2 hours for MCO - really?

[LWdisney]

Planning last day of upcoming quick trip (first back since 2010), beginning of Feb ... Would rather not spend an extra hour at the airport if not necessary. Can anyone share their experience/insight? Many thanks!

 

[JanaDee]

Planning last day of upcoming quick trip (first back since 2010), beginning of Feb ... Would rather not spend an extra hour at the airport if not necessary. Can anyone share their experience/insight? Many thanks!

Yes, really. You don't always need the extra time, but it is there if needed.

You'd rather be sitting waiting for the plane than watching it take off without you, right?

 

[sargenca]

Two hours does sound a little extreme, but it's the guideline we use. Our goal is to be walking away from the rental car return, 2 hours prior to our flight ... AND that is even when we have used RAC earlier in the day. (Meaning we skip baggage check-in).

Now using that as a guideline, we have always had plenty of time, no rushing and we are not phased by the long security lines and last minute stops at a gift store, people holding up the lines... I think with MCO there are SO many families and groups traveling. It's not like your hometown airport where you are likely to see an even split of business travelers, solo travelers, and some families... There are mobs of groups so the pace is a little different.

But I'd say that even with the 2 hour buffer - and traveling as a family on the weekend - we don't feel like we have loads of extra, boring time on our hands... As a business traveler, mid-week, you wouldn't need as much time.

 

[LWdisney]

Ahhhhh, thank you both. Not what I hoped to hear, but sounds necessary ... We've found Denver to be like that, too. Hoping things might've eased. Many thanks again for sharing!

 

[bumbershoot]

Two hours does sound a little extreme, but it's the guideline we use. Our goal is to be walking away from the rental car return, 2 hours prior to our flight ... AND that is even when we have used RAC earlier in the day. (Meaning we skip baggage check-in).

Our goal is to be walking into the doors of the airport at 2 hours.

And we HAVE been fazed by the long security lines. Which is weird because we go at lower-crowd times, but apparently that just means that the crowds are at the airport.

 

[jennyjinx3]

We had ME pick us up three hours early on Nov 23 to get to MCO. And trust me we did need that time. The check in line and the security line were HUGE! We were thankful that we had plenty of time. We literally sat down at the gate and had a small snack and that was that we were on the plane!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Two hours before departure actually means 90 minutes before boarding, because boarding is 30 minutes before departure.

I always TRY to be at any larger airport 2 hours before the scheduled departure. I usually succeed, but not always. I've run into bad traffic or taken the wrong exit. In these cases, especially, I'm glad I allowed plenty of time.

Twice, it's taken me over an hour to get through a security checkpoint (though never quite this bad for me in Orlando).

Usually, I get to the gate more than an hour before departure. When all goes perfectly, I'm at the gate more than an hour before boarding. But I've also gotten to the gate after boarding had already begun. If I hadn't allowed enough time up front, I would have missed my flights.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

MCO has the slowest security lines I've ever encountered. 2 hours has been necessary on all of our trips through there. I think on one trip we had time to stop to grab breakfast at McD's once we got through security, but usually it's straight to the gate and get ready to board.

 

[Hibernians]

the 2 hours seems unnecessary but every time we have done it we have had no regrets as sometimes we have hit MCO during capacity at the security screening stations. when we have extra the extra time at MCO we usually sit down for a meal and do some leisurely shopping - the key though, is to take the latest flight home possible; that way your last day at WDW is well spent.

 

[sargenca]

.....and we are not phased by the long security lines .....

I should clarify - when I say we are not phased by the long security lines - I mean we don't have a panic attack when we see how long they are and how slow they move ... because we have gotten there 2 hours early.

 

[MillauFr]

It depends on what your goal is. I have never missed a plane and think that waiting around an airport for a plane to leave is a complete waste of time. Have I had to run through the terminal in order to catch a plane? Yes, but the adrenaline rush was awesome when I made it onto the plane. My goal is to be walking onto the airplane during final call.

