IMHO, I wouldn't take the chance with that tight of a connection, and typically, this wouldn't be considered a valid connection time for you to be covered by the airline for rebooking purposes.
If you do end up needing to book an alternate flight due to a missed connection, you will most likely have to pay and it would be based on availability. How many people are in your party, and are you willing to split up on different flights to get there? What other costs might you incur, as the airline will typically not reimburse for meals or lodging.
Do not listen to this, none of it matters in your case. Now, granted, maybe if you had a 3 hour layover, went to the airport bar and missed your connection, Delta might charge you to rebook.
Here's what you need to consider.
* How many people are in your travelling party (I know you said you're a solo traveler, but for others reading)?
* Are there any mobility issues (wheelchair, cane, stroller, slow walker, etc)?
To maximize your chance of making the connection:
* Try to get a seat as far forward on your originating flight.
* Understand how the Atlanta airport is laid out (look at concourse maps now).
* Download the Delta app and get signed in (make sure you can see your itinerary before the flight).
* As soon as the originating flight turns off the runway, take your phone out of airplane mode and launch the Delta app. I can't remember where exactly, but there should be a place to see what gate you're arriving at and what gate your connecting flight is leaving from. Thanks to step 2, you should now know which way to turn out of your gate to get to the next one.
* As AquamarineSteph said, once you get off your first plane, go directly to the connecting gate. No bathroom stop, no drink, no food, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
One thing Kerrijo did get right is if you were traveling with a group, they may be able to get some of the group out on the next flight and the rest on a later flight. If you're on a morning flight to MCO, I'm fairly confident you'll make it that day. Even if you're on a later flight, if the missed connection was Delta's fault (first plane left late, mechanical issue, connection too tight, etc), and you're forced to wait until the next, Delta will pay for a hotel room (probably one of their choosing) and I think give you food credit.
I once made a 10 minute connection in ATL, had to change concourses, and was in the back half of the original plane. BUT, everything went just right... original flight gated right next to the central area, when I got to the plane train, one just pulled up, and my connecting gate was one gate down when I got up to the next concourse. No joke, they started pushing back before I was even in my seat. I would have no reservations about a 38 minute connection for a solo traveler with no mobility issues. And yes, that's a legal connection.
My family of four had a flight change that would have resulted in a 45 minute layover in Phoenix a few months ago, and I ended up changing the reservation to an alternate flight to avoid the what-if (since it was proactive, the airline ate the cost adjustment). Our alternate flight was into the same airport, so we were able to check the departure boards to see the status of our original flight. The connecting flight ended up getting delayed, so we would have made the connection, but had it not been delayed, we would have missed the flight. In the end, our travel was much more relaxed with the alternate flight that gave a bit of cushion and a better overall experience. Good luck and have a great time!
