Earliest time to fly out of MCO on debarkation day??

[mmouse37]

OP is asking about sailing from Port Canaveral on the Dream, flying out of MCO. As you see in your above listing, DCL recommends no flight earlier than 11:30, which is what I had quoted above.

I know, I was just showing that DCL does have varying departures times depending on port. Wasn't correcting you, just passing on info.

MJ

 

[soniam]

There are postings about Fantasy having mechanical issues right now. It won't make it into PC until 10am versus the expected 6am. This can easily happen due to weather too, so booking early return flights can be a costly mistake.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Yep. Not the same, but our one and only time cruising out of Galveston in the winter; we got fogged in terribly... stuck in international waters for hours. Very creepy. Missed our flight, missed our car, had to get a last minute hotel (when everyone else was trying to do the same thing). Trip insurance saved the day!

 

[soniam]

Yep. Not the same, but our one and only time cruising out of Galveston in the winter; we got fogged in terribly... stuck in international waters for hours. Very creepy. Missed our flight, missed our car, had to get a last minute hotel (when everyone else was trying to do the same thing). Trip insurance saved the day!

We got delayed getting on RCCL in Galveston once. Apparently, it's fairly common at that time of year.

 

[phinz]

I'd never book an early flight. I'd rather sit at an airport and read than have to pay for another hotel and then deal with trying to rebook airline flights.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/fantasy-having-mechanical-issues.3605748/

 

[Dug720]

I'd never book an early flight. I'd rather sit at an airport and read than have to pay for another hotel and then deal with trying to rebook airline flights.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/fantasy-having-mechanical-issues.3605748/

This! Especially since I can pretty much only cruise on school break times and unless it is summer I NEED to be back the day we get off break. I would rather have a later flight out and read or do airport laps than be rushed and miss a flight.

 

[com_op_2000]

Look at the other posts about the Fantasy not arriving in PC today and no one disembarking until 11:00. No way anyone is going to make a flight before 14:00 out of MCO.

 

[AngelDisney]

I always book a later flight, or stay in the area for a day or two before flying back. It's better safe than sorry!

 

[mmouse37]

Yep. Not the same, but our one and only time cruising out of Galveston in the winter; we got fogged in terribly... stuck in international waters for hours. Very creepy. Missed our flight, missed our car, had to get a last minute hotel (when everyone else was trying to do the same thing). Trip insurance saved the day!

Had the same experience this past January in Galveston but luckily we made our 6:00 pm flight by a hair (ha and we thought we had tons of time and how would we possibly pass the time at the airport!).

MJ

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I always book a later flight, or stay in the area for a day or two before flying back. It's better safe then sorry!

This^^^ for us too. I want to remain relaxed after my cruise.

 

[Donna M]

I get stressed enough anticipating problems, so we fly in a day or two early and then spend another day at Disney afterwards. But, there was one cruise I did with a friend, and I booked an 11:00 flight with Disney transfers and was fine. I figured I stay at Disney if there was a problem.

It depends on how much of a chance you are willing to take and what kind of back up plans you have.

 

[phinz]

Look at the other posts about the Fantasy not arriving in PC today and no one disembarking until 11:00. No way anyone is going to make a flight before 14:00 out of MCO.

My TA was still onboard at 1.

 

[sharonabe]

Anyone think it is possible for my family of 5 to make a 10:30am flight on a Friday in August with the Dream due ashore in PC at 7:30am?

We all have TSA pre check. The next flight at 11:45am is not available and the later flights are way more expensive. I can get round trip for $286 which jumps up to $415 pp.

At that price difference, can you just wait and take the cheaper flight the next day (assuming it's the same price) and stay overnight? That would be cheaper than taking the more expensive, but safer flight on the same day.

 

[phinz]

We all have TSA pre check. The next flight at 11:45am is not available and the later flights are way more expensive. I can get round trip for $286 which jumps up to $415 pp.

I've seen the Pre-Check line longer than the regular line before, and both lines were stupidly long.

I'd stick around a day instead of trying to rush back.

