6:10 am flight out of MCO... what time to leave Boardwalk?

[4luv2cdisney]

No bags to check.

If I was driving my own car, I'd leave around 3:15-3:30 as I can't imagine TSA being backed up at 4 am.

Booking Mears Connect, it's telling me pick-up will be 2:45 am.

If I put in a the next flight (6:35 am but it's not the flight actually taking) it gives a pick-up of 3:15 am.

I know it's only 30 minutes, but it's basically the middle of the night as it is, so every little bit helps. lol

Is that the best way to handle this?

I don't know how accessible an Uber / Lyft is at 3:30 am, so I feel like Mears is the best bet.

Anyone have thoughts on if this is a reasonable idea and a reasonable timeframe?

 

[FCDub]

If it were me – with Pre-check and no bag to check – and I were taking Lyft/Uber, I'd work backward like this...

6:10 a.m. | Plane leaves
5:40 a.m. | Boarding begins
5:15 a.m. | Through security
4:50 a.m. | Arrival
4:20 a.m. | Leave hotel
4:05 a.m. | Fire up Lyft/Uber app (knowing it might take longer at that hour to find a car)
3:55 a.m. | Wake up

With a shared service, I would opt for the earlier pickup. But either time is brutal. Good luck!

 

[sam_gordon]

If it were me – with Pre-check and no bag to check – and I were taking Lyft/Uber, I'd work backward like this...

6:10 a.m. | Plane leaves
5:40 a.m. | Boarding begins
5:15 a.m. | Through security
4:50 a.m. | Arrival
4:20 a.m. | Leave hotel
4:05 a.m. | Fire up Lyft/Uber app (knowing it might take longer at that hour to find a car)
3:55 a.m. | Wake up

With a shared service, I would opt for the earlier pickup. But either time is brutal. Good luck!

I'd add at least 15 minutes if you don't have pre-check. I see the no bags in the OP, but I don't see a reference to pre check.

 

[Ensusieasm]

No bags to check.

If I was driving my own car, I'd leave around 3:15-3:30 as I can't imagine TSA being backed up at 4 am.

Booking Mears Connect, it's telling me pick-up will be 2:45 am.

If I put in a the next flight (6:35 am but it's not the flight actually taking) it gives a pick-up of 3:15 am.

I know it's only 30 minutes, but it's basically the middle of the night as it is, so every little bit helps. lol

Is that the best way to handle this?

I don't know how accessible an Uber / Lyft is at 3:30 am, so I feel like Mears is the best bet.

Anyone have thoughts on if this is a reasonable idea and a reasonable timeframe?

I think it’s safer to use your real flight #. Mears will have pickups at several resorts. I just used Mears two weeks ago for a 6am flight. My pick up time was 2:45am. There were a couple more resort stops before we headed to the airport.
One word of advice....The Mears Connect bus does not wait for any no shows.
Even one minute late to the bus stop will be too late. Our bus pulled out exactly on time with two no shows. Better to be out there waiting for the bus 10 minutes early.

 

[Brett Wyman]

The next day on a later flight

 

[Dano1182]

Not sure if it is available in Orlando.
But uber has reserve option.

 

[vetrik]

I’m debating this myself for a 7:20 am flight out of MCO. With no bags to check and pre check, I was planning to use Uber/Lyft to avoid the earlier Mears pickup. Now I’m getting nervous though that there won’t be a driver available, even if we schedule and reserve ahead of time.

I’m not sure I want to spring for a private car. This is an adults only trip, so we may just suck it up and deal with the earlier Mears time. At least we’re taking the rest of the day off and could nap at home!

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I usually stay at the Hyatt at MCO when I have flights this early. It costs the same as Boardwalk (sometimes less) and I’m much less stressed out in the morning about delays, potential traffic, etc.

I know this isn’t what you asked but just throwing this out there in case you haven’t considered this already. (I’m lying in bed at the Hyatt right now, double-checking my 5:30am and 6:00am alarms for my 8:20am flight.)

 

[Ross Kratter]

I highly recommend booking car service for a flight that early. I would recommend a 3:30 pickup at the very latest. Security lines at MCO can be bonkers no matter what time of day.

 

[Lewisc]

Posters need to be concerned with what time they must be at the gate, not the scheduled departure time. SW passengers, an A BP won't help you if you get to the gate late in the boarding process.

