Return to MCO for early flight!

[firstwdw]

Our flight home is at 8:20AM on a Saturday. I understand Magical Express will pick us up at least 3 hours before our flight...ouch that is EARLY! If we decide to do Uber or hire a company, what time should we leave our Disney resort to arrive to MCO for checking luggage at SWA, security etc? Or just save the money and take DME?

 

[sam_gordon]

Our flight home is at 8:20AM on a Saturday. I understand Magical Express will pick us up at least 3 hours before our flight...ouch that is EARLY! If we decide to do Uber or hire a company, what time should we leave our Disney resort to arrive to MCO for checking luggage at SWA, security etc? Or just save the money and take DME?

You will get a lot of opinions. Personally, I like arriving at MCO (as in walking through the doors to check luggage) two hours before the flight. It should be about a 30-40 minute drive from WDW property, so do the math.

Others will say that's a waste of time, but I personally like getting through security and having at least 30-45 minutes to just sit in the gate area. Gives me time to get a snack, or read and people watch. It all comes down to how comfortable you are.

 

[Lilsia]

You will get a lot of opinions. Personally, I like arriving at MCO (as in walking through the doors to check luggage) two hours before the flight. It should be about a 30-40 minute drive from WDW property, so do the math.

Others will say that's a waste of time, but I personally like getting through security and having at least 30-45 minutes to just sit in the gate area. Gives me time to get a snack, or read and people watch. It all comes down to how comfortable you are.

We like to leave early for the airport also. One thing that you can count on at Orlando Airport is that you can't count on anything. You might get lucky with getting through security in under 20 minutes, or it can take 45 min-hour. For us, it would be the dumbest reason to miss our flight because we did not want to maybe sit for a half an hour at the airport. Some people like to live on the edge and wait to the last minute to leave for the airport, so it depends on everyone's comfort level. But we feel that DME is just fine for us.

 

[StageTek]

If we decide to do Uber or hire a company, what time should we leave our Disney resort to arrive to MCO for checking luggage at SWA, security etc?

I would say at least 2 hours. Cutting it too close make me anxious and ruins my vacation so I would make sure I'm driving away from the resort two and a half hours before my flight boards - not before the departure time, but the boarding time.

 

[GreatLakes]

I also try to arrive at the airport 2:00 before a flight. We always have some cushion but still prefer to have the extra time than cut it closer. Logically the earlier the flight the less busy the airport will be but they also don't have nearly as many security checks open so it can still be a little slower.

 

[_19disnA]

Two hours minimum arrival at airport if you don't have TSA-precheck. You just never know how long the security lines will be. Early morning can be very busy if there are many other departing flights, so that is no guarantee of shorter lines. Airlines won't wait for you if late, so you could miss your flight if cutting it too close. You can always shop or eat a meal before departure. Airline food is mostly a bag of peanuts/pretzels if at all. Always a good idea to eat something BEFORE departure.

The time to think about departure times is when first booking your flights. While some cities have limited choices, in other cities you have a lot more choices. Driving to the airport as well as wait times in the airport need to all be part of what you consider.

 

[Cheburashka]

Our flight home is at 8:20AM on a Saturday. I understand Magical Express will pick us up at least 3 hours before our flight...ouch that is EARLY! If we decide to do Uber or hire a company, what time should we leave our Disney resort to arrive to MCO for checking luggage at SWA, security etc? Or just save the money and take DME?

My opinion, as someone who has used both DME and car services many times, is to save the money and take DME. If you don't have TSA Pre-Check, then the 3 hour timeframe to get to the airport, check luggage, and go through the typically awful MCO security without feeling stressed or rushed is pretty spot on. If you do have TSA Pre-Check and you also want to leave the resort a bit later, you can put a different flight time down (about 30 minutes after your actual flight time) when signing up for DME. I wouldn't go further than 30 minutes, though, since you're checking luggage at the airport, and that can be a cluster of its own.

Even using a car service you have to allow plenty of time, as you'll probably want to arrive at the airport 1.5 hours (with Pre-Check) or 2 hours (without Pre-Check) before the flight, and it takes 30 minutes to drive directly to the airport. And car service & Uber drivers are occasionally late, aren't free, sometimes play their personal choice of music or news on the radio (or sulk if you ask them to turn it off), which can take you out of the Disney mood, etc.

Magical Express is about to disappear forever. Why not use it while you still have the chance?

 

[myth2001]

One alternative:
Change your last night of hotel to be at the airport hotel (Hyatt regency inside the airport); provide a placeholder late night flight for the day before to MDE so you can use MDE to get to MCO the night before.

 

[CarolynFH]

One alternative:
Change your last night of hotel to be at the airport hotel (Hyatt regency inside the airport); provide a placeholder late night flight for the day before to MDE so you can use MDE to get to MCO the night before.

No need to make up a flight. Just call DME directly at (866) 599-0951 and tell them what time you want to be at MCO. They’ll book your bus based on that information.

 

[Erica Ladd]

I’m not one to worry about getting to the airport early but with DME going away I would no doubt take it hands down!

 

[Debbie Jean]

My opinion, as someone who has used both DME and car services many times, is to save the money and take DME. If you don't have TSA Pre-Check, then the 3 hour timeframe to get to the airport, check luggage, and go through the typically awful MCO security without feeling stressed or rushed is pretty spot on. If you do have TSA Pre-Check and you also want to leave the resort a bit later, you can put a different flight time down (about 30 minutes after your actual flight time) when signing up for DME. I wouldn't go further than 30 minutes, though, since you're checking luggage at the airport, and that can be a cluster of its own.

Even using a car service you have to allow plenty of time, as you'll probably want to arrive at the airport 1.5 hours (with Pre-Check) or 2 hours (without Pre-Check) before the flight, and it takes 30 minutes to drive directly to the airport. And car service & Uber drivers are occasionally late, aren't free, sometimes play their personal choice of music or news on the radio (or sulk if you ask them to turn it off), which can take you out of the Disney mood, etc.

Magical Express is about to disappear forever. Why not use it while you still have the chance?

Agree with this. I am currently waiting to board my 8:30 flight. DME pickup was 5:40 and arrived right on time. Even with one more stop, there was no traffic so a really quick trip. I have TSA pre check but saw the regular lines and they weren’t bad.

The worst waits I saw were to check in on Southwest… there were hundreds of people on that line! And, of course, the Starbucks line

Even with the early hour, I’d still take DME.

 

[Evita_W]

3 hours is honestly about right.