Red eye flight

[AZMermaid]

I know, right- EEK!!!

DH and I are planing on running Princess challenge in 2019. We are strongly considering taking a red eye on Thursday night. We live in Phoenix. How bad of an idea is this? Here are our reasons:

Days off- I am a teacher, DH has limited days. We plan to late Thurs-Tuesday. The only really workable alternative leaves at 4:00PM and gets in at 11:00PM. We'd need to take a half day.

Kids- our then 8 and 7 year olds will be home with their aunt. The flight leaves at 9:00, so we could have dinner and pick them up from school. If we took the earlier flight, that would be one more day she'd be on kid duty after school vs getting there right before bed time.

Flights- A few years back, I won 90,000 United miles in some promotion they were having. I later got the credit card so I could bridge that 100K mark and then some. We are planning on using these miles because they are getting close to expiring (I cancelled the card before a year and the fee hit). United doesn't fly direct from Phoenix. The flight we are looking at flies to LAX first and then to Orlando leaving at like 11PM getting there at 6:30 FL time. I felt like this long flight would give us the best opportunity to sleep. We would be getting first class tickets because the coach ones are almost the same amount and flying coach doesn't leave us with enough miles to do much of anything later. We don't generally fly United because everything connects.

We would then pay or use miles to fly American direct back. American does have a direct overnight... but the flights back on United connect. If we take the American flight, we can leave at a reasonable time and still be back in time to get the kids from school.

But... is this going to set us up for a nightmare come race time. We thought it would be really easy to go to bed early Friday night vs compensating for the 3 hour time difference- or is it 2 in Feb. AZ doesn't do DST, so I never know when it switches. Summer we are 3 hours off, winter we are 2.

Anyone have any experience or thoughts?

 

[Keels]

I've done LAX to MCO overnight a couple of times and I actually prefer it to a midday flight, just because it helps adjust to the time change.

Sounds like you've got a pretty solid plan - I say go for it!

 

[rteetz]

I have a friend who lives in Arizona and she did the exac thing you are talking about for princess this year.

 

[shoreward]

Have you considered flying Southwest? They normally offer at least a couple of nonstops between MCO and PHX, daily. At this time, they only are booking thru the first few days of Nov 2018. Their Feb 2019 flight schedule probably won't be available until about July 2018.

A nice Southwest benefit is two checked bags included with the fare, at no extra cost. The other nice benefit is being able to change a reservation without penalty or fee - just paying the fare of the new flight.

In case you aren't that familiar with Southwest, you can only book through www.southwest.com.

 

[ZellyB]

We are actually looking at a late flight for our summer trip. Much like you, it lets us save a vacation day but be there to wake up in Disney for a full day of vacation fun.

 

[AZMermaid]

I've done LAX to MCO overnight a couple of times and I actually prefer it to a midday flight, just because it helps adjust to the time change.

Sounds like you've got a pretty solid plan - I say go for it!

I have a friend who lives in Arizona and she did the exac thing you are talking about for princess this year.

We are actually looking at a late flight for our summer trip. Much like you, it lets us save a vacation day but be there to wake up in Disney for a full day of vacation fun.

Thanks for the reassurances. It is good to hear it might be a good plan.

 

[AZMermaid]

Have you considered flying Southwest? They normally offer at least a couple of nonstops between MCO and PHX, daily. At this time, they only are booking thru the first few days of Nov 2018. Their Feb 2019 flight schedule probably won't be available until about July 2018.

A nice Southwest benefit is two checked bags included with the fare, at no extra cost. The other nice benefit is being able to change a reservation without penalty or fee - just paying the fare of the new flight.

In case you aren't that familiar with Southwest, you can only book through www.southwest.com.

