Can we use RAC with 8:10 am flight time?

[Toadi]

Staying at French Quarter in January; flight home leaves MCO at 8:10 am on January 27th. I am thinking that we will NOT be able to use resort airline counter to check our bags? My concern is that last year we had a new driver when returning to the airport; she did not know where to go when she got to the airport, etc. We arrived with just enough time to get through security & grab some breakfast and that was with us getting off at the first stop and walking to our terminal. We would not have had much time to check our bags at the airport. Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[LiloH]

RAC opens at 5am and you are supposed to check your bags at least three hours ahead of your flight. If you wanted to try, I would get down there early (4:40ish?) and hope you can be first in line. Also, keep your fingers crossed that they work fast. That process can be very slow sometimes.

 

[DebbieB]

It depends on the time they give you for the bus. It could be between 15 minutes before 3 hours or 15 minutes after. I was there 2 weeks ago, they gave me 8:45 for a 11:30 flight because the bus pickups for BW were :15 and :45.

 

[1025cruise]

I would expect that you will need to bring your stuff to the airport. Odds are you will have a 5:00am pickup time with MDE. Just when the RAC counter opens.

 

[msb578]

I would expect that you will need to bring your stuff to the airport. Odds are you will have a 5:00am pickup time with MDE. Just when the RAC counter opens.

Yeah. It's a pain, but it's just going to be too close.

 

[goofy4tink]

Probably not. My flight leaves at 8....which gives a pick up time between 4:45 and 5:15. It takes 5-10 mins to check your bags at RAC. You should be out at the bus stop 5-10 mins prior to the p/u time....so, that kind of leaves out RAC for those with flights leaving before 8:30..,,to stay on the safe side.

 

[msb578]

Probably not. My flight leaves at 8....which gives a pick up time between 4:45 and 5:15. It takes 5-10 mins to check your bags at RAC. You should be out at the bus stop 5-10 mins prior to the p/u time....so, that kind of leaves out RAC for those with flights leaving before 8:30..,,to stay on the safe side.

We did 8:00 with three kids ages 3,1,1. Strollers, car seats for the plane, the whole bit. No RAC = Never again.

 

[goofy4tink]

We did 8:00 with three kids ages 3,1,1. Strollers, car seats for the plane, the whole bit. No RAC = Never again.

Yikes! That's insane!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I have a list of DME resort pick-up times from 2008. Back then, DME pick-ups at POFQ were at :10 and :40 after the hour. Maybe that's still the case. Maybe not.

With an 8:10 a.m. flight, your DME pick-up time should be 5:10 a.m. -- if nothing has changed since 2008.

As LiloH suggested, if you can be first in line for RAC when it opens at 5:00 a.m., you MIGHT be able to get your bags checked in and be at the DME coach before 5:10 a.m. DME departure.

However, you really should be ready to board the DME coach at least 10 minutes before the DME pick-up time..

I would recommend talking to someone at the POFQ RAC desk a few days before your departure. You might get some advice about how to be successful -- or you might get advice that it's not worth trying.

People planning to use RAC should try to book flights that depart from MCO no earlier than 8:30 a.m.