Ahoy there, Sean, and welcome aboard planDisney! Thanks for sailing my way with your question! I'm so excited that you and your crew will be setting a course for adventure with Disney Cruise Line next April!
Ah, boarding group one...some say if you get it, you're destined for more magic on your vacation...but in reality, you get to get on in the first group of Guests...and that's about it!
Joking aside, if you've never experienced being in boarding group one, it's a very cool feeling to know you're one of the first Guests aboard your sailing and get a bit of extra time on the ship - and if you're the type that likes to have a
sit-down lunch in one of the Main Dining Rooms instead of heading up to
Cabanas or
Marceline Market, you'll have the first pick!
Unfortunately, other than upgrading to a Concierge Stateroom, there is not currently a way to guarantee an early boarding group number. I know that's probably not the news you wanted to hear, but in my experience, there's something even better than being in an early boarding group...
Showing up later!
Now hEAR me out! When my wife and I used to travel on embarkation day (I know, a real risky maneuver) we would plan our flights to be first-out so we were sure to get as early of a port arrival time as possible! More often than not, that meant a few things, lots of waiting at the terminal, and we had to pack snacks to get us through until boarding began! Nothing says vacation like a granola bar and a $5 airport water, right?
(insert Hades looking for approval ...)
But one time in particular we just couldn't get the flight we wanted to and wound up at the port more than two hours into boarding...and let me tell you, it was even more magical! We walked right onto the ship, had no lines for lunch, and our stateroom was even ready! Even better, a few minutes after we got settled in, our bags showed up and we were able to meet our Stateroom Host and get the full rundown of everything to expect! With early boarding, there have been times that we were waiting for our stateroom for hours and no amount of pool time could substitute for throwing down our carry-on luggage and flopping into the bed for a quick power nap on embarkation day!
So if you can swing it, and want to give the planDrew-approved, laid-back approach to boarding a chance, I highly recommend it! Otherwise, it's HELLO, CONCIERGE with all the additional perks and early boarding time. No matter which way you choose, with
everything that's included on a Disney Cruise Line vacation, you're going to have a magical time! Just remember you'll need to
complete your Online Check-In at the 30-day mark before your cruise to select a Port Arrival Time!
Thank you so much for your question, Sean, and if you have any others as you continue planning, please drop me another line here at planDisney! I'll be on the lookout for messages in a bottle with some of that "Desert Sand" instead of the type that's on
Disney Castaway Cay!
Fair winds and following seas!
Andrew