Flight timing into Orlando

[cali1234]

I just booked my family's first cruise for November out of PC. We are flying out of Reagan National Airport (DC). I got a great deal on flights so I just booked them, but have 24 hours to cancel if needed...so my question is if our flight arrives into Orlando at 10:10 am on departure day (cruise departure time is 3:45 pm). Will that be enough time for us to get to the port? Haven't booked transfers yet, but will either Disney shuttle or care hire.

 

[Dug720]

Personally, it's cutting it too close for me. I like to get in at least a day ahead because so much can happen with flights - weather (and not necessarily in DC), mechanical issues, flight traffic, even a crew issue such as a previous late arriving flight making a delay of yours necessary so they have their required hours off. Then if there is any issue with luggage... Or traffic...

Yeah...I'm a day before girl. Well worth the peace of mind!

 

[jlemieu1]

Yes that is enough time, I done it as late as 11:30 arrival time. I highly recommed using the DCL transportation in your case because they will have your flight info if they need it. They may delay 5-15 mins if they know they have someone on their bus.

For piece of mind check the flight for its on-time stats. I've seen some flights with as bad as 30%.

 

[kshark1958]

I just booked my family's first cruise for November out of PC. We are flying out of Reagan National Airport (DC). I got a great deal on flights so I just booked them, but have 24 hours to cancel if needed...so my question is if our flight arrives into Orlando at 10:10 am on departure day (cruise departure time is 3:45 pm). Will that be enough time for us to get to the port? Haven't booked transfers yet, but will either Disney shuttle or care hire.

That would make me nervous. I'm of the opinion to arrive the day before because of flight delays. I've traveled enough to know they happen for various reasons not just weather. I remember one issue I was flying to Ft Lauderdale ( Orange Bowl) and when I arrived SW said our luggage had been left behind in Philadelphia along with about 10 other passengers. A group of the passengers were heading to their ship for a cruise and SW couldn't promise they would get it to the ship in time for departure. Don't know what happened to those people but I got my luggage about 4 hours later and I had to drive back to the airport to get it SW wouldn't deliver it to my hotel.

 

[RunnerMomO]

We like to be arriving at the port at that time for the first boarding times at 11 am to get us much out of our trip as possible. You cod always fly the night before and stay at the Hyatt at the airport and take Disney cruise bus in the morning.

 

[JustLoveDisney]

I agree with the other posts fly in the day before one afternoon of ice in dc and you miss the boat. I live in the dc metro area as well. I try to take one of the late night flights the day before sleep in and then shuttle over to the port. Enjoy your cruise!

 

[cruisecrasher]

We like to be arriving at the port at that time for the first boarding times at 11 am to get us much out of our trip as possible. You cod always fly the night before and stay at the Hyatt at the airport and take Disney cruise bus in the morning.

We like this option too. Our first DCL cruise we flew in the morning of and it just made things stressful for us when we could've been on "vacation mode" already.

 

[Twin45]

I also lived in the DC area and I am flying out of DCA(Ronald Reagan Airport) the day before my cruise(cruise Dec. 5) and I booked at room at the Hyatt MCO overnight and plan to take the DCL shuttle to the airport.

I wanted the peace of mind knowing if the DC area gets a snow (even a duster) bad traffic in the area I could catch my flight on time and make my cruise.

This will be my first time flying out of DCA, but JB had better rates out of DCA than BWI , if you can work it in your schedule and your budget, I would defnitely recommend coming in a day earlier.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I've gotta join the "fly in the day before" bandwagon here! I'm in the Chicago area and a few years ago before my early December cruise (my 2nd) we got snow the night before my flight. It wasn't bad, but enough to mess up airports through the next day with delays, etc. We couldn't get out in time for our cruise and missed it - with no insurance. I learned two lessons that day! DCL was kind enough to let us rebook on a different date even though we didn't book airfare through them. Since then I insist on flying in the day before, regardless of the difference in fares. I just feel better knowing I'll have more chances to get to MCO in the event of weather, mechanical issues, etc. Much better than missing my cruise!

