Have you flown into Orlando International before and, if so, can you remember the drill? We have it down to a fine art now and can usually clear Immigration, Customs, Security and Car Hire within 30 minutes. We just got back from a 3 week trip (today) and got through MCO easily.
You will be off the plane first (after Upper Class - only 22 seats). As you come down into the Immigration Hall you will face one of two scenarios - an empty hall because you are first off the only international flight, or a busier hall if there are more flights disembarking. If you are faced with the first scenario go to the next available kiosk, if the hall is busy, look to your right where the far 2-3 lanes are for US citizens. Invariably the queue to the left of these will be empty because people assume they have to queue. Even if it isn't, go to the furthest right-hand queue available. As the 'US Citizens' lanes become free, the officials directing the traffic flow will tell those at the front of the nearest line to move across to these lanes. Most people gravitate towards the middle lanes. We have used this ploy successfully on our past 4 trips.
There is a separate conveyor for Upper and Premium Economy Baggage (which is offloaded together and before Economy). Once you have collected your baggage you pass through Customs and then have to hand off your luggage (but not your hand baggage) to a conveyor which will take it to the main terminal. You then head for the tram which will take you across. Walk right to the end of the platform - that way you will be first off at the other end.
When you arrive at the main terminal you pass through security (exactly the same process you will have been through when boarding in the UK - your hand baggage passes through a X-Ray machine and you walk through a scanner). You may get frisked here and your luggage may be searched, but because you have a jump on most people, you won't have to queue.
When you arrive at the main terminal, baggage reclaim is on level 2 car hire is on level 1. If you really want to get a jump on everyone else, send the driver in your party to the car hire desk, whilst everyone else goes to baggage reclaim. We have always beaten our bags across, so by the time I rejoin Matt on the ground floor (level 1), he has usually sorted out the car hire. The beauty of this is that the driver doesn't have to queue at the car hire desk because everyone else from the flight is in baggage reclaim!
Simon's route to your hotel is by far the best - don't be tempted to take the 528 Beeline Expressway from the airport (it will get you there, but it's busier and will probably add 15-20 minutes to your journey - we know because our friends thought they knew better and took the 528 when we arrived at MCO 3 weeks ago. We took the 417 and arrived at our villa right near Splendid China at least 15 minutes ahead of them. Not that I gloated. Much.). You will need approximately $2 in tolls (the 528 is also a toll road, but slightly cheaper).
The stretch of the Osceola Parkway Simon mentions is <i>never</i> busy and is a good road to use for all manner of journeys. Once you have used this route to get to your hotel from the airport, you will know the 'back' way into Disney - we've tested it against the main route via 192/World Drive, with our friends (who weren't convinced it's a shortcut) using the regular route and us using the Sherberth Road. We beat them every time, to every WDW destination!
