The Absolute Fastest Way To Get From MCO to the Parks

[jrtoastyman]

Need to get from MCO to Disney's Hollywood Studios, including a stop by our hotel (Dolphin) to check in and drop off our luggage, as quickly as possible. We plan to carry on and will be taking either a cab or a car service. We land at 5:30 -- any idea what the quickest we could reasonably expect to be walking into DHS would be?

I'm thinking that the very quickest option would be to take a car to the hotel, check in and drop off our bags with the bell desk with the car waiting, and then get back in the car and ride over to the DHS gate? Anyone ever done it, and are you aware of a car service that will do it?

The goal, by the way, is to get there with enough time for my daughter to meet Princess Leia (this will be on a Friday evening during SWW). I think she meets until 7:30?

 

[wdwrich]

I think your plan of using a car service would be best, but it's going to be tight nonetheless. If there are any delays with your flight, the plan could easily fall by the wayside.

 

[tjmw2727]

Car Rental - MCO to DHS and then back to the Dolphin ? If you use the car rental agency at the Dolphin you can then return it if you don't need a rental during your trip.

 

[wdwrich]

Car Rental - MCO to DHS and then back to the Dolphin ? If you use the car rental agency at the Dolphin you can then return it if you don't need a rental during your trip.

This only works if the OP's luggage will fit in the trunk and would be locked and out of sight while the car is parked at DHS. If so, then yes, this would be the fastest method for getting to DHS.

 

[jrtoastyman]

That's a good idea re the rental, although I do actually need to go by the hotel, will have a stroller waiting for me at the bell desk.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

If you land at 5:30, expect to depart the plane and get to your luggage by 5:50. You won't get to your rental or taxi until 6 at the earliest and that is if your luggage is first off the plane. Plan on at least 25 minutes to the hotel. If you are renting a car, you can add another 5-10 waiting for that to clear. It can be done, but it will be tight and any delays, you might be a little late.

 

[wdwrich]

If you land at 5:30, expect to depart the plane and get to your luggage by 5:50. You won't get to your rental or taxi until 6 at the earliest and that is if your luggage is first off the plane. Plan on at least 25 minutes to the hotel. If you are renting a car, you can add another 5-10 waiting for that to clear. It can be done, but it will be tight and any delays, you might be a little late.

It appears that the OP is planning on carry-ons only.

 

[PSUGuy]

If you land at 5:30, expect to depart the plane and get to your luggage by 5:50. You won't get to your rental or taxi until 6 at the earliest and that is if your luggage is first off the plane. Plan on at least 25 minutes to the hotel. If you are renting a car, you can add another 5-10 waiting for that to clear. It can be done, but it will be tight and any delays, you might be a little late.

When renting a car I always use a company that gives us the option of going straight to the garage. Wifey goes to the carousel, I get the keys and by the time I get back to her she has the luggage, I have the car and we're gone. If there are no checked bags just go to the garage and you'll be on the road in minutes.

Bill From PA

 

[Hopefully]

I think 2 hours is stretching it. A scheduled 5:30 landing time is just that, touch down. You still have the time it takes to taxi to the terminal, deplane, get the train to the main terminal and to a car/car service. You are heading on the highways on a Friday night during rush hour.
I don't think you will make it.
Good Luck

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm sorry to say I don't think you will make it. That is simply not enough time to disembark, get your bags, and get into your car/taxi and go check in at your resort. And then get to the Disney Studios.

 

[maurene]

I'm worried that you could get held up at hotel check-in -- add to that the stroller pick up. Sometimes check-in goes super quick other times not.

 

[Alesia]

The only way you have a shot is if you rent a car and drive straight to DHS. Even then, it's going to be very, very tight. Think about the timeline:
5:30 land
5:45 get off the plane
6:00 get to the car rental counter
6:10 leave the airport
6:45 arrive at DHS
7:05 walk through the park gates

And that's a relatively conservative estimate. Any of those things could take considerably longer.

If you go to the hotel first, you aren't going to make it.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Leia doesn't meet on a regular schedule. In the past, she rotated with Luke and the Droids. All the SWW characters stop meeting at 7:30, but that doesn't mean she'll be available until then. Her last set could end well before that.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you make it, I think you'll be very lucky.

