Should we fly in the night before our package begins?

[frannn]

We have free dining beginning 8/26, the first day it is offered for bounceback. We usually take the first available flight on arrival day, but are shortening our trip by a day. DH suggested flying in the night before. The room only would be about 110, and right now the plane fare would be the same either day. The car may be slightly more. If we were able to add that day to our package it would be a no brainer since we could use the meal credits and park entrance....but it isn't offered that day. Is there another way to get 1 night's discount at WDW without a package or AP?

 

[stinkpickle]

Thru Orbitz, maybe?

 

[TGuy]

We just did this in December. Flew in late the night before and booked a room at the Hyatt Regency at MCO. It was about $220 Canadian for the night but well worth it. We were in bed 1/2 and our after our plane landed (around midnight). We love that hotel and try to stay one night each trip to Orlando. Got the Magical Express early the next morning when our package and free dining started.

 

[hiroMYhero]

You can activate the ticket portion of your package when you arrive. Guest Relations can activate the tickets and you'll be able to enter the parks. Book your FPs as soon as your tickets get activated. Add on an additional day to your ticket portion which would be at a minimal cost.

Plan on paying for your food on arrival day and your meal plan begins the next day.

 

[AaronInWI]

We drive instead of fly, but we like to arrive the day before. We get a hotel in the area (we like Drury Inn, which is close to Universal Studios but still only 15 minutes from WDW) and go to Disney Springs (DTD last time we were there) for shopping and some Ghirardelli ice cream.

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

In my opinion, it depends on when you are arriving the day before. On our last trip, we took a late flight out to MCO, and stayed at the Residence Inn Orlando Airport. Flight landed at around 1:00am Orlando time, we got our bags and hopped a shuttle to the hotel. We were in bed by about 2:30am give or take. We slept like 4 hours and got up to get ready, then grabbed some breakfast and caught a shuttle back to MCO to take DME to WDW. Frankly, it made for a really long day, and we didn't gain much more time in the parks on arrival day. We've done it both ways now, and I think we prefer taking an early flight out on arrival day. It saves us money or points on the airport hotel, and doesn't make for quite as long of a first day.

If you were going to fly in earlier in the day on the day before, I don't know that it would be quite as bad. Also, if you were going to add that one day onto your reservation and go to WDW, I'd think you can probably just pay out of pocket for the food the first day (go cheap if you need to).

 

[ktlm]

My inlaws did that one time on a trip with us. The flights were a lot cheaper the day before their package started. They told Magical Express they were coming in the next day and did not give flight information. They booked a room at the Hyatt at the airport for significantly cheaper than WDW would have been, spent the night, and then jumped on ME the next morning. If your plan is to spend the night at the resort so that you can get an early start in the parks the next morning, I wouldn't hesitate to book the single extra night at $110 to get that extra time. We had the opposite problem as you the last trip, we had to come in a day early to get the package discount. It was costing us less to come in a day early than if we arrived on our usual day. We wound up getting there in the evening and getting at the parks by rope drop the next morning and we really liked having the extra time and getting that early start.

 

[matheke]

If you are flying in the night before as your thread topic says, why not stay just outside the gate and get up the next morning, get breakfast and drive to your resort, check in, get your dinning and tickets and head to the parks. We have done this several times and it works out well.

 

[SantaMonicaDisney]

Is it easy to get an Uber or Lyft ride?

 

[Dug720]

My only qualm with that is that there is more of a chance for flight delays the later you go in the day - the whole domino effect thing. And some places have air curfews so that planes cannot take off or land between certain hours - at least without special permission - which can lead to cancellations.

When possible, I try to book the first flight out in the morning. Yes, there can still be issues, but generally unless there is a weather issue and/or a crew rest issue the first flights out tend to be more on schedule. And if there is a cancellation there are more options.

 

[BumbleB]

We are doing this too, in December. Flying in late Monday (11pm arrival) and staying by the airport. The airfare was cheaper, and I'm still paying less, even with the room, than flying in early Tuesday morning. This gives us a whole day at the parks Tuesday, instead of the usual half day.

 

[Jess30]

We flew in a day before our package last trip and stayed at the Hyatt in the airport. Our flight wasn't supposed to arrive until 8pm (and ultimately didn't arrive until 1am).
It was nice to just be able to go upstairs at the airport and crash. We went down to ME the next day and headed to wdw and checked in.

 

[thornton0511]

We have done the early arrival thing as well, and stayed at the Hyatt. We like it because it gives a full first day for Disney and also we are fully charged from getting a full night's sleep. In the past we have taken the first flight out and that meant getting up and leaving our house 2-3am so by early afternoon on our first Disney day we would be wiped out. Also we have done this for our checking out day and loved it. It has allowed us to spend more time in Disney on our last day, and then we spend the night at the Hyatt and get up the next morning and fly home. I should add that any time we have done this is has been with free rewards nights with Hyatt. If we had to pay I would most likely spend that extra night on site at a value.

 

[ldo]

take a flight a day earlier and book your room for $110. Activate your tickets a day early (if you have less than 10 days, you can also add and extra day after you activate for about $5-10) and go into the parks that night--or be all set to start the day early the next day. Then just eat a counter service meal and maybe bring a few snacks, etc. from home for the pm that you get there. For $110, I would not bother staying off-site, esp. if you are staying at the same hotel as your package. You could even ask to remain in the same room. If it is the same category, very good chance they could do that.
But, I have also stayed at the Marriotts in the Sea World area at FF Inn, Springhill Suites, etc. for very good late summer rates the night before, then hopped in the car and driven to the hotel in the AM, checked in, got tickets, etc., checked bags with bellman or just left luggage in the car and headed straight into the parks. But, the most you will save is $30.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

We are coming in the day before this time and out the day after. I always hate paying for a full day of admission and only getting a few hours in the parks and everyone is tired and the extra expensive nights at the resort. We are fortunate that my parents now winter in FL so we are able to fly in and stay at their house the first night. They are only about 30 min. from WDW so we will get up the next morning and head to the parks. We will spend a full day in the parks on check out and then spend the night at their house before flying out the next day. If they didn't live there now I would definitely consider a cheaper hotel option for the first and last night.

 

[maxmouse]

We did this last time and loved it. Got one night at Pop, dinner at downtown Disney then to bed, we woke up refreshed and ready for the day. Getting up early for a flight then a day at the parks makes for a long day. Going again in Dec and flying in the night before.