Disembark to Disney

[ashmo8]

We sail Harmony of the Seas in April. When we arrive back to Port Canaveral, we plan on heading to Disney World for a couple days. We are attempting to figure out our first day's plans (what time can we arrive at the park after checking into our Disney Resort). If we do express walk-off that morning, what time can we expect to get into a cab and head to the land of the mouse? Keep in mind we will have a 4 year old (no strollers!) and a 7 year old in tow (both of who are early risers but not particularly quick walkers). For anyone who has ever done this, what time did you get to the park?

[louv2000]

I've never done that, but just got back from 3 weeks at Disney--so I feel I can comment.  By the time you get to your hotel and drop off bags (your room may not be ready til 4 or even later).  You then have to catch a bus/monorail or other to the park, go thru bag check lines, ticket lines etc.  It's a busy lengthy process.  My advice (if you're asking) would be to get to the hotel, drop bags, have a nice lunch at the hotel and then go in.  If heading to the Magic Kingdom you'll be in time for the afternoon parade.  Hang around afterwards, as usually many exit the park at this time.  If you can, get fastpasses organized first.  This will save lots of time.

[ashmo8]

We were going to "Minnie Van" it over from Yacht Club to Animal Kindgom (about a 10 min trip that we have done before). Already have fast passes, but I was hoping to rope drop for Flight of Passage. I already did the online room check in, so I would just need to drop my bags and request the Minnie. Park opens at 9am that day and my thought would be that I would need to at least be off the ship through customs by 7:00. Just curious if that is at all possible.Lots of moving parts for sure!

[reallyitsmema]

13 minutes ago, ashmo8 said:

We sail Harmony of the Seas in April. When we arrive back to Port Canaveral, we plan on heading to Disney World for a couple days. We are attempting to figure out our first day's plans (what time can we arrive at the park after checking into our Disney Resort). If we do express walk-off that morning, what time can we expect to get into a cab and head to the land of the mouse? Keep in mind we will have a 4 year old (no strollers!) and a 7 year old in tow (both of who are early risers but not particularly quick walkers). For anyone who has ever done this, what time did you get to the park?

 

You are over an hours ride to get to Disney, so that is going to be an expensive cab ride.  I would look into other transportation.

[ashmo8]

We have a shuttle from Port to Disney. The Minnie Van is Disney's version of Uber.

[louv2000]

1 minute ago, ashmo8 said:

We were going to "Minnie Van" it over from Yacht Club to Animal Kindgom (about a 10 min trip that we have done before). Already have fast passes, but I was hoping to rope drop for Flight of Passage. I already did the online room check in, so I would just need to drop my bags and request the Minnie. Park opens at 9am that day and my thought would be that I would need to at least be off the ship through customs by 7:00. Just curious if that is at all possible.Lots of moving parts for sure!

Wow.  That's a lot to do solo, let alone with kids.  I'd recommend being at the park 1 hour ahead of opening to ensure ropedropping FOP.    I don't think you'd be able to do that.  Customs, traffic, bag check, so many variables.  Good luck.

[ashmo8]

1 minute ago, louv2000 said:

Wow.  That's a lot to do solo, let alone with kids.  I'd recommend being at the park 1 hour ahead of opening to ensure ropedropping FOP.    I don't think you'd be able to do that.  Customs, traffic, bag check, so many variables.  Good luck.

LOL! We are pretty Disney efficient and AP holders. We once had a flight touchdown at 7am at MCO and made it to MK for a 9am opening (then with an 18mo and 4 year old)! My question was more about how early can I get off. 🙂

[reallyitsmema]

19 minutes ago, ashmo8 said:

We sail Harmony of the Seas in April. When we arrive back to Port Canaveral, we plan on heading to Disney World for a couple days. We are attempting to figure out our first day's plans (what time can we arrive at the park after checking into our Disney Resort). If we do express walk-off that morning, what time can we expect to get into a cab and head to the land of the mouse? Keep in mind we will have a 4 year old (no strollers!) and a 7 year old in tow (both of who are early risers but not particularly quick walkers). For anyone who has ever done this, what time did you get to the park?

 

3 minutes ago, ashmo8 said:

We have a shuttle from Port to Disney. The Minnie Van is Disney's version of Uber.

 

Then where is the cab ride you refer to in your original post?

[ashmo8]

3 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

 

Then where is the cab ride you refer to in your original post?

My bad. Should have read "Expect to get into a shuttle".

