Do you think a 7:20AM flight to come to orlando is too early?

[marriedmarylander]

I can't believe I got 3 pages of relies about flight times LOL

However I'm still in debate. I did change my return flight home to 6:45 instead of 4:30. So On Sunday we will have more park time. I didn't know if I should use that day to finish up MGM or try to go early on our way there and get as much in as possible that day.

I am assuming Magical express is just like a regular shuttle... anyone take a shuttle from the airport - how long did it take before you got to your hotel...

 

[CinderellaIam]

We always take the earliest flight possible 6-6:30 AM, in MCO by 9. Hotel via town car, with a grocery stop, check in (all but one trip our room was ready) and hit Epcot. Our strategy is to wear ourselves out completely, we hit the parks during the day, take afternoon pool breaks, head back to the parks, and when the parks close head to Pleasure Island. Roll into the room about 2 AM, up at 7 and back at it! By the time we leave, of course on the latest flight possible (our August trip this is 9:30 PM, gets in at 12:04 AM), and crash at home for a day or two!! We love it this way! Sure it's tiring, but we are having such a good time who cares!

 

[liznboys]

We are taking one of the earliest flights ftom BWI down there, and one of the latest flights coming home. (Within reason since we have 3 little ones to consider!) We want as much time there as we can get!

 

[jkjjhuddle]

We are leaving 5:25 AM and will arrive in Orlando at 7:06 AM While we know chances of check in are slim we figured we would have breakfast and go into the parks for a few hours. It will be just DH and myself so that does make a big difference. There are lockers at POFQ so we will leave bathing suites and some other things in there while we take a small bag into Epcot. Hopefully we will be able to get back to the resort for a nap by early afternoon. WE are so excited

Return trip we will be leaving 9:45pm. WE will only be there three nights so we are trying to make the most of it!

Kristy

 

[YachtClubWoman]

This past Oct we had the 7 am flight (left our home at 4;30 am), were at the YC by 10 am and poolside by 11 am. They stored our bags for us as we waited for a room with a king bed. We also always take the 8 pm flight home - for bascially 2 extra days in the park - always worth it for us. We also do this when we go to Mexico.

 

[kimwim8]

This is one of our rituals. We always get the earliest flight out of Philly or AC so we can get there and have full first day. Luggage goes into storage, and we are off to the parks!

Us too...AC has a 7am flight...so we always get on that one. I think it works out good for our kids too b/c they wake up super early & are all energized & we find an abandoned section of the airport to let them run around or just play to get out that energy. Then they usually take a nap on the flight. We get to MCO around 9:15....head over to the resort...put our bags in storage & off we go.....

I think we're all on a high just to be at WDW that we don't poop out at all on the trip.

I think that if you watch Fantasmic & head back to your resort/hotel & go to sleep, you'll still get a good night's sleep. That would be more sleep than I get on a regular night at home...so I'd be thrilled with that! ha ha

Enjoy your trip, no matter what time the flight.

 

[crisi]

We've done it too....just keep your expectations for that first day "reasonable" See lots of shows at MGM, take it easy, maybe a midday nap.

I always intend to see Spectro that first night, and am always too tired.

 

[Toni300z]

No, I flew outta BWI too on the 7:20 flight when I went in Feb. Got there by 9:30, was riding in the rental car at 10 and was at the resort by 10:30. I like to get the most ot of my trip. You will be good to go.

Last week, I flew in at 6:30PM and did not get to hotel until 7:45. Did not really get to do much. So, I rested and started the parks early the next day!

Have fun on your trip.

 

[scrump]

I don't think we've ever considered anything BUT the first flight into Orlando!

 

[BostonRob]

Personally, I think all you people that go to the parks on your first (and last) day are nuts. There's plenty of stuff to do in WDW without actually rushing too and from parks. I prefer to ease in and out of my vacation.

That said, regardless of what you plan on doing that day, I'd still suggest to try to get the earliest flight into Orlando. It just makes sense. What if you get bumped, or what if there's something wrong with your plane and the flight is delayed or cancelled? If you're in the airport that early, you can recover from this sort of thing and still be in orlando before dark. If you've got a midday flight, well any complications could make it a stressful situation.

 

[Bill From PA]

A day spent in transit is a day wasted. Tomorrow I book tickets for a 6:30 am flight out of PHL on 3/2/2006, landing @ MCO before 9 am. I plan on being at Epcot well before WS opens and we'll do PI or JellyRolls that night.

