Convince me DTD check-in is worthwhile!

[Hilary]

Am I missing the point here? I can't see how Virgin's DTD check-in would help us spend a 'longer day' before flying home, but so many of you are huge fans of this facility that I'm sure I must be missing something ...

Ou flying home day usually goes something like this:
Get up, finish packing, pack a small holdall with swimming stuff, our flight/UK clothes and some toiletries, and then leave the bags with Bell Services at our resort. We then spend the day doing wahetver we have planned before returning to the hotel, picking up the holdall from Bell Services and going for a swim in the hotel pool, showering and changing ready for the flight. then we pick up the rst of the luggage from Bell Services and drive to the airport.

How do you manage with your clothes/change of things if you do DTD and then spend the day in the Florida heat - are you still in shorts when you get off the plane in Gatwick?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I guess it depends on your individual plans or circumstances.
Faced by a very long day, and a lunchtime check out from our rented villa we just find that getting rid of our suitcases helps us, especially for arriving at the airport and not having to check the cases in.

Tend to have a relaxing last day anyway, with a lazy morning and spend a couple of hours at a mall before going to the Airport , hence we would rather be rid of the luggage.
Especially with taking our own stroller for Joshua.

We tend to always have a couple of changes for Joshua in the hand luggage and actually last August we spent an hour or so looking around a Horizon's timeshare and got absolutley soaked, ended up having to buy t-shirts etc from RonJon's.

We tend to have 3/4 length trousers on usually and because we go in August find that it isn't really cold on our return home.

 

[Goofyish]

You are recommended to arrive at the airport around 4 hours before your flight normally to allow for check in queues and security checks on luggage etc.
So depending where you are staying you need to leave for the airport about 5 hours before your flight.

If you check in at DTD first thing in the morning you do not need to be at the airport until a couple of hours before your flight - just to give you time to pass through security and look round the duty free
Checking in at DTD also gives you a better chance of getting your requested seats.
So after checking in at DTD you can then head of to a parks safe in the knowledge that you have checked in, your bags are off to the airport, you have the seats you want and can spend an extra few hours having fun

 

[mushumadness]

we used dtd check in the last time we went with virgin, for the simple reasonit got rid of the cases early and meant we could go shop lol!!

 

[mushumadness]

you know I think I have a shopping problem thats all I seem to do

 

[jockey]

DTD checkin is great - as Tim mentioned you have a better chance getting your requested seats or even bulk head or exit seats. I like to get rid of the luggage and arriving at MCO 1 hr before the flight!

I usually wear shorts until I get to MCO then change into jeans!

 

[carolfoy]

We dropped our cases off and then spent the day in disneyquest, before going back to MCO, we had 1 and a half hours before our flight so walked straight through security, had a mooch in duty free then boarded, with our cardis etc in our hand luggage we just put them on as we landed. It sure made our return flight seem shorter.

 

[SEVANS2208]

We find the queues at DTD check in are less than at MCO.

We also wear 3/4 length trousers and carry around spare clothes for the kids.

We have to be out of the villa by 11.00 so it makes sense for us.

 

[mrsminniemouse]

For our last couple of trips we checked in at DTD and then went to MGM for the day. I wore cropped trousers and a vest top and took a change of tshirt and a zip up top to change at the airport, I just shoved the vest in my bag.

We leave everything in the way of hand luggage in the car, except our cameras, passports, wallets and tickets. We wander round MGM, grab lunch maybe see the Ariel show, then poodle off to the airport.

We feel it makes our last day worthwhile. I dont like leaving the cases in the car so the last day would be wasted otherwise as we wouldnt do much. Also with DD2 and the cases, pram, hand luggage the airport can be difficult. It is MUCH easier to unload luggage at DTD and walk it over to check in, better than dragging it miles through the airport IMHO. One we get the luggage checked in I feel so relieved. Especially as I always worry it is too heavy....