 

[aubriee]

Our goal is to be walking into the doors of the airport at 2 hours.

And we HAVE been fazed by the long security lines. Which is weird because we go at lower-crowd times, but apparently that just means that the crowds are at the airport.

We always try to be walking into the airport doors two hours prior to our flight too. At MCO you just never know what those lines are going to look like. Usually two hours is more than enough time and we have plenty of time to relax at the gate. However, twice in the last couple of years we've walked in to find that security line almost all the way out to the escalators. We never go at busy times of the year either. Both times we saw those absurd security lines was during early May trips the last two years.

 

[aubriee]

It depends on what your goal is. I have never missed a plane and think that waiting around an airport for a plane to leave is a complete waste of time. Have I had to run through the terminal in order to catch a plane? Yes, but the adrenaline rush was awesome when I made it onto the plane. My goal is to be walking onto the airplane during final call.

Good luck! When I was there waiting for my flight this past Sept, I saw more than one person running up at the last minute. A few arrived after the door had closed but the gate agent called someone and they opened the door and let them on. A couple of others weren't so lucky though and arrived as the plane was taxing out. One lady threw a loud temper tantrum demanding they bring the plane back for her, saying it was not her fault she was late, it was the airport's fault, due to long security lines she was not expecting. This lady came running barefoot, full speed up to the gate, carrying her high heels by two fingers and four bags (two rolling carryons, a large tote, and a huge shopping bag), screaming "hold the plane, hold the plane" as she pushed her way through people. When told the plane would not be coming back for her, she loudly demanded to know what they were going to do for her then, as it was not her fault she'd missed the flight. She refused to take any responsibilty for being late. lol The lady sitting next to me leaned toward me, laughed, and said what she wondered was how that lady expected to get four huge bags on that plane as carryons, even if she had been on time. lol

 

[MillauFr]

Now I would show up early to sit around to watch that. Usually though it is pretty boring at the airport.

 

[Siriusblack]

We have done the running through the airport thing a couple of times, but it's always been due to a connection being delayed. Not fun. Once it was a real squeaker, and because the airline staff know the situation, I think they may have waited a minute or two. We were overjoyed, but we got plenty of dirty looks from some of the other passengers.

 

[Lewisc]

It depends on what your goal is. I have never missed a plane and think that waiting around an airport for a plane to leave is a complete waste of time. Have I had to run through the terminal in order to catch a plane? Yes, but the adrenaline rush was awesome when I made it onto the plane. My goal is to be walking onto the airplane during final call.

A recall a poster who said a flyer who never missed a flight is a flyer who has wasted too much time in airports through the years.

 

[Canooknic]

Hubby and I are frequent flyers so know exactly what time we can get to our airport to get through security and to the relevant gate with a few minutes to spare before final call so when we were told we were getting picked up from POR 4 hours before our flight my head almost exploded!! We ended up in a terrible rain storm and ended up running to our gate because of the hideous line at security. MCO is definitely my least favourite airport (and I used to regularly go through London Heathrow!!!!)

 

[Gracie09]

I usually arrive at least two hours before if I'm flying with dh and/or my kids. For some reason it takes so much longer with them, even just dh. When I'm by myself usually an hour but I tend move fast and have my carry on organized. I give myself time to use the rest room and grab some food/water for the flight. If I still have time I may even grab a drink at the airport bar.
I guess I would much rather be an hour early than a minute late especially on vacation.

 

[Minnesota!]

It depends on what your goal is. I have never missed a plane and think that waiting around an airport for a plane to leave is a complete waste of time. Have I had to run through the terminal in order to catch a plane? Yes, but the adrenaline rush was awesome when I made it onto the plane. My goal is to be walking onto the airplane during final call.

We find airports to be relaxing and fantastic people watching - so we LOVE getting their early. We were about 6 hours early for a flight this past June. Just sat and people watched and did crosswords, etc. Took my kids for walks, etc.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes. Really. I have been there when the 2 hours was necessary.

MCO has one of the worst security line setups ever.