Bill From PA

 

[laurabelle]

Personally, I think all you people that go to the parks on your first (and last) day are nuts. There's plenty of stuff to do in WDW without actually rushing too and from parks. I prefer to ease in and out of my vacation.
QUOTE]

 

[tbelfonti]

Sign us up as other nutso's who fly out as early as possible!

We're always on the 7AM flight out of Hartford - arriving betweeen 9:45 - 10AM. Gotta get that magic in as early as possible

And we always take the latest possible flight back to Hartford.

 

[snoopy5386]

This does not work for our family. I am a "night before" person. We always fly in the night before. In other words if my first day of vacation was friday and my last day of work was thursday we fly in thursday night. This way we get a nice restful night of sleep, get to explore our resort a bit, get the grocery shopping and unpacking done and wake up nice and restful for the first full day of our trip. Even if you take the earlier flight, you still won't be at the parks anywheres close to opening so why bother. Honestly when talking about attraction wait times and what not, there isn't much difference between noon and 2 pm. We tried the early am flight thing last year. 7 am flight which meant up at 330 am for us, and for me I stayed up until midnite to print our boarding passes (southwest). We were all exhausted. Everyone else went to bed around 10 pm, but still it was not a good first day. Everyone was tired and grumpy and we all ended up taking long naps and still didnt feel right the next day.

 

[Miscoehill]

Take the first flight out...we didn't the last time and ended up having to wait 3 hours to get our Alamo rental car.! It was a horror show. This way, if you have to wait your not wasting a whole day travelling. This August...first flight out, last flight home! I'm learning!

 

[goofy4tink]

We always get the earliest flight out of Logan we can. We fly Song and that flight is at 8:30. Wish it was earlier but such is life. As it is, we get to the airport by 7, leaving the house at 6-6:15. That means we're up at 5. And there have been times that we wake up too early, so just hit the road at 5:30. We have found that when we use a towncar it usually takes us an hour from touchdown to resort. We always have checked luggage, so have to wait for that and then by the time the driver goes back to get the car, it's been a little while waiting. Takes about 30 minutes to get from the airport to resorts.
We have usually been able to check-in and get our room when we get there. That's usually by 1:30-2. Only time this doesn't work is if you stay at a DVC resort. Then you can't get your room, unless you really luck out, until 4ish.
But, we just check-in, leave our bags, and head off to the closest park for a few hours. And that night we try to do something on the more relaxed side. No staying up really late...usually to bed by 11.

Overall, I would love to get a flight at 7ish. But, can't do that with Song. May have to try another airline down the road!!

When we leave WDW, we usually are on the 3-3:30 flight. We did try the later flight...6ish in August. But, with the thunderstorms, we got held up. So, now we'll stick with the mid-afternoon flight. Gives us time for a nice breakfast, maybe a swim or brief visit to a park before we head back to the airport around 12:30.

 

[aubriee]

I'm another one who wants to fly in as early as possible and out as late as possible. In May my flight leaves Dallas at 6:30pm and with the time difference lands at 9:20am. I plan to be in the MK for lunch! My flight back home leaves at 6:20 also, (but PM, not AM thank goodness). I should be back in Dallas by 8:55pm. With a 6:30am flight it means I'll be getting up around 2:30am, but I don't care since I work night shift and am always awake during that time anyway. Unfortunately my friend who is driving me to the airport may have problems .

 

[juliesue]

We are taking a 7:00 am flight from Chicago on Southwest. That means our limo is picking us up for the airport at 4:00am! The kids usually crash in the limo and on the plane. (me too LOL). We do a park in the afternoon, and then take it easy for dinner and go to bed early.

We used to be early morning park goers, but with almost teens now, that is just not possible. I can't fight three sleepyheads (that includes DH) out of bed on vacation, so I just sit on the balcony and wait for them to finally wake up.

 

[Micca]

The sooner the better You can run one day on addrenalin. I wouldn't plan to stay up late on your arrival day.

 

[Bama mom to 3]

This will be my 4th trip to the World, but my first one flying.....I havent booked toickets yet, but I plan to do the early morning ones too. I figure even if all we do is hang out at the pool at the resort after getting there, its still extra time there...LOL