Question re Virgin DTD Check-In

[LorraineH]

I am really confused about this - and dont really know whether its worth it or not........

We are staying in QII on I-Drive, non-drivers, booked with Virgin Holidays using their "free transfers".

We get a free transfer from MCO to QII on the day of arrival.

And a free transfer back from QII to MCO on the day of departure.

If we use the Virgin DTD Check-In Service on the day of departure, apparently we cannot arrange for our transfer to be from DTD, and we will have to make our way back to the QII to pick up the shuttle (???)

It doesnt seem worth it to us, we would have checked out of the hotel, checked in at DTD, spend a few hours in one of the parks, get a cab back to QII, wait for the shuttle.

Is this REALLY how it works - or can we arrange to be picked up at DTD instead? Ive just come off the phone to Virgin Holidays who said no. "The transfer HAS to be from the accommodation".

Any thoughts?????



Lorraine

 

[Miffy2003]

What time is your pick up from QII Lorraine?? (I'm just wondering if it's worth your while - as in if there's enough time - to justify making your separate way to DTD or not)

Why not instead leave your bags at the hotel with the porter and enjoy a last day doing an I Drive attraction before making your way back to the hotel ready for the Virgin pick up?

It does seem a bit of a palaver to make your way all the way to DTD and then back again to QII without a car (JMO) unless you are happy to pay for a taxi from DTD to MCO.

Cheers

Karen

 

[LorraineH]

Thanks for the reply Karen.

I do agree, it seems a right palaver spending the last day at WDW.

The reason we were doing it this way is that we are going for a 5 day hopper WDW ticket.

We were going to spend one day at each park, plus MNSSHP for extra time at MK, and then chose on the last day which WDW we want to see a bit more of.

If I change what Im doing on the last day, thats my whole 16 days planning messed up!!

Still, thats half the fun isnt it, planning, re-planning, and planning some more!!

But it does seem to me that the Virgin DTD Check-in only benefits Onsite Guests.


Lorraine

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Lorraine,

I do think it is probably of most benefit to those with cars. We are staying onsite this time but to be honest I would definitely take advantage of this perk even if I wasn't onsite- as long as I had a car. I probably wouldn't bother though if I didn't have a car (unless I was onsite!)

Did you have a day planned doing an I Drive attraction, and could you re-schedule it to the last day? Alternatively I would think carefully about getting a taxi and doing the DTD check in - this means you could use your final day of your hopper.

However, what you COULD do is save the final day of your Hopper - and then you would have to go back again another year!!!!

Cheers

Karen

 

[lucy_love_]

oh oh oh

whats virgin check in service. im going with virgin and staying at akl. would it help me at all?

love

lucy

 

[Red-Snapper]

Virgin DTD check-in isnt exactly "onsite" i.e right next to the hotels and wont help people staying in Disney onsite hotels if they havent got a car ( you would have to take a Disney bus to DTD with your cases then bus back to the hotel to get your Virgin bus transfer - all still a bit of a fiddle.

There are no hotels on DTD so it wont be on the Virgin coach normal pickup route.

It is really only of much use to people with a car who can get there easily and quickly.

Lucy - Basically you can check your cases in for your flight and get your boarding cards from early in the morning leaving the day free to enjoy. it is a Virgin check-in desk at Downtown Disney (outside the Cirque building).

When you get to the Airport you then go straight thru to Departures and miss the queue at the check-in desk.

 

[LorraineH]

Hi Lucy - Virgin check-in would DEFINITELY benefit you, as you are staying at AKL.

On your last day the Virgin Check-in desk opens at around 8:30am in DTD and you can check in, get your boarding passes, drop off all your luggage and spend the last day at one of the parks.

I have been looking and looking at my itinery but cant seem to make any changes (now that Ive got my PS's - and Im not changing those!!).

I have given us lots of rest or easy days following our park days. EG, when we do MNSSHP the only thing we have planned the next day is a trip to TL or BB.

We have an early start one morning to do a balloon flight, and although this should be over by 10am-ish, I thought we'd have an easier day at somewhere like Gatorland.

I really dont want to rush about doing one major park after another.

Just had a chat with my fiance (but he's useless anyway - leaving it all to me !!) and we think we'll leave things as they are.

We will do the check in and have our final day at WDW. If we have to pay for a taxi to the airport so-be-it.

We have a Virgin Office though in our hotel, and I am going to argue the point about the transfer. Surely there will be guests being picked up from one of the WDW resorts?? Cant we just tag along with them??

Thanks again guys!


Lorraine

 

[Red-Snapper]

lorraine - wouldnt a taxi back to your I Drive hotel (so you can catch the Virgin transfer) be cheaper than a taxi all the way out to the airport ?

You presumably could get the bus from a Disney hotel if you knew when it was pulling up there - but you still have to sort it with Virgin and get to the hotel somehow - going back to yours seems the easier option.

 

[lucy_love_]

does anyone know what time check out is at akl? will they comprimise if asked to do so or are they rigid with times? our flight home isnt till 5pmish so if we leave our bags at virgin checkin at dtd say at 12 and have a few hours to spare and the kids get soaked or something then they will be uncomfortable and not to mention whingey all the way home.

love

lucy

 

[Miffy2003]

Hello again,

I agree with what Red Snapper says, but something to think about is that one of the reasons to do the DTD check in is to avoid the earlier check in at the airport (and have more time to spend at Disney). Depending on what time your shuttle picks up at your hotel, you may not get that much extra time. If you are going to get the shuttle from your hotel, you may as well leave your bags there as well & not bother with DTD check in, and get to the parks earlier instead. This would then mean you'd have to check in properly at MCO though and join the queues there.

It seems bizarre that Virgin won't let you board the bus at Disney but I guess if they gave this as an option it would be more complicated from an admin perspective (eg different names to tick off on the clipboard at different hotels etc )

Cheers

Karen

 

[LorraineH]

Red-Snapper - I do hear what you are saying, and it makes sense to head back to the QII to catch the transfer if we spend our last day at WDW at AK (which closes around 5pm according to Oct 03 hours).

Ive read somewhere on these boards that the Virgin transfer will collect us early, in order to get to MCO 3 hours prior to departure, which is at 20:40.

We could make the transfer is we leave AK around 4:30pm-ish, and are back at QII by 5pm.

If however we decide to spend our last day at a different park, with later closing times, then it seems to make sense to spend as much time as we can in WDW before catching a taxi direct from WDW to MCO.

Incidentally, does anyone know what time we will have to be at the airport before departure if we've already checked-in at DTD?

This would really help me plan!!!


Lorraine

 

[Frances999]

Lucy,

Animal Kingdom Lodge will hold your bags for you when you vacate your room. I believe check-out time is 11am. You can always request a late-checkout, but as I said, they will be willing to hold any spare bags safely at the resort until later on in the day

 

[Red-Snapper]

I think technically as you have already checked in you only have to be at the gate for when they call the flight boarding i.e about 45 mins to an hour before flight time- but I would probably get there earlier ....just in case.

Obviously allowing for the time it takes to get through passport check/scanners etc

Personally I dont like the idea of leaving it till the last minute - but then again we are the family that camps out at Gatwick before the check-in is even open normally . just to be sure.

 

[lucy_love_]

thanks frances

love

lucy