"Checking in" at the Orlando Airport

[Julylady]

I apologize if this question has been asked and answered previously, but I haven't found it.

Is it possible to check in for the cruise at the Orlando airport (MCO) the morning of the cruise? We will be arriving late in the day on Friday for our cruise that leaves on Saturday. We are staying at the Hyatt in the airport and have purchased DCL transfers to the port. Would we be eligible for check in at the airport? If so, under what conditions and where do you go? Does the entire family need to go or only one person?

THANKS in advance.

Donna

 

[kcashner]

I specifically called DCL about this before our September cruise and was told that it was not available. We were in the same situation as you; arriving the day before.

Others on the board have reported being able to do it by being at the Welcome Center at 7:45 am, while leaving the family in the hotel, so...good luck. I didn't pursue it after the CM said it couldn't be done. She acted like she'd never heard of it.

 

[Julylady]

Thanks, kcashner! Do you know where the "Welcome Center" is located? I might as well give it a try at the Airport. I will be too excited to sleep in that morning!

 

[kcashner]

The Welcome Center is on lower level terminal B at the airport. It's where you would check in for the DCL bus if you were not at the Hyatt...and the other end of the counter is the check in for the Magical Express bus. Assuming you are on DCL transfers, your bags will be taken from your hotel room, so no need to have those with you at check in.

 

[scrappyjae]

I can help you as we just did this on 10/10/09. We arrived at the airport on the Friday before our cruise and stayed at the Hyatt the night before. When you check in at the Hyatt, let them know that you are on a Disney Cruise the next day. They will give you instructions on what to do the next day. You pretty much need to have your luggage packed and ready at your door by 8:00 am the next morning. You will then need to be down in the Hyatt's lobby by 9:00 am the next morning to check in for the bus. They will give you a sticker and a time for you to be in that same lobby for your bus. There is no need to go anywhere else. At your assigned time they will take you down to a Disney Cruise Line bus and board you. It was very easy and convient. They also have signs posted at the Hyatt to let you know to advise them of the cruise on check in and a sign the next morning for transport check in. Very simple. I would do this again in a heartbeat. And our luggage arrived on the ship with no problems.

 

[rocknspots]

Thanks everybody for the great info. I'm doing the same thing. All of this great info calms my nerves so I can relax. Right now I'm in a rush to get everything packed. We leave for our airport (Sacramento, Calif.) at 2:a.m. for a 6:a.m. flight. Can't believe our countdown is finally up! Disney Magic, here we come!!

 

[mmouse37]

I can help you as we just did this on 10/10/09. We arrived at the airport on the Friday before our cruise and stayed at the Hyatt the night before. When you check in at the Hyatt, let them know that you are on a Disney Cruise the next day. They will give you instructions on what to do the next day. You pretty much need to have your luggage packed and ready at your door by 8:00 am the next morning. You will then need to be down in the Hyatt's lobby by 9:00 am the next morning to check in for the bus. They will give you a sticker and a time for you to be in that same lobby for your bus. There is no need to go anywhere else. At your assigned time they will take you down to a Disney Cruise Line bus and board you. It was very easy and convient. They also have signs posted at the Hyatt to let you know to advise them of the cruise on check in and a sign the next morning for transport check in. Very simple. I would do this again in a heartbeat. And our luggage arrived on the ship with no problems.

This was our experience as well at the Hyatt....but....I think the OP was referring to actually checking in for the cruise itself and getting their KTTW card at the airport, which is what some have reported being able to do. That is not done at the Hyatt but at the welcome Center. The Hyatt check-in in the morning is only to check in for the DCL bus, not an actual check in for the cruise. It seems that the people who were able to check-in and get their ship KTTW cards were on the Wonder.

MJ

 

[kcashner]

MJ is right...as usual. For at least a short time last summer, there was a program where you could check in for a WONDER sailing at the Welcome Center before it opened for regular bus check in...before the bus transportation started running. It was supposedly a trial program, possibly in preparation for the increased number of guests on the new ships.

