Ahoy there, Susan! Welcome aboard planDisney! Ah, the countdown is getting closer and closer, it seems, and your Disney Cruise Line vacation is just over the horizon!
I totally understand the desire to get to the port early: knowing you've arrived, and seeing the ship docked just a few hundred feet away, it's enough to make magic happen right then and there! As you have done, I typically book
Ground Transportation directly through Disney Cruise Line, since it's a great way to start our vacation from the minute we hit the ground - no driving for us, haha! I also get the allure of checking out private transportation and being able to dial in your arrival a bit! If you cancel one way of your transfers, you will certainly be either refunded to your method of payment or given a credit!
Before you make your decision, however, remember that as part of your
Online Check-In, you'll be required to select a Port Arrival Time - unless you're in a Concierge-level stateroom! Now, since you can complete your Online Check-In 30 days before your sail date, I'd suggest setting an alarm for 11:55 p.m. Eastern time to do so right away when the clock strikes midnight! This way, you'll have the best chance to score an early Port Arrival Time! In the event you secure an early time, you may decide to still let Disney do the driving, and keep your Ground Transportation both ways!
Even if you end up with a later Port Arrival Time, you still may want to keep your Ground Transportation, as currently, Guests that arrive before their Port Arrival Time will be asked to wait outside the terminal for their assigned arrival time. So while a private transfer may be able to get you
to the port sooner, you may find yourself literally on the outside looking in waiting for your Port Arrival Time! Depending on your departure port, this could be a very long wait, and shade could be hard to come by!
My family and I tend to do everything we can to be like Crush and "go with the flow" on embarkation day since we know everything we're about to experience will be magical as can be! Sometimes that means coordinating our arrival a day early to let the morning of embarkation be relaxing, other times it's trusting day-of travel plans will all Peter Pan out and being efficient. No matter what you decide, you'll still enter the ship to a grand welcome and will soon be sailing off into the big blue world!
I hope that helps you set a course, Susan! Thank you so much for your question, and here's to fair winds, following seas...and an early port arrival time for you and your crew! If you have any additional questions as you continue planning, please drop us another line here at planDisney anytime!
SEA ya real soon!
Andrew