 

[Bree]

I will never fly in the day of embarkation again. My last cruise was a Southern Caribbean out of San Juan. My luggage was lost. Our itinerary left San Juan then had TWO sea days before we arrived in Aruba. I got my luggage late afternoon in Aruba. Of course I had no carry on (stupid, stupid, stupid) and had to purchase quite a bit on ship to get me by.

 

[mordecai]

If you look even casually around the boards you'll see MANY stories about people missing a day of, or their entire cruise because of airline delays/cancellations/weather/etc. It's totally worth the extra $$ to go down a day early if you can swing it.

(Ironically I just got finished reading one of these stories a few seconds ago)

 

[castlegazer]

I am seasoned day before gal, but I have an upcoming flight planned to arrive at 10:45 am the day of cruise embarkation!

I am nervous but have no choice.

If you have a choice and it's not going to throw all budgets out of whack (remember the cost increase plus a hotel room for a night), then do a day prior to embarkation.

 

[tigrbob]

I just returned from cruise that almost was disaster. we planned to arrive the day before but my daughter's family's flight was canceled the morning they were to leave. The 5 of them were split up two arriving the later the night before and the other 3 were sent from Phoenix to Philadelphia for connecting flight to orlando. Enroute to Phila. the capt announced they had to make an unplanned stop in St louis to re fuel. They missed connection to orlando so had to stay overnight in Philadelphia. Boarded a 9 am flight from phila. to orlando. that flight also was canceled after leave terminal. (At this point I called Disney and informed them of the delays...) They finally got a flight and arrived at 12:30...i broke land speed records getting to PC throwing money at the toll booths as we went. Arrived at the hotel (Country Inn) at 1:30ish where we were staying on their Park and Cruise program to discover we had missed the last shuttle to port. the hotel paid for a taxi for us to port we arrived around 2:30 got through check in at around 3 less than an hour before departure...

All this to say I wouldn't plan on arriving day of departure if at all possible. Your cruise ticket book has phone number to call if encountering travel delays. We did that and they made contact with my daughter and followed her the rest of her terrible journy. i don't know what they would do if she hadn't made it before departure...i doubt they would have held the ship but it made me feel much better they were aware of the situation...so defintiely be aware of the contact number for Disney cruises. And the Country inn and Suites in PC were great...the cruise and park plan was perfect and they made arrangements to get us to the port and the car was left in their lot with no problems...

After all this the cruise was fantastic!!!!

Sorry for such a long tale!

 

[jetskigrl]

As others have said, fly in the day before if possible. If not possible, make sure you have travel insurance that includes flight delays and cancellations.

Some reasons why (that I have experienced).
1) flight from LA to Austin, cancelled and first available flight was the following morning.
2) flight from LA to San Jose CA, cancelled (as well as one after it). Luckily because it was a short hop, there was another one even later that they put me on.
3) flight from LA to Vegas, delayed 3 hours sitting on tarmdac because the Air Force One was in Vegas and the air space was closed until it left.
4) same Vegas trip going home, delayed 2 hours due to high winds...full airport shutdown.
5) Different trip LA to Vegas, flight cancelled and had to scramble because the only alternate that day was 1 hour earlier.
6) And even another LA to Vegas, flight delayed 3 hours due to weather delay (fog) at the airport the incoming flight was coming from. **so it doesn't even have to be the weather in your city or where you are going that can delay the flight. It depends on where the plane is prior to your flight.
7) flight from LA to MCO (to board the Dream), about 1 hour delay due to mechanical issues. But they weren't sure it could be fixed and were starting to offer up alternate flights (some going to Miami instead, etc).

And look at recent events in San Francisco and New York. Both of those affected not just flights at that airport but also connecting flights using planes that were stuck on the ground there, etc.

