Quick Question about Arrival time?

[Jasperann]

I have never took a plane to Disney. We have always drove. This next trip we are flying. So my question is... If our plane is scheduled to arrive for 11am what time do you think we would get to the resort? We are staying at AS Music and we are taking the Magical Express to get to the resort. I'm trying to figure out what park we want to visit that day. It will probably be Epcot or AK just for walking around and taking in those kind of things.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just because a flight is scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m. doesn't mean it actually will. Unfortunately, flight delays and missed connections are common. I consider any flight that arrives with less than one hour of delay to be "on time" from my perspective.

Use DME as designed: Attach the yellow DME luggage tags before you check your bags at you home airport and skip baggage claim at Orlando International.

Be sure to bring a carry-on with anything you'll need right away at WDW, as well as any fragile items, valuables, medications, and things for the first 24 hours in case the airline delays your bags.

If you head straight from your arrival gate to DME check-in (see the map in your DME packet), then you should be at your resort in 50-90 minutes after you get off the plane. Think of it as 70 minutes, plus or minus up to 20 minutes either way. It depends on how long it takes before your DME motorcoach is dispatched (could 1 minute to 30 minutes) and what stop you are (could be the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or final stop).

If you don't use the yellow tags and you claim your own luggage instead, plan on an additional 30 minutes or so.

Finally, realize that check-in at your resort could take only a few minutes, but sometimes they get backed up and it can take up to an hour. Your room probably won't be ready that early, but you can get your GTTW cards, go off and have fun, and when you get to your room that evening, your bags will be in it.

 

[goofy4tink]

If your plane lands, on-time, at 11am, you should be at your resort by 12:30. It normally takes an average of 70 mins, from gate to resort. You may very well be lucky and be able to get into your room then. If not, just leave your carryon bags with Luggage Assistence and head out to a park. When you return later in the day, your checked bags should be in your room (takes up to 3-4 hrs after resort checkin), and you can get your carryon stuff from Luggage Assistence.

As Horace mentioned, be sure to pack anything you may need to start your park fun in a carryon bag. That way, you won't have to wait for your checked bags to get to you.

 

[Jasperann]

Just because a flight is scheduled to arrive at 11 a.m. doesn't mean it actually will. Unfortunately, flight delays and missed connections are common. I consider any flight that arrives with less than one hour of delay to be "on time" from my perspective.

Use DME as designed: Attach the yellow DME luggage tags before you check your bags at you home airport and skip baggage claim at Orlando International.

Be sure to bring a carry-on with anything you'll need right away at WDW, as well as any fragile items, valuables, medications, and things for the first 24 hours in case the airline delays your bags.

If you head straight from your arrival gate to DME check-in (see the map in your DME packet), then you should be at your resort in 50-90 minutes after you get off the plane. Think of it as 70 minutes, plus or minus up to 20 minutes either way. It depends on how long it takes before your DME motorcoach is dispatched (could 1 minute to 30 minutes) and what stop you are (could be the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or final stop).

If you don't use the yellow tags and you claim your own luggage instead, plan on an additional 30 minutes or so.

Finally, realize that check-in at your resort could take only a few minutes, but sometimes they get backed up and it can take up to an hour. Your room probably won't be ready that early, but you can get your GTTW cards, go off and have fun, and when you get to your room that evening, your bags will be in it.

Thanks so much for the details. I was hoping to be at the resort and checked in by 3pm. Is four hours added from arrival time not enough time? If we got their earlier it would be a bonus.

 

[Jasperann]

If your plane lands, on-time, at 11am, you should be at your resort by 12:30. It normally takes an average of 70 mins, from gate to resort. You may very well be lucky and be able to get into your room then. If not, just leave your carryon bags with Luggage Assistence and head out to a park. When you return later in the day, your checked bags should be in your room (takes up to 3-4 hrs after resort checkin), and you can get your carryon stuff from Luggage Assistence.

As Horace mentioned, be sure to pack anything you may need to start your park fun in a carryon bag. That way, you won't have to wait for your checked bags to get to you.

Getting there by 12:30 would be amazing!!! I would be so happy with that. Right now I'm forecasting 3pm, so that my family isn't disappointed.

