Sleeping in Airport then Magical Express :)

[sunbear]

I know a few of you will find this a bit odd, but we're hardened backpackers and this is quite normal to us

Facts:

• We arrive in Orlando at 11:59 on Feb 7.
• We plan to sleep in the airport that night
• We'd like to catch the Magical Express the next morning, early AM to the Wilderness Lodge where we have reservations for the 8,9,10
• We will not be travelling with checked luggage

How can we best accomplish this? Should we put a "fake" flight arrival for the morning of the 8th?

Thoughts, comments, ideas?

Thanks!

The Sunbear

 

[Aggiegrl]

Sounds like a plan to me.

We are going on a rccl cruise after our wdw vacation, and we picked a real flight to put in on our dme reservation. We are using the cruise transportation from the airport.

Just try and find a real flight with a REALLY early arrival time. Doesn't have to be from your real city either.

 

[uva185]

When you say sleep at the airport you mean at the Hyatt, right?

 

[DebbieB]

When you say sleep at the airport you mean at the Hyatt, right?

That's what I was wondering too. If you are literally sleeping "in the airport" security may have a problem with it.

 

[dudspizza]

It sounds to me like OP wants to "sleep" in the airport. I personally would pass on that idea and get a cheap airport hotel for the night and then take ME early the next morning. I am doing just that with a 10pm arrival the night before. I am going to try to use Priceline or Hotwire to get the Hyatt for cheap...... otherwise I can get a local airport hotel with shuttle for under $100.

My thought. Couldn't you take ME to the resort right away? Since you would arrive at the resort after midnight, couldn't you try to see if your room is available (unoccupied from the night before)? If it is, you could get in, unless they have some rule about certain times to check in. I have read of people who have arrived at their resort at like 5-6 am after long drives and checking in.

If it isn't available, which is most likely, sit on the couch in the main lobby of WL and get a few zzzzz's. Heck, you could even go down to the pool and crash out on one of the pool loungers.........

Duds

 

[DebbieB]

If you arrive at midnight and check-in, you will be charged for that night. I believe the computers turn over around 6:00am to allow you to check-in for that day. Hotel security may frown on crashing in the lobby or at the pool since you have not checked in yet. I agree with the suggestion to get a cheap airport hotel, I did that one time with friends, we used one that had a shuttle to take us back to the airport in the morning to pickup our rental car, which was reserved at a much cheaper price the next morning.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sleeping in airports has come up on this forum before. Many common-sense regulars feel it is a bad idea.

Given that you are hardcore backpackers, why not make a reservation at Fort Wilderness for that first night, head directly to Disney on arrival in Orlando, and move to Wilderness Lodge first thing in the morning?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Why not just Hotwire a cheap room? Even if you're okay with sleeping on a bench, I don't think the airport would appreciate it. I personally wouldn't choose to act like a homeless person but that's just me I guess...

 

[sunbear]

Hey guys, thanks for all the posts! Super helpful.

K cool, I think we'll just pick a really early arriving flight and be off with it!

As far as us sleeping at the airport vs staying in an airport hotel, yep I really did mean sleep there. There's a whole "sub-culture" of us who do this often, lol, there's even a website for it (www DOT sleepinginairports DOT net)

If I can get the Hyatt for dirt cheap on HW/PL - I might do it, but honestly have no problem sleeping there! Have done it all over the world and you'd be surprised to know that it's definitely not just homeless people doing it The trick is to stay in the terminal, you can't check bags for this to work, as you don't go to collect your bag, you stay "airside" by the gates....

I'll be glad to post a little trip report once we do this in Feb to let you all in on this little secret

 

[snowbunny]

I'll be glad to post a little trip report once we do this in Feb to let you all in on this little secret

No thanks. I'm already in on the little secret, it's called missing the last connection of the night, it's happened to me several times, and I'm not trying to join your subculture, I'm trying to get home

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

No thanks. I'm already in on the little secret, it's called missing the last connection of the night, it's happened to me several times, and I'm not trying to join your subculture, I'm trying to get home

Shouldn't the airline put you up somewhere for the night?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Shouldn't the airline put you up somewhere for the night?

