Home » Forums » Trip Planning » Disney Cruise Line » Question for my DCL Cruise Efficiandos

Question for my DCL Cruise Efficiandos

Login to post comments
9 posts / 0 new
Thu, 02/23/2017 - 12:48
Kris1971's picture
Kris1971
Offline
Joined: 08/10/2011
Posts: 2350
Question for my DCL Cruise Efficiandos

Hi Disney Friends! I have a few questions about Disney's transportation too and from Port Canaveral. We'll be boarding the Dream in September to celebrate my parent's 50th Anniversary as a family. The cruise departs on a Monday and arrives back in port on a Friday. We were thinking of spending the night before at a WDW resort and hopping the DCL bus to the port. Does anybody know what time the buses from the resorts arrive at the port? On the flip side, we'd like to spend a day at Epcot for F&W the Friday we get back into Port. Given that we only have one day in the park, can anyone tell me what time the DCL bus typically gets you back to a resort? Would it be faster to grab an uber?

__________________

Tags:
Thu, 02/23/2017 - 14:49
Kristen K.'s picture
Kristen K.
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Kris1971 wrote:
Hi Disney Friends! I have a few questions about Disney's transportation too and from Port Canaveral. We'll be boarding the Dream in September to celebrate my parent's 50th Anniversary as a family. The cruise departs on a Monday and arrives back in port on a Friday. We were thinking of spending the night before at a WDW resort and hopping the DCL bus to the port. Does anybody know what time the buses from the resorts arrive at the port? On the flip side, we'd like to spend a day at Epcot for F&W the Friday we get back into Port. Given that we only have one day in the park, can anyone tell me what time the DCL bus typically gets you back to a resort? Would it be faster to grab an uber?

Tori and I took the DCL Bus on our last trip and I will never do it again. The bus didn't leave SSR until 12:30 in the afternoon, and we got on the ship about 2:30. By the time we took care of a mess with our dining reservations all the restaurants had closed and we didn't get lunch. My advice is to NOT take the Disney bus - arrange for a town car to and from the port. That way you can run on your own schedule instead of on Disneys.

Fri, 02/24/2017 - 02:04
JoAnn C's picture
JoAnn C
Offline
Joined: 05/20/2011
Posts: 6757

Here are the times from my one and only experience:

Pick up at POR - 11:30am
Arrived at port - 12:40pm
Checked in by - 1:06pm (to be fair, Dee made the reservation for her, Abby and I, so we checked in a separate area for platinum Castaway Cay members. We avoided the long lines of the other guests checking in, or else it would have taken a lot longer to check in).

We were off the ship pretty early. I don't remember when I got to Pop (I don't have any pictures to check the time) but I had time to get laundry done and was at Epcot early afternoon.

Depending on how many in your family are going to be going to the port, you may want to look into private transportation for all of you.

__________________

Fri, 02/24/2017 - 17:01
Kris1971's picture
Kris1971
Offline
Joined: 08/10/2011
Posts: 2350

Thanks, ladies! It sounds like setting up our own transportation would be quicker. There are 8 of us, so maybe I'll try to hire a Mears shuttle for both ways.

__________________

Fri, 02/24/2017 - 19:50
Kristen K.'s picture
Kristen K.
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

Check out Tiffany Towncar, I've always had great service with them. They have a van service for up to 10 people that is $350 round trip. That's almost $200 less than the DCL bus would cost you all anyhow.

Fri, 02/24/2017 - 20:06
alicemouse's picture
alicemouse
Offline
Joined: 10/22/2013
Posts: 2832

I would definitely get independent transportation. In a lot of cases, it's less expensive and I'm an "at the port by 10am" kind of person. Waiting for that bus would drive me batty! On the way back, your timeline would be better because as the bus fills, it leaves and there is no organized disembarking procedure. You walk off the boat when you're ready to go.

__________________

Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch

Find me on Facebook

Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.

Fri, 02/24/2017 - 21:18
Kris1971's picture
Kris1971
Offline
Joined: 08/10/2011
Posts: 2350

Thanks, gang! You guys are truly the best!

__________________

Sun, 02/26/2017 - 04:40
crazycatperson's picture
crazycatperson
Offline
Joined: 09/19/2011
Posts: 3718

We took the DCL bus without any issues even though we didn't get on the bus at the Boardwalk till around noon. Just meant we could sleep late, which we enjoy. We made it to the buffet in time for lunch. We would do it again.

After the cruise we made it back to the Boardwalk with plenty of time to hit the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot.

But there were just two of us. Not eight. The bus would be pretty pricey for your crowd so you might as well hire a car and do things on your own schedule.

Wed, 03/01/2017 - 14:18
Kris1971's picture
Kris1971
Offline
Joined: 08/10/2011
Posts: 2350

Thank you all for the tips. I had no idea you had to pay for the DCL bus. We've always taken the autotrain down so we drove to the port. I don't know why I thought the transportation was included like the ME. It will definitely be cheaper for us to hire our own transportation.

__________________

 
‹ Previous topic: Who's going on a Disney Cruise in 2017? Next topic: River Cruises - Adventures by Disney ›