Splitting hotels, will this work?

[twinone]

We've decided to fly in a day early before out official Wilderness Lodge stay starts on a Sat, I have a 820 am breakfast in Epcot that morning.

Is it best to pickup a car rental on Friday when we fly in and then stay at an offsite hotel, go to the Wilderness Lodge in the morning, pickup park passes and then drive to Epcot for the 820am breakfast and drop off the car later somewhere close to Wilderness Lodge? I'm not sure if there's a simpler way to do this?

 

[goofy4tink]

With the ADR being that early, it's going to be difficult. You would have to leave the airport area, in the car, no later than 6:15 in order to get to WL, get checked in and then over to Epcot in time to get to your ADR. I'm going to assume it's probably at Akershus....since there aren't that many morning ADRs at Epcot.
Have you considered staying at a value resort, onsite, for the night? You could take DME to the value resort the day you fly in. Then, take a cab from Pop to WL and get checked in around 7 or so. Then you could take the bus to Epcot.
Or you could just rent a car through Alamo, drive to a value resort that day. Then drive over to WL in the morning, get checked in. Drive to Epcot for your ADR. You can then drive over to the Dolphin and return the car there at some point that day...they are open from 8-4.

I usually have no issue staying at a place close to the airport the day before a WDW resort stay starts. But with an ADR that early, and you needing to pick up park passes first, it may be better to stay onsite that first night.

 

[wdwrich]

You would have to leave the airport area, in the car, no later than 6:15 in order to get to WL

The OP may be planning on an offsite hotel close to WDW- not necessarily one near the airport. Also, depending on what time they arrive on Friday, they might have time to go to a Guest Relations window at WDW and pick up their park tickets a day early. That way, they could go direct to EPCOT on Saturday morning (though they would have to pay for parking since they won't have the parking pass they would get at WL).

 

[twinone]

Correct we planned to stay at the Wyndham LBV for the Friday evening so I think it's about 2 miles from Epcot but maybe 6 from WL?
Is it possible to pickup the park tickets prior to your hotel check in??

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Correct we planned to stay at the Wyndham LBV for the Friday evening so I think it's about 2 miles from Epcot but maybe 6 from WL?
Is it possible to pickup the park tickets prior to your hotel check in??

Call the resort to double check but it seems you could get them at any Will call or guest relations. It's been years since we did that.

 

[sam_gordon]

Correct we planned to stay at the Wyndham LBV for the Friday evening so I think it's about 2 miles from Epcot but maybe 6 from WL?
Is it possible to pickup the park tickets prior to your hotel check in??

Did you buy the tickets separately or are they part of a package? I'm GUESSING you can pick up the tickets any time as long as they were purchased separately. However, if they're part of a package, they'd be tied to your room key and probably won't be available until you check in.

 

[wdwrich]

Did you buy the tickets separately or are they part of a package? I'm GUESSING you can pick up the tickets any time as long as they were purchased separately. However, if they're part of a package, they'd be tied to your room key and probably won't be available until you check in.

Call the resort to double check but it seems you could get them at any Will call or guest relations. It's been years since we did that.

If you call WDW, they will tell you that you cannot pick up your park tickets early. That is what the CMs are instructed to say. However, that is not correct. You can pick up park tickets (even if they are part of a package) up to three days early. This must be done at a Guest Relations window at a park or at DTD.

 

[twinone]

We purchased them as part of a package, if we could get the tickets the night before it would be alot easier then we could go directly to Epcot that morning