Tips for time after checkout and airline departure?

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #1

My family of three will be traveling the week of 10/19-23 to WDW for the first time. I noted that our checkout time is 11:00am and was looking for some (affordable) activities to fill our time before heading to the airport for a 7pm flight. Thank you for any suggestions!

 

M

Malibustyle23

DIS Veteran

Joined

Apr 5, 2006

• Aug 4, 2015

• #2

Crystal M L said:

My family of three will be traveling the week of 10/19-23 to WDW for the first time. I noted that our checkout time is 11:00am and was looking for some (affordable) activities to fill our time before heading to the airport for a 7pm flight. Thank you for any suggestions!

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Will you be staying on-site?

Our last day ritual is always a trip to Downtown Disney or rather now Disney Springs for our final meal, pick out souvenirs and cash in our remaining snack credits at Goofys Candy Shop.

You could ride around the monorail checking out the resorts.

Leave baggage with "the people" (what are they called?!!) And hang out at your resort, swimming, etc.

Play mini golf.

Will you have a rental or car want to stay onsite using Disney transportation?

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #3

Oh those are really great ideas. Right now our reservation is at Port Orleans Riverside. I am trying to avoid renting a car but I'm not opposed to it. It just seemed like an unnecessary expense staying on site. I didn't think our resort would let us continue using the amenities if we were "checked out"?

 

Marionnette

Children see magic because they look for it

Joined

Sep 26, 2009

• Aug 4, 2015

• #4

Crystal M L said:

Oh those are really great ideas. Right now our reservation is at Port Orleans Riverside. I am trying to avoid renting a car but I'm not opposed to it. It just seemed like an unnecessary expense staying on site. I didn't think our resort would let us continue using the amenities if we were "checked out"?

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You can continue to use the resort amenities until midnight of the day that you check out of your room. POR has boat transportation to Disney Springs, where you can grab lunch and do some last-minute shopping. Or you can remain at the resort and enjoy the pool for the afternoon. Just pack a day bag for your wet suits and a change of clothing. If you're taking DME and your airline is a participating airline, you can check your luggage through to your final destination and obtain your boarding passes at the RAC counter after checking out. DME will probably pick you up at POR sometime around 4:00 PM for a 7 PM flight.

 

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kashzan

Mouseketeer

Joined

Feb 20, 2013

• Aug 4, 2015

• #5

Our flights ahve always been in the evening going home. We love to spend the time in the parks until we have to leave. We have a final breakfast usually at Akershaus, then spend the remainder going thru world shocase.

 

LJSquishy

DIS Veteran

Joined

Sep 12, 2011

• Aug 4, 2015

• #6

We do evening flights and spend the last day sleeping in if we want, then head to whichever park we want to visit to do certain rides one last time.

If you don't have park tickets for your departure day (it would only be about $10 per person to add an extra day I think if not), you can do one of the mini-golf courses, watch a movie at AMC Fork & Screen, tour different resorts, etc.

 

kj2mom

DIS Veteran

Joined

Oct 20, 2005

• Aug 4, 2015

• #7

We checked out at 10am and had an 8pm flight. We spent the day at Downtown Disney. We loved the Design Your Own Tee shop, I am soo glad we decided to check that out fairly early (we ordered our shirts and picked them up in less than an hour). We also had a fantastic meal at T-Rex before heading to the airport. It was a great last day for us!

 

scrapquitler

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 15, 2007

• Aug 4, 2015

• #8

Crystal M L said:

My family of three will be traveling the week of 10/19-23 to WDW for the first time. I noted that our checkout time is 11:00am and was looking for some (affordable) activities to fill our time before heading to the airport for a 7pm flight. Thank you for any suggestions!

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We always go to the park for one last visit. If your flight is at 7, you'll probably need to get on Magic Express around 4...that leaves you all day until about 3:00 to enjoy the parks. Adding an extra day onto your ticket if you've already had a few park days costs only something like $10PP and is definitely worthwhile. We like to visit MK and have a final couple of rides and have a Dole Whip and say goodbye until next time...

If you didn't want to go to the park, you could go visit Downtown Disney and have a lunch, or just stay at the resort and swim.