If there is room at the the hotel. There are also conditions where the airline doesn't have to do anything.

 

[snowbunny]

Shouldn't the airline put you up somewhere for the night?

Not if it's weather related, and it's *always* weather related.

 

[uva185]

Hey guys, thanks for all the posts! Super helpful.

K cool, I think we'll just pick a really early arriving flight and be off with it!

As far as us sleeping at the airport vs staying in an airport hotel, yep I really did mean sleep there. There's a whole "sub-culture" of us who do this often, lol, there's even a website for it (www DOT sleepinginairports DOT net)

If I can get the Hyatt for dirt cheap on HW/PL - I might do it, but honestly have no problem sleeping there! Have done it all over the world and you'd be surprised to know that it's definitely not just homeless people doing it The trick is to stay in the terminal, you can't check bags for this to work, as you don't go to collect your bag, you stay "airside" by the gates....

I'll be glad to post a little trip report once we do this in Feb to let you all in on this little secret

Just an FYI but you may be required to vacate the secure area after you arrive. At many airports which do not have departures around the clock the secure area is closed overnight and passengers must leave.

I would think either a campsite at fort wilderness or even a 1* airport hotel via Priceline would be better and not much more expensive than sleeping in the airport.

 

[sunbear]

check out the website i posted. really, it's not that unique to do this folks - but I'm beginning to understand there is a VAST difference between the travel sites I normally post at and this one

So just for the record, nope, they don't "clear the secure area" and yes, you can stay after the flight. In fact MCO has a 24 hour starbucks

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Wow, I wish there was this much response about the question regarding town car services...

 

[bavaria]

check out the website i posted. really, it's not that unique to do this folks - but I'm beginning to understand there is a VAST difference between the travel sites I normally post at and this one

So just for the record, nope, they don't "clear the secure area" and yes, you can stay after the flight. In fact MCO has a 24 hour starbucks

I posted a link to sleepinginairports.com on a rather heated 'sleeping in airports' thread earlier this year.

One of my home airports (MUC) does get one of the highest ratings for best airport for sleeping, but even then I would never voluntarily do so. In fact, I have never slept in an airport, voluntarily or involuntarily, even though I fly 100,000 miles/year or more.

I'm not quite sure why this thread was started - OP apparently already knows how to sleep in an airport, and realises that this is not the general readership of sleepinginairports.com or other super budget travel sites. OP apparently also has no interest in getting a hotel room.

Am I missing something? I don't know how we can help OP.

 

[crashbb]

I think that the OP just wanted to know about using fake flight information to get on the DME the morning after their real flight arrives. Usually when people do this they are sleeping the Hyatt (or another airport hotel), but the DME bit is no different. As a PP said, just find a flight that arrives at about the time that you'd like to get the DME and give them that information.

OP - from reading sleepinginairports, most/all reports seem to be landside, rather than airside, so I'd double check that MCO is one of the airports that allows you to stay airside.

 

[bavaria]

Thank you once again for translating for me! I was worried that we couldn't help OP but it sounds like someone already did...

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Hey guys, thanks for all the posts! Super helpful.

K cool, I think we'll just pick a really early arriving flight and be off with it!

As far as us sleeping at the airport vs staying in an airport hotel, yep I really did mean sleep there. There's a whole "sub-culture" of us who do this often, lol, there's even a website for it (www DOT sleepinginairports DOT net)

If I can get the Hyatt for dirt cheap on HW/PL - I might do it, but honestly have no problem sleeping there! Have done it all over the world and you'd be surprised to know that it's definitely not just homeless people doing it The trick is to stay in the terminal, you can't check bags for this to work, as you don't go to collect your bag, you stay "airside" by the gates....

I'll be glad to post a little trip report once we do this in Feb to let you all in on this little secret

Thank you SO much for the website! Even though it isn't something I'd attempt (just a little too old for that sort of thing...and not nearly brave enough!), I'm getting a real education just reading over the different airport ratings, and looking at pictures, etc.

Can't wait to read your trip report. Could you post a link to it on the DIS Unplugged boards? I know a lot of people over there would get a kick out of it!