Late flight logistics?

[wallawallakids]

Hello,
I was wondering if someone could help me out with a transfer type question. We are staying at WDW for 6 nights prior to our 4 night cruise. We will be taking ME to WDW and Disney transfers to Port. Currently I have us using Disney transfers back to MCO on debarkation but I am rethinking that. I was hoping someone can help me with a few questions.

Our flight doesn't leave MCO until 6:30pm.

1) Is it posible to take the Disney Transfers back to WDW without having a room reservation?

2) We are flying Delta, so I can still have them take my luggage to the airport, correct? And can I do that and still take the transfer to WDW instead of MCO? Or will they only take my luggage if I am going to MCO? And if that is true, I will be stuck with our bags, right?

3) Is it possible to schedule ME back to MCO if it is 4 days after you check out of your room? OR do you need to have ME scheduled the same day as your check out date?

I am trying to decide what to do with the down time. We tried getting a room at the Hyatt for a day last time to kill the time, but it was pretty much useless for our kids. (Pool was fun for an hour, tv was good for an hour, but after that, it is pretty much 4 kids with pent up energy waiting for a late flight. Not so much fun!) I think I would rather take them to Downtown Disney for a few hours or back to the parks and let them run around. (Adding a day onto our tickets is pretty affordable even for the 6 of us). I am thinking we will do early debarkation, which means we would be getting back to WDW around 10 am. That leaves us with 5-6 hours before we need to head back to the airport vs killing 8.5 hours in an airport which just seems like a really long day for the kids before having two flights back home....which is long too.

Thanks so much for any suggestions/ ideas/ answers! I appreciate it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello,
I was wondering if someone could help me out with a transfer type question. We are staying at WDW for 6 nights prior to our 4 night cruise. We will be taking ME to WDW and Disney transfers to Port. Currently I have us using Disney transfers back to MCO on debarkation but I am rethinking that. I was hoping someone can help me with a few questions.

Our flight doesn't leave MCO until 6:30pm.

1) Is it posible to take the Disney Transfers back to WDW without having a room reservation?

2) We are flying Delta, so I can still have them take my luggage to the airport, correct? And can I do that and still take the transfer to WDW instead of MCO? Or will they only take my luggage if I am going to MCO? And if that is true, I will be stuck with our bags, right?

3) Is it possible to schedule ME back to MCO if it is 4 days after you check out of your room? OR do you need to have ME scheduled the same day as your check out date?

I am trying to decide what to do with the down time. We tried getting a room at the Hyatt for a day last time to kill the time, but it was pretty much useless for our kids. (Pool was fun for an hour, tv was good for an hour, but after that, it is pretty much 4 kids with pent up energy waiting for a late flight. Not so much fun!) I think I would rather take them to Downtown Disney for a few hours or back to the parks and let them run around. (Adding a day onto our tickets is pretty affordable even for the 6 of us). I am thinking we will do early debarkation, which means we would be getting back to WDW around 10 am. That leaves us with 5-6 hours before we need to head back to the airport vs killing 8.5 hours in an airport which just seems like a really long day for the kids before having two flights back home....which is long too.

Thanks so much for any suggestions/ ideas/ answers! I appreciate it.

1) I don't think you can take DCL transfers to WDW without a specific resort reservation.
2) You must be taking the transfers to the airport to utilize the baggage (oboard airline checkin) services, in my experience.
3) Also think that you can't schedule Magical Express unless you have a resort reservation on the transfer day.

Now, I may be totally wrong, I'd suggest you call DCL and see if they have different answers. And, ask for a supervisor, don't just ask the CM answering the phone. Unfortunately, many of them don't know the answers.

What we did on our last cruise (late flight) was rent a car, drive to Animal Kingdom and spent the time there, before driving to the airport to check in for our flight.

 

[Jennifer777]

If you really want to make the most out of your time, I would consider hiring a private driver to take you from Port Canaveral to Disney and then from Disney to MCO. It probably won't cost you much more than taking ME (even if they would allow you to use ME). When we booked last year with Orlando Airport Town Car we paid $165 for a black SUV (holds up to 6 passengers) from Port Canaveral to WDW and $85 from WDW to MCO. That's $250 total plus tip and it is so much more convenient! They can pick you up very early right at the curb, drop you off where you want and pick you up when and where you tell them. Less waiting around = more time at WDW. We were back to WDW before 9:30am.

 

[Weedy]

Two ideas??
Book one of the least expensive rooms at one of the value resorts. This would allow you to take the bus to WDW, but you still would have the luggage issue or probabley the best suggestion would be to rent a car for one way from the port to the airport. Then you could leave your luggage in the car and be able to go where you want.

