DCL transfer timing question

[mrscutecuban]

I am flying in for our May cruise in 2 weeks morning of arriving at MCO at 11:30. I know it's best to fly in night before but family sweet sixteen party that night. So if I'm arriving at 11:30 what time could I expect to be at port? Trying to see if I chose right PAT. TIA !!!

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

If your plane arrives on time, you will get off the plane and proceed to the Welcome Center where you will check in for your DCL transfers. (assuming you use that method). 15 minutes to get to the welcome center. After check in, you will board a bus and wait anywhere from 0-20 minutes for departure and then 45 minutes for travel to the cruise terminal. Bottom line, you'll arrive at the port 60-90 minutes after you are off the plane. An 11:30 plane arrival means arrival time at the gate, not the time you are physically off the plane...so you could lose 5-10 minutes there as well. Realistic arrival at the port would be 1:00 or a bit later.

 

As to the PAT you picked--it honestly doesn't matter. By the time you arrive, they are likely to be on "open boarding." People who use DCL transportation do not have to wait to get to the security line and into the terminal except behind others with DCL transfers. So you'll enter the security line as soon as you arrive, go directly to check in, and board as soon as you are checked in. You SHOULD be early enough to beat the WDW bus people and avoid those lines.

 

If you are using a car rental or a limo/towncar service, you'll need to claim your luggage at the carousel then meet your driver or pick up your rental car. No waiting for departure, but those steps will take a few minutes. Returning the car at the Cocoa Beach end and shuttle to the terminal will add another maybe 30 minutes.

 

The biggest concern I can see in your plan would be a flight delay. You have a little cushion and are within DCL guidelines, but stuff happens.

[mrscutecuban]

Thanks I did do DCL transfers and am hoping that no delays happen

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

DCL transfers are certainly the easiest way to go, especially with a same day arrival.

 

You do not need to go to baggage claim. Put your DCL tags on your bags before you go to the airport at home. They will be routed directly to DCL when they are unloaded at MCO--they will never go to the luggage carousel.

 

You get off the plane and proceed to the Welcome Center--lower level, terminal B. Just be sure that everything you want on that first afternoon is in your carry on.

[cb at sea]

Personally, I'd like to KNOW my bags get to the ship...I'd want to retrieve them from the airline myself!

[Shmoo here]

Personally, I'd like to KNOW my bags get to the ship...I'd want to retrieve them from the airline myself!

Well, then you wouldn't put the DCL luggage tags on them (as directed) before checking them on the airline. Since DCL picks up all such tagged bags directly from the luggage trucks (before they hit the carousel).

 

When is your next DCL cruise?

[moki'smommy]

Personally, I'd like to KNOW my bags get to the ship...I'd want to retrieve them from the airline myself!

You are certainly welcome to do this. As Shmoo said, you'd simply not apply the tags before flying and claim the bags from the luggage carousel at MCO. Then place the tags on the bags and take them with you to the welcome center where they will be taken by a Disney CM to the pile to be placed on the truck to the ship. That doesn't prove they got to the ship, but at least proves they got to Disney.

 

You are not encouraged to take your bags on the bus and onto the ship yourself, but you can. In that case, they must fit thru an airport sized scanner.

 

To give you an idea of accuracy, we've done 30 DCL cruises and countless WDW trips with one "lost" bag, and DCL has since changed the system to prevent what happened to us. In our case, some idiot who can't read luggage tags at the airport took our bag from the carousel. She then called my home number asking me to return her bag to the airport so we could swap them....duh, I didn't have her bag. She did return my bag to the airport, dropping it at a car return place (again, never owned up to it, just put my bag there) and because it had Disney tags, it was routed to Disney...it took 3 or 4 days. OK, this sort of "loss" of bag can't happen now because Disney tagged bags never get to the carousels! THey also instituted a "double check" system when a guest's bag was left at the Hyatt--the Hyatt now has a check form to be sure they have picked up all bags and the guest gives DCL a form telling them to be sure they have received the bags. Thus, both checks would have to fail on the same bag in order for one to be lost or forgotten. Our situation was pre-9/11 and also before all the world carried cell phones. We have had instances where the airline didn't transfer the bags correctly, but fortunately this seems to happen on the way home.

