1st time flying...what do i do? Need major help!

[Billmel]

OK...have been to Disney more times than I can count. Have always driven. Have the opportunity to get round trip tickets from Asheville, NC to Orlando, for 131. each round trip. I thought this was a great deal. It is less than we would pay for gas, budgeted 300. for gas (driving a dodge 1500).

Questions:

1. We can use magical express I know...how does that work?
2. We have deluxe dining for this trip..how do we get from our hotel (AKL) to other hotels for our dinner reservations. Will I have to take a bus to a park, then jump on another bus to that specific hotel? What if it is a later ADR, and the parks are closed, how would I return to AKL.
3. We have never been without a vehicle while at WDW, would this be a complete shock to the system.
4. This is our 1st ever DVC trip, plus my birthday trip, so the convenience of driving our own vehicle would be a plus. aaaggghhh.....I don't know.
5. Taxi's- Is there taxi's available, have never honestly been in a taxi, (i know sad right)
6. What are the regulations on luggage and stuff now. I guess I could find this out from the airport.

I am soooo confused. Don't know what to do. The luxury of being there in 1.5 hours, most likely 2.5 hours with drive time from the airport. We would lose our lunch ADR on arrival day. But we will not miss the 9.5 hour drive there and back. Any help would be appreciated.

We would save $38 dollars flying, and $85 for the hotel in Savannah on the trip going down. So renting a car would sort of defeat the purpose of saving time and money.

 

[DISaholic's]

I will do my best to answer your questions however I guess my first question is why do you stop on a 9.5 hr drive? That is easily do able in one day. Leave at 5am and you are in Disney by supper time. Then you are only saving a little on gas and still have the convenience of your car.


Ok so to answer your questions:

1) Disney ME, just let Disney know that you are requesting ME and they will ask for your airline, flight number, etc. A couple of weeks before you leave they will send you special tags to put on your luggage this will assist in getting your luggage to your room. Be aware though it can arrive up to 6 hrs after you do. When you get to Orlando airport you just follow the signs to ME and hop on the bus.

2) For your dining reservations, you got it right. Take a bus to one of the parks and then another bus to the resort. If the parks are closed you can call a taxi, est. $7-$10 per taxi ride. (this also answers #5, you can get taxi Phone #'s from guest services)

3)You'll be fine without a vehicle if you plan well - lots of time for traveling between resorts.

4) The convenience of having your own Vehicle is : no taxi or buses needed for dining, being able to go get your own groceries for your DVC. - If you don't have a car, you can order online and have groceries delivered to your DVC resort by Garden grocer.

5) Luggage - this is completely dependent on the airline. Some airlines charge for each bag (typical $25 per bag) and there are size and weight requirements, some don't charge anything unless the bags weigh over 50 lbs, some airlines charge for every bag, some charge for more than one per person, some charge for carry on bags, some don't. You have to read what the rules are for YOUR airline. Oh, and then there is the 'what can you put in your carry on' lots more rules there. This is a definate cost that has to be factored in to your whole trip cost.

Some airlines will charge for where your seat is, picking it early and for early boarding. The additional fees of flying sometimes add up so much that you really don't save so much by flying. Make sure you price the flights out to total cost (add's in 911 fee, booking fees, tax, luggage, etc.) An advertized amount is not the true cost of the flight.


We've driven from Upstate NY to many places that are well over 15 hrs away in one day. Even when our kids were small we did it. This year my DH and I are flying and all our kids are driving (DS23, DSGF 22, DS21, DSGF20, and DD16). They volunteered to do it this way to save us money. They are going to drive all night, they are young and can switch off, this will get them there just 12 hrs after us.

Good luck in making your decision!

 

[DreaminOfDisneyWorld]

First of all, breathe! Flying to WDW is a piece of cake as long as you take some time to get organized.
1) As long as you have provided Disney with your flight information they'll book you for the Magical Express. When you get your travel documents you will get luggage tags for Magical Express. They are usually yellow. They send 1 per person but you can request additional tags if necessary. You simply put the tag on the luggage you want to go directly from the airport to your resort. Once you check in at the airport for your outgoing flight and give them your bag you will not see it again until it shows up in your room so make sure you don't need anything in it. It may take several hours for your checked bags to get to your room so plan accordingly. If you want to personally pick up a bag from baggage claim and take it to the resort yourself, simply don't put a Magical Express tag on it and pick it up at baggage claim as usual. When you land in Orlando follow the instructions on your travel documents and go to the Magical Express counter. They'll take you from there.
2) The Disney Transportation system will take you to all of your reservations. They request you allow 90 minutes to get from one resort to another. Yes, you'll take one bus to a park and get another bus to the resort. You can also take a ferry or the monorail if applicable. The buses run for 2 hours after park closing, I believe.
3) I have never been to WDW with a car so I guess I can't speak to the difference but we have never, not once, had difficulty getting around WDW without a car. Sure we have had the occasional frustration with a slow bus or a monorail stop when we're trying to get to an ADR and the busses can be crowded at park closing but it's also very convenient being dropped off and picked up at the park entrance and not having to worry about a car.
4) It looks like we'll be there around the same time. I think we're driving this time because our airfare is crazy expensive but we will still park our car once we get there and not use it again until we leave.
5) The front desk can call a taxi for you at any time. Some people like to use them to get to ADRs. I think it's a waste of money unless you're desparate to get somewhere very quickly. Just an opinion.
6) Make sure you know how much it costs to check luggage and how many pieces you're allowed. There's great information on the TSA's web site about carry on policies. I used it a lot when I was traveling with my son for the first time. It was very helpful.

