Port Canaveral : day at WDW

Our November cruise makes a stop at Port Canaveral. We get bussed over to WDW for the day. Our room card becomes our admission ticket to the parks (like a hopper ticket). I'm wondering if we'll be able to make fast pass reservations? Will the same rules apply? Will we be able to make dining reservations? If so, will they open up the same days out as if you were staying on wdw property?

Are you getting some special pricing? If not, I'd skip this....you really don't have time to experience what WDW has to offer in a few hours. Takes about 1 hour to get there...30 mins from parking to actually be IN the park...then....well, it's HUGE...even with a Fast pass...

Unless you've been there before, and only have a few things you're interested in...I'd skip this in favor of a land based vacation strictly to Disney!

This is an "excursion" included with the cruises from NY. They stop at Port Canaveral for the day and bus all interested people to WDW. The cost of the cruise includes the day at WDW. A couple of years ago it included an "Illuminations Dessert party" if you were at Epcot. Other food as "on your own." Again, a few years out of date, but it did not include advance fast passes. You must enter your ticket info to book fast passes in advance...and your KTTW acts as your park ticket, so you don't get it till you check in for the cruise.

There is no obligation to go--you are free to stay on board, go to KSC on your own, or whatever suits you. But if you do anything other than the day at WDW, it is on your own nickel.

Despite the fact that they give you a "park hopper" pass, you will not have time for more than one park, Decide which you prefer and spend your time there.

yes there is a way to do fastpasses ahead of time. I would have to ask how as I no longer remember. You could call and ask how to connect the ticket to it.

This is an "excursion" included with the cruises from NY. They stop at Port Canaveral for the day and bus all interested people to WDW. The cost of the cruise includes the day at WDW. A couple of years ago it included an "Illuminations Dessert party" if you were at Epcot. Other food as "on your own." Again' date=' a few years out of date, but it did not include advance fast passes. You must enter your ticket info to book fast passes in advance...and your KTTW acts as your park ticket, so you don't get it till you check in for the cruise.

 

Despite the fact that they give you a "park hopper" pass, you will not have time for more than one park, Decide which you prefer and spend your time there.[/quote']

 

On Port Canaveral day, there's a 6:30 AM all ashore, and a 11:58 PM all aboard. I figure we can arrive at wdw by 8 am and stay until 10:30pm. Plenty of time to see two parks. We know the layout, and know what we'd like to see. That's why we'll be needing the fast passes and dining reservations. However, since we won't have a "ticket" until we board, that may present a problem.

On Port Canaveral day, there's a 6:30 AM all ashore, and a 11:58 PM all aboard. I figure we can arrive at wdw by 8 am and stay until 10:30pm. Plenty of time to see two parks. We know the layout, and know what we'd like to see. That's why we'll be needing the fast passes and dining reservations. However, since we won't have a "ticket" until we board, that may present a problem.

If you have your own transportation, that might work. I would imagine the bus that goes there probably gets you there later than 8 and leaves earlier than 10:30. If the shore excursion is listed, it might have the exact times the excursion runs.

There are multiple buses departing and returning. But 6:30 "all ashore" means that this is the estimated time that Customs will clear the ship. You still have to disembark and stand in line to go thru Customs (although they process very quickly for this excursion and most people have very few belongings), then proceed to the bus and to WDW. Your times basically assume you will be on the first bus departing for WDW and the last bus returning. It's a LONG day, but fun if you have the stamina.

We went to all four parks on our day at WDW - knew exactly what we wanted to see and do. We were on the first bus out and back by 10.

There are multiple buses departing and returning. But 6:30 "all ashore" means that this is the estimated time that Customs will clear the ship. You still have to disembark and stand in line to go thru Customs (although they process very quickly for this excursion and most people have very few belongings)' date=' then proceed to the bus and to WDW. Your times basically assume you will be on the first bus departing for WDW and the last bus returning. It's a LONG day, but fun if you have the stamina.[/quote']

You mentioned Customs and clearing the ship. Does this mean we'll do this process in PC and will not have to do it again back in NYC? I'm curious also, because we're doing a Canada/New England cruise during the summer and "return" to the US before we get back to our home port.

i wonder if with the long time in port, if you used the express transportation option that was recently introduced, you could save time traveling from park to park and get more than one park in. That assumes you have some kind of plan of what you want to accomplish.