I just looked at it- thanks! We fly Southwest occasionally, but we have United Miles to use at least one way of this trip. We may use American miles the other way if there is a saver flight too. There is actually a late non stop scheduled that could work- assuming the schedule stays the same. It is more than the American flight though... hmmm... Does anyone know once DST kicks in, does the flight usually move earlier or later an hour? I guess I could play with it on another airline's site to see what usually happens.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks for the reassurances. It is good to hear it might be a good plan.

I tried this last year for Dark Side. In August 2016, my sister and her family got tangled up in that massive snafu that delayed flights over days, et all. I wanted to avoid that for Dark Side so chose a flight leaving early enough to give me some cushion if something went wrong.

I loved the concept of dealing with jet lag in one and not losing an entire day to travel since most of my visits involve leaving in the morning and arriving at MCO after 7:00pm.

2017:

My red eye flight departed the west coast at 10:00pm on Wednesday evening. It was a non stop flight to MCO. I didn't sleep at all on the plane. I arrived at my resort exhausted, tired, and probably cranky. I hope I hid it well. I know I did not snap at anyone. As I expected, my room was not ready so I checked my carry on with bell services. I ate breakfast at the resort. This worked wonders for my mood. Now I was only exhausted and tired. Stepped into the restroom to splash water on my face and left for the Expo. At least now I felt human.

While at the Expo, I received the text that my room was ready. Finished up at the Expo, and went back to my resort. Got into my room, sat down for 20 minutes, and went to Disney Springs where I ate lunch and wandered around. The entire objective here was to stay awake and not go to sleep. That will come. Had dinner at my resort and went to bed around 7:00pm.

Woke up the next morning at regular time and went to the MK for extra magic hours. Felt great. Toured the MK, making sure to stay off my feet and after an early dinner went back to my resort for an early bedtime before the 10K the next morning. 10K went fine as the did half. No issues whatsoever.

I'm going to do that again this year. The only difference is that I have a connecting flight in Denver and will spend part of arrival day in the parks before and/or after the Expo.

The key that made this work for me is not sleeping at all until 6 or 7 on arrival night. Yes, arrival day will be difficult. You will be tired. Do things to distract you from how tired you are such as the Expo or Disney Springs or the parks or the pool.

Yes, the flight may be long and miserable. You will be tired on arrival day. But at least for me I got all the exhaustion from traveling out in that one day. I'll likely do it again for my next non race visit to Disney World. The benefits outweigh the challenge for me.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I would do it! I always take red eyes home from the west coast back to NY and go straight from the airport to work. I hate wasting a vacation day traveling. I find a nice way to recoup from a red eye is to get a mid-day or afternoon massage. A mid-day nap can mess up your sleep schedule, but a massage relaxes you without fully sleeping.

I'm thinking about doing the princess half next year for the first time!

 

[CDKG]

Have you and your husband flown red-eye flights before?

They are great...in theory. But, they are not for everyone. I personally gave up on red-eye flights years ago. I just cannot sleep on a plane (unless I'm completely exhausted at the end of my trip). The last time I took a red-eye to MCO I even took a prescription sleeping pill. I still didn't sleep and actually got physically sick from taking the pill on an empty stomach. Never again...

However, if you are the kind of person who can sleep anywhere, it may be a great option for you!

 

[LilyJC]

Yeah, I’m with @CDKG. We did the LAX to MCO red eye with the entire family right before NYE this past December, and it was fairly brutal. No sleeping for me, but thankfully the kids got a little.

 

[bumbershoot]

I’ve done the overnight flight from Seattle to Orlando for three princesses. Each time it has been even worse than the last time.

In first class the seats are too big for my short self and I spend the flight slipping down. Same in Alaska’s upgraded but not first class seats this year. And with First I want some drinks, but drinks and sleeping all night doesn’t work for me.

So I’m a zombie on arrival and then I have to get to the expo, and I’m swollen and icky.

I doubt I’ll do princess next year but I’d orobabit still do the overnight, and I’d hate it even more lol. The reasons for doing it are always good even though it’s aedul. And the jet lag thing NEVER works for me. I’m just exhausted and miserable the whole trip and I deal with it.


