Into the hands of the Mouse

Just before 8:30 we check out and bring our bags (all tagged now with our Cruise Line-supplied tags) down to the lobby to take the shuttle back to the airport – not to fly, but to turn ourselves over to Disney. We share the shuttle van with a couple of Southwest Airline pilots, starting the second day of a four-day cross-country itinerary. Naturally Bob, a former Air Force pilot, strikes up a conversation about planes they’ve each flown.

The shuttle drops the pilots off on the A-side departure level, and then heads to the B-side bus level for us. I spot a group of Disney buses parked together at the midpoint of the terminal and have the shuttle drop us off there. We quickly discover we’re not quite in the right place – the new “Disney Welcome Center” is a bit further down. I goofed, so I get another skycap to help us with our bags down to the real Disney area.

In our past trips, Disney Cruise Line was the only Disney entity putting people on buses. Since then, they’ve started Disney’s Magical Express, providing transportation to all resort guests. So what used to be a simple Cruise Line check-in desk on the A-side of the airport has turned in to a fairly substantial operation filling up one end of the B-side. Fortunately we’re early in the day, so there aren’t many other travelers arriving at the moment.

Disney cast members in general are pretty upbeat, but they must seek out the most chipper ones they can find to staff the Welcome Center, what with it being the place of first impressions and all.

A cheerful man named Marshall cheerfully greets us before we ever get to the door. He apparently spots the cruise material we have in hand and cheerfully asks, “Are you cruising today?” Nope, going to the Polynesian. Marshall’s wearing a Mickey glove and holds it up for Benjamin to “give me four.” Hee. Marshall cheerfully escorts us inside, cheerfully directing us to a particular line at the welcome desk. Cheerfully.

I love Disney.

A lady at the queue entrance greets us (cheerfully) (okay, I’m going to stop typing that. Just assume it from now on) and asks, “Are you cruising today?” Nope, going to the Polynesian. We’re directed ahead to one of the desk positions where a cheerful (stop it, Brad) lady named Claudia checks us in. Her first question is, you guessed it, “Are you cruising today?” I do appreciate the effort to make sure we get on the correct bus. Claudia is from Bogota, and as she reads off our names from our documents, Bob loves how she pronounces “Leenda.”

I’m sent as the representative of our party to one particular spot out of a set of a dozen or so roped queues. It feels a bit unusual, since there’s no one else there in any of the lines! Surprise, I’m the next one put on a bus! I’m pointed to a particular Disney’s Magical Express bus. Once outside, I wave the others over with our luggage cart. The bus driver says he’ll load our bags and directs us onto the bus. A “Disney’s Magical Express” logo is on the video screens above the seats. Yay! We’re one step closer!