 

[Cherinva]

I agree with the other posters....you should be at your resort by 12:30 or so. I would also do the on-line check in prior to leaving home. I've done that 3 times, and twice my room was ready when I got there. Have a great time !!!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thanks so much for the details. I was hoping to be at the resort and checked in by 3pm. Is four hours added from arrival time not enough time? If we got their earlier it would be a bonus.

I think four hours is a good plan. You might even be at a park by then.

I just wouldn't plan any prepaid events or important dining reservations the first day. You never know.

I hope everything goes perfectly for you. (Despite my warnings about delayed flights, my 3 roundtrip flights so far this year have all been perfectly on time.)

 

[Jasperann]

I agree with the other posters....you should be at your resort by 12:30 or so. I would also do the on-line check in prior to leaving home. I've done that 3 times, and twice my room was ready when I got there. Have a great time !!!!

Thank you! I am planning on doing online check in. It doesn't really matter if the room is ready, except for maybe dropping off our carry ons but it's not necessary. I think if we get there by 12:30 and get done checking in my 1 or so then we could go to AK for a few hours and hop over to Epcot if we decided to do more that night..

 

[Jasperann]

I think four hours is a good plan. You might even be at a park by then.

I just wouldn't plan any prepaid events or important dining reservations the first day. You never know.

I hope everything goes perfectly for you. (Despite my warnings about delayed flights, my 3 roundtrip flights so far this year have all been perfectly on time.)

I have not made any ADRs for the first day. It is really just a day for very relaxed park viewing... probably not even riding anything, unless lines are not long.

We have a direct flight, so as long as it leaves our airport on time or around it then we should get there around when we are suppose to.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have not made any ADRs for the first day. It is really just a day for very relaxed park viewing... probably not even riding anything, unless lines are not long.

We have a direct flight, so as long as it leaves our airport on time or around it then we should get there around when we are suppose to.

Good plan. It's hard to plan for an ADR on arrival day...can be very stressful.

Here's my timing, from gate to resort....give or take. I'll give you the average time it takes me.

Walk from gate to DME...about 10-15 mins (usually closer to 10)
Wait at DME....about 10 mins (can be much less though and seldom more)
Wait in bus line...10 mins (or as short as 5 mins or as long as 20)
Wait on bus....10 mins (again, could be no wait or up to 20 mins)
Ride to resort......35 mins (depends on which resort you are, you could add about 15 mins if you were the third stop)

So...using those times, the average comes to about 75 mins. Or, it could be any combination of those times. I have had times of as short as 55 mins and one time it was 90 mins....most were around 60-75.

 

[Jasperann]

Good plan. It's hard to plan for an ADR on arrival day...can be very stressful.

Here's my timing, from gate to resort....give or take. I'll give you the average time it takes me.

Walk from gate to DME...about 10-15 mins (usually closer to 10)
Wait at DME....about 10 mins (can be much less though and seldom more)
Wait in bus line...10 mins (or as short as 5 mins or as long as 20)
Wait on bus....10 mins (again, could be no wait or up to 20 mins)
Ride to resort......35 mins (depends on which resort you are, you could add about 15 mins if you were the third stop)

So...using those times, the average comes to about 75 mins. Or, it could be any combination of those times. I have had times of as short as 55 mins and one time it was 90 mins....most were around 60-75.

This is good news. Thanks again.

 

[LaurenT]

I agree with the other posters....you should be at your resort by 12:30 or so. I would also do the on-line check in prior to leaving home. I've done that 3 times, and twice my room was ready when I got there. Have a great time !!!!

Same here...did on-line check in, arrived hours early and my room was ready.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Two bits of advice:

1) Pack your bathing suits in the carryon. Replacing lost bathing suits in a gift shop is expensive and getting a decent fit impossible.

2) Mix up your belongings so that if one luggage is lost or delayed everyone will still have something to wear.

 

[mommyoftwinz]

Two bits of advice:

1) Pack your bathing suits in the carryon. Replacing lost bathing suits in a gift shop is expensive and getting a decent fit impossible.

2) Mix up your belongings so that if one luggage is lost or delayed everyone will still have something to wear.

What a great tip about mixing belongings, I'd never thought of that yet I always hear how they lost someone's bag. Definitely going to do this on our next trip. Thanks.

Also to the OP, if you can't check into your room early, your resort can hold your carry-on for you so you can go to the parks.