Departure day help

[MaleficentRN]

Still trying to decide what else we should do. If we ask for a late check out how late do they let you stay?

It's been my experience they let you stay until 1pm, but they may not be able to let you stay at all. You really can't depend on a time.

 

[maryj11]

You can ask for a late check out and spend the day at the pool. That way you can shower off the pool smell. You can sleep in and then monorail hop and have lunch at Contempo Cafe and peruse gift shops. I'd be hard pressed to spend the money for an extra park day if I'd only be there three hours.

This sounds like a good plan. Even taking a trip around the resorts on the monorail is fun to me, if it doesnt break down

 

[Ensusieasm]

Hi - our last day on our upcoming vacation is Saturday, September 30th. We are staying at the Poly, and our flight leaves from MCO at 3:50. We will be taking the MDE, so I am guessing that they will want to depart at 1:45ish. Family of 4, me, DH, DD(8) and DS(10). Also this is our second family trip to WDW (but have done DL many times). As CA residents, it is pricy to do a WDW trip so this will probably be our last for a few (or more) years.

What are your best suggestions for our departure day? Add another day to our tickets and go to the park? Not really interested in Character Breakfasts (I don't think...), unless they are mind blowingly amazing. I have seen a lot of suggestions on other posts to do a last trip around Disney Springs, but it seems that nothing really opens there until 11ish. Is there anything going on earlier? I don't want to feel rushed to go back to the Poly to catch the MDE. Resort hop to the GF, WL, and Contemporary (assuming we don't do that earlier in the week)....? What exactly is there to do once we get to the other resorts?

What would you do??? Convince me...

Lastly, unrelated question, I am getting close to having to make my dining reservations. I am going to try for Ohana, but I wanted to try one other when we are there. My top choices are Raglan Road (I think my daughter would enjoy the dancing), or Homecoming (the food looks amazing). What would you pick? Are walk up reservations to be found at either of those restaurants? Or do I need to plan 6 months out?

Thanks!

Your Magical Express Bus will be scheduled at least three hours before your flight and you are asked to be at the bus stop 15 minutes early. You would also need time to pick up any day bags that you left with bell services that you did not check through to your airline. There can be times when there is a line at bell services. You would also want time for a restroom break before the bus. All this takes time, so you need to be sure to be back at The Poly no later than Noon. So that doesn't give you much time, especially when you consider all the delays and breakdowns you hear about the monorail. You could always sleep in, have a nice breakfast, enjoy the pool and sun lounge chairs, or take a stroll over to the Grand Floridian and enjoy the beautiful lobby and shops and breakfast at The Grand Floridian Cafe. You could then take the water taxi back to the Poly because it is the first stop, and a beautiful blue water, blue sky boat ride would be a stress free ending to your vacation.

 

[jwolfpack]

I would go to MK on that last morning. You can do a lot between 9am-12pm, especially using a fastpass each hour. We use last days like this to let everyone go back and ride their favorites one last time. I would feel like I was just wasting time resort hopping, and I wouldn't want to mess with the pools (and showering and packing wet swim suits, etc) on that day. Check your bags in before you head to the park so that all you have to do is show back up at Poly to catch the bus.

 

[kniquy]

do I need to plan 6 months out

Always plan 6 months out for dining reservations -- It is best to put Ohana for later in your trip because it is a hard to get one. Book everything at 180 (even book a couple extra) and then cancel what you don't end up needing.

If your flight is 3:50 then you will need to get the ME by 12:50. I would just recommend checking out at 11:00, do your flight check in and drop your bags, then grab lunch. Make it a more relaxing morning. You really will not have much park time maybe 9-12, but if people want to soak up those last few hours of park time then plan getting up early - dropping bags at bell services or the airport check in (can't remember how early you can drop your bags off)

 

[mdelano4]

We loved Raglan Road, but you have to ask for a table where you can see the dancers. They won't guarantee it, but they will try to accommodate you. We were in a spot where we couldn't see anything, but that time it didn't matter because we were catching up with a friend. If DD was with us, she would have been dissappointed.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'll take the minority view and say go to a park. If I knew I wouldn't be going back for at least a few years, I'd want to get as much park time as I could.

MK is closer but AK has morning EMH that day. I'd probably go to AK, leave the park about 11:45 and that gives you almost an hour to get back to the Poly and check in so you don't feel rushed.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi - our last day on our upcoming vacation is Saturday, September 30th. We are staying at the Poly, and our flight leaves from MCO at 3:50. We will be taking the MDE, so I am guessing that they will want to depart at 1:45ish. Family of 4, me, DH, DD(8) and DS(10). Also this is our second family trip to WDW (but have done DL many times). As CA residents, it is pricy to do a WDW trip so this will probably be our last for a few (or more) years.

What are your best suggestions for our departure day? Add another day to our tickets and go to the park? Not really interested in Character Breakfasts (I don't think...), unless they are mind blowingly amazing. I have seen a lot of suggestions on other posts to do a last trip around Disney Springs, but it seems that nothing really opens there until 11ish. Is there anything going on earlier? I don't want to feel rushed to go back to the Poly to catch the MDE. Resort hop to the GF, WL, and Contemporary (assuming we don't do that earlier in the week)....? What exactly is there to do once we get to the other resorts?

What would you do??? Convince me...