I believe the ship will have to clear at each US port...you won't be taking luggage, etc. off at PC. A couple years ago, the passenger check at PC was very superficial. That might vary with the alert level though, like it does at airports.

I believe the ship will have to clear at each US port...you won't be taking luggage' date=' etc. off at PC. A couple years ago, the passenger check at PC was very superficial. That might vary with the alert level though, like it does at airports.[/quote']

We did a very similar cruise 5 years ago, but I'll be dammed if I can remember what we did as far as customs. For some reason, I remember a long wait at PC and a very fast walk off back in NYC. Then, as you said, things change based on alert level.

i wonder if with the long time in port, if you used the express transportation option that was recently introduced, you could save time traveling from park to park and get more than one park in. That assumes you have some kind of plan of what you want to accomplish.

We are not sold on this option yet. Not sure if it's worth the cost. We'll most likely max out our time in two parks (one AM, one PM). We can use the transportation time between parks to recharge.

You mentioned Customs and clearing the ship. Does this mean we'll do this process in PC and will not have to do it again back in NYC? I'm curious also, because we're doing a Canada/New England cruise during the summer and "return" to the US before we get back to our home port.

Yes you will have to do so in NYC

To the OP: here is a link to how it worked on last year's cruises. If it works the same way this year (we're on the the October 6 cruise!) then you get 3 anytime any ride any park fastpasses from what this website says.

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2016/06/walt-disney-world-port-adventures-2016-disney-magic-sailings-new-york/

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To the OP: here is a link to how it worked on last year's cruises. If it works the same way this year (we're on the the October 6 cruise!) then you get 3 anytime any ride any park fastpasses from what this website says.

 

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/2016/06/walt-disney-world-port-adventures-2016-disney-magic-sailings-new-york/

 

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Great information. So, it appears you get fp's to ANY ride? At what time? Just show up at the ride and get on the fp line?

Great information. So, it appears you get fp's to ANY ride? At what time? Just show up at the ride and get on the fp line?

That is what I've read when looking around about this.

There are also excursions (with a $300pp price tag last year) that essentially give you a tour guide that fastpasses you to everything detailed in the excursion.

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There are also excursions (with a $300pp price tag last year) that essentially give you a tour guide that fastpasses you to everything detailed in the excursion.

$300pp! That number will keep the demand for this excursion low.

...

$300pp! That number will keep the demand for this excursion low.

That's basically the same "VIP tour guide" perk you can get at the parks for the same price--visiting celebrities tend to use it, to duck fans and avoid line crowds when going with their kids--and it's up there at cruise-excursion prices because they didn't really have any other island-style Excursion perk to offer with the already accessible WDW.

Nothing really to see here: Obviously Disney already knows they have Orlando tourist options and transportation connecting the cruise with the parks, it's not like you're stranded at the Bahamas trying to find your way to where the dolphins are.

If it didn't sell, WDW wouldn't offer it. There are all sorts of things available at WDW that the general public doesn't know about but can learn and book with a phone call. I met a CM at WDW who was working as a nanny to a family with 5 children. The family had hired 2 nannies thru WDW so that everyone could do as they wished. In this case the nanny was sitting with an infant in the waiting area outside the spa (children are not allowed past the desk) while mom was having a spa experience. The woman wore a Guest Relations "costume" and was very informative about what she was doing. One CM was with Dad taking the older kids to the parks on the VIP tour deal (no waiting, get reserved seats at everything you want, total Fast Passes, etc) while the other was watching the baby and "helping" mom. She actually laughed that she had the better deal--in the AC, holding a sleeping baby was not exactly bad duty.

On DCL, a family of 4 can book an inside cabin for a week for $5,500 or a royal suite on the same cruise for $34,000. DCL is happy to meet the needs of each family. And those suites rarely go empty! Actual prices, Fantasy, May 2018.

I will say that when we knew that we would have a day at WDW during our cruise, we went online and booked the one reservation that we wanted for lunch with no issues. And transportation from the ship to the parks to the ship was a breeze. Just decide which park you want to start at, and that's the bus that you'd board at the ship. We had a great time (even though we have APs and there was no discount for not having to use the cruise admission).