DCL transport choice from Hyatt MCO, Airport, or All-Star?

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

This is my second Disney cruise and the first one from Port Canaveral. My upcoming cruise is in December and the online checking window is coming up. I prefer to board the ship as early as possible. I have a few questions and options. Please help me decide. Thank.

1) I heard if you book Hyatt MCO or WDW Resorts, then you will be automatically assigned an early PAT. But if you use DCL airport transfer (not Hyatt one), then you still need to pick a PAT. Is that still the case?

2) If I use the DCL Airport transfer, do they let the person with an earlier PAT board the DCL bus earlier or is it a first come first serve kind of thing regardless of what PAT you got from Online check-in? If I board the bus early but my PAT is late, will I be able to board the ship early? And when does the first DCL airport bus leave?

4) If I book Hyatt MCO hotel directly from DCL, usually when will the first bus leave for the port? I heard someone say 9:20, but someone say well past 10:00. If the Hyatt MCO bus is scheduled to leave late, am I be able to just take my luggage and go to take the DCL airport bus? Or do I have to stick with the Hyatt bus?

5) Usually when does the DCL bus leave from All-Star hotels? I know they might need to stop to pick up a few other guests from different hotels. So when will the bus arrive at the port?

6) I'll spend the day before the cruise at Universal Studio. Is Uber/Lyft from the Universal area to Port Canaveral a doable thing on embarkation day? If so, then I can stay at a hotel near Universal and go to port next day using uber/lyft. I'm a family of 3. The estimated uber price from Universal to Port is similar to DCL transfer price.

7) When do they usually let people board Disney Wish?

My options are:
a) stay at a hotel near Universal and uber to port the next day. (Not sure if it is easy to find a ride to go that far) This is the cheapest option.
b) uber at around 9:30 PM from Universal to Hyatt MCO for the night before the cruise and take the Hyatt MCO transfer the next day. Cost $150 more than option a)
c) uber at around 9:30 PM from Universal to a hotel near MCO, the next day, use the hotel free shuttle to get to the airport and then take the DCL airport shuttle. Cost $60 more than option a)
d) uber at around 9:30 PM from Universal to WDW all-star resort, then take the DCL transfer from there. This will be the same price as option b from Hyatt MCO. Compared with option b), which one will most likely arrive at the port earlier?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for everyone's suggestions. Cheers~

 

[lanejudy]

1) Correct, DCL Transfers from Hyatt MCO or WDW resorts will not require a PAT and the boarding group will be automatically assigned.

2) I believe boarding at the airport is first-come first-served. The PAT doesn't matter as much, but a later boarding group will be waiting longer after arrival at the port terminal. Similarly, if you are on the first bus but have a later boarding group, you will be waiting a little longer.

4-5) I've read reports of meeting anywhere from 8am until 10am. It likely depends on the number of guests taking DCL Transfers from the Hyatt lobby (or any resort lobby) that particular day. Sometimes it's 1 bus, sometimes they run 2-3 buses. Usually (post-covid) the Hyatt and WDW resort buses have been arriving at the port terminal before 10:30am when the port opens to the public.

6) I've never used Uber/Lyft to the port, so I'll let others comment. It is an option, how good an option I don't know.

7) Boarding at Port Canaveral typically starts around 11:30am, give or take 15 minutes. They move through boarding groups fairly quickly and usually within an hour they've called "open boarding." So the difference in actual boarding time is not really a big difference.

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

1) Correct, DCL Transfers from Hyatt MCO or WDW resorts will not require a PAT and the boarding group will be automatically assigned.

2) I believe boarding at the airport is first-come first-served. The PAT doesn't matter as much, but a later boarding group will be waiting longer after arrival at the port terminal. Similarly, if you are on the first bus but have a later boarding group, you will be waiting a little longer.

4-5) I've read reports of meeting anywhere from 8am until 10am. It likely depends on the number of guests taking DCL Transfers from the Hyatt lobby (or any resort lobby) that particular day. Sometimes it's 1 bus, sometimes they run 2-3 buses. Usually (post-covid) the Hyatt and WDW resort buses have been arriving at the port terminal before 10:30am when the port opens to the public.

6) I've never used Uber/Lyft to the port, so I'll let others comment. It is an option, how good an option I don't know.

7) Boarding at Port Canaveral typically starts around 11:30am, give or take 15 minutes. They move through boarding groups fairly quickly and usually within an hour they've called "open boarding." So the difference in actual boarding time is not really a big difference.

Thank you so much for this detailed information ~

 

[WDWAurora]

Leaving from the Hyatt we were on the first bus. Left around 9 (I have a pic of us on the bus at 9:06). Arrived right around 10 (pic of the ship at 9:57 from the road).

 

[Chipmunkmaniac]

I booked huatt on my own, will i be able to grab the huatt bus or should i go down to the general dcl airport bus?

 

[WDWAurora]

I booked huatt on my own, will i be able to grab the huatt bus or should i go down to the general dcl airport bus?

Talk to Disney and get the reservation linked so you can go from the Hyatt.

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

Leaving from the Hyatt we were on the first bus. Left around 9 (I have a pic of us on the bus at 9:06). Arrived right around 10 (pic of the ship at 9:57 from the road).

Got it. Thanks~

 

[rtravels]

Leaving from the Hyatt we were on the first bus. Left around 9 (I have a pic of us on the bus at 9:06). Arrived right around 10 (pic of the ship at 9:57 from the road).

Thank you for this. Once you arrived---how long did you wait until you boarded the ship?

 

[lanejudy]

Thank you for this. Once you arrived---how long did you wait until you boarded the ship?

At Port Canaveral, boarding doesn't begin until around 11:30am - give or take 15 min. So arriving early may mean you hang around the port terminal waiting to board. It doesn't get you onboard any quicker.

