Departure day related question, never flown to WDW

[lilandvisma]

Hi, question...and boy am I confused about how things with ME works so please bear with me!

Ok, so our flight departs at 8:45 the night we are leaving. We would like to go to MK for our last day but how do we do this? how do we check out the morning before and what do we do with our belongings? When do we have to be back for the bus to MCO? Is it really possible to do a park day on the same day as departure? Or should I just not schedule anything for that day!? I am so confused and have no idea where this really needs to be posted so please move if needed...I'm sorry if I sound dense but we have always drove to WDW. TIA!

 

[vicki_c]

ME leaves your resort 3 hours before your flight time. You can just check out in the morning, I assume have them check and hold your bags (not sure about the time windows for that - I think it can't be more than 12 hours before your flight time) and you can have Bell Services hold your carry-on bags. Then you can have a full day at the parks, since you wouldn't have to return to the resort until probably 5 PM.

 

[lilandvisma]

ME leaves your resort 3 hours before your flight time. You can just check out in the morning, I assume have them check and hold your bags (not sure about the time windows for that - I think it can't be more than 12 hours before your flight time) and you can have Bell Services hold your carry-on bags. Then you can have a full day at the parks, since you wouldn't have to return to the resort until probably 5 PM.

IDK why but I'm still confused.It just seems like it would be a pain to have to do all of this and the MK on top of it... I might just add another trip day if we can swing it...I think that would just solve all of my problems because my brain just isn't functioning too well today

Thank you for your prompt response though!!!

 

[LoveKermit]

We just did a park on our departure day. It was so fun! We swam in the morning and then went to AK until time to leave (we had a car). You would just have to allow enough time back to the hotel.

We changed clothes in the car (just a fresh(er) shirt) and did some freshening and stuff. I laid out the suits in the car, they were dry so packed those up and in 10 minutes we were off.

You could do that with your carry-ons and ME if you think you'll need some freshening (or your coats for the return).

It's not that stressful. Just allow enough time to get back to POR to make the bus.

 

[Ariel on Land]

Our flight leaves MCO at 830pm-- and I'm planning on hitting MK. Yes, we have to have our bags out of the room by 11, but that shouldn't be a problem, and if you don't have to be back at the resort until 5... that's at least 6 hours if you wait until the last minute to get your stuff packed up! So no, not a full day, and no, we won't make rope drop that day, but there's still plenty of time to enjoy one of the parks and/or DTD!

 

[vicki_c]

We never spend more than about 6 hours in any park at all without taking a break of some kind, so it seems like a full day or more to me. We always do a park on check-out day if we're leaving later in the day - and we most often make RD too, although we have never done the Resort airline check-in or ME. We just leave our bags with Bell Services and go. But even driving ourselves to the airport or having a car service, we still leave 2 hours or more before our flight time, so it's not that different.

I just don't see it as a hassle at all. I wouldn't miss a potential 5-6 hours in a park - what else are you going to do all day while you wait until it's time to go?

 

[MichiganMomto4]

We will be doing the exact same thing in October (same flight time too - I think I know where you're going LOL)

I will get everything ready to go the night before we leave. Leave out your days clothing and anything else you might need. After you get up and pack the rest of your belongings - follow the resort's instructions for checked luggage and take your carryons to bell services. They will store them for you and give you a tag to claim them. Go have fun and be back at your resort by 5:45 (or whatever time they told you your ME bus leaves). Dont forget to grab your carryons from bell serv.
You will be glad you planned for one last bit of magic before you fly home - I promise!!

 

[seashoreCM]

Shoot to be back at your resort an hour before your Magical Express bus time, add another 20 minutes if you have stuff to get back from the bellhop. You need to be waiting for the DME bus itself 15 minutes before its time.

For an 8:45 flight you probably should be starting for the park exit at 3:30.

 

[pooch]

pack the night before, leave the days clothes out, put anything you might want to access in a carry-on. In the AM, check out, check your bags at RAC, leave carry-ons with Bell Services and get to the park!! I agree you can stay until 3:30 maybe 4:00, hop the bus back to your resort, pick up carry-ons from Bell Serv (don't forget to tip them!) and jump on DME! Its really easy.

 

[clkelley]

Here is what we do.

We always have 8:30pm departures when possible.

We pack everything the night before except what we're putting on the next day. We also call and request a 6am Bell Services.

We're up at 5ish, we get ready, shove the last of our stuff in our bags, then we have Bell Services pick up all our stuff and we are off. We have our traditional last morning breakfast at Hollywood and Vine at 8:00 am, then it's a race to Toy Story Mania, we get a couple rides in on that, then decide if we want to do something else at the Studios, or go somewhere else. (Sometimes we hit two or more parks). We are back at the hotel bar by 3:30, then we get our bags from Bell Services by 5pm and board the bus at 5:30pm.

We check our bags with a skyhop and follow him/her up to curbside, get our bag claim tickets and boarding passes, then through security and then to our gate.

We DO NOT use RAC as we would have to wait until 8:30 am to use it and we are long gone by then.

 

[LoveKermit]

We couldn't figure out what we were going to do all day. DH really wanted to go to Universal or even Gatorland, but we had days left on our tickets, so that felt like it was "free" rather than a different park somewhere else or shopping at an outlet mall, which for most of you doesn't work since you don't have a car.

 

[LSUmom4kids]

For the last day, I may choose whichever park has things I haven't had time to do. On my arrival day, I'll only get to do HS for a few hours....that might be my last day park too!