I think the absolute quickest would be a car service, but skipping the resort (but I don't know what you'd do with your carryons which brings the resort back into the mix).

If you can do without the stroller that night, then car rental with one of the companies that lets you bypass the counter.

Car Service
5:40 at gate
5:50 deplaned
6:00 car service
6:10 leaving property
6:50 arrive at hotel
7:00 checked in
7:15 arrive at DHS
7:25 arrive at meet & greet

Rental Car
5:40 at gate
5:50 deplaned
6:00 rental car
6:10 leaving property
6:50 arrive at DHS
7:00 arrive at meet & greet

This is assuming everything happens PERFECTLY... there's no delay landing, taxiing, or deplaning. You can walk right to your car, there's no traffic, AND you walk fast at every point.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I looked at my SWW notes from 2013. That year, Leia only met for four 30 minute sets in the afternoon, and her last set ended at 6:00.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

\

That's a good idea re the rental, although I do actually need to go by the hotel, will have a stroller waiting for me at the bell desk.

Your plan just fell apart!

The only way this works is the direct to DHS method. Stopping to deal with Bell Services just blew what little extra time you had.

However, the bigger issue is the line for the Princess is probably going to be cut off before you get in it, Even if she's there until 7:30 they will "judge" how many they can get in and close the line to allow her leave at 7:30

 

[jrtoastyman]

Thanks to everyone for the insight. Suffice it to say, not great news. Better to know now than to get there and be disappointed though, I suppose. One of the main goals for the trip was letting DD6 meet Leia, and if we can't knock it off that first night, I'm going to have to shuffle some stuff around.

I will say this, though -- perhaps your experiences with car rentals are better than mine, but I cannot fathom renting a car and leaving the airport anywhere close to as quickly as if I were to use a car service or even just grab a cab. We used a Mears car service last time we came, and we were on the road about as quickly as I could have dreamed. Every time I rent a car, there is invariably SOMETHING that prohibits me from going straight to the car and driving away, but even under the best case scenario, the rental cars tend to be further away than the car of the dude at the bottom of the escalator holding the sign with your name on it.

 

[Alesia]

I will say this, though -- perhaps your experiences with car rentals are better than mine, but I cannot fathom renting a car and leaving the airport anywhere close to as quickly as if I were to use a car service or even just grab a cab. We used a Mears car service last time we came, and we were on the road about as quickly as I could have dreamed. Every time I rent a car, there is invariably SOMETHING that prohibits me from going straight to the car and driving away, but even under the best case scenario, the rental cars tend to be further away than the car of the dude at the bottom of the escalator holding the sign with your name on it.

The problem with taking a cab or a town car in your scenario is that you would have your bags with you. If you rent a car, you could leave the bags in the car.

 

[jrtoastyman]

The problem with taking a cab or a town car in your scenario is that you would have your bags with you. If you rent a car, you could leave the bags in the car.

Yeah, I get that, that makes a ton of sense, but the timeline someone posted above had the exact same departure time from MCO regardless of whether I was taking a car or was renting. That has not been my journey, lol

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I always rent a car. I can be at Epcot within half an hour from getting off the plane (Used to do it a lot to get to the last set of Off Kilter!)

Walk directly from airplane to National Emerald Aisle. Quickly select a car (no you won't have time to check the mileage and features on every car on the aisle LOL!) Get in car and drive. Just pay for the toll pass to avoid stopping at toll booths!

If those are all your steps, you aren't hauling everything you own and you move along it can be done. If you stop for bathrooms, everyone has more stuff then they can handle when moving quickly etc... it won't be done.

And about half the people I see doing "carry on only" can't move quickly with their luggage because they stretched it as far as possible, so they have to stop every few feet to "rearrange" The fact that OP has a kid who needs a stroller pretty much means they will be slower IMHO.

My experience with car services was so bad I wouldn't risk another vacation. (And I routinely use them other places, but never again in Orlando LOL!) But I would assume they will be late etc....