AA; Captain Mickey with Mom and son
  • On Aug 18, 2026
    Madeleine from FL Asked Please note that experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi! My family and I booked our flights and hotel for our cruise in September through Disney. We’ve scheduled to be taken to the port from our hotel with Disney as well. Because of this, will we be in one of the early boarding groups? - Madeleine

    Welcome back to planDisney, Madeleine!

    It sounds like Disney has you fully covered. From flights to hotel to transportation to the port, I know Disney Cast Members will treat you with exceptional care leading up to your cruise and all throughout.

    Reserving Disney Cruise Line-provided ground transportation from your hotel to the cruise ship terminal on embarkation day means that you don't have to worry about selecting a Port Arrival Time during your online check-in. Typically, Disney transportation drops off Guests fairly close to the earlier Port Arrival Times offered. Separate from the Port Arrival Time is your Boarding Group assignment. I've observed that Boarding Group numbers often roughly correlate with Port Arrival Times, though not always. Other factors that go into Boarding Group assignments include your stateroom category and Castaway Club level. You can find your Boarding Group assignment on your Port Arrival Form, which is generated after you complete your online check-in.

    To see how booking Disney Cruise Line ground transportation might affect your Boarding Group assignment, I'll share an example from my family's most recent cruise, a 10-Night Hawaiian Cruise from Honolulu ending in Vancouver. We are Platinum Castaway Club members and we sailed in an Oceanview stateroom. When we completed online check-in initially, we were able to select a Port Arrival Time of 12:45 PM and were assigned to Boarding Group 9. Then, we updated our reservation to add a Disney Cruise Line ground transfer from the Honolulu airport to the cruise ship terminal. After that, our new Port Arrival Form showed a Port Arrival Time of 12:00 PM and a new assignment to Boarding Group 3.

    I hope that gives an idea of what you might expect as well for your upcoming Disney cruise, Madeleine. If there is anything else we at planDisney can offer to help make your Disney Cruise Line vacation planning practically perfect in every way, please feel free to visit us again soon!

    Have a great cruise, Madeleine!
    ~Tony

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Meet the Panelist: Tony, Utah

Coming to you from the Beehive State, I’m a Disney-loving dad and husband, buzzing with excitement to share advice and tips for making your Disneyland Resort vacation as magical as possible! I’m excited to help you discover the storytelling magic of the “Happiest Place on Earth!” Learn More About Tony

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