If you can cancel and rebook a day earlier, that would be my suggestion. It is worth it for the piece of mind.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Personally, it's cutting it too close for me. I like to get in at least a day ahead because so much can happen with flights - weather (and not necessarily in DC), mechanical issues, flight traffic, even a crew issue such as a previous late arriving flight making a delay of yours necessary so they have their required hours off. Then if there is any issue with luggage... Or traffic...

Yeah...I'm a day before girl. Well worth the peace of mind!

I had a two hr from atl to mco that no one saw coming so I am in the camp of fly the day before

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I just booked my family's first cruise for November out of PC. We are flying out of Reagan National Airport (DC). I got a great deal on flights so I just booked them, but have 24 hours to cancel if needed...so my question is if our flight arrives into Orlando at 10:10 am on departure day (cruise departure time is 3:45 pm). Will that be enough time for us to get to the port? Haven't booked transfers yet, but will either Disney shuttle or care hire.

Yes you can make it.................IF EVERYTHNIG GOES RIGHT!

If at all possible I would fly in a day early, spend a night at a local hotel of WDW. We usual spend the night at WDW and have dinner in one of the resorts.

There are just to many things that can go wrong.

1. Your fight is changed by the airline or cancelled du to any number of reasons.
2. Your bumped off the fight.
3. The plane is delayed by a breakdown.
4. You miss your plane and have to rebook a later flight.
5. Bad weather, in DC, on route, in MCO.
6. Your plane is late for any of the above listed reasons and you miss DCL transportation or your own transportation.
7. Your ground transportation breakdown.
8. There is a traffic jam or construction.

Whatever you do, have a great cruise.


AKK

 

[Weedy]

I just booked my family's first cruise for November out of PC. We are flying out of Reagan National Airport (DC). I got a great deal on flights so I just booked them, but have 24 hours to cancel if needed...so my question is if our flight arrives into Orlando at 10:10 am on departure day (cruise departure time is 3:45 pm). Will that be enough time for us to get to the port? Haven't booked transfers yet, but will either Disney shuttle or care hire.

You also may want to consider what time you will need to get up that morning of your flight to get to the airport on time. Will your flight leave at 7:00ish. You should be to the airport by 5:30ish, you will to leave your house at_____ you will have to be up at stupid early.

When you get to the ship you will have lunch and then the cabins are not ready until after 1:30. Everyone needs to be at the lifeboat drill at 4:30. So not much time for a nap/rest. This makes for a really long travel/first day. With small children you will not be able to enjoy the fist night.

So as others have said, I suggest flying in the day before and then stay at the hotel at or near the airport, or there are lots of nice hotels in the Port Canaveral area just minutes from the port.

 

[wdwwishes]

Another vote for arriving the day before and stay close to the port.

 

[Becky925]

I have to say fly in the day before as well. This past June, our first cruise, we booked a 10pm flight (two nights before cruise) so we could spend Saturday at Star Wars Weekend before boarding the Dream. Plane broke in DC, had to be fixed, fly to Boston, back to DC for our flight then down to MCO. All told we got to POFQ at around 4am. No big deal, because this wasn't the day of our cruise. Time in the park can be adjusted, when the ship leaves can't. I don't know what I would have done had that been the day of.

 

[SnowWhite2]

DD and DH went to her college orientation in mid-June. Plan was to fly in on Thursday, go to orientation on Friday and part of Saturday and then go visit relatives. The plane had weather issues (in June...not Nov) and didn't make it out. There were no other flights until the next morning. Got the 6:30 am flight, sat on the tarmac for 2 hours waiting for the paperwork to get processed and made it to orientation around 11am instead of 8:30 am. They had 22 flights from BWI to MDW on that Thursday and only 2 of them were cancelled. The other 20 were fully booked so they had to wait a day to fly. And it was only standby for the next morning. They were not able to be confirmed on a flight until Saturday. At that point she would have missed the orientation...and you would have missed your ship.

Another person in the fly a day before camp.