ME to AKL

[memobrien]

i'm going to be traveling alone with my 6 year old daughter. we are going to be staying at AKL and arriving late on a sunday night. we stayed at akl once before. i can't remember exactly but i have this feeling it took a LONG time to get to the hotel when we used ME. if that is the case i'm really worried that we will get in too late and she will be wiped out. any thoughts on how long ME will take.

also, i would love your thoughts on if i should skip ME and arrange another transportation.

maura

 

[dudspizza]

i'm going to be traveling alone with my 6 year old daughter. we are going to be staying at AKL and arriving late on a sunday night. we stayed at akl once before. i can't remember exactly but i have this feeling it took a LONG time to get to the hotel when we used ME. if that is the case i'm really worried that we will get in too late and she will be wiped out. any thoughts on how long ME will take.

also, i would love your thoughts on if i should skip ME and arrange another transportation.

maura

You don't mention when you are getting in. Personally, I didn't think ME took that long. If you are coming in after 10, you will have to retrieve your own bags, so that is something to consider when deciding on your transport options.

Best of luck. I personally like ME no matter what time I arrive.

duds

 

[Tozzie]

i'm going to be traveling alone with my 6 year old daughter. we are going to be staying at AKL and arriving late on a sunday night. we stayed at akl once before. i can't remember exactly but i have this feeling it took a LONG time to get to the hotel when we used ME. if that is the case i'm really worried that we will get in too late and she will be wiped out. any thoughts on how long ME will take.

also, i would love your thoughts on if i should skip ME and arrange another transportation.

maura

I stay at AKL often as that is my DVC home resort and always take DME, I have never had it take more than 70 minutes from plane to resort and the last time I was there in August it was about 55 minutes.

 

[goofy4tink]

A few questions for you...
What time do you arrive on that Sunday evening, and what airline are you arriving on?? Both those things will impact our advice.

 

[memobrien]

A few questions for you...
What time do you arrive on that Sunday evening, and what airline are you arriving on?? Both those things will impact our advice.

we are flying airtran. I don't have the exact flight info with me right now. but it was about 6:30pm. i know that doesn't seem particularily late. but on a good day my DD is usually up at 6am. when she is excited it will be more like 5 or earlier. so we will have had a long travel day. i just don't want it to be harder than it has to be.

thanks for the advice!

 

[goofy4tink]

we are flying airtran. I don't have the exact flight info with me right now. but it was about 6:30pm. i know that doesn't seem particularily late. but on a good day my DD is usually up at 6am. when she is excited it will be more like 5 or earlier. so we will have had a long travel day. i just don't want it to be harder than it has to be.

thanks for the advice!

Okay..you'll be arriving on Side B of MCO...makes a difference if you are going to grab your own bags.
Here is what I would do...actually, doing it for my trip in Dec when I arrive at 7:20 and heading to AKL.....tag the checked bags and allow DME to take care of them for you. If you arrive at MCO at about 6:30, you should be at AKL by 7:30-8. Your bags should be there by 10ish. I always pack anything I need in my carryon. Sometimes an airline will misdirect a piece of luggage..this way I have what I need to start my vacation. For night arrivals, I pack pj's, small toiletries, change of clothes for the morning.
AKL can be the first stop or it can be the last...I have been on the DME bus that included AKL...it has worked both ways. I would certainly plan on arriving at AKL by 8 though...only one time have I had a trip that was 85 mins..and there were extenuating circumstances on that one.

If you decide to go with a car service, you will save some time, but not a ton. You can still tag those bags, but Disney will tell you that you have to ride the bus in order to get the bags. And, again, you won't have your bags until 10 or later. If you hire a car service, you will go down to level 2 (you arrived on level 3), to the baggage carousels.Your driver will meet you at the bottom of the escalator, by the baggage claim area. It will take about 15 or so mins for your bags to come down. Then the driver will help with your bags and you will go down to level 1 to get the car.
I did a car service, with checked bags, in August. It was almost exactly one hour from deplaning to resort check in.....10 mins from the gate to baggage claim, 15 mins for bags to come out, 3 mins to car, 30 mins to the resort. In your case, if your flight arrives ontime at 6:30, you should be at AKL by 7:30 using a car service.

 

[memobrien]

thank you for the very detailed advice!! it looks like it won't get me too much with the car sevice and i should use the change to save a little dough.

the one time i took ME to AKL before it was a long ride. we were the 3rd stop. so that was what was worrying me. but i'll just cross my fingers that we will be first this time.

packing the carry on for the overnight is a good idea. i was reading on another thread that someone called bell services to have them hold the bags until the morning. i guess if my dd is crashing before we get them i can do that too. so that would help.

thanks for the advice! as usual you guys are the best!!!

maura