Disney Transportation to Port Canaveral

[Terk-1]

Hello! I will be at Pop Century before heading to Port Canaveral for a Disney Cruise and had a transportation question. I know the pick-up at the resorts is not until 11am-12pm and it makes numerous stops before going to the cruise ship. Hate wasting time just going resort to resort, am an early riser and just want to get to the terminal before it gets too crowded. Is it possible to take the DME to MCO early that morning, then take the DME from MCO to Port Canaveral? It is just me on this trip

Thank you in advance!

 

[lanejudy]

Yes, you can take ME back to MCO and then the DCL transfers to port earlier.

If you are looking to avoid crowds, though, DCL transfers from the resort will be a better option. Using transfers from MCO, while you may arrive at the port terminal with little to no crowds (the first couple of buses tend to arrive before terminal opens to others) -- you will be stuck in the crowds that descend on the terminal at 10:30. Boarding won't begin until about 11:30am regardless of what time you arrived, and just before boarding begins is the height of crowds at the terminal.

DCL transfers from the resorts typically arrive after "open boarding" has been called and the terminal is relatively empty or very low crowd.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Terk-1]

Hmmm... According to "The Dis" "Pickups at the airport or Disney hotels will begin at 10:00 am" but from what I seeing & hearing, they don't start picking up at the resorts until 11am, but that there is only 1 bus that stops at all the resorts first before heading to Port Canaveral.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

There is more then 1 bus picking up at the resorts. At the most, you may have to stop at 2 more resorts before heading to Port.

 

[lanejudy]

DCL transfers from MCO start around 9am -- first bus pulls out as soon as it's filled which can be as early as 9:15am. Buses will depart approximately every 20 minutes or when filled if sooner. The first bus or two often arrive at Port Canaveral around 10:15am and are allowed to enter the terminal. Guests arriving by other means are not allowed into the terminal building until 10:30am.

DCL transfers from WDW have a specified pick-up time at each resort, which may change from cruise-to-cruise depending on the number of guests needing transfers from each resort. Each bus may pick up from as many as 3 resorts, though sometimes just 1 fills the bus. Pick-ups won't start until at least 10:30am, and typically arrive at Port Canaveral after 12:30/1:00pm.

Regardless of how one arrives at the port terminal, boarding the ship doesn't begin until around 11:30 give or take. So arriving at 10am won't get you onboard any sooner than arriving at 11:30am. Crowds build until after boarding has shifted some onto the ship, and dissipate around 12:30 when "open boarding" is called.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[matt&jakesmom]

Does it matter as to what disney resort you stay at as to getting picked up first or do all the cruise buses get to the resorts around the same time?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Does it matter as to what disney resort you stay at as to getting picked up first or do all the cruise buses get to the resorts around the same time?

The time and order of pickups changes from cruise to cruise. Not all resorts are picked up around the same time. Some may have a pickup close to 10:30 and others may not be picked up until 11:30 or noon. The uncertainty plus the later arrival at the port is the reason a lot of people staying at WDW resorts the night before their cruise choose a car service or rent a car for their transportation.

 

[Terk-1]

DCL transfers from MCO start around 9am -- first bus pulls out as soon as it's filled which can be as early as 9:15am. Buses will depart approximately every 20 minutes or when filled if sooner. The first bus or two often arrive at Port Canaveral around 10:15am and are allowed to enter the terminal. Guests arriving by other means are not allowed into the terminal building until 10:30am.

DCL transfers from WDW have a specified pick-up time at each resort, which may change from cruise-to-cruise depending on the number of guests needing transfers from each resort. Each bus may pick up from as many as 3 resorts, though sometimes just 1 fills the bus. Pick-ups won't start until at least 10:30am, and typically arrive at Port Canaveral after 12:30/1:00pm.