Flying is actually not as confusing as they make it sound. I hope this helps. Good luck with your decision.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

hi. just wanted to add that you can always go from a resort to downtown disney since they are open very late, then to AKL. We rarely have to do this b/c the parks are open late, atleast when we go. We've never rented a car b/c we enjoy not having to drive anywhere. Mk has the largest parking lot in the world, so i'm glad the bus just pulls upfront and makes it easy.

Magic Express is easy. You put on the tags to your checked baggage at home. Then when you check them at the airport you wont see them again until your resort room. You dont have to be there to recieve your bags, they'll come into your room and leave them by the door. When you're at the airport, from the gate you take the monorail to the main building, go on the B side, then go down the escalator, then go to the elevators and go down again, then walk down towards the ME counter. Last time we didnt even have to go to the counter like before, we just showed the attendent by the lines which resort we're going to and they tell you what line to get in. Maybe b/c we did the online check-in? Not sure, but anyway they've simplified the process.

Enjoy your trip and Happy Birthday!

 

[Billmel]

I will do my best to answer your questions however I guess my first question is why do you stop on a 9.5 hr drive? That is easily do able in one day. Leave at 5am and you are in Disney by supper time. Then you are only saving a little on gas and still have the convenience of your car.

We usually work 1/2 day on our departure day, stopping in Savannah, and having dinner at one of the restaurants is just something we do, walking down the riverwalk, and strolling around is very relaxing. Driving 5 hours after working and after a hard week, is usually all we really want to do. We usually drive straight thru on our return trip we leave on sunday on most trips, this trip we are leaving on a saturday afternoon, so we are not driving straight home going back either. Makes for a much happier DH. he doesn't enjoy long drives, which is why I was researching other options.

Thanks for all of your quick responses. We definetly have a lot to talk about, but right now we are leaning towards driving and parking the truck at the hotel which is what we normally do. That way if we need it for an ADR we will have it. We will see. Again THANKS!!!!

 

[TruBlu]

OK...have been to Disney more times than I can count. Have always driven. Have the opportunity to get round trip tickets from Asheville, NC to Orlando, for 131. each round trip. I thought this was a great deal. It is less than we would pay for gas, budgeted 300. for gas (driving a dodge 1500).

Great choice! You are going to love flying!

1. We can use magical express I know...how does that work?

It is very easy. Just call and give them your flight numbers. They will send you luggage tags. Stick them on your bags and forget about them. When you get to MCO follow the people with the big Mickey hands to the bus. You'll get to watch a Disney video as they drive you to your resort. Your luggage will appear in your room several hours later.

2. We have deluxe dining for this trip..how do we get from our hotel (AKL) to other hotels for our dinner reservations. Will I have to take a bus to a park, then jump on another bus to that specific hotel? What if it is a later ADR, and the parks are closed, how would I return to AKL.

There are no busses from resort to resort, so you'll have to take a bus to a park or Downtown Disney, then take another bus to the resort where you have your reservation. The Downtown Disney busses run really late, so you shouldn't have a problem. If you do, just grab a cab. We've done that several times and it's never more than $10-15 dollars.

3. We have never been without a vehicle while at WDW, would this be a complete shock to the system.

We like it much more. We get time to rest as we head to our next destination. It is also nice not to have to walk so far to the car.

4. This is our 1st ever DVC trip, plus my birthday trip, so the convenience of driving our own vehicle would be a plus. aaaggghhh.....I don't know.

Getting there in 2 hours vs. 9.5 is a pretty good birthday present to give yourself.

5. Taxi's- Is there taxi's available, have never honestly been in a taxi, (i know sad right)

Very easy to get. Just call the bellhop from your room and they will have one waiting when you get there.

6. What are the regulations on luggage and stuff now. I guess I could find this out from the airport.

Those change so often. I'd check the web.

We've used www.gardengrocer.com several times and had fantastic service if you need any extra supplies for your room. With the deluxe plan you probably wont though.

HAVE FUN!