[louv2000]

6 minutes ago, ashmo8 said:

LOL! We are pretty Disney efficient and AP holders. We once had a flight touchdown at 7am at MCO and made it to MK for a 9am opening (then with an 18mo and 4 year old)! My question was more about how early can I get off. 🙂

I've only done express walk off at FLL.  We lined up just after 6 (there were quite a few in line with us) and we got off around 6:30.  Customs was pretty quick.  We were able to make a 10am flight at FLL.

Edited February 12, 2020 by louv2000
mis read questions

[ljmandelbaum]

Not a Royal Carribean cruise but we did a Disney cruise.  We did not rush off and were at Boardwalk around 9:30 but we had our own car and drove to WDW from the pier. 

[tahqa]

2 hours ago, ashmo8 said:

We were going to "Minnie Van" it over from Yacht Club to Animal Kindgom (about a 10 min trip that we have done before). Already have fast passes, but I was hoping to rope drop for Flight of Passage. I already did the online room check in, so I would just need to drop my bags and request the Minnie. Park opens at 9am that day and my thought would be that I would need to at least be off the ship through customs by 7:00. Just curious if that is at all possible.Lots of moving parts for sure!

 

By 9 A.M. last Saturday the line for Flight of Passage was already 105 minutes. The gates typically open 45 minutes before park opening and Pandora itself 15 to 30 minutes before. Last Saturday we queued at the gates at 7:45 A.M. and were near the front of the line. The gates opened at 8:15 and we were again near the front of the staging area by Tiffin's. They walked us Flight of Passage around 8:40 and we were done by 9:00. By which time the line was 105 minutes.

 

Arrival of the Harmony that morning is 6:00 A.M. and the ship should be cleared by 7. So if you plan well you can be off by 7:30.  If you were on the road by 7:30 the earliest you could expect to be at Yacht Club (or DAK for that matter) is 8:30.

 

Basically, if you're not at DAK and in line at the gates by 8:00 you're probably out of luck. 

[BTHodgeman]

Our situation was similar, except we had a rental car. We got off the ship (Harmony as well) by 6:55am and waited about 30 minutes for the rental car shuttle. We were second in line at Hertz and had our car by around 7:35am. We made a couple quick stops (Ron Jon and Dunkin Donuts), and pulled into the Animal Kingdom parking lot just after 9am. 

 

With a shuttle, you may save time waiting for a rental car, but you might add just as much time back checking your luggage or checking in early (if available), and then taking Disney transportation to any of the parks.

 

Edit: reading some subsequent posts about you wanting to be to AK by rope drop... It is possible to get off the ship and through customs prior to 7am IF the ship is on time and cleared. I would estimate people started debarking around 6:45 am during our trip last November. It's still going to be tight to catch your shuttle, get to hotel, check luggage, and take a Minnie Van to AK all before rope drop, especially since as @tahqa mentioned, the park will let people in quite a bit before opening time/rope drop and you probably wouldn't be in line until 8:30 or later. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by BTHodgeman

[Baron Barracuda]

Cheaper (and not much slower) to take shuttle from ship to MCO  and then catch free Disney shuttle to hotel?

[ashmo8]

7 minutes ago, BTHodgeman said:

Our situation was similar, except we had a rental car. We got off the ship (Harmony as well) by 6:55am and waited about 30 minutes for the rental car shuttle. We were second in line at Hertz and had our car by around 7:35am. We made a couple quick stops (Ron Jon and Dunkin Donuts), and pulled into the Animal Kingdom parking lot just after 9am. 

 

With a shuttle, you may save time waiting for a rental car, but you might add just as much time back checking your luggage or checking in early (if available), and then taking Disney transportation to any of the parks.

You bring up a really good thought. We may just rent a car and then drive straight to AK and then check into the resort once we finish with the park. 

[BTHodgeman]

3 minutes ago, ashmo8 said:

You bring up a really good thought. We may just rent a car and then drive straight to AK and then check into the resort once we finish with the park. 

Having the car at least gives you a place to store your luggage for the day, and I wouldn't be too concerned at Disney since you'll be one of 5000 people doing the same thing. lol 

 

The one way rental (for us from PC to MCO) was around $30... add $25 extra for parking and it might be the same or cheaper than the shuttle/Minnie Van combo. 😀

 

Hertz opens at 7:30. I think Enterprise and some of the others open at 7. If the line for the shuttle is too long, Uber to the rental car terminal for $5-10. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by BTHodgeman

[marci22]

If you do use a car service at the resort I'd do Lyft over MinniVan. Usually have to wait longer for the MinnieVan and it's more expensive. 

 

edit: forget it you probably want car seats. 

Edited February 12, 2020 by marci22

[3monkeys4me]

4 hours ago, ashmo8 said:

You bring up a really good thought. We may just rent a car and then drive straight to AK and then check into the resort once we finish with the park. 

