Booking return flight

[tcufrog]

My husband decided to book a cruise for October 11-14 out of Cape Canaveral on the Dream. There will be 4 adults and 2 kids. We’ve decided to use a car service to and from the cruise in order to lessen the stress. Coming along with us (unfortunately) is my mother-in-law who is a pretty slow walker and who, unlike us, doesn’t have TSA pre check.

What is the earliest return flight we can safely book?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My husband decided to book a cruise for October 11-14 out of Cape Canaveral on the Dream. There will be 4 adults and 2 kids. We’ve decided to use a car service to and from the cruise in order to lessen the stress. Coming along with us (unfortunately) is my mother-in-law who is a pretty slow walker and who, unlike us, doesn’t have TSA pre check.

What is the earliest return flight we can safely book?

DCL recommends no flights before 11:30. My comfort zone is nothing before 1:30.

 

[jdb in AZ]

My husband decided to book a cruise for October 11-14 out of Cape Canaveral on the Dream. There will be 4 adults and 2 kids. We’ve decided to use a car service to and from the cruise in order to lessen the stress. Coming along with us (unfortunately) is my mother-in-law who is a pretty slow walker and who, unlike us, doesn’t have TSA pre check.

What is the earliest return flight we can safely book?

I would book 1 p.m. at the earliest. Also have your DH convince his mom that she needs to use an airport wheel chair to get her through TSA and to the gate without wearing herself out. My DMIL didn't particularly like wheel chairs, but those airport concourses are quite long, so she was willing to use a wheel chair to get through them. TSA usually expedites wheel chair passengers.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Disney's recommendation of 11:30 is a fine guideline imo. Use Disney transportation and leave the ship asap if you have a flight on the early side. We've had no issue making it all the way to WDW (further than the airport) by 9:30 with my mother coming along.

If you fly an airline that Disney partners with for onboard airline check-in, that will help, too.

 

[xQuizx]

Hi this is copy paste from another thread that was asking the same question. From my notes below, my sister's family took an extra 45 minutes to get through security with no TSA Precheck.

Here are my notes from my last 2 cruises.

December 2, 2017 - Using Disney transportation from Fantasy to MCO.

• 6:45 AM Breakfast at specified restaurant
• There was a long line to exit the boat
• Apparently, there were missing people in customs.
• We got in line around 7:50AM and were on the bus by 8:55AM.
• We arrived at the airport around 10:00AM
• We had a porter move our luggage from the bus to curbside check in.
• We were through security and on the train to the terminal by 10:48AM
• 12:20 PM Southwest flight to Chicago from Orlando

December 1, 2018 - Using Private transport from Fantasy to MCO.

• 6:45 AM Breakfast at specified restaurant
• 7:40 AM Finished breakfast
• Grabbed alcohol while everyone was finishing up
• 8:00 AM Got in line to leave ship
• We were all the way back in preludes
• There was a shorter line coming from Animator Palate
• 8:30 AM Went through customs
• 8:30 AM Take private shuttle to airport
• 8:45 AM Started loading van at the curb
• 10:00 AM Arrived at the airport
• Beth stood in line while I moved luggage around
• 10:30 AM Our family through security using TSA pre check
• 11:15 AM Sister's family through security NO TSA pre check
• 12:40 PM Southwest flight to Chicago from Orlando

Note that if you take Disney transportation they drop you off on the other side of the airport. We used a porter to bring our luggage to Southwest curbside. We use curbside because the lines are normally shorter then inside the airport.

So on average with both methods we were getting to the terminal by 10:45ish.

Hope that helps!

Cheers!

 

[UNDDisney]

We have cruised 4 times with extended family, including my mom who is in a wheelchair, and have had no problem making a noon flight. At the gate still with hours to spare and restless kids lol. We do on board luggage check (bags set out night before and checked in for your flight for you), breakfast early at Cabanas, walk-off ship, and take Disney bus. Typically we are at the airport by 9 a.m. and through security no later than 10 a.m. (we don't have pre-check).

 

[tcufrog]

If you fly an airline that Disney partners with for onboard airline check-in, that will help, too.

What exactly is onboard check in and who does Disney partner with?

Note that if you take Disney transportation they drop you off on the other side of the airport. We used a porter to bring our luggage to Southwest curbside. We use curbside because the lines are normally shorter then inside the airport.

So on average with both methods we were getting to the terminal by 10:45ish.

Hope that helps!

Cheers!

How bad is the walk and hauling of luggage?

 

[MonaMN]

What exactly is onboard check in and who does Disney partner with?

Details here: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/onboard-services/airline-check-in/

The major airlines are included but details in the link.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What exactly is onboard check in and who does Disney partner with?

Addition Requirements Based on Debarkation Port:

Port Canaveral:

• Your flight must depart from Orlando International Airport after 11:25 AM on the same day your vacation ends and you must be flying on a participating airline: American Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines or Delta Air Lines (Domestic Destinations Only).

Miami

• Your flight must depart from Miami International Airport after 11:30 AM on the same day your vacation ends and you must be flying on a participating airline: American Airlines, United Airlines or Delta Air Lines (Domestic Destinations Only).

 

[pixiedustedme]

What exactly is onboard check in and who does Disney partner with?



How bad is the walk and hauling of luggage?

For onboard check-in, Disney will check you in for your flight the night before disembarking. You will leave your check-in luggage outside your stateroom the night before disembarking, and Disney will take it to the airport for you & check it in for you. That way you'll leave the ship with airline boarding passes in hand and checked bags taken care of, so that you can avoid hauling any luggage and proceed straight to security upon arrival at the airport. Disney partners with American, Delta, United, Jet Blue & Alaska.

If DCL drops you on the opposite side of the airport from your flight, you just take a monorail tram over to the other side. It's quick & easy.

 

[xQuizx]

What exactly is onboard check in and who does Disney partner with?



How bad is the walk and hauling of luggage?

The Disney bus drop off is on the south side of the airport. The Southwest curbside and Southwest kiosks are on the north side of the airport. So to get your luggage from the Disney bus drop off you will have to walk through the airport to the other side. You will pass the TSA lines in the atrium to get to the other side. I measured the distance using Google maps and it says it will be around 600 feet.

There are porters at the Disney bus drop off that can walk with you to the other side of the airport. You can always do the following:

1. Have your mother in law wait in the atrium next to the TSA lines while you check your luggage in.

2. Have an adult take your mother in law through TSA while the rest of the party check your luggage in.

I see that you are hiring private transport so you won't have to worry about walking through the airport. Your driver can drop you off right at the Southwest kiosk.

Cheers!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The Disney bus drop off is on the south side of the airport.

Has this changed? There used to be two separate drop offs when we've done it. One at each side of the airport.

 

[xQuizx]

Has this changed? There used to be two separate drop offs when we've done it. One at each side of the airport.

This was the case back in December of 2017. I don't know if it has changed since then.

 

[ember1205]

I would book 1 p.m. at the earliest. Also have your DH convince his mom that she needs to use an airport wheel chair to get her through TSA and to the gate without wearing herself out. My DMIL didn't particularly like wheel chairs, but those airport concourses are quite long, so she was willing to use a wheel chair to get through them. TSA usually expedites wheel chair passengers.

How so? They must wait in the same line as everyone else. If they are unable to stand on their own, they handle the screening process a little differently. Otherwise, they must exit the chair and pass through the body scanner.