Info on flying virgin manchester to orlando

[stephensmum]

Flying with Virgin on the 13.45 from Manchester to Orlando Int & 22.15 return.
Could you give me any info, tips on Virgin flights & on arriving & departing Orlando Int.

 

[disney_princess_85]

What sort of info are you looking for? It's very straightforward at both ends.

 

[stephensmum]

What sort of info are you looking for? It's very straightforward at both ends.

Just any tips that helps us to get the most benefit. ie check in at DD info, immigration info,

 

[Jordanblackpool]

Im on that flight 3 weeks on Sat, done it before, pretty straightforward, I enjoy virgin flights more than any others. Last time I went i checked in at DD and too be honest it didnt save us that much time, i think its $10 a person but the benefits of not havin to carry cases round all day was good.

 

[disney_princess_85]

We didn't check in at DD but I know that if you booked a package with Virgin Holidays, you get it for free. Otherwise, I believe you have to pay $10 per person. If you're planning on using Magical Express (as we did), you get to the airport around three hours before your flight departs anyway, which is more than adequate. You do have to take your own bags (you can leave them at DD if you check in there), but we just stored them at the hotel until we were ready to leave and they were put in the luggage hold on the bus.

Virgin were still handing out the green forms in September (even though ESTA has been introduced). We had exit row seats so we got off the plane first and got through immigration really quickly. The officer checked our forms and asked the usual questions.

Will this be your first flight with Virgin? It was my first flight with them last year and I found the experience very pleasant. The stewards were so accommodating and friendly.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks guys. Went with Virgin in 1996 but that was before I did any planning. Once off the plane,do you collect luggage then pass through immigration? thought i read to stay to the right to get into the quickest queue?

 

[Netty]

landing at MCO you get off lane and run -- to immigration, head to the right side go to the far right as when all the usa and plane crew go through you will be called out of your queue to go next. whe you have given the obligatory finger scan etc your then free to go and get your cases from the carousel... when going through you have the choice to put them back on the next carousel or take them with you- take them with you if you can as it will work out much quicker, then you can just head straight down to car hire.
If you have got your car hire with dollar then its a good idea to sign up for dollar express no waiting with 300 other people to get your car as you will be the next in line to go to the desk
hope all this makes sense!!!

 

[disney_princess_85]

Yeah I'd heard that about heading to the right but we headed left. As I said, we were off the plane very quickly so it probably wouldn't have made much difference either way.

 

[mitchfishguard]

manchester is very easy to navigate. orlando is even easier. thers a virgin holidays desk, an easy bus-pick up, car-hire is easily seen and taxis are readily available. ask any employee for any possible answer, and every single one of them will help you. unlike manchester.............. or gatwick for that matter. dtd check-in is great if youre with virgin HOLIDAYS but pointless if youre with virgin atlantic or staying at disney. you will be able to come back on this thread after your holiday and say how stress-free it all was

 

[Netty]

manchester is very easy to navigate. orlando is even easier. thers a virgin holidays desk, an easy bus-pick up, car-hire is easily seen and taxis are readily available. ask any employee for any possible answer, and every single one of them will help you. unlike manchester.............. or gatwick for that matter. dtd check-in is great if youre with virgin HOLIDAYS but pointless if youre with virgin atlantic or staying at disney. you will be able to come back on this thread after your holiday and say how stress-free it all was

we use DTD flying with VA, no different than VH other than VA customers have to pay $10

 

[dc1964]

Orlando (MCO) airport is great, we were out and in the hotel on I drive in about an hour and a quarter, very quick , very straight forward.

 

[~Piglet~]

dtd check-in is great if youre with virgin HOLIDAYS but pointless if youre with virgin atlantic or staying at disney

Why is it pointless?! other than paying $10 (which still makes flying VA cheaper than paying for a holiday through VH) you get exactly the same benefit - no cases or check-in to worry about and more time spent in Orlando before coming home

 

[Pegasus928]

Why is it pointless?! other than paying $10 (which still makes flying VA cheaper than paying for a holiday through VH) you get exactly the same benefit - no cases or check-in to worry about and more time spent in Orlando before coming home

I agree. We have used DTD check in as both VH and VA and the benefits have been the same. To get rid of the cases at the start of the day, especially when we had 2 each and a late flight, was priceless.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks guys. We will be using Magical Express, so it may be better for us to just leave our cases at SSR & go to the parks. We have row 35, is this very far from the exit?

 

[Pegasus928]

Thanks guys. We will be using Magical Express, so it may be better for us to just leave our cases at SSR & go to the parks. We have row 35, is this very far from the exit?

If you have a look on here

http://www.seatguru.com/

and find your aircraft it will show you where the seat is.

 

[stephensmum]

If you have a look on here

http://www.seatguru.com/

and find your aircraft it will show you where the seat is.

Thanks for this. Not sure which is our plane, but is it the doors between prem ecom & ecom that you exit from?

 

[mitchfishguard]

we use DTD flying with VA, no different than VH other than VA customers have to pay $10

thats what i meant by pointless. magical express is the way with disney and if youre with va, save the 20 bucks and use it towards your transport to the airport. you leave your luggage with the bell-hop at your hotel, why bother to go to dtd and give away 20 big ones? wasnt criticising, just commenting.

 

[stephensmum]

thats what i meant by pointless. magical express is the way with disney and if youre with va, save the 20 bucks and use it towards your transport to the airport. you leave your luggage with the bell-hop at your hotel, why bother to go to dtd and give away 20 big ones? wasnt criticising, just commenting.

Yes, we have decided to do that.

 

[mitchfishguard]

thanks sharon, it just happens to suit us as well. the reason is , two years ago, i took a taxi to dtd, queued for ages, paid twenty dollars, got rid of my cases, walked over to the bus-stop, went back to pofq, total time 2 hours, later on i retrieved my hand-luggage from bell-hop to catch magical express. then the penny dropped. id actually gont to bell-hop first thing!!!!!!!!!! why didnt i just check in online at the hotel, confirm my seats and given my cases to bell-hop. what a berk. i spoke to a guy at the airport and he said hed booked a taxi for 2 and a half hours before the flight, checked in online at his i-drive hotel and was in universal for 9 0clock. i will finish however by saying that a first-timer will find dtd stress-free and id bizarrely recommend it. but sorry, if youve been before , i find it pointless. imo

 

[stephensmum]

thanks sharon, it just happens to suit us as well. the reason is , two years ago, i took a taxi to dtd, queued for ages, paid twenty dollars, got rid of my cases, walked over to the bus-stop, went back to pofq, total time 2 hours, later on i retrieved my hand-luggage from bell-hop to catch magical express. then the penny dropped. id actually gont to bell-hop first thing!!!!!!!!!! why didnt i just check in online at the hotel, confirm my seats and given my cases to bell-hop. what a berk. i spoke to a guy at the airport and he said hed booked a taxi for 2 and a half hours before the flight, checked in online at his i-drive hotel and was in universal for 9 0clock. i will finish however by saying that a first-timer will find dtd stress-free and id bizarrely recommend it. but sorry, if youve been before , i find it pointless. imo

Yes, last year we had an earlier flight, so left luggage at Bell hop, had breakfast then got ME. When I told dh about DD check in, he thought that we would just be wasting time (& £), as we had to come back to hotel for ME. Although, we may get a taxi to have an extra hour or so.