Timing for ADR on arrival day

[Dug720]

Sorry for so many questions!! Like some others on here, I'm a WDW pro but a newbie at DL!!

I'm flying in on Sunday, Feb 20 and my flight is scheduled to land at 10:20am at SNA. I'm planning to take a taxi or Lyft/Uber to Hotel Lulu to drop off my bags if I can't check in early.

I've currently got an ADR at Tortilla Jo's for 1:30 - initially I was not going into a park that day, but I'm treating myself to a one-day ticket (I have 5-day hoppers for the rest of my trip) mainly so i don't miss the fireworks. Obviously earlier is better - but I'm also going to want to grab something to eat. I'm used to WDW timing for reserving things on arrival day, but I know things are closer at DL.

Do you think a 1:00 ADR would be possible? Or even earlier?

Or would you just skip Tortilla Jo's and grab some QS in the park?

TIA!

 

[Steven G]

If you are getting a ticket to the park, I’d just go directly to the park and skip downtown Disney. But that’s just me.

you need to factor in traffic. Even though SNA is close, the traffic around the airport and on the way to DLR at certain times can be bad. 1:30 for an ADR should be fine though. factor in 30 minutes for traffic, 30 minutes for luggage claim, 30 minutes for general airport delay. You’ll probably get there faster then that.

 

[lalasmama]

Typically I'd say you'd be good, however, hang on through the whole post!

10:20 landing.
10:30 off plane
10:45 checked bags
11:00 Uber/Lyft arrives (however, I had to wait nearly 25 minutes in September)
11:30 Arrive at hotel, check in, drop luggage
12:15 In the parks!


However, there were over 1900 delays, and over 100 straight cancelations yesterday. (Link works even if it looks like it's spinning.) That's 2000 chances for delays or cancelation.... Since September, I've had 10 flights. 6 of those were close to on time. ... One was 6 hours late. The others were 1-2+ hours late. A 1-2 hour delay would have you missing your ressie.

I've given up making any travel day reservations in the current air travel conditions....


https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/yesterday

 

[ParkHopper1]

In my experience anything scheduled less than 3 full hours from arrival time will be a rush to get there.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I wouldn’t eat in DTD if I had a park ticket!

 

[Dug720]

Thanks all!

 

[Pluto468]

I know people who really love Tortilla Joe's! Since you have 5 more park days there's no reason not to go there for lunch first. I would hold onto the 1:30. We've had the 10:20 flight into SNA, too and I think it's better to have a bit more of a time cushion so you don't need to rush. Also, you can always just walk around Downtown Disney if you are early for your reservations, or maybe they could even get you in sooner than 1:30. If you are able to check into your hotel early you could just relax for a bit before your reservation.

 

[RunnerMom71]

To save time & hassle take a yellow taxi at SNA and don't take a lyft/uber. They are very efficient and zero waiting. You'll have little to no traffic arriving on a Sunday morning.

I too would skip Tortilla Jo's for lunch go straight into the parks. While we love dining at TJs you can go one of your other days of your trip for lunch when you need a quite sit down break from the parks. We actually never use reservations for lunches at the DTD locations and have *always* gotten a walk in. The big exception of course being between Christmas & NY.

 

[DLgal]

There will be absolutely no traffic at that time on a Sunday. With a 10:20 arrival, you will be at your hotel by 11am, guaranteed. You will have plenty of time to make even a 12:00 ADR.

I like TortillaJoe's, so I'd recommend keeping the ADR. Have a nice relaxing meal, enjoy a drink or 2 (if that's your thing) and then leisurely take the monorail into DL for the rest of the day.

 

[DLgal]

In my experience anything scheduled less than 3 full hours from arrival time will be a rush to get there.

How often do you fly into SNA on a Sunday morning?

It is the absolute slowest time at that airport and traffic isn't an issue at all at that time either.

3 hours is 2 hours too much unless you REALLY move slowly and need extra time.

 

[Dug720]

There will be absolutely no traffic at that time on a Sunday. With a 10:20 arrival, you will be at your hotel by 11am, guaranteed. You will have plenty of time to make even a 12:00 ADR.

I like TortillaJoe's, so I'd recommend keeping the ADR. Have a nice relaxing meal, enjoy a drink or 2 (if that's your thing) and then leisurely take the monorail into DL for the rest of the day.

Thank you so much!!

 

[ParkHopper1]

How often do you fly into SNA on a Sunday morning?

It is the absolute slowest time at that airport and traffic isn't an issue at all at that time either.

3 hours is 2 hours too much unless you REALLY move slowly and need extra time.

