Is it better to check in at noon (totally sleep deprived) or at 4:30?

[invalid_char]

Hi everyone!

In our past 2 trips to bcv, we have taken the 7am flight from Boston, and, after grocery shopping etc... we're usually checking in around noon. Our room has never been ready before 3:30 and the kids are really tired with no place to nap.

This time we are our stay will be longer and we hope to take things at a less exhausting pace. We are thinking of taking a later flight which would likely have us checking in at 4: 30. We will lose an afternoon in the pool but we will probably feel rested enough to go to Epcot and see illuminations.

Anyway, does anyone see a disadvantage in terms of room requests from checking in that late? Or is date of reservation the real determining factor?

Also, I am buying tickets about 6 and a half months out. Direct flights from Boston seem to be about $220 and up. Is this a good time to buy tickets? If I bought them earlier or later would I get a better price?

Thanks for your help!

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

I think getting there later thus almost assuring that you won't have to hang around waiting for your room to be ready is a better idea.

Our last two trips we finally got smart and decided to plan for a later arrival and we ended up feeling much less stressed, always had a room ready and waiting for us, and ended up not really missing the few hours later that we arrived.

As you said, you are planning a longer trip this time so........

Have FUN!!!

 

[InstImpres]

Couple of thoughts/comments (since you asked 0;

I know Logan is famous for delayed flights. (snow, rain, fog, etc.) How would you feel if arriving at 4pm turned into 9pm. Earlier lights have a better chance of still making it the same day and less cancellation. (also keep in find an early flight the plane is usually there the night before, later in the day the delay could be because of weather on the other side of the country).

How important is room location to you. I believe they are sticking to room ready except for medical needs. The advantage to noon is if you don't like room ready, you can tell them exactly what you want and they will block it out for you (worked terrific for me at VWL).

My family is up before 5am Disney day regardless of flight time, just to much anticipation in our house so earlier is fine with me.

Anything you choose, it's still Disney so it will be fabulous
Happy travels
Sandy

 

[michaeln]

If it was me I would take the early flight and we would all sleep on the plane. My kids tend to just fall right to sleep when the plane take off. Not sure why, but I don't complain.

However, if you can't sleep on the plane you might want to take the later flight. But, if the flight gets delayed don't blame it on me.

 

[canda]

I used to think to get there early. I did this at HHI VWL and VB, several times each. Every time, we had to wait to get our rooms. I now try to be there at 4.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by invalid_char
Anyway, does anyone see a disadvantage in terms of room requests from checking in that late? Or is date of reservation the real determining factor?

Supposedly, "room ready" is the new policy for room assignment, so you would be offered whatever is available. Since check out is at 11:00, almost all rooms should be cleaned by 4:00. So depending on how late you get there, and how picky the people are who check in that day, your requests might not have as much of a chance as an earlier check in.

So far, "room ready" seems to be working pretty well.....I haven't heard an outcry from those one these boards about the system. Of course, with that system, you should have a much better chance of getting right into your room at noon if you arrive then. Certainly, there should be no reason at all for someone to wait until 4:00 if they check in at noon with the "room ready" system.

Good luck!

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Just ret'd from BWV's on Sat....checked in on the 12th (Sun.) took an early flight out of Chicago at 6:50am......I hate getting up early......anyway DH & my rm. ready about 2pm....but DS and fam. got in there rm at 4pm.....we were on the 4th floor SV.....had a great trip and the weather was lovely except for Mon (13th) way to humid.....

 

[crisi]

We just got back and flew out of Minneapolis on the 7:30 am flight - getting in at 11:30 and by the time our luggage arrived, we'd done our grocery stop, and we were at the hotel, it was 2:00 pm. The room was ready and we headed in - then hit Epcot for a late lunch/early dinner, did some of Future World, headed back to the resort around 7:30, relaxed, watched the fireworks and went to bed. My kids are 4 and 5, so I know what you mean about tired kids - but mine won't sleep once they get to Disney until they fall down exhausted at the end of the day - so having a place to nap wouldn't have helped. And the family has no problem getting up at 5:00 to go to Disney World (we let the kids travel in the jammies and change at one airport or another). We never managed to keep the kids up late enough for Illuminations regardless. They were always asleep by 9:00 back in the room.

But that is my family. I know my kids won't nap at Disney, so I don't even bother to plan for it. I know that the only way we get to Illuminations is to take shifts, so I don't plan for the kids to ever be there.

BTW, even checking in when we did the only "request" that was met was BWV (which we had confirmed). Our non-smoking request was ignored (but I didn't think to ask when checking in and never noticed any smoke smell in the room). Had I been more "with it" at check in I could have made sure I had a non-smoking room.

 

[adamandallie]

Originally posted by invalid_char

Also, I am buying tickets about 6 and a half months out. Direct flights from Boston seem to be about $220 and up. Is this a good time to buy tickets? If I bought them earlier or later would I get a better price?

We lived in cental MA and I can't remember the last time I flew out of Logan. Its such a pain in the neck to get to because of traffic and construction. We usually fly out of TF Green in Providence. Its easier to get in and out of and the parking is cheaper. The airfare prices are about the same or cheaper as Logan. The other option is Manchester, NH. They always seem to have lower airfare than both Boston and Providence. We never did fly out of there so I couldn't tell you about the airport itself.

 

[betslinc]

We got some cheap direct flights on Delta Song out of Logan, around $195 round trip for MLK weekend. Supposedly they are going to have little monitors built into each seat and you can watch programing or play games (for the right price I would imagine). Sounds good for traveling with kids.

 

[nikitta28]

check in at noon, totally sleep deprived

have a good day, than go to bed early and be ready at 700 am to be at the early opening park by 800am