I recently took a 6a Frontier flight to MCO. Frontier tells pax to be at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure
We pushed back at 5:45, was in the air by 6 and landed 45 minutes early.

Pax taking early am flights....typically plane arrived hours earlier You're not waiting for the plane to unload You have to assume the door on the gate will be closed as early allowed.

Edited to add I was wrong. Frontier tells pax TO BE AT THE GATE 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND TICKETS MAY BE CANCELLED IF PAX AREN'T AT THE GATE 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

 

[sam_gordon]

My normal rule for larger airports is arriving at the airport (after dropping after rental car if needed) two hours before flight. That assumes checking bags and no precheck. No bags to check? Subtract 15 minutes. Precheck? Subtract 15 minutes. So no bags to check and precheck would mean arriving 90 minutes before flight. That leaves an hour to navigate the airport, get through precheck, and still have 15-20 minutes "cushion" before boarding starts.

So, a 6:10A flight at MCO would mean walking through the doors between 4:10-4:40 depending on what I needed to do.

 

[sam_gordon]

I recently took a 6a Frontier flight to MCO. Frontier tells pax to be at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure
We pushed back at 5:45, was in the air by 6 and landed 45 minutes early.

Did they push back early because everyone was on board? Figure they closed the doors around 5:40 for a 6a flight... I find that hard to believe if they were waiting on passengers. 5:50? Sure.

 

[Lewisc]

Did they push back early because everyone was on board? Figure they closed the doors around 5:40 for a 6a flight... I find that hard to believe if they were waiting on passengers. 5:50? Sure.

I checked my watch, GPS timeset, when we started to move. it was 5:47. ,We were already several plane lengths from the terminal.

I just checked Frontiers site. Pax are told to be at gate 30 minutes prior to departure. CoC says

Availability for Boarding - Tickets and seat assignments are subject to cancellation for passengers who fail to
make themselves available for boarding at the departure gate at least 20 minutes prior to scheduled
departure.

First flight of the day. Plane is ready to go. Flight crew hasn't timed out. Posters who like to cut it close need to know when they have to be at the gate. Departure time is misleading.

EDITED TO ADD I just checked flightaware On Wed the plane left the gate at 541 and today left the gate at 549.

It looks like the 20 minute policy is being enforced

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Thanks everyone. I just booked a sedan thru Mears for $84 including tip.

Honestly, this is for my young adult DD and her boyfriend and I really am just crossing my fingers they get up and out on time without the hassle of searching rideshare apps for drivers. I also don't trust that they won't be 5 minutes late and miss the MearsConnect. lol

So, the extra $50 is worth it.
It's pre-booked, no additional parties to pick up, and I doubt they'll drive away if 5 minutes late plus we can control the pick-up time. I set it at 3:20 and told my daughter she could change it to as late as 3:45 if the extra 25 minutes of sleep is worth the stress of less time to get through TSA and to the gate. They do not have pre-check. Her decision. On one hand, it's so early I can't imagine a TSA backup, but it's also spring break, so.....

Long story, but my car is already in Florida and they were going to be using it and leaving it parked at MCO but plans have changed. I feel bad leaving them without a ride last minute, so this one is on me.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Thanks everyone. I just booked a sedan thru Mears for $84 including tip.

Honestly, this is for my young adult DD and her boyfriend and I really am just crossing my fingers they get up and out on time without the hassle of searching rideshare apps for drivers. I also don't trust that they won't be 5 minutes late and miss the MearsConnect. lol

So, the extra $50 is worth it.
It's pre-booked, no additional parties to pick up, and I doubt they'll drive away if 5 minutes late plus we can control the pick-up time. I set it at 3:20 and told my daughter she could change it to as late as 3:45 if the extra 25 minutes of sleep is worth the stress of less time to get through TSA and to the gate. They do not have pre-check. Her decision. On one hand, it's so early I can't imagine a TSA backup, but it's also spring break, so.....

Long story, but my car is already in Florida and they were going to be using it and leaving it parked at MCO but plans have changed. I feel bad leaving them without a ride last minute, so this one is on me.

Yes, Mears chauffeurs will wait 15 minutes past pickup time. We also endeavor to arrive 15 minutes early.