 

The one problem with the current DCL/WDW system occurs if the airline mis-routes a bag from the home airport to MCO or the bag arrives at MCO damaged. Disney will claim that they never got the bag (or it was damaged when they got it). The airline will claim that they didn't lose/damage the bag; Disney must have done it. While the lost bag usually appears quickly, good luck on damage! Yes, you can deal with this if you claim your own bags at MCO before reporting to Disney.

 

Bottom line--there are advantages to claiming your own bag and taking it to the Welcome Center. You KNOW that Disney received your bag. Anything that happened after that is "on them," not on the airline. The disadvantage it the hassle of claiming and carrying your own bags and the time involved in waiting for the baggage to arrive at the carousel. If you are in reasonable physical condition and not hauling a bunch of kids, this can work well and only takes a little time. If you cannot manage your luggage easily for any reason, it can be a pain.

[mrscutecuban]

Thanks all but the whole reason I'm doing DCL is to make it as easy on me as possible as I'm traveling with the kids. Lost bags can occur in any situation and I'm betting and hoping that disney has got enough checks and balances to get my bag to me ( crossing my fingers )!!

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

Thanks all but the whole reason I'm doing DCL is to make it as easy on me as possible as I'm traveling with the kids. Lost bags can occur in any situation and I'm betting and hoping that disney has got enough checks and balances to get my bag to me ( crossing my fingers )!!

 

 

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The do, within limits. If we are doing DCL transportation, we let them handle the bags. They do have courtesy kids (toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, etc) at GS. They also have some "behind the counter" clothing in the gift shops--underwear, etc. If you have trip insurance and your bag(s) don't make it, there is usually a clothing allowance. Also, GS typically waives the laundry fee so that you can send whatever you can spare for a day to be done.

 

I learned long ago that it is always worthwhile to have one extra set of clothing in my carry on--can't say that I always do that on vacation, but makes sense. We also do the "musical chairs" thing with luggage so that each bag contains some clothing for each person. That way, if one bag goes missing, no person is without clothes. I simply put the cases on my bed open, with one full outfit of mine in each bag. Next, each person traveling adds one outfit to each bag. Repeat the process as often as appropriate to the trip, then daughter will finish packing her bag, I'll finish mine, etc. But the bottom line is that we will each have a couple of outfits in the other person's bag. Unless ALL the luggage is lost (which has never happened), we're in good shape. And yes, I may take out the stuff belonging to others and re-organize it when I pack, but all their stuff needs to end up in that suitcase.

 

And I'm with you--I'm old, my daughter has a physical disability. We do carry on for the needed medical stuff and let DCL deal with the rest when using their transportation.

[Shmoo here]

The do' date=' within limits. If we are doing DCL transportation, we let them handle the bags. They do have courtesy kids (toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, etc) at GS. They also have some "behind the counter" clothing in the gift shops--underwear, etc. If you have trip insurance and your bag(s) don't make it, there is usually a clothing allowance. Also, GS typically waives the laundry fee so that you can send whatever you can spare for a day to be done.

 

I learned long ago that it is always worthwhile to have one extra set of clothing in my carry on--can't say that I always do that on vacation, but makes sense. We also do the "musical chairs" thing with luggage so that each bag contains some clothing for each person. That way, if one bag goes missing, no person is without clothes. I simply put the cases on my bed open, with one full outfit of mine in each bag. Next, each person traveling adds one outfit to each bag. Repeat the process as often as appropriate to the trip, then daughter will finish packing her bag, I'll finish mine, etc. But the bottom line is that we will each have a couple of outfits in the other person's bag. Unless ALL the luggage is lost (which has never happened), we're in good shape. And yes, I may take out the stuff belonging to others and re-organize it when I pack, but all their stuff needs to end up in that suitcase.

 

And I'm with you--I'm old, my daughter has a physical disability. We do carry on for the needed medical stuff and let DCL deal with the rest when using their transportation.[/quote']

We also do the cross-packing thing. Even on trips where we're not checking bags. It makes it easier for those one night stops - only have to dig through one suitcase then.

[mrscutecuban]

Yep I do that as well!! Thanks everyone here's to hoping that the disney magic works !! [emoji4]

 

 

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