Next trip we are travelling with First Choice to try their Star Class Premier. We will miss DTD check in, especially as we will be so close at SSR!!

Mandy

 

[Hilary]

Thanks for the input. I can see that there's time to be gained by not having to arrive at the airport until later as, presumably, time spent going to DTD is less than queueing in MCO!

got rid of the cases early and meant we could go shop lol!!

But where do you put all the shopping if you've already checked your luggage at DTD? We seem to have plenty of hand luggage already without adding any shopping to the bags!

Or are you DTD people the ones filling up the overhead lockers with excess hand luggage?

Checking in at DTD also gives you a better chance of getting your requested seats.

This really annoys me - not your comment, Tim but the fact that your pre-requested seats are more likely to be given to someone else by Virgin's check-in staff the later you check-in. What's the point in their pre-requesting system if they're going to allocate those seats to someone else at check-in anyway. Sorry to rant, but this is one of my real problems with the Virgin set-up - inviting you to request something and then ignoring that request. Why offer the facility in the first place if you're more likely to end up disappointed when the request is ignored?! Sorry - off topic

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Hilary, we never shop on the last day and we rarely buy more than a magazine at the airport either. Getting all the clothes, toys, trainers etc etc that we bought during the trip in the cases is a total nightmare. We always take a collapsible holdall too and end up using that. Last trip I had to buy a large sports bag too. I blame Virgin for the generous baggage allowance! Our handluggage (one rucksack each) is always full. We would love to shop on the last day but simply cannot carry anything else.

Every trip we say we will buy less, especially toys for DD but the stuff there is so cheap and so great we can never resist. Last trip DH carried a toy Pirates of the Caribbean Pirate ship home in his handluggage. He reckons he picked it up to look at in MK and DD said 'You will not put that back' so he bought it. She is 2!!!! It was a miracle I stopped him buying her the big toy version of Cinderella's castle............

We like to take a last look around a park on our last day. We find MGM the best for this as it is smaller, calmer and seems more relaxing than some of the others. DD enjoys a few last minute character meetings.

Mandy

 

[Goofyish]

I did notice a lot of people on our return flight with large Disney carrier bags - whether they had used DTD check in and then shopped at the parks/DTD or purchased stuff from the airport shops I can't say

 

[fizz13]

While we're talking about DTD, does anyone know what time the buses start running to DTD? Am I right that they don't run from DTD to the theme parks, only the hotels?

Just trying to think out a workable plan for the last day
Claire xx

 

[Goofyish]

While we're talking about DTD, does anyone know what time the buses start running to DTD? Am I right that they don't run from DTD to the theme parks, only the hotels?

Just trying to think out a workable plan for the last day
Claire xx

Not sure what time buses start to go to DTD, but they must start earlyish to get people to restaurants that open for breakfast.
Shops don't open until about 10am.

I would not recommend using Disney transport to get to DTD for check in though, there isn't much room for your luggage on the buses and I'm sure the drivers wouldn't be too pleased either - best to get a cab from the hotel to DTD, should only be $10-20 depending on your resort.
You can ask at your resort Bell Services or Guest Relations for them to call you a cab. (there are usually some cabs. waiting outside reception).

Buses from DTD only go to resorts and not the other parks (to stop people taking advantage of the free parking at DTD).
So if you plan to return to a park after check in you will need to get to a resort and then catch a bus/boat/monorail to the park of your choice.

If you get the bus to the Yacht/Beach Club or Boardwalk you can then walk to Epcot via the International Gateway Entrance (between UK and France),
or catch a boat from there to MGM.

Or you could get the bus back to one of the MK resorts and get the monorail to MK or Epcot or get off the monorail at the TTC and get the bus to MGM or AK.

Combinations are endless - just depends what parks you want to visit on your last day

 

[Pootle]

An interesting thread Hilary. Do you know, I'd never considered it wasn't such a great deal until you posed the question.

