Airport-Pop-California Grill timing

[mrsxsparrow]

Hi

I was able to snag a reservation for California Grill for our trip in February However, it is on our arrival day

If our flight gets in at 4:45 PM, and we use the ME to get to Pop, would we have time to check in (we'll have used online check-in), possibly change (from clothes in our carryon), and grab a taxi in order to make a 7:30 PM reservation at California Grill?

I plan to keep checking in hopes something better will open up, but if not, I'm so hoping this works

 

[maxiesmom]

I think you will be cutting it close, unless everything happens perfectly for you.

Say your plane arrives right on time (not a given), and you are one of the first ones off (also not a given). After you ride the tram and then walk to the DME area 15 minutes have gone by. So 5:00 you board the bus.

Even if you leave the terminal right after boarding, you still have an approximately 45 minute drive to the first resort. If you are lucky enough to be the first resort, it is 5:45. If you have no baggage stored underneath, you can walk right to the check in desk.

If there is no one in line ahead of you it takes at least 10 minutes to check in. So it is now 5:55 and you have your papers. Go to your room and freshen up and it will be 6:15. Walk up front, grab a taxi, and head to the Contemporary. You should arrive around 6:30, which only gives you 40 extra minutes if you follow the Disney guidelines of arriving 20 minutes before you scheduled ADR time.

If anything goes wrong, as if your plane is a bit late, or you have to wait 20 minutes to get on a DME bus, or you are the last drop off for that route, your time cushion will be pretty much gone.

Having said all that, I'm pretty much doing the same thing for my next trip. I have a 5:25 flight arrival and an 8:30 ADR scheduled. It is cutting it close, but hopefully everything goes right for the both of us!

 

[Lewisc]

POP is almost always the first stop. You should get to POP by 6p. Should be more then enough time.

Long line to check in. Check in after dinner. Change in a bathroom. Put your carrryon bag in storage and take a taxi.

Your plane is delayed. Take a taxi from MCO directly to the Contemporary.

You should be able to make it. Not a relaxing way to start your vacation. I'd book a different restaurant. A later ADR. A restaurant that's more likely to accommodate you if you arrive 30 minutes late.

 

[skelooch]

The consensus here has always been 70 minutes from deplaning to your resort, I don't necessarily agree with that but that's what most here believe. So using those numbers you should arrive at some resort (maybe not POP) by 6:00 pm.
Get off the DME bus at the first stop it makes, if it happens to be POP all the better, if not just grab a cab from wherever it is. If you get there early enough you might have time to change. Have bell services store your bags while you have dinner, after dinner get your bags back and take a cab to POP, or use Disney transportation, but if MK is not open at that time it could be an adventure, so take a cab.

If you have to go to POP because you are on the DDP and need to check-in and get your KTTW card and it is not the first stop it will greatly diminish your chances of making it.

 

[PlutoPony]

What would really concern me in this scenario is the plane arriving late, making it impossible to make your reservation. All it takes is a bad weather day in one part of the US or a mechanical problem somewhere in the system and all bets are off. And with this being one of the WDW restaurants that requires a deposit to secure the reservation, you could not only miss the meal but be out $$ to boot. Fwiw, I try to avoid making plans for my day of arrival anywhere where travel snafus can cost me $. It's stressful enough traveling these days with adding more to the mix

Hope you have a great trip, whatever you do

 

[goofy4tink]

The consensus here has always been 70 minutes from deplaning to your resort, I don't necessarily agree with that but that's what most here believe. So using those numbers you should arrive at some resort (maybe not POP) by 6:00 pm.
Get off the DME bus at the first stop it makes, if it happens to be POP all the better, if not just grab a cab from wherever it is. If you get there early enough you might have time to change. Have bell services store your bags while you have dinner, after dinner get your bags back and take a cab to POP, or use Disney transportation, but if MK is not open at that time it could be an adventure, so take a cab.

If you have to go to POP because you are on the DDP and need to check-in and get your KTTW card and it is not the first stop it will greatly diminish your chances of making it.

Perhaps you have misunderstood what we are all saying. We have found that 70 mins is the 'average' time, from gate to resort. I, personally, have had times ranging from 55-90 mins...with the vast majority of them hovering right around 60-65 mins. I had one trip that was 89 mins...many things happened that made the time add up...one of those things was POP being the third of three stops. The other 3 times I took DME to POP, it was the first stop.
I have used DME at least 10 times, probably more.

In any case...if the OP's flight arrives ontime at 4:45, they should expect to be at POP by 6:15, checking in. Their room will be ready and they can wash their faces, change their clothes and get a cab to the CR. If they leave POP by 7, they'll be fine.