Ahoy there Amber, I'd like to welcome you to planDisney as you prepare to set sail!
I recently took advantage of having a
Disney Resort Hotel stay both
before and after my cruise on the Disney Wish, and found myself in a similar situation after I had called to book
Ground Transportation wondering whether I'd receive more instructions after completing payment. When I contacted a shoreside Disney Cruise Line representative, they let me know that as long as it showed that I had transportation booked under
My Reservations on the Disney Cruise Line website, I would receive another email with details closer to the sailing date and any additional information as I checked in for my pre-cruise stay. Hopefully my personal experience from a few weeks ago will be helpful to give you an idea of what you can expect:
- Upon my arrival at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, I was not automatically given any instructions from the Cast Members at the Front Desk about my Disney Cruise Line transfer; instead I had to ask and they let me know that representatives typically waited in the main lobby around 9:00 a.m. on the morning of our departure who would provide more information.
- During our stay and two days prior to our voyage, I received an email directly from Disney Cruise Line with the subject "Important Information About Your Cruise" that provided us with the exact meeting time at a specifically designated location along with the estimated departure time for the motorcoach. This email also included instructions for leaving out our luggage to be picked up by the Bell Services team early in the morning as well as reminders about the Online Check-In process and what we should make sure to have in hand as we arrive at the Port Terminal.
- Sure enough, we received a knock at the door of our room around 7:00 a.m. with a Bell Services Cast Member confirming whether we needed any bags to be collected to be delivered directly on board, and found the Disney Cruise Line representatives standing exactly where they had indicated in the email. (Times and locations may vary depending on where you are staying, so I recommend getting in touch with the Front Desk team in the event that you still haven't received any information the day prior to your departure.)
- On the last night of the voyage, we received specific information about when we were required to depart the ship and after debarkation and customs we were guided directly to the waiting buses.
Similarly, we were not provided with any options for pick-up times as it turns out there was one set departure for all of our fellow seafarers who were also staying at the same location; in fact I spoke with the Cast Members who let me know that each motorcoach is dispatched according to how many guests have booked among neighboring Disney Resort Hotel locations. With this in mind, prepare for the ride to be potentially longer with additional stops to pick up and load other Walt Disney World Resort guests joining you on the voyage; the entire motorcoach journey to
Port Canaveral took us about two hours from the moment that we left our accommodations. Hope this helps, Amber - we hope to
see you back at planDisney again for any other tips or even some nautical knowledge ahead of your voyage!
Wishing you the best as you set sail in 2024!
Prince