Time for first ADR after we arrive in Orlando.

[MelDane]

After much searching I was finally able to get a ADR for CRT. The one issue is that I am worry about timing. We are supposed to arrive in orlando at 9:30am and we are staying at CSR. Our ADR for CRT is at 12:20pm. How long does it normally take the Magical Express to go from the airport to a resort. Is the 2 hours and 50 mins enough time you think to be able to make our ADR. I hope people are able to put my mind at ease and we can actually make this ADR.

 

[jtg2]

I am not a seasoned enough Disney person to say for certain. It's wicked tight. If you are not on the monorail line I suggest you plan to take a taxi from your resort to cut out the time to wait for a bus, ride the bus, endure it's stop.

 

[jaysmom4285]

I agree on the taxi from CSR to MK. If you land at 9:30, let's give it 30 minutes to make your way off the plane (especially if you're seated in the back), walk through the terminal to the tram, possibly wait for a tram, take the tram to the main terminal, and get down the two levels to ME. You'll get right in the line for ME bus, but you may have to wait to get on the bus and then the bus may wait to fill a little before it leaves. Give that another 30 minutes. So let's say we're at 10:30, if all has gone well. It's a 30-40 minute drive to WDW, and you may make a couple stops at other resorts before you get to CSR (I don't know the ME schedule that well). That would put you at CSR at maybe 11:30 AM. Now all this could go more quickly, but it's best not to count on that - Murphy's Law and all. But that would give you only 40 minutes to get to MK and CRT. That's very tight. The taxi would be your best bet if the time is that short. You can drop your luggage at bell services and just move on. If things have gone exceptionally well and you're there 30-40 minutes earlier than that, maybe you have time to take the bus to MK. I think it can be done, but it will be a tight timeframe.

 

[Pumbaa_]

It's an expensive ADR to miss

If anything goes wrong you will miss it. If your flight is delayed even an hour you will miss it

I never book an ADR on arrival day that has deposit required. Have. Had too many things go wrong on travel days

Ymmv

 

[purple figment]

Our rule of thumb is 3 hours from arrival at MCO to walking through the turnstiles at a park, but the earliest I would schedule a dining reservation is at least 4 hours after arrival...and I would only do it if I am willing to pay the no show penalty if there is a delay and I didn't make it to the reservation. I would not book CRT because the penalty is the entire cost of the meal, not just the more typical $10 per person.

If this is for your trip in 3 months (November?) when weather could be a serious factor - not just at your departing airport, but anywhere in the country could result in delayed/cancelled flights. Year round there are mechanical problems or technical hiccups - we've experience both - that resulted in delays that would have caused us to miss a reservation if it was just 3 hours after arrival.

That said, if you keep the CRT reservation, it will be very close, but if there are no delays and everything goes smoothly (minimal wait to deplane, DME bus leaves as soon as you get on, you're the first resort on the bus route, quick check in at CSR) you will probably make it. You'll also have to allow time to go through bag check and enter the park. If you are ready to leave for the park an hour before your reservation you can take the bus from CSR. If it is less than that I would take a taxi to the Contemporary Resort and walk from there to the MK. If you ask the cab driver to take you to the MK, he'll take you to the TTC and you will have to take the ferry or monorail to the park which will take longer than walking from the Contemporary.