Ohana and Time Dilemma. Looking for insight from the knowledgeable please.

[MinnieinCO]

I was unsure if this was a question for the Restaurant Board or Transportation Board so I apologize in advance if I chose poorly

I currently have a 415pm ADR at Ohana on our departure day in early December with a late 9:30pm flight out of MCO utilizing Magical Express (ME). The other kicker is we are staying at POP and will need to be able to bust a move back there (thinking monorail to EPCOT, then bus) by probably 6pm to catch the ME. I will have high functioning 6 & 8 year old boys and my DH in tow. Anyone think this is possible or should I give up the ressie and move on?

We love Ohana and haven't been able to fit it into our itinerary elsewhere. Thoughts?

BTW you are all amazing. Looooong time lurker and this forum has helped plan many happy trips for this wannabe mouseketeer and her family. Thank you!

 

[momto3pirates]

I think it will be tight. You will need to be ready and waiting for the ME bus by 6:00-6:30. Typically bus times are 3 hours prior to departure. Transportation back to your hotel can take 30 minutes to an hour. If you need to get anything from bell services you need to add another 15-30 minutes.

 

[elsbit]

I also think that it is too tight. Could you possibly leave your luggage downstairs with bell services during dinner and then uber it to the airport?

 

[YawningDodo]

Hoping someone can chime in because one of the questions that might be relevant (and that I've wondered in terms of my own plans/needs) is how far ahead of your ME and flight time you can use the curbside check-in to get your boarding passes and check your luggage (when I was there in 2018 I was able to check my luggage at the ME kiosk at Coronado Springs, but I did so right before boarding ME). If you can check your luggage before you go to dinner, that removes the time it takes to retrieve it from bell services before you leave for the airport. I'm also not sure what requirements you might have to meet for that check-in service re: airline reservations; I didn't book anything deliberately in order to take advantage of it and it was just a nice perk for me.

Timeline...someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I assume 'Ohana is at least a 90 minute experience. So if you get seated right at your reservation time you're looking at:
4:15 - Sit down to dinner
5:45 - earliest time to finish dinner (could be as late as 6:15)
6:45 - soonest you can count on being back to your resort if you're taking WDW buses (I always allow an hour no matter where I'm going)
6:30 - your probable pickup time for MDE

You could shave half an hour off by taking a Lyft, Uber, or a taxi back to your resort, but transportation time is still not a sure thing. Or, as another poster suggested you could take one directly to the airport from the Polynesian if you bring your luggage to that resort, which gives you more flexibility...though I wouldn't stray too far from Disney's general ME timetable since MCO security can take a long time.

If it were me...I hate to say it, but I would not do this. There are a couple ways you can make it work, but I feel like you're going to spend your dinner constantly checking your watches to make sure you're still within your timetable. Doesn't sound like a fun, relaxing way to end your vacation, sadly. You said that you can't fit it elsewhere in your itinerary--is it because the rest of your trip is fully scheduled and there's nothing you're willing to move, or is it a matter of being unable to get a different reservation time? Or a mixture of both? It looks like 'Ohana opens at 3:30 for dinner. If you were able to get reservations for 3:30 or 3:45, would that work for your family? If so, I'd start hunting for an ADR at an earlier time. If it's not available now, you can try again while on your trip (people tend to cancel a lot of dining reservations a day or two in advance, which means things open up a bit), though you might have to accept in that case that it might just not happen. I've also heard that Touring Plans has a service that helps you find specific dining reservations and move your times around. I personally do not use Touring Plans, but I know others have praised that service.

 

[Pumbaa_]

This is near impossible using Disney transportation

4:15 adr means seated, if lucky, at 4:30
60-90 minutes for eating. Puts you right at 6. Allow 90 minutes resort to resort using Disney transportation

If you are really set on this, then I would show up 30 minutes early in hopes of being seated asap
Once seated, tell your server your tine resteaints
Pay early! We once waited an hour to pay. It was horrible
Uber/lyft back to your resort.

Assume you need to be back to your resort by 6. If you miss your assigned bus, plan on uber/lyft to mco.

 

[sharonabe]

Hoping someone can chime in because one of the questions that might be relevant (and that I've wondered in terms of my own plans/needs) is how far ahead of your ME and flight time you can use the curbside check-in to get your boarding passes and check your luggage (when I was there in 2018 I was able to check my luggage at the ME kiosk at Coronado Springs, but I did so right before boarding ME). If you can check your luggage before you go to dinner, that removes the time it takes to retrieve it from bell services before you leave for the airport. I'm also not sure what requirements you might have to meet for that check-in service re: airline reservations; I didn't book anything deliberately in order to take advantage of it and it was just a nice perk for me.

This can be done the morning of your flight. We always do it before we head to the park that day. If you have any carry-ons, you leave those with bell services and pick up just before your ME time.

 

[LyricQuinn817]

If there is another day or time you can fit in Ohana, but can't get a reservation, have you tried ***********? It will notify you if a time or day opens that would work for you, then you don't have to worry about rushing the last day.

 

[B-Ride]

I have never taken ME so I don't know the rules but is it possible to take your luggage to the Poly and ME from there?

 

[YawningDodo]

This can be done the morning of your flight. We always do it before we head to the park that day. If you have any carry-ons, you leave those with bell services and pick up just before your ME time.

I'm glad to hear that! My departure day schedule isn't giving me as hairy of a problem as the OP's, but it's been on my mind. My flight's around 4:30 in the afternoon and I want to do a park that morning, so if I can check my bag and just put anything I'll want to have on the plane in my park bag, that'll save me time and make things a little less stressful.

 

[Dug720]

I have never taken ME so I don't know the rules but is it possible to take your luggage to the Poly and ME from there?

No. Your DME drop off and pick up are to and from the resort at which you are registered.

 

[B-Ride]

No. Your DME drop off and pick up are to and from the resort at which you are registered.

Has anyone ever asked Disney if they could make alternative arrangements. They can sometimes be accommodating. Especially if you dropping a few dollars at one of their restaurants.

 

[Laurieannc]

Can you just check your bags at POP airline check in before you head to 'Ohana and then just take an Uber directly to the airport? If you do that, it might be workable. From my understanding, and please someone correct me if I am wrong, the bags are sent to the airport ahead of the Magical Express bus. You can bring any carry on with you to the Poly.