 

[WDWAurora]

Thank you for this. Once you arrived---how long did you wait until you boarded the ship?

It was a while because they were delayed getting the last group off. Although again I checked pics and we were seated to eat at 12:09. Not bad.

 

[Girl of the South]

You can call or email dcl.reservations@disneycruise.com with your Confirmation Number and ask to be put on the Hyatt list. You should get an email confirmation that would look like this. You want to make sure the PICK UP is the Hyatt and not just Port Canaveral. I think you are overthinking this a little bit. Honestly, getting on the ship at 11:30 or at 12:30 - it's no big deal. EVERYONE "prefers" getting on earlier but it really doesn't matter. Don't let worrying about it ruin the experience for you. The PAT is one thing and since you are taking the DCL bus, it won't matter as much as the BOARDING GROUP number you get. But even then, they are just maybe 15 minutes apart if even that.

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

You can call or email dcl.reservations@disneycruise.com with your Confirmation Number and ask to be put on the Hyatt list. You should get an email confirmation that would look like this. You want to make sure the PICK UP is the Hyatt and not just Port Canaveral. I think you are overthinking this a little bit. Honestly, getting on the ship at 11:30 or at 12:30 - it's no big deal. EVERYONE "prefers" getting on earlier but it really doesn't matter. Don't let worrying about it ruin the experience for you. The PAT is one thing and since you are taking the DCL bus, it won't matter as much as the BOARDING GROUP number you get. But even then, they are just maybe 15 minutes apart if even that.

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You were absolutely right. Probably because the online check-in process didn't go smoothly last time for the Miami cruise. And I read too many posts with people saying to get an early PAT. Then I was stressed out when my check-in window becomes closer and closer.

 

[Girl of the South]

I don't understand people all bent of shape about their PAT . . . in the grand scheme of things, it's such a minor part of the whole cruise! Maybe you can shovel down a few more chicken tenders but the cabins won't be available until around 2. It's gonna be great, whenever you get on! Which cruise are you on? I agree the online check in process SUCKS. This is why Amazon got to big - they did their IT right. Made it so easy to order things that toddlers are doing on their parents phones! Disney needs to work on it. Just breath and stay in the moment!

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

I don't understand people all bent of shape about their PAT . . . in the grand scheme of things, it's such a minor part of the whole cruise! Maybe you can shovel down a few more chicken tenders but the cabins won't be available until around 2. It's gonna be great, whenever you get on! Which cruise are you on? I agree the online check in process SUCKS. This is why Amazon got to big - they did their IT right. Made it so easy to order things that toddlers are doing on their parents phones! Disney needs to work on it. Just breath and stay in the moment!

It will be Wish this December. Can't wait.

 

[anita46]

Just wanted to add that the airport Hyatt was a wonderful stay. The bathrooms are amazing and their bedding is the BEST!

We used them after our late arrival the day before our 4 day cruise - the whole process was effortless. I had previously booked DCL transfers. Effortless.

I will add that arriving early at the Port is not necessarily a good thing. We arrived around 10 but didn't board until almost noon. We were boarding group 3.

 

[rainbowredpanda]

I would do whatever is easiest and causes the least amount of stress. The difference will be boarding around 11:30am or 12:30pm so it's not really that significant. I'd pick whatever is the easiest so you don't start your vacation stressed before you have even boarded. Personally, I'd pick A. The others just sound like too much work to me, to maybe gain an hour on the ship.

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

Just wanted to add that the airport Hyatt was a wonderful stay. The bathrooms are amazing and their bedding is the BEST!

We used them after our late arrival the day before our 4 day cruise - the whole process was effortless. I had previously booked DCL transfers. Effortless.

I will add that arriving early at the Port is not necessarily a good thing. We arrived around 10 but didn't board until almost noon. We were boarding group 3.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. My boarding group is 6. My easiest choice is to stay at the Universal area hotel and then use the Uber/Lyft on embarkation day directly to the port. It's just I'm not sure if it is easy to find a Uber/Lyft that day. I heard people say drivers don't like to accept ride that far. I'll do more research on the uber / lyft part, and then decide if I will stay at my current booking hotel near Universal (option a) or change it to Hyatt MCO (option b).

 

[CindyCaiCaiCai]

I would do whatever is easiest and causes the least amount of stress. The difference will be boarding around 11:30am or 12:30pm so it's not really that significant. I'd pick whatever is the easiest so you don't start your vacation stressed before you have even boarded. Personally, I'd pick A. The others just sound like too much work to me, to maybe gain an hour on the ship.

Thank you so much. I grabbed a boarding group of 6, so the time part won't make that difference now. My easiest choice is to stay at the Universal area hotel and then use the Uber/Lyft on embarkation day directly to the port. It's just I'm not sure if it is easy to find a Uber/Lyft that day. I heard people say drivers don't like to accept ride that far. I'll do more research on the uber / lyft part. Thanks again.

 

[anita46]

Thank you so much. I grabbed a boarding group of 6, so the time part won't make that difference now. My easiest choice is to stay at the Universal area hotel and then use the Uber/Lyft on embarkation day directly to the port. It's just I'm not sure if it is easy to find a Uber/Lyft that day. I heard people say drivers don't like to accept ride that far. I'll do more research on the uber / lyft part. Thanks again.

You're welcome!
The Uber/Lyft drivers may be hesitant due to the crappy traffic too. Seems to be much worse than in previous years but it could have been the time of day...?
Have a wonderful December cruise and you can't go wrong with a stay at Universal either.

 

[dthogue]

Might I suggest renting a car at the airport, then drive to the port the day of your cruise. Drop off the car at the rental agency and take their shuttle to port. I like Avis. Makes it easier to get around.