Late Night/Early Morning Arrivals

[MICKEY1024]

We are flying into MCO from DTW on Dec 26th, we land at 11:59 pm, so pretty much by the time we get luggage, board magical express and get to our hotel it will be around 1:00-1:30am. With check in not being until after 3:00 in the afternoon should we book a room for the 26th, or has anyone had experience with this and Disney having a room ready? Not sure what to do? TIA

 

[dansdad]

We are flying into MCO from DTW on Dec 26th, we land at 11:59 pm, so pretty much by the time we get luggage, board magical express and get to our hotel it will be around 1:00-1:30am. With check in not being until after 3:00 in the afternoon should we book a room for the 26th, or has anyone had experience with this and Disney having a room ready? Not sure what to do? TIA

If you don't book a room for the 26th, you will have to wait until 6AM on the 27th to check in. And your odds of being able to get into a room at 6AM are slim. I would definitely book a room for the 26th.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Or you could just book a room at the airport for the night and catch DME in the morning.

 

[purple figment]

That is the busiest week of the year and the resorts probably will be at capacity so if you want to get into your room when you arrive you will need to book a room for Dec 26. Otherwise you will be waiting for someone to check out on Dec 27 and the room will have to be cleaned.

 

[Sue M]

I'd book for that night ASAP, it's possible that rooms at your resort may even be already booked up in which case as Deb & Bill say, you can book an airport hotel, get some sleep and then take DME. If you land at midnight, I think it's optimistic to be at WDW resort by 1:00. By the time you deplane, pick up luggage and bring it to DME, then wait for bus, it could be closer to 1:30 or 2:00am before you arrive at WDW resort.
Staying at airport hotel you'll get to bed earlier and be more rested for your first day at WDW.
There is a hotel right in the airport, and many with airport shuttles nearby.

 

[Hopefully]

I definitely agree with the others. Book a room ASAP for the night of the 26th.
One year we arrived the night before our WDW stay. We chose to stay at an airport Courtyard by Marriott. It was relatively cheap. It had a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. We got a good nights sleep and left early in the morning to check into our WDW resort.
Good Luck

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I agree with the others. Consider booking at night at the Hyatt MCO. It is IN the airport. It's super easy to get your luggage, check-in and go to sleep. In the morning, you can simply go downstairs and catch DME to your resort!

 

[Maxie86]

Another vote for the Hyatt at MCO. We always stay there if get in anytime after 8 PM. Book ASAP it does book up and the rates usually go up the closer you get.

 

[mdelano4]

No experience staying at the Hyatt, but for sure book a room or you will be sleeping on a lobby couch for the night. Then, a picture of you on the couch will end up plastered all over Facebook.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I would book a room at the airport and catch DME bright and early the next morning.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Agree with others. Book a room for that night.

We typically land at 11:15/30 and last year we weren't in our room until just shy of 3 am.

- Deplaning, grabbing luggage (as ME won't collect luggage after 10pm)
- heading over to the ME departure on the opposite side of the airport
- waiting for about 45 minutes for the bus to "fill up" - not too many folks arrive that late
- and there's the possibility your resort will not be the first stop
- as international travellers we did have to stop by the front desk to grab room assignments and MBs but that was only about 10 minutes as we had completed online check in ahead of time.

As @Sue M stated, I think 1 am is VERY optimistic.