Anyone else foolish enough to make a 7:00am return flight?

[disneyagain]

If yes...... How was ME at that ungodly hour of the morning? What was I thinking??????

Was your pick up at 4:00 am, were you the only ones on the bus?

Would you do it again, or would you rent a car for the day to return to the airport? (It will give us about an extra 45 minutes of sleep)

 

[teacherforhi]

We're staying offsite, but we have a 7:30 return flight at the end of our trip next week. Honestly, for a $49 fare, we were thrilled to get up early. Can't help you with ME though.

 

[CarolA]

I have done early morning flights several times.

I have hit the lines from you know where and no lines at all. YMMV, but better safe then sorry! Last time there were no lines, the time before was HORRID, over an hour. (AT 5 AM, that's when I paid the $80 to join Clear!)

 

[Daisysmom]

I did it last year. Our bus picked us up at 4:50 AM for the trip to the airport. There were about 8-10 other people at my resort who got on the bus with us. Still dark outside, took about 20 mins to get to the airport. The bus had picked up others at various resorts before us, so it was pretty full. Quiet too. I had my 6 year old GS with me. I just got him ready to go the night before so that all I had to do was get his shoes, jeans and tee shirt on and we were pretty much ready to go. It is do-able, but not fun. This year my flight leaves at 1:05 PM - yay!!

 

[munchkin bunchkin]

Not at MCO but Sanford...That happened to us in January( of course we had no choice as to the return flight time) as the airline we use has only 1 return each day and for $39p/p I wasn't making different plans)anyway we had an 8:30 am flight and the town car was picking us up at 6 so we had to be ready and waiting in the lobby by 5:30.I had to literally sent the kids (5&7yrs.old) to bed the night before in their clothes for the next morning !For our trip in Aug. we actually got a better return time (4:30pm)thanks to Allegiant Airs extra summer flights service!

 

[Hessie628]

my poor friend has a 7:30 am flight back to raleigh. we contemplated her using dme. my other friend and i don't leave until the next day. we decided w/the rental car and i will bring her to the airport. the poor woman has to go to work as soon as she lands. since i guilt her into going to wdw every year i figured it was the right thing to do and let her sleep a little bit longer

 

[yooperfan]

Our return flight for Jan. was cancelled. They gave us a choice of either leaving at 7am or 7pm. We are going the the new pirated party the night before we leave, so we took the 7pm. Getting in at midnight instead of 4:30pm in the dead of winter won't thrill me, but neither would getting up for the 7am flight.

 

[ccw]

One of my guests at OKW had a 7 am flight and they picked her up for ME before 4 AM!!!! The rest of us offered to chip in to pay the change fee to get her on a later flight but she kept her ressie...I'd NEVER book at that time for a return trip from Disney (but prefer the 7 AM flight down!)

 

[tribus121]

we will have a 7;50 flight back from mco in september I did this because we have a 3 hr drive and a border crossing and I have to go to work the next morning

 

[HayGan]

We flew back on an 8am flight last year and MCO was a NIGHTMARE!!! The security lines were horrendous! This wasn't even a holiday weekend. Just a Saturday morning in early December. I have to say that MCO's security is one of the worst in the nation!!!

Also, the lines at the ticket counter were extremely long. We would have missed our flight if it hadn't been for my Preferred status on US Airways!

 

[PortieOwner]

Had an 8am AirTran flight last October from MCO and it was great. Got up at about 5am in hotel, had a rental car so easy trip to airport and drop off at Alamo's garage then into the terminal. No checkin line, had McDonalds breakfast then zero line at security. Only 17 or so passengers on the flight. Very easy.

Portie

 

[gigi1313]

we had a 7-something flight out in sept '05 and DME picked us up at 3:50 am... we were not alone on our bus and we stopped at 2 or 3 add'l resorts... they had a movie playing for the kids and kept the bus very dark... it was almost enjoyable... and it was a pleasure to be back home and have the full day to get ready for school/work the next day...

the other alternative was leaving a day sooner, so i'm more than happy to get up at 3am for an extra day w/the mouse!

 

[beccasmom]

We've done it twice w/ME. Flight was 6:30 am (USAirways); ME pickup at OKW was 3:20 am. There were about 12 on the bus and we stopped at only one other resort, SSR. Needless to say, we were first in line to check in at MCO. No baggage handlers outside at that hour; unsure what time they start - 5:30, maybe?

We would not be thrilled to repeat the experience again even though there were no snafus. But I love ME, so I will make a greater effort to book later return flights in the future.

 

[seashoreCM]

With such an early morning flight you might want to consider spending your last ngith at a hotel next to the airport. The Magical Express reservation process goes fatser when you have a flight in mind so pick a flight, any flight, any airline for the previous night to be ready to say if the ME CM doing the return reservation asks. (You don't have to board that flight or have a real reservation for it when ME drops you off at the airport.)

Lots of people have to do foolish things like book those early flights. There aren't enough planes leaving late Sunday evening after Thanksgiving for everyone who wants to go to Disney then, and on planes that do, more than half the seats are very expensive.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm