DCL Galveston Transfer: Magic or Mundane?
The Marriot Airport Houston - a Disney Cruise Line Port Transfer partner hotel
Planning a Disney cruise is always exciting, and when it's from a new port like Galveston, the planning fun kicks into high gear! For our recent 4-night Disney Magic cruise to Progresso, Mexico (our first time on the Magic and from Galveston!), we dove into research just like you are now – YouTube videos, blogs, and our cruise Facebook group became our best friends. Knowing how much we value the simplicity of Disney Cruise Line's Port Transfers, we immediately called DCL to book both the transfer and a pre-cruise hotel.
For this Galveston adventure, we chose the Marriot Airport Houston at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), a designated Disney Cruise Line partner hotel.
Now, if you're wondering, "Is the Disney Cruise Line port transfer service worth it?" the answer is a resounding YES! But if you're also asking, "Is it a premium, extra-magical 'Disney' experience?" Well, let's just say it's more about practicality than pixie dust.
Table of Contents
Getting to the Houston Airport Marriott: A Sneak Peek of Disney?
Our journey started in Raleigh, connecting through Atlanta to IAH on Delta. Let's just say our connection was tight! Thankfully, Atlanta was kind and we made it to our connecting gate just as boarding began. Arriving at IAH, finding the Marriott is surprisingly fun. Follow signs for "Luggage Claim" to grab your bags, and then keep an eye out for the "Subway" signs.
Now, don't picture a typical city subway. This "subway" is a delightful surprise – a mini-monorail system reminiscent of Walt Disney World's PeopleMover! Seriously! This little train uses the same magnetic technology and loops indoors between terminals, with a dedicated stop at the Marriott. No matter your arrival terminal, hop on this "Subway That Could" (it runs every 3 minutes, almost all day!) and get off at the Marriott stop. It's a genuinely cute and unexpected touch of Disney-esque transportation to start your cruise!
Luggage Logistics: Mostly Smooth Sailing
Once you've checked into the Marriott, keep an eye on your email for Disney Cruise Line transfer details. The luggage drill is generally straightforward:
Tag Your Bags: Affix those Disney Cruise Line luggage tags you received in the mail to each bag you want transferred directly to the ship (not your carry-ons!).
Room Service (for Luggage): Leave your tagged bags inside your room, near the door, by 8:30 AM. Hotel staff will collect them and move them to a staging area in the lobby.
Forgot Tags? No worries, the DCL checkin desk (in the lobby) has extras.
So far, so familiar – this is pretty much the standard DCL hotel transfer process. However, our lobby check-in experience had a unique twist...
Check-in with a Twist: Stickers and Wristbands
Following luggage tagging, we headed to the lobby around 8:30 AM (a bit earlier than the suggested 8:45 AM) to grab breakfast and enjoy the "subway". At the check-in desk, we received stickers (ours featured Hercules) – standard for DCL bus assignments. But then came the wristbands – green, and unexpected. We were instructed to return to our room and attach a wristband to each checked bag. Apparently, these wristbands were another layer of luggage identification, ensuring bags boarded the correct bus. In a large hotel, this felt a tad inconvenient, but hey, Disney Cruise anticipation trumps minor hassles, right?
We dutifully wrist-banded our luggage, fell victim to the somewhat-overpriced (but well stocked) $30 buffet breakfast, and enjoyed a few more rides on our beloved "PeopleMover." This wristband step was definitely a first for us on DCL transfers and foreshadowed other unique aspects of this Houston transfer.
The Bus Ride: Practicality Over Pixie Dust
In the lobby, listen for your Disney character sticker name to be called – "Hercules!" in our case. Once called, we joined the luggage chaos. Unlike past DCL transfers where luggage vanished from your hotel room to reappear magically at your stateroom door, here, the lobby was a sea of bags. Porters were efficiently loading luggage carts onto buses, but it was definitely a less "hands-off" and more "exposed" luggage experience than we were used to.
Our group was called, and we joined the bus line. The buses are standard charter buses, equipped with a much-appreciated restroom (essential for a 75-90 minute ride with families!). The ride to Galveston is indeed around 90 minutes, so pack your travel essentials – headphones, drinks, snacks, and sanity-savers. Buses had US-style charging ports on the way to the port (though not on the return). Notably absent were the Disney cartoons we've enjoyed on WDW DCL transfers – practicality was definitely winning over "Disney magic" here.
Welcome to The Thunderdome!
Arriving at Port Galveston
When we got to Port Galveston we had our final “that was odd” moment. Before getting off the bus were were instructed to wait for all the luggage to be unloaded and then visually identify that all of our bags were accounted for. We were not supposed to take them, just make sure they were there. This honestly felt pretty “un-Disney”. 80 people standing in a parking lot in below-freezing weather holding their carry-ons while watching the bus be unloaded to double check that our bags weren’t lost.
Finally we were able to go inside where the embarkation experience would finally begin. We’ll be covering that in more detail in a future blog post but hopefully this gave you a feel for what the IAH Airport Marriot to Galveston DCL Port Transfer service was like so you can decide if it is right for you!
