airport to parks

[simba928]

I am trying to do a trip in March for me and a friend of mine. We aren't allowed to go for the whole weekend, but I am now trying to do a day trip. We'd fly down the first flight Saturday morning and fly home the last flight Saturday night. I was wondering what the best way would be to get to the parks straight from the airport. We obviously wouldn't have any bags with us. I was thinking a taxi would be pretty much our only option. Is there anything I'm not thinking of that I could do and how much would they cost? Cheap is always the best way to go with us. Also, approx. how much would taxi fare from MCO to MGM cost? Could you even get a taxi from the parks back to the airport? Thanks!

Oh and on a different note, what are the hours of the Magical Express (the bus from MCO to WDW property)? Me and my mom were talking about it the other day and were curious.

 

[ducklite]

Where are you coming from? It sounds like a lot of work and expense for one day. A cab or car service would be your best bet, expect to pay about $50 each way, plus tip of 20% or so for good service, so $120 round trip.

From the time you land until the time you arrive at MGM would reasonably be 45 minutes, as you still have to take the monorail from the airside to teh main terminal and get to the ground transportation area.

On the way back you'll need to leave MGM at least two hours before your flight time, and most domestic flights depart before 10:00 pm or so.

So it seems that for ten hours park time give or take, you're going through a lot of trouble.

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

You may be able to book a value resort, and use DME, for less then the cost of ground transfers. I'm not sure where you're flying from but staying overnight makes more sense. Stay at the parks until closing, go back to your resort and take a flight out the next morning.

 

[CleveRocks]

If you haven't already done so, your first task should be to check out available flight times from and to your home airport. You might not have the option of very early AND very late flights.

The suggestion of a value resort for one night is a great one.

And to answer your DME question, it's a 24/7 operation. Since you need to make reservations, they know how early and late people are coming and going. There's no such thing as a flight too early or too late (in either direction) for DME to serve.

 

[simba928]

Thanks! The problem with the overnight thing is that the parents aren't too into it. We are coming from Pittsburgh (a little over 2 hour flight). I have been to disney many times, so in theory I could do it in 1 day. I know how it all works and everything so it wouldn't be like a first-timer trying to do it. Originally the plan was to leave Friday evening. We could go earlier in the day as we don't have school, but I will be away and not get back until Friday afternoon. If that were the case, I could easily get to the airport 20 minutes before boarding and make the flight as long as we don't check any bags. Then we would come home Sunday morning. My friend's mom said yes, but my mom said no. I think she would be more willing to go for it if I wasn't going away right before that. So Plan B is now to just go for Saturday. We really want to go for the ESPN Weekend, which is why it has to be that weekend and not some other time. My mom doesn't know about that plan yet, though. I want to price everything. I looked at town cars and taxi fares. The town cars run about $120 both ways and taxi is about $50 one-way. If we end up doing this, I would probably go with the town car just because it would be more reliable. I wouldn't mind paying the extra 10$ per person for the convenience. What do yall think?

 

[ducklite]

Thanks! The problem with the overnight thing is that the parents aren't too into it. We are coming from Pittsburgh (a little over 2 hour flight). I have been to disney many times, so in theory I could do it in 1 day. I know how it all works and everything so it wouldn't be like a first-timer trying to do it. Originally the plan was to leave Friday evening. We could go earlier in the day as we don't have school, but I will be away and not get back until Friday afternoon. If that were the case, I could easily get to the airport 20 minutes before boarding and make the flight as long as we don't check any bags.

You're dreaming. You get dropped off at departures and have to go to the security checkpoint area. Even with a minimal line, from the minute you step out of the door of the car until you get through security is 10 minutes. From that point you need to wait on a monorail and take that to the airside. Plan on another five minutes minimum to step off the monorail at the airside, even if there's one literally waiting--late at night they only run one, so the chances of that happening are slim. Then from the monorail at the airside to teh closest gate is three minutes or so. You need to be at the gate 20-30 minutes before boarding, depending on your carrier. So adding up the minimums--and that's if the planets align rather than the worlds collide--and it's 38 minutes. If you show up at the airport 20 minutes before your flight I'll put money on it that you'll miss the flight, luggage or no luggage.

