Can you pick your own time for return trip to airport using Magical Express?

[AngiTN]

Whew, you folks like sitting around an airport way more than me. I want the least possible time there. 5 min makes me happiest but pretty hard to time it to work out. We usually end up with more like 30 min.
Just Tuesday we had a flight departing at 7:20, boarding at 6:45. I requested our car at 5:00, got there about 5:10. Had it not been rush hour I'd have requested a little later. Even in rush hour traffic, checking bags at the curb and a rather long line at TSA Precheck we made it to our gate by 6:15, time to sit and wait before boarding
The extra early departure time and the extra stops on ME are why we quit using it. I'd rather get another hour at Disney and pay for Lyft instead.

 

[brockash]

I have a flight at 858 pm, which would put my DME pick up at like, 6pm, is there a way to move it an hour LATER? I have no bags to check or load, will be flying carry on only. I'm having dinner at flying fish at 5pm to try and be done on time but I would rather not have to rush or if it's possible to get picked up at a DIFFERENT resort than I'm staying at?

If I could get a 7pm pick up at boardwalk or yacht club that would be super excellent haha or even just a 7pm pickup at Pop century would be great, I'd just uber over after eating

Yes, to the getting picked up later, see my post above your original....we do it every year, but only about 45 mins. later, but even so, we've still always had time to grab something to eat at the airport etc., before we board.

You won't be able to be picked up somewhere other than your resort though.

I will say, I really think you'd be pushing it to eat at a table service at a different location at 5pm and be able to make even a 7pm DME bus at your resort.

 

[seashoreCM]

Whew, you folks like sitting around an airport way more than me. .

Delete your last on-property meal and use that time as extra park time. (Grab some small snack if you get hungry.)

Do your last meal in Orlando-and-environs at the airport using that time you would otherwise be sitting around an airport. Ergo that time is no longer wasted.

 

[AngiTN]

Delete your last on-property meal and use that time as extra park time. (Grab some small snack if you get hungry.)

Do your last meal in Orlando-and-environs at the airport using that time you would otherwise be sitting around an airport. Ergo that time is no longer wasted.

Blech! Who wants to eat at an airport on purpose?

 

[jdisnut]

Whew, you folks like sitting around an airport way more than me. I want the least possible time there. 5 min makes me happiest but pretty hard to time it to work out. We usually end up with more like 30 min.
Just Tuesday we had a flight departing at 7:20, boarding at 6:45. I requested our car at 5:00, got there about 5:10. Had it not been rush hour I'd have requested a little later. Even in rush hour traffic, checking bags at the curb and a rather long line at TSA Precheck we made it to our gate by 6:15, time to sit and wait before boarding
The extra early departure time and the extra stops on ME are why we quit using it. I'd rather get another hour at Disney and pay for Lyft instead.

Couldn't agree more. Using Magical Express back to the airport is the ultimate waste of valuable vacation time. Who wants to leave three or more hours early for no reason? I'd rather spent those final moment experiencing one last attraction or enjoying one last meal. I typically hop in an Uber about 90 or so minutes before my flight, arrive about 60 minutes before my flight and make it to the gate 20 or 30 minutes after that. With TSA PreCheck -- a must for anybody who travels with any regularity -- security rarely takes more than 10 minutes anywhere in the country, even a busy airport like MCO. My home airport is EWR, and I'm usually through security within five minutes.

 

[sam_gordon]

With TSA PreCheck -- a must for anybody who travels with any regularity

But many Disney travelers DONT fly often, so precheck doesn't factor in.

 

[jdisnut]

But many Disney travelers DONT fly often, so precheck doesn't factor in.

Fair. But I'd argue that for $17 per year, PreCheck is worth buying even if your only trip a year is a roundtrip flight to MCO. It's that useful and so cheap!

 

[sam_gordon]

Fair. But I'd argue that for $17 per year, PreCheck is worth buying even if your only trip a year is a roundtrip flight to MCO. It's that useful and so cheap!

You're right. I had my numbers wrong. I thought is was $85/YEAR, not for 5 years.

 

[mousefan73]

We fly intl and the pick up is 4 hrs. I see no reason to differentiate between domestic and intl pax at MCO. There are no differences concerning the airport experience. Only difference is if you have luggage you have to check-in at the airport. Here you don't need 1 hr more. We have used DME often. And it was never more than 1 hour to get there. I think DME has these times to cover their butts. Worse case, bus breaks down, or accident / traffic they can recover so you don't miss your flight. I would think that if it was their fault and you missed the flight they are liable for miss flight??? We don't care about the 1% risk. Only way to get a later bus. Give them a fake flight for later. I spent 15 min. Begging on the phone for a later bus. Tjey wouldn't do it. 3 hours at MCO is a waste of time.

