Arriving on Separate Flights

[SuzanneSLO]

We are meeting my parents at WDW in October. Although we arrive at MCO the same day, my parents arrive at 4:15 and my niece and I arrive at 8:45. We are staying at the CR and renting a car.

Assuming no extreme delay in either flight, is this enough time for my parents to pick up luggage, pick up rental car, check in at the hotel, eat dinner at the hotel, shop for snacks etc. at Super Target and return to pick us up? Or are we pushing it? Any other suggestions for a useful (and not too exhausting) way to spend these hours?

Also, when they pick us up, should they park and come to baggage claim or will they be able to do curbside pickup easily enough? I worry about them having to circle the airport 100s of times if they arrive too early.

Thanks for your thoughts. – Suzanne

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

There is probably enough time to do all that and meet you at 9 pm, I am allowing for luggage pickup and time between getting off the plane and getting to the luggage area). If they come into luggage pickup, they will NOT be allowed to leave the car at the curb, they will have to park it in one of the lots (they are VERY strict at MCO). They can circle, which is not a big deal as it is very easy to do.

 

[safetymom]

That might be doable. I would have them park and then come in and meet you. It depends on whether your flight arrives on time and how long before baggage arrives. I wouldn't want to keep circling the lot.

 

[prncess674]

If you have a cell phone you could call when you land, that way they won't be craning and circling wondering if you have landed. They could hang out at a coffee shop somewhere close to the airport waiting for your call if they have run all of there errands. Once you collect your luggage they should be at baggage claim. I personally hate parking at any airport. It just means that much further I have to drag my luggage. Curb side pick up is the quickest least painful solution in my book. Plus it is just that much quicker you get to WDW.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by prncess674
If you have a cell phone you could call when you land, that way they won't be craning and circling wondering if you have landed. They could hang out at a coffee shop somewhere close to the airport waiting for your call if they have run all of there errands. Once you collect your luggage they should be at baggage claim. I personally hate parking at any airport. It just means that much further I have to drag my luggage. Curb side pick up is the quickest least painful solution in my book. Plus it is just that much quicker you get to WDW.

While the coffee shop suggestion is good, there are none near MCO.

 

[prncess674]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
While the coffee shop suggestion is good, there are none near MCO.

okay a sandwich shop, any place they want to hang out that is within 10 miles of the airport. Maybe Mickey D's ? My point was instead of circling endlessly stop somewhere close to airport to cool your jets and just hop over to the airport when they land.


They could also stop at any one of the numerous hotels that surround the airport and stop in and have a coffee at one of numerous restaurants or coffee shops in the hotel.

Also if they time it right they won't be waiting. the cell phone can be a real time saver in this situation. When my mom picks me up at the airport she calls me when she is entering the "airport loop" and that way we are looking for each other.

 

[peg2001]

Unless the cost is a huge concern, I would consider taking a towncar service from the airport to CR. Your parents could be relaxing and enjoying the resort instead of stressing about getting back to the airport to pick you up.

Peggy

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by prncess674
Maybe Mickey D's.

I can't stand McDonalds coffee so that suggestion wouldn't work for me.

I'd stop by Super Target on the way from the aiport before I checked in. If you have access to the web use the flight tracker section of the trip.com to get a VERY ACCURATE arrival time. If you don't call the airline about a half hour before the flight is supposed to land. If it's delayed just wait at CR. If you check on arrival time you shouldn't have to wait very long. There are some places to eat N of the airport near where the newer hotels are but you'll probably kill at more than 30 minutes driving there, getting a bite and then driving back to the airport.

If your parents are nervous or need help with their luggage you might just suck it up, park the car and meet them at baggage claim.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

My niece and I wil be the ones arriving on the later flight and we will be the ones that will need the help carrying everything. My DN is not quite 3, so we will have her stroller, her car seat, a small carry-bag, and a big checked bag 'cause she's coming straight from a visit with her other grandparents.

I thought about town car service, but am not sure I can jusitfy the expense. We already changed from staying at an Airport hotel which we planned to get on Priceline for about $35 to another night at the CR.

We will have cell phones, tho', so we can probably coordinate so that they won't have to circle too much. They will have my laptop, but I am not sure they will feel comfortable firing it up. But, as someone noted, they can call for flight status.

Again, thanks so much. -- Suzanne

 

[Lewisc]

Suzanne
Since you could use a hand with DN,have your parents park the car and meet you at baggage claim. If they get to the airport early there are places they can grab a quick bit (there is a restaurant in the hotel).

An alternative is to have one parent circle the car while the other comes in to help. Although parking the car may add 30 minutes or so it may reduce your stress.

 

[prncess674]

I would recommend getting a porter to help with the bags at baggage claim. I am not even sure though how you are going to make it from the plane to baggage claim with a stroller, car seat and a 3 yr old. You need help even getting to and from the plane which is alot harder help to get.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

As always. I apprecaite all the useful info.

I am not too worried about getting around the airport until we pick up the checked luggage. The car seat can be wheeled around on either the stroller or the small rollaboard and my DN will either be in the stroller or walking alongside with her waist pack tether. Even if I have to carry her, the rollaboard will go into the stroller and the car seat can attach to the back.

If we do curbside pickup, I thought I would just walk stright there and deposit DN, stroller, car seat and rollaboard with my parents for them to stow in the car. I can then go back into baggage claim and get the checked bag. If it takes too long for me to claim the luggage, it sounds like they will be able to circle the airport without much problem.

Of course, if they get there really early, it may be easier for them to park and come inside for a while.

Again, thanks. -- Suzanne

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by prncess674
If There is no way one adult can carry a bag, a child, a stroller and a car seat. Not unless she is Super Woman.

Suzanne already said the child will go in the stroller, the car seat will clip on the back of the stroller and she can carry the small carryon. Alternately she said she will cary the 3 year old and push the stroller with the car seat and carry on in the stroller.

yes she is SUPER WOMAN


I think it might be easier if the parents get their early, park the car, have a cup of coffee and then help her at bagge claim.

 

[prncess674]

I think the OP has the best idea. Drop kid and junk at the curb with waiting grandparents then Suzanne can pick up the checked luggage unencumbered. By the time G&G got the little one strapped in and circled maybe once the OP will be back out with the big checked bag.

She must be super woman to carry all that. That just seems like too much to try to balance, but if she is up to it more power to her. Personally keeping up with three pieces of carryon (stroller, bag and carseat) plus someone else's child just seems like a lot of responsibility. I am assuming DN has a purchased seat on the plane. If DN is a lap child then the car seat can be checked as luggage.

 

[prncess674]

my other question is do you have a rental car big enough to hold all this stuff? A full size stroller and a large rolling suitcase take up alot of room. What about when you come back with the luggage of 4 people. Will there be enough room?

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by SuzanneSLO

If we do curbside pickup, I thought I would just walk stright there and deposit DN, stroller, car seat and rollaboard with my parents for them to stow in the car. I can then go back into baggage claim and get the checked bag. If it takes too long for me to claim the luggage, it sounds like they will be able to circle the airport without much problem.

Of course, if they get there really early, it may be easier for them to park and come inside for a while.

Again, thanks. -- Suzanne

They will not be able to wait while you go in to get the checked bag, airport cops are very strict about sitting at curbside only while loading. I think it would be much easier for them to park and come in and wait for you, then assist you with your stuff. That way if your flight or baggage is delayed, they will know what is going on, rather than circling the airport many times. Have a great trip!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by DebbieB
They will not be able to wait while you go in to get the checked bag, airport cops are very strict about sitting at curbside only while loading. I think it would be much easier for them to park and come in and wait for you, then assist you with your stuff. That way if your flight or baggage is delayed, they will know what is going on, rather than circling the airport many times. Have a great trip!

Debbie,
You sure have that right!!! They barely let you load and they do not fool around with people who are just live parking and waiting.
I ony suggested circling cause short term parking is kind of expensive and the OP implied she is on a tight budget. I do think the parking and waiting either at luggage pickup or outside the tube would be a great idea. That way they could help with all the stuff she is toting.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

. . . and it looks like it would run $50 or so, plus tip. It also could be fun to be met by a chauffeur at baggage claim, almost like DN and I are Princesses.

But he more I thought about it, the more I realized that my Mom wuld not be able to STAND waiting at the hotel while her only grand-daughter (who she will not have seen for a whole WEEK) is just a half hour drive away. So I think I will have them plan to park and met us at baggage claim, unless they get delayed or we arrive early. Thank goodness for cell phones for last minute coordination.

We will have at least a full size rental car and as prncess674 noted, the biggest problem will be when we head back to the airport. We do know that the four of us have travelled before with lots of luggage in my Dodge Intrepid with no problem. It all depends on what make car we actually get.

As to getting through the airport, thanks for thinking of me as Superwoman, but by the time we get to MCO, I will be an old hand at this. We are leaving from a small commuter airport where I will also have to deal with parking the car! Luckily, it is a small airport and I am planning to give myself lots of time.

I am thinking about checking the stroller because I really think that my DN will need the exercise from the walking after being on a plane all day and we should have plenty of time so we can go at her pace. Unfortunately, United tells me that they will likely charge me $80 because the stroller is oversized (64" not an allowable 62") and if we are going to pay this much, it makes more sense just to leave the stroller at home and rent!

Again, thanks for your thoughts. -- Suzanne

 

[Lewisc]

Suzanne--I think Dollar rents Intrepids, may be the way to go. You might want to buy a cheap stroller, either in Orlando or before you go. There have been posts of people getting expensive strollers stolen in the parks.

Have your parents park. I don't know how old they are but I don't think they'd enjoy circling around looking for you. My guess is they are going to leave Disney too early (so as not to be late) and will have time to kill.

 

[PammyK]

I would definitely have your parents park and meet you at baggage claim. It will be worth the $1-$2 cost.

If you decide to not bring a stroller on the plane and your parents are going to SuperTarget anyway, maybe they can pick up an inexpensive umbrella stroller there?