 

[ain0004]

Not sure who you are flying with. Southwest just dropped their price from yesterday on my return flight home.
I am now getting the 11:45 vs the 6pm flight home. Yes it makes me nervous going in hurricane season. Yes the new Fantasy issue makes me nervous about my new flight time home. Purchasing trip insurance is a great idea. And more disney time never hurt anyone.
2012 we departed as soon as we could. Got the first Budget shuttle. I called and while getting off the ship saying party of 7 is disembarking. Got off and was at the airport and sitting in our terminal 10am. Now that is without one set back. If you insist on getting early flight I would suggest being the 1st ones off the ship. And having a car service there waiting.

 

[noahsketomom]

I have previously had 11:35a & 2pm flights and had NO problems. We had a 12:50p flight yesterday and (obviously) didn't make it due to Fantasy's issues. Most (not all) airlines were waiving change fees, but we couldn't get out until 7pm. It wasn't worth the stress. Next time we'll book a hotel for a night. Or just book a later flight.

 

[miadoerr]

No way too much stress with the kiddos.

 

[ascardino]

Thanks for all the input!!

After I made the initial post, I read on Disney's site not to book before 11:30am for PC. Also my TA weighed in and said not to risk it.

I do plan to purchase the Disney cruise travel insurance and so we found a return flight on JetBlue at 11:35am that was reasonable. So round trip air is now $300pp.

 

[ascardino]

Thought I would pass this along in case it may help anyone else looking to plan or book a vacation. It pays to look at JetBlue Vacations for a "deal". We are now paying a out $458pp for round trip from EWR to MCO including 3 nights at Universal's Portofino hotel. That is only $43 pp more than what I started at last week (see my original post)!

So my issue was/is that we have typically flown United and have mileage for each of the five of us. However, for the past year+ we have been flying JetBlue. In order to keep our mileage active I was thinking of either using mileage for tickets this trip or just buying tix from United rather than JetBlue.

That said, the price has been more than we would typically like to pay so I have been watching. We are taking a cruise for part of the trip and have season passes for Universal that we planned on using for days prior to the cruise. Friends of ours, also a family of 5, booked on JetBlue months ago for around the same dates and paid about $354 pp rt so that was my benchmark.

When I posted last week I was really excited to see that I could get it under $300 but the time was off on the departure. I realized that I could get the 11:35am flight on JB back to EWR and fly down on United for about $118 pp.

So I call JetBlue Vacations and ask them to price a package and here is what I got:
*$1541.12 for 5 at Portofino for 3 nights in a bay view room flying one way back on JetBlue at 11:35am (to pay for the same flight, it would = $906) meaning only an additional $635!!
*$1706.12 for 5 at Portofino for 3 nights in a bay view room flying one way back on JetBlue at 1:39pm which is what I went with after all the input here and also to fly home on the same flight as our friends and take some of the pressure off departing.

I am really stoked because again if I tried to book the air only for the later flight it would have cost an extra $66 pp and because it was part of the package, it only came to $33 pp. I never thought airline vacation packages were worth the trouble/money but I was wrong. Not only that but we earn something like triple points on the whole package!

 

[Ep disney]

Anyone think it is possible for my family of 5 to make a 10:30am flight on a Friday in August with the Dream due ashore in PC at 7:30am?

We all have TSA pre check. The next flight at 11:45am is not available and the later flights are way more expensive. I can get round trip for $286 which jumps up to $415 pp.

I read this predeparture thread as I was deciding between a 9:11 flight and the next at 12:57. I decided to book the 12:57 but to try to standby on the 9:11. As I thought i was attempting the impossible I took the Disney transportation to relax. The boat (fantasy) cleared customs at 7:15 and our bus left at 7:30. At the airport we had to wait a long time for the bags to unload before we could get off the bus- there was a long line at the check in where we attempted to change flights. We ended up missing getting to switch flights by only 8 minutes. So here I sit - 4 hours- waiting for the next flight. The tsa lines are 5 minutes long so while I would not book anything prior to 10 am I would say if you express walk off, get an Uber, and have tsa pre early flights are possible!