Then we would come home Sunday morning. My friend's mom said yes, but my mom said no. I think she would be more willing to go for it if I wasn't going away right before that. So Plan B is now to just go for Saturday. We really want to go for the ESPN Weekend, which is why it has to be that weekend and not some other time. My mom doesn't know about that plan yet, though. I want to price everything. I looked at town cars and taxi fares. The town cars run about $120 both ways and taxi is about $50 one-way. If we end up doing this, I would probably go with the town car just because it would be more reliable. I wouldn't mind paying the extra 10$ per person for the convenience. What do yall think?

The earliest flight from PIT doesn't arrive until 9:40 am. With travel time you won't be to WDW until 10:30 at the very earliest. The last flight to PIT leaves at 8:50 pm. You'll have to leave by 7:30ish at the very latest (and even then you're cutting it waaaay close) to go back to the airport. That means in the car pulling away, not leaving the back of the park. Seems foolish for 10.5 hours in a theme park. BTW--the flight time to PIT is about 2:20 from MCO.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

How old are you and your traveling partner? If you are under 18 you won't be able to check into a hotel.

Anne

 

[Lewisc]

Anne--The OP is planning to get to PIT (outgoing flight) 20 minutes before boarding. I don't know the layout at PIT but SW can cancel your reservation if you don't get to the gate 10 minutes before your flight. ATA is 20 minutes. The OP could get to the gate only to find their reservation cancelled and the seat sold to a standby passenger.

I still think staying one night in a value resort and using DME (free) is the best solution.

You're dreaming. You get dropped off at departures and have to go to the security checkpoint area. Even with a minimal line, from the minute you step out of the door of the car until you get through security is 10 minutes. From that point you need to wait on a monorail and take that to the airside. Plan on another five minutes minimum to step off the monorail at the airside, even if there's one literally waiting--late at night they only run one, so the chances of that happening are slim. Then from the monorail at the airside to teh closest gate is three minutes or so. You need to be at the gate 20-30 minutes before boarding, depending on your carrier. So adding up the minimums--and that's if the planets align rather than the worlds collide--and it's 38 minutes. If you show up at the airport 20 minutes before your flight I'll put money on it that you'll miss the flight, luggage or no luggage.



The earliest flight from PIT doesn't arrive until 9:40 am. With travel time you won't be to WDW until 10:30 at the very earliest. The last flight to PIT leaves at 8:50 pm. You'll have to leave by 7:30ish at the very latest (and even then you're cutting it waaaay close) to go back to the airport. That means in the car pulling away, not leaving the back of the park. Seems foolish for 10.5 hours in a theme park. BTW--the flight time to PIT is about 2:20 from MCO.

Anne

 

[Hannathy]

Plus what happens when there are cross winds ( Chicago- 2wks ago) and your flight is delayed 3 hrs or there is a rain storm and your flight is delayed even longer 6hrs ( Minneapolis-Aug) Or the plane coming in from another location doesn't make it and the flight is canceled (Christmas this yr) Having flown out of Pitt for a lot of yrs and many times I agree with Anne there is no way I'd hit the land side less than 45minutes before my flight and that would be running and everything working out just right. There are too many variables that could go wrong with this plan, plus it seems like a real waste of money to spend to be at a park for less than 8 hrs if everything goes right and way less with a single snag.

My next question is if you are young enough that you have to get permission do you really think your folks would let you spend so much money for a few hours. I know I wouldn't, I would want my DD staying over and not wasting all that money.

 

[ducklite]

Anne--The OP is planning to get to PIT (outgoing flight) 20 minutes before boarding. I don't know the layout at PIT but SW can cancel your reservation if you don't get to the gate 10 minutes before your flight. ATA is 20 minutes. The OP could get to the gate only to find their reservation cancelled and the seat sold to a standby passenger.

