WDW or Hyatt Pre-Cruise

[MomMouse]

Hi Everyone
We will be arriving the day before our cruise and the airline has just changed our flight time so we will arrive at MCO at 8:30am the day before our cruise.
Would you suggest we take the express and stay at WDW for one day? Would we have to hang out at the airport before being allowed to check in at the Hyatt. I appreciate any suggestions.
This is an adult only trip but I do want to make our transportation as stress free as possible..

 

[GoofyDisneyDaddy]

Arriving at 8:30am -- are you coming from VA, because that is one early flight... Maybe you could change to a later flight?

That is a tough one, because on the one hand it is a lot of time to spend at the airport, but the Hyatt does have a nice pool and the airport has lots of restaurant options. If there is a room available, I'm sure they'd let you check in. As well, staying at the Hyatt is by far the easiest transportation option, so if that is your top priority, you can be on the first bus to DCL with ease the next morning. They come get your bags from the room, so its is a great option.

What resort at Disney would you stay at? I could see going to like AKL, or maybe one of the MK/EP resorts. But, that obviously adds money...

 

[LilacBarries]

I can't speak to Hyatt as we've never stayed there but we just got back last week from a cruise where we stayed the day before at Coronado Springs and the day we got back at Port Orleans Riverside.

We got to the resort around 12 :30delayed flight, was supposed to get there around 10:30. And it was amazing! We hung out in hammocks, swam, explored the property and just generally relaxed. It was such a great start to our vacation after a red eye, delays, and luggage debacle.

They worked with our airline (JetBlue) to get our luggage to us that day, picked up our luggage at 8 the next morning to take to the ship and made everything super easy.

We got picked up on Disney Transport at noon, made a couple stops to fill the bus and were checked in and in our stateroom by 1:30 ish.

The price for us was was within $5 as Hyatt which we originally had booked. It was septemeber so that may make a difference. neither of us had been to WDW we wanted to use it as an opportunity to see if we would want to make a whole trip of it as the answer is yes! We didn't make it to the parks but we enjoyed everything so much at the two resorts we went to that we just have to go back.

 

[cajunprincess]

We like staying at a WDW resort and going to Downtown Disney the day before.

 

[wallawallakids]

We are lazy. We like to do the least amount of driving/transfers etc. So my vote is the Hyatt. They have a nice pool, a nice spa, and nice restaurants. Going back and forth to WDW is just more time traveling and I like the easiest thing possible. Good luck OP, you probably can't go wrong with either.

 

[mmouse37]

I can't speak to Hyatt as we've never stayed there but we just got back last week from a cruise where we stayed the day before at Coronado Springs and the day we got back at Port Orleans Riverside.

We got to the resort around 12 :30delayed flight, was supposed to get there around 10:30. And it was amazing! We hung out in hammocks, swam, explored the property and just generally relaxed. It was such a great start to our vacation after a red eye, delays, and luggage debacle.

They worked with our airline (JetBlue) to get our luggage to us that day, picked up our luggage at 8 the next morning to take to the ship and made everything super easy.

We got picked up on Disney Transport at noon, made a couple stops to fill the bus and were checked in and in our stateroom by 1:30 ish.

The price for us was was within $5 as Hyatt which we originally had booked. It was septemeber so that may make a difference. neither of us had been to WDW we wanted to use it as an opportunity to see if we would want to make a whole trip of it as the answer is yes! We didn't make it to the parks but we enjoyed everything so much at the two resorts we went to that we just have to go back.

Love Coronado Springs Resort....my favorite moderate with Port Orleans French Quarter my second favorite!!!

MJ

 

[suffieldhockeymom]

We like staying at a WDW resort and going to Downtown Disney the day before.

I agree

 

[slindamood]

Having done both the Hyatt and WDW resort pre-cruise, I would say WDW. I see the Hyatt as a good option ONLY when arriving later in the day, too late to really enjoy a WDW resort but aiming to get an early bus to the port. Although the Hyatt has a nice pool, it pales in comparison to resort pools, IMHO. The restaurants in the airport are OK, but you are in an airport - not outside enjoying Florida. The Hyatt is nice but nothing tops the WDW experience when you have a whole day.

 

[LilacBarries]

Having done both the Hyatt and WDW resort pre-cruise, I would say WDW. I see the Hyatt as a good option ONLY when arriving later in the day, too late to really enjoy a WDW resort but aiming to get an early bus to the port. Although the Hyatt has a nice pool, it pales in comparison to resort pools, IMHO. The restaurants in the airport are OK, but you are in an airport - not outside enjoying Florida. The Hyatt is nice but nothing tops the WDW experience when you have a whole day.

This! My reasoning almost exactly in choosing a WDW resort

 

[MomMouse]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. Yes, our flight out of Dulles has been changed to 6:15AM! With the new Visa discount staying at WDW or the Hyatt will be comparable. I will get DH input and we will make our plans. I may be leaning toward WDW since it will be the entire day. But that laid back Hyatt sounds great also.
Thanks again

 

[bumbershoot]

If there are later flights that would work on your airline, you don't have to accept the change. Call and ask them to change the flight to another that works.

I don't like taking the dcl transfer from wdw. I like it from mco. So for us, barring a different flight, I would rent a car for the day and go to wdw then go on back when I was ready to relax. And still use the transfer to the port.

 

[Bdunn]

Rent a car, do a park, stay at the Hyatt, DCL transfer in the morning.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Rent a car, do a park, stay at the Hyatt, DCL transfer in the morning.

I agree. When we stayed at WDW, the DCL bus did not arrive @ the port until 2:30pm.