Do you like to fly early in the am...

[gracie1]

to get more park time? We weren't leaving till 3:30pm but now I want to fly in early am so that we can get there (emh at magic kingdom)! And instead of fly back home late I think I want to come back early.
Just curious as to when you like to get there and why

 

[Mouse Maineac]

We live in Maine so we always book our flight to WDW as early as possible (6:00 a.m is our favorite. This way we get to enjoy the full first day.

 

[rflorek]

I like to fly early because if you wait too long in the NYC area, flights gets backed up. Getting extra time in the MK is a bonus!

 

[dacky041208]

I like morning flights going to MCO. Getting to spend time either at a park or around the resort is great. The last day, I like to fly out late afternoon/early evening, so that you don't have too much of a rush on your last day

 

[msmayor]

For me, flying early really has nothing to do with extra time at the parks...its more to do with just getting there on-time.

Many early-morning flights are 'origination' out of my area, which means the plane has been sitting there at the gate overnight, waiting for the first flight of the day. Taking one of these means no waiting for it to arrive from someplace else.

In addition, as another poster pointed out, traffic tends to back up as the day goes on making delays longer and longer. Just last year a group of us flew out to Las Vegas from Philly. Four of us...me, DH and another couple...opted to take a morning flight out (10am) so we could get situated and enjoy a nice dinner. The rest of the group (10 others) were flying out at 4pm because the flight was a little less in $$ and a couple had to work half-days. We arrived on-time; they arrived three hours late.

 

[AKL_Megs]

We always like to leave on the first flight of the AM (for us, that is usually around 7:30am), but we always have a car, so we use the time to hit up the grocery store, have lunch, and get to the resort right on time to check in. It's like a "bonus" vacation day.

As far as coming home, I prefer to leave in the late AM, so there is time at home in the PM.

 

[janiejake]

We like to leave early in the morning, as well. Seems to have the best chance of the flight taking off on time. Less traffic around the airport in the wee hours...(but, then we also like to find a hotel near our airport, too, when we fly in the winter). Sometimes those Park n Fly deals are great. I like to get to the resort noonish, so we can check in, if not get into our room. Before everything's been 'picked over', lol. Tho, hopefully on-line check in has taken care of some of that. We've only had two trips when our room/s were not ready early. You've then got the rest of the day to visit a park or two, (if you've got hoppers), hit DTD, stock up on snacks and beverages if you've got wheels, etc. I like to fly home in the afternoon, but have left in the evening as well. Nice to slide some extra park time/Florida time in there~we can never get enough!

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

We leave mid morning, but since we are leaving from the west coast, we always get in in the earily evening, loss of a whole day at the parks.

so we always fly the day BEFORE our vacation, and stay at an airport hotel, it helps get rid of jetlag and we are not wasting our dinner reservations and park tickets for the first day. Next morning we get up, change to our "park going clothing" and have some breakfast.

its not that expensive to do, we just have the town car pick us up at the hotel.

 

[MinnieLee]

For us, first flight out, last one in! We are early risers and live 10 minutes from our airport so it doesn't bother us to take the early morning flight. The plane is there from the night before and we have no delays. Coming home, we don't want to get back to reality so we catch the last flight back!

 

[dis_guy]

For us, first flight out, last one in! We are early risers and live 10 minutes from our airport so it doesn't bother us to take the early morning flight. The plane is there from the night before and we have no delays. Coming home, we don't want to get back to reality so we catch the last flight back!

Yup, us too. We're about 2 hours drive away from our airport so we always stay at an airport hotel both ways. That way there's less stress for those 6 or 7 am flights and we're not even tempted to make the drive home on the same day, as it's too late.

I depends on which direction you're traveling, too. We live in Western Canada so we arrive in WDW feeling well rested being 3 hours behind FL time. We did a 6 am return once and it was brutal, especially as we were delayed coming back. All that and being 3 hours ahead time-wise. Won't do that again.

 

[Castillo Mom]

We always get an 8:00 a.m. flight out but we're from the West coast so we don't get to Orlando until about 4:00 p.m. We don't go to the parks on arrival day so that we can rest and try to get adjusted to the time change.

 

[lustergirl]

If I was flying solo I would take the 7:20am flight out of buffalo with SW. But with the family (a bunch of whiners) I take the early afternoon flight. Coming home we are taking the early am flight so I can get home and get to school that night.

 

[sue1013]

Same as a pp always try to get the first flight out since the NYC area air traffic gets backed up as the day goes on.

 

[MissionWDW]

I like to get the earliest AM flight for arrival and a later evening flight for departure. My October flight is scheduled to land at MCO around 9:30am. By the time I deal with luggage and traveling via ME, we should arrive no later than 11:30/12. Even if my room isn't ready...we can still enjoy the pool or travel to DTD to hang out.

 

[EPCOT is a verb]

For us, first flight out, last one in! QUOTE]

That's us, too!

 

[mousemom11]

We always get an 8:00 a.m. flight out but we're from the West coast so we don't get to Orlando until about 4:00 p.m. We don't go to the parks on arrival day so that we can rest and try to get adjusted to the time change.

Us too. We have a 6:05 am flight from SEA-MCO this November. Holy Getting Up at O-Dark Hundred Batman! But at least we get in at 3:45. That way, we can pick up the car, do our grocery shopping, and have a restful evening. We'll be good to go at rope drop the next morning. That's the one thing I hate about flying West-East coast. It chews up your whole day. If you don't leave early in the morning, then you won't get in until late evening, which affects your next day.

Conversely, it's nice flying home. We can fly out mid-day East Coast time and be home by late afternoon.

 

[Silver Queen]

We've done it several different ways and prefer to take the earliest flight out to MCO which is usually a non-stop direct from our airport. It's great to arrive at MCO by 10:00 and have the whole day ahead of us. When it comes times to leave we are now great fans of the evening departure. On our April visit we spent the last day at Typhoon Lagoon, had a wonderful time and then went back to our resort for late lunch before taking the Magical Express for our 7:50 departure. It was such a great day and by that time we were not so sad to be leaving "The World". On some other trips I've had to take an early morning flight back home and it was so depressing to get up and leave our resort when it was still dark. It was really the pits!

 

[kaitlyn0616]

For us, first flight out, last one in! We are early risers and live 10 minutes from our airport so it doesn't bother us to take the early morning flight. The plane is there from the night before and we have no delays. Coming home, we don't want to get back to reality so we catch the last flight back!

Sounds like you live close to me, I am in Blue Point about 10 minutes from Islip airport taking the 615am on 7/8 and the 820pm back on the 15th

 

[francie57]

We are the same as most. We take the first non-stop out (6:50 a.m.) and the last non-stop back. Have been doing it this way for years and love the extra time it gives us on each travel day.

 

[Missytara]

Since I go the Saturday after T-giving, I like to fly out as early as possible. I take the 7:00 am flight from BWI, so I have to leave the house around 3:30 am.

But I am standing at the resort by 11:00 am, so it is well worth it.