Regardless of how one arrives at the port terminal, boarding the ship doesn't begin until around 11:30 give or take. So arriving at 10am won't get you onboard any sooner than arriving at 11:30am. Crowds build until after boarding has shifted some onto the ship, and dissipate around 12:30 when "open boarding" is called.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you LaneJudy! I'm an early riser anyway, so getting to Port Canaveral before 11:30am is not a problem for me. Plus this will give me time to check in with smaller crowds and I can get on the boat earlier to wander around and check things out. Am thinking of grabbing an early DME bus to MCO, check my bags at the DCL desk, then grab the next available bus to Port Canaveral. I don't mind waiting at the terminal for them to start boarding the ship, I just want to get there, check-in, and relax. I'm wondering if it's worth spending that last night at a hotel at or near the airport?

 

[Terk-1]

Found a REALLY reasonable rate (cheaper than a nights stay at Pop) at the Homewood Suites Orlando Airport & checking to see if my company has negotiated rates at the Hyatt Orlando Airport. Thinking this will be the easiest, that way I can get up early that next morning, eat a free breakfast, then take the free shuttle to the airport, check-in and check my bags at DCL, and grab a bus to Port Canaveral. If I can get a good rate at the Hyatt, DCL said that I can just bring my bags to them and they will get it to DCL for me.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you LaneJudy! I'm an early riser anyway, so getting to Port Canaveral before 11:30am is not a problem for me. Plus this will give me time to check in with smaller crowds and I can get on the boat earlier to wander around and check things out. Am thinking of grabbing an early DME bus to MCO, check my bags at the DCL desk, then grab the next available bus to Port Canaveral. I don't mind waiting at the terminal for them to start boarding the ship, I just want to get there, check-in, and relax. I'm wondering if it's worth spending that last night at a hotel at or near the airport?

Getting to the port before 11:30, you'll find a large crowd. Many people "just show up" around 10-10:30, regardless of their port arrival time. Since actual boarding doesn't begin until 11:30, the crowd just builds and builds until (generally) around 12:30 or so. The "sweet spot" for arrival is actually 12:15-12:45ish. That's after the mass of early arrivers and before the resort busses start arriving.

You won't "get on the boat earlier" just because you arrive at 10:00.

We've been on that first bus out from MCO. While the terminal is pretty empty when you first arrive, it gets to be a madhouse (not "relaxing" at all). There are limited seating options and people wind up trying to squeeze in anywhere they see 5 inches of space between people on the seats, or all over the floor (forget about getting up to stretch your legs - there'll be 5 people trying to sit in your now empty space). Then, once boarding begins, the masses just head for the line, regardless of their actual boarding number, and hover around the entrance to the queue "just waiting" for their number to be called. And, boy, do they love to give the stink-eye to anyone who says "excuse me, they've called my number" trying to get in the queue.

 

[kiford]

We've been on that first bus out from MCO. While the terminal is pretty empty when you first arrive, it gets to be a madhouse (not "relaxing" at all). There are limited seating options and people wind up trying to squeeze in anywhere they see 5 inches of space between people on the seats, or all over the floor (forget about getting up to stretch your legs - there'll be 5 people trying to sit in your now empty space). Then, once boarding begins, the masses just head for the line, regardless of their actual boarding number, and hover around the entrance to the queue "just waiting" for their number to be called. And, boy, do they love to give the stink-eye to anyone who says "excuse me, they've called my number" trying to get in the queue.

