:30. Do you know if they'll make us wait or will work to get us on an earlier bus?

 

I hope we don't have to wait too long. My son is tall enough to ride the AquaDuck this year and we're hoping to get a few rides in before the crowd arrives.

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

Great tip Moki'smommy! My son and I are cruising the Fantasy again in April. Our flight arrives at MCO at 9am this time around. The earliest transfer time that I could select was 11:30. Do you know if they'll make us wait or will work to get us on an earlier bus?

 

I hope we don't have to wait too long. My son is tall enough to ride the AquaDuck this year and we're hoping to get a few rides in before the crowd arrives.

 

 

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First question--what is your PAT (Port Arrival Time?) It won't matter as far as getting inside the terminal if you arrive on a DCL bus, but it will affect your boarding number/what time you get on the ship.

 

We've never had to wait long for a bus to the terminal. They know that some people will arrive late (flight delays) and some will arrive on time. The first bus will depart from MCO about 9:20-9:30. Each following bus will depart about 20 minutes later OR as soon as the bus fills, whichever is soonest.

 

If you arrive at the Welcome Center before they start filling up the buses, you will be given a character which denotes which bus you are on...but with your flight time, this isn't likely. To further explain this, we were on one of the trans-Atlantic crossings. The Welcome Center opened about 8:15 (officially 8:30) and there were probably 100 people already there with more arriving steadily. So, they know how many seats are on each bus. The first bus was "Mickey," so the first however many people had a Mickey sticker placed on their boarding "ticket" indicating that they were on the first bus. The next group got a Donald sticker, and so on. By the time they started boarding Mickey, they were on at least the 5th sticker. As soon as we boarded, we were able to depart and they had already started boarding the second bus. It arrived at the port about 10 minutes after we did.

 

If they do not have enough people to fill a bus, they will hold you at the airport for about 20 minutes waiting for more people. After 20 minutes, that bus will head for the terminal regardless of number of people on board and they will start filling the next one as the next people arrive.

 

If your flight arrives at 9, you will be at the Welcome Center by 9:30, so bus boarding will be in progress. You should be placed on the "next available" bus, not required to wait more than the 20 minutes or so. When you get to the terminal, you will enter immediately and get into a check in line. However, after you check in, you will likely have a wait before boarding. The length of that wait will depend on your PAT, which controls your boarding card number. Boarding begins about 11:15. Concierge boards first, then platinum, and then by boarding card number.

[DeeDouble302]

I mistakenly said my bus leaves at 11:30. After looking more closely, my PAT is at 11:45am. That should be plenty of time.

 

 

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Edited March 6, 2016 by DeeDouble302

[moki'smommy]

I mistakenly said my bus leaves at 11:30. After looking more closely, my PAT is at 11:45am. That should be plenty of time.

 

 

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You are golden with that PAT. Get off the plane at 9, stop for a snack at the airport food court if the kids are hungry, then head to the welcome center to board the bus. Do remember that if anyone needs/wants to eat, your selections are much better at the airport than from the vending machines at the terminal. You won't get on the ship any sooner whether you are on the first bus or the third bus so take your time with restroom stops or anything else at the airport. Then to the bus and check in at the terminal. You'll be on the ship before noon.

[Tasm3n]

Personally, I would fly in the night before if you can. If something goes wrong with your flight/luggage, you have a day to fix it.

 

We've stayed at the MCO Hyatt (hotel in the airport) and the Art of Animation resort for night before a 'trip' stays. The Hyatt runs on average $200 a night (you can sometimes get better deals and sometimes have to pay slightly more). I believe we paid $150 for the night to stay at AoA (that was 2 years ago).

 

You can do DCL transfers from either hotel including transferring luggage. When you check into the Hyatt, you just let them know you are going on a cruise the next day and need your luggage picked up. You put your tags on the luggage and leave them in your room. Someone will pick them up and you'll see them on the ship!

[moki'smommy]

Personally, I would fly in the night before if you can. If something goes wrong with your flight/luggage, you have a day to fix it.

 

We've stayed at the MCO Hyatt (hotel in the airport) and the Art of Animation resort for night before a 'trip' stays. The Hyatt runs on average $200 a night (you can sometimes get better deals and sometimes have to pay slightly more). I believe we paid $150 for the night to stay at AoA (that was 2 years ago).

 

You can do DCL transfers from either hotel including transferring luggage. When you check into the Hyatt, you just let them know you are going on a cruise the next day and need your luggage picked up. You put your tags on the luggage and leave them in your room. Someone will pick them up and you'll see them on the ship!

Absolutely fly in the night before if at all possible. I took it that the poster had her arrangements already. You can also stay in a hotel in the MCO area for under $75 per night including breakfast. The hotels have complimentary shuttles to/from MCO. But if you want to use DCL transfers, you'll have to take the hotel shuttle back to MCO.