londonbridges Posted May 4, 2009 #1 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I just wanted to share our experience with Disney's transfers between the resort and the port. We travelled on the Disney Wonder April 19-23. Our transfer from the Polynesian to the port went very smoothly. The bus picked us up right on time and it made only one other stop before the port. Total travel time was about 1 1/4 hours. Our transfer from the port back to the Disney resorts was not so easy. The bus stopped at SEVEN hotels. It took over 2 1/2 hours to get from the port to the Contemporary resort. The driver told us Disney usually does not allow them to make more than 3 stops, but he didn't know why there was an exception this time. Given the expense of the transfers for a family of 4, we would have been much better off using a limo service. Keep this in mind when you're making plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heard02 Posted May 5, 2009 #2 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Oh wow. That isn't always the case. In our experience, the first time we had almost a "private" transfer back our hotel, the Polynesian. We had one other family on the mini bus with us and they went to the Wilderness Lodge. We didn't pay for a private transfer either.... The second time we used the service, we went directly to our hotel, Grand Floridian with no stops. My parents had a similar experience to our almost "private" transfer too. They had a mini bus that took 3 families to Coronado Springs with no other stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiedustdawn Posted May 5, 2009 #3 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Sorry you had this experience. We have never had so many stops before, I wonder what had happened? I guess it would make sense if you have a lot of people to just rent a car or Limo then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kacoombs Posted May 5, 2009 #4 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I thought if you were going to a Disney hotel, it was a free transfer. We're coming back to the port and doing a separately booked Disney resort vacation, and I thought the Magical Express was complimentary. It didn't add anything to our cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolphingirl47 Posted May 5, 2009 #5 Share Posted May 5, 2009 There are two different things here. Disney's Magical Express is complimentary, but that only goes from Orlando International Airport to the resorts at Walt Disney World and back. DCL Transportation is separate and goes from Orlando International Airport to the Port and back, from selected Walt Disney World resorts to the Port and from the port to any Walt Disney World resort. The cost for that per person is around $70 round trip. We are going from the airport to the port before the cruise, but are going to Animal Kingdom Lodge after the cruise, so you can mix and match the DCL transfers. Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truck1 Posted May 5, 2009 #6 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Oh wow.That isn't always the case. In our experience, the first time we had almost a "private" transfer back our hotel, the Polynesian. We had one other family on the mini bus with us and they went to the Wilderness Lodge. We didn't pay for a private transfer either.... The second time we used the service, we went directly to our hotel, Grand Floridian with no stops. My parents had a similar experience to our almost "private" transfer too. They had a mini bus that took 3 families to Coronado Springs with no other stops. Off the top of my head as a former Disney driver for the parks (NOT the DCL or DME busses, those are under contract), there could be several reasons for the above conditions 1. If for some reason there was not enough busses to go around due to demand, some of the busses may have been doubled up to handle the increased passenger load. For example, if each of the busses hold 60 people and are only supposed to hit 2 resorts, and there is 300 people there, with 2 busses designated to that hotel, they may have had a different route bus pick up some of the slack that was going to be in the area anyway.So instead of doing 2 stops they are now up to 6 and 7. 2.There may have been a shortage of drivers that day to fully staff all of the routes or there was a sudden increase in passenger traffic and the contractor was not able to meet the drivers or bus demand. (The DCL and DME busses are supposed as I understand it to be used exclusively for Disney, however the contractor has managed to use them for everything ese) 3. I am thinkng though not 100% sure, that depending on the category of resort you are booked at, may determine how many stops you make.(Up to a cut off point of say 3 stops) A resort like the Grand Floridian, which would demand high dollars rooms, would get a one and only stop versus the Carribean beach which may share a bus with the Beach Club and Coronado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Host Mick Posted May 6, 2009 #7 Share Posted May 6, 2009 ... 