I hope it works for you!!! Seriously. Not everyone is me.

 

[afan]

I always try to take a nonstop redeye when I fly from Seattle to the east coast. I don't want to waste a day of vacation traveling and I can get enough sleep. If you are in first and can sleep on a plane even better since you'll have more room.

I don't find it any different than taking an early morning flight because I wouldn't have gotten as much sleep as normal and because I slept enough I wouldn't really sleep on the plane. Then you don't land until 3 or 4 and the days almost gone.

When I did w&d 2 years ago I took a Thursday redeye and got in Friday and was good for the half Sunday. Doing the same this year. Helped in getting to bed early sat.

As for daylight savings and the flight times, the times the airline show will stay the same, it's our time that changes. Now if FL ends up staying on daylight savings time I don't know what that would do. But as of now a 5pm flight is always a 5pm flight.

 

[AZMermaid]

Thanks everyone! You’ve given me a lot to mull over. We’ve done a red eye twice, about 9 years ago. It was.... okay. I worry about it affecting our races more than the crazy day after travel. I dont know if it’d be substantially better to get in around 11PM and to the resort at like 1 using DME. I guess thatd still only feel like 11, but sleeping in might mess with getting to sleep early before the races. I guess we could still force ourselves to get up relatively early, but the 4-5 hours sleep would be much better in a bed.

 

[CDKG]

Another thing to try is melatonin. I take one just before bed beginning 3 days before I travel until 3 days after I have arrived. It seems to help a ton with the jet lag. I would just recommend testing it at home first to make sure it doesn't give you any side affects.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks everyone! You’ve given me a lot to mull over. We’ve done a red eye twice, about 9 years ago. It was.... okay. I worry about it affecting our races more than the crazy day after travel. I dont know if it’d be substantially better to get in around 11PM and to the resort at like 1 using DME. I guess thatd still only feel like 11, but sleeping in might mess with getting to sleep early before the races. I guess we could still force ourselves to get up relatively early, but the 4-5 hours sleep would be much better in a bed.

Last year, my only "miserable" day was the arrival day. I was exhausted and tired. Make no mistake the red eye is not easy. But I was completely back to normal on day 2 and it did not impact my races.

 

[NurseRunner]

We live in phoenix and I prefer the Red-eye to Orlando. We usually leave about 10pm on American and arrive between 5-6 am.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I took a red-eye to the Wine & Dine this past November. I flew Seattle to Orlando on Alaska. I paid for the Comfort seats or whatever the economy upgrade is so I would have more leg room. I also could recline without being in the lap behind me.

I took a benedryl when I got on the plane and I got solid sleep for the first four hours. I woke up over Tennessee and then was dozing on and off the rest of the flight. I was fortunate that I had a smooth flight. The airport situation was another story, but at least my flight was only delayed and not canceled.

 

[sylkai]

I know this was posted a while ago, but I did a red eye from CA to WDW for the Star Wars Challenge in April, leaving on Thursday night. I had to route through Chicago too, so I got at best 2 hours of sleep or so on the plane (didn't try sleeping on the second leg). Was able to drop my bags off at my resort, go by the Expo to get my bibs, and then head over to Epcot for an afternoon in the park before crashing back in my room at 8pm or so.

Was it my first choice? Not really, but there were no good choices - I'm a night owl coming from three time zones away for a race that requires getting up at 2:30 in the morning. That's maybe 2 hours before my normal bedtime. I figured the only way I'd have a shot at sleeping before the race was to take my sleep schedule and put it in a blender. It did work. I got 4 hours or so before the 10k, and 5 before the half.

I didn't PR either race but I'm blaming that far more on the humidity and the fact that I'd raced the weekend before as well than the lack of sleep (although, realistically, it probably didn't help).

I did sleep pretty well once I got home again.