Late Flight on Last Day

islandtimect

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Aug 22, 2007
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Our flight home is in the early evening, so we plan to hang at the pool or beach at Grand Floridian that day. Does the hotel have a place to get showered or at least changed? We'll check out at the normal time and give our bags to the bellman. Also, what's the fee for late check out?
 
OP,

Based on what you typed above, You said that you we're checking out at the normal time.. (ie no extra fees) Disney normally lets you use the facilities (pool, recreation/etc...) up till midnight on the day of checkout anyway, same price. (just like they let you use it early on the day you check-in)

Pretty much all of the resort do have showers/changing etc... for this reason at their pools.

Last week we went to Typhoon Lagoon on our last day with a 6:40 pm flight.

Checked out of our resort (had luggage in car though). Went to TL with change of clothes and tolitries (ie travel soap & shampoo) which stayed in a locker till 2:30. At 2:30 we got out of the pools & stuff and went to the changing rooms/showers and were on our way by 3:15.

Of course we did bring plastic bags for all the wet towels/bathing suits/etc and on the way home that was the bag the TSA picked to do additional screening on. (figures)
 
Grand Floridian has facilities at the pool for showering and changing. There are even hairdryers. We were there last week and were given at later checkout time when we asked. We ended up going to MK instead of hanging out at the pool, but a pool day was possible.
 
We needed our room for an extra half day. We paid half our room rate for a late check out of 3 PM. It was pricey but I felt that it was worth the expense to have a place to get ready easily and store our bags with no worries. We had a 5 YO with us and she was beat by the end of the trip. I will never fly out at 8pm again. Live and learn.
 

Never stayed at GF so I can't really answer your original question about changing areas but in the past (when I am the planner) I have always looked for flights in the evening so we don't lose the entire day, also fly to WDW early so have most of the day. I don't know about swimming on the last day, but that's just me (wouldn't want to haul wet clothes in my luggage), but I have always checked out normal time then stored luggage at the hotel and either hit up DTD for last minute shopping, or one of the parks for a few hours. I have never had a problem. Enjoy your trip!
 
What time is your flight?

I would request late checkout depending on what time you are leaving so you can still have access to the room, otherwise, just use the facilities there which you can still use up until you leave.
 
We had a 4:10pm ME pick-up time so we just kept our room an extra night because I didn't want to feel like a vagabond all day. It actually worked out really well as were we using free DDP so we had an extra day's credits to use. Of course, that was based on POP rates...I might have felt differently if it we were paying for GF. BTW, it was CRO that suggested I do this as they felt the resort would not be able to allow late check-out due to the high occupancy rate (this was over Labor Day Weekend).
 
This is just another example of different strokes for different folks, that is what makes the DIS soooo wonderful, everyone has an opinion :goodvibes

Now for our family, we will ONLY do the last flight of the day. We swim, shower at the pool, get ME, bus, or cab to MCO and off we go to Chicago.

If we don't want to swim - we hit a park or DTD. I want as much of the magic that we can take it. :goodvibes
 
We ALWAYS take the earliest flight into MCO and the latest flight out. Last trip our departure wasn't until 8:40! We either store our luggage or check it in with RAC (depending on which airline we're using) spend the morning at MK, doing our shopping (we ship it home) on Main St. in MK then head back to the resort to swim and spend the day. We've done this at both GF and YC with no problems. Both had great changing and showering facilities. At GF it is by the themed pool and at YC you use the health club facilities. We go in July so never had to worry about wet bathing suits - always completely dry in a few minutes but I bring a few extra ziploc bags just in case. We've always done this and it works out great for our family.

The latest check out we were ever able to get was 1:00 and there wasn't any additional charge.
 
We ALWAYS take the earliest flight into MCO and the latest flight out. Last trip our departure wasn't until 8:40! We either store our luggage or check it in with RAC (depending on which airline we're using) spend the morning at MK, doing our shopping (we ship it home) on Main St. in MK then head back to the resort to swim and spend the day. We've done this at both GF and YC with no problems. Both had great changing and showering facilities. At GF it is by the themed pool and at YC you use the health club facilities. We go in July so never had to worry about wet bathing suits - always completely dry in a few minutes but I bring a few extra ziploc bags just in case. We've always done this and it works out great for our family.

The latest check out we were ever able to get was 1:00 and there wasn't any additional charge.


We do this too! Get in an early as we can and leave as late as we can. We just got back a couple of weeks ago and our flight out left at 7:00 p.m. I had late checkout until 4:00 so it worked out perfect! We went to 2 parks and even got a Dream Fastpass on our last day:wizard: What a perfect ending to a great trip. We didn't use them though since the lines weren't bad so I kept it as a souvenier and already have it in the frames that were being offered for $10 in the gift shops.:)
 
Late checkout fees vary. I got pneumonia while at WDW and needed to stay in my room until 4:00 and the AKL charged me a full night's stay for the extra five hours. Not only that, but a guy came right into the room, where I was lying in bed, alone, and told me that I wasn't supposed to be there and had to go. After I told him that I'd paid an entire extra night's charge for a few hours, he apologized and left.

Other people get to pay 1/2 night's cost.

I have never seen showers in the pool bathrooms, but never looked. They could very well be there. :)

You can store the luggage and drive it to the airport yourself or (for some airlines), you can check in for your flight at the hotel and they'll move your luggage for you. You have to do this at least 3 hours before the flight. There is also that business with the Magical Express (bus) thing, which I know little about.

Good luck!
 
My late checkout at 4:00 was no charge since I'm an Starwood gold member which is a real nice perk. Allows me to take those later flights home:thumbsup2
 


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