Quite frequently...we have done a bunch of reservations 2 hours after arrival time every every time we are scrambling to make it on time...and we are typically adults that like to hustle. "2 hours too much" is a bit utopian by time you factor in the flight having to be 100% on time, the process of getting off the plane, picking up bags, hiking to ride share pickup area, waiting for Uber, has to be zero traffic on freeway or surface streets, checking in at hotel, dumping bags, quick freshen up/change/use the head, walking to parks, getting through security, getting into gates...a LOT has to go perfect to even make the 2 hour mark comfortably. 3 hours min and you won't be rushed has been our experience over the past decade. Drive time alone is 22 min best case.

Can all that be done in 1 hour? yeah, sure it is possible...likely for he casual travel?...probably not.

 

[Becca1007]

Skip the ADR, take a yellow cab from SNA to your hotel and don't buy your one day ticket until your flight lands (presuming you aren't going at a super busy time and feel like you can get a reservation.) Airports and flights are a cluster all over the place right now.

 

[DLgal]

Quite frequently...we have done a bunch of reservations 2 hours after arrival time every every time we are scrambling to make it on time...and we are typically adults that like to hustle. "2 hours too much" is a bit utopian by time you factor in the flight having to be 100% on time, the process of getting off the plane, picking up bags, hiking to ride share pickup area, waiting for Uber, has to be zero traffic on freeway or surface streets, checking in at hotel, dumping bags, quick freshen up/change/use the head, walking to parks, getting through security, getting into gates...a LOT has to go perfect to even make the 2 hour mark comfortably. 3 hours min and you won't be rushed has been our experience over the past decade. Drive time alone is 22 min best case.

Okay. I drive up to Disneyland almost every Sunday morning and I live the same distance as the airport to DL. It takes us about 15 minutes to get to the parking structure, consistently.

OP will have more than enough time to make a 1:30 reservation in Downtown Disney.

Last year, my friend flew in late morning on a Tuesday, her flight landed at 11:45. I made a 1pm reservation for Naples. We were there by 12:30 and had to kill time by shopping at World of Disney until they could seat us at 1. She literally walked off the plane, used the bathroom and her bag was already on the carousel when she got there.

 

[Dug720]

Skip the ADR, take a yellow cab from SNA to your hotel and don't buy your one day ticket until your flight lands (presuming you aren't going at a super busy time and feel like you can get a reservation.) Airports and flights are a cluster all over the place right now.

Presidents' Day Weekend - so not chancing it.

I looked at the past 2 days for the flight out of EWR and they have left early and gotten in early.

 

[Becca1007]

Presidents' Day Weekend - so not chancing it.

I looked at the past 2 days for the flight out of EWR and they have left early and gotten in early.

Fair ... you definitely will want to buy ticket and have reservation early for those dates.

 

[goooof1]

Walk out of baggage claim and get a taxi (they are right there at the curb!) I'd go into the park and skip a sit down in DTD. Lots of good QS to choose from.
....Have loads of fun !!!.....

 

[DLgal]

Presidents' Day Weekend - so not chancing it.

I looked at the past 2 days for the flight out of EWR and they have left early and gotten in early.

Interestingly, Presidents Day weekend still has Dream key availability on all days, probably because all the other keys are blocked out. It shouldn't be too crowded.

Although I agree with your plan to have the ticket already. I wouldn't chance it either.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Okay. I drive up to Disneyland almost every Sunday morning and I live the same distance as the airport to DL. It takes us about 15 minutes to get to the parking structure, consistently.

OP will have more than enough time to make a 1:30 reservation in Downtown Disney.

Last year, my friend flew in late morning on a Tuesday, her flight landed at 11:45. I made a 1pm reservation for Naples. We were there by 12:30 and had to kill time by shopping at World of Disney until they could seat us at 1. She literally walked off the plane, used the bathroom and her bag was already on the carousel when she got there.

Oh, driving in and parking as a day guest in the garage absolutely no problem on the timeline...but that is not what the OP is asking. Arrival time from a flight and checking into a hotel adds a tad bit more to the process. Arrival time means what time the wheels are scheduled to touch down...not what time you exit the airport in a car.

 

[DLgal]

Oh, driving in and parking as a day guest in the garage absolutely no problem on the timeline...but that is not what the OP is asking. Arrival time from a flight and checking into a hotel adds a tad bit more to the process. Arrival time means what time the wheels are scheduled to touch down...not what time you exit the airport in a car.

I didn't misunderstand. My friends flight literally landed at 11:45 (I think it landed 3 minutes early to be exact) and we were at Naples 45 minutes later. Didn't park in the garage. Parked at Downtown Disney. The drive there took us like 15 minutes. It's literally 13 miles from the airport and there was no traffic at that time.

If OP was arriving at 5pm on a weekday, I'd tell her that 3 hours is barely enough. But she's not.