Advice re: late checkin

[checkwriter]

We are planning a mid-week arrival in mid-September, designed to take advantage of a rare two-day Thursday-Friday school holiday. We are flying in late on a Tuesday (so the kids will miss only Wednesday), arriving MCO at about 8 pm. There are six of us. Here are my Original Plans, my New Idea, and my Concern. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Original Plan: Rent a car, check in to local off-site hotel, arrive WDW early the next day and check in to POFQ. Benefit: cheaper hotel for one night, but we have the (minivan or full size) rental car.

New Idea: Take DME to POFQ, check in that night. Benefit: by adding a day to our park hopper (at a total family cost of something like $8), we get the extra day's worth of "free" dining for the whole family, and I save the rental car cost. I think we'll have to carry on one day's worth of clothes so we're not dependent on luggage delivery for our next day's clean clothes.

Concern: Are we going to be stuck with bad rooms at POFQ because we're checking in late? We've asked for connecting rooms to accomodate the six of us (plus one who will join us just for the weekend).

Thanks for any thoughts you can offer!

 

[M2DD's]

8:00 check in to me is does not sound that bad.Last year we checked in at midnight and we will do the same this year.(Last flight out so my DH can get a full day of work in). I would not rent a car and save the $$ We used the ME and found it to be wonderful. We didn't have to wait in line because most people land in the am or early afternoon. If you take the cost of the car rental + the cost of offsite hotel you are probably not saving any money at all. Since you are going during FD you will have an extra TS(since you won't have time the first night you get their)to use it. I would take advantage of that and book a 2 credit TS during your stay. As for getting a bad room I called the day we left and explained that we were getting in so late and asked to be assigned a gound level room and when we checked in they said that we were expecting us and they gave us a GL room.Hope this helps. we went last year in september and we are going again this year.
Laura

 

[checkwriter]

Many thanks, M2DD's!

 

[chasgoose]

I agree that you should take the ME and just get to POFQ that night. You lose any money you might have saved by staying off-site when you factor in the cost and hassle of a car rental.

You are right that checking in late makes it more difficult to accomodate requests, but connecting rooms are usually given to those that request them. Also, if you are really unsatisfied with your room assignment at check-in, ask to switch rooms the next morning. It shouldn't be any more difficult than switching from an off-site hotel to POFQ, at least you are already at POFQ and they will probably even help you in the move.