I still think staying one night in a value resort and using DME (free) is the best solution.

OK, I had read it as getting to MCO at the end of the day to maximize park time. Either way, you and I agree that you can't arrive at ANY airport 20 minutes in advance and expect to make your flight.

I'm thinking that the OP is a minor, and there for would not be allowed to check into a WDW resort. So DME isn't going to work either.

Anne

 

[simba928]

Thanks for offering your logic. I have looked into flights on Southwest and it ends up being about 300$ round trip. It would be cheaper to stay 2 nights at POP than to just go for the day. Since the parents won't let that happen, it looks like this trip isn't going to work out. I work, which would be where the money for the trip (my half) is coming from. I set aside all my tips specifically for when something like this comes up. I was planning on spending it on a senior trip with all my friends, but then this came up and we figured if we could get it and at a good rate, we'd do it. Looks like its not happening now.

And about being there 20 minutes before boarding...I would check in the morning before (as early as I could), that way I would have my boarding pass and wouldn't have to deal with that. I work at the airport, so I can go through the employee line. I can get from my car outside of departures, downstairs through security, onto the tram, and to work in the center core in less than 8 minutes. I've timed it several times. If we do Southwest, they are in gates A1, A3, and sometimes A5. Those are the first 3 gates in A wing. I can get there in less than 1 minute. Any other airline, it would take me about 3 minutes to get to the gate (again, I've timed it). Therefore, I could get from departures to my gate in we'll say 13 minutes to give me a little extra time in case I get stuck behind someone who is clueless going through security. Which leaves 7 minutes till boarding.

 

[Lewisc]

You have to be at the gate 10 minutes before your flight (SW). You only have an extra 2-3 minutes. That's gone if you hit traffic, red lights or even if your watch is a minute or two different than the clock in the departure area. This is only an issue if the flight is sold out and there are standby passengers.
This could happen if earlier flights are canceled or if earlier passengers missed a connecting flight.

Your cutting it much too close unless there is another flight an hour later and you don't have a problem taking a later flight.

SW may even push back 5 minutes early if they complete boarding. Your reservation would have been canceled at the 10 minute mark.

An internet poster, I don't think on DIS, once said if you've never missed a flight you've wasted too much time in airports. You're following that philosophy.

I work at the airport, so I can go through the employee line. I can get from my car outside of departures, downstairs through security, onto the tram, and to work in the center core in less than 8 minutes. I've timed it several times. If we do Southwest, they are in gates A1, A3, and sometimes A5. Those are the first 3 gates in A wing. I can get there in less than 1 minute. Any other airline, it would take me about 3 minutes to get to the gate (again, I've timed it). Therefore, I could get from departures to my gate in we'll say 13 minutes to give me a little extra time in case I get stuck behind someone who is clueless going through security. Which leaves 7 minutes till boarding.

 

[CleveRocks]

And about being there 20 minutes before boarding...I would check in the morning before (as early as I could), that way I would have my boarding pass and wouldn't have to deal with that. I work at the airport, so I can go through the employee line.

But unless your friend works at the airport, too, this won't matter. I can't imagine you can get your friend in through the employee line, at least I hope not (for the sake of security). So it won't really matter if you can get through quicker if your friend can't.

Sorry. Sounds like a cool idea for a trip, but as you can tell it's just not looking good.

Wanna do something neat that will still be a cool experience, something you'll have a cool story to talk about for years? Find one of the cheapest SW or USAirways flights you can, which also has a fairly late return time. Just go ANYWHERE for the day -- you know, have lunch, see the sights, etc. It would be such a cool story to tell for the rest of your life ("Yeh, once in high school I flew to San Antonio just for lunch"). Check out the Alamo, take a shuttle to Sea World, have an early dinner on the RiverWalk, then get a ride back to the airport.

Fly to Minneapolis and hang at the Mall of America for the day!

Fly to Ft. Myers or West Palm Beach and hang out on the beach for the day!

Just trying to help out with an adventure you CAN realistically do.