Disney Fantasy Tender question - need to be off quick

[Joel0917]

I am doing an independant tour that meets onshore at 1130. We tender at 1030. I've been to GC before but never cared to get off the boat so didn't wait in the theatre.
I need to get off quicker and not go down to the theatre and wait for a ticket. What will they say if we just get down to deck 1 without going to theatre and getting a ticket?
Has anyone done this and had luck getting off right away in Grand Cayman?

Thanks

 

[lorimay]

I am doing an independant tour that meets onshore at 1130. We tender at 1030. I've been to GC before but never cared to get off the boat so didn't wait in the theatre.
I need to get off quicker and not go down to the theatre and wait for a ticket. What will they say if we just get down to deck 1 without going to theatre and getting a ticket?
Has anyone done this and had luck getting off right away in Grand Cayman?

Thanks

My understanding of this is that, Disney lets off people who have purchased their port adventures first, all others must go to the theater for a ticket.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They will make you go get a ticket.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am doing an independant tour that meets onshore at 1130. We tender at 1030. I've been to GC before but never cared to get off the boat so didn't wait in the theatre.
I need to get off quicker and not go down to the theatre and wait for a ticket. What will they say if we just get down to deck 1 without going to theatre and getting a ticket?
Has anyone done this and had luck getting off right away in Grand Cayman?

Thanks

They will make you go get a ticket.

This ^^^

 

[disneylove69]

Get in line early to get a ticket. Also ship has to clear customs so it could be earlier or later for getting off.

 

[Joel0917]

if getting a ticket. what is the quickest you've experienced being off? like how soon do i need to get to the theatre?

 

[Bonnie1222]

If you are on a Disney excursion - you have no issue. Private may be a challenge.

Last year in October DH and I went out on our balcony - it was a beautiful sunny day. We went to the theater to wait for one of the first tenders. And we waited, and we waited. Finally after 1/2 an hour of nobody moving they announced they were waiting for a "passing shower". Another 30 + minutes later they finally said that we could go. When we got to deck 1, cast members were scrambling to pull out ponchos and hand them out as fast as possible. It was POURING outside. You could not see Grand Cayman from the boat. Halfway to the Island you could not see the boat or the island. We got to the theater to catch one of the fist tenders and didn't make the island until close to noon.

Since Grand Cayman is a tender port you are never guaranteed to get to the island.

This year in May we got off pretty quick, but sorry we usually wait for the initial rush to be over before we headed down.

 

[kiford]

Early port excursions booked through DCL get priority though not necessarily on the first one - it depends on the time of their tour. Everyone meets in the theatre, including tours. People who are not with tours have to get a ticket and it's on a first-come, first-served basis. They won't allow people with tickets to head down to the tenders until the tours that are scheduled have been accounted for (they announce when those not on tours but with tender tickets can go).

If not a lot of tours are leaving on the first couple of tenders and you are one of the first people to get a ticket, you will get out early. If there are a lot of tours, you may have to wait for the next one(s). No way to determine how soon that will be without knowing how many people are booked for tours and their schedules. They won't let you off by just going down to the tender. They keep a close eye on who is getting off - if you don't obviously have a tour sticker on your clothes, they'll check. I've seen people try to merge unobtrusively into the tour groups and they were asked for their tour ticket. If they were unable to produce it, they were told to go to the theatre to get a ticket or wait until those with tender tickets were called. Having said that, if you are down to the theatre early, you'll probably get out quickly. It's not like the tour companies don't know the process and know that cruise-booked tour groups get first priority. The tenders are reasonably large and especially frequent in the morning. If your tour company knows that you are expected to dock at 10:30 and their time is 11:30, they are assuming that this time is sufficient as long as you don't dawdle and arrive at the theatre at the last minute. If the Navigator says meet at the theatre at 10 am to get tender tickets, get there 10-15 minutes prior. Worst case is you end up in line.