Transfer to ship after staying at WDW

[Born4Travel]

We want to come in a day before the cruise and I was thinking about staying one night at Pop Century.

 

My thinking is we could get a free shuttle to the hotel from the airport. Can we get transfers from PC to port and then from the port to airport?

 

Will that work? Any suggestions about it?

Thanks. :)

[Loonbeam]

You can do that - Magical express to the hotel and then Disney transfers to the port and airport. Depending on size of group, a private transfer may be more cost effective.

[Born4Travel]

You can do that - Magical express to the hotel and then Disney transfers to the port and airport. Depending on size of group, a private transfer may be more cost effective.

 

There will be 10 of us. And MIL who is paying for it is more about easy than cheap. :D

[jlk806]

We are doing the same thing coming in a day early and staying at Pop Century One night, it is $35 per person for the Disney Cruise line bus the next day. It would be slightly cheaper to rent a car the one way for the 20 hours we would have it, BUT it is much more exciting to ride the Disney Cruise line bus so that is what we are doing pre-cruise. After the cruise we have a late flight home so we are renting a car one way for the day and plan to check out Gatorland for a bit.

[Mquan10]

DCL bus is very convenient but as mentioned here it is $35 one way. You leave your luggage just inside the door of your room. They come in at around 6AM in the morning, pickup the luggage from your room and take them to the ship. Next time you see the bags, they are in your cabin. Luggage does not go with the bus. The bus does do a milk run to pick up guests at various resorts, then you get to watch some Disney themed videos while driving to the port.

Once at the port you get to bypass the lineups, go through security and onto the ship

[jlk806]

DCL bus is very convenient but as mentioned here it is $35 one way. You leave your luggage just inside the door of your room. They come in at around 6AM in the morning, pickup the luggage from your room and take them to the ship. Next time you see the bags, they are in your cabin. Luggage does not go with the bus. The bus does do a milk run to pick up guests at various resorts, then you get to watch some Disney themed videos while driving to the port.

Once at the port you get to bypass the lineups, go through security and onto the ship

 

Everything said here except they picked up our bags around 8:30am and we did not bypass any lineups?

[Loonbeam]

Bout to say, no bypass that I have ever seen.

 

Everything said here except they picked up our bags around 8:30am and we did not bypass any lineups?

[moki'smommy]

DCL bus is very convenient but as mentioned here it is $35 one way. You leave your luggage just inside the door of your room. They come in at around 6AM in the morning, pickup the luggage from your room and take them to the ship. Next time you see the bags, they are in your cabin. Luggage does not go with the bus. The bus does do a milk run to pick up guests at various resorts, then you get to watch some Disney themed videos while driving to the port.

Once at the port you get to bypass the lineups, go through security and onto the ship

 

Not my experience. Bags are picked up INSIDE your resort room at about 8:00. You do not have to be there when they pick up the bags--just have them by the door (inside room) with the DCL tags on them. You will next see them OUTSIDE your cabin on the ship.

There is no bypass of any line at the cruise terminal. You ARE allowed into the terminal when the bus arrives regardless of your scheduled port arrival time.

 

Your bus may go to one resort or as many as 3 depending on the number of guests scheduled to ride from your resort. If there are enough to fill the bus, you won't hit additional resorts.

 

You can book a 10 person vehicle with driver for a whole lot less than $350 each way...the only difference would be that you'd have to call bell services to bring your luggage to the limo driver.

Edited September 23, 2014 by moki'smommy

[jlk806]

Not my experience. Bags are picked up INSIDE your resort room at about 8:00. You do not have to be there when they pick up the bags--just have them by the door (inside room) with the DCL tags on them. You will next see them OUTSIDE your cabin on the ship.

There is no bypass of any line at the cruise terminal. You ARE allowed into the terminal when the bus arrives regardless of your scheduled port arrival time.

 

Your bus may go to one resort or as many as 3 depending on the number of guests scheduled to ride from your resort. If there are enough to fill the bus' date=' you won't hit additional resorts.