We haven't been frequent users of Virgin for many years now - since they reduced the seat pitch in economy from 34", but last year we ended up on a Virgin flight home arranged by the insurance company (family bereavement) and once again used the DD check-in. Very, very early. Purely to get emergency exit seats, which we did.

I've never NOT got the seats I've pre-booked with other carriers but from reading here, Virgin is less reliable in this respect, so that's another reason I'd want DD check in with them.

Finally, I just want to use this new smilie because it's cute and neither of us has long to wait now.

 

[daveyoghurt]

We used the DTD check-in last year, we had taken the non-driving option with Virgin and found that the return journey to MCO got us back too late to go duty-free shopping - they wouldn't even let us in the shop as our flight was due less than an hour before we got there.

We were really disappointed as I had my eye on some special edition Jack Daniels that was staring at me from the shelves!

 

[Goofyish]

We used the DTD check-in last year, we had taken the non-driving option with Virgin and found that the return journey to MCO got us back too late to go duty-free shopping - they wouldn't even let us in the shop as our flight was due less than an hour before we got there.

We were really disappointed as I had my eye on some special edition Jack Daniels that was staring at me from the shelves!

How did they prevent you going into the duty free shop? We were able to wonder in and out of the shop with no restrictions in December.
The only reason I can think of for not allowing you to shop close to departure time is that is doesn't give them enough time to transfer the duty free bags to the gate!

 

[MazdaUK]

I love getting rid of my cases. Because we checked in about 9.00 (to make extra sure we had time to get to Chef Mickey's for brunch) our cases were right up the front of the truck, meaning they were last loaded and 1st off at Gatwick. The boys had zip-off trousers, and we put the zipped-off bits plus jeans for DH and me, plus our coats (only light ones) in a big holdall and left it in the car all day. If we hadn't had the car we would have packed the coats (not that there was room ). We didn't do any shopping because Dh said we couldn't carry any more, but after our brunch we resort-hopped on the boats and monorail before heading to the airport (way to early as it turned out - getting rid of the car was so quick ) and had a nice leisurely meal at that Australian burger place before finding we had a nice leisurely wait for our plane as it was delayed by 2 hours

When I fly I don't feel really relaxed until I've got rid of the cases (to stop me checking them once more...and again...OK just one last time ) so getting rid of them first thing meant I could relax for the rest of the day. And they hardly weighed anything - the only thing I saw weighed was a woman who had a case big enough to take 2 five-year-olds. She insisted it hardly weighed anything, but she could hardly move it so they weighed it. I didn't see what happened though.

 

[Frances999]

From my experience, the DTD check-in is a good way to avoid the lines at MCO. I also like to have got rid of the luggage - we can then just relax for the day and head to MCO just a couple of hours before the flight - without the fuss of checking in in the airport.

This really annoys me - not your comment, Tim but the fact that your pre-requested seats are more likely to be given to someone else by Virgin's check-in staff the later you check-in. What's the point in their pre-requesting system if they're going to allocate those seats to someone else at check-in anyway. Sorry to rant, but this is one of my real problems with the Virgin set-up - inviting you to request something and then ignoring that request. Why offer the facility in the first place if you're more likely to end up disappointed when the request is ignored?! Sorry - off topic

I don't think Virgin deliberately "ignore" your requests. Your seat requests are just that -- requests. Virgin will try their utmost to allocate you the seats you requested - they don't gain anything by giving the seats you requested to someone else.

I read somewhere a while ago that "success rate" for people receiving their pre-requested seats on VA was in the order of 70%. That is pretty good going. We have been lucky and always had the seats we requested, but then we arrive at check-in early.

 

[Miffy2003]

Or are you DTD people the ones filling up the overhead lockers with excess hand luggage?

Guilty as charged your honour

I agree with what's been said already - I love the "relief" of getting rid of my bags and knowing I won't have to queue again (except through security) at MCO.