Lastly, unrelated question, I am getting close to having to make my dining reservations. I am going to try for Ohana, but I wanted to try one other when we are there. My top choices are Raglan Road (I think my daughter would enjoy the dancing), or Homecoming (the food looks amazing). What would you pick? Are walk up reservations to be found at either of those restaurants? Or do I need to plan 6 months out?

Thanks!

With a departure flight at 3:50, you will be given a DME p/u time of between 12:40 and 1:15. You need to be out at the DME stop, ready to go, at least 15 mins prior to your p/u time! Do not push that time....the bus will leave without you!! And there may not be another one for an hour!!
So, if you go to MK, you need to be out of the park by at least noon! That gives you time to get back to the Polynesian, use the bathrooms, and get your carry on bags from Bell Services. You could get in a few hours at MK. It shouldn't be an overly busy time of year. But, I'm not sure I would add an addtl day to my park passes for just 3 hrs!
I would be more inclined to have a nice, leisurely morning! Sleep in a bit, finish packing, check the bags at RAC, have a good breakfast. Maybe head to the pool for an hour or so. Ask if you can keep the room for an addtl hour. If you can't, no big deal...it's only an hour! You can hang at the pool, and shower off there. Then, gather your stuff and head to the bus.

 

[monorailsilver]

Sit at the pool and enjoy the view one last time. That's what we do on departure day.

 

[maryj11]

We loved Raglan Road, but you have to ask for a table where you can see the dancers. They won't guarantee it, but they will try to accommodate you. We were in a spot where we couldn't see anything, but that time it didn't matter because we were catching up with a friend. If DD was with us, she would have been dissappointed.

I dont think I would go to Disney Springs. The last time we went the bus back to the resort took forever .

 

[Pmlocke]

When we would bring the kids and then later, the grandkids, we were faced with the very same problem. What do you do when there isn't enough time to enjoy a park, yet you want to get one last "experiance". What we found was satisfying was we always go to the Magic Kingdom on our last day. We have a small breakfast (you'll soon find out why) and head to the MK. This time we don't leave the Main Street location. We stroll along Main Street and enjoy what it has to offer. Shopping, the candy store, the bakery, ice cream, hot dogs. We sit on the second level viewing porch of the Train Station or, if they are open, the rocking chairs on the porch of the Town Square Theater and watch as the guests arrive. We can catch a parade and we just take this time to enjoy the view rather than the rides and events. It puts a visual memory in our minds that stays until our next visit. I find many people are rushing through Main Street to get to the attractions and don't take the time to enjoy this part of the park. When we leave, as usual, my wife and I say goodby to the Castle, thank Walt for his vision and shed a tear.

 

[Ensusieasm]

When we would bring the kids and then later, the grandkids, we were faced with the very same problem. What do you do when there isn't enough time to enjoy a park, yet you want to get one last "experiance". What we found was satisfying was we always go to the Magic Kingdom on our last day. We have a small breakfast (you'll soon find out why) and head to the MK. This time we don't leave the Main Street location. We stroll along Main Street and enjoy what it has to offer. Shopping, the candy store, the bakery, ice cream, hot dogs. We sit on the second level viewing porch of the Train Station or, if they are open, the rocking chairs on the porch of the Town Square Theater and watch as the guests arrive. We can catch a parade and we just take this time to enjoy the view rather than the rides and events. It puts a visual memory in our minds that stays until our next visit. I find many people are rushing through Main Street to get to the attractions and don't take the time to enjoy this part of the park. When we leave, as usual, my wife and I say goodby to the Castle, thank Walt for his vision and shed a tear.

Yes to this! Perfect! Then take the water taxi back to the Poly. It's the second stop.

 

[Tara922c]

On our last day, we always visit MK one last time to ride our favorite rides. We usually choose one ride from each land. Sometimes, DH stays back in the room to pack and clean while DD and I hit rope drop at MK. If it were me, and I was staying at the POLY, I would go to MK for rope drop, come back to my resort around 11 to checkout, eat lunch at Kona, and leave for the airport at 12:50.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Parks are nice on the last day, but really with only about three hours in the park, how many rides will you get in, maybe one or two depending on how busy it is, even with extra morning hours. I would also suggest doing a casual dining. If your in your room till nine or ten and then eat that would have you back and ready to go by 12:30 when you should be waiting for the bus. And yes, it is three hours you have to be waiting for the bus. One hour to get to the airport and then two hours to sit and wait or get through the scanners. I know three hours seems like a lot of time, but its really not that long.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you decide to head to MK that last day, this is how I would do it.
Check bags with RAC by 7am...after that, the line can start getting longish. Leave carryon bags with Bell Services.
Grab a quick bite to eat at Capt Cook's by 8:00, then head over to MK.
If you decide to head to MK, you should have made at least 2 FP+ choices pp. Make one for 9:00 or so, the second one for 10:00. That should allow you to do two attractions, then leave the park and be back at the Polynesian by 12-12:15. Grab the carry on bags, a snack, and off you go.

 

[bryanb]

So you shower off at the water park? I skipped the water parks last time, but we do have a day scheduled for it this trip. I really don't want to smell like a pool on the flight home! I will add this to my short list of ideas.... Thanks!

I like to find a way to shower off before heading to the airport. (Nothing worse than sitting on a long crowded flight covered in sunscreen, sweat, and humidity!)
So if my flight is not until the afternoon or early evening, a water park is a good way to spend the day.

Some of the resorts will still let you use the pool showers or gym showers on the day of check-out, if you no longer have access to your room.