UGH - How far from MCO to Universal?

[CyndiLooWho]

Dh just found out he will probably be traveling to China for business the week after our vacation. Problem is, with it being exactly half way around the world from our small city, he normally flies out on Saturday to arrive Sunday night / Monday morning. That would mean ending vacation early and driving straight through to put him on a plane in KY or having him fly out of MCO.

To say I'm unhappy is an understatement. He just let me book an extra night so we can stay until Saturday (originally booked Sat - Fri), and now this. I'm ok with the drive home alone (2 teen boys, 1 might have his permit by then, but not enough experience for me to let him drive this), and my mom actually volunteered to fly down so she can drive back with me (and see Diagon Alley, LOL). I'm 48 and she still worries about me...

Just trying to see how this might work if I have to pick mom up at the airport one day and take dh another. Talk about wrecking park plans...

 

[scoobydooby]

Can't they both just take a taxi?

 

[CyndiLooWho]

For personal reasons, a taxi isn't really an option. The only time one of us does not drop the other off is for driving trips of short duration. That's just a personal quirk we have.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Could you arrange for your mom to come in the same day DH leaves?

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Could you arrange for your mom to come in the same day DH leaves?

Maybe. I'm still waiting for the actual dates to come down.

I booked this vacation in early Feb, with our brand new Wyndham points. Dh wanted to buy them b/c it's so hard for him to vacation. He thought if we had the points and had to use them, he'd be more likely to take time off. So he turned this in about 12 weeks ago, and last Wed they decided they needed to send him overseas. I've taken the boys way too many places on my own or with other family. This is just really disappointing to even think about.

The worse part is, if he doesn't go the weekend we would be driving back, he'll be gone for 2 wks just getting back a day before leaving for a 5 night backpacking trip with the boy scout troop, booked back in December. No matter when they send him, he's screwed, and that sucks.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Mapquest shows round trip WBC to MCO at about 25 minutes, but what will it really be with traffic? That's probably what I need to know most.

Where we live, even for international travel, the first leg is out of our regional airport, and I only have to get dh there 40 min before flight time (we live the next city over, 40 min from the airport). I'm assuming he'll need to be there at least 2 hrs ahead from MCO, maybe more. I don't think there is any way mom can get from our regional airport to MCO as early as dh will probably have to fly out. I might get pleasantly surprised, since he might actually be able to cut one leg out of the trip. He'll probably still have to fly to Atlanta, though.

 

[bumbershoot]

With MCO you want him to have that FULL 2 hours before domestic flight, and 3 before int'l. Do not mess with their TSA or expect it to be run like anything you've dealt with. Depending on time of day it can be around 30-40 minutes to get there. I know if my husband were doing this (and it's always possible...we once said our goodbyes at MCO as he went on a hastily scheduled work trip and we went home after vacation) he would want me to take him as early in the day as possible so it didn't mess with our fun too much.

Son with the permit...FWIW, driving fully across country while on his permit is how DH got very good at driving. He and his dad had to pick up a car from the east coast, and off they went from WA. I took a summer of driving classes and then had school driving class (after I had my license thanks to being young for my grade) and when I was in the school class he always had me drive because I'd already been on freeways etc. If it's legal with his permit, it's a decent way to get some miles under your belt!