Late arrival, What would you do?

[Lewisc]

Agree, I'd stay the night at CBR. If money is a factor I'd go with a 3* hotel in the airport zone might save $100.

 

[VandVsmama]

I'd pay the extra $150 and go straight to the on site resort.

 

[maxmouse]

Thank you all for your advice. I have already started looking at adding the extra night. They don't have my room type available so might look at another resort and transfer luggage the next morning.

 

[maxmouse]

We started out with reservations at all-star Movie then upgraded to CBR, so money has been hasn't been that big of a concern but at some point you have to go enough.

 

[Micca]

I was going to say stay at the Hyatt...but having read the responses I do think going straight to the resort is a good idea

 

[TexasAggieBelle]

Another perk to going with Disney for the first night is getting to pick out dining reservations one day earlier….

 

[Disneylover99]

Just to counteract what everyone is saying - you absolutely CAN check in early. No, your room might not be ready, but it is NBD to store luggage. And if you're taking DME, just look up the earliest flight from your area and give them that. That sets your arrival time at the resort and it *could* result in there being a room available.

I have landed after 10pm before and it was after midnight before I got to my resort. I WISHED I had stayed at the MCO Hyatt by the time I got there and my room was on the complete opposite side of the resort (not CBR, but it was still a distance - especially in the dark when you're tired and lugging bags). And at 2am I didn't want to bother with "Isn't there something closer to my request?" If you arrive in the morning, you might have a bit more leeway in getting your room changed.

If you get in late, you can always request to change rooms first thing in the morning if you wish. We've had good experiences doing this. We find it's easier and more efficient then arriving early and having to wait for a room to be assigned to us.

 

[Cheburashka]

We decided to take a late night flight which gets us in to MCO at 10:00pm instead of an 6:00am flight the next morning which we would have to get up at 3:30am. We are planning on parks the first day. My question is would you just get a room at the Hyatt MCO for around $200 or add an extra night at CBR for $350? Right now the plan is to stay at the Hyatt, then Uber or DME in the morning. Would love your opinion on transportation the following morning also. I don't have any idea about Orlando traffic.

If you're planning on a fairly full day at the park the first day, I recommend spending the night before at Disney World.

You'll be tired on your first park day, if you have to get up early enough to check out of a hotel, get transportation from the airport to Disney World, drop off your luggage at your resort, and then go to the parks. And then after being at the parks you'd have to collect your luggage, find your room for the first time & unpack, etc.

The hassle of all of that would detract from the magic of that first park day. Let your arrival night be when you deal with all of the hassle of arriving and unpacking. Then sleep in a bit the next morning (with a 10pm scheduled arrival at MCO, who knows when your flight will actually arrive, so do your family a favor and don't plan any morning activities for the next day), so that you're relaxed and ready to have fun. Waking up rested at your Disney resort, knowing that the logistics are taken care of & you're truly on vacation, will be a good feeling.

 

[Dug720]

If you get in late, you can always request to change rooms first thing in the morning if you wish. We've had good experiences doing this. We find it's easier and more efficient then arriving early and having to wait for a room to be assigned to us.

Fine if that works for you. When I get to Disney and into my room - no issue storing my luggage and going on about my day - I want to unpack. Not hold back to move again.
And no, I don’t do split stays either.

 

[Disneylover99]

Fine if that works for you. When I get to Disney and into my room - no issue storing my luggage and going on about my day - I want to unpack. Not hold back to move again.
And no, I don’t do split stays either.

It was just a suggestion. You seem to regret your late arrival because your room didn't meet your request. I'm just saying moving in the morning may have been a good option. That's not a split stay. That's just being proactive if you're not happy with your room assignment. You obviously feel different, but flying in late, staying at the Hyatt, and getting up early to move to another hotel is my very definition of a split stay.

