6am flight? Am I out of my mind?

[dahirsh]

Thinking of booking a 6am flight, but I haven't talled myself into it yet. An experiences?

 

[disneymarie]

I talked myself out of it when I realized catching the ME to airport would be 3 am in the morning, meaning no sleep to travel with the family.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

We normally take the first flight out in the morning...

On the positive side, your flight will not be delayed unless the weather is bad. On the negative side, it usually ends up being a very tiring day. (At least it is for me because I am always too excited to sleep the night before.)

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thinking of booking a 6am flight, but I haven't talled myself into it yet. An experiences?

I try never to book flights before 10:00 a.m., but that's just me.

I suppose that if you live right next an airport and you're a very early riser, then a 6:00 a.m. might not be the worst thing, especially if it's much cheaper than a later flight.

It's a good idea to try to get to the airport 90-120 minutes before departure time (60-90 minutes before boarding). That means getting to the airport between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. By the time you account for transportation to the airport and getting everyone ready at home, you're getting up very early -- and you might be getting very little sleep.

Some people can go to bed early and still get a good night's sleep. I can't.

 

[dahirsh]

this would be the flight to MCO. I also usually take the first flight of the day, but it's never been before 7:30 before.

 

[Alesia]

Going or coming home?

 

[taylor3297]

this would be the flight to MCO. I also usually take the first flight of the day, but it's never been before 7:30 before.

I always take the earliest flight I can get no matter where I am going. Like someone else said it isn't often your plane will be delayed and it gives me more time in the day for where ever I am going. The only time I don't take the first flight out in the morning is when I am coming home from WDW.

I do have the advantage of only living 5 minutes from the airport.

 

[CathrynRose]

I do it all the time, every Disney trip. Earliest flight I can get - this year is 6:05am.

Annnnnnd....to add more drama to my early flight, I work 4/10hr shifts, and get off of work at 1:30am - home by 2am. I figure I'll go home, gather my things, drink some coffee and head to the airport - about 15-20 minutes away.

Personally, I like it better. Absolutely no traffic heading there, no wait for the lines to check a bag, very minimal (to no) waits, through security, first flight out is rarely, if ever, delayed *knock on wood*. And I get my sweet self, down to MCO early whirly!

I'm actually NOT tired. I think it's too much adrenaline going. I will say, when I hit the pillow that night? I believe I am asleep as soon as my bottom is on the bed.

Book it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

this would be the flight to MCO. I also usually take the first flight of the day, but it's never been before 7:30 before.

A 6:00 a.m. flight out of MCO means a DME pickup between 2:45 a.m. and 3:15 a.m.

If I absolutely had to be on a 6:00 a.m. departure form MCO, I would stay at the Hyatt in the airport the night before the flight.

 

[dahirsh]

I do have the advantage of only living 5 minutes from the airport.

I don't live that close, but I do work at an airport hotel, so I will begin my day that close.

I do it all the time, every Disney trip. Earliest flight I can get - this year is 6:05am.

Annnnnnd....to add more drama to my early flight, I work 4/10hr shifts, and get off of work at 1:30am - home by 2am. I figure I'll go home, gather my things, drink some coffee and head to the airport - about 15-20 minutes away.


I'm actually NOT tired. I think it's too much adrenaline going. I will say, when I hit the pillow that night? I believe I am asleep as soon as my bottom is on the bed.

Book it.

so you will be awake from the previous morning until whatever time you end your first day at WDW? Wow.

 

[pooch]

I never sleep the night before (remember the commercial? too excited to sleep!!) so I may as well get up. The airport is 10 minutes away with no traffic that early, no lines, go through Security, get coffee & a bagel & get me to WDW!!!

 

[Alesia]

I never sleep the night before (remember the commercial? too excited to sleep!!) so I may as well get up. The airport is 10 minutes away with no traffic that early, no lines, go through Security, get coffee & a bagel & get me to WDW!!!

Same here. I have never, ever slept the night before a trip.

 

[3pletprincesses]

Going to Disney we take the first flight which turned out to be at 5:40am this tuesday. LEaving Disney we take the last flight which will be sadly at 3:50pm. I prefer to arrive early as it's les crowded at the airport and less likely to have delays and more Disney time

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We prefer the early flights GOING even though we live an hour away from the airport. Last time we went to WDW, we had to leave for the airport at 4am, but, we were also at our hotel by noon and enjoying some time at WDW early in the afternoon.

Coming home from a trip is another story...I will NOT get up at 4am to fly home unless I absolutely have to. I would rather take an early afternoon flight home...or late morning.

 

[CathrynRose]

so you will be awake from the previous morning until whatever time you end your first day at WDW? Wow.

Well, now that you put it THAT way. .....

Nahh...it'll be fine. I wake up late, to get in to work by 4pm. And like most of the PP's, I don't sleep the night before a trip, anyways. I order 2 screwdrivers, as soon as the drink cart rolls by on the plane, and I pass out until we get there.

So, I get 2.5 hrs sleep.

 

[disneychic2]

I usually book a 6AM flight for our trip down and it works out perfectly. I don't mind the lack of sleep. We have a small airport 10 minutes away and we only get there an hour early. We get to MCO around 9:30 and are at a park before lunch. When leaving Disney on the other hand, we get as late a flight as possible.

I would encourage you to book it. The excitement keeps you going until you go to bed that night and you can really sleep well and get up ready for the next day. Good luck!

 

[Elmo007]

Airports in General but MCO in particular tend to have more annoyingly long security lines as the day progresses. I prefer MCO in the morning. Now if you ar etalking about a small regional like alb, isp or myrtle beach, it just doesnt matter

 

[aubriee]

I always take the very first flight out to Orlando and the last flight home. My flight for my Sept trip leaves at 0700, but if they'd had one that left at 0600 I would have booked it. It means I have to get up about 2:00am, but I don't usually sleep the night before a trip anyway. I like being able to check into my resort early and then being able to eat lunch at one of the parks.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

We like early flights down, late flights back as well. We're booked on the 6:10 am flight down to MCO on Weds. I live about 15 minutes from airport (at that time of day with no traffic), so we'll leave here about 4:15 - We all have carryons (thank goodness for the w/d in DVC units), and I will print out the boarding passes the day before, so we'll only have to deal with is security. I figure we'll wake up at 3:45 or so. We usually crash early after being in the parks all day, but that's fine since the parks don't open till 9, so we make up on the sleep then. Go for it!

 

[Hopefully]

I always take the first Non Stop I can get. That is a 7:00 AM flight.
We live 45 minutes from the airport, without traffic and we like to be at the airport close to 2 hours in advance. So that has me up at 3:15 ish. But it works for us.
We are usually in Epcot for lunch and enjoying our day.
We are taking a 6:55 PM flight home, again to maximize our time in WDW