 

[wallawallakids]

If you really want to make the most out of your time, I would consider hiring a private driver to take you from Port Canaveral to Disney and then from Disney to MCO. It probably won't cost you much more than taking ME (even if they would allow you to use ME). When we booked last year with Orlando Airport Town Car we paid $165 for a black SUV (holds up to 6 passengers) from Port Canaveral to WDW and $85 from WDW to MCO. That's $250 total plus tip and it is so much more convenient! They can pick you up very early right at the curb, drop you off where you want and pick you up when and where you tell them. Less waiting around = more time at WDW. We were back to WDW before 9:30am.

Thank you for the recommendation. Sadly they will not hold the luggage for us.

I called DCL, and they said that I can use the on board airport luggage check and still drop us off at WDW without a room reservation. I would just need to get a taxi back to MCO. I am a bit nervous now though coming back here and reading that maybe they won't and perhaps the CM I spoke to was wrong. I emailed my TA to ask her but it is the weekend so I will see if she gets back to me on Monday to hear what she says. If not I may go with Weedy's idea and rent a room there for the day although that is honestly more then I would probably like to spend. It would get us ME back though. Private transfers might work, but the luggage issue is huge for us. There are 6 of us and I will have at least that many checked bags plus 6 carry ons. (We are not light packers...particularly on a 10 night trip!) Thanks for your help!

 

[Madzac]

We are also a family of 6. Our first cruise we rented a car at the dollar location at the port. It was very easy. We got off the ship, walked to the shuttle area and we're on our way to the car place in 10 min. I had pre reserved a car so that took about 10 more min and we were on our way. Very easy way to go to the beach or space center or back to wdw. You also have the van to keep your luggage in. It was about half the cost of disney transfers, and very very easy.

This next trip we are debating this again or bus back with the airline baggage check in and hyatt day room but our flight is at 4pm so less time to kill.

 

[cedricandsophie]

If we have more than 3 people we always rent a car to either get back t the airport or to spend the day somewhere else If we have a late flight. You can usually get a minivan for about 100 a day and then you have compete freedom to do what you want.

 

[wallawallakids]

If we have more than 3 people we always rent a car to either get back t the airport or to spend the day somewhere else If we have a late flight. You can usually get a minivan for about 100 a day and then you have compete freedom to do what you want.

Thank you for the idea. I have thought about this. Seems like the one day, one way rentals are really high in January. Am I looking too soon? Right now the cheapest I have found was $330 for a Dodge minivan which is crazy. If you don't mind me asking, who did you rent from? Wondering if prices tend to drop as you get closer or go higher as you get closer? Thanks!

 

[Jennifer777]

We use Hotwire for all our car rentals and book around 4 - 5 weeks prior to travel, which is when prices typically drop. I just priced out a one way minivan rental a month from now picking up at Port Canaveral, dropping off at MCO and it's around $115 after taxes.

 

[sdjen]

My thought would be to participate in the on board checkin so DCL will take your luggage and drop it off at Delta for you. Take the DCL bus back to MCO and get a rental car there. If you only have carry on luggage to deal with a minivan should work. That way you can drive wherever you want and not have to mess with storing bags somewhere.

Not sure if this would work though?

 

[bumbershoot]

I think the CM you spoke with was wrong.

Definitely look into a rental.

We once took the Disney bus back to the airport for the onboard airline checkin, then rented a car and spent the day at Universal. But we are a family of three and we had a free day with National and we have Uni APs.

I'd look into the rental. Prices will likely come down, but at some point you should figure out what the convenience of a car is worth. Unless prices have changed 6 people on the bus one way is $210. If the rental doesn't change, is freedom worth that extra $120?

Are there two adults? What about two smaller cars?

 

[bumbershoot]

Good thoughts written while I typed.

Check the price difference from Canaveral vs MCO. Might be cheap enough to make that bus cost worth it (bc not dealing with checked bags, if you can participate in the luggage program, is worth it).

Again I mention two cars, because a minivan's luggage area is more open than a car trunk. If I have to leave bags in a car I want them in a trunk, not an area with windows.

 

[wallawallakids]

Good thoughts written while I typed.

Check the price difference from Canaveral vs MCO. Might be cheap enough to make that bus cost worth it (bc not dealing with checked bags, if you can participate in the luggage program, is worth it).

Again I mention two cars, because a minivan's luggage area is more open than a car trunk. If I have to leave bags in a car I want them in a trunk, not an area with windows.

Good point! Thank you!