 

[Dug720]

It was just a suggestion. You seem to regret your late arrival because your room didn't meet your request. I'm just saying moving in the morning may have been a good option. That's not a split stay. That's just being proactive if you're not happy with your room assignment. You obviously feel different, but flying in late, staying at the Hyatt, and getting up early to move to another hotel is my very definition of a split stay.

As I said, I have the stuff for the next day in a carry-on, so I don't have to unpack.

I'm clearly the only one that the Hyatt works for. I'd been skeptical until I tried it in Feb and I found that I liked it. It didn't cut into park time all that much and was not the horror show people try to make it seem - very easy to store luggage and head off.

 

[_19disnA]

Personally, I would prefer a flight to arrive mid-morning, but if the only available flights from where you live are late or early, I would take the late flight and stay overnight at the airport hotel. Other advantage is that any flight delays (bad weather, congestion, maintenance, etc.) will mean you arrive later that evening, but are already at your hotel location. As the OP mentioned, a very early flight means you have to get up way too early for being on vacation and will likely be exhausted by the time you arrive............LOL. When you arrive, claim your luggage and then just walk to the hotel. Likely could have breakfast next morning at the hotel then take DME to Disney. We are on vacation and enjoy not always racing around to get to whatever is planned next. May not be how others operate, but that works best for us.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I'd go straight to CBR. The packing, unpacking, moving luggge, etc. Ugh! Just head to CBR.

 

[Disneylover99]

As I said, I have the stuff for the next day in a carry-on, so I don't have to unpack.

I'm clearly the only one that the Hyatt works for. I'd been skeptical until I tried it in Feb and I found that I liked it. It didn't cut into park time all that much and was not the horror show people try to make it seem - very easy to store luggage and head off.

Do others make it seem like a horror show? I’ve heard mostly good things about Hyatt stays. I’d consider staying there for a night. I don’t mind split stays.

 

[Dug720]

Do others make it seem like a horror show? I’ve heard mostly good things about Hyatt stays. I’d consider staying there for a night. I don’t mind split stays.

This thread - all doom and "OMG you won't be able to check-in when you get there in the morning! You'll have to store your luggage!" and so forth. People make it sound like it's the worst thing you can do.

I get that it's not for everyone. I was a skeptic myself as I said, but I tried it in February and I really liked it. Everything felt smooth and seamless.

 

[Disneylover99]

This thread - all doom and "OMG you won't be able to check-in when you get there in the morning! You'll have to store your luggage!" and so forth. People make it sound like it's the worst thing you can do.

I get that it's not for everyone. I was a skeptic myself as I said, but I tried it in February and I really liked it. Everything felt smooth and seamless.

I'm just not getting a doom vibe from this thread. I only notice people stating their preference and their reasons why.

 

[Sue M]

Think of it as paying $150 more to have a place to hang the next day since you can’t check in until 4 if you stay at the hotel at the airport. Go to Caribbean beach. You will be happy you are there in the morning. You will be all checked in and can go straight to a park.

In these cases I always check in early and I’d say over 50% of the time my room is ready. I often take the red eye coming in from the west coast.

 

[Sue M]

When I take a morning flight from west coast I don’t land until 5-6:00pm or later depending on connection. Sometimes 10pm Then of course I have to get luggage and get to WDW. So I’ve stayed at POP my arrival night. Get up early and take Uber/taxi to next resort, store luggage with Bell Service if room isn’t ready. Sometimes it is. Grab a bite at food court and head to a park. Easy.

 

[MouseyMin]

I recommend a combination of the two. If you are able to get a room at the Caribbean that you can keep for the entire stay, I think you should do that. But if you're going to have to move in the morning anyway, maybe you should just stay at the Hyatt. Why not keep the Hyatt reservation until you see if you can find a room for the entire trip?

 

[maxmouse]

Update - We book a room at CBR (different category) for our arrival night. I know we will probably have to change room the next day but we'll be at our resort. Hopefully a room in our category opens and they can add it for the entire stay. We are still holding our reservation at the MCO Hyatt for now. BTW we are going mid December.