MCO to Poly in time for Wishes - realistic?

[Needafix]

We only have 4 days at Disney, so of course I'm trying to make the most of every minute. Our flights get into MCO at 8pm.

I'm dying to get the family to Poly for water pageant (9pm) and Wishes (10pm). How realistic? I'm fairly certain we'd never get checked into the Dolphin, the to Poly (we don't have a car), but I was thinking of having FL Tours drop us directly at Poly (we're only taking a duffle bag each).

Do you think that's realistic at least for Wishes? Thanks to wonderful childhood memories, I cannot start any trip to Disney w/o going to Poly first.

 

[Endeavour105]

We only have 4 days at Disney, so of course I'm trying to make the most of every minute. Our flights get into MCO at 8pm.

I'm dying to get the family to Poly for water pageant (9pm) and Wishes (10pm). How realistic? I'm fairly certain we'd never get checked into the Dolphin, the to Poly (we don't have a car), but I was thinking of having FL Tours drop us directly at Poly (we're only taking a duffle bag each).

Do you think that's realistic at least for Wishes? Thanks to wonderful childhood memories, I cannot start any trip to Disney w/o going to Poly first.

How realistic?

Not at all.

Even if your plane lands on time at 8:00pm, it'll take you a good 30 min.just to get to the baggage claim area - time to deboard + walking to shuttle + walking to baggage claim in the terminal + waiting for your bag, etc, etc, etc.

Then there's travel time to WDW, etc etc etc.

Sorry, but you won't make either the Water Pageant or the fireworks...

 

[goofy4tink]

Have to agree...no way will you make it. Even if you go directly to the Polynesian, you aren't going to make it. It will take you about 15-20 mins to get to baggage claim, another 15 mins to get your bags, then 5 mins or so to the car. 30 mins to get to WDW. I would forget about getting to the Polynesian and go directly the Dolphin and get settled in for the night.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

but I was thinking of having FL Tours drop us directly at Poly (we're only taking a duffle bag each).

If you select seats as far forward in the aircraft cabin as you can get ...

And if you use the lavatory on the plane so that you won't have to use precious minutes on the ground ...

And if your flight actually arrives on time at 8:00 p.m. (this one is the big "if") ...

And if your duffel bags are all carry-ons (no checked bags at all) ...

And if you head straight for where you're meeting the FL Tours driver ...

And if the driver can retrieve the towncar and drive it to the curb very quickly ...

And if there are no delays during the 35-40 minute drive from the airport to Poly ...

You might get to the Poly entrance before 9:00 p.m.

Then, dragging your duffel bags with you, you can run to a spot to view the water pageant.

The problem with this scenario is that a few short delays mean you'll be at the Poly too late, if the water pageant is at 9:00 p.m.

Thanks to wonderful childhood memories, I cannot start any trip to Disney w/o going to Poly first.

Then go to the Ploy first. Have fun. Just make sure that nobody will be disappointed if the usual realities of travel, such as flight delays and traffic, get in the way.

 

[Mary2e]

I've made it in about 30 minutes from deplaning to the hotel. How?

Carry-ons and and Avis Wizard Account.

We go straight to the car rental booth and are handed keys. I also have the toll money in my pocket.

OR, if we have a checked bag, DH and I split up. He gets the bag while I get the car.

Plus, we can drive to WDW with our eyes closed.

If you aren't a frequent visitor and know exactly how you are going to get from the airport, it's not likely you will make it in an hour.

 

[Needafix]

Bummer I won't make it, but the posts made me laugh. I didn't think it was possible, but thought I'd make sure. I used to go often, but haven't been in 5 years, so I'm not expecting to remember my way around.

It sounds like it could be possible to make it to Wishes, since we won't be checking any bags. I'm going to keep it all to myself and make the decision when we're in the car. Thanks again.

 

[DebbieB]

I've made it in about 30 minutes from deplaning to the hotel. How?

Carry-ons and and Avis Wizard Account.

We go straight to the car rental booth and are handed keys. I also have the toll money in my pocket.

OR, if we have a checked bag, DH and I split up. He gets the bag while I get the car.

Plus, we can drive to WDW with our eyes closed.

If you aren't a frequent visitor and know exactly how you are going to get from the airport, it's not likely you will make it in an hour.

Isn't it a 30 minute drive alone? How could you make it from the plane, take the train, go down to level 1, get the car and drive to WDW all in 30 minutes?

 

[Mary2e]

We're from NJ - it's a 15-20 minute drive for us Remember, we drive like crazy people

The stars have to be in complete alignment, but we have done it. We also don't take the Greenway(belt?) as it takes much longer than the Bee-Line. And we're hustling..

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Isn't it a 30 minute drive alone? How could you make it from the plane, take the train, go down to level 1, get the car and drive to WDW all in 30 minutes?

Maybe somebody set the car's speed control to 120 m.p.h.

Yes. The drive itself us a minimum of 30 minutes. I would allow 35-40 minutes because the Poly is deep within WDW, not at its edge like some other resorts.

 

[Mary2e]

OK... don't believe me if you wish...

The Poly is not that deep within the property IF you know how to get there using shortcuts.. And I mean cut around DDT and go passed FW to get there.

There is no way it has ever taken 40 minutes to get to WDW from the airport unless it was the middle of the day on a Sat and I-4 was backed up.

I once timed us... time from plane and onto the boat launch at the Poly to get the to MK - 1 hour.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We're from NJ - it's a 15-20 minute drive for us Remember, we drive like crazy people

It's 23.6 miles from MCO to the Poly using the northern exit from MCO, FL-528 and I-4. That includes two toll plazas and the MK parking plaza.

If you can do that in 15 minutes, you had to be going an average of 94.4 m.p.h. And given the time involved with toll plazas and the parking plaza, you had to be going much, much faster than 94.4 m.p.h. on the freeway pieces.

Allowing 20 minutes and a resort at the edge of WDW, the speed would not have to be quite so high. However, I can't see anyone realistically get from the airplane to any WDW resort hotel in 30 minutes.

The stars have to be in complete alignment, but we have done it. We also don't take the Greenway(belt?) as it takes much longer than the Bee-Line. And we're hustling..

It's 26.4 miles using the southern exit from MCO and the Central Florida Greeneway (FL-417). This route also has two toll plazas and the MK parking plaza. That's only 2.8 miles more than using FL-528 and I-4.

I've never run into traffic slowdowns on the Central Florida Greeneway, but I've been in bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic on the I-4. So, based on my experience, I recommend the Central Florida Greeneway.

 

[Mary2e]

You can't see it, but we've done it. Like I said - the stars have to be in alignment, but it's doable and been done.

I will agree that saying 15 minutes was too optimistic. 20-25 is more like it and I stand corrected.

However, I wouldn't say that most people would be able to do it that quickly.

So, in the end, it's your word against mine. I know that we've been down there at least 2-4x per year for over 15 years. We know our way around. We know the back roads. I would never ever suggest that someone without that much experience would even attempt it in under 60-75 minutes - if they're lucky.

All I know is that we get there very quickly and wouldn't think twice about scheduling something for 1 hour after our flight arrived. Yes, we'd be chancing it actually arriving on time, but the drive wouldn't be an issue at all.