Need advice about flight (long and potentially confusing)

[disneysnowflake]

Our trip is from Oct 1 to Oct 8. Saturday to Saturday.

Normally we have to take a commuter flight from our little regional airport to a bigger city and then take a larger plane to Orlando.

The price of a flight for 3 of us out of this little commuter airport is $359 pp roundtrip. DH said he's not paying that much.

We could drive 5 hours one way to a major airport and fly with Southwest. The special fares are sold out for our dates. The cost pp $244.40 roundtrip. We'd have to drive 5 hours to the airport and 5 hours home again.

However, I just found a flight out of another regional airport about 45 miles from my house. This flight per person is $249 per person roundtrip. The only catch is I'd have to leave on Friday, Sept 30 instead of Saturday, Oct 1. We'd have to get a room only ressie at Pop for that Friday night since our vacation with dining doesn't start until Saturday. The plane would land at MCO at 5:50pm on that Friday night. We could check in, swim and just hang out at the resort. Then we can get up early and take advantage of the parks on Saturday when our actual booked vacation would start.

If we drove to the larger airport 5 hours away we'd have to pay $10 per day for parking, but with this smaller airport I could have my father drive us with my car and then pick us up.

My husband works nights, so I can't ask him if this is okay. I'm so excited. I want to book this flight leaving the day before our package deal trip.
Do you think I should book this flight and just get a room only ressie for one night at Pop? Then I'd only have to drive 45 minutes each way instead of driving 5 hours to the bigger airport only to save $5 per person.

Please tell me what you think. I can't believe a flight could get me so excited.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, let's see if I have it correct....you will pay about $300 less and drive about 4 hrs less, and you get to start your vacation bright and early and refreshed? But you have to pay for one night at Pop. Hmmmm....let's see.....BOOK IT!!!! No way would I pay the extra airfare and spend the 5 hrs. driving. Where are you on the east coast?

 

[ktglads]

I'd go with the arrival on the day before and the extra night at Pop. This will allow you a full day in the parks on your technical first day of vacation, allowing you to fully get your money's worth out of that day's admission. Plus, you will be well rested for your first day of touring as opposed to having to get up super early, traveling all morning and then going to the parks, exhausting yourself before you can enjoy yourself.

 

[disneysnowflake]

Thanks. I booked the flight leaving the afternoon before. I'm going to book one night at POP next. DH doesn't wake up until afternoons (he works nights), but I'm sure this is what works best for us.
I'm so excited.