 

This is what I would do if I wanted to rope drop one of the parks.

 

For us, coming off the cruise we usually don't want to rush. When we have done Disney parks and cruise together (or really any land vacation with cruise) we do the land portion first, then plan either a late afternoon flight or a flight the next day so that we can relax post cruise, leave the ship between 8:30 and 9 and just take it easy that day.  So for us, we would just make our way to Disney, make a reservation somewhere for lunch and plan either a pool day or a half day in one of the parks.

 

Good luck!

[jalves]

We live very, very close to the MK and sailed on the Harmony in January.  We were concierge and walked off as soon as the luggage was ready (ie, after the self departing crowd but before everybody else) and we were home by 9 am.

[LeeW]

Car rental for you makes the most sense.  Drive directly to AK and leave luggage in car.  Car rentals in Florida don't have dropoff charges so one-way car rentals work well.  Check your various club and work affiliations to see how cheap you can get a vehicle.  You MUST reserve in advance - there can be a long line of people trying to rent a car on the day they get back.

 

We are using goportcanaveral for a hotel before our cruise and transportation to port and back to MCO.  Then picking up the Disney Magical Express bus to the hotel.  Leave bags with hotel bell services and off to the park.  But we don't expect to get to the park until noon or so.

[Teeara]

On 2/12/2020 at 10:24 AM, ashmo8 said:

We were going to "Minnie Van" it over from Yacht Club to Animal Kindgom (about a 10 min trip that we have done before). Already have fast passes, but I was hoping to rope drop for Flight of Passage. I already did the online room check in, so I would just need to drop my bags and request the Minnie. Park opens at 9am that day and my thought would be that I would need to at least be off the ship through customs by 7:00. Just curious if that is at all possible.Lots of moving parts for sure!

I apologize if this sounds snarky, but seriously, you need to relax.  You are just asking to make your kids hyper and cranky.  Since you are going to be there for a couple of days, just take it leisurely off the ship (make sure you grab a porter as soon as you can - best $20 I've ever spent), get in your car/van/shuttle and enjoy the ride.  Check in at the hotel and then take the kids to the park.  Do the rope drop on one of the other days.  It doesn't sound like you are going to be able to do it the morning you get off the ship.  You've already said your kids aren't quick walkers.  They aren't going to care if you are there for a rope drop the morning you get off the ship.  All they will care about is being at Disney and seeing their favorite characters.  

Edited February 14, 2020 by Teeara

[Judyrem]

46 minutes ago, Teeara said:

I apologize if this sounds snarky, but seriously, you need to relax.  You are just asking to make your kids hyper and cranky.  Since you are going to be there for a couple of days, just take it leisurely off the ship (make sure you grab a porter as soon as you can - best $20 I've ever spent), get in your car/van/shuttle and enjoy the ride.  Check in at the hotel and then take the kids to the park.  Do the rope drop on one of the other days.  It doesn't sound like you are going to be able to do it the morning you get off the ship.  You've already said your kids aren't quick walkers.  They aren't going to care if you are there for a rope drop the morning you get off the ship.  All they will care about is being at Disney and seeing their favorite characters.  

I have to agree big time.  I go to Disney every year and know it quite well and the kids will be  shattered if you do all that and it won't be fun for them at all IMVHO.

 

 

[Jasukkie]

Rope dropping for Flight of Passage is the only way to do it but you have to be there far earlier than possible. Pick another day. I was there last week, arrived at 7:15am after going to Hollywood Studios for the boarding pass distribution at 7am. I recommend using ride share to go park to park, time is money. Anyway, they moved us through the turnstiles at 8:17am, and on to the actual line at 8:43am. We got on the first ride, and then went straight to the Navi ride, all done by 9:10am. I don't really care for AK but Flight of Passage is an absolute must for me, it's the best theme park ride ever. Your problem is even if you made it there by the rope drop time, you will be at the back of a very long mass of people, with little ones. There's a lot of pushing and shoving as they bring you to the ride. I would say you need to be on that line no later than 730am for a 9am official opening time.

[Judyrem]

23 minutes ago, Jasukkie said:

There's a lot of pushing and shoving as they bring you to the ride. I would say you need to be on that line no later than 730am for a 9am official opening time.

I do know about the pushing and shoving!😜  Yes, the earlier the better.  We usually go back to our condo and rest for a few hours then return to the park.  Last time we did that my daughter got a fast pass to Flight of Passage FOP, so we were able to go twice!!!!!!!

 

We also get the premier parking pass, worth every penny IMO.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Judyrem