We did the $99 bounceback on the Wonder in September, and this sounded great to me...so I called DCL and asked about it. The CM either knew nothing about it or played dumb....but we were told that we could not check in for the cruise at the welcome center and that they didn't think it had ever been possible. As I said, I really didn't push the issue as it wasn't a big deal to me. We ultimately chose to arrive at the port about 12:15....checked in and walked right onto the ship with NO waiting.

The luggage/bus transfers from the Hyatt have always been smooth and seamless.

 

[Olga]

I apologize if this question has been asked and answered previously, but I haven't found it.

Is it possible to check in for the cruise at the Orlando airport (MCO) the morning of the cruise? We will be arriving late in the day on Friday for our cruise that leaves on Saturday. We are staying at the Hyatt in the airport and have purchased DCL transfers to the port. Would we be eligible for check in at the airport? If so, under what conditions and where do you go? Does the entire family need to go or only one person?

THANKS in advance.

Donna

We arrived at MCO (Sept2009) a day prior to the cruise and stayed at the Hyatt. The following morning we slept in, went to breakfast at the hotel then strolled down to the Welcome Center at terminal B about 10:30am. They checked us in gave us our lanyards and KTTW cards and we took the next bus out. When we arrived at the terminal the only thing we had to do was exchange our cards for gold (concierge) and have our pics taken.

No need to rush downstairs unless you want to arrive at the terminal early, in fact by being behind the crowds made the process moves quick and easy.
Enjoy your vacation!

 

[mmouse37]

We arrived at MCO (Sept2009) a day prior to the cruise and stayed at the Hyatt. The following morning we slept in, went to breakfast at the hotel then strolled down to the Welcome Center at terminal B about 10:30am. They checked us in gave us our lanyards and KTTW cards and we took the next bus out. When we arrived at the terminal the only thing we had to do was exchange our cards for gold (concierge) and have our pics taken.

No need to rush downstairs unless you want to arrive at the terminal early, in fact by being behind the crowds made the process moves quick and easy.
Enjoy your vacation!

So, it seems the program is still be in place...can I ask if you sailing on the Wonder or Magic? As over the summer it was just for Wonder guests.

MJ

 

[seashell724]

Also, if you show up at 9 a.m. from the Hyatt to get your bus time do you then have to wait for hours until it's your turn?

 

[kcashner]

Also, if you show up at 9 a.m. from the Hyatt to get your bus time do you then have to wait for hours until it's your turn?

No, you get right on a bus. The first bus leaves about 9:40. They say 10, but it's really earlier than that.

 

[kcashner]

We arrived at MCO (Sept2009) a day prior to the cruise and stayed at the Hyatt. The following morning we slept in, went to breakfast at the hotel then strolled down to the Welcome Center at terminal B about 10:30am. They checked us in gave us our lanyards and KTTW cards and we took the next bus out. When we arrived at the terminal the only thing we had to do was exchange our cards for gold (concierge) and have our pics taken.

No need to rush downstairs unless you want to arrive at the terminal early, in fact by being behind the crowds made the process moves quick and easy.
Enjoy your vacation!

And this shows that I shouldn't have believed the CM....Oh well, we had a great trip and the check in at the terminal wasy quick and easy.

 

[bakalorber]

Is it a Hyatt bus you were using or a disney sponsered bus. What was charge per family, per adult/child etc... I am looking at a 2011 cruise and would love some feedback.

 

[mmouse37]

Is it a Hyatt bus you were using or a disney sponsered bus. What was charge per family, per adult/child etc... I am looking at a 2011 cruise and would love some feedback.

The DCL transfers, whether you take the bus from the Hyatt hotel or the airport area, are $35 pp one way or $69 pp round trip. Roundtrip would consist of Airport to port day of cruise and port back to airport at the end of the cruise.

Or, if you were leaving from WDW the price is the same and you could go back to either WDW or the airport.

You can also take only the one leg of the transfers...you don't have to do it round trip.

MJ

 

[Duck Addict]

Last year, they checked me in at the airport (gave me room card etc.) but indicted it was a test. Kind of nice