Bell Services will hold your bags (and carryons) while you go to the park or whatever you choose to do so that you don't have to worry about lugging your stuff with you while you do whatever you choose to do that day. And they open early, so it's not like you have to wait until 11 to check out.

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #9

Thanks, these are all great ideas and some that I would not have thought about doing.

 

disneymagicgirl

Been there, Done that, Going back!

Joined

Dec 13, 2005

• Aug 4, 2015

• #10

We like late flights so we can hit up a park one last time. Check out and check your bags at the resort in the morning. They will magically appear at your home airport. The go off and enjoy your day...either in the park or resort pool or dtd. The bus will pick you up for yor flight about 3 hrs before your flight. Enjoy!

 

Marionnette

Children see magic because they look for it

Joined

Sep 26, 2009

• Aug 4, 2015

• #11

disneymagicgirl said:

We like late flights so we can hit up a park one last time. Check out and check your bags at the resort in the morning. They will magically appear at your home airport. The go off and enjoy your day...either in the park or resort pool or dtd. The bus will pick you up for yor flight about 3 hrs before your flight. Enjoy!

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Just a point of clarification:

You do not want to check your bags with bell services at your resort. They only hold your bags until you are ready to claim them at a later time. If you want your bags to magically appear at your home airport baggage claim area, you need to check the bags at the RAC podium instead.

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #12

Great, thanks for the tip on baggage. If we don't rent a car, that will be a nice hassle-free option.

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #13

Where is the RAC podium? Will that be on site at my resort?

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #14

Sorry, should I also expect that my travel agent will send me the tags for the Magical Express?

 

Sandi

A proud Spartans fan.

Joined

Aug 17, 1999

• Aug 4, 2015

• #15

Crystal M L said:

Where is the RAC podium? Will that be on site at my resort?

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The RAC podium is near the main entrance of the resort. It is outside, near bell services/luggage assistance. Ask about it if you don't see it when you're wandering around the resort. RAC hours are like 5:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. You can leave your checked bags with them and they'll get them to the airport for you.

Leave your carry on bags with bell services/luggage assistance. If you do decide that swimming is the thing, I always had some gallon sized zip lock bags in the pocket so we could put our wet suits in those bags before stowing them in the carry on. Swimming was usually what my daughter wanted to do on that last day.

Also, you should receive your DME yellow tags from your travel agent. There will also be a little booklet with the tags that explains where to go to get the bus, etc.

 

vicarrieous

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 12, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #16

BTW you can only use the RAC luggage program with participating airlines. Check to see if your airline is a part of this program.

 

Crystal M L

Excited for our first trip ever!

Joined

Aug 4, 2015

• Aug 4, 2015

• #17

vicarrieous said:

BTW you can only use the RAC luggage program with participating airlines. Check to see if your airline is a part of this program.

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Thanks, I will look into it!

 

The Princess

<font color=green>Smiles everytime a check is writ

Joined

Jun 24, 2001

• Aug 4, 2015

• #18

We usually just head over to MK and hang out on Main Street.

 

DisneyHardin

DIS Veteran

Joined

Jan 20, 2010

• Aug 4, 2015

• #19

We always go to a park on the last day. For example, for our upcoming trip, our depature flight is a 7:30, so we are planning Animal Kingdom that day. We have an ADR at Rainforest Café at 1:00 and then will head back to the Polynesian after lunch for our approx. 4:30 DME to the airport.

 

C

crisi

DIS Veteran

Joined

Feb 25, 2002

• Aug 4, 2015

• #20

If you don't want to go to a park:

A late resort character breakfast (expensive, but we've done the checkout day character breakfast so we don't spend time on a park day doing it).
Resort hopping (especially if your kids are a little older). Checking out all the resorts (you can't swim, you can check out lobbies, lounges, grounds and gift shops), can be a lot of fun and you start planning your next and your dream vacations. It could be a good "ice cream for lunch at Beaches and Cream" day.
Downtown Disney/Disney Springs.
Hanging out at the pool.
Our last trip involved a last day Typhoon Lagoon day - at 3:00 we changed in the changing rooms at Typhoon Lagoon, threw our swimsuits in ziplocs, and headed out.