2.There may have been a shortage of drivers that day to fully staff all of the routes or there was a sudden increase in passenger traffic and the contractor was not able to meet the drivers or bus demand. (The DCL and DME busses are supposed as I understand it to be used exclusively for Disney, however the contractor has managed to use them for everything ese) ... You were a Disney driver? You've got to have some stories... Feel free to break the off-topic rule here. That reminds me of two years ago when we took the DME to Saratoga Springs. We got picked-up in a Disney Cruise Line coach. It was very cool to get the flashbacks. I kept asking the driver if we could watch the DCL video but he kept saying no until my wife started hitting me then I stopped asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truck1 Posted May 7, 2009 #8 Share Posted May 7, 2009 You were a Disney driver? You've got to have some stories... Feel free to break the off-topic rule here. That reminds me of two years ago when we took the DME to Saratoga Springs. We got picked-up in a Disney Cruise Line coach. It was very cool to get the flashbacks. I kept asking the driver if we could watch the DCL video but he kept saying no until my wife started hitting me then I stopped asking. Thats funny.Mine hits me before I open my mouth. The busses I drove were the RTS (the busses you have to go up a few steps) and Nova (the new busses that have less seats than the older RTS style) internal resort busses. I also drove the Superbus (the Tractor Trailer bus)out of Downtown until they were retired.Floated all the parks with it.Its one of the reasons I know so much about the Disney Transportation system. I was there when DCL was launched and have a few friends that work or used to work on the ships. Prob one of the best stories I have is catching people who dont hear what comes out of their mouth. I was driving an RTS out of Epcot, and went in to the old Dixie Landings before they changed the name (They did that on April Fools Day. Really) Went in to the West Depot and a gentleman looked at the side marquee then looked at the front marquee,both said Epcot on it, got up on the first step and asked me if I was going to Epcot. I said no sir I only go to Epcot Center, trying to keep a straight face. He said OK. Ill wait for the Epcot bus. Then he sat down on the bench. The 15 or so people behind me who heard me were on the floor rolling they were laughing so hard.I sat there for a minute then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He got up, hung his head low, got on the bus sat down all the way in the back of the bus and never said a word the rest of the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecomolover Posted May 9, 2009 #9 Share Posted May 9, 2009 I'm glad you posted your experience. Right now I'm information gathering but it looks like we'll hire a limo to take us from the ship to the resort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunchak Posted June 16, 2009 #10 Share Posted June 16, 2009 We took the Disney bus to the Boat which was great...but after the cruise they tried to stuff our party of 6 onto a small shuttle bus which was already half full (all our luggage would never have fit). We said forget it and we waited on the large full size bus even though they told us it wouldn't leave for another 30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irwins0001 Posted June 17, 2009 #11 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Depending on howmany people you have, it is usually cheaper to rent a car at MCO and drive to the port. Return your car at the port. There are many companies that will shuttle you from their return to the port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunchak Posted June 17, 2009 #12 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Depending on howmany people you have, it is usually cheaper to rent a car at MCO and drive to the port. Return your car at the port. There are many companies that will shuttle you from their return to the port. Sometimes it's a huge hassle to rent a car. Alot of these large rental companies only have a couple people on staff and it take 30 mins to an hour wait in line and get all the paperwork done. The large disney bus was great but avoid those smaller shuttle buses. I might look into getting taxi/limo service on our next cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigjdd Posted June 24, 2009 #13 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Just got off the phone with DCL. Changed our transfer from round trip, MCO to port and back to Resort. Took about 5 minutes. No hassel. Think about this. After 7 days on the cruise, whats the hurry to get to the resorts. Most times you might have to wait for the room to be cleaned or something, dis that a couple of years ago at Port Orleans. If your spending a few days at the parks better to take it easy.Just MHO.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunchak Posted June 24, 2009 #14 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Isn't another advantage of taking the Disney bus that they put your luggage from the bus directly onto the ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolphingirl47 Posted June 24, 2009 #15 Share Posted June 24, 2009 Yes, going to the port, they take the baggage of you at the resort/ airport and you don't see it again until it is delivered to your cabin. Leaving the ship, your baggage travels on the same bus as you do. Corinna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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