My flight got bumped back...what to do with the extra time?

[PinkiexLi]

I booked my vacation thru Disney. Originally, I was to depart Orlando at 1pm. I just got a call from Disney that American has cancelled that flight entirely and now the only non stop flight back to LA is at 5:55pm. So what to do with the extra time? Since originally I was leaving early, I planned to just take it easy and stay at the hotel. Is the extra time enough to hit a park? I only purchased a 6day park ticket since I was departing early but I think that it's pretty inexpensive to add an extra day, but is there enough time? Also, what does one do with their luggage if you have to check out of the hotel? Is it better to just hang out at Downtown Disney or the Boardwalk until the bus comes rather than go into a park? Any advice is appreciated.

I'm staying at Art of Animation from Aug 21 to Sept 1. Thanks!

 

[jparc]

If your flight leaves at 5:50 your pick up time for magic express to the airport will probably be around 2:00. So if you went to a park you would have to leave around lunch or soon after. You could fit in some touring in that time. So check your luggage for the airport first thing in the morning, drop carry on luggage at bell services and enjoy the extra time. We usually plan a nice breakfast and then enjoy shopping our last day. We have even hung out at the pool. We just kept shower supplies, a change of clothes, and ziplock bags for our wet bathing suits in a pool locker so we could shower before heading to the airport. Not sure if art of animation has showers or lockers at the pool, though. Where we stayed did.

 

[MHSweb79]

Actually, ME typically picks up 3 hours before the flight or a little less, so the OP would have until 3:00. That's plenty of time to visit a park. We always plan to get back to the resort an hour ahead of the pickup time just to be safe, but still that leaves several hours.

We check our luggage and leave a carryon with Bell Services.

 

[momto3pirates]

We usually have a later flight so we can soak up as much magic as possible. We sleep in, have breakfast in the room then take our bags down to bell services and catch a bus to DTD. There we take is easy, last minute shopping and eat lunch. It is a very relaxing way to end the vacation. Just make sure whatever you do to allow plenty of time to get back to your hotel and retrieve your bags before your ME bus time.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Resort hop. Go see the animals at the AKL have lunch.
You have enough time to rent a bike at VWL and ride over to FW. there is a nice paved path between the two resorts. Walk around and visit the animals.

Rent sea racers at the Poly and ride around on Bay Lake

 

[ktlm]

We would add the extra park day onto the tickets. We always book a flight home around 5:00 p.m., and we always spend that last morning in the parks, usually saying goodbye to MK. We ride a couple of the favorites one last time, soak in a little atmosphere, and sometimes have lunch in the park. We have sometimes done lunch ADRs on that day in the past, but our last trip we did BOG CS.

Bell services will hold your bags. If you are using ME, with most airlines you can check your bags in for your flight at your resort, and then just have bell services hold your carry ons. We always book a flight home around 5:00 p.m. We pack up as much as we can the night before, and then we drop our bags off at bell services as early as we can get everything together to check out and head to the parks. We always enjoy that "extra" park time.

We would never do DTD on our last day because then I would shop and buy stuff and my bags would already be totally packed and checked in and that would be a problem.

 

[PinkiexLi]

We would add the extra park day onto the tickets. We always book a flight home around 5:00 p.m., and we always spend that last morning in the parks, usually saying goodbye to MK. We ride a couple of the favorites one last time, soak in a little atmosphere, and sometimes have lunch in the park. We have sometimes done lunch ADRs on that day in the past, but our last trip we did BOG CS.

Bell services will hold your bags. If you are using ME, with most airlines you can check your bags in for your flight at your resort, and then just have bell services hold your carry ons. We always book a flight home around 5:00 p.m. We pack up as much as we can the night before, and then we drop our bags off at bell services as early as we can get everything together to check out and head to the parks. We always enjoy that "extra" park time.

We would never do DTD on our last day because then I would shop and buy stuff and my bags would already be totally packed and checked in and that would be a problem.

That's exactly why I didn't want to go to DTD. I can't fathom spending half a day there and not buying anything!

 

[Minniesgal]

Our flights typically leave at 7:30pm but we tend never to do a park on departure day, with packing and everything i just feel too rushed. We normally swim in the morning around the resort and do mini golf in the afternoon befreo an early dinner then straight to the airport.

 

[jmartinez1895]

We always go to the park that has EMH on our last day. Most of the rides are walk on if you get there when the park first opens. Once the park starts getting crowded it is time to head back anyway.
We check our luggage and leave our carry on with bell services, but if you have a lap top or other item bell services will lock it away and it take a little longer to get it than your carry on bags.

 

[katiee37]

If you aren't quite feeling adding on the extra day of park admission, I would recommend trying out a mini golf course. I think you still get some kind of voucher for it with your package, at least we did a few years ago.

 

[expeditioneverestgrl]

Go get a spa treatment done, or if you feel comfortable, go to one of the parks till lunch time!