 

[AngiTN]

I think some of the reason for the 3 hour pick up (or 4 in International) is the buses may make 3, 4 more stops after picking you up. It can take an hour just to get on the way to the airport. It's one time where the $40 we spend with tip for Lyft is some of the best money we spend on vacation.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I always call the day before and change my pick up time to at least 30 minutes earlier. After having an experience where we were picked up at the 3 hour mark and then spent the next hour + going to other resorts before departing for the airport I will never keep the assigned time. Similar thing happened to me last month. I changed my time and after we were picked up we went to only one other resort but there was a family of approx. 12 with ALL their luggage and strollers. The stop ended up taking nearly 20 minutes. We were then in rush hour traffic going to the airport so by the time we got there it was only 90-ish minutes before my flight. MCO is big and busy so 90 minutes is just too close for my comfort, especially when you have to expect to wait at security for 20+ minutes.

 

[maxiesmom]

Haven't read a single post here wherein MDE didn't get a guest back to airport on time. Most the other spectrum of too much time to kill at the airport.

Only if flying international or heightened security screening would i think twice about my assigned time if less than 2.45 hr prior

We have had DME cut it very close, to the point where I was freaking out a bit on the bus. We drove around picking up guests for an hour before heading to the airport. We then had to go back to another resort as someone left a wheel chair behind. Got to the gate with 15 minutes to spare, too close for my comfort.

 

[kristenrice]

I would much rather kill time at the airport than scramble to find a flight if I cut it too close and miss mine.

 

[WDWNY]

Why not use Uber?

The return to the airport always involves some waiting. Last year, we were on the bus for a while, waiting for a few others, then went to pick up at another resort, waited for those folks to stow their luggage, then finally we were on our way to the airport more than an hour after we had boarded the bus (we were miserable at that point, and wished we had simply taken Uber).

If you want to be there early, I agree with this! In February we were the first stop (BLT) went to Contemporary, Wilderness, GF and Poly before we left for the airport. Took about an hour.

 

[ncc1701]

Blech! Who wants to eat at an airport on purpose?

We get a early afternoon flight back (better price or lower miles) to Philadelphia so park time or ADRS aren 't in our plans . We try to eat at the Ruby Tuesdays after security for lunch . Used to eat at Chilli's before security but the lines at TSA have ended that.

 

[keishashadow]

I would much rather kill time at the airport than scramble to find a flight if I cut it too close and miss mine.

Talk about a buzz-kill to an otherwise lovely trip.

Even when driving yourself the last thing you want to do is find yourself stuck in traffic due to accident/whatever. Always check road conditions beforehand.

I also try to avoid booking flights that involve rush hour transit. Allow a solid 2-1/2 hours from time I jump in rental car (need to gas up, make our way over from garage to terminal).

 

[suemom2kay]

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[bellebud]

our last Disney trip (Feb), we almost missed our flight. The ME time they gave us seemed normal (we always use it), but holy cow, we were running through the airport, the security line was extra slow and long, we didn't have time to use the restroom or grab a bite to eat beforehand. I'll always change our ME time from now on to 3 hours before.

 

[goofy4tink]

For some reason, it always seems that if I'm nice and early, the precheck line has 2 people in it, the tram is pulling in as I approach, and my gate is the first one on the concourse. BUT....if my DME bus has to make many stops (up to 4 or so), and my resort is the first one, then there is a fair amount of traffic, that's when precheck will be jammed! And the tram will be just pulling away! And my gate is at the very end!!! Happens every single time! I like to have 30 mins prior to boarding, to sit and relax, use the restroom, grab some water, etc.
I've had times with DME that I've had over an hour at the gate, other times it was really close. I've actually arrived at the gate as they were boarding the first groups! That's too close for me.
So, I usually use DME, no issue with the 3 hr time. I try to book flights that allow me time to eat a good breakfast, relax a bit, then off to the airport, so around 1-2ish. Otherwise, I book late in the day.

 

[ncc1701]

For some reason, it always seems that if I'm nice and early, the precheck line has 2 people in it, the tram is pulling in as I approach, and my gate is the first one on the concourse. BUT....if my DME bus has to make many stops (up to 4 or so), and my resort is the first one, then there is a fair amount of traffic, that's when precheck will be jammed! And the tram will be just pulling away! And my gate is at the very end!!! Happens every single time! I like to have 30 mins prior to boarding, to sit and relax, use the restroom, grab some water, etc.
I've had times with DME that I've had over an hour at the gate, other times it was really close. I've actually arrived at the gate as they were boarding the first groups! That's too close for me.
So, I usually use DME, no issue with the 3 hr time. I try to book flights that allow me time to eat a good breakfast, relax a bit, then off to the airport, so around 1-2ish. Otherwise, I book late in the day.

You sound like DH and I. We both want to get waters, DH the NY Times and me a few tabloids or cooking mags. As I posted previously also a bit of lunch.