Calgary to Orlando

[Young Pooh]

Hi, hope you don't mind me posting here. I am in the UK but we are considering moving to Canada at some point in the future - probably Calgary.

Obviously work/housing/schools etc are somewhat important but the most important factor is - how easy is it to get to WDW?

If you can give me any pointers that would be great. I am guessing that there are no direct flights (couldn't find any anyway). What is the best route/airline. Is it better to change in Canada or fly to a US city to change?

Has anyone ever driven?

We are DVC members so this would be a regular trip - probably every 2 years or maybe even every year.

Thanks.

 

[thelindysix]

We have a direct flight to Orlando from Calgary next week. We are flying WestJet. (www.westjet.com) It looks like their direct flights leave on Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays. Our flight home is not direct, (we're coming home through Toronto), but my sisters is.

We have only ever flown with WestJet, so I can't give you any help with any other airlines. And for my family, I would never even consider driving. We have 4 kids (and one on the way!) and I don't think I would survive the trip!

 

[drag n' fly]

There are plenty of direct flights to WDW from Calgary. They just are not 12 months of the year. The summer and early fall months are connecting flights. I have no idea which is better for connections. We have connected in Denver, Toronto and in a few weeks we will connecting in Chicago to Tampa. I always prefer direct flights
You can drive if you want but it is 3000 miles. We are also DVC members and have flown Westjet, Air Canada, Alaska Air and next month the dreaded United (2360.00cad for the five of us return including taxes) . I would name Westjet number one for travel from Calgary!!

 

[Ham Ham]

London-Orlando
Miles: 4336.66
Kilometers: 6978.99
Calgary-Orlando
Miles: 2297.15
Kilometers: 3696.81

http://www.mapcrow.info/

Not even half way closer to Orlando with the move to Cowtown.

You'll love Calgary, small city, no traffic, cheaper housing than London.

 

[minnie56]

Have you seen Winter here?????

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

http://www.mapcrow.info/

Not even half way closer to Orlando with the move to Cowtown.

You'll love Calgary, small city, no traffic, cheaper housing than London.

This has to be a joke! lol! no traffic? small city? you've never been here have you lol....

Op- flying out of calgary direct is rare although you can find some through westjet. we've flown with a connection in denver and one in memphis. I prefer denver. the drive will take 3+ days depending on your stops and if you have kids (as you'll likely stop more)

 

[dis_guy]

Calgary is like most other million plus cities. It has it's good points and its not so good points.

As for flying to Orlando, there are lots of flights but they sure aren't the cheap $59 each way fares you see out of Buffalo for our Ontario friends. Currently return fares are running $600+ pp but there have been some seat sales lately provided you are flexible as to when you can travel.

Personally, I like the early flights connecting in Denver, having lunch on the layover, and arriving five-ish at MCO. I usually fly out of Edmonton but Calgary is similar.

 

[skiloff]

I fly out of Saskatoon and looked at driving to Edmonton and Calgary to fly to MCO, but I still came back to Northwest through Minneapolis and I didn't have to drive to Calgary or Edmonton. WestJet and Air Canada both have terrible connections and they end up being very long flights. I flew out of Saskatoon at 6:00am and was in Orlando by 2:30 that afternoon. To fly through AC or WJ it would have been 15 hours.

However, as others have said, sometimes there are direct flights, but not very often.

 

[OvertheRainbow]

What airline that flies out of Edmonton and connects thru Denver are you guys using?

 

[drag n' fly]

London-Orlando
Miles: 4336.66
Kilometers: 6978.99
Calgary-Orlando
Miles: 2297.15
Kilometers: 3696.81

http://www.mapcrow.info/

Not even half way closer to Orlando with the move to Cowtown.

You'll love Calgary, small city, no traffic, cheaper housing than London.

Unfortunately things have sorta changed. We have a population of 1.1 million people. Traffic flow is completely inadequate to support the once booming infrastructure ( yes the boom is over here). Housing has dropped considerably. You can get a three bedroom house with a attached garage, nice yard, newer locations for 380,000-400,000 now.

 

[dis_guy]

What airline that flies out of Edmonton and connects thru Denver are you guys using?

That would be United. Actually Skywest/Shuttle America in United Express livery, connecting with United in Denver. We flew with them last March/April from Edmonton and it worked OK except for the delayed (2 hrs) connection in DEN which meant we got to MCO at around 11:00 PM. No lines at ME at that hour!

Going with Northwest would be better- out at 8:00 AM and at MCO around 5:00 PM. If pricing isn't an issue next Christmas we may choose this route. If prices are a big factor we'll fly on the cheapest airline with a "reasonable" schedule.

 

[Young Pooh]

Thanks Guys

At least I know it can be done. Lets face it, I wouldn't even consider the move if it meant giving up on Disney.

We are only in the very early stages at the moment so don't even know if it will happen yet. Alberta seems to the be the place on offer to Brits at the moment and we liked the sound of Calgary over Edmonton. House prices are very much in line with those over here (North of UK so cheaper than London) but your 3 bed houses are twice the size of ours so much more house for your money.

You never know, you might see more of me on here over the next few months.

 

[I Run Long]

Flying to Orlando should be no problem for you at all. We can do it no problem and we're on Vancouver Island. We usually get there one of two ways: Alaska from Victoria - change flights in Seattle and then direct flight to Orlando. Or we take the ferry over and stay over night in Seattle and fly out via Southwest. We had a flight last September using Southwest from Seattle at $99 each way which I thought was great for a family of 4. Just wish we could have gone this year - *sigh* - no lottery win yet.

 

[Ham Ham]

Unfortunately things have sorta changed. We have a population of 1.1 million people. Traffic flow is completely inadequate to support the once booming infrastructure ( yes the boom is over here). Housing has dropped considerably. You can get a three bedroom house with a attached garage, nice yard, newer locations for 380,000-400,000 now.

I'll take Calgary traffic any day. Friends who moved out there can't believe how easy it is to get around town even during rush hour. Although they did say the snowstorms are sometimes paralyzing

But I guess it's all depends on what traffic volume you accustom to.

 

[almacdonald]

Not even half way closer to Orlando with the move to Cowtown.

You'll love Calgary, small city, no traffic, cheaper housing than London.

HAHAHAHAH! You're funny.

 

[skiloff]

What industry are you in, Young Pooh? Saskatchewan is actually booming more than Alberta right now. If you are in mining, construction, oil or basically any type of engineering, there is a job for you in Saskatchewan. And we actually have small cities or even towns to live in with cheaper real estate than Calgary, though not much anymore. My 1420 sqft bungalow on a cul-de-sac with pie lot, double attached garage is worth around 400-450K.