Suggestions for 6 AM flight home - Help

[jklms]

Here's the story -
We are staying at OKW on points, so I can't call them for help. Our flight home is 6 AM. I do not have a room booked for the last night because -
If we have a room, we will still have to be on our way on ME by 3 AM. Original plan was to do the EMH hours at whatever park is open and then catch the ME to MCO and sit there until flight time. Now I'm worried because --

ME has to be on day of checkout, but will they take us when our flight is technically the next day?

We can't use resort checkin because it will be longer than 12 hours to our flight time, so now we have to haul our luggage and sit somewhere til time to fly. Can we check luggage in the middle of the night at MCO?

I can't seem to come up with a plan that works for sure. Any suggestions?

 

[goofy4tink]

Others have tried the 'staying up really late and then leaving at 3 am' thing before. But, it doesn't work with DME. Someone just posted awhile ago that they wanted to do just that, but were told DME will take them to MCO only on their checkout day. Let's say you're leaving on a Sat morning at 3 am, your last 'true' day is Friday. You may be able to book a room at POP for Friday, leave your bags there, head out for the day, return after EMHs to POP, collect your bags and take DME back to MCO. Not sure if you can do that. Otherwise, you may have to try to change your departure time. That's the big reason I take no flight home that early...nothing before 10:00 leaving MCO.
And yes, you will be able to check your bags at the airport...that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[jklms]

Thanks for the quick reply. Will DME take us to the airport say 10 pm on checkout day if our flight is the next morning?

 

[goofy4tink]

Sure, but you might want to give them flight info that matches the time you want to leave by. Let's say you want to leave the resort at 11:30 pm on Friday night (avoiding that whole extra day thing). So, give them flight info for a flight leaving around 2:30ish...they routinely will pick you up about 3 hrs before your flight departure. I think that would work...can't guarantee it, but you can give it a shot.

 

[jklms]

I feel like the bad little kid trying to lie! There are no late flights to my home airport. If I just find a flight going somewhere, what are the chances they would check my arrival info versus my departure info and then I'm busted?

 

[goofy4tink]

See, the thing is that everyone staying at a WDW owned resort is entitled to a round trip on DME....so, you're just using a bit earlier than you would like. I'm returning to MCO in order to rent a car and then drive to port for our cruise....gave them a flight number that fits.
I would think you could give them a flight number to just about anywhere..who are they to tell you that you can't fly to see your dear old Aunt Ethel in Calif rather than flying home to Michigan??!! Just kidding. I really don't see any issue at all. Or you could just change your flight home to earlier on your actual checkout day, or later on the actual day and book a different room someplace.

 

[SB in KY]

I think you will be OK if you REALLY want to do this....Personally I think I would rather have my teeth drilled than spend 5 or 6 hours sitting in the airport over night after being in the parks all day with no shower!!

You can always book DME for a departure the evening of your check out day and take DME back to the airport (do not try and check your luggage at the hotel, take it with you on the bus)...you could go at 11 PM or earlier if you wanted even. It does not have to be a flight to the place you are going...no one cares if you are going home or someplace else after you leave WDW...just get a departure time 3 hours after you want to be picked up from the hotel.

I would suggest bidding on Priceline for a cheap 2 or 2.5* hotel room in the MCO zone (you should be able to get one for a bid of $35 to 40) or a 3* for about $43 to 48 and then when you get back to the airport hop on their complimentary shuttle to the hotel...get some rest, take a shower and ride the shuttle back to the airport at 5AM. To me it would be worth the modest investment to be able to relax and shower before heading home.

 

[MrsPiglet]

We are flying out at 6 am too. We just tacked that night onto our reservations. We will be going to the MNSSHP that last night and I figure go back to the room, shower, pack and be ready for the bus around 3. No sleep for us that night, don't want to miss the bus. I never thought about not having a room I think the cost of the extra would be worth it.

 

[CarolA]

Just an FYI. I did a lot of research on this as I wanted DME to bring to the airport to stay at the Hyatt. As far as I can determine the latest flights to ANYPLACE out of MCO leave around 11:30 PM. So there is not a 2:30 or 3 AM flight DME can transport you to. (In other words you DME departure will probably be around 8:30 pm and maybe a little earlier as I bet they consolidate all the 11 pmish flights)

 

[maxiesmom]

Why don't you book a value resort for the night? Your EE late night might not be very late, depending on the park that is open for it. Isn't it worth the extra $100 bucks to have a place to crash, at least for a little while? I know that if I had to sit at the airport late at night I would probably fall asleep and miss by plane anyway.

 

[rantnnravin]

rent a car 1-way to airport from one of the DTD area hotels and keep your luggage in the car
go to your emh park, stop for something to eat at an all-night place, then drive to the airport

 

[salmoneous]

I would suggest bidding on Priceline for a cheap 2 or 2.5* hotel room in the MCO zone (you should be able to get one for a bid of $35 to 40) or a 3* for about $43 to 48 and then when you get back to the airport hop on their complimentary shuttle to the hotel...get some rest, take a shower and ride the shuttle back to the airport at 5AM. To me it would be worth the modest investment to be able to relax and shower before heading home.

Pretty much exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

[goofyforlife]

I would suggest bidding on Priceline for a cheap 2 or 2.5* hotel room in the MCO zone (you should be able to get one for a bid of $35 to 40) or a 3* for about $43 to 48 and then when you get back to the airport hop on their complimentary shuttle to the hotel...get some rest, take a shower and ride the shuttle back to the airport at 5AM.

I agree with the airport hotel....just be aware that some of the hotels only have shuttles during certain hours...

and for a 6am flight..(that you want your luggage to be on) you should arrive at MCO 2 hrs prior.

 

[jklms]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. We are going to keep our eyes open for an alternative flight time, but in the mean time we did reserve a value room for that night. Didn't really want to have to move, but the thought that put me over the edge was being in the parks all day and not being able to shower or change clothes. I never gave that a thought because I was thinking of October in Michigan, not October in Florida. It could be a warm day and I would be melted and not be able to clean up until I got home after flight! So that may be the most expensive shower in history, but at least I've coverd all the bases now!

 

[SandraVB79]

I am facing the same "problem", and I am thinking to solve it this way: Play last day at park, get to MCO, get a hotel shuttle and go sleep a short night at an airport hotel.
If their shuttles don't run early enough in the morning (we are flying international, so have to arrive very early), we'll take a taxi, can't be that expensive if you're only a couple of miles away from airport.

I just wonder: can one take the suitcases with them on the bus? I don't need Disney to handle/ check them!
And what upon "arrival" (from the rental car desk, returning a car after a cruise, lol), can we take then also our suitcases on the bus?

Upon checkout at Disney-hotel, will they keep our luggage somewhere in a "suitcase-room" (as they do at DLP)??