Thinking about going to a park on departure day. Flight leaves at 5:30?

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I got into the parks on my flight home day all the time. I normally finish packing up, turn in my luggage at RAC and my carryon with Bell Services then get some breakfast and get to a park around 10am. My preferred park is MK.

Then I leave the park with an hour and a half to spare before getting picked up by DME. That allows me time to get my carryon and clean up a bit and change out of my sweaty clothes since I tend to go when it's hot - I have some baby wipes in my carry on for a quick wipe down and a travel antiperspirant for a touch up. It's been working great for me over the years.

 

[maryj11]

I got into the parks on my flight home day all the time. I normally finish packing up, turn in my luggage at RAC and my carryon with Bell Services then get some breakfast and get to a park around 10am. My preferred park is MK.

Then I leave the park with an hour and a half to spare before getting picked up by DME. That allows me time to get my carryon and clean up a bit and change out of my sweaty clothes since I tend to go when it's hot - I have some baby wipes in my carry on for a quick wipe down and a travel antiperspirant for a touch up. It's been working great for me over the years.

Sounds like a good plan. Do you just change in the restroom at the resort?

 

[rlduvall]

We used to always go to a park on check out day if our flight was later. I now realize I don't like to board a plane after sweating profusely [as a pp mentioned also] and it's too much effort to clean up at the resort's pool facilities [even though it is doable]. Now, we try to leave around 1:00 p.m. which gives us a leisurely morning. BUT, if we do have to leave late afternoon, early evening, we go to Disney Springs for lunch and a movie. I get really uptight on return home travel days and have found it much more relaxing to avoid a park on that day.

 

[BalooFan]

If I have time before DME pickup, I go to the park closest to my resort for a few hours and leave early enough to ensure that I make the bus. For me, departure days drag on forever if I don't have park activities to occupy my time. In your situation, I would go to MK for a few hours.

 

[cdndisneymum]

I suck every bit of magic and pixie dust up on our last day. I book first flight there, last one back (usually 6p). Go to MK until 2:30p, catch the bus to hotel, ME to MCO (crying all of the way).

 

[bashuck]

That is plenty of time to at least use up the fast passes, and as that is the last day of your trip you should be able to get whatever you want when you want as long as it is still more than 60 days out. I'd stick with the MK myself as you are staying right there but you have time to go anywhere.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Flight delays happen. No point in getting mad. Never wait for your airline to let you know. Check for yourself regularly. It's possible that the PP's flight had been delayed earlier but they only got the text as they got to the airport. So check check check.

We did check except once we got on the ME bus - turns out it was a mechanical or a security issue on the plane arriving. We also have incredibly poor luck on flights - hurricanes, snowstorms, turbulence. We get it all.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Sounds like a good plan. Do you just change in the restroom at the resort?

I do - sometimes I go to the pool changing room if the resort has one but it's just as fast to change in a stall in the lobby rest room since I'm not doing the whole shower, need to redo hair thing. LOL

 

[Ladyfish77]

We did it on our trip. Got up and finished packing in the AM. Dropped luggage off, then headed to Epcot. Rode a few rides, wandered around and ate and drank (it was Flower & Garden), just enjoyed wandering a bit. Then headed back to the resort, grabbed luggage and boarded the ME for the airport.

 

[AngelDisney]

This August we will have late flight for the first time at 6:30 pm. Plan to be on ME at 2:00 pm. Booked EMM for the morning, then with Express Bus, hop to DHS for TSMM and ToT with prebooked FPs, and then hop to Epcot for Food and Wine. We will be staying at Beach Club. I am stretching the magic on my last day as much as I can this time!

 

[Cinderella94]

We stay the Beach Club so we always do Cape May character breakfast and then have a little bit of time before the Magical Express arrives. Venturing to a park would be too stressful for me on check out day, but do whatever works for you.

 

[eastendlights]

On our last day before flying home we go to Epcot and either walk back to BC or YC or like our trip earlier this month, we took a cab from Epcot back to AKL. We made Soarin' our last ride (we did get to ride it 8 times) walked to the front of the park and were back in less than 10 minutes. I don't like to rely on a bus, boat or monorail if I have to make ME. The $20 is absolutely worth the peace of mind knowing we we will make it back barring any crazy traffic.

 

[Joeboo25]

We went to AK the last morning on our first trip, but I think we wound up missing some kind of special pixie dust that day. My wife and I had an especially fun interaction with Doug and Russell right before we had to head back to catch the Tragical Express. When we finished, a managerial looking CM (clip board and walkie-talkie) caught up with us and starting asking questions about our plans for the afternoon. We had to tell him that we were on our way out the door, but he gave us the impression that he was getting ready to ask us to participate in something special like the parade (back when AK had one) or something else. To this day we still wonder what could have been, but it was neat being semi-close to something cool.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Should we go to a park on departure day with our flight leaving at 5:30 pm and using the magic express bus?

Yes?

 

[Jfine]

I'm in the camp of go to a park. It makes leaving easier. However we have annual passes. So to me it would depend on the cost of an extra day.
We also do the same as GaSleepingBeautyFan and have a change of clothes for after the park.

 

[maryj11]

I'm in the camp of go to a park. It makes leaving easier. However we have annual passes. So to me it would depend on the cost of an extra day.
We also do the same as GaSleepingBeautyFan and have a change of clothes for after the park.

I emailed my travel agent to see how much it would be to add another day onto our tickets.

 

[NYCANC]

I emailed my travel agent to see how much it would be to add another day onto our tickets.

It will not be a lot. We did that last trip- we added that last day so we could go to MK and that was our 9th day!
We don't do much downtime!

 

[Farps]

We always go to a park on our last day, our flight is generally later. We take our time use our FP's and try to take it all in one more time before heading home.

 

[ckb_nc]

We did this with a late flight from GF - MK in the morning then the pool with late lunch at the pool. We take an Uber to the airport - yes it costs us $70 but we get an extra hour or more. You can use MDE to take your bags and just keep the carry ons.

 

[Senk]

Not planning this BUT, what happens if you are enjoying a final day at the parks and plan to use ME but miss it? I assume one would then get a cab/uber to the airport but are you penalized by Disney somehow? what about it you do the resort airline check-in for bags?

I have a late departure and an extra park ticket and was planning to go to a park but will be careful to not miss the ME