 

You can book a 10 person vehicle with driver for a whole lot less than $350 each way...the only difference would be that you'd have to call bell services to bring your luggage to the limo driver.[/quote']

 

 

Yes if we were a group of 10 we would consider other options. For us (group of 3) the one way rental car the day before was a bit cheaper BUT its so much more exciting to ride the cruiseline bus and it really wasn't a lot less. They show a video of mickey and the gang getting ready to go on the cruise so our son who was 5 when we cruised this past summer totally believed the characters were packing up for the cruise and it was so cute how excited he and the other children on the bus were. We were at the Beach club this last cruise and it only made one other stop at Coronado springs before we were on our way!

[moki'smommy]

This is correct. For 2 people, a car rental is about the same as DCL transfers by the time you add in the gas and tolls. For 3 people, it is a bit cheaper. The "break even" point between DCL transfers and a limo service is about 4 people. More than 4, private towncar/limo service will be less costly AND will run on your time schedule. Do remember to factor in a tip to the driver and to the luggage handlers at the terminal.

 

The ultimate in convenience comes with the DCL service, but like most things Disney. there is a price for that convenience. For 10 people, that price will be about $200 each way! (difference between a private service and DCL transfers.)

[Born4Travel]

So whom would you recommend for a group of 10?

 

I still might do the transfer to Pop with the free Disney shuttle.

 

And perhaps the shuttle from the port to the airport as they will handle the luggage all the way.

 

Then I could get a shuttle to take us to the port early and be on board early and have more fun early. :D I really like that part of it!!

[moki'smommy]

So whom would you recommend for a group of 10?

 

I still might do the transfer to Pop with the free Disney shuttle.

 

And perhaps the shuttle from the port to the airport as they will handle the luggage all the way.

 

Then I could get a shuttle to take us to the port early and be on board early and have more fun early. :D I really like that part of it!!

 

OK, what I would do (and others will have other opinions!).....Magical Express (free) from MCO to Pop. They will claim your checked luggage at the airport an bring it to your hotel room.

 

From Pop to port--one of the private services. Happy Limo, FL Tours, Southern Elegance are all excellent as are many others. I can vouch for these though. Book ahead as they DO sometimes fill up for particular times or vehicle sizes.

 

From Port Canaveral back to MCO, what airline are you on? If on a participating airline, the on lboard check in rom the ship is lovely. They take your bags from your room and you don't see them till your home airport. If on a non-participating airline, book the private service for both legs--they will give you the ound trip rate over the phone since it is 2 legs even though really not a round trip. You won't be able to do this on line though (unless it has changed).

[Born4Travel]

From Port Canaveral back to MCO' date=' what airline are you on? [/quote']

 

Most likely Delta for 6 of us. Maybe Jet Blue for the rest (from Boston)

I haven't purchased tickets yet.

[moki'smommy]

OK, so participating airlines--DCL transfers from port to MCO are easy and a blessing to tired travelers. IMHO the on board check in is worth the cost.

[monty913]

We are also staying at POP one night before the cruise. We are using the Disney Transport. I know its a little pricey ($140 round trip for 2 of us). But we like not having to drive, we enjoy just kicking back. But maybe if i had a party of 10 i would look at some different options.

 

Also, correct me if im wrong here, :confused: but i thought someone had told me that if a disney bus was broken down or delayed for some reason, the ship will be held (they wont leave a bus full of cruisers high and dry). But if you have your own transport and you miss the boat, it is totally up to you to get to the next port of call. That gives me a little piece of mind knowing they wont leave me hanging should something go wrong.

[shellyc]

We are also staying at POP one night before the cruise. We are using the Disney Transport. I know its a little pricey ($140 round trip for 2 of us). But we like not having to drive, we enjoy just kicking back. But maybe if i had a party of 10 i would look at some different options.

 

Also, correct me if im wrong here, :confused: but i thought someone had told me that if a disney bus was broken down or delayed for some reason, the ship will be held (they wont leave a bus full of cruisers high and dry). But if you have your own transport and you miss the boat, it is totally up to you to get to the next port of call. That gives me a little piece of mind knowing they wont leave me hanging should something go wrong.

 

We are two seniors 65+ staying at a resort pre-cruise and we like taking the DCL transfers for the luggage handling to the port. You get your checked bags ready by 8AM and bell services will pick them up from inside your hotel room, and they go on a truck to the port.

And you are correct, DCL will hold the ship or make other arrangements to get you to the ship if you are delayed because of traffic, etc. if you paid for DCL transfers.