We got to the port early on our last trip because friends who lived in Florida with whom we were sailing picked us up from the MCO Hyatt early just to make sure they didn't get stuck in traffic. We got seats and there were people literally leaning against the back of my chair, crammed in so close it was hard to actually get up out of the chair. And yes, definitely the stink-eye when we boarded early. I had to actually shove my way through as people would try to prevent you from getting through the crowd by squeezing you between other people even when they clearly had higher boarding numbers. People pushing forward to get on board and being turned back because their number hadn't been called yet. Not fun at all. I wouldn't have been there at all at that time if it hadn't been for our friends. We usually take DCL transfers and arrive after open boarding. So much less hassle.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We got to the port early on our last trip because friends who lived in Florida with whom we were sailing picked us up from the MCO Hyatt early just to make sure they didn't get stuck in traffic. We got seats and there were people literally leaning against the back of my chair, crammed in so close it was hard to actually get up out of the chair. And yes, definitely the stink-eye when we boarded early. I had to actually shove my way through as people would try to prevent you from getting through the crowd by squeezing you between other people even when they clearly had higher boarding numbers. People pushing forward to get on board and being turned back because their number hadn't been called yet. Not fun at all. I wouldn't have been there at all at that time if it hadn't been for our friends. We usually take DCL transfers and arrive after open boarding. So much less hassle.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Our last trip from WDW to DCL we stayed at SSR and the first bus left at exactly noon and the drive time was 1 hr and 20 min. Timed and noted it for future cruises. When is your scheduled port arrival time? They don't let you through the line if you are earlier than scheduled.

 

[mrsgthatsme]

I completely agree with the other posters who preferred the wide open terminal you will experience arriving there from the WDW busses after open boarding starts. We arrived from POR (we didn't pick up at any other resort as our resort filled the bus) at 1:20 and walked into the nearly empty terminal, straight onto the ship, and into a nearly empty dining room for lunch! It was amazingly relaxing and wonderful compared to a previous cruise where we took the first bus from the airport and waited in the terminal for a long period in the crazy busy crowd! It is also so nice to have them take your luggage at your WDW resort room and not to see it again until the staff dropped it off outside our stateroom.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Our last trip from WDW to DCL we stayed at SSR and the first bus left at exactly noon and the drive time was 1 hr and 20 min. Timed and noted it for future cruises. When is your scheduled port arrival time? They don't let you through the line if you are earlier than scheduled.

DCL has changed procedures and you no longer pick a PAT if you are arriving by DCL transfer. But unless there is a delay in boarding and the terminal is at or near capacity, they usually allow people into the terminal to check in even if they arrive prior to the PAT. Your boarding number will still be based on your PAT so arriving early won't necessarily get you on board any earlier, but only rarely will you be stopped from entering the terminal.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

DCL has changed procedures and you no longer pick a PAT if you are arriving by DCL transfer. But unless there is a delay in boarding and the terminal is at or near capacity, they usually allow people into the terminal to check in even if they arrive prior to the PAT. Your boarding number will still be based on your PAT so arriving early won't necessarily get you on board any earlier, but only rarely will you be stopped from entering the terminal.

That is good to know. Thank you.

 

[Shanti]

I recommend arriving based on when you want to arrive. We've been among the very first people to enter the port, we've arrived within an hour of it opening, and we've arrived shortly after open boarding was called. There were crowds in all of those circumstances, but the crowds have never been anything terrible in our experience.

I think the only way to really avoid crowds is to arrive on the late side, which you'll likely do taking the DCL transfer bus from WDW. You will miss a few hours of ship-board time, but whether that really matters or not is based on the length of your cruise & your personal preference.

 

[xQuizx]

It depends on your personal preference for crowds. We like getting their at around 11AM with the crowds. We like the energy, the hustle and bustle of people wanting to get on the boat. We shoot for the early boarding times so even with all the people we don't have to stay in the terminal that long.

Also Mickey and Minnie come out for pictures in the morning, but I think they're gone by the afternoon. On our last cruise Mickey and Minnie switched around noon, so I'm guessing they're only out there till 1.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

We just took lyft from the polynesian in mid may. We were able to book the car the night before on their app. It was reasonably priced and painless!

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

We took the DCL bus from POR once. Yes, it left around noon. But they pick up your luggage from your room that morning, you just leave it in there packed with the tags on. (They did ours while we were at breakfast.) And when we got to the port there were no lines and we checked in and just walked right on the ship. It was the least stressful trip to the port that I have ever done.